I have to tell her.
The thought relentlessly echoed through Flash Magnus’ mind. It was the right thing to do.
But he simply couldn’t find the words.
He sat on the creaky, wooden floor, trying to relish the sea breeze and calming waves, but the pony at his side made it difficult to do so.
They were at the top floor of an ancient, crumbled stone tower on the cliffs of Normanedy, overlooking the Winglish Channel. The tower may at one point have been part of some kind of outpost for the king’s soldiers, but a crushing defeat had forced them to abandon the place. When peace returned, it seemed nobody bothered to rebuild the fort.
What once was a busy military installation, with the clashing of steel and the cries of battle, now lay a few crumbled walls and stone paths. Nature had almost completely reclaimed the place, with moss covering the stones, tall sweeping grass, and wild flowers strewn about. The only standing structure was the single tower with a huge, gaping hole smashed into the sea-facing side.
It made for a nice view, and a decent landing spot after a trip across the Channel. A local town nearby also helped provide some shelter for travelers. The townspeople didn’t seem to mind the abandoned fort, but apparently the flowers growing there had some useful properties for the local apothecary.
That was how he had met her.
Flash Magnus turned to his right, to the pony sitting beside him. A young pegasus mare with a deep purple coat and sweeping gray hair. She wasn’t much for fancy hairstyles and wigs, like the rich nobles that passed by from time to time. She kept it well groomed and clean, however, letting it fall to her sides with only a few minor adjustments to keep it from being intrusive.
A fancy hairdo would simply fall apart or be utterly ruined after a long day of work, she claimed.
He had never been one for wealth or a lavish lifestyle, either. Such was the life of a warrior.
“Oh, Flash,” the mare spoke up. “Do you honestly believe that I am not aware of what you’re hiding?”
Flash sighed as his eyes met hers briefly. Those absolutely breathtaking, bright blue eyes.
“’What beautiful eyes?’” the mare spoke up in a mocking, masculine voice, cutting off his thoughts.
“I… well…” Flash finally spoke, dumbfounded by her words and exact reading of his mind. In a rare display, he actually felt a light blush spread to his cheeks.
She suddenly let out a burst of laughter at his expression. Not a constrained giggle, the sort of which village girls would let out at the sight of a handsome or rich stallion. No, hers was a wild, free laughter, almost a chortle.
By Faust was it stunning.
It was almost sunset, but the light of the sun still took his mind back to that fateful fay.
He certainly remembered that day, stumbling into her in the fort’s garden after he had crossed the Channel. He heard something rustle in the bushes, and drew his sword, alert for any sinister figures. He had hovered around cautiously, scanning his surroundings, before starting to slowly flap backwards into the tower.
He didn’t realize she was behind him until he literally stumbled onto her. He had spun and raised his sword, before a blast of blue dust hit him in the face. It sent a searing sensation across his face, causing him to stumble backwards away from the mysterious figure, eventually falling to the ground with his weapon a few wings away.
The pain slowly subsiding and able to take his hooves off his face, he looked upwards to see the sun being blotted out by a purple pegasus mare hovering over him, shaking her head.
Trying to kill me? Is that how you normally greet strangers? She had asked, shaking her head slightly before tilting it to the side.
Doing so caused a ray of sunshine to perfectly angle itself off her eyes, letting the blue shine.
Powerless and too stunned to think straight, he only managed one sentence.
What… beautiful… eyes…
Perhaps not the traditional Prench courtship ritual.
If a mare like Violet Amenity didn’t care, then neither did he.
“Surely,” Violet continued, stifling her laughter, and bringing him back to the present, “my eyes are not the only thing you love, yes? So many poets these days seem to enjoy complimenting a lover’s eyes. A tad repetitive, I daresay. Surely, we are not destined to continue repeating ‘beautiful blue eyes’ even a thousand years in the future, are we?”
“Yes, yes,” Flash Magnus grumbled a bit. “I’ll avoid repeating it, if it bothers you that much.”
She put her wing around him, bringing herself closer to him and resting her head on his shoulder, the warmth of her body seeping into his.
“I did not say you had to stop. Simply… expand your list of compliments, my dear,” she softly spoke, tilting her muzzle up to his.
He couldn’t resist her, and she knew it well.
