Brighter Horizons

by Destiny Chaser

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Violence, Sunset Shimmer, Main 6, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Death, Human, Other, Romance, Original Character, Rainbow Dash
Length: 191093

A Human raised in Equestria by Pegasi. Oh, and he has their inherent magic. Have fun!

Adopted from infancy, Equestria is the only world Flash Skies has ever known and loved. A beautiful world filled with adventure, love, and awesome friends, life is good. But when you're the only member of your species in an alien world, eventually you want to find out where you came from and if there are others like you. With the help of his friends, he finds his way back to Earth, but will he like what he finds? He may discover more than he bargained for, and an enemy that's been waiting for him to come home.

"Alright what even is this? Why hasn't this been featured, and why are there so few upvotes? I almost passed it by and I expected to drop it immediately due to low quality. But, nope it’s the best human raised by equestrians I’ve read this far." -A Predatorial Horse

"This was a fantastic read that I just happened to come across randomly.
This is a unique approach that is a breath of fresh air. In a sea of mostly silly stories, you're creating something that seems more real than most. Thank you for your work on this take, and I will be looking forward to seeing this story through!" -Chillean

"GREAT STORY!
It's rare for me to come across a good human in Equestria story that feels organic and not forced.
Too bad it's over. Now I've gotta wait years for the sequel to be done before I can read it." -Mocha Star

"Upside to reading at work: quality entertainment while waiting for the day to end.
Downside to reading at work: when said quality entertainment legitimately makes me cry in empathy." -Striving for Harmony

A non-spoiler review to whet your appetite!:pinkiehappy:

Published 2019-07-09 19:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2022-04-22 05:13:29 UTC

A Rough Start

The setting sun hung low in the horizon over the outskirts of the city, its fading rays adding additional dreariness to a part of the town that was already unpleasant on even the brightest of days. It was familiar scenery to the young woman who now walked hurriedly along the cracked, nearly abandoned sidewalks. An empty can bounced with a hollow clang off of her sneaker as she walked, skipping into the street with a noisy chatter of metallic protests. Businesses would be shutting down soon, not that there was much of anything here to begin with. Pawn shops, dive bars, bail bondsman, and payday loan outfits lined the streets in one depressing, dilapidated heap of bricks after another. The only kind of businesses that could really exist in a place where people no longer cared about life or had lost their purpose. She pulled her worn leather jacket more tightly against the early spring chill that continued to stubbornly cling to the air as she pressed on.

She was alone. But she was used to that; for nearly half of her life, she had always felt alone. Her mother gone. Her stepfather never around, or too drunk to care whenever the police brought her home. She knew that she was being a brat, lashing out to get her step-father’s attention, the kind of attention he had once showered on her with heartfelt care before her mother died. After she was gone, it was as if he had become a different person. No longer the ray of sunshine who used to wake her up for school by singing her favorite songs, brightening the ungodly hour with his warm voice. No longer the embodiment of care and concern. Even his handsome, sharp-cut appearance had quickly faded, like a photograph left out in the blazing sun.

She wanted to hate him, but never could. He was a broken man with a broken heart. No, she hated her mother for dying, for leaving them. She hated God for letting it happen. She hated the world for not caring. But she would show them all. As soon as she was 18, she left home. Unlike her earlier attempts at running away, there was now no one who could make her go back. And she had all the help she needed anyway, or so she had thought. In the six months before her eighteenth birthday, she had met Enrique. About seven years her senior, he was handsome, sophisticated, and wealthy. More importantly, he had listened to her; showering her with attention when no one else would. Promising to take her away from all her miseries, that it would be them against the world, that he loved her. He told her everything she needed to hear and more! She was a fool.

It was all an act. A class-act that he had pulled a thousand different times on a thousand different girls and, as many did before her, she had fallen for it like a house of cards. It wasn’t even a week before she discovered what kind of man Enrique was, or how he made his wealth. And like the rest of his ‘girls’, she was soon forced to work the streets. For the first time in her life, she hated the fact that she was pretty: her blond curls and petite, well-shaped form made her the catch of the day for every wretched customer she had been forced to serve. Oh, she had tried to resist at first, they all had. But like every tyrant who has ever lived knows, when you take everything from someone, they can only depend on you. And Enrique was the twisted master of that philosophy. Something he made sure to ruthlessly reminded her and the others of. Every. Single. Day. For nearly two, hellish years. But no more.

Oh, she had played along. She let him believe that he had broken her like everyone else before him. But inside, she waited. She waited and planned. Planned to make her escape from this hell. Many had tried before her, and many times she was tempted to try with them; all had failed. And the consequences that they had all suffered for their attempt had sickened her to a degree that she thought she had long grown past. But with each failure, she learned. She observed what each of those other girls had done wrong and planned accordingly. And today, all of her planning finally paid off. She had gotten away; she was on the home stretch. Four more blocks and she would be at the bus station. Thirty more minutes until she was on her way, she did not care where. Anywhere but here. So long as it was far away from Enrique, far away from this city, far away from everyone. She had vowed two years prior that she was going to show the world; and no one, not even a sadistic monster like Enrique was going to stop her. She still felt a small twinge of guilt for all of the other girls who were still under his heel. Perhaps once she was safe, she could find a way to help them as well. But for now, she had to take care of herself. A smile of grim determination curved her lips, her blue eyes narrowing at the thrill of success. A small victory that she had waited for so long to have, and it was nearly hers.

She was so lost in her thoughts, that she did not even see the other person rounding the corner until the back of his shoulder crashed into her with jarring force, knocking the bag from her shoulder and sending her towards a painful landing on the pavement. Or it would have, had not a strong hand quickly snatched onto her upper arm, halting her fall. Her purse was not as lucky, it struck the ground, scattering half of its contents across the sidewalk. “Sorry! I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you there!” Said a young male voice. She shook her head once to clear it.

“Ugh! Why don’t you watch where you’re going ya jerk!” She exclaimed, Brooklyn accent thick in her voice as she immediately looked about for her scattered possessions, alarmed to see that they were nowhere in sight.

“Here, here you go. Sorry about that.” Confused, she turned to the source of the voice and saw a young man holding the bag out to her. She couldn’t place his accent, it sounded a bit foreign, but she could not place it. European maybe? He was young, about her height, maybe half an inch taller. His face was remarkably smooth and angular, almost hawk-like yet still bearing strong features. His wind-swept hair was an intense platinum blond, nearly white yet with an unmistakable hint of gold. He was slender but with a strong, athletic build that only regular training could provide. He was wearing a brown bomber jacket with various patches on the shoulders over a black shirt and what appeared to be blue jeans, but the material was not immediately familiar to her.

What was most striking, though, were his eyes. They were of a lighter shade of blue than hers, like the blue in a clear, spring sky but they also possessed small streaks of violet in them that spread out in a star-burst pattern from around his pupils. They were open wide, staring in seeming wonder at her; the fact that his mouth hung half-open only added to the look. She was used to guys staring at her, most of their looks would easily fall into the category of demeaning, lustful, or indifference. But this, this look fell into none of those categories. The kid, as she could tell he was at least a few years younger than her, seemed genuinely awestruck.

“And what are you looking at?” She snapped as she grabbed the offered bag from his hand. She could have sworn she heard her bag spill out on the street, but whatever. The young man blinked once as if slapped.

“Sorry.” He repeated while continuing to stare at her albeit with a bit more reserve in his facial expression.

“Ya act like you’ve never seen a girl before,” she quipped to which he responded with a nervous chuckle while rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. She had to admit, he was very handsome, but that look on his face made him look more like a star-struck idiot. Glancing around the pavement once more to check if she had dropped anything, she turned and continued walking, “See ya dork.”

“Hey, wait up!” he shouted after her as she pressed on towards her destination. She did not stop walking but found that he had quickly fallen into step besides her.

“Scram kid, I don’t have time for you.” What’s this guy’s deal?!

“Look, I’m new in town and I’m trying to find somepony-er…people. Could you please give me some advice, or point me in the right direction towards the nearest library or something?”

“You want my advice? Go find someone who cares because right now I don’t and I have somewhere else to be so screw off.” She tried to saturate her voice with as much dismissive sarcasm as possible, but none of this seemed to deter him.

“Aw c’mon, please? I’ll make it worth your while.” If it were not for the guileless innocence in his voice, she would have backhanded him. She nearly did anyway, but there was something different about him. Instead she stopped abruptly and turned to face him.

“Look, what is your problem, huh?! You ask every person you smash into for help?” She snapped while getting in his face. He nearly stumbled backwards off the sidewalk in response. He blinked but maintained a small, open-mouthed smile.

“No problem,” he replied softly, “I just, well…I…”

Jeez, what a total geek! Has he never even talked to girl before?! Whatever he was going to say next was cut off by the roar of an engine and the sound of tires screeching to a halt behind them. Oh no… A feeling of dread slammed her in the gut with such force that it nearly took her breath away. She recognized that black car; a black Dodge Charger with tinted glass and ridiculously gaudy chrome rims. No...No, no, NO…DAMNIT! The rumbling motor was killed while the driver side and two rear passenger doors opened simultaneously as three men climbed out and stepped up onto the sidewalk. The kid on her left eyed them warily.

“Friends of yours?” He asked while he lowered his hands to hang loosely at his sides.

The man who had gotten out of the far side of the car walked up around the hood to position himself behind them. She knew his name was Oliver, but everyone called him ‘Slab’, a fitting name for such a huge slob. A close-cropped haircut and mustache adorned his pale head and face out of which his small, greedy eyes gleamed. Never much for brains, but his heft made him reliable, easily directable muscle. She didn’t recognize the driver, short with shaggy brown hair and tan skin; the look in his eye said that he meant business though. But it was the final man, the once sidling up to her now that made her blood run cold, Damian. Slightly taller than her with a medium build, wearing loose jeans, and his signature black leather jacket over a red shirt, he had a shaved head but kept a well-trimmed goatee; and that was his last good quality. Try crossing the compassion of a spider with all the tenderness of Freddy Krueger and you would begin to get an idea of what kind of person Damian was. A true sadist, he was Enrique’s right hand man and main enforcer. Worse than his boss, the mere mention of his name could force a girl to do unspeakable things. The knowing, smug grin on his pale face made her skin crawl.

