“Thirty-two bottles of milk on the wall, thirty-two bottles of milk!”

Thump…Thump…Thump.

“Oh, you take one down, pass it around, thirty-one bottles of milk on the wall! Thirty-one bottles of milk on the wall—”

THUMP…THUMP…THUMP!

A small part of Flash almost felt bad for Obsidian as she continued to faceplant against the padded bottom of her cell cart. Almost. If he and Twilight weren’t actively singing along with Pinkie’s and Joy’s song, of course. Twilight especially seemed to be enjoying it far more than he would have thought, energetically belting out next to him as they walked. It had been quite a while since he had seen her so happy and carefree, and seeing her like this made him smile. Plus, she was pretty cute when she was singing, even if she didn’t always hit the notes correctly.

Still, there was something oddly satisfying in watching somepony so twisted get so worked up over something as silly as a song. Of somepony who acted so high and mighty being brought low by her own subjects. Perhaps it was a bit of karma for all the pain she inflicted with that awful flower of hers. Just a bit. He probably wouldn’t have even bothered to pad the bottom of her cell cart, but Pinkie was clearly more merciful than him.

After the first song had ended two days before, ponies had taken turns leading the caravan in different songs throughout the day, much to Obsidian’s annoyance. It had done wonders to help time pass in the barren wasteland that had surrounded them and had served as a good way to keep spirits high. Flash had especially loved the song titled ‘Six Feet Thunder,’ an energetic song about a pegasus using lightning deep underground to scare off a pack of invading Diamond Dogs. He would need to remember that technique in case he lost his wing blades, assuming he could ever figure out how to make lightning without the cloud exploding in his face.

The singing had helped the resistance bond with their newly recruited members as each group shared songs of various styles and genres. This in turn had led ponies talking and learning about how things differed across the numerous properties and comparing their experiences. One of the ponies from Obsidian’s property was incredibly jealous when Flash told him that almost all ponies on the Shining Star property got an entire day off during the celebration of the cloud’s defeat, since apparently Obsidian decided finishing work one hour early was good enough. And during one of the quieter songs, Flash overheard two ponies talking about how they used stew and spices on Obsidians property to try and make less food feed more ponies. He made a mental note to follow up with them when they got back to the forest – that’d be good if the resistance ever became pressed for food. Which they very well COULD be, at least for a bit, since they had certainly taken in a LOT of ponies in a short amount of time. But it was reassuring that the chefs were already familiar with rationed cooking, and if their dinner last night was any indication, they were REALLY good at enhancing the taste and texture of said food.

The journey itself had been calm enough, all things considered, though it hadn’t been completely stress-free. On the second day, their spotters had seen a Canterlot guard patrol passing nearby. Everypony had immediately tensed and quickly moved to disguise themselves. Blankets were thrown over the carts of sick and injured to make it appear as if they were just carts of gems. The Butlers they had recruited quickly spread out and stood tall, trying to look like they were in charge of the armored ponies and the caravan despite their lack of weapons. Everypony else had stopped singing and pretended to be workers moving under the direction of the Butlers and armored ponies.

Flash had badly wanted to move closer to Twilight as the guards had flown by, but he knew from his training that the best way to blend into a crowd was to act as though you belonged. Thankfully, Twilight was still wearing Rarity’s custom purple cloak, and she tucked her wings under the slits and pulled up the hood as soon as the alarm was sounded. After that, all Flash could do was pull out a few goo bombs and hide them in his wing, his heart hammering away the entire time. If the pegasi did attack, the bombs would gunk up their wings to prevent them from escaping.

The situation was only made more stressful by Obsidian trying to make as much noise as possible inside her cage. Logically, Flash didn’t think that a prisoner struggling in a cage would be enough for the guard to investigate since it likely happened all the time (as horrible as it was), but he had been sorely tempted to use his final sleeper bomb on her just to get her to be quiet. Unfortunately, Obsidian had waited until the patrol had come into view to start thrashing about, and Flash had subtly waved Twilight off from casting her sleep spell.

Doing so would only bring more attention to Obsidian and Twilight, though Flash made a note to always store a blanket or two next to the cage should they ever transport a prisoner again. None of the nearby carts had been carrying blankets this time, and he didn’t want that to be a problem in the future.

Thankfully, if they had seen the caravan or heard Obsidian’s noise, they hadn’t acknowledged it and continued to fly on. The moment they left, the resistance ponies had thrown off their covers and resumed chatting amongst themselves (in thankfully subdued voices), but Flash couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong, that the patrol shouldn’t have gotten THAT close to them.

It’s fine, he told himself. Caravans between properties are common, so you don’t look suspicious. Besides, they didn’t really pay any attention, did they? Not even with all of Obsidian’s struggles. Plus, she’s so much smaller now that it’s unlikely that anypony would recognize her even if they DID look at her. And Twilight had her cloak to hide while Pinkie used the disguise gem to make sure Joy was hidden from view.

The thought only helped a little, and he remained extra vigilant for the rest of the day in case of any possible traps. He also, thankfully, managed to convince Twilight that it would be safer if they remained closer to one of the carts that would be covered in case of additional patrols. She didn’t look very happy about it, but she did agree.

Additionally, he requested a spotter to do a quick survey of the surrounding area while he himself did a few laps around the caravan to make sure nopony was spying on them. Big Mac claimed it was excessive and would just tire out the pegasus responsible for doing the check, but thankfully Applejack approved the request without a second’s hesitation. Yet despite the patrol, this uncertain feeling just refused to vanish.

And he refused to let his guard down until all doubt was eliminated.

Still, Flash had felt better after the night had passed with no incidents. And he was even more relieved that the Everfree Forest had finally come into view, signaling the end of their three-day journey home. Which was wonderful, as he was, quite frankly, completely exhausted. Even with their stay at Obsidian’s old property a few nights ago, everypony was beginning to feel exhausted from the duration of the mission, and Flash had to admit that he hadn’t gotten enough sleep the previous night.

Home. The most dangerous place in Equestria is our home away from home. I feel like I can sleep better in a monster infested forest surrounded by ponies I trust than I can in a secluded cave out in the wasteland. How crazy is that.

Flash had to admit that the idea he now called such a wild and unsafe forest ‘home’ was more than a little strange, though not unpleasant. It had nice and trustworthy ponies, was hidden from the Queen and the other alicorns that wished to capture Twilight (and now Pinkie, he supposed), and wasn’t too bad once you knew how to navigate it. It would never be as nice as Shining Star’s property or Cloudsdale, but it was growing on him.

But now that they had left the main road and were approaching the forest itself, Flash could feel his heart begin to beat a bit faster again. Looking like a typical caravan in the dusty, rolling fields of the barren Equestria countryside wasn’t too bad. They just needed to hide in plain sight. But most caravans didn’t get too close to the Everfree Forest, let alone make a beeline directly for it. Anypony passing along the road or in the sky would see them from miles away, well before they ever heard any of the chatter or singing and would clearly be concerned when they saw such a large group headed for the most dangerous forest in Equestria.

And if they just so happened to see a small purple alicorn or either of the Elements, then there would be trouble.

No, don’t think about that. Twilight could hide in a cart or might even be in range of teleporting back to the village. She won’t be captured again. Not on my watch.

On the positive side, they did have a lot of ponies who could help fend off an attack with them now. Some part of him knew that is would probably be quicker and less attention-grabbing if it was just him and Twilight slipping into the forest, but he had to admit, he liked having the other ponies there as back-up if things went wrong. Ponies he trusted, ponies he could work with, ponies he LIKED.

And, in truth, it felt good to be a part of a group that was trying so hard to make a difference in the world. To be working alongside ponies who had such close bonds and were willing to support one another to survive. They trusted each other, and Flash found himself trusting them more and more with each passing day.

Even if his priority was still Twilight’s safety, it felt…nice to help their new allies achieve their goals. To work to gain their trust and show them that he and Twilight could be trusted as well.

And speaking of Twilight, Flash could tell that she had been truly enjoying herself these last few days. The singing, the talking, the simple fact that she was having so much fun and looked so relaxed right now – it was worth the added risk, and it reminded him that while both he and Twilight might be used to working alone, Twilight was much happier and productive when working with others. And as Luna had taught him, ‘protecting your charges means looking out for both physical and mental harm.’ If Twilight being able to relax for the first time in weeks meant she was in the open a bit longer, then so long as he remained vigilant and got her to safety the moment danger did appear, than he was willing to make that small trade.

Still, it would be good to be back in the village. Guarding Twilight was still his primary concern, and once they were inside the trees, Twilight could continue making friends without fear of the Queen’s guards finding her. Hay, once word got out that somepony in the resistance had found the Element of Laughter, the forest would probably provide them with an extra layer of security should somepony decide to try and come for Twilight or Pinkie. So long as Twilight didn’t run off and try and sacrifice herself again, she would be well hidden.

I REALLY hope she doesn’t try to run off again. I don’t think I have ever been so worried about her safety in my entire life. Not even the incident in Canterlot with the Element of Magic made me panic that much.

He just hoped that they could find a way to accommodate all the new ponies that they had picked up from this little adventure, preferably in a way that didn’t make them completely observable from the air. The last thing he needed was Twilight to be captured because somepony saw the village through the forest canopy and told the Queen or another alicorn. At least they would have more trained ponies to help them should they be found. Rose especially had taken an interest in helping protect her soon-to-be home and had already offered to help pass on her Butler skills to the new recruits. From the conversations Flash had with her on the road, she appeared to be a very skilled Butler, so any help she could offer would be a great boon to the resistance. She was also very keen on sparring with him as well, something that Flash was looking forward to.

It’s been a while since I’ve been able to spar with another Butler. And not only would it be a good chance to learn more about Rose, but it might convince other resistance members to spar with me too. And sometimes the best way to start learning about somepony is to see how they fight.

Though he did find it amusing that most of their conversations had eventually trailed off into Rose gushing about how excited she was to plan her wedding to Sandy Quartz, absentmindedly playing with her ring constantly. Flash could understand her excitement, and he was sure Pinkie would love to help them with that process.

But before all of that, they had to get back in the forest, and quickly.

“Twenty-one bottle of milk on the wall, twenty-one bottles of milk!”

“Start winding down, Pinkie! We’ll be at the forest soon, and we need to get set up for the trek to make sure no critters get the drop on us!” Applejack called out, walking towards them. “Flash, Twilight, you stay near Obsidian and the other prisoners. We need to decide who will stay with them once Twilight puts them to sleep.”