He brought his lips down to meet hers, locking them together as they had done oh, so many times. He fully wrapped her under his wings as she brought hers around his waist. Everything was so perfect in that moment. Her body close to his. Her sweet lips enveloping his. Her hoof on his chest. Her beating heart synchronized with his.
His mind was everywhere and nowhere at the same time, for all that mattered was her.
My sweet Amenity.
Finally parting, he gently nuzzled his head against hers.
“Ah yes,” he declared. “Do tell, what should I talk about instead? Shall I speak of your gorgeous hair? Your stunning, fit, and perfect body? Your witty mind and charming voice?”
Violet gave a small purr of approval.
“I think that would be perfect.”
Perfect.
In that moment.
Damn, his consciousness wouldn’t allow him a single moment of peace, now would it?
She didn’t seem to mind, despite her earlier claims that she knew what he was thinking. Perhaps she did.
But surely, she didn’t understand the scope of the situation.
“Well my dear, I am afraid that even a cute girl gets hungry from time to time. It is almost time for dinner… I think it is about time we returned to my home.”
Almost dinner. Sunset had begun.
Time was running out.
“That will do just fine,” Flash said, smiling at her.
…
A small trek and several plates later, the two were at a wooden table inside a simple house near the edges of the town.
She had never been one for fancy decorations or shiny trinkets. She placed far greater importance on the massive garden that lay outside. Plants and herbs of all kinds, growing freely and carelessly. At the center of it all was her workplace, the small apothecary she ran, tending for her elderly mother, though said mother was currently spending a weekend away at a religious retreat organized by the local church.
That left just the two of them to eat dinner in the small cottage. It was maybe half the size of the apothecary, and lay in a tucked away corner of the garden. Still, it was a cozy shelter, and one she held dear even if she didn’t spend as much time there as she (probably) should.
Flash finished munching down on a soft, creamy slice of cheese, letting the flavor seep into his tongue and mouth before finishing it off.
This mare certainly knew a thing or two about cooking and creating meals.
Their simple dinner would put many a rich nobles’ feasts to shame in terms of sheer flavor.
“You still have never quite told me how you possibly came up with the recipe for that bread,” Flash spoke, eyeing the now-empty platter of special bread she had prepared and adopting a slightly humorous tone, “I know you use your plants, but how can I be certain that I won’t suddenly develop a fever, or have another searing batch of dust stuck in my throat?”
“Why, ye of little faith, Flash Magnus. Surely you trust your sweetheart more than that?” Violet spoke in a dramatic, betrayed tone of voice.
“You’ve yet to answer my question,” Flash reminded her.
She smiled, teasing him. “Surely a strong stallion such as yourself has better things to do than spend his time learning to cook, no?”
Finished with her meal, she rose from the simple wooden chair and flapped over to him.
“Such as care for his amazing lover?” she suggested, leaning her head over his right ear.
Flash chuckled, rolling his eyes. “I suppose you’re right.”
This girl.
Satisfied, she swept away from him once more, reaching for a higher cabinet.
“I’m sure my mother wouldn’t mind… especially on such an occasion.”
The meaning of said words were lost to him.
Violet brought out the prize she had been seeking: a bottle of wine. Not exactly a cheap one either. The name of the vineyard on the bottle was enough to cause Flash Magnus to raise an eye. It wasn’t a fancy or expensive wine by any means, but it was quite high-cost for her simple lifestyle.
“Well, I suppose I should be flattered by such a gift. But you know you didn’t have to spend all that money for me, right?”
“Of course,” she waved him off, “so perhaps you would feel better if we shared it?”
He chuckled. “Yes, I suppose that’s fair.”
“So, to what does my valiant knight propose a toast to?” she asked, bringing two simple glasses, and bursting open the cork before pouring a generous amount to both.
“Hmm… ‘our love’ is just as overused as ‘beautiful blue eyes’,” he mused, earning a small chuckle from her, “so how about, quite simply… to us?”
“I am not too sure that is very different…” she remarked, posing with the glass in her wing as if lost in thought, “but I suppose that is certainly a truth worth toasting to.”
The two gave smile as they clinked their wine glasses together before taking a long sip.
With the soft glow of candles in the room, the moment once more seemed utterly perfect.
