Flash: Redemption

Chapters

Prologue
Jolly For the Holidays
The Past Returns
Coming to Terms
Commencement
Clandestinity
Mending
The Ugly Truth

Prologue

Prologue

It was a warm spring day. Flowers of all shapes and colors danced in the pleasant breeze. A lone butterfly was blown from its perch on a delicate pink rose, flapping its wings and being carried along by the air. The creature had a lovely sort of grace about it. It flapped its wings spasmically and traveled, with each downstroke, in a sudden new direction. Though its movements were clumsy and uncoordinated, the butterfly still was able to keep about it a graceful, delicate aura.

Suddenly, over the far horizon from which the gentle breeze was coming, there also came a large, dark, ominous wall. It was smoke, as thick and dark as night, rising high into the atmosphere like a storm cloud. It moved quickly and fluidly across the landscape, engulfing all in its path. The sun was quickly stifled by the smoke, leaving the land dark and grey. The butterfly, however, remained its vibrant hues of rose-pink and light yellow.

Then came the wind. Harsh and unforgiving, it bent the flowers, bushes, and trees alike. Its strength sent massive waves through the green, grassy field. Continuing to strengthen, it began to rip plants, by the roots, from the ground. The butterfly began to struggle against the force of the gale, dodging the flying trees and animals being flung by the brutal wind, desperately trying to stay alive. Soon the entire landscape was nothing but dusty, grey dirt, swirling up in small tornados and being thrown by the winds. The smoke rose into the sky, much like a tidal wave about to break.

And break it did. The wave of sinister darkness smashed into the dusty ground, causing a massive wall of air to rip up the very earth itself. The dust was carried away into the distance and only dark, grey slabs of bedrock remained, riddled with cracks and fissures that led to a vast, glowing sea of red down below. The butterfly was being thrown around like a ragdoll, whipping back and forth, somersaulting uncontrollably in the violent wind. The smoke came upon it quickly and engulfed it, shrouding it, making it near invisible. Its color began to fade as the life was slowly was choked from it. Its soul, a pink-and-yellow banded wisp, dissipated into the black, smothering death cloud as it rose from the dead, grey corpse on the ground.

Then, from nowhere, came a quick rhythmic series of deep booms, shaking the ground as if the entire world was in a massive, beating drum.

DOOM DOOM DOOM DOOM DOOM DOOM DOOM!

The wind had died and all was peaceful; dead, but peaceful. The grey butterfly, however, began to quiver on the ground.

DOOM DOOM DOOM DOOM DOOM DOOM DOOM!

The bass notes rang again, and the butterfly's legs began to move.

DOOM DOOM DOOM!

The butterfly began to grow, its wings expanding and turning from grey to black. They became thick and leather, taking on the appearance of bat wings.

DOOM DOOM DOOM DOOM DOOM!

Its face enlarged, becoming ugly and contorted. Its eyes bulged from its head and its proboscis became a sharp, deadly beak.

DOOM DOOM DOOM!

It rose up on its long, spindly, hairy legs and began to beat its wings. The wretched beast began to hover, a horrifying ghost of its former, beautiful self. A thick liquid dripped from its mouth, legs, wings, rear, hitting the scraggly rock below it and staining it deep red. It was monstrous and evil. It reeked of death and decay and as it rose, it turned towards the viewer, who had been watching this apocalyptic scene, passively. It lunged, letting out an ear-piercing shriek, beak opened, spewing blood, aiming to kill.

And the drum hammered on...

Jolly For the Holidays

Chapter 1
Jolly for the Holidays

Flash awoke with a quick, frightened gasp. He was shivering and his cloud blanket reeked of sweat.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

Somebody was at the door. Flash got up quickly and dashed out of his bedroom and down the hallway. At blinding speed, he spun into his bathroom and scrubbed himself down quickly with cloud and soap. The knocking continued at his door.

“I’m coming,” he muttered aloud, a bit annoyed. Why would somebody be knocking this early? He quickly flew down the hall and over to his front door. Opening it, he said, “Whadya wa- oh.”

In front of his door was something stunning. A beautiful, pastel yellow pegasus hovered at his door. Her gorgeous, pink mane flowed gracefully in the chilly, morning breeze. She was wearing a small outfit. It resembled what Equestrians called an elf. Her hat was green and came to a tip, where a bell dangled from the end. She also wore a short, green dress that belled out just before her hind legs, trimmed with soft, white fluff. Snow from the lingering storm clouds sprinkled down on her head, making her look festively adorable.

“Do you like it?” she asked in her usual, reserved tone.

“You look amazing,” Flash said. “Here, come on in.” He stepped aside, allowing Fluttershy through the doorway and giving her a kiss on the cheek as she walked by. She giggled and blushed a bit and playfully smacked him across his nose with the tip of her pink tail. With the scent of her berry shampoo tantalizing his nose, Flash walked over to the kitchen while Fluttershy laid down on the couch in his living space.

“Carrot juice sound good?” Flash called out.

“Oh yes. That’s fine, thank you.” was her response.

He opened the fridge and a cold draft rose out with the opening of the door, giving Flash small goosebumps on his front legs and chest. He grabbed the juice, poured the glasses, put it away, and headed back to the living room, closing the door with his back-right hoof and hovering over the cumulus floor to keep the glasses balanced.

Fluttershy sat up as Flash gave her a glass. He slid in underneath her and she laid back, her head resting on his strong, warm chest.

“So what’s up?” he asked, wondering why she’d come by.

“I actually wanted to know,” she began, staring at the ceiling, “if you were coming to the Jingle Bell Ball next Sunday.” There was a hint of hesitation and uncertainty in her voice.

“Of course I am!” Flash responded. “We are going together, aren’t we?”

“Oh, we are?” she seemed surprised. “I mean, you never asked me so I didn’t know whether or not...” she trailed off.

“I’m sorry, I just assumed it was obvious,” he said, kissing the top of her head to show he meant no offense by his last remark. “We’ve been together for almost four months now, so it seemed like a given thing. I’m sorry if I worried you though. I just didn’t know.”

His words were sincere and Fluttershy understood. “Well, anyway, if you would like to put on your outfit, we can head down to Sugarcube Corner.”

Flash bolted upright, causing his mate to roll off the couch and onto the floor. “Oh, sorry!” he apologized. “I forgot that was today!” He quickly flew to his bedroom and pulled out the large, red suit with fluffy, white trim lining every edge of it. Fluttershy helped him slip into the coat and pants, then tightened the big, black leather belt around his waist. Then, he put on his boots and the big, crimson hat with a large, white, puffy ball hanging off the tip. Finally came the jolly, white beard that velcroed on to the inside of his hat. Now, the ensemble was complete, and Flash made one convincing Santa Hoovs. He quickly stuffed a pillow up his coat to near perfectly emulate the jolly, fat, gift-giving stallion. Then, the couple quickly sped out of the house and began their descent into Ponyville.