Twilight nodded, and so did Flash, albeit far more reluctantly. Given Twilight’s proficiency with the sleep spell she had blasted him and the others with before running off to get captured by Thorn, Flash knew it made sense to have her use it on Obsidian and her loyal followers so whoever was watching them could slip into the forest without issue once everypony else was back inside. But he still didn’t like it. Applejack’s logic made a lot of sense, so Flash couldn’t really argue with her when she brought up the idea the day before, but he felt a bit hesitant about leaving Twilight outside the forest, away from the crowd, noticeable, vulnerable, longer than necessary. Even if that ‘longer’ was just for a minute or two.

Twilight assured him that she would be fine, and Flash knew she probably would be, but he didn’t want to take any chances. Twilight was good at taking care of herself, most of the time anyway, but he never wanted to see her in chains ever again. It just…felt so wrong to see her like that. So he had announced that he would be staying right by her side the entire time in case something went wrong. Twilight had rolled her eyes, as she normally did when he was like this, but her smile let him know that she appreciated his dedication. Even if she did say he could take a nap if he needed too while he waited. At least Rarity had agreed to help escort Spike back into the forest so Twilight wouldn’t need to worry about him, and that made Flash smile to himself.

Applejack moved down the caravan, calling out orders, and as they got closer to the forest, the ponies clustered around the wagons began to prepare for entry. They encircled each wagon in tight formation, especially those with foals or injured ponies, and ensured that their weapons were in easy reach. A few ponies with crossbows climbed up into each wagon and took a relaxed stance, ready to aim and fire at anything hostile they spotted. They traded places with the pegesi, who took to the air, ready to fly ahead through the trees and make sure no predators had hidden in the canopy. Any resistance ponies currently in the carts began to put their armor back on and ready their weapons.

Even a few of the recruited Butlers took up outlook positions on the carts, though they were still not allowed to carry weapons of their own. Some did so on their own, while others were invited up by veteran resistance members. Something about the image of ponies who had once been enemies now working together to protect one another made Flash smile. Why can’t all of Equestria be like this?

Meanwhile, a select team of ponies began to move towards the back of the caravan. This group would work to ensure that their trail was destroyed and that no trace of the resistance could be found. The first half of the team were pegesi, who would go back a ways and make enough wind to erase their tracks, something that wouldn’t raise much suspicion given the prevalence of dust storms outside of alicorn properties. And even if they were spotted, it wasn’t uncommon for Cloudsdale to send out small teams of ponies to help break up dust storms before they got too big.

The second group would be responsible for covering their tracks in the forest: regrowing trees and bushes to hide their entrance point, filling in ruts with dirt, and removing broken branches or destroyed plants to hide their trail. They’d be outside for a while – which meant whoever was chosen to babysit Obsidian and the remaining Butlers would have to be outside a while too – but Flash still felt relieved that the resistance was taking the time and effort to do this, even with the added risks. Anything that made it harder to find the village, and by extension Twilight, would be worth it.

While the newest members of the resistance were a bit slow, overall, the transition was incredibly smooth and quick, something that made Flash smile wider. It reminded him of his old Butler training drills, and it showed that despite the rough edges, the resistance wasn’t to be underestimated.

You know, given the number of Butlers we have now, I wonder if we now have enough ponies that we could train a few ponies to become full Butlers rather than just teaching everypony various techniques like we have been. I know the training usually starts when ponies are younger, but having a few ponies specialized in specific combat or stealth operations would be really handy in later fights.

“Darn, and we were so close to the end,” Joy groaned, pulling Flash back to the real world. “Can we finish when we get back to this village of yours?”

“Sure!” Pinkie said with a grin, earning a cheer from Joy.

“Please, no,” Magi grumbled softly. “I hate to agree with Obsidian, but in this case can we please choose a different song for when we get back? Preferably one less repetitive?”

“NOPE!” Joy exclaimed, her gemstone twinkling in a way that Flash had come to assume was playful.

“So,” Rainbow exclaimed, cutting into the conversation as she landed on top of Obsidian’s cage next to Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich, “has Applejack decided who will be watching Miss Crazy down here after Twilight knocks her out?” She rapped on the cage for emphasis, earning a series of muffled shouts from Obsidian. Flash smirked, and Cheese outright chuckled.

“She was going to have us discuss it once everypony else finished getting into position for reentry into the forest,” Twilight said. “Though I don’t know who she had in mind for the job. I know Rarity is taking Spike back, Fluttershy is treating the ponies who were forced to eat the flower, and Thunder, Lightning, and Big Mac are heading back so they can keep an eye on the new recruits. I don’t know who else would be willing to stay behind.”

“I think anypony should be fine so long as they can escape quickly without being noticed,” Flash said. Too bad a lot of ponies can’t teleport like Twilight can. It would certainly make getting back to the forest easier for whoever is chosen to stay.

“Me, Cheesy, and Sandy could stay,” Pinkie offered, grabbing Cheese Sandwich with one leg and pointing to Sandy Quartz in the cart in front of them with the other. The stallion’s ears twitched. “It’d be fun to draw silly things on Obsidian’s face while she is asleep!”

“MMPHPMPHMMMM!” Obsidian protested, not that anypony really cared.

“Ooooh, can I help come up with ideas?” Joy asked. Pinkie was about to respond before Sandy’s voice rang out.

“Actually, Pinkie, I offered to help with the lookout. Sorry!”

“No problem, Sandy! Glad you’re helping out,” Pinkie called back just as Sandy’s fiancée jumped up into the cart and gave the stallion a quick kiss on the cheek. Given the big goofy grin that spread across his muzzle, Flash was certain he had thoroughly exited the conversation for the time being.

Just like my mom and dad, he thought, before nearly jerking in surprise. Where the hay did THAT come from? Why am I suddenly thinking about my parents all of a sudden? I haven’t thought of them at all since coming to the village. So why am I suddenly thinking about them now?

“Actually, Applejack wanted me to tell you that she needs you and Cheese with the caravan,” Rainbow said, pulling Flash back to the present. “She was apparently thinking about it as we were walking today, and she decided that your new, er, healed Pinkie Sense would be great for detecting any dangers we can’t see. And she thought both you and Cheese would be perfect for keeping the foals calm in the forest and making sure no predators make a move on them.”

“So much for silly drawings,” Joy said, sounding almost like she was pouting.

…How exactly can a gemstone pout? Flash thought, before deciding against pursuing that inevitable rabbit hole. Just like with Pinkie, I need to learn to not question Joy.

“I’m sure you’ll get another chance, sister,” Magi said. “Whether with another alicorn or back in the village where you and Pinkie will undoubtedly be throwing a number of parties.”

“We do need a ‘We Won and Made it Home Safe’ party,” Cheese said, and a wide smile spread across Pinkie’s face.

“Let’s worry about that AFTER we make it home safely, then. Now, does anypony else want to volunteer or was selected to stay behind?” Rainbow asked. When no one answered, she smirked. “Well then, don’t worry, I’ll make sure Obsidian can’t find us,” she declared, puffing her chest out dramatically.

“Really?” Flash asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

“Yeah! What, you think I can’t do it?” Rainbow retorted, glaring at Flash playfully.

“You mean sit in place for two hours doing nothing but watching ponies sleep without going to sleep yourself? Unlike Twilight, you’re not exactly known for your patience and ability to sit still for hours on end. Not to mention you’d be doing that while you have one of the most distinctive and eye-catching manes in the entire resistance. The only reason you weren’t seen yesterday was because you were napping on the cart Fluttershy was resting in and she saw fit to throw a blanket over your head when that patrol showed up!”

“Hey!” Rainbow cried, her cheeks puffing up in indignation as she glared at Flash, prompting several of the nearby ponies to laugh.

“He does make some good points. Twilight would be much better at this job,” Pinkie agreed, causing Rainbow to splutter in surprise before turning her slightly-more-friendly-glare onto Pinkie. Unfazed, the party pony simply booped Rainbow’s nose.

“Boop!” Joy chimed in happily, the Element of Laughter twinkling at the mirth around them.

“Fine, fine,” Rainbow said, somehow managing to shake her head without displacing Pinkie’s hoof. “But even if Twilight would be less obvious, I still want to watch her. Hey, actually, I can just ask Rarity for one of her wallflower cloaks!”

“Absolutely not!” came Rarity’s voice as she approached the group with Applejack, Spike sitting comfortably on her back. “You clearly demonstrated that you cannot be trusted with one, so I will not be giving you another until you have proven that you can use an item with a delicate spell matrix without completely breaking it!”

“Oh, come ooonnnn!” Rainbow groaned, deflating. She opened her mouth to continue, but Applejack interrupted.

“Rainbow, you’re not watching Obsidian,” the orange mare said, her voice carrying a definite tone of finality. “We need you to go ahead of the caravan and alert the rest of the village that we’re back and that we were successful. We need them to start preparing for the influx of visitors, and to start working out who will be staying where and how we will decide who will need to go to Wall Flower’s property.” She reached into the well-worn bag on her side. “And I need you to deliver this scroll to Second Sight.”

“Ugh, finnnneeeee!” Rainbow groaned. “But I’m taking a nap then once I get back.” And with that, she swooped down, grabbed the scroll, and was off into the forest.

Hopefully she doesn’t crash into a tree or something, Flash thought with an internal chuckle.

“So, who is watching Obsidian?” he asked once he swallowed his laughter, turning back to Applejack. “Has anypony besides Rainbow volunteered?”

“Enope,” Applejack said, huffing in annoyance. “Lots of ponies just want ta get home rather than wait out here. Some want ta use their experience navigating through the Everfree to make sure our new recruits get through safely, which I appreciate, and others just don’t want ta hang around and risk getting spotted, even if they get wallflower cloaks. Then you have a few others that either don’t have the temperament for the job, like Rainbow, or just can’t be trusted not to mess with Obsidian and risk wakin’ her up.”

“A reasonable concern,” Magi agreed. “Even bound, it would be best not to let Obsidian or her Butlers wake up before we have all returned to the forest, and messing with her while she’s asleep will not end well.”

“Speaking of, can I draw a silly face on her before we go?” Pinkie asked. Obsidian gave an angry muffled reply, but Pinkie only bent over the cage and gave an upside-down raspberry. Flash chuckled again, out loud this time, and Pinkie grinned at him.

Given how upset Pinkie used to be whenever she mentioned Obsidian, it’s still nice to see her be so much more…well, herself now. he thought, smiling back. Facing your fears has never worked so well.

“No,” Applejack said, deadpan, before shaking her head. “Point is, we don’t exactly have anypony who can watch Obsidian, so I’m open to suggestions.

“What if…I stayed to watch her?” Twilight suggested, making Flash’s head whip around so quickly he nearly fell over.