“Ella…” He said with feigned friendliness in his Midwestern accent, “The boss has been looking all over for ya.” He cast a casual glace to her left at her companion. “You wasn’t about to leave town without saying goodbye were you? That would break Enrique’s heart.” Ella’s right hand had subtly slipped into her bag from the first moment she saw the car pulling up. That same hand was now in a white-knuckled, death grip around the handle of a snub-nosed .38 revolver that she had managed to steal before she took off. Her eyes narrowed in a defiant glare, her heart slamming against her ribs as her breathing increased. She would die before she would be taken back by him; death was preferable to what Damian no doubt had in store for her. By now Slab had taken up position and was looming tall over her and her annoying acquaintance.

As her mind raced as to what to do next, the strange young man took a step forward towards Damian with his arm angled out slightly between her and her tormentor. What are you doing you idiot?! Ella screamed in her mind. She had no attachment to the kid, but neither did she want to see his pretty face turned into paste on the sidewalk.

“I do not believe the lady desires your attention, sir.” He said coolly, his face had lost its cheerful appearance, “After all, she has somewhere else to be.” Damian’s dark eyes widened slightly in what Ella knew was perverse delight as the twisted grin that split his face grew.

“Oh, my apologies kid. I didn’t realize you’d made a call on her. I can get you a refund if you like. In fact,” he reached into his jacket and pulled out a business card that he flicked at his face which was subsequently caught between the fingers of the younger man’s other hand with somewhat, astonishing speed. With a quick scan, the kid deposited it in one, fluid motion inside his jacket. Damian nodded, looking fairly impressed. “Call me up,” he continued, “I’ll hook you up with a much better piece than her. This one needs some,” he paused as he considered Ella for a second, “Tuning up.” She grimaced as she resisted the urge to be sick at the smugness in his voice. “I’m sorry kid, I didn’t get your-”

“Flash.” He said with no small amount of venom. He stared daggers at Damian. For what felt like a minute, he simply stared; a palpable rage seemed to radiate from his entire being, adding to the already growing tension that was steadily filling the air.

Ella found herself locked onto his unusual eyes, a light seemed to shine momentarily from them. She blinked and it was gone. It was like looking into the eyes of a wild animal, a predator. He seemed nothing like the sweet, dumb kid from just a few moments ago.

“Just, walk away,” he finally said in a calm, level voice. “Just walk away, and I won’t give you what you deserve to get.” Damian choked back a scoff and shook his head in mirthful disbelief, Slab stepped up closer behind Flash, bumping into him with his girth.

“Oh man,” Damian laughed, “My day is getting full of all KINDS of fun!” Ella’s eyes shifted back and forth, contemplating her next move. She could use this opportunity to make a break for it and leave hero-boy to his admirable, yet idiotically-chosen fate; this distraction might be her only chance to do so. Yet at the same time though, she had to admit that she was truly touched by his actions, even if he was about to get himself killed for it. She could not remember the last time someone had genuinely stood up for her. He had her at a loss.

“Say, that’s a nice jacket you got there Flash, I especially like that patch,” Damian said gesturing to the lower of the two patches on Flash’s right shoulder. It was one of a curved, rainbow-colored lightning bolt emerging from a white cloud. “You don’t mind if I have a look…” A shadow seemed to pass over Flash’s face as Damian moved to make a rough grab for it. Ella made her choice.

“Damian, just leave the kid alo-” she was abruptly cut off as Damian’s hand suddenly changed directions in a backhanded fist towards her face. A loud ‘slap’ cut through the air.

Ella barely breathed, staring in disbelief at the fist trembling a mere inch from her nose; Flash’s hand was clamped like iron about its wrist. The next few seconds were a blur of shouts, cursing, and movements so fast that they had to be seen to be believed.

Flash’s head jabbed forward, smashing Damian’s nose in with a bone-crunching headbutt. The movement was quick, almost bird-like. It reminded Ella of a heron spearing a fish with its beak. Damian let off a choked screamed as he crumpled to the ground clutching at his bloodied face.

In the next instant, Flash had already driven his left elbow back with a resounding ‘whump’ into Slab’s gut with the force of pile-driver, driving the air from his lungs. Continuing with his leftward momentum, Flash spun around and leaped off the ground with explosive force, brutally connecting his right knee to the underside of Slab’s chin just as he was doubling over from the crippling blow to his midsection; both blows landing in just over a second. Flash hand shot out as he landed lightly back on the sidewalk, grabbing onto the now unconscious man’s massive shirt, slowing his backward fall so that his skull would not crack open on the pavement.

The driver swore as he stepped forward, beginning to draw a pistol from the inside his jacket. Ella reacted on instinct and immediately kicked as hard as she could between the man’s legs, she could practically hear a bell ring as she struck home. The the man fell forward holding himself in a breathless gasp of agony.

Flash gave her a look of surprised amusement mixed with gratitude. He ended the man’s misery with a quick shove of his head into the side of the car, sending him off to dreamland. Ella noticed that for all his exertion, the mysterious kid wasn’t even breathing hard.

“Thanks for the save,” he said with a smile, “But I would have had-”

“LOOK OUT!” she screamed as with a sudden growl Damian had sprung up off the ground, lunging towards Flash with a knife aimed directly at this abdomen.

With almost casual ease and impossible speed, Flash once more caught the man’s wrist, halting the tip of the blade just a few inches from his gut. Damian responded by throwing his right fist at the side of his head, but Flash blocked it with his left forearm in one smooth movement, before wrapping and trapping his opponent’s arm with his own. Damian screamed as his wrist was squeezed with enough force to fracture it, causing him to drop the knife; Ella winced as she heard the audible ‘crunch’ of his bones breaking. But as much as Damian struggled, he could not break free from his opponent's grip who strangely, did not seem to be exerting much effort.

“I told you,” Flash sighed, “You should have just walked away.” With that, he headbutted Damian in the face once more, his screaming abruptly cut off as he crumbled to the sidewalk in an unconscious heap. Flash took one last look at the man to make sure he was truly out before wiping some blood off of his forehead with the back of his hand,

“Eh…great job Flash. Mom’s gonna kill me,” he muttered under his breath. Ella gaped at him in disbelief, not knowing what to say, not knowing what to think. As he looked at her, his serious expression melted once more into that nervous smile, “So, Ella. That’s a beautiful name.”

“WHAT THE HELL?!”

Author's Note

So this is my first stab at writing a story here. I'd like to thank my friend RushyFiction for his encouragement to try it. I hope you all enjoy, God Bless!

Plots and Plans

Present Day

Flash glanced back down for a moment at the three unconscious figures laying around him. There you go, losing your temper…AGAIN Flash…Ugh, how am I going to explain this one to the girls. ‘So Flash, how did your first trip to your home world go?’ Oh, it went great Twilight! Within the first five minutes I was there, I beat three members of my own species into unconscious pulps! ‘Wow, really?!’ Yeah Sunset! I think I even gave one of them a concussion! ‘Wow, you’re totally the coolest Flash!’ Thanks Dashy!

Another thought occurred to him, that these other humans were not nearly as strong or as fast as him. I guess this confirms Sunset’s theory that my species doesn’t have any magic, ponies are much stronger than us physically, and I’m not even an earth pony. I’ll have too keep that in mind…

“YO! EARTH TO FREAK!” A familiar voice bellowed, snapping him out of his thoughts. “You gonna tell me what the hell that was all about?!” Flash looked back to Ella with an apologetic expression.

“Yeah, sorry you had to see that.” Smooth Flash, you’re a real hit with the ladies. Ella looked from him, to the bodies, and then back to her surroundings. There still didn’t seem to be anyone else on the street at this time, but she knew that would soon change. That, and she thought she saw someone staring from a shop window across the street. She quickly jumped into action, releasing the grip she had kept on the gun inside her purse, she quickly bent down and began to rifle through the men’s pockets, beginning with Slab.

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing?!” Flash exclaimed as she extracted a wallet, removing the cash before tossing it aside.

“Call it back-pay,” She quickly shot back without looking as she then proceeded to go through the driver’s effects. She found a money clip with a decent amount of cash, perhaps $400, the keys to the Charger, as well as a fancy, pearl-handled switch blade of fine make which she also quickly pocketed. She considered for a moment taking the driver’s gun, a Glock 19, from its shoulder-holster but decided against it. Fewer guns meant fewer things to hide if she should run into the cops. Ella hesitated a moment before touching Damian’s unconscious, bloody form. Even in this state, she still felt a bit afraid of him, and just the idea of touching him forced her to bite back some nausea. In the end, it was worth it. “Jack-pot…” she whispered as she discovered a wad of cash in his jacket; looked to be at least $3k.

She finally looked back up at Flash who seemed to be scanning their surroundings, keeping a watchful eye on things. So, he is smarter than he looks. She considered him, no. Maybe. A daring idea began to form in her head. It was crazy, but so was everything else that had happened in the last few minutes. She would have to think about it, she had to know more about this kid; but either way, she was getting the hell out of here. Ella walked around to the other side of the car and yanked open the driver’s door. She threw a steely look at Flash, “Get in.”

“What?” Ella rolled her eyes.

“Look kid, do ya want my help or not?” He blinked in surprise before putting on a determined expression, giving her a firm nod; again, so bird-like. “Then get the hell in the car.” Flash stepped over Damian’s unconscious form before giving the door a mystified look.