Cloudsdale had done an amazing job on the weather for the upcoming holiday season. The ground was blanketed in pure white, hoof-made snowflakes. The powder covered everything, making it hard on the eyes, but smoothing out the normally flat, square surfaces of the paved roads and houses jutting from the ground. The entire landscape had a rich, flowing beauty that could only be seen at that time of year. The sounds of the world were dampened by the snow, making Flash feel as if he and Fluttershy were the only two ponies in the whole world. It was a warm, contenting feeling that made Flash put his wing around Fluttershy’s body and pull her closer. She looked up at him and gave a small, delicate smile as she blushed. He looked back at her and saw warmth and affection in her beautiful, teal eyes. He kissed her on the nose and she blushed even deeper. Her rosy red cheeks contrasted her forest green outfit, making her soft, marvelous features stand out. The blushing only made her prettier, so Flash kissed her a second time, on the lips.

From above, Flash heard a taunting voice. “Flash and Fluttershy sitting in a tree!”

Fluttershy cowered down, her cheeks burning brightly. Flash gave an exasperated sigh and leaned over with his mouth next to Fluttershy’s ear, “Watch this,” he said with a sly grin on his face. He scooped up snow in his mouth and molded it into a dense ball. The cold snow bit at his tongue and froze the roof of his mouth, causing a slight ache in his skull. He spat the ball up into the air and caught it on his nose.

Above, all that was audible was giddy laughter and an attempt to sputter out, “First comes love.”

Flash, moving his ears to locate the source of the laughter behind him, pinpointed the spot. He flipped the ball off of his nose and over his head. He lifted his hind legs and kicked, launching the ball behind him. A smack, followed by clumps of snow hitting the ground and a loud “Ouch!” followed. The cyan pegasus fell off her low-hanging cloud and into a large snow bank, making an explosion of powdery white, much like the ones Pinkie Pie made when she clopped her hooves while they were covered in flour.

Fluttershy and Flash burst out laughing as they looked back at the snow bank which had swallowed up their prankster friend.
“You okay, Rainbow?” Flash asked, half-talking, half-giggling.

A muffled groan came from the snowdrift, confirming Flash’s inquiry. With the pest taken care of, Fluttershy and Flash walked off into town. The town was bustling with activity. Grey smoke rising from the chimneys of several houses and the sound of chatter and young ponies playing showed the whole town was busy preparing for the holidays. The two came up to Sugarcube Corner and Flash opened the door for Fluttershy.

Upon walking into the bake shop, a rush of warm air provided a welcoming atmosphere from the cold outside. The air was laden with the delicious smells of treats and goodies fresh from the oven. The smell of cinnamon was mixed in, making the entire shop smell deliciously festive.

Not one second after they entered the shop, a bubbling pink pony with a frizzy, pink mane bounced up to them. Her attire was similar to Fluttershy’s. “Hey guys!” she called, brimming with excitement. “Are you ready to kick off the most spectacularly amazing, most awesomest holiday season ever?”

“How could I not be?” Flash replied,

“Well, you could be a Grumpy McGrouchypants and completely hate the holidays. But I mean, really, who could possibly be like that?”

As the ponies were talking, Mr. and Mrs. Cake, the owners of the shop, walked over from the kitchen. “Flash, Fluttershy, Pinkie,” Mrs. Cake started, “we’re going to open up soon. If you would be so kind, could you get to your places?”

“Oh, sure thing,” Flash said, with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie nodding in agreement. They walked into an adjacent room where the Santa display was. The room looked as if someone had torn down the walls and left it exposed to the previous night’s snowstorm. Snow-like fluff was strewn over the ground, counters, and chairs, creating a thick blanket of white on every surface of the room. Glass icicles and origami snowflakes hung from the ceiling in the hundreds. In the center of the room was a large, red chair with satin-lined cushions and large, wooden armrests and legs. Behind it stood a tall, proud evergreen tree, decorated with shiny, colorful glass ornaments and golden garland.

“Pinkie Pie,” Flash said, staring in awe at the marvelous display, “did you make all of this?”

“Yupperooni!” she answered. “It took me a whole week to get everything just right.”

“It’s amazing,” Flash murmured, entranced by the glimmering, shiny brilliance around him.

“Hey, you three,” Mrs. Cake called to them, peeking her head through the wide doorway, “We’re opening in one minute. There’s quite the crowd out there, so get your cupcake faces on, as Pinkie Pie says.” She giggled a little and then disappeared to the right of the entrance.

Flash sat down in the big, comfortable chair. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie stood on either side of him. As Mr. and Mrs. Cake opened the doors to the shop, dozens of ponies walked in. The older ponies hurried off into the shop, where they went to purchase their holiday treats and desserts. Meanwhile, their kids galloped into the room, jumping with excitement and talking loudly. They ran up to Flash, eyes wide and admiring.

“Santa! Santa!” they yelled gleefully.

Flash deepened his voice and boomed, “Ho, ho, ho! Hello everypony! I hope you’ve all been good this year. Everybody line up, please, so you can give Santa your Hearth's Warming wish.”

The little colts and fillies scrambled about, looking for a place in line, but with minimal pushing and shoving, as nobody wanted to be naughty in front of Santa.

The first pony was a little, white and brown foal who Flash recognized as Pipsqueak. He sat on Flash’s lap and told Flash that for Hearth's Warming Eve, he wanted a peg leg and a new eye-patch. Then came the three young fillies who called themselves the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Each of them wished for their cutie mark, but Santa Hooves had to remind them that not even he could make a cutie mark appear before its time and that they would just have to wait. With each filly came a disappointed sigh, but they rebounded quickly. Applebloom’s alternate wish was for arts and crafts supplies, while Scootaloo’s was a new ramp for scooter tricks and a rainbow striped helmet, and Sweetie Belle’s was for the newest season of Equestrian Idol on DVD and a karaoke kit.

As all the children gave their gift requests, Pinkie Pie made sure to write them all down. While she did so, Fluttershy gave each pony a whit-frosted cupcake with a festive tree on it that faintly resembled the one behind Flash. As the line got smaller and more children gave Flash their wishes, the room got quieter. As the last filly left with her mother, the three let out a massive sigh of relief. Mr. and Mrs. Cake shut the doors to the shop and turned the sign to say “Out to Lunch.”

“Thank you so much, you three. You were a great help attracting customers. And for your help,” she said, lifting a tray with three cupcakes placed on it, “you can have one cupcake, every day, for a whole year, completely free of charge.”

“YES!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. She did a happy little dance around the room and hummed loudly. Her mood as contagious as ever, the whole group soon found themselves giggling and chuckling along with Pinkie’s silly display.

Fluttershy nudged Flash and gestured towards the clock, then Pinkie with an anxious expression on her face.

“Oh, Pinkie,” Flash called out suddenly. She stopped in midair and hung there for a second, her head turning to Flash. She fell back down and landed on the ground and stared at Flash, listening intently. “Fluttershy and I,” he continued, “were going to go caroling at the town hall. We were wondering if maybe you wanted to come along.”

“Are you kidding?” she exclaimed, jumping a good five feet into the air. “I would love to come along with you guys!”

“Well, alrighty then,” Flash said cheerfully. “Let’s go!”