“What!?” he exclaimed in surprise. Without warning, the image of Twilight chained to the stage on Thorn’s property, the wicked blades looming above her head, flashed into his mind, and his body immediately tensed up. The memory was so vivid that he almost didn’t realize that he was reaching for a sleeper bomb instinct before his mind caught up with him.

What the hay am I doing!? I can’t just knock her out like that! Flash thought, jerking his wing away from his suit pocket as a spike of guilt wrapped around his heart. Especially not when she’s just making a suggestion! It’s not like she’s staying up for three days straight and outright refusing to sleep or trying to run off again! What is wrong with me!? Why would I even go for that so quickly? As much as he joked with Twilight about the sleeper bombs back on the Shining Star property, he never used them on Twilight willy-nilly. He always thought long and hard about using them, and he would ALWAYS try to talk to Twilight about whatever the issue was first.

Did seeing Obsidian nearly hurt Pinkie rattle me this much? Or am I just that tired after being on a mission for so long?

“I mean, think about it!” Twilight said, gesturing to the cage all while giving Flash a very specific look. Flash knew that she had seen what he had been about to do, but her look was one of forgiveness and understanding. And the fact that she was continuing without mentioning what he had done told him that she knew he had reacted purely on instinct, and that it was ok. She wasn’t mentioning what had happened, and Flash almost felt like she was protecting him. It made him smile slightly, and he resolved to apologize profusely to her once they had some time alone. “I can put them back to sleep if they wake up, I can teleport myself and anypony else away if we need a quick retreat, I would be perfectly ok with just sitting around for a few hours reading, and I’m the strongest magic user we have!”

“But you’re also the one every alicorn, royal guard, and Wonderbolt is searching for. You are literally the most wanted pony in Equestria.” Flash said, working to keep his tone level while gesturing with his leg at Obsidian for emphasis. He tried to focus on the fact that Twilight hadn’t brought up what he just almost did to try and stay calm as he fought off the image of Twilight in a dungeon somewhere. “Not to mention you’re the only one who can use Magi to drain alicorns. Unless Joy can drain them in your place, you’re the only pony who can put them down for good, and that does make you a target.”

“Just for the record, I can’t drain alicorns like Sis can. Only Magi has that ability,” Joy chimed in.

“See? This is a horrible idea! Right, Applejack?”

“Flash, relax.”

Applejack’s low, hard tone caused Flash to blink and to realize that, despite his attempts to stay calm after his blunder, his voice had slowly been rising in volume. His right hoof was shaking ever so slightly, and he could feel his back aching from his tense muscles.

Why am I reacting so strongly to this?

“I…you’re right. Sorry,” Flash said, shaking his head to clear it. Why was he struggling so much right now? “I just…I don’t like this idea. At all, to be honest. There are so many things that could go wrong with this plan, so many ways Twilight could get into trouble regardless of her ability to get OUT of trouble, and I just…”

“You’re worried about her safety,” Applejack said, almost gently, as though she knew exactly what Flash was feeling. “And that worry makes you sometimes see dangers where there are none. Makes you paranoid about any and all possible dangers, no matter how unlikely. Trust me, I’ve felt the same way about Applebloom on occasion.”

“Just on occasion?” Big Mac called out with a laugh as he walked past.

“Quiet, you!” Applejack huffed. “But regardless of all that, I agree with Twilight and Pinkie. Twilight can take care of herself for a few hours, and I bet all that alicorn magic would be good if a fight did break out.”

“Not to mention that I would be able to assist should an alicorn appear as well,” Magi said with a small flash of light. “Including boosting Twilight’s magic if need be.”

“Even if there’s a small risk that you get spotted, which will be unlikely given the wallflower cloaks we’ll give you and that disguise gem Pinkie’s been holding on to, she’s the best pony we have to make sure whoever stays here gets back safely. Between her magic and you being here to keep her out of trouble, I think you two will be fine.”

She’s right. Twilight is the best pony we do this job, and I won’t be leaving her alone out here. There are so many ways things can go wrong, but Twilight is also the most likely to be able to deal with said problems. And whatever she can’t handle, I can. I know this. Heck, I was the one who gave Twilight a motivational speech about how strong she is back when we were escaping Canterlot.

So why can’t I stop thinking about every little thing that can go wrong? About alicorns showing up to kidnap her, or a creature coming out of the Everfree and getting the jump on us? I know it’s my job to think ahead for possible dangers, but it’s never gotten this bad before.

Maybe that patrol yesterday spooked me more than I thought. That or I really do need a nap.

“You’re right. And so is Twilight,” Flash said, taking a deep breath and trying to sound calm and confident. “She’s the best pony we have for the job, and I’ll stay with her no matter what.”

Twilight smiled at him, and he was actually able to smile back, a little.

“Should somepony else stay with them?” Rarity asked, gently putting a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. Applejack shook her head.

“It’s best if it’s as few ponies as possible. The more ponies stay, the more energy Twilight will need to expend to teleport them to safety if necessary and the more likely that somepony gets left behind. Besides, between an alicorn and a pegasus whose primary weapon can shoot lightning and who is carrying more bombs than I care to count, I doubt they’ll run into any problems,” she said, before frowning. “Though if you two do get captured, we are going to have words once we save your sorry flanks.”

“Duly noted,” Magi said in way that sounded almost sarcastically playful.

“We’ll be fine,” Twilight said, stepping up and gently draping a wing over Flash’s back. Even with his suit in the way, Flash could still feel the gentle embrace of her wing and the warm comfort she was hoping to convey. It brought back so many memories of him trying to help her as she studied for a stressful test or worked long into the night on a spell to show Lady Celestia or Lady Luna, and the stress and myriad of possible ‘what ifs’ in Flash’s brain began to melt away. Almost like finally being able to come out of hiding after a long day of intense stealth training. “I don’t exactly like staying out longer than we need to, but between Flash’s training and my magic, we should be prepared for anything that might come our way.”

Flash grinned a bit as Twilight gave him a happy nod. And since she was working so hard to try and relieve his stress, he decided he might as well show her how good of a job she was doing at making him feel better.

“And don’t worry, I’ll be sure to keep Twilight out of trouble,” he said with a small wink, prompting a loud laugh from Spike and a punch to the shoulder from a now-slightly-grumpy Twilight. “Ah, hey! What? It’s not my fault you have a tendency to get into trouble! Remember the time travel incident?”

Twilight gave him another smack.

“Ow, cut it out!” Flash exclaimed playfully, his wing shooting out and tickling Twilight right on her belly.

Twilight SQUEALED as she jumped away, her face going from grumpy to shocked and blushing to playfully angry as she lifted her own wings threateningly. Flash knew what was coming and immediately took off, running around the cart as Twilight started to chase him, tension-easing laughter ringing out from most of the nearby ponies.

But underneath her cherry blush was a wonderful smile, and that helped Flash feel even better. Sometimes you just need a bit of familiarity to make things a bit easier to bear…

An hour later…

Flash continued to survey the land around them. Quiet and mostly lifeless, the same as it always was whenever he ventured out of the forest or off a Lady’s property. No pegesi patrols, no enemy guards on the horizon. Just him and Twilight sitting on top of Obsidian’s cage, recently detached from its cart and now on the dusty ground, as the former alicorn continued to sleep away. Off to the left, the captive Butlers that hadn’t been recruited were in much a similar state, fast asleep on the ground with their legs bound in case they woke up. Once they were done here, Twilight would teleport the two of them into the woods along with the rope, leaving only the cage and prisoners behind.

He was feeling much better now. The moment they had been along, he had apologized to Twilight, pouring out his shame for nearly knocking her out without warning or reason. It had been pretty intense emotionally speaking, and he still wasn’t sure why he had jumped to nearly using his sleeper bombs on her. Twilight had pointed out that they were both pretty exhausted from the long mission, and that seeing Pinkie so close to danger likely still had him a bit on edge, even admitting that it had affected her too. Yet while Flash admitted that could have been the case, he still hated the fact that it happened, and could still feel the guilt eating aways at him for doing it. It was wrong and unfair to Twilight to consider doing something like that without a truly serious reason.

Yet Twilight, despite everything, still forgave him. She still acknowledged his pain and made it clear that she wasn’t going to hold it against him. That they were still a team, and she understood that sometimes mistakes happen. Hearing her say that, and seeing her genuine care and forgiveness in her eyes finally helped Flash to relax as her forgiveness sank in. It finally felt as though things had returned to normal.

And with that issue addressed, the two of them had begun their vigil. Flash watched the wasteland, while Twilight pulled out a book to read. Another small slice of normalcy. He still felt vigilant and cautious, but the more time passed without incident, the easier he found it to relax a bit, and he was no longer thinking of every possible complication. They were alone out here, they were wearing wallflower cloaks with the hoods pulled up, and the sounds of the resistance convoy were already gone. Pinkie’s disguise gem was tucked in Twilight’s pocket just in case, but there was no sign of anypony for miles and with a little luck, it would only be an unneeded precaution.

And so far, things had been calm. They would be fine. Twilight would be fine.

The resistance had come to the decision to leave the cage at a crossroad a couple miles away from the forest, close enough for Twilight and Flash to know when everypony had gotten inside but far enough away that Obsidian or her Butlers wouldn’t be able to see where the caravan had entered. So now all the two of them had to do was to make sure their captives didn’t wake up as the volunteers did everything they could to obscure the resistance’s trail.

Though Flash imagined they didn’t have to worry about the remaining Butlers trying to enter the forest. Given how hesitant they were to protect Obsidian from a band of ponies – armed and angry ponies, sure, but normal ponies nonetheless – he was almost certain that any Butler here would turn and leave rather than risk the beasts of the Everfree.

“Flash?” Twilight asked, prompting him to break his starting contest with the barren wasteland. The hoods on the wallflower cloaks were large and loose, so even with them pulled up, he could see the slight bit of uncertainty in her gaze as she closed the book she had brought with her. Was she worried about something he had overlooked?

“Yes, Twilight?” Flash responded, trying to sound reassuring.

“Is it ok if we talk for a bit?”

“Of course,” Flash said. “Why? Is something wrong?”

“No, no, it’s just…” Twilight bit her lip. “Do you remember that first song Pinkie sang, the one right after we left Obsidian’s property?”

Flash nodded. That had been a good song. He could still remember the feeling in his chest as everypony had sung or hummed along about their struggles. It had been…relaxing for some reason, one he couldn’t put into words just yet. Almost as though some invisible pressure had been slowly released as the song went on.