How the heck does this thing work?! Think…He gave the door handle a tentative pull and the door responded by swinging open. Ha! Nailed it. He slipped into the car’s dark interior, doing his best not to blink like an owl at the sight of so much alien-looking technology. As he pulled the door shut, he noticed Ella quickly reach over her shoulder and pull some kind of belt out from the wall of the machine, smoothly pulling it over herself before latching it in place with an audible ‘click.’ He looked over his own shoulder and saw the same type of belt. Alright, just do what she did. Flash grabbed onto the belt and began to pull it towards him, which started to come out smoothly enough before suddenly stopping. Frowning, he yanked on it; once, twice, the third time he pulled so hard that the car rocked violently for a second and yet, the belt refused to come any further.

“Oh for Pete’s sake…” Ella grumbled. “Sit back ya meat head.” He obeyed and had to bite his tongue in shock as she suddenly leaned over across him. She grabbed the belt, feeding it back before smoothly pulling it out, latching it into place. In the space of those few seconds, her shoulder had lightly brushed against his chest, and her curly blond hair had been in his face; it smelled like a flowery type of shampoo.

“Thanks.” He squeaked, clearing his throat as she sat back down in her seat again. She couldn’t help but smirk a little as she noticed his ears burning bright red and his face slightly flushed.

“There, mommy’s got you all buckled up.” She said in a mocking, baby-talk tone. He responded by turning an even deeper shade of red. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you King Dork the 1st: Kicker of Asses, Lord of Adorable Virgins. Feel free to bow.

Ella fired up the engine, putting the car in gear as it surged forward enthusiastically with a roar from the exhaust and a bark of its tires. She swung a right at the next corner before heading back north towards the main body of the city. They drove the next few minutes in silence. Ella glanced over at Flash and noticed his eyes darting all over as he took in his surroundings. “So, Flash. Where you from?”

“Uh, I’m from out of town.” He said while avoiding her gaze.

“I can see that, anywhere in particular?”

“Not a place you’d be familiar with, just a small, simple town out in the country.”

That explains a lot. “So, you want to tell me just what the hell all that was back there?” He finally looked over at her, his embarrassment seemed to have finally passed.

“You needed help, so I helped.” Ella rolled her eyes.

“That’s not what I meant,” she said in an exasperated tone. “I meant, how did you do that? How are you so strong, and fast? I’ve never seen anybody move like that.” He glanced away out the passenger window.

“Am I really that strong? Or were those guys just weak?”

“Oh, get real.” She snapped. “I’ve seen Slab, that big guy you knocked down, once shrug off hits from a baseball bat, and you took him down with just two hits!”

“Technique.”

“What, you some kind of special forces soldier or somethin’?”

“Something like that.” Ella smirked.

“Oh, super-secret and all that.” She looked left as she switched lanes. “You seem a little young to be a soldier.”

“I signed up early,” he said matter-of-factly. “My mom’s permission and all that.” Ella nodded.

“Uh huh, sure kid.” She kept silent for a few more beats before speaking again. “Well, whateva’ you are…thanks. It’s been a long time since I eva’ had someone help me.” He beamed a little at the thanks.

“You’re welcome. It’s what any decent pon-person would do.” She scoffed at that.

“I don’t know too many decent people. You musta come from a pretty good life, Flash.” He nodded thoughtfully as he stared straight ahead.

“Yeah, I’ve had a pretty good life.” Another minute rolled by before Ella broke the silence.

“So, you lookin’ for someone?”

"Yeah, my family.” She gave him a quizzical look. Flash looked over at her and smiled.

“I was adopted. I never knew my birth-parents, so I came here to look for them.” Ella nodded.

“Huh, ya musta’ had a pretty good stepmom or whateva’” Flash smiled again with a nostalgic expression.

“The best. I’d die for her.” A comfortable silence took over after that. Flash could see the bright lights of the main body of a city standing out against the evening twilight in the distance ahead. Ella was lost in thought; all of her immediate plans had been turned upside-down. She needed to know more about who Flash was, and how she might be able to use him to her advantage. She didn’t buy his ‘technique’ yarn of his for a second. What she had seen beggared belief, no one was that fast or strong, and he had crushed Damian’s wrist like it was a pretzel. The kid was definitely not letting on all that he knew or was, she just had to get it out of him.

Well, as ma’ always said, ‘The quickest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.’ “So Flash, ya wanna grab somethin’ to eat?” He grinned.

“I could eat.”

“I thought you said you could eat!” Ella exclaimed, “Not swallow half-a-freaking planet!” They had pulled over to a classic, all-night diner. Its dated, white exterior appeared faded with age but the inside was clean enough, and the food smelled amazing. They had both slid into one of the booths at the far-end of the diner. She made note of how Flash had particularly chosen it and sat so that he was facing the entrance of the building. Just another indication that he wasn’t some naïve kid. That, and he hadn’t removed his jacket despite it being relatively warm inside the diner, making her wonder if he was concealing something. Ella was staggered by how much food he had ordered for himself, and was once more blown away now that she could actually see it all; it had taken the waitress two trips.

“What? I’m hungry.” He said with a shrug of his shoulders as he began to drown a platter of steaming pancakes in maple syrup. “Plus, I got a fast metabolism.” He had ordered a lot of everything, but she thought the family-sized portion of fried-fish, which needed its own platter, was a curious combination to have with breakfast food. Ella shook her head.

“Ugh, I hate people like you who can eat everything and still lose weight, just not fair.” She grumbled.

“Life never is.” He said before cramming some pancakes in his mouth.

“That’s enough to choke a horse.” Ella quipped which almost did cause Flash to choke. He coughed as he finally managed to swallow.

“You sound just like my mom.” He said as he wiped a tear from the corner of his eye.

“Yeah, well, don’t go gettin’ any ideas. This is strictly a business transaction kid; I owe ya’ one so I’ll help point you in a useful direction, after that its sayonara. ‘Sides, I got unfinished business with my old employers…” C’mon, take the bait. If you’re the ‘Captain Sense-of-Justice’ I think you are…Flash paused chewing with a thoughtful look before nodding and continuing with his meal. Ella knew that she could have probably asked for his help, but she didn’t want to for a number of reasons. For one, she didn’t want to owe another favor, and for another, she wanted to try her hand at manipulating him into doing what she wanted, into wanting what she wanted.

Sure, she felt a little bad doing it to such a sweet guy, but she was a sweet girl once and the world hadn’t cared about that. It’s dog eat dog, you can only look out for yourself; nice guys like him finish last. And it was only a test anyways. If he didn’t go for it, she knew she could swallow her pride and straight up ask him for his help as a last resort. She didn’t like that idea, but her desire for revenge on Enrique outweighed the sting it might cost her pride. And as a nice side bonus, they might even end up being able to help the other girls. But revenge came first. Ella never thought that she would have the chance for revenge when she had first planned on running. As much as she had wanted it, escape came first. That was then. But now, after seeing what Flash was capable of, she smelled an opportunity and she was going to take it.

The minutes ticked by as they ate in silence, she noticed how every now and then, he flicked a glance towards the entrance with those unusual eyes of his. Always staying aware. She curiously noted.

He wasn’t a slob, but he certainly ate fast. She having only a burger, of course, finished first but not by much. She still couldn't comprehend how he could put away that much food. Ugh, he’s like a living garbage disposal.

After finishing his last bite and stacking the last plate on top of the small tower he had built, he wiped his mouth with a napkin and downed his coffee. A passing waitress immediately refilled it for him, he gave her a warm smile in thanks.

“So,” Ella began, “How do you want to begin looking for your family?” He looked up at her from his coffee mug before slowly putting it down on the table in front of him.

“Yeah, about that.” Flash reached inside his jacket and took out the business card, the one Damian had thrown at him earlier. It had a number and the silhouette of a naked woman on the front of it. He pushed it across the table towards her. “What can you tell me about this?”

Oh baby, don’t you ever change. Time for an act…Ella picked up the card and gave it a hard look, broadcasting an expression to make it look as if she were reluctant to talk about it. “Those three guys you took down work for my former pim-, procurer, Enrique. He owns a night-club north of here, but that’s just a front for his real business. Flash nodded.

“Go on.” Ella paused a beat for dramatic effect.

“He has other girls, lots of them. They work the back rooms for ‘special guests.’ Not exactly voluntary if you catch my drift. It’s horrible, and we can’t call the police. For one, we’re too scared of the consequences. And for another, Enrique is careful, like, really careful. He keeps himself super clean on the surface so the cops don’t suspect him.”

“What else has he got going on?”

Perceptive, aren’t you? Ella nodded, “I know that the bulk of his money comes through drugs. The club is loaded with them; it serves as a hub for the other distributors. If someone could find where he stores them inside, expose them and call the police, it would put him away for good. But there’s no one that’s gonna do that…”

“You can drop the act.” Ella looked up at him in shock.

“I, don’t know what you mean…” When did he…Flash sighed, shaking his head before looking at her seriously, though not unkindly.

“You shouldn’t try to deceive someone, it’s not very nice.” Especially when a Changeling teaches counter-espionage at the academy. “Besides, I was planning on helping those other girls anyway; all you needed to do was ask.” Ella gaped at him, her mind racing with a million questions. She looked down at her hands, a long pause grew between them.

“When did you know?” She finally asked quietly.

“From the moment you told me to get in the car. You could have simply pointed me in a direction and then left; but you asked me to come with you. You wouldn’t have done that if you didn’t want something from me. I just needed to figure out what that was; and now, you’ve told me.” Ella slowly spun the card on the table with her finger, not meeting his gaze.

“Wow. I guess you ain’t just a dumb kid after all, huh?”