*Author's Note: Celestmas was the best I could come up with. If anypony has a suggestion for me to change it to, I gladly will (as long as it's better than Celestmas)

The Past Returns

Chapter 2
The Past Returns

Singing was always a great time for Flash. As a younger colt, he'd always loved to sing on his way to and from flight school. But now, as an adult, Flash's voice, though sounding normal when speaking, had taken on a deep, resonating, baritone quality when he sang. This, accompanied by Fluttershy's sweet, lovely melodies and Pinkie Pie's giggly touch made for a marvelous ensemble. They sounded fantastic and passersby stopped and took a break from their busy shopping to listen and become rapt in the festive tunes the trio sang. Some even sang along, only adding to the spirit and the ever-present aura of the holiday season.

At one particular part of their rendition of Bruce Haystein's "Santa Hoovs is Coming to Town," Flash was belting out his wonderful solo with all the passion and soul in his heart, trying to spread cheer to every pony in Ponyville.

Then he heard a scream.

Flash had never had the misfortune to her Fluttershy scream before. But as he heard the horrible, high-pitched squeal, he knew it could be nobody else. His eyes opened and he turned his head to the source of the terrified shriek. Flying away from Flash were two large, deformed pegasi, one black and the other blood red. But that was where the differences ceased. Their maladies and deformities were all but identical. Scar tissue covered their front sides, a result of an explosive fire, which also left only a few strands of hair for their manes. Their wings, however, were their most shocking feature. Large and leathery, they were like those of bats, caused by the works of serious dark magic. These two figures of evil, who held in their grasps the pony who meant everything to Flash, could be none other than the two nastiest thugs in all of Fillydelphia.

Grendel? Vinny? But how? Why? No, no, no, no, no. This can't be happening!

"Flash, what are you doing? Go save Fluttershy!" Pinkie Pie was yelling in his ear over the gasps, shrieks, and shouts now filling the town square. Her usual cheerful demeanor had been diminished to that of a soldier in combat, serious and angry, barking out orders. "I'll get Rainbow Dash. Now GO!" She accompanied the last word with a buck to Flash's hindquarters, sending him into the air. But he was in too much shock to fly effectively and soon enough, the sinister pair and their hostage had disappeared over the horizon. Flash blacked out at that point and plummeted to the ground.

Flash awoke in the middle of a massive wasteland. He heard shouts and screams in his ears. He opened his eyes and two blurry images quickly fused together, creating one horrific scene. Every noise was muffled as if invisible glass walls separated him from the outside world. Before him was a battlefield, strewn with bloodied bodies and charred shrapnel. Flash stood up, slowly, shakily, as he heard a faint zip in his left ear. Then, a mighty explosion went off, throwing a fountain of dirt into the air like a cannon ball in water. The mortar explosion shattered the imaginary walls, making every sound crisp and loud in his ears. The screams of dying stallions, their bodies separated from their legs, flying through the air, falling to the ground in crumpled, broken heaps, rang like a gruesome symphony.

A gruff, angry voice from behind him yelled out, "What the hell are you doing? Get up and plant the charge!" Obediently, knowing the command was for him, Flash grabbed a package of primed C4 from the mangled hooves of a fallen comrade and galloped towards a large tower, dented and damaged from combat, but still standing strong. He planted the charge underneath the foundation of the tower, which had been exposed by heavy mortar fire. He dashed back and dove into a nearby trench. He scrambled in the slippery mud, frantically trying to stand back up. He groped with his bleeding hooves for the detonator, blinded by the reddened mud splashing in his face. He felt it, picked it up, and turned back to the building, standing tall and imposing, and impossible barrier to all but Flash himself. He began to pull the trigger on the detonator, but paused when he heard a scream from above his head. It was a familiar scream; Fluttershy's scream. His head jerked up and he saw her, bound to the side of the building. If he blew the charge now, she'd be caught in the collapsing building, crushed by the falling rubble. Then, in his ears an ear-shattering, high pitched blast rang out as the scream of agony, explosions, and gunfire were muffled down, nearly mute.

BEAM BEAM BEAM BEAM!

Flash looked behind him and saw the commander, who was none other than Soarin from the Wonderbolts. He was screaming at Flash, his eyes wild, taken over by his will to win and survive. Flash turned back and saw Fluttershy, looking as if she were being crucified, weeping with her limbs outstretched on the tower's outer wall. Flash looked back at Soarin, who was still angrily screaming at him, at least until a bullet buzzed through his head. Blood sprayed from where the bullet entered and then gushed from where it left. Soarin's eyes rolled up into his head and he collapsed, his white coat stained red and brown, his mouth lolling open, his wings hanging limp at his sides. Flash's sightwas turned to the skies, where he saw a cyan pegasus, fighting against several foes. Her wing was clipped by a heavy bullet and torn from her side. She began to spin, out of control, blood spewing in a spiral around her falling body. Her eyes closed, her blood-stained, multicolored mane whipping at her face as she placed her right hoof across her chest and slammed into the ground with a sickening crunch. He turned his head to the right and saw Pinkie Pie. She was crying and screaming, embracing the remains of a dead friend with her disembodied torso. Flash felt the world collapsing, spinning around him.

BEAM BEAM BEAM BEAM!

The noise made Flash cringe and cover his ears. When his vision, blurred and warped by the intense sound, came back into focus, he saw before him two large, demonic figures, one black and the other blood red. In between them stood Fluttershy, looking down at Flash, an expression of worry on her face.

"Oh my. Are you okay?" she asked with fear and urgency in her voice.

"Yes, I think so." Flash looked at the two figures and recognized them immediately.

"Vinny! Grendel! Why are you here? What's going on? Get away from Fluttershy!"

Fluttershy... Fluttershy! She wasn't strapped to the building. He could blow the charge now!

But the detonator was no longer in Flash's possession.

"What's the hurry, Flashy dearest?" Fluttershy asked, her compassionate expression and voice suddenly becoming scornful and mocking. The detonator was in her hoof now, and the devious smirk on her face told Flash she didn't plan on activating it.

BEAM BEAM BEAM!

"What are you doing?" Flash asked weakly, his energy suddenly drained from his body.

"I'm just going to hold on to this for a while." Her smug little smile was unnerving. "You don't have anything to worry about anymore, sweetie." She was just as beautiful as always, but her features were darker and more sinister. "Grendel, Vinny, relieve Flashy here of his duties." She promptly turned around and sauntered off into the tower, which was still standing tall against its diminishing enemies.

BEAM BEAM BEAM!

Grendel and Vinny side-stepped into the center of Flash's view, blocking out Fluttershy as she disappeared into the darkness of the building. They wore smirks similar to Fluttershy's on their mangled, disgusting faces. They raised their assault rifles, the barrels mere inches from Flash's face. There was a bright flash, and then everything faded to white.

Coming to Terms

Chapter 4

Coming to Terms

"What?!" Flash exclaimed, sidestepping out of the corner. With a strong down-stroke of his wings, he distanced himself from the teary-eyed mare. It had only been an instinct reaction, but the second he did it, he felt the repercussions.