I…I still can’t put what I felt into words. I wasn’t even thinking of singing along at first, but when it really got going, I just…couldn’t help myself. And when it was over, I felt so much better than I had since leaving the Shining Star property. I can see why ponies used to sing that song out in the rock fields on Obsidian’s property. Something about it was just so…refreshing. Actually, I got so caught up in the song that I wasn’t really focusing on any potential dangers. Is that what’s bugging Twilight? Did she see my lapse in focus?

“Well, when everypony, was singing, I could…it’s hard to explain, but I could feel the emotions of the singers I could see, or at least understand them. With Rainbow and Pinkie, I could really feel their feelings of triumph, either over their Ladies or over the adversity they faced. But when I heard you singing, I couldn’t really understand or even guess what you were feeling at the time. And it bothered me. A lot.”

As she spoke, Flash could pick up on something in her voice. Some small hesitance that told him there was something else on her mind.

“Why did it bother you?” Flash asked, gently patting her shoulder. Whenever Twilight was distracted like this, it usually meant something was bugging her. Something related to the current topic of discussion, but deeper that she was letting on.

I’m here if you need me, Twilight.

Guarding her for years made him a pro at spotting these signs, something he knew he nailed on the head when Twilight sighed.

“It bothered me because, when we were singing, I realized that I really don’t know that much about you,” she said.

Wait. Really? But I’ve told you a lot about me…haven’t I?

Flash blinked in surprise. “You don’t?”

Twilight nodded.

“I realized that while I knew some things about you, like your favorite food and books to read, there was so much I didn’t know. That I never even asked you about. Why and how you left Cloudsdale, how you got your wing blades…I’ve never even asked about your family.”

Flash opened his mouth to respond, to try and counter her point, but no noise came out when his brain failed to find any counterevidence. She was right. He had never mentioned much about his life to Twilight. Sure, he’d shared a couple stories here and there when at Shining Star, but nothing really personal or deep. He was always helping her with her latest project, teasing her, or just guarding her as she went about her daily routines. And once they joined the resistance, he had focused more on keeping Twilight safe and helping her with the books Lady Celestia and Lady Luna had given them.

Through it all, they had talked about her family, quite often too, but Flash could never bring himself to talk about his family or his life back in Cloudsdale. Part of that had been because talking about his life in Cloudsdale always made his heart ache at being away from his family. Aside from that…well, there was always the chance that any such conversation would inevitably lead to…

Best not think about that just yet. He would deal with it if it came up.

“Huh,” was the only response he could think of after five solid minutes of thinking. “You’re right. I just…never really thought about it until now.”

I’m glad Twilight is so patient with me when I’m thinking.

“I’m sorry.”

“Why?” Flash asked, giving Twilight a little nudge. “There’s nothing wrong with you not asking me before now. Hay, I could have told you stuff about my family any time I wanted, so it’s in no way your fault. I just…never really thought to bring it up.”

“Why not?” she asked innocently.

“I…” Flash started, and then his mind went completely blank.

Come on, brain, he thought, but his brain was absolutely failing to quickly come up with something. A bubble of panic formed in his chest as the seconds kept ticking on. He began scratching the back of his head as he scrambled for an answer, hoping it would buy him a few more seconds. Come on come on think before she suspects—oh yes!

“I get homesick when I talk about it.”

It IS the truth, even if not all of it.

“Especially since I don’t get to go home too often. But regardless, it’s not like you not asking means we aren’t still friends.”

“But I just feel like I should have,” Twilight sighed. “We’ve spent so much time together and I’ve never even asked once.”

“And most of that time was spent learning from Celestia, working on research to try and help the ponies of her property, sleeping, eating, and sometime being a bit of a hoof-full with the little bits of chaos you caused,” Flash said with a grin, earning a shove and a giggle from Twilight. “Besides, we have time now, don’t we? Just…” His smile faltered, then fell away. “Just be patient, ok? I…don’t know how it will feel to finally talk about these things, so it might take me a little while to get into it. And, can we…not talk about my mother too much?”

Drat. He’d hoped his hesitation wouldn’t bleed into his voice that much.

“Your mother?” Twilight asked, looking at him concernedly. Flash nodded.

“She and I…well, let’s just say we have different views on certain things. My life, our family, and…” He paused, then sighed, trying to find the right words. “It’s complicated. I love her, I really do, but things haven’t always been smooth between us. Maybe we can try talking about her another time, but for now…”

“I understand,” Twilight said with a nod. “We can go as slow or as fast as you want to go. And if you want to talk about you mother or anything difficult to think about, I’m here to listen.” She gently nuzzled against him in very much the same way he would do when trying to comfort her after one of her nightmares, and warmth shot through his entire body.

This is the second time I’ve my worries snuggled away today, he thought, feeling his grin slowly coming back onto his face. He closed his eyes and nuzzled her back. Not that I can complain. And WOW, when did Twilight become so soft and fluffy? It was far more comforting than any blanket or pillow or cloud, and this time he found himself truly relaxing for the first time in a while.

“Thanks, Twilight. I appreciate it.”

They remained like that for a minute before Twilight sat back up and met his eyes. The gears of curiosity were clearly already turning in her head, and Flash found himself smiling even wider.

“Right, so, first question,” Twilight said. “Do you have any siblings?”

The second the question registered, a crystal-clear image of his little sister popped right into Flash’s brain. Her orange coat was matted with water from her latest crash into a cloud, and her messy purple mane was peeking out from underneath her helmet. She was wearing a silly grin that screamed ‘I can do anything I put my mind to!’ and had a bandage over her right cheek that had definitely not been there that morning. Her small wings were buzzing happily as she hopped in place on the springy cloud below her. Around her neck sat a loose golden chain holding a shining silver feather that rested right over her heart.

She was perfect. Young, determined, ready to live life to the fullest. It felt as though Flash had just seen her yesterday, had just heard her excited voice as she told him about her latest idea for a stunt on her scooter. He couldn’t help but laugh a little at the loving and chaotic memories that accompanied the image.

“Yes, I do.”

And the moment he spoke, a massive, jagged spike of pain and longing erupted in his heart. It was sudden, and if not for his Butler training Flash was certain it would take his breath away. That image, those memories…he was so far away from home. Away from his sister. Away from his family. He didn’t know what they were going through, if they were doing ok now that he had disappeared. He had always tried not to think too much about his family while he was away from Cloudsdale, but saying those words felt like punching through a barrier of stone he had put up around a well of uncertainty and guilt.

Yet as he instinctively began to rebuild that wall, he caught Twilight staring at him. Her gaze was filled with shock, yet he could still see a small spark in her eyes. He didn’t know what that spark was, exactly, but…it was warm. Seeing it…Flash realized that, even though it hurt, he still wanted to talk about his sister. That it would feel good to share the positive memories of his sister with someone.

And who better to share these memories with than Twilight, the pony he trusted the most?

So he pushed through that barrier around his heart, pulling up as many good memories of his sister as he could, ready to try and power through that pain of separation that had stayed with him for so long. “A little sister, in fact, just about Applebloom and Sweetie Belle’s age,” he finally managed to say.

“Really!?” Twilight gasped in shock. “What’s her name? Why didn’t you ever mention her?”

Flash laughed a little, drawing on the excitement and curiosity that filled Twilight’s voice to push himself forward. “Her name is Scootaloo, and, well, I didn’t really like to talk about it back at Shining Star because she was one of the ponies I missed the most. She was always so energetic and happy that I just couldn’t stay sad when she was around. The first time I was away for her for weeks at a time was…hard, and it became a habit not to talk about her to avoid that pain. Though I would suggest we still don’t mention her when Applebloom or Sweetie Belle are around.”

“Why not?” Twilight asked, her brow furrowing. Flash couldn’t help but grin a bit as a memory of Scootaloo coming home covered in tree sap (of all things) from an ill-fated stunt in the greenhouse flew to the forefront of his mind. With every memory, it felt as if that crack in his walls was widening, yet even as the pain was becoming more acute, it felt different somehow. Almost as though his heart was reminding him that there were so many good memories that were worth remembering, not just the pain of missing his little sister. It was like a small light was shining through the crack, telling him that he would feel better when the wall came down. That there would be a light at the end of this tunnel.

“Because as much as I love my sister to death, even I will admit that she is a little menace! She is obsessed with getting her cutie mark and learning how to fly, and she’s convinced that the only way to do that is through crazy stunts! She also LOVES the idea of becoming a Butler or a hero of Equestria and constantly gets herself into trouble.”

Like the time she practiced her ‘certified Butler surprise jump attack’ on me in the middle of the street and knocked over Ms. Buttercream’s cupcake stand, he thought, chuckling. The old mare scolded us for almost twenty minutes with four cherries balanced perfectly on her head! She didn’t even notice!

But then his laughter felt sour and he just barely kept from wincing as he realized that he wouldn’t be able to learn about what Scooty had been up to until he was able to go home. To hear her excitedly tell him about how a disaster of a stunt was ‘almost SO COOL!’

I’m sure she’ll remember them for me…he thought, pushing down the heavy, bad feeling just enough to catch Twilight’s next question.

“For her ‘crazy stunts,’ are we taking you-daring-Spike-to-eat-an-entire-plate-of-hot-peppers crazy, or you-trying-to-do-the-training-course-blindfolded-and-breaking-your-leg crazy?” she asked, raising an eyebrow yet unable to hide her smile. Whether at his story or just that fact he was willing to share these things with her, he wasn’t sure, but boy, did he love to see it anyways. It made sharing these stories with her worth the discomfort.

“I’m talking ‘I’m-gonna-jump-my-scooter-between-the-roofs-of-two-ten-story-buildings’ crazy.”

I had never seen mom double-facehoof so hard when she found out about THAT one. Not to mention the fact that she grounded Scooty for three months after that incident, Flash thought, and this time he DID wince as the messy blend of love and conflict that surrounded his mother came briefly to the surface.

The only thing that kept him from dwelling on that for too long was the fact that Twilight’s jaw had dropped in horror. He quickly realized that she probably saw him wince and had likely attributed it to what he had just said rather than his own internal conflict. Which meant she was probably waiting for him to explain what on EQUIS he was talking about.

Smiling reassuringly, he gave her a little pat on the shoulder again. “Don’t worry, she isn’t stupid. What she’s doing may look insane, but she’s actually pretty good at making sure she isn’t in any real danger. Whenever she does one of these stunts, she makes sure to set up padded clouds below her and to wear a feather-fall amulet that I gave her. Though I…”

Flash had to pause as a sudden tightness invaded his chest. He swallowed hard, but it didn’t help the way he wanted it to. “I hope she isn’t doing anything too extreme while I’m gone. I can usually help rein her in when I visit, but…but I CAN’T visit her, not anymore. And she doesn’t know where I am, or if I’m even safe, or…”

The tightness in his chest got even tighter. He could feel his walls starting to rebuild themselves, his mind instinctively trying to push back the horrible feeling of terror and homesickness that was beginning to overtake him.

