“I’m telling you, take a break. You’ve been working yourself into the ground since you were stationed here,” Shining armor sighed. He eyed up the orange Pegasus standing beside him. “Just look at yourself. You are a complete mess.”
“But, sir,” Flash Sentry stammered, trying to smooth down his frayed mane. “There is so much that needs to be done. The Crystal Empire has been receiving more tourism than ever since the crystalling.” A slight twitch escaped from his eye.
“I know, but you won’t be much help if you’re about to collapse half the time from overworking yourself. Even I can manage to find time to relax with my family.” Shining Armor gave Flash a stern look. “I'm strongly suggesting this now, but I’m not afraid to pull rank and order you to take some leave.”
Flash Sentry sighed in defeat. The bags beneath his eyes weighed heavily upon him. Even he couldn’t deny how consistently exhausted he had been lately. “Yes, sir.”
“Good.” Shining Armor levitated a pair of tickets over to Flash Sentry. “I took the liberty of preparing you a train ticket. I also got you a little something extra.” Flash Sentry looked at the second ticket. An image of a yellow earth pony in one of the most outlandish outfits he had ever seen graced the ticket. “One of my sister’s friends had a connection with Sapphire Shores. Luckily she was able to get a ticket to her concert in Manehattan.”
Flash sentry wordlessly tucked the tickets under his wing, briefly saluting Shining armor before turning to leave. His duties have been getting harder to complete lately. Maybe this break could be just what he needed.
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The train ride to Manehattan proved to be rather uneventful. The gentle sway of the train cars made it difficult for Flash to resist falling asleep. He pulled out the concert ticket, hoping reading it would help him to stay awake. He had heard that this “Sapphire Shores” was one of the biggest pop ponies in all of Equestria. Local gossip often spoke of some rivalry going between the likes of Sapphire Shores, Countess Coloratura, and Songbird Serenade. He had never actually listened to any of their music. “Wow,” he said to himself, “I guess I am a bit of a workhorse after all. I can’t even remember the last time I listened to music, let alone practiced my guitar.” Flash mused to himself, “I should thank the captain when I get back.”
As his eyes ran down, taking in the details of the concert, a little detail caught his eye. “Backstage pass?” His eyes widened as he realized just what he was holding on to. A nervous gulp as he continued to read. “Enjoy a fine dinner and spend a quiet evening with The Pony of Pop!?” A nervous sweat started to trickle down his back. “Just what kind of connections does the captain have to get a ticket like this?”
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Flash sprinted down the crowded streets of Manehattan, “I’m so late! I can’t believe I overslept.” The hotel accommodations were just as lavish as the benefits of the concert ticket. From the thick velveteen drapes, to the lush carpet, every inch of the sweet screamed affluence. The only other time he had seen a room this extravagant was back in Canterlot, when he used to guard Princess Celestia’s bedchambers. Never had Flash ever thought he would be staying in a room like this.
After setting down his bags, Flash hopped into the bed. His body just seemed to sink into the mattress. Compared to the bunks in the guards’ quarters, this was heavenly. It was as soft as a cloud. In a matter of moments, Flash soon fell fast asleep.
“I really have been overworking myself. Now the concert is half over.” Flash ran, bobbing and weaving between the veritable sea of ponies.He quickly approached the concert hall, but found himself stopped by a barricade. He arched his neck, trying to see over the crowd of ponies in front of him. From what he could see two ponies were arguing and fighting in the middle of the street. It didn’t take long to figure out that the two wrecked cabs were the cause of the scuffle.
Flash groaned as he looked for a way around. The skies were filled with reporter ponies taking photos of the fight. The sidewalks were flooded with ponies who were either watching the spectacle in the street or were waiting for a chance to see Sapphire Shores.
His eyes soon found what looked like an empty alley. It seemed like as good a route as any. Flash pushed his way through the crowd, slowly making his way to the alley before taking off at full speed once he was clear.
Flash was making excellent time now. He could hear the cheers of the crowd grow as he drew closer to the concert hall. He rounded the corner only for his vision to black out as he came to a sudden stop. He groaned in pain as a heavy metal door swung open, knocking him to the ground.