"I-I'm sorry, Flash!" Rainbow Dash stammered out between sobs. The fur on her face was matted down by her tears and her eyes glistened with pain. "I know you shouldn't deal with this now, but I just couldn't stand not telling you. And besides-"

"Dash, I'm with Fluttershy. I realize it hurts, but I don't love you that way."

She was getting desperate. She saw her love slipping away and panicked, rapidly sputtering out, "B-But we get along so well! You remember all the times we've raced and had so much fun. We've always been the best of friends. Why can't we be more than that? I mean, it's not like-"

Flash shut out her voice; not to run away from the problem, but to take a second to think. He took a deep breath and focused on how he felt about Fluttershy. He already knew she was the one he truly love. Otherwise, there wouldn't be a ring under his bed, ready to be used for whenever he got up the nerve. Otherwise, Rarity wouldn't have an extra 1,000 bits and an order for a wedding dress. Otherwise, Flash wouldn't feel so lost without her.

Flash took another minute to concentrate on his feelings for Rainbow Dash. Of course there were feelings; how could there not be? They were so similar in every way. They both had a hefty competitive streak, were talented fliers, could be a little bull-headed at times. It was as if they were-

Two wires connected in his brain, giving him a sudden shock of realization. He turned to the cyan mare and spoke. "Dash, I really do have feelings for you, but not in the same way as with Fluttershy. I see us as siblings more than lovers. We're always getting on each others nerves, teasing and messing around. But we also help each other when we need it, and you have this special connection with me that Fluttershy could never dream of having. You're my sister, Dashy, and I love you as a sister. You should know there's no greater love than that." Dash just stood there, and Flash didn't know what to think of her expression. She was obviously upset, but something in her eyes made it seem like everything would get better, as if she had hope for the future. Quickly changing the topic, Flash got the conversation back to the matter at hand. "Now, I understand if you're upset, but we need to focus on getting Fluttershy back." He took her hooves in his and stared deeply into her eyes. "I promise you, I'm not going to ignore this. Once she's back, we can talk."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pinkie was sitting outside in front of the hospital, closely observing a line of ants in the grass, when Flash and Rainbow Dash walked out. The bubbly, rosy pony perked up and darted over. "So, what's up, guys?" she asked with a huge grin spread across her face.

I swear, that pony could be on the green mile and she'd still have a smile on her face

Shaking his head to remove any off-topic thoughts, Flash explained the gameplan. "First of all, do either of you know anypony living in Fillydelphia? We're going to need a safe house to execute this mission."

Pinkie Pie's hoof shot up in the air. She bounced up and down frantically, making sure she got Flash's attention. Exasperatedly, Flash responded, "Yes Pinkie Pie?"

The pony jumped exuberantly and took a deep breath. "I don't know anybody from Fillydelphia! But this one time my parents went to Fillydelphia for a rock farming convention and they said it was a boring place but my babysitter at the time wasn't boring at all because we had a baking party and of course, I-"

"Pinkie Pie!" Flash and Rainbow Dash yelled simultaneously. They looked at each other, causing Rainbow Dash to blush and turn away while Flash proceeded to talk.

"Okay, that means we'll have to settle with whatever I can muster up from my err... sources. I can probably count on my old buddy, Whipwind to let us stay at his place, as long as he didn't get into any trouble." Flash trailed off, as if he were going to continue. After an awkward pause, Rainbow Dash coughed, alerting Flash, who had been lost in thought, and he continued. "Umm, so yeah, we're going to need Twilight to come along, too," he said, seemingly finalizing a point he never made.

"Wait, what?" Rainbow Dash was confused, and Pinkie Pie's expression showed a similar lack of understanding.

"Oh, sorry," Flash said, a little embarrassed that he'd completely lost his train of thought. "I was thinking, since my dad has a ton of security around his mob, and considering it will be doubled since Fluttershy is now being held hostage, he's bound to have a lot of hired horns on patrol of the area. Twilight is obviously the most powerful unicorn that we know, but for all intensive purposes and a little morale boost, we'll consider her the most powerful unicorn in Equestria. So, that considered, we're going to need her magical know-how and prowess to help us take down my dad's defenses. Make sense?"

"Yes indeedy dandy!" Pinkie Pie said with a little too much pep. Rainbow Dash simply gave a stern nod to Flash.

"Well alright, then. Let's go to Twilight and get this thing figured out!"

Commencement

Chapter 5

Commencement

"Okay, let me get this straight," the purple unicorn asked as books and supplies were snagged off shelves by the violet energy emitting from her horn. They all funneled down into a pair of saddlebags that rested on her back, while Twilight's reduction spell helped her fit more into each bag. "Fluttershy's been kidnapped by your spiteful father, who is the head of an omnipotent mob in Fillydelphia, and who also wants you dead. So, we're going to deploy a massive heist to get Fluttershy back and, in the process, secure enough evidence on your father's operation to get him and the whole mob sent to prison."

Flash, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash sat there in awe as the door closed behind them. They had only just walked in to find Twilight frantically packing away supplies for a very long trip.

"Umm... yeah," Flash said, still in shock, "How did you kno-"

"Mind reading spell. I don't normally use it, but I sensed a lot of stress from the three of you as you came towards the library, so I poked around a bit." Twilight looked back at them and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry," she said.

"That's fine. I don't mind at all," Flash responded, brushing off her invasion of his privacy. "I mean, if it gets us packed and gone faster, I have no objections."

"Well that's good. I'm almost ready now. Just a few more things I need to pack." A quill and corked bottle of ink, wrapped in a purple halo, shrunk and glided lightly into the bag, resting on top of the stacks of hundreds of miniature books as the flaps to the saddlebags snapped shut. "Alright, that should be good," she said with finality. "Let's get going then."

"Well alright, then. Let's go," Flash said, just now realizing Pinkie had been yammering about something or another the whole time they'd been there.

"- and I said oatmeal? Are you crazy?" She finished her joke to Rainbow Dash, who burst out laughing, only to look over at Twilight and Flash. An awkward silence ensued, broken suddenly by the shameless, young earth pony. "Well alright, everypony!" she said with a wild jump and a foolish grin, "Let's go!"

"I literally just said that," he muttered under his breath.

"What's that, Flash?" Twilight inquired.

"Nothing, I was just agreeing with Pinkie. Let's get a move on!"

Upon stepping outside, Flash wrapped Pinkie Pie in his hooves and flapped his wings until he got himself to a decent height. Rainbow Dash took off as well, taking time to show off in her typical style with a few loops and a nose-dive.

Well, at least that means her mind is off of our predicament. Let's hope it stays that way.

Twilight then wrapped herself in the violet light emanating from her horn and lifted herself into the air. With a collective glance and nod from three ponies, and a rather vigorous nod from the fourth, they took off, heading for Fillydelphia.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So began their mission. They flew through the night, stopping shortly for rest every now and again, and even then Flash was hurrying them along to get airborne again. Their only sources of light were the pale sheet Luna's moon spread over the land below them, and the radiant glow from Twilight's horn as she levitated herself through the freezing night air. Flash had Pinkie Pie wrapped tightly in his numbed hooves, her shivering making it difficult for him to keep his grip. He felt his wings begin to ice over and looked to his left, only to see a similar glistening sheath around Rainbow Dash's feathers. Flying was becoming very difficult for Flash, especially with the cumbersome weight of an additional pony beneath him. So, he made a simple request.