Flash let the wine slowly swirl around his mouth as he took another deep sip. He was more of a traditional ale type of stallion, but he certainly couldn’t turn down such a flavorful drink. The liquid seemed to soak itself deep into his tongue, the flavor pulsing all throughout his mind.
Violet had already taken a deep swig of hers. She was almost done with her drink, but she seemed quite content nonetheless.
Flash simply sat silent for a moment, taking in the sight of her wonderful frame and content expression as he basked in the candlelight glow. It was all perfect.
In that moment.
Then her eyes met his.
She paused, and Flash felt suddenly frozen in place as their eyes locked squarely on one another. As beautiful as she may be, he knew he could never escape the eyes he so often complimented. They seemed to scour every single piece of his soul, reading his mind and communicating their mutual thoughts.
I need to tell you something.
I know.
But you don’t understand…
Do I ever?
I’m sorry.
I know.
Then why are you so calm?
Because there is nothing else to do.
Do you understand just how much you mean to me?
Maybe not… so show me.
In an instant, everything seemed to snap.
Violet suddenly rose from her chair, shooting upwards into the air and hovering for a moment before suddenly charging at him and tackling him out of his chair and onto the wooden floor.
Before he could register the action or consider his response, she was already atop him, bringing her lips down to his. The look in her eyes seemed to completely shatter his sense of logic or reasoning. He did not resist as she clashed her lips against his. He brought his hooves to her side, hastily raising her and flying both of them into the air. He refused to break their kiss, and instead began to apply his own hunger as he haphazardly flapped them out of the dining room and down the cottage’s hall.
To her bedroom.
Thankfully, the candles were already lit, and it was a very simple room with almost no outstanding features, meaning he didn’t have to waste time thinking about it. Instead, he focused his attention solely on her, breaking the kiss only to give her neck a small, playful bite.
Violet Amenity gave a moan of delight as he lay her down on the simple bed, her head resting on the soft pillows. She eagerly brought their lips back together, savoring the taste of his lips and the extra flavor added by the wine. Flash gave a small groan of approval, closing his eyes with her and allowing himself a moment of pure bliss.
Bringing their lips back together, she promptly wrapped her purple wings around him, pulling him down. He gladly returned the gesture, wrapping his around her waist, softly stroking her sides with his feathers.
He broke their kiss once more, running his hooves all throughout her body as she ran hers through his red mane. Without being stuck into the trim of a helmet, the rich red hair gave her hooves plenty to massage and sift through.
He gave a small hiss as he felt their bodies rub closer against one another, sparking him onwards as he began to gently nip at her ear and tug at her hair with his teeth.
Her kissing was almost too much.
When they parted and their eyes met again, Violet saw only one thing in his eyes, something that he very clearly saw in hers as well.
Want.
Their night became a rich blur of orange and purple, dotted by two pairs of sparkling blue eyes.
…
Flash Magnus stirred in the night.
Slowly bringing his eyes open, he took a small glance at the window to the side.
The night was still dark, but a deep blue hinted that it was certainly past midnight.
His stirring did not go unnoticed, as Violet also woke.
Her body was snug tightly atop his, pressing down so as to let a single hair of space between them. Her wings were wrapped tightly around his body, trapping the heat between them. The night was cold, but the drying sweat on her fur and the stray feather or two on the bed along with them said more than enough about how the two of them felt.
She gave a purr, nuzzling tightly into his chest.
“I love you.”
Hearing those words from her both sent his heart soaring and made it crash painfully down.
He recalled his conversation with his trusted leader.
…
“Flash.”
“Yes?”
“I hope you are aware… but prototype spells are quite… unreliable.”
“…but… you’re sure you can…?”
“I can certainly craft the spell, with some work. I am also as certain as possible that it will work in banishing our foe. What I am unsure of… is the possible side effects.”
“You believe I am frightened of some illness?”
“That is not what I mean.”
“I’ve suffered plenty of wounds.”
“This is a risk far greater than physical pain, Flash. Unstable magic of this type can have incredible powers… but that power sometimes surpasses that of the caster. For every good outcome, there can a terrible consequence.”
“…”
“Please. I will put forth my every effort to secure the spell and control it. But be aware… this plan is a risk, and in agreeing to partake in it… we are all making a sacrifice. But no matter what happens next… know that our actions will not be in vain.”