Through the ringing in his ears, Flash could barely hear somepony talking to him. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry about that. I wasn’t expecting anypony to be out here.” Flash looked up to see a yellow earth pony standing above him her hoof extended to help him up.
He shook the daze out of his head as he made his way back to his hooves. “Yeah, I’m alright. It’ll take more than a steel door to the face to keep me down.” He chuckled to himself, trying to smile despite how much his muzzle still hurt from the impact.
Flash dusted himself off as the mare spotted the ticket he dropped, “So, you’re here for the concert?”
“Yes,” Flash said, “I’m running a bit late though. It seems I’ve been working myself a bit too hard. I didn’t think that I was tired enough to sleep through the entire day.”
“I hear that,” the mare replied. “It’s so easy to get carried away and overlook things like rest. Sometimes you have to force yourself to take a step back.”
“Or have someone else force you.” Flash turned to face the mare, “If my boss hadn’t given me this ticket, I probably would have worked myself straight into the hospital.” His eyes widened as he realized who he was talking to.
“I can definitely feel you on that one,” Sapphire Shores exclaimed. “I love my work and I work hard at it, but I’ve got to be careful not to overdo it. It wouldn’t help to have Sapphire Shores, the Pony of Pop passing out in the middle of a concert now.” She eyed the ticket that had fallen to the ground. “Oh! So you’re the pony who got that special ticket.”
Flash stared, mouth agape. He had not envisioned his first encounter with a celebrity would start with a door to the face. “It’s always so precious, seeing that look when a fan meets me for the first time,” Sapphire Shores extended a hoof, gently closing Flash’s gaping mouth and snapping him out of his reverie. “I’ll have security escort you to your seat. We can talk more after the show.” Sapphire motioned for Flash to follow her as she walked back into the concert hall.
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The concert was very high energy. Between Sapphire Shores’ energetic songs, the choreography of her and her backup dancers, and the roar of the cheering crowd, Flash had never felt so blown away in all his life. This mare on stage was unlike any he had met before. He stared to realize that he was about to spend an entire evening with her. His face started flush red at the thought.
At the end of the concert, Sapphire thanked her audience. It was clear how much she appreciated them. As the crowd cheered Sapphire gave a sly wink to Flash, signaling to him that it was time for them to rendezvous back stage. A few of the more attentive fans noticed this wink and started staring daggers at Flash. He could hear the jeers of the audience as more ponies started to realize what was going on. Calls of “waifu stealer” as well as some more choice vocabulary sounded off as he stepped behind the curtain.
Sapphire was waiting for him, “Waifu stealer?” she said with a with an amused grin.
“Yeah, I get that a lot. I don’t know why though.” Flash let out an exasperated sigh. “I don’t even know what a why-foo is.”
Sapphire chuckled to herself a little. “Let’s just say you must be doing pretty well for yourself if everypony is calling you a waifu stealer.” Sapphire started towards the back, signaling for Flash to follow. “Come on. I know this great Prench place that is open late. A great show tends to work up an appetite.
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Sounds of laughter filled the empty restaurant as Flash and Sapphire exchanged tales of work related mishaps. “And then … And then,” Sapphire struggled to contain her laughter. “And then he ended up floating halfway to Cloudsdale before we could get him down. I’m telling you, that was the last time we ever tried to use magical bubbles in a show.”
Flash wiped a tear from his eye. “Wow. And here I thought organizing the royal guard for the Equestria Games was crazy. You really are impressive, Sapphire.” The two took a moment to catch their breath and calm themselves before continuing. “I have to say, spending the evening with you has been so relaxing. I never thought a break like this was possible.”
Sapphire nodded. “Yeah. You never know when you’ll find somepony that just gets you.” A waiter approached with two cups of tea, Sapphire Shores’ special blend apparently. “It’s been a while since I could just laugh like this.”
“Don’t you have anypony special?” Flash took a sip of his tea.