"Twilight, hit our wings real quick, please," he called out.

"Sure thing," came her response through chattering teeth.

Flash felt a sudden burst of warmth in his wings. He flapped once, hard, and quickly ruffled his feathers to break loose the frozen remnants. He gave another hard flap and felt, with satisfaction, the biting air billowing under his wings, giving him a good ten feet of lift. Gliding back down to his previous altitude, he began to feel his hooves and face pulsing with the magical warmth as well.

"No, Twilight," he said sternly, "save that for Pinkie and Dash. They need it the most. I'll be fine." In actuality, Flash was anything but fine. His nose, hooves, and ears, underneath their frozen coat, had become a sickly purple color and stung like spurs digging in each time he shifted them around. Every breath he took in was sheer agony on his throat and lungs. To put things frankly, he was freezing his flanks off. But the pain kept Flash focused, concentrated on his objective. While the other ponies wore expressions of fatigue and misery, his was one of sheer, unwavering determination. His eyes were constantly turned forward, looking towards his only purpose.

After a few hours, the four ponies encountered a light snowstorm, which Rainbow Dash indicated as the blizzard that was supposed to hit Ponyville the following night. Flash was grateful the weather decided to remain mild for their trip. Even a snow this light was enough to bring down even a somewhat experienced flier. Had Flash and Rainbow Dash not been as great at flying as they were, the group would have certainly had to camp for the night. But had this been a blizzard, there would be no flying whatsoever. To fly through a blizzard, even for an experienced weather pony like Rainbow Dash, would be like skiing off of a cliff while wearing stilts; it meant certain death. A less-skilled flier would be thrown by the winds and disoriented by the white-out conditions until they couldn't tell up from down. Chances were that, from there, the unfortunate pegasus would careen into a tree or a cliff-side, breaking several bones and leaving them stranded in the wild, provided they didn't snap their neck and die upon impact. If there was one thing you learned at flight school, it was to never fly in a blizzard.

After several more hours of grueling flight and many more defrosting blasts from Twilight's invaluable horn, as a trace of orange sunlight was visible on the horizon, the four battered companions came upon the city limits of Fillydelphia. They followed Flash to the run-down foreclosure home that once belonged to his close friend and quickly made their inside. Twilight used her magic to hastily start a fire in the filthy fireplace and the three fillies gathered around it, soaking up every drop of the glorious warmth. They quickly fell asleep, while Flash, after thawing out and tending to his frost-bitten hooves and face, sneaked out the front door of the house. While Celestia's sun rose from the depths of the ocean to cast its magnificent, warming rays on the cold, desolate cityscape, the lone shadow of a young stallion pegasus swept through the sky on a mission of reconnaissance.

Clandestinity

Chapter 6

Clandestinity

A lone silhouette, outlined by the brilliant yellow rays of the sun, glided silently across the rooftops of Fillydelphia. As if it was second nature, its wings flapped and hooves pushed off the ground in perfect harmony, creating a rhythmic pattern of ease and stealth as it galloped noiselessly across each gap in the endless plateau of buildings. Rust and lime from the weathered concrete roofs caked onto Flash's fetlocks, staining them a dingy orange that brought back memories of the past. The entire trip to his father's house was simple muscle memory; he had traversed these very rooftops hundreds of times going to and from home and school. That gave Flash a little more time to think.

Whatever happens here, I can't give myself away. No matter what they do to Fluttershy, I have to stay hidden or I've doomed everyone.

Immense weights pressed on Flash's head and heart as his mind raced, trying to brace himself for what he may see. Images from his dreams flashed through his mind as well as others that were merely the product of his frantic imagination. A beaten, bruised heap of yellow and pink slung to a wall, stakes driven through dripping, red hooves. A distant expression creeping from her needlepoint pupils as the blood-encrusted fur on her thighs was made wet again by the forceful penetration of another stallion. Tears mixed with blood on the dark stony floor, swirling in a pool of pain and misery. The yellow pegasus was numb to all, allowing all things to violate her. Cuts ran across her mangled face, morphing what was once breathtaking beauty into a terrible image of torture.

Flash suddenly became alert to his heavy breathing. He was traveling at insane speeds, the buildings whizzing by, mere inches from his hooves. He realized also that his teeth were clenched and his head shook from his self-induced rage. Finally regaining total control of his senses, Flash slowed himself to a steady pace, letting his racing heart ease itself into a steady pulse of life. He proceeded at a regular speed until he reached his old home.

The massive estate marked the end of the concrete streets of the city. Nearly 10 acres in size, it stretched out in a formidable, grassy expanse. A long, winding trail of cobblestone led up to a large, white mansion surrounded by greenery. The entire property was surrounded by an ornate, wrought iron fence that stood about 12 feet tall. This was only for show, Flash knew, as it would only keep out earth ponies. The real defense, that would keep out Pegasi and all but the strongest of unicorns, wavered in and out of it's invisible state as Flash poked it with his hoof. The magical forcefield surrounded the estate. As Flash pressed on it, waves of a deep indigo were dispelled across the transparent surface of the shield. That could only mean one thing:

Mist

The powerful unicorn had always been, and apparently still was, his father's right hand mare. She was the only high-ranking female in the entire outfit for that matter, but there was a reason for that. Images of her jolted Flash's memory as he remembered her nightmarish features. A combination of blue and purple twined in jagged spirals down the length of her formidable horn, giving reason to the indigo glow any object affected by her magic obtained. The rest of her body was spectacularly lust-inducing. Her slim, curvacious form was accented by her hazy blue coat and long, wavy, golden hair, the styling of which could only be rivaled by Rarity's glamorous locks.

What was most stunning about this mare, though, was her blood-red eyes. They sharply contrasted every feature of her physical stature, but reflected perfectly every one of her interior motives and thoughts. She was a wretched, evil pony who had, under Flash's observation, committed countless abhorrent crimes. From burglaries to murders, this unicorn was probably the most heinous in all of Equestria. But her appearance kept her clear of any police trouble. One night in a stranger's bed was all it took to ease any lawful suspicion of her actions, and so her crime sprees, in tandem with the operations of Flash's father, were wanton and endless across the city of Fillydelphia. Nopony was safe here, but that was just a fact of life.

Two things ran through Flash's mind at that moment, both questions that were difficult to answer. The first was what Mist's true potential was and how much of a challenge she would present to Twilight. He was not willing to have her hurt or killed for his own purposes. Mist, being a coldblooded killer, would not refrain from ending Twilight in any way possible. But Twilight, though her magic was unbelievably strong, was not a fighter. In fact she was the most pacifist pony he knew next to Fluttershy; and even she could get feisty when a problem arose. Twilight though, he'd never seen her or could even see her harming a fly.