“Well, I wouldn’t go that far.” He grinned. She chuckled a little before looking up at him apologetically,

“Sorry about that.” He gave a slow nod.

“Don’t sweat it, I wanted to help.” Flash looked outside and saw that it was now dark out. “And one other thing.”

“Yeah?”

“No revenge.” He let that hang in the air while she stared hard at him. After a pause, she finally released the breath she had been holding.

“Guess I couldn’t hide that one from ya, huh?” Flash gave her a compassionate look.

“I’ll help save the other girls, I’ll bring Enrique to justice, he may even get slapped around a bit in the process, but no killing. You want my help? That’s the deal.” He said with a tone of finality. “That, or I do this on my own and you won’t even get the satisfaction of seeing justice served.” He held up the card, “True, it would be harder without your help, but that won’t stop me." Ella looked down at her hands in shock and then back up at Flash who had a sly grin on his face.

When the hell did he get that back?! Ella took in a breath before letting it out slowly. “Fine, deal.” She said begrudgingly. Flash smiled in response before standing up.

“So, let’s go get this done.” He said while rolling his shoulders to loosen up. Ella blinked.

“What, now?!”

“No time like the present.” He replied. “Besides. The way I see it, Enrique is already down three guys. He probably sent out more to go look for you, as well as me, now, by extension since at least one of them has no doubt woken up and reported what happened to them. He’s no doubt upset, unsure of the situation, and now, low on manpower at the club. Plus, that’s the last place they’re going to expect us to show up. Either way, perfect opportunity.” Ella took a moment to absorb his logic and found that she could not argue with it. It was so crazy that it might actually work.

“Wow, you’re a regular Napoleon Bonaparte aren’t ya?” Flash blinked.

“Who?”

“Ugh, I spoke to soon. Guess you didn’t pay attention in history.”

“Uh, yeah, heh. Guess not.” Ella paid the bill with some of the cash she had taken from Damian, grumbling once more about how much Flash had eaten. She left a generous tip for the waitress. As they both got back into the car, Ella paused a beat before hitting the ignition.

“Just one thing Flash, why do you want to help?” He considered her with a serious expression for a moment before staring ahead.

“Because, I want to. And you could say its my special talent.” He said as he absentmindedly rubbed a hand over the patch on his left shoulder: a dark grey kite-shield with a yellow lightning bolt across the front. She noticed that patch was on both shoulders of his jacket now that she thought about it. “Besides, I hate bullies.”

“Well, Enrique is a model one.” She said as the engine rumbled to life. “If we make it through this though, you’re going to tell me what you really are.” He smirked.

“We’ll see.” She paused a beat before putting the car into gear and pulling out back on the road, anxious for this confrontation.

We will indeed.

Author's Note

Next chapter, we'll be back in Equestria!

Painful Lessons

“Flash! Hurry up!” Bright Skies shouted from the kitchen of her home in Cloudsdale, “Sunset will be here any minute! You know how she doesn’t like to be kept waiting!” Honestly, for someone who moves everywhere so fast, you’d think he wouldn’t be late all the time! She sighed as she looked up from the brown-paper lunch bag she had just finished preparing for her son’s lunch. It had seemed only yesterday when she brought him home to Cloudsdale. That had been nearly six years ago, and the time since that incredible day had flown by faster than a speeding pegasus. I guess it’s true what they say, they really do grow up too fast. Being a new mother to an alien creature came with a steep learning curve in those early weeks. It quickly became apparent to her that clothing would need to be a thing. Even though Flash had her magic, he had no fur to protect his sensitive skin from the intense sunlight high up in the cloud-city or to guard his dignity. She had managed to find a good tailor who was able to easily adapt clothing to her son’s unique physiology.

Bright Skies’ next surprise came as more of the child’s teeth grew in which quickly made it apparent that his species was omnivorous. She, like many pegasi, enjoyed the occasional fish; but for Flash, it was easily his favorite meal and he was always begging for more. Finding a good griffon butcher was an awkward affair for a pony, but she wanted to ensure that her son had the proper variety in his diet. The other ponies of Cloudsdale and the surrounding area had welcomed Flash with open hooves with very few exceptions. Even though he was now a common sight, many never seemed to tire of his unique appearance and would openly stare to which he would simply respond by waving and smiling. He had a big heart, and would even run up to hug complete strangers randomly and, though causing more than a few awkward moments, it actually helped to make other Equestrians less nervous and more welcoming of his presence. She had also noticed that his emotions were a bit more intense than your average pony. He seemed to have a bit of a temper at times which had also gotten him into more than a few scuffles with a few of the local colts who teased him at times as children are wont to do.

Fortunately, Flash was just as quick to apologize and forgive as he was to could blow his little stack. Bright Skies had chided him more than a few times for it which always caused him to be extremely remorseful. His love for her was so great that she swore she could see it shimmering off of him at times; never once had he ever talked back to or disrespected her. Oh, there were a few temper tantrums to be sure when he was still a foal. But as he had grown, so had his absolute love and devotion to her. Even though he was now around seven years of age, he still loved to cuddle with her; of course, he had begged her not to tell any of his friends that, especially Rainbow Dash. Speaking of whom, that little filly has been having WAY too much influence on him lately-

“HI MOM!!!” Bright Skies was pretty sure she had just abruptly awoken every bat and thestral in Equestria as she felt somepony pounce on her back and wrap its little arms around her neck.

“OH FOR CELESTIA’S SAKE!” She managed to scream after she could finally breath again. “Honey! You’re going to give your old mom a heart attack!” The little guy was laughing too hysterically to care.

“You…you should have heard yourself scream!!!” He cackled. “You should save that one for the next Nightmare Night! Ponies would love it!” Flash said as he continued to boil over with mirth. He was wearing a loose-fitting, sky-blue t-shirt and white shorts; he was barefooted as well. He had shoes, but usually only wore them when he had to. His small heels tickled her sides as they brushed against her barrel.

“Honestly Flash,” she said as she looked back at him, her face flushed, “Who in Equestria ever taught you such a nasty trick!?” He grinned at her as he finally stopped laughing.

“Oh, it was Rainbow Dash! She’s so cool mom! She has been showing me how to pull the greatest pranks and to be so quiet and sneaky about it that ponies never even see them coming!” Bright Skies gave her son a bemused look as she blew a violet curl out of her face.

“Oh. Rainbow Dash? What a big surprise…I’m beginning to think you’re spending way too much time with that wild filly.” Flash rolled his eyes.

“Aw mOm…she’s my best friend! And she’s just showing me how to be cool! I mean, did you SEE how she got her cutie mark last month?!”

How many times has he brought this up now? A billion? Yup. Billion sounds about right. “Yes dear, me and everypony in Equestria saw how she did it...” She said with exasperation.

“I know! Right?!” Flash said as he balled his little hands up in excitement. “She’s been telling me, I mean, we’ve been talking about, what if I can get a cutie mark too?!”

“That would indeed be interesting,” came a familiar voice from the open front door. Bright Skies ears swiveled towards the front of the house as she turned to see Sunset Shimmer who stood leaning against the fluffy-white door frame of the cloud house; her use of the cloud-walk spell as impressive as ever. “Sorry, I hope I wasn’t interrupting a tender moment, was I?”

“Sunset!” Flash shouted as he bolted from his mother’s back so fast that Bright Skies’ curly mane and tail were almost pulled straight. He zoomed across the floor with such speed that it nearly carved a trough in his wake as he practically crash-tackled the orange pony with a hug. “I’ve missed you so much!” He exclaimed as the unicorn gave him an awkward smile along with a tentative pat on the back. Another quality Bright Skies had noted was just how much the magic he had inherited from her was changing him. His hair had lost all of its dark color and was now a silvery sheen so fine that it practically reflected the ambient light. And though he could not fly, his sprinting could virtually match the speed of a pegasus in flight for short bursts.

“Hey kid,” she said, finally giving the top of his head a more genuine rub. Sunset looked up at Bright Skies who was smiling as she took the whole scene in. They each gave each other a nod, having both become much more friendly towards the other over the years; though neither of them would go so far as to call the other a friend. “Don’t worry, we shouldn’t be gone long today.”

“That’s fine,” Bright Skies replied as the pair began to walk out the door. “Oh Flash! Don’t forget your-” Flash zoomed back to her, snatching his bag from her hoof and giving her a hug and three quick kisses on the cheek before darting away again while yelling,

“Thanksmomloveyousomuchbye!” The door being sucked shut behind him with a loud bang as he ran.

“-lunch.” Bright Skies blinked once in shock before smiling as she shook her head. She wiped a small tear from one of her eyes as she turned away from the closed door.

Sunset Shimmer sighed as she trudged along the fluffy streets of Cloudsdale, her ears drooping as she kept her head down. Flash, energetic as always, was skipping around her in excitement while rattling off all of the new things he had seen and done during the month since she had last visited him. It was a bright, beautiful day with a perfect temperature and a pleasant breeze. Clouds spotted the blue sky around them in lazy, fluffy clumps as pegasi flitted happily between them. The rolling, green countryside of the rest of Equestria could clearly be seen in the distance as they headed towards the edge of town. Sunset hardly took any notice of all this perfection, she barely took note of her student as he chattered away like a squirrel that had just eaten an entire bowl of coffee beans, responding with a disconnected ‘uh-huh, sure’ every other moment. I guess it’s best to just get this over with…

Flash slowed his pace a little as he neared the edge of the cloudbank, a five-hundred-foot drop awaited. He looked back at Sunset as he waited for her to catch up. She seemed a little off today. Normally, she always had a quill and scroll with her, scribbling down different things as she rattled off questions about her last lesson or asked him various questions about his development while taking measurements of his growth. Ever since he could remember, Sunset Shimmer had been a regular presence in his life. His mother had told him countless times how he had come into Equestria, that he was special and unique; and that Sunset Shimmer was there not only to observe and learn about him, but also to tutor him.