“Not in the way you’re thinking.” Sapphire traced her hoof around the edge of the tea cup. “I’ve got my crew, who are like family to me. I’ve also got my fans. Thanks to them, I have friends wherever I go. It’s great, but there’s always some kind of wall between us. Whether it’s the stage or a working relationship, I can never get really close to anypony.”
Flash looked down at his teacup and sighed. “Yeah, I can get that. At least ponies like you.” A somewhat pained expression came across his face. “Most ponies act nice to me, but as soon as I turn my back, it’s always some comment or slur. Stallions shun me for being nice to mares, and mares ignore me because they seem to think I am trying to woo them or something.”
Sapphire reached across the table, putting her hoof over his. “That sounds pretty rough. I’m sorry to hear that.”
Flash looked up his eyes locking with Sapphire’s. He could feel a sense of comfort coming from this mare. His smiled faintly, “At least I know one pony who treats me like a normal stallion.” The two ponies stared into each others’ eyes for what felt like hours. Flash felt his heart racing. A slight blush crossed his cheeks. “Sapphire, I …” He felt feverish. He had never felt like this while talking to another pony before. “I …” he started to feel dizzy.“I …” The world seemed to spin as Flash began to black out. The last sound he heard before passing out was his head slamming onto the table.
Sapphire looked down at the unconscious pony before her. Her eyes were calm, her voice restrained. She smiled slyly as she raised up her hoof, “Waiter, check please!”
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Flash woke up feeling very groggy. “What happened last night?” The last thing he could remember was talking with Sapphire Shores before passing out. “Shining Armor was right. I really do need to stop pushing myself so hard. I can’t believe I passed out in front of … huh?”
Flash felt an unfamiliar sensation as he tries to raise his hoof to his face, but found he couldn’t raise it. As clarity started to return to him, he was slowly able to make sense of where he was. His hooves were tied to the four corners of a large bed. “What in Equestria?”
Flash’s reverie was soon disrupted by a familiar voice, “Look who finally awake.” Flash tried to peer through the dimly lit room. He could scarcely make out the silhouette of a pony. “I’m sorry about last night. I really do like you, but I have to put you through a little test first.” The mystery pony slowly walked into the light. The mare was wearing several pieces of studded leather, with a riding crop tied to her front foreleg. “You see, sweets, I have had my fair share of colt friends, but they all run screaming for the hills when it comes time to get my freak on.” Flash was somewhat horrified as he realized the mare standing before him was none other than Sapphire Shores. “I really do like you. You’ve got the potential to go all the way. I just need to makes sure you can handle me at my worst, before I show you my best.”
Flash let out a nervous gulp as Sapphire Shores stood up on her hind legs, brandishing her crop and staring at him with one of the most terrifying, hungry looks in her eyes. He started trembling as she slowly walked toward him. I … Isn’t there normally supposed to be a safe word in these things?
Sapphire grinned, “Where would the fun in that be? I’ll tell you what, Sweetness. If you behave, maybe I will give you a safe word.” Flash Sentry shrieked.
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Princess Cadance was lying in her bedchambers with her husband. “It was really nice of you to give that guard pony some time off. I was afraid he was going to start to hurt himself if he didn’t pace himself.”
Shining Armor smile to himself. “Well I try to look out for my subordinates. “ The royal couple’s moment was soon interrupted by the sound of Flurry Heart crying. “I’ll take care of it, Honey. You keep on reading.”
Cadance beamed at her husband. “Thank you, shining. You spoil me sometimes.”
“Like every good husband should,” Shining said as he got out of bed and made his way to the door.
Cadance laughed as she picked up and started reading a nearby magazine. “Oh my! These gossip columns are just getting more and more crazy by the day!” Cadance flipped a page and started reading aloud, “Famed pop sensation, Sapphire Shores, is rumored to be the biggest dominatrix in all of Equestria.”
Shining Armor laughed, “They’re tabloids. It’s all part of the package.” Shining left the room and walked down the hall to where Flurry Heart’s room was. A cold expression soon came over his face. “Perhaps now that waifu stealer will think twice before putting the moves on my sister.”