Scooty, please don’t hurt yourself before this is all over. I haven’t forgotten about you. I’m still safe. I’m still doing what I was trained to do.

I still love you.

He was so distracted, he didn’t even notice Twilight move until she had hugged him again. His whole body froze, his panicked thoughts halting in place, until he let out a little shudder. His worry over Scootaloo’s safety started to quiet, and the memory of her happy face when he had given her the feather fall amulet on her birthday a few years ago floated into his mind. How she promised to always wear it if she was going to do anything dangerous, and how she was so earnest and determined and happy that he just knew she would never take it off, stunts or no stunts.

“You can’t tell her that you’re still ok. That you miss her.” Twilight said softly, voicing his inner thought perfectly.

Flash nodded, a tear slowly rolling down his cheek.

“Yeah, I do. She’s smart, and Mom and the guards know to be on the lookout for her but…I can’t be there for her right now, and that makes me worry. Just like I’m sure Shining is worried about you and Spike, regardless of if Lady Luna informs him that you’re ok through his dreams.”

“I’m worried about him too,” Twilight agreed, tightening her grip on Flash slightly. “And as a little sister, I know that Scootaloo is probably worried about you just as much. And while she might not know what is going on or where you are, she will still hold onto the hope that you are ok, and she will be waiting for the day when you come back home. And when that day comes, she will still love you just as much as she always did.”

Flash managed a trembling smile as he wiped away the tears that kept forming in his eyes. He gently returned her hug, his heart already holding onto the hope that she would be right. That one day, maybe even one day soon, he would be able to feel Scooty hug him as tightly as she could, just like she had every time he had come home.

Just that thought made Flash smile even as it nearly brought him to happy tears all over again. The worry was still there, and Flash knew his barriers hadn’t completely come down, but he could feel a small soothing pool of relief in his chest that hadn’t been there before.

“Thank you, Twilight. I…I needed to hear that. I think your confidence might be rubbing off on me,” Flash said softly. “And I know Shining will eagerly await the day that he is able to sweep you off your hooves in a hug again, because it’s exactly what I am feeling right now as a big brother who misses his little sister.”

“You’re welcome, and thank you for saying that,” Twilight said, holding the hug for another minute before slowly backing up a bit. “I just hope I’m right, especially since it’s my fault that we had to flee to the Everfree Forest in the first place. I’m sorry that this even happened.”

Flash knew instantly that he had to do something. He could clearly see the guilt and self-blame welling up inside Twilight, and he refused to let her good mood be destroyed so easily. And what better way to cheer her up than with some good old playful teasing? In fact, it would be rather nice to transition away from all of the heavy and complicated emotions back to such a familiar role, even if only for a few minutes. After all she just did for him, the least he could do was to help her feel a bit more happy.

“Did you ask to be turned into an alicorn?” Flash asked playfully, feeling a bit of his old teasing energy returning to him. “I didn’t think so. And in case you forgot, I was the one who was so worried about you that I decided to help break you out even before Lady Luna helped prepare me for the trip. I’m here because I wanted to help you, and with everything we’ve done so far to help Pinkie and the other resistance members, I wouldn’t change what I did even if somepony sent me back in time. Besides, even if I didn’t come, I would probably just be wearing a groove in my room pacing, just like you when Celestia was about to give you a big test.”

“Very funny, mister,” Twilight said, giving him a playful tug on the ear with her magic, but she was smiling again, a little, so Flash counted it as a win. “But…thank you for trying to make me feel better. And even though I don’t know her, if Scootaloo is as smart as you say, then I am sure she will be fine until you are able to visit her. Assuming she doesn’t jump between any buildings, at least.”

“I’m sure she will, but the walls are all made of padded clouds anyway, so they and the amulet will keep her safe,” Flash said, feeling a bit better as he said it. Twilight gave him a deadpan stare, which made him chuckle a little.

Though maybe I should have had somepony put a tracking spell on that amulet before I gave it to her, he thought, remembering all the times he had to go out on ‘Sister Finding’ duty. Harmony knows how many times she’s gotten stuck in a cloud somewhere and needed to wait for me to come pull her out. Or the Wonderbolts that one time I legitimately couldn’t find her because she was stuck in the side of a warehouse all the way across the city.

“I was trying to make you feel better, which appears to have succeeded, but now I honestly can’t tell if you’re joking about the building jumping or not,” Twilight said, shaking her head in disbelief. Flash knew the feeling quite well – he often felt that way in regard to Scooty. “And, sorry, what are ‘padded clouds?’ Aren’t all clouds padded?”

“Technically yes,” Flash said. “But the clouds I am referring to are specifically designed to be thicker and more resistant to breaking naturally or pegasus cloud-busting than normal clouds. Normal clouds can break if you crash into them fast enough, so padded clouds serve as a way to reduce a pony’s speed without injuring them, even if the pony is moving at terminal velocity. Think of them sort of like a giant marshmallow or pillow if that helps. Worst-case scenario is you get stuck inside one if you crash too hard and have to wait for somepony to come help you out. They’re pretty handy, believe it or not - Cloudsdale has them in every guard training course and foal flight practice area, they can be used to help make the hospital bedding softer for badly injured ponies, and they’re even used in the yard of the prison to make sure no pony can escape through them.”

Wow, that was quite the Twilight-worthy tangent. Either she’s really rubbing off on me, or I just enjoy sharing things with her that she didn’t know before. She is really cute when she’s learning about something new. That, or maybe I was just happy to take a break from discussing my family directly. Hopefully Twilight doesn’t think I’m being silly if I keep going on like this.

“The prison? Oh, I think I remember Lady Celestia mentioning that Cloudsdale had a prison at one point.” Twilight said, nodding. “But I wasn’t aware that they used these clouds as part of its construction. Are they used everywhere in the prison, or just in the yard? Actually, that doesn’t sound like it would be too common of knowledge. How do you know what the prison yard is made up of?”

“Answering your second question first, I’ve been taught about every district and important location in Cloudsdale as part of my Butler training,” Flash said. “Despite our disagreements, my…” He paused instinctively, trying to ignore the resurfacing tension in his chest. A distinct tension that only arose when he thought about one pony. “My mom and I both agreed that if something were to happen that would put Scooty in danger, like an attack on Cloudsdale, I would be the best pony to get my sister out of the city safely. As such, my mom made sure I was taught not only city warfare and stealth, but also about Cloudsdale as much as possible.”

The moment the words left his mouth and his brain caught up, he wanted to double facehoof so badly.

I just revealed that my mom was able to have some say in my training as a Butler, implying that she has high standing in Cloudsdale! I was so focused on trying to talk through the emotions that I didn’t even stop to think about that before I spoke! I feel like an idiot! Why didn’t I think of that?!

“That makes sense,” Twilight said, scooting a little bit closer to Flash again. He couldn’t tell if she had noticed his slip up or not, but it was clear from her actions and her expression that she had noticed his discomfort. “If anypony would be skilled enough to get your sister out safely, it would be you,” she said, smiling.

Flash felt his anxiety abate a little as he returned the smile and definitely didn’t blush. But even so, he let loose an internal sigh of relief and made a mental note to try and be more careful.

If she did notice the greater context of what I said, she’s not asking more about it. She’s respecting my wish to discuss my mom as little as possible.

Thank you, Twilight.

“Glad to see you still have such confidence in me,” he said, meaning every word. “As for your first question about the prison, padded clouds are only used in the yard while most of its walls are made up of cloud concrete plates with reinforced metal sandwiched in between them. Padded clouds are more susceptible to wind currents and, while difficult to break through with force, they can be disrupted or busted apart via gentle finesse with weather magic. If the entire prison was made solely of padded clouds, it would be too easy for an especially skilled pegasus to escape.

“The main yard uses them rather than the metal plates in order to reduce flight injuries. See, they let prisoners fly during their off time so they can keep in shape. If they crash into metal plates on the ground, they could seriously hurt themselves, so none of the walls or the floor of the yard are reinforced that way. Instead, they have a mass of padded clouds about three times as thick as the rest of the cityscape, that way even if a pony did try to break through the floor, either through force or through magic, there’s no way they could get through it without attracting a lot of attention,” Flash continued, more of the tension in his shoulders leaving as he spoke.

This is better. I can talk about the city, at least.

“It sounds like a creative solution. And it sounds like a lot of prisoners have gotten stuck in that yard over the years,” Twilight giggled. “Has that ever happened to your sister? Getting stuck in the clouds, I mean?”

Flash couldn’t help but laugh out loud at that, no less than three memories of that exact scenario quickly popping into his mind. “OOooooooohhh yeah! CONSTANTLY! Hay, at least one in three of her crazy little stunts tends to end with her stuck in the clouds! There was one time that she tried to do a stunt in one of her secret hiding spots in the city, only to crash into one of her clouds so hard, only her hind hooves were free. When I finally found her, she was still trying to get out and had only succeeded in freeing her tail, leaving it and her hind hooves to kick in futility as I tried not to laugh. I failed. Miserably,” he added with a perfect deadpan, and Twilight burst into giggles.

Scooty was SO mad when I just pushed the entire cloud home as it was so Mom could see the mess she had gotten herself into. Mom… Flash fought back the emotional turmoil that invaded his stomach. She just couldn’t stop laughing for a good ten minutes. She…that was one of the few times she had laughed so much since Dad…

Any further thought of his mother was cut off as Flash felt a sharp dagger of pain try to force its way out through his walls, to puncture his already messy emotions and bring forth a flood of sorrow. It took all his willpower to banish the knife back to the dark void in his chest as he shook his head furiously.

No, don’t think about that, Flash. Remember the good times. Focus on the positives. Focus—

His runaway thoughts were cut short as he felt the gentle sensation of a wing gently tracing over his back mixed with the sound of Twilight’s voice. “Do you think Rainbow Dash would be able to break through the padded clouds?” She asked. Flash turned to look into her eyes. They were filled with worry, but her voice remained gentle and kind. “They sound pretty tough.”

She’s distracting me. She’s trying to distract me the same way I distract her when she’s upset or stressed…

Thank you, Twilight. Thank you.

“They are, so despite her speed, I’d be willing to bet almost anything that she would get stuck in them too,” Flash said, letting out a slightly shaky laugh. And yet, as he laughed, he could feel the most intense edge of his stress begin to dull and bleed away.