From her, he had learned to read, write, and do basic arithmetic in addition to many finer subjects such as science, philosophy, and the glorious History of Equestria, his adopted home world. She even took the time to teach him the basics of magic and thaumatic theory; how to recognize the various spells a unicorn could perform and how to protect himself from them. Sunset was a very difficult teacher; strict, demanding, and a bit grumpy at times, but also very supportive. She always told him that she pushed him as hard as she did because hard work was the only path to greatness and that there was no easy way to achieving success. If you wanted the most out of yourself, out of life, you had to go and take it! No pain, no gain.

Flash had done his utmost to please her, absorbing everything she had thrown at him: reading every book she had assigned, performing every challenge given, memorizing every lesson down to the last detail. He knew it was a privilege to have the attention of the personal protégé of Princess Celestia herself, whom he also loved and respected dearly. To say that he admired his teacher was like saying Celesita's Sun was a little flame. To him, Sunset was the smartest, most skilled, and powerful unicorn in all of Equestria. A real-life superheroine, just like in the comics he read. She was fierce, beautiful, glorious. Like a blazing, orange star fallen from the heavens in the form of a pony. In his little mind, there seemed nothing she couldn’t do. But there was something off about her today. She seems a little sad, he thought to himself. Flash had seen her in many different moods before: angry, happy, excited, frustrated, but sad never seemed to be one of them. She was always so confident and self-assured. I know, I’ll cheer her up! He thought as he reached the edge of the city and turned around. “Hey Sunset!” She snapped back to attention, focusing on him with teal eyes. “Watch this!” He said as he clenched his lunch-bag in between his teeth before raising his arms over his head and falling backwards over the edge of the clouds.

“Flash!” Sunset shrieked as she sprinted to the place where he had fallen. Her eyes darted frantically in search before she spotted him about fifty-feet below standing on a lone cloud, waving up at her. “Oh you little runt…” She grumbled to herself, her heart pounding in her chest. She then watched as her student proceeded to acrobatically jump and flip down a series of strategically placed clouds as he headed down towards the ground far below. Sunset rolled her eyes before charging her horn as she disappeared in a burst of crimson magic. She reappeared a second later down on the ground, waiting for Flash to finish his decent. The final cloud was about thirty feet above the ground, but he jumped without hesitating, crouching into a low stance as he hit the ground with a heavy thump.

“Taa-daa!” He mumbled past his lunch sack as he stood up strait with his hands in the air to strike a victorious pose.

“You little show-off,” Sunset smirked as she shook her head. “Don’t you dare scare me like that again.” Flash grinned as he removed the lunch-bag from his mouth.

“But wasn’t it cool?” He asked, “Rainbow Dash helped me to set that up! Now I can get up and down from Cloudsdale all by myself without mom or anypony else needing to fly me!” Sunset blinked as she looked back up to the last cloud.

“You’re saying you can jump that high now?!”

“Uh huh! Though it helps if I get a running start.”

Fascinating. Sunset pondered the implications of this new information as her eyes followed back up the two-dozen or so clouds that were arranged like platforms all the way back to the edge of the cloud city. Even though he doesn’t have wings, he’s still managing to channel his flight magic through his body. His physical strength is also growing. Oh, if only I had the time…No! I’m not staying, I won't!

“Here, watch I’ll show you!” Flash said as he started to crouch low when he suddenly found himself enveloped in Sunset’s magic as she lifted his small form off of the ground before unceremoniously depositing him on her back. “Uh, Sunset?” He asked as he hesitantly placed his small hands on her soft neck. He was a little surprised, Sunset had almost never carried him on her back unless he was hurt or had fallen asleep. Even then, it was usually with her magic. Unlike most ponies, he knew that she was not much into hugging or other forms of affectionate physical contact. Her coat was incredibly smooth and silky against his bare calves.

“Zip it squirt,” she said with a hint of sharpness as she started to walk along the grassy field towards one of the main roads. “We need to talk.”

Neither of them spoke as they moved along, the only sound being Sunset Shimmer’s hoofsteps along the hard-dirt road. Flash could feel a building tension, both in the air and within the muscles of her back. As much as he was enjoying this rare moment of special treatment from his tutor, he was beginning to feel more than a little nervous. Sunset finally halted when they arrived at a small creek. Rather than cross the small, stone bridge that arched over it, she diverted off the road to the edge of the creek; the clear, burbling water creating a soothing, melody of nature. After standing in place a for a moment, she slowly sat on her haunches, signaling Flash to slide off her back, which he did. He moved along to her left side, careful not to step on her tail, before sitting cross-legged next to her. He glanced over and saw her staring straight ahead, her eyes were focused in a determined gaze, her ears canted forward slightly. After another moment of silence, she finally spoke.

“Flash,” Sunset said as she turned her head to look at him, “What do you want to do with your life? What are your ambitions?” He blinked as he considered her questions.

“Well, I think someday, that I would like to join the Equestrian Royal Guard.”

“Why?” Flash swallowed, feeling unsure under her inquisitive gaze.

“Well,” He paused for a moment, “I love Equestria.” Sunset’s expression did not change as her eyes bore into him, so he continued. “I may not be a pony, but I love you all. The job of the Royal Guard is to serve and protect the Princess and all of Equestria. They are all so brave and strong, and, I, I want to be like them. I want to serve and protect my home. You all welcomed me into your world, even though I’m not a pony, and I want to show my thanks by helping all of Equestria! That is what I want! Plus,” he blushed slightly, “If I become a guard, I will be able to work in Canterlot and spend more time with you and Princess Celestia!” Flash beamed his brightest smile at his teacher, wanting to convey to her all of the love, gratitude, and admiration he felt for her, to let her know how much he both cared about and looked up to her and the Princess.

“Serve?!” Sunset scoffed. Flash’s smiled faded as he felt a sense of dread; he must have said the wrong thing and upset her. She angrily shook her head, “But what does that leave for you?!” He gaped slightly, not sure of what she meant.

“I…I don’t understand…”

“Oh…USE YOUR HEAD YOU IDIOT!!!” She angrily snapped as she rose to her hooves, glaring as she towered over him. Flash shrank back as he scrambled to his feet, his face twisted in shock and confusion. Sunset lowered her head until she was looking right into his eyes, her ears pointed sharply forward in irritation. “Look at you,” she snarled. “You’re one of the smartest kids I’ve ever known. And yet for all your wits, you don’t have an ounce of sense!”

“S-sunset…” he whispered, but she cut him off.

“There’s no fulfillment in wasting your talents on other ponies! No matter who they are, they will always disappoint you!” She took another step forward until she was right in his face. “You owe it, both to yourself and to me to show others what you’re made of, that you deserve to be admired and respected!” She emphasized that last statement with a hard jab of her hoof into his chest which caused him to flinch and stagger backwards. “I didn’t waste my time teaching you simply for you to become another mindless stooge in a shiny tin suit.” Sunset pulled her head back, glowering down at him. “You need to be more, to want more!” Flash’s eyes were now beginning to brim with tears, he did not understand what was happening, what he did wrong. His feelings were a chaotic storm of shock, confusion, pain, and piercing sadness.

“But…but I…” Flash rubbed his hand over his chest which hurt where she had poked him. Tears were now running freely down his cheeks, but he did not sob. No, he would not cry like a baby in front of her; he would not be weak. She had always told him that he must never be weak. Sunset growled as she turned and stomped away a few steps, a few red sparks leaping from her horn. Flash took the chance to quickly wipe the tears off his face with the back of his hand and then continued to stare at the back of her head through tear-soaked eyes, watching, waiting. Waiting to hear what he must do, what he should have said, she was always right. After what felt like an eternity, she finally turned back to face him, her face still angry. But what was different now, he was shocked to see, was that she too, now had tears now running down her face; she was breathing hard, her ears flat against her head. He had never seen Sunset cry before, not ever. She blinked as she tried to shake the tears away, bowing her head in shame. After a moment, she looked up at him, her eyes full of remorse though her features were still tense. It appeared as though she was attempting to unbend something very hard within her,

“I’m sorry…” she finally said in barely a whisper. Sunset forced herself to meet his gaze, she sighed as her expression softened. “C’mere kid…” Without a word, he ran and flung himself into her embrace. She held him tight against her chest as she sat back down, resting her cheek on top of his head and softly stroking his back as she whispered ‘I’m sorry’ to him over and over again. Flash allowed himself to soak up the soothing affection, though his confusion and sadness still remained. What was going on? What was wrong with Sunset? He could hear and feel her strong heartbeat through her warm fur. “Flash,” she said softly as she released him from the hug but continued to rest a gentle hoof on his shoulder. She was smiling, but her face still looked sad. “You can be a Royal Guard if that is what you truly want, and I’m certain that you’d be a great one. Celestia knows we need them,” she said with a slight roll of her eyes.

“Sunset,” Flash said, his voice cracking slightly, “What’s wrong? Why are you sad?” She choked out an incredulous scoff.

“Why are you always thinking of others first…” Sunset muttered to herself as she shook her head. I vent my personal frustrations all over you like some heartless witch and yet you STILL can only think about how I feel?! She sighed, “It’s nothing you need to know or could understand at this time, kid.” She rose to her hooves and turned, motioning with her head for him to follow and he immediately fell into step beside her. After moving a short distance together along the bank, Sunset halted, a look of finality fixed in her features. She turned so that she was facing her student once more. “There’s no easy way to say this Flash, so I’m just going to say it. I came here today to say 'goodbye'.” His jaw dropped in response as his eyes went wide with shock.

“Goodbye? What do you mean?!” The muscles in Sunset’s jaw tightened, she swallowed once.