“…”
“Nevertheless, I pray to Faust that these warnings will prove unnecessary. But I simply have to state them… to you, and to Meadowbrook and her husband.”
“…it’s okay. I know what we’re up against. And…”
“…I trust you.”
“…”
“…thank you, Flash. I promise… we will all make it back.”
…
They… he shouldn’t have… not without telling her first…
“Just please, say it now, while I can still bear to hear it.”
Violet’s words stung deep, but Flash knew what had to be done.
“Yes, we’re going off to another quest,” he finally informed her, warning of the Pillars and their plan.
“As usual. You only seem to visit me to say goodbye,” she remarked, a hint of bitterness in her voice.
“You know I would spend every living moment with you if I could,” he insisted, painfully.
“And you know that I wouldn’t forgive you if you did,” she replied. “Not when you have a job to do.”
“This Pony of Shadows…” Flash began, though he couldn’t even begin to process how to explain the current situation to her.
“You’ve told me. And so, you’ve tracked him. Now what?”
“Starswirl says he has an idea. A special spell he has created,” Flash recalled. “If it works, we can finally banish that monster for good.”
“But you know that thing won’t go down easily. There will be a fight,” Violet reminded him.
“And I will shield myself, as always,” he retorted. “We just have to aim the spell carefully. If it works right, he’ll be banished to limbo, and we will be unscratched.”
“And if it fails? If he strikes, or the spell goes wrong?”
Flash paused. If he took a direct hit… or something else happened…
“That was a rhetorical question, by the way, please do not answer that,” Violet interrupted him. “I have enough heartache as is.”
“Don’t say that…” Flash pleaded.
“Flash Magnus,” she spoke, cutting him off in a firm, but almost pleading manner. “You have to promise me. Promise me that you’ll make it back…”
“…and that you’ll love me.”
He paused. Those words hurt far more than any steel sword ever would.
She locked her eyes onto his once more.
But this time, no thoughts were exchanged, no minds were read. Simple a mutual stare into blue eyes.
“I promise. You are my love, fore-“
“Don’t say it. That is just as overused as the blue eyes.”
“…”
“Anytime,” Flash declared, finished.
“Then shall we seal that promise?” she asked, motioning to his saddlebag and what she already knew lay in them.
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
Violet couldn’t find any words.
So, she simply settled for crying.
She gripped the bundled blanket, gripping it tightly to her chest as she sobbed.
How?
Why?
He promised.
The questions, for the millionth time in months, racked her brain, and she had had enough.
She gave a growl of frustration.
Pull yourself together, fool!
She gripped the side of the bed. Her nearby mother and best friend were completely silent, recognizing the thoughts that must be ravishing her mind.
Enough.
I will do it for him.
She unwrapped the top part of the blanket bundle, allowing herself to see what was within.
A small, sleeping young foal.
The colt had a black mane, taken from his grandmother, who eyed her daughter Violet nervously. He had his yellow fur to boot. It was a painful reminder, but also a powerful one.
“Heart… Flash Heart shall be his name,” she proclaimed, more to herself than the two other ponies in the room.
He would carry on his name, and Faust willing, the Flash name would continue for generations, a proud name born of a proud warrior.
Violet Amenity looked at the golden ring she had on clipped onto her left wing, on the outermost feathers. He had dropped it off at the local blacksmith to have him engrave the words… just before leaving one last time.
Always and Anytime.
Those were the words.
She clearly wasn’t as clever as she thought.
She hadn’t given the words much thought at the time, remembering her remarks that day about originality and meaning.
Her mind may be quick, but his heart was always one step ahead of hers.
Anytime.
An anagram for Amenity.
Author's Note
Man. This story.
I have no explanation. I kind of had this headcannon ever since I saw Magnus, and out of nowhere, I got the idea yesterday. I couldn't get it out of my head, I felt compelled to sit down and write it all in one go.
But even I didn't expect the result.
Is it meaningful or egotistical the fact that even I got a bit shaken by the sadness of this story? Maybe I'm just a sappy idiot, but I felt a slight shiver as I typed certain parts. I didn't know precisely what the result would be... I just had to keep writing.
Again, maybe I'm just an idiot. But whatever happens, I'm really proud of this story, and I'm glad I did write it.
Comment and like, follow if you're up for more dramatic (not always sad, I promise) stories.