The other thought swimming around in his ever-stressed mind was a memory game that was becoming fairly frustrating. Mist had always left a door-sized hole in the forcefield in case of emergency situations. With luck, the entrance would still be in the same spot, allowing Flash to slip, undetected, into his father's grounds to try to find a basic plan of action. The problem was, Flash couldn't remember where the entrance was.

He flew up a ways, dragging his hooves over the dome-shaped forcefield, leaving a wake of magical energy spreading out across the protective layer. When he found the top of the dome, he sat down on it as he had on so many cloudless days back in his youth. Looking out over the estate, Flash tried to look for specific landmarks that might jog his memory. As his eyes swept over the land again and again, coming up blank every time, Flash began to grow incredibly tired. He searched disinterestedly while his mind wandered. But when a small blur of movement caught Flash's eye, he perked up and spun his head toward the source.

A small rodent, probably some sort of groundhog or mole, was dashing out of the vegetable garden on the east side of the estate, its mouth filled with life-giving food. He eyed it closely, knowing that no wild animals could live inside the forcefield for long, or they would be detected and exterminated immediately. As he watched, the animal darted straight past a lone tree on the northeast boundary and through the invisible barrier that was meant to keep all things out of the area. Flash knew the instant it happened that he had, with the help of the little rodent, found the entrance he was looking for.

Flash, looking about quickly to confirm that nopony was watching him, bolted for the spot where the rodent went through while keeping it locked in his vision. He couldn't afford to lose it; he needed all the time he could get. As he slipped through the invisible gap, he passed into a meadow filled with memories of the past. So many days he'd spent with, unbeknown to him murderers and thieves.

A shiver of anger ran down Flash's spine as he flew silently toward a basement window of the intimidating mansion. But the anger was transformed into something else. What, he didn't know, but when he saw the cream yellow figure slumped in a corner, muzzle pointed downwards, his stomach lurched. He gritted his teeth and forced down his impulses to rescue her, as brash action now would most definitely lead to everypony Flash loved being taken and possibly tortured by these ponies.

Taking a short glance to get a view of her condition, Flash felt relief rush over him. Save for a slight tarnish and dirt stains to her coat, the downtrodden filly seemed unscathed. Nothing terrible had happened to her. With this fact repeating over and over in his mind, Flash reassured himself and was eventually able to tear his eyes from the window to survey the rest of the land.

The forcefield went an equal distance from the center in all directions, except for a small stretch that cut off abruptly with a mile-long ridge towards the back of the estate. There, sheer cliff faces loomed over the comparatively small house, providing protection from a rear attack.

But with Twilight on our side, that could be the ultimate vantage point for an attack on the house.

The gears whirred in Flash's head as he analyzed and absorbed information from every square inch of the environment. Many of the windows had been left unlocked, probably on account of the protection the forcefield would give from any burglars or enemies of the family. There was also a large shed about midway between the estate and the cliffs that could make for an excellent base of operations once they infiltrated the area.

Suddenly, a loud bell rang from within the estate. Flash jolted and his heart grew sore as it beat faster and faster. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as he jumped for cover behind some bushes. After the bell sounded for the eighth time, Flash watched as two large, muscular earth ponies exited the mansion from a side door. They walked around the house, closely observing everything around them, then proceeded to inspect the rest of the area close to the house. One went off to the shed and remained there for a minute or two, then came back, giving his partner a hooves up to confirm that nothing suspicious was on the premises. They both returned to the side door and casually strolled back inside.

Flash waited another hour in the underbrush and, sure enough, the bell rang nine times and a patrol came out. Except the two guards were not the same two that had been out before. Another surprise came when two pegasi came out and began flying around the estate, screening the ground for any movement that might reveal an enemy. Flash hunkered down under the thick brush and prayed, eyes closed, that the two pegasi would not see him.

After five anxiety-filled minutes, Flash heard a faded murmur and the sound of the door closing. He waited about in hiding for two more hours and found that the patrol had an easy pattern to figure out. Every odd hour, the pegasi came out on patrol. There were only two pegasi on grounds duty, as opposed to the six earth ponies who scoured everything in near proximity to the house.

When he was satisfied with the information he'd gathered, Flash slipped out from under the brush, receiving a few cuts and scratches from thorny plants he brushed against. He then bolted back to the invisible hole in the forcefield, slid through it with ease, and flew away before he was noticed by another soul. The streets were busy now, but Flash's knowledge of the city allowed him to easily avoid high traffic streets and familiar faces. As quickly as possible, he returned to the safe house to divulge the invaluable knowledge he'd gained from this recon.

Upon returning to the house, Flash found that the fire they'd made was merely glowing, red coals and a steady wisp of curling, meandering smoke. Everypony was still asleep, so he crept in trying to remain quiet, but to no avail. He stepped on a loose floorboard that creaked liked the moans of the damned, causing Pinkie Pie's ears to jolt up, quickly followed by her entire body.

Her eyes, dilated and clouded over, stared at Flash in a vacant manner that made it apparent that she wasn't quite there. But still she stared at him, mouth agape and bags under her eyes, a truly disturbing facial contortion that began to unnerve Flash. After about a minute of having their eyes locked, Pinkie spoke in a dazed and surreal tone that made the hair on the nape of Flash's neck stand on edge, sending tremors through his body and down to his hooves. She spoke clearly, leaving an ominous message in Flash's mind:

"The first will not be true. You must kill the first, or you will never find your true love."

Pinkie then collapsed to the floor, returning once again to her peaceful slumber. Flash, slightly disturbed by the message, lay down near the fire and shut his eyes, but found sleep would not reach him. Images of pain and war and blood and death raced through his mind as he thought of what might take place in the next few days, but soon enough, he fell haphazardly into a restless sleep.

Mending

Chapter 7

Fractures

Flash jolted awake, his fur matted with sweat. Another haunting sleep had passed, rife with the most gruesome images his brain could create. Every feasible torture and pain imaginable had stung his mind like a cherry-red needle.

He slowed his breathing and with it, his pounding heart. As a sharp wind came through the drafty, half-broken windows, it cut through his wet fur and sliced at his skin. The icy blade ran the length of his exposed chest, causing abrupt spasms throughout his body. He lie there, curled into a ball, body screaming in the freezing cold for just a trace of heat. Desperate for warmth, he reached out in the dark for the closest source of heat. His hooves fell across soft fur and quickly wrapped themselves around the form. As he tightened his embrace, he felt smooth, well-preened wings and solid, defined muscles. A feeling of unease crept over his body and he felt a slight churning in his chest. This was not his companion. This was not the mare he would grow old with. He did not love her that way. He had told her this himself, made it blatantly obvious that he wasn't attracted to her.

But he still loved her. And this still felt right. So Flash pushed aside his guilt and stress and felt himself relax for the first time in days. The steady rise and fall of her body comforted him and lit a small spark of happiness and content in a heart that had been consumed with vengeance and spite, a dim light in the midst of a dark, angry ocean. As long as his sister was with him, Flash would pull through. Putting himself at ease, he sunk into a more relaxed embrace and felt Rainbow Dash's plush fur sway in the wind, brushing lightly against his skin and lulling him to a comfortable sleep.