“It means just that kid, I’m done. I’m done with Princess Celestia, with Equestria. I’m leaving…and, I probably won’t be coming back anytime soon.” Flash’s hands balled into tight fists, his face grimaced in a mixture of sadness and defiance as his chest began to heave.

“But…why?! YOU CAN’T!” He yelled, emphasizing with a stomp of his bare foot, denting the earth. Sunset didn’t reply, but fresh tears started to form in the corners of her eyes as the small human ranted at her. “You can’t just leave us, friends don’t do that! Where will you go? Who’s going to teach me? What about Princess Celestia, and every other pony who will miss you?!” He continued to ramble, to beg, plead, and reason as if something, anything he could finally say would change her mind. He did not even realize that he was now grasping onto the fur on Sunset’s chest as she looked down at him with a helpless expression. She finally cut him off by wrapping a forelimb around him, holding him tightly against her. Flash attempted to push away, but she held him firm. His eyes were squeezed shut as the fingers on one hand clenched tightly onto a tuft of her fur. “Please…” he whimpered, “Please don’t go…don’t leave…I love you…”

Hot tears dripped down Sunset's face and into his gleaming hair, “I know,” she whispered, choking back a sob. “And now, for your final lesson.” She said softly. He shook his head against her but said nothing. “Don’t ever waste your talents, push yourself to find your limits, and then go past them. Never be afraid to fail, for today’s failure can be the foundation for tomorrow’s success.” Flash didn’t want to hear her, because he knew this would mean the end of their time together. But at the same time, he treasured every syllable and proceeded to burn her words permanently into his brain.

A hum began to fill the air as Sunset’s horn started to glow bright red with a powerful spell; a wind began to swirl around the strange pair. “Flash, I know that I was hard on you, that I demanded so much from you and pushed you. I did it partly because I’m selfish, I made you my vanity project and I’m sorry for that. But I also did it because I believe in you; you have so much potential, and you never once disappointed me.” Flash shuddered at her words as he looked up in awe at his friend, her mane waved beautifully in the small tempest; a few of her tears sparkled in the sunlight as they were carried away on the wind. “You’ve made me proud, Flash Skies. I’m sorry that I never told you that sooner, but…you’ve made me proud to be your teacher.” She smiled at him before closing her eyes as she dipped her head and gently touched her horn to the crown of his, her soft muzzle brushing against his nose. A tingling sensation swept over his whole body followed by a rush of heat as the spell caused his eyes to glow momentarily with a blue light.

Sunset Shimmer had spent weeks preparing this particular spell. Correcting every flaw, perfecting every last detail. In her opinion, to call it a masterpiece would be an insult. This was a permanent enchantment of her own design. In addition to giving him a generous amount of her own energy to power it, she had also discovered a way to seamlessly knit the spell to his own inherent magic, making it a passive spell that would never fade for want of energy once her own ran out. It was designed to protect him from all but the most powerful malicious spells; and it would take one hell of a mage to be able to break her magic. It could also reduce, if not block outright, even very intense blasts of offensive magic. Once again, she knew that she was, at least in part, being selfish. While she did love him and wanted him to be safe, she also was doing it to protect her investment. After all, he was her student.

Sunset placed a small kiss on the center of the young human's forehead, softly nuzzling him as she completed the spell. The blazing outline of a red and yellow sun, her cutie mark, flared briefly on that spot before slowly fading out of sight. She stepped back, a bit exhausted by the amount of effort the spell had taken. Flash shuddered and shook his head as a few crackling strands of red lightning curled about him before dissipating. “Sunset?” he asked as the strange sensations began to lessen.

Flash looked up to see her a few steps away now, her horn still glowing. She gave him one last smile, “See ya around, kid.”

“Wait!” Her magic flared and with a burst of crimson light, Sunset Shimmer vanished from sight. He ran forward and fell to his knees to the spot she had been standing on. “Come back…” he whimpered powerlessly as he clutched fistfuls of grass. “Please…come back…” But silence was all he received.

Author's Note

This chapter was getting very long, so I decided to break it up into two parts. This means the next chapter will pick up right where this one left off. Don't worry, we'll get back to earth after that. Thank you all and God bless!

Painful Lessons Pt. 2

Bright Skies twisted gracefully through the air high above the vast, green countryside south of Cloudsdale. It had been too long since she had a chance to fly simply for fun, and the weather today was perfect; a clear blue sky with just a few clouds tastefully placed by the last weather team. She wanted to enjoy it before the overcast that was scheduled for the evening was moved in. The sun felt warm on her coat and wings while the cool, spring air ruffled her curly mane. Her sharp, hawk-like vision that all pegasi naturally possessed could clearly make out the gleaming spire of Canterlot’s castle scores of miles to the south. She wriggled in delight from muzzle to tail as she took in a deep breath through her nostrils before letting it out her mouth. Just perfect. Bright Skies angled her wings and banked left and right in wide, lazy turns; maintaining her altitude with just an occasional flap of her pink wings. Only 26 years old and still in her prime, she relished the fact that she still had many good years of strong flying left in her.

Her thoughts soon drifted back to her son. Even before he could fully speak, Flash enjoyed flying with her so much. Bright Skies smiled as she could almost hear his excited squeals, shouting for her to fly faster and higher; he was absolutely fearless in the air, even though he had no wings. Oh, if only he did… It’s not that she didn’t mind carrying him, but she knew, based on his rate of growth, that he would one day be too large for her to comfortably carry. Sunset Shimmer had even theorized that he may even grow as tall as Princess Celestia! That seemed an incredible thought, especially since he was still such a small guy. So small… For now, she resolved that she would savor every moment that she could still bear him aloft on her own wings. Maybe we could go for a flight when he gets back? I know he would love that.

The pink pegasus now pulled into a steep climb, pumping her wings hard as she could as she began to accelerate vertically. Bright Skies breathed hard as the air became steadily cooler, her wings burned with a healthy strain. When she felt she could go no faster, she stopped flying, allowing her momentum to eventually die, inducing a stall. Bright Skies allowed herself to fall backwards, giggling at the sense of vertigo as she fell limply back towards the ground many thousands of feet below, her wings fluttering like banners caught in a breeze. Her body began to spin slowly in the air currents as she reached terminal velocity. Wait for it… The air was rapidly warming as she continued to descend. Wait for it! As soon as her sensitive muzzle detected a change in the scent of the air, indicating that the ground was now rapidly approaching, she went into action. NOW! Tucking one wing in while stiffening the other, Bright Skies flipped over to face the ground before snapping both wings open in order to grab onto the much thicker atmosphere. She felt a massive strain within her chest as her wings bit into the denser air, causing her to pull up sharply a mere fifty feet above the tree tops at an absolutely scorching speed. Eat your little heart out Rainbow Dash. She laughed out loud at the absolute thrill of pulling off an old maneuver that she hadn’t tried since she was a teenager.

Oh, I’m going to feel that one in the morning… Bright Skies chuckled to herself as she eventually alighted on a cloud to rest. You’ve still got it girl. As her breathing began to calm, she felt a small twinge of regret for pulling such a risky stunt while being a mother and all. Well, I suppose I’ll just be more careful about pulling stunts like that in the future. After all, what would Flash say if he saw me being so reckless? An image of him cheering and shouting ‘So cool mom!’ caused her to blush slightly. Yup. I’d never be able to tell him to be careful ever again after that. She sighed as she flopped over on her back while staring up at the clear blue sky. I’d better get back. Sunset did say they would not be gone for long. Bright Skies rolled over off of the cloud, opening her wings as she began to fly at a more comfortable pace back north to Cloudsdale. I can’t wait to hear how his day went! She smiled as the thoughts of a pleasant evening at home with her son began to fill her imagination. Life is so good…

Flash Skies trudged along aimlessly for what felt like hours as Celestia’s sun continued to climb higher into the afternoon sky. Why would she leave? He continued to grapple with his fractured thoughts, running through every theory he could think of, but nothing he could come up with made any sense to him. What could have happened…was it Princess Celestia? He immediately chastised himself for the blasphemy of even thinking the Solar Princess could have ever done anything wrong. It’s not right…Sunset can’t…she just can’t be gone! His feelings of grief slowly began to darken with black anger, wrath at the injustice that such an important pony could suddenly be gone from his life, from Equestria. The spot on his forehead where she had kissed him tingled, causing him to rub at it in frustration. Ugh, what did she do to me? She ran away…she left us. He instantly hated himself for thinking that his esteemed mentor would do something so cowardly. She had to have had a good reason. Something bad must have happened…Flash sniffed as he felt fresh tears beginning to form in his eyes, he rubbed them away furiously. NO! I will not show weakness! It was what she had always told him, to never show weakness. But as much as he tried to calm himself, he could not escape the terrible storm of painful emotions that continued to rampage through his heart and mind, hammering him with the inescapable truth: Sunset Shimmer was really and truly gone. He just wanted her back. To see her, to hear her voice again; he didn’t care if she gave him all of the homework in Equestria! He would endure anything if it meant he could have his beloved mentor still with him.

I should have said something…done something…But deep down, he somehow knew that nothing would have changed what had happened, and he hated that. His stomach growled. Somewhere along the way he had dropped his lunch and hadn’t gone back for it. That small tragedy simply added more regret to a steadily growing collection of negative emotions. Mom always gives me the best lunches…

…Hey! Give it back!” Flash was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of somepony shouting. He looked over to the main road which he had wandered away from and saw a small group of young ponies. He slipped behind a lone tree and peeked around it. Three young pegasi colts were hovering just over a small, earth pony filly with a yellow coat, green mane, and brown eyes. The three colts were tossing an orange ball to each other which they had, apparently, stolen from the filly. They laughed as she hopelessly jumped in an attempt to reach them. Flash recognized two of the ponies. One was Slipstream, a brash colt with a charcoal-grey coat and an electric yellow mane cut in a mohawk style with matching yellow eyes. He and Flash had once been on very friendly terms, but as he had gotten older, Slipstream had fallen in with some other mischievous ponies which had caused him to become more antagonistic and mean-spirited over time. Downdraft was one of those bad influences. A stocky colt built more like an earth pony than a pegasus; he was the light blue one with a white, cropped mane and green eyes hovering to the left of Slipstream. Flash didn’t recognize the third colt: small, red coat and brown mane; he was snickering the loudest.