Yes, perfect. I can talk about clouds all day. Clouds are good. Clouds are safe.

So safe, in fact, that a hilarious image suddenly popped into his head and he almost choked. “Oh my harmony, can you imagine that? Rainbow’s legs kicking helplessly as she tried to escape her favorite napping spot?!”

Twilight roared with laughter, and Flash joined in, getting a little too much enjoyment from imagining a grumpy Rainbow Dash stuck in a cloud.

Just a little.

It would be the perfect bit of karma though after what she did during Twilight’s first flight lesson though. Maybe once this is all over, I can challenge her to bust through one of those clouds and see how badly she fails at it.

“Those clouds can be pretty fun, actually,” Flash continued once their laughter died down. “They’re really bouncy if you jump on them, and my sister loves to use them as makeshift trampolines,” He paused for a moment, bracing for the spike of longing in his chest. Yet, while it still hit hard, it didn’t hit with the same intensity as before. Instead, his mind pulled up the memory of him and Scooty bouncing around on a padded cloud outside their house, happily laughing without a care in the world. He could see the carefree and joyful expression on his sister’s face as clear as day, and it made him smile.

Does talking about Scooty make it easier for me to handle these negative emotions? Or is it just the momentum I’ve built up over the course of this conversation? Either way, if feels…nice that I can talk about her. That the happiness of my memories is coming through stronger than before.

I’m making progress. Progress I never even thought I could make.

“I’m just glad Spike never had such a chaotic stage,” Twilight said with a grin. “But wouldn’t your sister get in trouble for taking them? While they sound at least somewhat common, they don’t exactly sound like something you’re allowed to just take and use anytime you want.”

“They aren’t,” Flash agreed, feeling a warm fire burn in his chest as he thought of Scooty’s infectious laughter as they enjoyed playing with the clouds. Despite being smaller and lighter than him, she always found a way to bounce higher than he did. She loved to do all kinds of flips and stunts while bouncing, and Flash always wondered where she had the energy to keep going for so long. “But the school in Cloudsdale has a stockpile that students are allowed to use for flight practice so long as they do so under adult supervision. They even have a set of launch platforms at various heights with padded clouds below them for students to practice gliding and basic flight maneuvers. So Scooty just takes as much as she is allowed to, finds a way to sneak away from her supervisor, and then goes off into the city proper to set up her stunts.

“Actually, even if she didn’t get padded clouds from school, part of me thinks she might be able to make a good substitute on her own,” he added proudly. “See, while Scooty’s magic hasn’t reached the point where she is able to fly yet, the teachers at Cloudsdale’s school say she has a lot of potential when it comes to weather magic, especially cloud shaping and crafting. In fact, she was the first foal in her class to start making her own clouds out of water vapor back about a year ago, which is very early for pegasi.”

He could still remember how proud she had been when he had come to visit and she had shown him the first cloud she had made. It was in a small glass bottle and was rather cute for a cloud. She had certainly done better than the first time he had tried to craft a cloud.

“She’s still too young to work with lighting, but if she tried to work on her cloud-crafting skills, I think she could become an excellent weather-crafter if she wanted to be. Alas, that’s too ‘boring’ for her, of course.”

Twilight giggled, and Flash took the opportunity to grab a sip of water from his canteen, watching her for a moment. She was smiling widely at him, her gaze full of excitement and interest, the same gaze she wore whenever she was reading an especially interesting book. Something about that smile made him feel warm inside, sort of like the warmth he felt whenever he went home after a few weeks away, but it was slightly different warmth in a way that he couldn’t quite place. It wasn’t bad, just…different. Maybe even a good different.

Focus, Flash. Focus on continuing your story. She’s obviously enjoying it. Oooh, maybe she’ll get a kick out of this, given the ‘younger sibling shenanigans’ involved. Just…don’t focus on mom too much. Just mention her and move on. He thought, the blended mess of emotions rising briefly in his stomach once again.

“Now, my mom and the city guards have tried to stop her from sneaking off more in recent years, but she was all too happy to try and emulate me as I’m sure you younger siblings do when you have such cool older brothers,” he continued, giving Twilight a playful nudge on her shoulder. She flicked his hood in response, giggling even more. “Now, seeing as I’m a Butler, somepony trained to be extremely stealthy when I want to be, she’s been picking up on a few tricks from watching me practice. So much so that if she actually puts her mind to it and stops trying to be ‘awesome,’ she can be stealthy enough to get almost anywhere.”

“Flash…”

“No, Twilight, I didn’t actually TEACH her how to be stealthy when I used to visit,” Flash said, recognizing the are-you-causing-trouble-mister voice from Twilight. “But I did tend to practice city stealth when I went home, and she would sometimes watch me. And since I’m such a cool older brother, clearly, she decided to start imitating me, even going so far as to try and tail me without anypony noticing her. It was adorable at first, especially when she would leave her little purple tail sticking out of a cloud or something, but she’s gotten better and better until now she can reliably sneak out of the house.”

Hopefully she doesn’t do that too much while I’m gone, Flash thought on instinct, wincing at the spike of worry in his chest. Again, it wasn’t as bad as before, yet it was still very noticeable.

“You’re kidding!” Twilight gasped. Flash gave a small shrug and shook his head. “Stunts are one thing – hay, I once tried to wear Shining’s armor when he was sick so I could take his place in the guard – but having the guards constantly be called to go look for her when she goes missing…wouldn’t your family get in trouble for wasting the guards time or resources? And if her stunts are disruptive enough, wouldn’t that cause a problem for them too?”

Oh, buck. Did I say too much?! Flash thought, his muscles tensing in surprise.

“Scooty might get in trouble constantly, but my family is…protected,” Flash admitted, trying not to let his voice or body portray the fact that his heart was beginning to pound against his ribs as his anxiety began to spike. Something that was only made worse given that he was completely unsure how to proceed. He quickly took another sip from his canteen as he tried to calm down, at least a little bit. He didn’t want Twilight to see how panicked he was feeling, as that would only lead to more problems.

He wanted to be honest, of course, but despite everything he and Twilight had been through, he still didn’t feel comfortable telling her everything.

Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned Scootaloo’s troublesome streak, or that the guards need to come find her on occasion. Of course Twilight would notice that and wonder how my family has managed to escape any severe repercussions! Dang it, why am I so bad at talking without giving things away? Is it because I don’t have practice talking about these things with somepony?

But…aside from the few slip-ups, I’ve enjoyed talking with Twilight about my life. It’s been stressful, sure, and I feel like I keep latching onto distractions to avoid the more sensitive memories, but this entire conversation has also been…liberating, in a sense. Like I’m finally starting to let a weight off my chest, one that I’ve been ignoring for years. Like I don’t need to bear this weight of homesickness all on my own. Even if I’m not confident enough to tell her everything, maybe more chats like this would give me the confidence I need to open up more to her? And maybe they could help me practice talking to others so that I don’t give away so much in the future?

I…I hope that we can have more conversations like this in the future. And that I can become more comfortable telling Twilight about the more sensitive topics. She’s always been so open with me; she deserves someone who’s just as open with her.

“Protected how?” Twilight asked, pulling Flash back to reality. He could see curiosity in her eyes, but not the level of concern that she had earlier when she was comforting him. If she had seen his panic, she wasn’t showing it.

“My mom is rather…high ranking among the ponies of Cloudsdale,” Flash admitted, choosing his words carefully as his heart continued to beat against his ribs. His messy emotions surrounding his mother tried to latch onto his stress, but another quick drink from his canteen helped him to push the feeling back down. It also did wonders to help sooth his suddenly dry throat. “She plays an important role in the functions of the city and so can’t be sent away to another Lady’s property or expelled from the city. She’s considered too valuable. And because of this, my mom and her family are protected under the Equestrian laws that allow the Lady of Cloudsdale to decide which pegesi can be permanently housed in Cloudsdale. So long as my mom is needed to ensure the city runs smoothly, she and my sister are protected. Even if my sis causes minor chaos now and then, so long as she doesn’t interfere with the actual functioning of the city, she’s safe. My…”

Flash felt his chest shiver, his breath involuntarily hitching as he felt a familiar void growing in his heart, rapidly overshadowing the mixed feelings he had for his mother. His mouth went from stressed dry to desert dry, his hoof began to tremble involuntarily, his wings unfurled and vibrated as if he were about to take flight. He wanted to push through and keep talking, but his jaw just wasn’t working right. His voice just couldn’t materialize the way it had when he talked about Scooty.

Why was this so much harder? He missed Scooty too, so why couldn’t he talk about his dad? He tried focus on one of the positive memories he had, to work through the pain like he had with Scooty. Yet, it just wasn’t working. This pain was so much more intense, and any positive memories he tried to call up were drowned below the waves of sorrow racking his body.

Why?

And then, it clicked.

It’s because I can still see Scooty, Flash realized, the fact coming into clarity like a burst of lightning. No matter what happens, I can’t see my dad again. I never can. He…He’s gone. Scooty is waiting for me, my mom is waiting for me. My dad…died. He died, and the pain of missing him is still just as raw as the day he left.

A significant part of him wanted to give up. To just shut up and never speak again. To end the conversation then and there and never bring it up again.

Yet, in the depths of the overwhelming void, he felt a small pulse of light in his chest. His father’s face appeared in his mind, his gentle smile and loving embrace slowly wrapping around him. Flash could practically see the large stallion hugging a small Flash close, the latter crying over a sprained wing while the former softly whispered that everything would be ok. The memory was like a lighthouse in the dark, one that Flash clung to, using it to push back the sorrow enough that he could find his voice again.

“My dad, he…he played a pretty big role too before he…” Flash could feel his eyes watering, the tightness in his chest and muscles as he tried to get the words out. But he pressed on, his mind pulling forth the image of him helping his dad cook dinner even though Flash had no idea how to cook at the time. His dad hadn’t minded though and had filled the silence with silly jokes and explanation of what each ingredient did. “…Before he…passed, and his work helps…protect her further.”

Twilight gently scooted closer until she was gently leaning up against him and took his hoof in her own. It was a calm and steady hoof, unlike Flash’s. Her wing unfurled and curled itself around his own trembling wing. It was a soft embrace, their feathers intermingling as she delicately stilled the shaking appendage, his other wing slowing in response.

She was here with him, and while she couldn’t soften the loss of a loved one the way she had his longing to see his sister, that didn’t mean that he had to face this alone. That fact alone made him feel just a little bit better, the void in his chest receding more at the touching gesture.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly, squeezing Flash’s hoof. “I…never realized your family was that important.” As she spoke, her gaze drifted back towards the barren wasteland. Flash could tell she was lost in thought, and he couldn’t really blame her. He had gotten lost in thought at least twice so far because he had talked too much. Well, that and he had gotten pretty emotional a few time already.