Flash woke up the following morning, fully rested, but not feeling quite himself. Of course, he didn't notice any difference, but he had changed a bit. It was hard to place the feeling properly, though. He still wanted his Fluttershy back, but he felt more resigned about it, as if hope for rescuing her was dwindling. Being careful to not wake Rainbow Dash, he slowly slipped his front legs away from her body.

He quietly stood up and immediately felt the repercussions of sleeping on the hard floor. His joints complained as he bent and unbent them, trying to grind out the soreness. He then found the focus of the pain centered around his back. So, he flexed and bent his spine in awkward positions, trying to get a crack or some slight relief from the aching, but to no avail.

Stiff and still hurting, Flash awkwardly shuffled over to the kitchen area and watched with reserved disgust as several roaches scuttled away from their feast of crumbs and moldy scraps and vanished through the gaps between the molding and floorboards. Pausing until the last of the nasty pests had disappeared, Flash then proceeded to the pantry on the left side of the kitchen and opened it, finding it stocked with the product of the girls' day at the market. A few cans of carrots, corn, and other vegetables lined the shelf along with two large baguettes.

Flash took down a can of spinach and a chunk of the bread. Although it had been sitting in the pantry for hours, the bread still smelled and felt fresh. Flash took out a can opener and popped the top off of his spinach. He looked down at the contents, a soupy mass of green, fibrous muk sitting in an equally green juice. It looked absolutely disgusting and Flash understood now more than ever why so many young foals hated spinach. For whatever strange reason, Flash had not been one of them. He quickly gulped down the contents and proceeded to nibble on his bread.

Soon enough, everypony awoke and came into the kitchen to grab their breakfast. Though they all were still half asleep, rubbing their eyes and yawning profusely, every face (save Pinkie's, of course) was somber and serious. Today was the day they would begin their heist.

Flash explained his plan over their breakfast. "Now the best possible means of entry," he stated, clearing his throat and swallowing to moisten it, "is a small emergency escape that my father made sure to place in the forcefield, in the event that everything went to hell."

He then pulled out a piece of paper on which he had sketched the layout of the estate. Pointing at the small cluster of trees and a small "x" on the map, he indicated their entry point.

"Next, Twilight will activate her invisibility spell and we'll all hurry over to this shed in the back. It's rarely visited and only gets a minor inspection from the patrols, so we can use it to set up a nearby base." He paused for just a second, collecting all of his thoughts into his head. "Now what we do next is wait until the clock rings, at which point, a search party of two earth ponies and a pegasus will be coming out to cover the grounds. They'll send one earth pony to investigate the shed. We take him down. Use whatever force necessary to ensure he doesn't send out a distress call; kill him if you have to."

His last sentence hung in the air as the true scope of this mission set in on the naive ponies of Ponyville. Maybe Flash had seen some terrible things in his life, but Twilight, Pinkie, and Rainbow Dash had never really met any situations this serious during their peaceful lives in the other towns of Equestria. If one thing was true, Fillydelphia truly was the scum center of this nation.

After seeing the nervous glances being cast side to side, Flash continued, "The two remaining patrols will then come to check for their partner, wondering what's happened. Me and Dash will take down the pegasus, while Twilight uses her magic to render the other guard motionless and Pinkie bucks the nuggets out of him."

Again, some sidewards looks came up, but Flash pressed onward. "There will be at least 10 more guards in the house, but it appears that only one of them will be a pegasus. So, he will be the first out of the house once they realize that the search team has gone missing. We take him out and then the real fighting begins. Pinkie," he said, turning his attention to the bubbly pink pony, "we're going to need you to pull your party cannon out of thin air so as to use to fight the guards."

"Yes, sir!" she shouted, slamming her back hooves together and pulling up her front right hoof into a goofy salute.

"Twilight," he continued, "You're going to have to use your magic to incapacitate as many guards as possible. Whether you want to knock them out, put them to sleep, or even... well, you know, is completely up to you."

Twilight nodded, a firm, hard look on her face. She knew what Flash meant and almost seemed prepared to do it.

"Me and Rainbow Dash will swoop down and pick off a few guards, but once it looks like the fight is under control, we will bolt into the house and find Fluttershy. As long as we don't have to confront anypony else, we'll leave then and there. Sound like a plan?"

They all nodded in agreement, though Flash knew that wasn't the actual plan by any means. After Fluttershy was safe, he would find his father and beat him down until he was dead. It would be revenge for all the terrible things he'd done to so many innocent ponies over the years; revenge for all the pain he'd caused. But above all, it would be revenge for his Fluttershy, regardless of how they'd treated her. He took her away from Flash and that was what was forcing him to kill that pony. His father, as of this very moment, was marked for death.

Each pony had spent the past few hours preparing themselves for what was about to come, both mentally and physically, but something was definitely the matter with Flash. His head was pulsing as if sonic rainbooms were continually going off inside. The pain was bad, but the thoughts he was having were downright terrible. He imagined himself taking the lid to one of the food cans, sharp and rough, and swiftly running its edge across the throats of every other pony in the room. He wanted to throttle Twilight, ring Pinkie's neck, and tear off Dash's wings. He began to groan and, covering his head with his hooves, collapsed to the floor.

The others quickly raced over. After a quick explanation through gritted teeth and a strong desire to carve off Twilight's head, she managed to comprehend what was wrong. She quickly pressed her horn to his head and released a powerful blast of purple aura. He then felt, within his own mind, a huge wave, splendid and powerful as the sun, sweep across the surfaces of his very thoughts, ripping away some sort of malignant force that had been clinging to them for so long, sucking out his emotions and replacing them with sinister thoughts of death. The relief it brought was almost unbearable itself. Flash felt himself grow feint as so much weight was relieved from his once pounding skull. He suddenly felt absolutely wonderful and one hundred percent himself. After he regained his senses, he looked at Twilight, concern in her eyes, then at the other two ponies, both equally worried.

"What happened?" he asked, still dazed from the experience.

"You had been overrun," Twilight began to explain, "by another unicorn's magic. Somebody was inside your mind, torturing you internally, perverting your thoughts and trying to make you wicked." While she knew what had happened and what she was saying was true, she had no idea how it had happened. But Flash took it from there.

"It was Mist. I knew she'd play a bigger part than this. Father had her find me somehow and invade my mind, probably to turn me against you guys." Now looking at Twilight, "I didn't want to have to tell you this, but she is a powerful unicorn, Twilight. As far as magical power is concerned, you could wipe the floor with her, but she plays dirty, and she will try to kill you in any way she can. You have to kill her before she can get to you. Do you understand?"

Twilight nodded grimly, a worried expression hung grimly upon her face. She was scared and he knew it. But he also knew she was a brave, goodhearted pony who would surely triumph over the evil wretch that was Mist.

"Twilight, thank you so much. You don't know how great a relief that was."

She nodded a second time, more confidently and brightly than the first.

"Now that I'm all ship shape, how about we get our friend back?"

A cheer went out from the four of them and they all barged out of the house, ready for what was to face them, ready to kill for a friend and die for a friend. And with his hope and spirit restored, Flash knew that they could do this.