The little filly began to cry pitifully, which only caused her three tormentors to taunt her with even greater glee. Flash gritted his teeth as he felt his anger re-surge anew. Stomping out from behind his cover, he approached the unhappy scene. “Alright Slipstream, give it back!” He shouted with righteous indignation. All four ponies trained their gaze upon him as he came into sight; the filly stopped crying, sniffing as she wiped an eye to get a better look at her rescuer.

Slipstream met his angry gaze and smirked. “Well, well,” he said as he tossed the ball from one hoof to the other. “If it isn’t the ‘wingless wonder.’ How ya doin’ Flash?” The human glared in response.

“Give it back to her,” Flash repeated as he came to a stop just below where Slipstream was hovering. The pony smiled at him.

“‘Give it back?’ Or what?” He said as he tossed the ball again. Flash stared him down for a moment, allowing his two-toned eyes to bore into Slipstream, an uncomfortable silence began to fill the air.

“Come down here and I’ll show you…” He finally said in a low, angry tone. Downdraft and the other colt let out an ‘oh!’ of excitement at that. There was a blackness in his heart right now, and Flash knew it, but he was too angry to care. This injustice was the last straw. He knew, deep down, that he was letting his anger dictate his decisions, but he was too upset to stop himself as he knew he should; he felt like venting his rage. He felt his forehead mysteriously tingle again.

Slipstream raised an eyebrow in surprise before he slowly descended in front of Flash, the other two ponies following after him. The colt tossed his stolen prize to the side towards the filly who quickly snatched it up. She glanced nervously between the group for a second, before uttering a nearly silent thanks to Flash and then sprinting off. Slipstream stared the human down.

“Why do you always have to be so annoying? We were only having fun.” He quipped as he took a threatening step forward. Flash held his ground.

“Why did you have to turn into such a jerk?” he retorted; the two other colts snickered as the standoff intensified. Slipstream glared at him. Flash suddenly began to think of his mother, of Sunset, and even Princess Celestia. All of them had warned him in the past of his volatile temper and his need to control it; he immediately regretted allowing himself to feel such wrath and dark anger. He let out a breath as he prepared to stand down. Slipstream suddenly raised a hoof and shoved him on the shoulder causing him to stagger back a step.

“What?’ He stated, growing bolder. “I thought you told me to come down.” He said as he shoved him again. Flash looked down and away, upset that he had invited this confrontation by uttering rash words.

“Just, forget it Slipstream,” He mumbled. Downdraft landed with a thud next to Slipstream.

“Just look at him Slips,” The stocky pegasus scoffed, “I think he’s sad, you gonna run home and c’wry to mommy?” Downdraft said in a mocking tone, eliciting another laugh from the red pegasus who also landed. Flash gritted his teeth,

It’s only words…

“Aw, don’t be like that Downdraft,” Slipstream replied in feigned sympathy. “You’d be sad too if you were some nopony with no real family.” Flash snapped back to attention, breathing hard.

“I have a mom…” He growled as he began to see red, his hands clenched into hard fists. Slipstream laughed.

“But she’s not your real mom.” He said. “She’s just the pony that has to watch you, that’s all. Especially since you were the one who stole her magic…”

A wordless scream cut him off as Flash exploded forward and shoved Slipstream in the chest as hard as he could with both hands, causing the young colt to fly back and roll across the ground; Flash charged after him. The pony quickly rolled upright and ducked under the next swing while sticking his hind-leg out, causing the small human to trip and slam face first into the ground. Flash immediately sprang back up and spun around just in time to catch a hoof across the face as Slipstream punched him. Stars exploded across his vision as he fell on his back. Slipstream grabbed onto his shirt, pulling him back up as he swung at him again.

Suddenly remembering a move that Rainbow Dash had taught him, Flash threw his left arm up, blocking the strike as he then wrapped his arm around the colt’s forelimb and twisted his body, dragging Slipstream to the ground with him. The two children continued to tussle and roll across the ground, shouting and hitting as they each attempted to get on top of the other; the other two pegasi looked on in utter shock as the pair continued to fight.

None of them took notice of the brown, earth pony stallion with a graying mane and moustache pulling a cart loaded with wood stop along the road next to them. He wore a blue kerchief about his neck and a brown Stetson on his head. The pony unhitched himself and adjusted his hat as he slowly trotted over and paused to survey the fight.

Flash finally gained the upper hand as he pinned Slipstream beneath him and proceeded to rain a hail of angry blows from his fists, left and right, across his opponent’s face, screaming savagely with each punch. As Flash raised his right fist to strike again, he suddenly paused mid-swing as he realized that Slipstream was no longer fighting back. The pathetic pony was trembling as he shielded his face with his hooves. Flash immediately felt sick to his stomach as he fell backwards to get off of him, propping himself up on his elbows as he panted for breath.

“A’right!” A gruff voice cut through the air as everypony suddenly took notice of the adult. “That’s enough!” The stallion stepped between Slipstream and Flash, sternly glaring at the two of them with sharp blue eyes; Flash withered under the pony’s angry gaze. “Both of ya get up!” The two of them immediately obeyed without a word as they stood and faced each other with shaky countenances. “Now I want the two of ya’s to shake, the fight’s done.”

Flash and Slipstream both blinked in surprise, looking first to the stallion then back to the other. The pegasus’s coat and mane were ruffled and dirty, a few of his feathers were bent and out of place; he would definitely need a serious preening later. At the same time, however, something seemed to pass between them as they each hesitantly put out a hoof and hand and shook. Flash felt strangely calm as a feeling of empathy and respect for his one-time acquaintance began to replace his anger. Slipstream gave him a sheepish glance as they shook. The stallion nodded as they finished shaking,

“Now you three, run along home, and don’t ever let me catch any of ya’s acting like this again!” The three pegasi nodded before quickly taking to the sky like frightened birds as they winged off towards their respective homes.

Flash glanced nervously at the adult who had now turned his full attention upon him. He was still frowning, but his expression had softened slightly. “Now as for you youngin’, follow me.” The pony turned and headed back towards his cart; the boy obediently following his elder, walking with a slight limp. His shirt was torn and dirtied and he could feel that he was going to have more than a few bruises. The stallion hitched himself back up to his wooden, two-wheeled cart that had a load of cut wood stacked in it. He eyed Flash again for a moment before gesturing with his head,

“Climb on up there.” The young human pulled himself up into the front of the cart and sat down in front of the woodpile, facing forward. The pony began to walk at a steady trot, the cart gently squeaking and swaying as the powerful earth pony pulled it along with effortless strength. After a few moments, he asked, “What’s your name, son?” It took Flash a second to find his voice as he cleared his throat,

“F-Flash Skies, sir.” The pony nodded.

“Well, mines’ Burnt Oak. A pleasure to meet ya.” Flash simply nodded in response, feeling far too subdued at the moment to talk much. He winced as he ran his tongue over his split lip, the copper taste of blood spreading inside his mouth. Various aches began to flood across his face and body as the adrenaline rush began to wear off. “Ya want to tell me what all went on back there son?” Flash liked the warm twang of the pony’s voice, it sounded rich and soothing. He cleared his throat again,

“H-how much did you see?” The pony smiled as he glanced back at him.

“Enough.” Flash frowned slightly in confusion.

“Then, why didn’t you stop us?” Burnt Oak sighed, pausing a beat before saying,

“Sometimes, ya gotta let youngsters, ‘specialy colts, settle their differences. If I’d stopped you two, ya both would have tried to finish it later and by then, ya would’ve had time to only grow angrier at th’ other. Then somepony mighta’ really gotten hurt.” He gave Flash a wink, “But don’t you worry none. I would have stopped ya if things had gotten too outta hoof. Seems ya knew when to quit anyhow.”

The boy nodded thoughtfully as he took a moment to absorb the pony’s wisdom. Burnt Oak trotted on, flicking an ear back towards his small guest,

“So, tell me what happened.”

Flash then proceeded to describe the whole situation he had come upon. His background with Slipstream, his own poor choice of words, and the bad decision to shove the pony when he had lost his temper after the latter had insulted his mother.

“I…I shouldn’t have pushed him, I know. But those things he said about my mom…I…I just got so angry…” He sighed in frustration, “It’s just, I always lose my temper. No matter how hard I try…” Burnt Oak smiled to himself.

“Sounds like ya got a lot of care in you son, some powerful feelings.” Flash didn’t reply, but pulled his knees to his chest and rested his chin on them looking downcast. “Son, do you know the difference between a colt and a stallion?” Flash quizzically raised an eyebrow,

“…Taxes?”

The older stallion’s mirth rang out in a hearty chuckle, practically echoing around the countryside. Flash blushed slightly.

“You’ve got some wit to ya’, I’ll give you that!” He said with a grin. “No son, a young colt follows his feelings first. He usually does whatever he feels like. But when he grows up, he can’t just follow his feelings. He has to do what he knows is good instead of what just feels good.” Flash lifted his head and stared ahead as he processed those words. “For example, it must’a felt pretty good at th’ time to shove that colt because of what he said, am I right?” Flash slowly nodded as he looked down in shame. “But later, it didn’t feel so good, did it?”

“No sir…” Flash murmured. Burnt Oak nodded in sympathy.