And yet, despite the raw anxiety in his chest and the blend of emotions swirling around in his brain, he felt better, for some reason. Sure, the pain that came with just mentioning his father was still really intense, but he had recovered from the onslaught of emotions far more quickly than he usually did.

Was it because he was talking with Twilight? Or the physical contact? She was completely pressed against his side, soft and warm, her breathing still slow and relaxed. Flash could feel himself following along almost on impulse as he took in her presence.

This was the most that he had ever told…well, ANYPONY about his life, and it made him feel closer to Twilight.

It was…strange. It made him feel like he and Twilight were connected in a way, as though some invisible bond between them was growing stronger. Even now, Flash could still feel something in the way Twilight was holding his him. Some gentle light that banished the harshest emotions that came with remembering his father’s passing. The sight of him, pale and sickly on a hospital bed as various machines waged a failing war to keep him alive, no longer played out so vividly in Flash’s mind just at the thought of his father’s death. He…actually wanted to talk more about his dad with Twilight, even if only just a little.

And yet, the more they talked about his dad, the more his mom would, inevitably, come up too. Just thinking about his mom made his chest squirm as frustration, annoyance, worry, and love all blended together in a messy knot. Regardless of how ready he felt to talk about his dad, Flash wasn’t sure he would ever be ready to talk about his mother fully. Especially when just thinking about her made him feel so uncomfortable. Flash just hoped he COULD talk about his dad without the memories of his mother getting too tangled up in them. He’d hate to start talking about his dad only to be forced to stop partway through due to the memory of his mother.

Thankfully, when Twilight spoke again, she had shifted to a different topic. “Come to think of it, is that why you were able to come to Lady Celestia and Lady Luna’s property? Because of your parents’ influence? Why didn’t you stay in Cloudsdale? It sounds as though you could have gotten any job you wanted.”

“Yes, I was able to come to the Shining Star Property because of my parents’ influence,” Flash nodded, his throat already loosening up at the new subject. His wings slowly retracted as he spoke, gently brushing Twilight’s as it returned to his side. He took another slow breath and tried to air out the anxious weight sitting on his chest. It mostly worked, but a stubborn knot remained.

Flash was a bit disappointed, but he wasn’t surprised. Despite his caution and the boundaries he had set early on, he had still slipped up multiple times and given plenty of hints about topics he just wasn’t ready to talk about yet. And given Twilight’s natural curiosity and clever mind, she could unintentionally stumble into a topic or realize something that Flash had wanted to avoid discussing for now.

I trust Twilight, but…I still need time to come to terms with everything. All I can do is choose my words carefully and hope for the best.

“You’re right, I could have had any job I wanted in the city, but none of the jobs were what I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing. And because of the way Cloudsdale was set up after The Cloud was defeated, there aren’t alicorn properties in or around the city, and as such there aren’t any Butlers either, similar to Canterlot and Manehattan. There are the Wonderbolts, which are similar to Butlers, but they have some key differences that I didn’t quite like.”

They can also be pretty stuck up, despite me being able to outwit Spitfire in most of our training matches. Not exactly the most appealing group when everypony has such a high opinion of themselves to the point where even Rainbow’s ego looks normal compared to them. Well, all but one of them are stuck up, anyway. Sorry, Mom, but it’s true, and no amount of trying to convince me that they were better than Butlers was going to work after meeting Spitfire the first time. Flash thought, pushing away the bitter tang of disagreement that accompanied the thought of his mom.

“What kind of differences?” Twilight asked, her head tilting curiously. “I know I’ve seen them occasionally on my trips to Canterlot, but I really never thought about how they might be different from Butlers.”

“They mostly differ in their structure and their roles in Equestria at large,” Flash said, trying to remember all that he had been taught about them over the years. “While Butlers only serve their Ladies and barely ever assist with law enforcement in Equestria as a whole, the Wonderbolts are required to keep Cloudsdale running at all costs and are to assist the Royal Guards of Canterlot and Manehattan should an emergency arise. They help the Lady monitor all of the functions of the city and weather production and can be sent out to assist with threats or to protect weather shipments. Hay, right now, a lot of them are probably flying around Equestria searching for the Elements alongside the Royal Guard.”

“While Butlers aren’t very involved at all,” Twilight said, nodding thoughtfully.

“Exactly,” Flash said. “Besides keeping Cloudsdale running, Wonderbolts typically help catch criminals that are moving between properties or can be called in to help search for runaway ponies at a Lady’s request, though that typically requires approval from the Lady of Cloudsdale if they haven’t actively committed a crime on more than two separate properties. At that point, the pony is considered to be a criminal of Equestria at large rather than it being a dispute between a Lady and her ponies.”

I wonder if they’re looking for me specifically?

The thought came to Flash’s head suddenly and the knot still lingering in his chest tightened so sharply it almost knocked his breath out. I know they don’t usually search for Butlers that go rogue unless they attack their Lady, but I did help Twilight escape the Canterlot Prison. And I’m sure one of the Butlers from Thorn’s old property could probably identify me, especially that one that escaped with Thorn at the end.

And if the Wonderbolts are looking for me, did they put a warrant out for me in Cloudsdale? But even if they didn’t…Does Scooty know I went rogue? Of course she does. Mom knows for sure, and that means Scooty probably found out too, even if Mom didn’t want her to. Mom’s probably looking high and low for me whenever she has the time, Flash thought, that idea just making the knot in his chest tighten all the more. Harmony, how is that affecting Scooty? Does she think I betrayed Lady Celestia and Lady Luna? Does she think I have a good reason? Did Mom say anything to her about this all? Gah, I wish I could just talk to her, or send her a letter, a signal, SOMETHING.

If we run into the Wonderbolts while gathering the Elements, things are going to be…well, ‘interesting’ is one word for it.

“Flash? Are you ok?” Twilight’s voice called out, pulling him out of the rapidly descending cyclone of his thoughts. She looked worried again, and Flash could feel her grip on his hoof tighten reassuringly.

“I…I’m not sure,” he admitted. “I just realized that the Wonderbolts are probably hunting me as well as you given all I’ve done since leaving the Shining Star property. I’m wanted in my own home. And Scooty probably knows that I’ve been declared rogue by now, too. I…can’t even begin to think about what she must be thinking right now. Or what other ponies might be saying when they think she isn’t listening.”

“If she does know, she’s probably worried about you too,” Twilight said, gently nuzzling him. “She clearly adores and trusts you too much to be mad. And while she may not know what is going on, I think she would trust that you wouldn’t do something like this without a good reason, even if she doesn’t know what that reason is. I bet she is waiting eagerly for the day you can come home so you can tell her everything. And given all you have told me about her, I think she will understand and forgive you for leaving.”

For the second time today, the knot in Flash’s chest began to vanish as Twilight’s supportive words provided him with her own perspective as a little sister. Only this time, the image of a happy reunion came to mind a bit more easily than before. He could see himself coming home, and after a teary reunion and sisterly tackle, Scooty would ask him a thousand and one questions about what he did, why he did it, and then, inevitably, what cool shenanigans he got up to while he was helping the resistance. He could also imagine her wanting to try his jump-off-the-Canterlot-waterfall-to-escape-the-city-trick too, which made him both want to roll his eyes playfully and facehoof at the same time.

Twilight’s optimism is rubbing off on me. Hopefully I can keep up my own optimism after this. Harmony knows I am out of practice given how my job is always to consider all the possibilities, especially the bad ones.

“I think you’re right,” Flash agreed, leaning against Twilight a little bit more. Already this newest fear was beginning to lessen, slowly fading away into the background as he spoke. “And she’s a tough little filly. She can handle a few rumors, and I know she trusts me more than anypony. She’ll know I wouldn’t do something like this without a reason. I know it.”

“And I’ll be glad to help you tell her everything when the time comes,” Twilight agreed, bobbing her head in an adorable little nod. “Do you want to keep talking about Scootaloo, or do you want to shift back to the Wonderbolts and Butlers?”

“Let’s switch back,” Flash said.

Thankfully this topic should be less stressful. Thank you for the small diversion, Twilight.

“So, you looked at the Butlers and the Wonderbolts, and decided you liked the Butlers more,” Twilight continued without hesitation. “Was there a specific reason as to why? From the way you were describing them, it sounds like the Wonderbolts have a lot more to do and play a bigger role in Equestria overall while Bulters are more beholden to their Ladies.”

“It mostly had to do with my dream of helping ponies,” Flash said, thinking back to that day when he had finally graduated after so many intense years of training. Everypony on the Shining Star property had attended the ceremony. Flash could still hear the excited cheers of the ponies he had sworn to protect, could still feel the warmth in his chest as they came up to him and excitedly congratulated him on his achievement and thanked him for his willingness to take on such a difficult role. If there had been any doubt that he had taken on the right career, that day had erased said doubts from his heart forever.

“The Wonderbolts might seem like they do a lot more while Butlers are just yes-ponies to their alicorns, but in truth, the Wonderbolts don’t really have as big of an impact as you might think,” Flash continued. “Their job is just to maintain the status quo. Keep the city running. Stop criminals when they arise. Brag and train if there is nothing else to do at the moment. They never help to…change things for the better.

“If I was a Butler, I would have more of a chance to be able to help ponies directly. Like how I helped treat Lyra’s broken leg when she fell out of a tree she was performing in. Or how I helped transport that medicine from a distant Lady’s property when you had that minor case of horn rot. Wonderbolts never do things like that. They’re too restricted, too focused on keeping things running the way they are. Sure, that IS an important job, especially in a city that makes all the weather for Equestria, but…I wanted to try and help change the world. And I just couldn’t do that as a Wonderbolt.

“I might not have run many missions off of the Shining Star property despite having the necessary skills, like how Shadow Gleam would sometimes travel to other Lady’s properties to deliver food and medicine to ponies being neglected or sabotage dangerous operations so ponies wouldn’t get hurt, but I still felt as though I was making a difference. I was helping the ponies of the property live better lives, and by helping them, I was helping Lady Celestia and Lady Luna in their efforts to make Equestria better.”

“And now you’re helping us to find the other Elements,” Twilight said excitedly. “Something that, if we succeed, will help us to heal Equestria and end the cruel rule of alicorns like Thorn and Obsidian once and for all.”

Flash laughed and nodded, giving her a quick squeeze with his wing to show how much her words meant to him.