The Ugly Truth

Chapter 3
The Ugly Truth

“Flash, are you there? Get up! You’ve got to get up! We need you.”

A voice was calling, but Flash didn’t want to listen. The outside world was full of pain and distress, confusion and loss.

Like your thoughts are any more pleasant.

He disdainfully opened his eyes, only to have them forced shut by a painfully bright light overhead. He slowly squinted them open and could vaguely make out, through the glare, the silhouettes of two ponies, one with a choppy, messy mane and the other looking like a bouncing cotton ball. His eyes began to adjust, allowing him to see the faces of the ponies, one cyan, with magenta eyes full of concern, the other pink, whose bright blue eyes darted every which way while she gleefully bounced up and down at the sight of Flash’s revival. Flash could hear a high-pitched beeping in his ears, a sound that annoyed him to the point of insanity. He looked towards the direction of the sound and saw a heart monitor which had been connected to his chest by a small wire.

"Ugh, turn that thing off," Flash groaned, burrowing his head into the pillow. Frankly, he felt terrible right now. It was as if all his energy had been drained. All of his strength was gone, and he was but a feeble, sick, ant at the mercy of an adventurous young colt with a magnifying glass, burning him inside and out, torturing him.

Flash sensed movement to his right side and after a soft click and a fizzle, the terrible machine was dead. With its silence, Flash's body seemed to absorb energy from the very air around him, gaining a sensation of true vigor and invincibility. The silvery blue color returned to his once greyish coat and he sat up in his hospital bed, alive and alert. Looking to his left side, he saw Rainbow Dash. Though he was glad to see such a friendly face, Flash set his mind straight and immediately got down to business.

"Why am I here?" he asked.

Rainbow Dash shrugged and nodded across the bed in Pinkie Pie's direction.

The little earth pony began to narrate the series of events in her typical Pinkie Pie style. There was a lot of jumping, she talked way too fast, and half of the story was told by her dynamic facial expressions. To a pony who just woke up from a long, miserable sleep, the story made little sense. What Flash was able to get out of this was that Fluttershy, his Fluttershy, the center of his world and happiness in his soul, had been kidnapped, and instead of saving her, Flash froze up midair and fainted like a cowardly little worm.

How can you live with yourself you pathetic little excuse for a sack of-

"So, Flash," Rainbow Dash said, interrupting Flash's self-destructive thoughts with impeccable timing. A second further and Flash would be down the gutter right now, kicking himself in the flank and being miserable for quite some time. How did Rainbow Dash have such great skill in this? It was as if she knew exactly when to say something and, if required, she also knew what to say, dragging Flash away from his miserable attitude just like that. "Can you give us any information as to why those two err... ponies, took Fluttershy?"

The gears in Flash's brilliant mind began to whir. Why were they here? Why did they take her? Who hired them to do it?

Suddenly, a spark went off in Flash's head. His world began to spin. Images came in and out of focus. His pupils dilated and his mouth hung agape. The only thing he was able to do was let out a small whisper of shock and denial.

"My dad."

"What was that?" Rainbow asked, unable to make out his mumbling tone.

"My dad, it was my DAD!"

"Your dad?"

"Yes, my dad! Ever since I left his precious mob, he's hated me. He disowned me and tried to have me killed. Now he wants revenge on me for disgracing him and our family honor." He stated the last part with much sarcasm and disdain, showing how much he thought of any honor his family thought they had. "I don't know what he's going to do to her, but it sure as hay isn't good. We need to get to Fillydelphia, now!" He bolted out of bed and gave a galloping lunge for the doorway, only to be stopped short by a strong stiff-arm from his cyan companion.

"Now hold on. I know you want her back, Flash. Honestly, I do." The sensitivity in her voice was unlike her, but it soothed him, made him feel at home in this awful world. "I know what you're feeling, and it's terrible. You probably hate yourself right now. But you can't just march into mafia territory, guns a-blazing, and expect to come out alive. We need to plan this out."

Her insight and wisdom was so out of character. She was Rainbow Dash, the most cocky, impulsive showoff to ever come out of Cloudsdale. She was acting as if she were Princess Celestia herself, with her words of wise advisement. But after months of being with quiet, reserved Fluttershy, Flash had learned very well to read a pony's emotions in their eyes. Rainbow Dash was no different, and her eyes and mouth were singing two different songs. He could tell she wanted to do the same as him; to march into West Fillydelphia and do whatever it took to get Fluttershy back. But something was holding her back. Something was making her uncharacteristically wise; the one thing that could make people act totally beside themselves; the very same thing that had made Flash so foalish and headstrong when he kissed Fluttershy for the first time.

Love.

Rainbow Dash loved Fluttershy. That explained why she picked on him and her so much. Her pride would never permit her to admit it, but she was jealous of Flash. Although he was her friend and she would always stay loyal to friends, she still did what she could to spite him.

"Hey, Pinkie," Flash said calmly, breaking free from his deep thought. The cheery, pink pony turned to him, an attentive beaming smile on her face. "I think I need to talk to Dash in private for a second. Could you step out for a bit, please? I promise it'll only take a minute or two."

"Okey dokey lokey!" she responded, her bright smile now stretching from ear to ear. She bounced out the door and quickly called back in, "I'll be outside the hospital. It's too dull in here for me." They heard her soft singing fade as she bounced down the hall.

Flash shut the door and turned to face Rainbow Dash, who was starting to look rather nervous.

"Now Dash," he began, "I've known you about four months now and I consider us very close friends. I need to know something, and I promise to keep it between us."

"Sure," she said, "shoot."

"Do you love Fluttershy?"

"What?" She was shocked, taken aback, her voice cracking harshly in her surprise. "Why in Equestria would you think that?"

Flash had a feeling this would happen. She was too proud to admit to him, so he'd have to dig it out of her with facts and evidence. "Dash, it suddenly dawned on me and I've realized now that it's been rather obvious. These past few months, you've been pranking and teasing the two of us almost exclusively. You're always nervous when you see us together, and I've held my tongue until now, but I've been catching glimpses of you every time her and I go out. And just now, I could see how badly you wanted to save her, but something stopped you. Something made you think with reason, and we both know that's not like you at all." He cracked a smile, trying to ease the stress in her mind, which was made obvious by her watering eyes and bright red cheeks.

"Flash, I'm telling you the truth. I'm not in love with Fluttershy."

Flash didn't understand. He had her backed into a corner, so why didn't she just admit it? He pressed more.

"Then explain why you've been acting so strange, lately. You're my best friend, Dash. You can tell me anything. Seriously, whatever you do right now will never leave this room."

"Promise?" She looked sullen, downtrodden, defeated, but there was a glint of hope in her pretty, magenta eyes.

"Promise," Flash confirmed. Like he had said, she was his best friend. He would never hurt her.

She walked towards him, getting uncomfortably close. Flash began to back up as she advanced, wondering what she was doing. She stepped closer and closer and he backed up further and further until he felt his backside press into a ninety degree nook in the wall. Now he was the one trapped in a corner. She came in close, nuzzled his left cheek, and whispered in his ear with tears dripping from her gently shut eyes.

"I love you."