“But if Cloudsdale didn’t have any, how did you end up on the Shining Star property in the first place?”

“That is an interesting story,” Flash said, his mind shifting gears to the past. “The ruler of Cloudsdale, Lady Auria Thunder, has a minor trade relationship with Lady Celestia and Lady Luna.”

As he spoke, the piercing stare of Lady Auria Thunder suddenly came to mind. When it came to protecting her ponies, she could be terrifying enough to send chills down the spine of Discord himself. Just the intensity of her eyes and the unflinching, cold tone of her voice could make a Wonderbolt break out in a sweat, and just the thought of running into her now, as a rogue Butler with all his knowledge of the secrets of the city, sent another shiver of anxiety bubbling up his spine. “As such, when I expressed interest in becoming a Butler after reading about them, there was no way that I could be taught in Cloudsdale and Lady Celestia and Lady Luna were the most viable alternative. My mom was hesitant at first given how I would need to leave the city and go study under another Lady to become a Butler, but my dad convinced her to let me at least give it a try.”

Mentioning both his parents in such rapid succession made Flash’s stomach squirm uncomfortably. Yet, just like with Scooty, it didn’t hurt as much this time, and the sensation passed far more quickly than he expected. Shaking his head, he continued on.

“So, because of that relationship between the Ladies, my parents were able to establish contact with Lady Celestia and Lady Luna. After some discussion, they reached a deal that Lady Auria agreed with, and I was allowed to spend most of every month training on Shining Star’s property as a Butler. At least one week of the month was to be spent back in Cloudsdale learning more advanced pegesi techniques,” Flash continued, feeling a familiar pang of loneliness in his heart. Those first few months away had been some of the most difficult for him to adapt to. Not knowing anypony and having little time outside his training to make new friends. Being unable to talk to his sister or parents for weeks at a time, with letters just not having the same emotional impact. The pain in his hooves as he adapted to walking on solid ground rather than clouds. Even after all these years, he could still remember the feeling of seclusion that permeated those first months away from home. “Most of those techniques were taught by the most elite members of the Wonderbolts, including their captain.”

Which could be SO infuriating at times. I swear, how does taunting help somepony become a better flier? It just pissed me off or made me feel like I wasn’t improving. Still, it was pretty satisfying to wipe the smug looks off their faces when I outmaneuvered them.

I…I can still remember Dad coming to watch me when he had free time or a day off. He was so supportive, cheering and giving me advice after the training was over for the day. He would always help me focus on the positives if I was having a bad session, and would even make me a special flower pizza when we got home…I still have the recipe memorized. Flash thought, the void in his chest not materializing nearly as intensely as last time. It felt, nice to think back to those days. To a simpler time.

And that positivity carried over as his mind naturally shifted to thinking about his mother back then. Back before all the conflicting emotions had truly begun to cement themselves.

Mom was supportive too, constantly yelling out advice and techniques that I could use to counter incoming attacks, even if sometimes it was just ‘HIT THEM HARDER!’ when I was about to win. She can be so animated when she gets excited about something. Maybe that’s why she never went easy on me when she was the one training me. She always wanted me to be the best I could be, no matter what career I chose.

Maybe that’s why I could never hate her, no matter how much we disagreed on certain topics…

“What kind of techniques?” Twilight asked, her head tilting to the side adorably.

“Mainly flight and weather manipulation, with a bit of stealth and flight combat training as well,” Flash said. “How to fly faster, how to use wind currents both for myself and how to disrupt them to throw off pursuing pegesi, how to rapidly change a cloud’s weather output, though I never could learn how to make thunderclouds correctly,” he added in embarrassment.

He tried not to think of his many, many failed attempts at making thunderclouds. But unfortunately, his mind immediately recalled the attempt that had been so bad that the resulting static cling had left him unable to take off his training suit for a good three hours. He could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks as he blushed, which in turn earned him a suppressed giggle from Twilight. But it was a cute little giggle, though, so he didn’t mind it too much. All in all, it was pretty funny in hindsight, enough that even he giggled a bit too. It was at least nice to know that he was making Twilight happy with his silly tangents, and anything that made her happy made him happy too. “They also taught me how to make less noise while flying, how to keep myself between clouds and the moon for nighttime stealth missions, and ways that weather could be used to distract ponies away from my position.”

“And that training included you learning about the city, right?” Twilight asked. “Or was that taught separately by somepony else?”

Flash shook his head. “It was still a part of the flight training. In fact, once I had gotten good enough with some of the techniques, the Wonderbolts would take me out on their patrols with them to get some field practice,” he said, thinking back to his many patrols through the city. Watching ponies going about their business, keeping an eye out for trouble, listening as his wing mates continued to teach him throughout the day.

Yet those memories brought back a familiar, messy blend of emotions, his tail beginning to lash as he felt the longing begin to wash over him. Even after all this time, even with all the ups and downs and frustrations, he still missed Cloudsdale. He missed his friends, the ponies he had helped on patrols, the atmosphere of the city itself…

He swallowed hard and pressed forward, trying not to let those memories distract him. “The head of the Scout Division, Swift Strike, was the one who would usually oversee these real-life practice sessions. She was tough, but fair. She would push me hard but would be there to help me should things go wrong without a moment’s hesitation and would be the one to provide constructive criticism if I ever felt like I had failed or wasn’t improving. We…didn’t always see eye to eye on things, especially when it came to the other Wonderbolts, but I knew she wanted me to succeed regardless of our disagreements. She was one of the few Wonderbolts that I didn’t mind training with, even if she was a bit…overzealous at times. I was, however, extremely surprised at just how skilled she was at teaching the stealth aspects of flying given how her fighting style was….let’s say bombastic.”

Flash paused for a moment, feeling the metal strapped to his wings. Even when he wasn’t moving, he could always feel the blades if he let himself pay attention. They pressed close to his heart, warm from his feathers. A final gift that was always with him. “After I…got my wing blades, I began to learn training with them back at the Shining Star property. I had been wearing a practice pair for a few years by that point as a way to strengthen my wings and to get me used to the weight, but I hadn’t actually been taught how to use them yet. Once I learned how to use normal ones, I was then taught how to use my unique pair and their special lightning properties back in Cloudsdale,” he said, internally wincing at the memory of him accidentally setting his room’s curtains on fire when he was testing them out one day.

That was embarrassing, and the reason why I had to promise not to try and use them until it was time for me to train with them. At least the curtains were ok…mostly. A little crispy on the ends, but still good. Thank goodness our house was made of condensed water vapor. Yet, Mom never had them replaced.

“The training in both locations was hard, but I loved every second of it,” Flash continued as he banished the thoughts of charred linen out of his mind with more difficulty than he was comfortable with. Though that might just be due to the mix of emotions the thought of his mom brought up, a mix that wasn’t losing its intensity as quickly as those associated with Scooty or his father. “The challenges my teachers put before me, especially Swift Strike’s, were difficult, but so satisfying when I finally overcame them. It tested my limits but never made me feel as though any given task was outside what I could achieve. It made me feel as though I was becoming capable of anything I could put my mind to, that I was becoming a master at my craft. And I loved that feeling.

“And of course, nothing could compare when it came to when I passed my final stealth test in Cloudsdale.”

Dad would have been so proud of me… I wonder how he would view everything that I’ve done so far? Would he be proud of me for fighting for what I believe in?

The thought came so fast Flash didn’t even realize it until he felt his breathing stop. It was like waves of happiness and sadness were suddenly crashing into him, trying to fight to determine how he should feel. Happiness at passing his test with what could only be considered a perfect score. Sadness at his father not being there to witness his triumph, to see how Flash managed to find the perfectly plan that was just crazy enough to work.

It felt like a war was going on inside his chest. A war that was put on hold as he felt Twilight wrap a wing around him. He turned to look into her eyes. They were as bright as always, gleaming like amethyst in the moonlight, full of concern and curiosity, yet willing to wait for him should he not be ready to speak.

In the end, Flash felt a sort of bittersweet happiness firmly take root in his chest. His dad would have loved Twilight, and he knew Twilight would love to hear how he managed to pass his final test. Maybe his father wasn’t here physically, but Flash could practically feel his father’s spirit sitting there next to them, smiling his warm, calm smile. Flash could almost hear him say that if Flash was ready, then it was ok to tell the story without him. That he was still with him and Scooty all the time.

Flash didn’t know if he was imagining things or if Twilight’s presence was somehow helping him again, but he gave her a nod and a smile in thanks regardless.

“Sorry about that,” he apologized. “I was just…thinking about how much my dad would have loved this next story.”

“It’s ok,” Twilight said gently. “You don’t need to tell it if it makes you uncomfortable.”

“But I want to tell it,” Flash said, smiling back at her a bit more strongly now. “Because, well, it’s fun. It was an amazing test, and I had such a great time working my way through it. That being said, it’s also pretty wild, and…and like my dad, I tend to go into a lot of detail when I tell it. Is…that ok?” Maybe it was just the bittersweet memories of his father, but Flash felt that his head was a little bit woozy all of a sudden, like his blood just all rushed to his brain.

“I don’t mind,” Twilight said with a nod. “It should still be a while until Applejack sends a messenger to let us know the team has finished hiding our trail, assuming her time estimation was correct, so I think we should enough have enough time. Plus, I can be pretty wordy at times too, as I’m sure you know—don’t you say it,” she playfully scolded as Flash opened his mouth to say ‘only sometimes?’

Curse her ability to tell when I’m about to tease her! Flash thought, smiling a little to himself. “Fine, fine,” he laughed, but it died away quickly. “Just…give me a minute?”

Twilight nodded, and Flash took a moment to reorient himself. He could still feel those bitter emotions of loss simmering beneath the surface, yet when he felt Twilight’s wing shift, it almost felt as though his dad was patting him on the back. That he was telling Flash to take his time, and that he knew Twilight would understand. She was caring like that. And Flash knew that his dad was right. And so Flash focused. His breathing came under control, his heart rate slowed back to normal, and his muscles relaxed.

He was ready.

Author's Note

I AM SOO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG!

But hey, it's my birthday, so what better way to celebrate it than by giving everyone a gift of their own!

Now I know at least someone is going to ask 'Why does this focus so much on Flash?' Well, that's simple. When I first put him in, I knew that he was going to be Twilight's guard throughout the story, but it's only in recent discussions with Angel the magnificent editor/fiancee that I realized how little development I had given him. So what better way to fix that then to both set up the next act of the story while simultaneously exploring his background and family, to an extent. And yes, I had planned for Scootaloo to be his sister in this universe for quite a long time, so I was glad to finally add her to the story.

Other than that, I hope you all enjoy

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