“It’s in those kinda moments that ya really need to think, to do what ya know is right rather then what ya feel like doing.” They moved along for a little while in silence. Flash kicked his heels gently over the edge of the wagon as he thought over all that had happened. The image of how Slipstream appeared when he was punching him flashed across his mind, he winced.

He was…afraid of me. What if he’s right? What if I did steal mom’s magic? What if she is only watching me because everypony secretly thinks I might be dangerous? His first thought was to ask Sunset about this which instantly caused a fresh wave of grief to crash into his heart as he remembered that she was gone, causing him to grimace in pain.

They eventually came up onto an old, wooden shack. It was dark and weathered with age but appeared to have been well maintained. It had a single door and a small, square window offset next to it. There was a tree-stump with an axe sticking out of it to the its side along with a small pavilion under which more split wood was piled. A small, stone well with a bucket and pully sat further behind the small shack. “Ah, here we are.” The pony said. The wheels of the cart bumped slightly as he pulled off the main road and back onto the grass. Flash looked curiously at the new location.

“Is this where you live?” He inquired. Burnt Oak unhitched himself as he came to a stop beside the covered wood-pile.

“Nope, not really. I live further south in a town called Ponyville. This is just a simple, halfway point that I use to get wood to customers who live further away.” Flash had heard about Ponyville from Rainbow Dash. She told him that she had other friends there that she wanted to introduce him to. Flash hopped down from the wagon, staggering as his sore, right leg threatened to buckle under him.

“So, what now?” The pony looked at him and smiled.

“Now, I unload this wood. Want to lend a hoof?” Flash nodded as he began to grab the cuts of wood from the back of the wagon. Together, the two of them stacked the pieces carefully on top of the rest of the pile until the wagon was empty. Flash felt a bit of comfort in working with his hands, anything to take his mind off of the unpleasant thoughts and feelings he found himself still struggling with. After they were finished, Burnt Oak put a hoof gently under the human’s chin and examined his face,

“Ya might want to put some ice on that eye of yours when you get home. But I think you’ll be a’right.” Flash smiled sadly as the pony released his chin.

“Thank you sir, for your help…” he said shyly. The stallion nodded in acknowledgement.

“You’re very welcome son.” He reached under his kerchief and pulled out a shiny golden bit before tossing it to Flash who caught it with a surprised expression. “Every stallion deserves his keep.” Burnt Oak said with a friendly wink. Flash looked at the money in his hands, and then back to the pony.

“You don’t have to give me this, sir.” The pony shook his head and smiled.

“Sure I do. But I tell ya what, you come back here this time next week. Give me a hoof with some of my work here, if its fine with your ma’ that is, and I’ll see to it ya earn what you do, fair?” He held out a hoof which Flash, after a moment’s hesitation, grasped firmly and shook. “You run along home now youngster, be good now, ya hear?”

Flash felt tears of gratitude coming to his eyes at the stallion’s warmth and kindness. He simply nodded his head quickly before turning about, beginning the long walk towards home.

“Another fight Flash?” Bright Skies let out a disappointed sigh as she gently wiped some of the dried blood off of her son’s chin with a damp cloth as he sat on the couch of their living room; his right cheekbone was turning an amazing shade of purple. The small human looked away, downcast as he felt unable to look her in the eye. The late afternoon sun still filtered in through the windows of their cloud house, not helped by the grey overcast moved in by the last weather team.

“I have no excuse,” he said quietly. “I let my temper get the better of me, again.” The pink pegasus could not help but marvel at the succinctness of his words. She felt conflicted; grateful for his maturity, and at the same time, upset that Sunset Shimmer’s strict discipline had caused him to mature so quickly.

He’s only a child… She picked up his torn shirt, her heart aching at the sight of the various bruises and scrapes that marked his small torso. Something was not right about him, she had noticed it since he had first arrived home that something had seriously disturbed him. He had been in a few scuffles before, but even then, he had never appeared this sullen and upset about them afterwards. She knew he was distressed for getting into another fight, but there was something different this time. It just felt wrong, very wrong. Bright Skies gently laid a hoof on his small shoulder, but he would not meet her gaze,

“What’s the matter dear?” She said with all the tenderness she could muster. “Do you want to talk about it? You know you can tell me anything.” The boy wanted to talk, to tell everything that had happened to the pony he loved more than life itself, but he wasn’t ready to. He felt like an injured animal that only wanted to be left alone to lick its wounds. He slowly let out the breath that he had been holding,

“Not now…maybe later.” Bright Skies clenched her jaw at the wall he had just thrown up, but relented with a nod.

“I…understand dear, but I’ll be here when you’re ready.” He still wouldn’t look at her. Time to change tactics. “Are you hungry Flash? I can make fried fish for you tonight if you want.” She knew that was his favorite meal, a guaranteed win. Flash sat still for a moment before shaking his head.

“No, thank you. I think I just wanna go to my room.” Even though his stomach cramped with hunger, he felt far too conflicted to eat anything. Bright Skies felt herself go from worried to full-blown panic. Flash had never turned down food before, let alone his favorite meal. She looked on in stunned silence, taking a few steps back as the boy suddenly stood up and walked towards the soft cloud staircase that led to his room. She clutched his shirt to her chest, longing clawed at her heart.

“Would you, like for me to give you a bath dear?” Flash paused for a moment before shaking his head,

“I’ll get it myself, thanks…” he said quietly. Bright Skies could only stare on in helpless impotence as he walked away. After another moment, she heard the door to his room slam shut.

What should I do…Her ears folded flat against her head as she slumped down on her haunches, feeling utterly defeated. What can I do?!

Flash felt terrible for leaving her, but he was at a complete loss as what to make of the day he had just experienced. Once he had arrived at his room, he paused to take a look around. It was a typical bedroom that any colt his age would be proud to have. Above his twin bed was a poster of Canterlot. Celestia herself had signed it for him in her beautiful calligraphy. It read, “May Harmony always be with you Flash Skies! Love, Princess Celestia.” The golden telescope on the windowsill was also a gift from her. She was like a dear aunt to him, a second mother. Every Hearth’s Warming, as well as on on the anniversary of his arrival to Equestria, she would always send him a thoughtful gift. They wrote to each other regularly and she would even visit from time to time, usually coming with Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset…The pain in his heart was overwhelming; he collapsed forward onto his cloud-bed. Is this what it feels like when somepony dies?

Turning his head, Flash looked over at his night stand and stared at a framed picture of himself with Princess Celestia and Sunset. It had been taken over a year ago, he could still feel the pleasant, warm afternoon sun of that happy day in front of his house. The picture showed him wearing a red shirt with black shorts while sporting a big, goofy grin on his face as he leaned a hug into his teacher’s shoulder while Celestia smiled down warmly at the pair of them. Sunset was captured mid-eyeroll, but she was still smiling. He reached over and pulled the picture over so that it lay face down on the night stand. It hurt too much to look at right now. After a few minutes, he began to drift off. ‘She’s not your real mom…’ Was the last thought to echo through his mind as he fell into a fitful slumber filled with dark dreams that prowled at the edges of his mind.

Bright Skies rolled over in her own bed for what must have been the hundredth time. It was late, she was exhausted, and yet she knew that there was little chance of her getting any sleep that night. As she lay on her back, she glanced over to stare out the window at the moon hanging in the night sky over Equestria like a silent sentinel; the Mare in the moon stared back.

And what are you looking at? Bright Skies had always enjoyed sleeping with the moonlight coming in through at least one window, she must have had a thestral somewhere in the ancestral bloodline.

Rolling back over, she rested her chin down on her forelimbs, sighing as she ran through the same thoughts all over again. What could have happened today? What happened to my baby? She had spent the whole evening prior in restless pacing and menial tasks as she tried to figure that out. So many times, she had almost knocked on her son’s door, but each time had held back. As Bright Skies replayed the evening’s events over again in her mind, she suddenly came to a new, dreadful realization. He didn’t called me ‘mom’ once since he came home. The thought felt like an icy blade twisting right into her heart.

As tears threatened to form in her eyes, her right ear flicked as she caught the sound of somepony faintly tapping at her bedroom door as it slowly creaked open. She immediately raised her head and turned to see her son standing there in the doorway under the pale moonlight. Still shirtless, he was tightly hugging his bare torso with his arms, his hair was askew; his face a twisted visage of emotional agony. Bright Skies jaw worked up and down a few times in wordless anguish as they stared in silence at each other.

“M-mom?” He finally whimpered, “Can I sleep here tonight?”

The pegasus responded simply by lifting a wing in invitation. The small human immediately clambered up onto the bed and instantly snuggled into her warm side as she dropped her wing over his trembling form. Bright Skies encircled her tail protectively around him, twisting her neck to nuzzle him as she placed a few, tender kisses on his forehead. She could feel how tense he was against her; his whole body was shaking in distress.

“Flash,” she whispered, he looked up at her from under her wing. Her eyes shimmered as she smiled sadly at him before softly saying, “It’s alright to cry when we need to. Please cry.”

That was all it took. It was like watching a dam break. With a few heaving breaths, the boy buried his face into her barrel as a torrent of grief and pain came out of him in a flood of tears that she could feel soaking into her coat. He didn’t wail, but groaned and whined in deep, panting sobs that shook his small form. The mother held her son tightly against her with her wing, tears running down her own cheeks as she soothingly whispered,

“It’s okay, it’s okay, let it all out. Everything is going to be okay…”

It felt like several minutes before he finally began to calm down, and several more after that before he spoke. Bright Skies gently stroked his back with her wing as she patiently waited for him. Flash turned his head so that he was looking up at her; his eyes were still wet, but his breathing had slowed. He felt comforted by her familiar scent, her warmth and closeness that he had known since he was an infant as he listened to the steady beat of her heart. He reached up and placed a hand on her side in front of his face, gently petting her in an almost absentminded fashion. Silk could not begin to compare to the softness of his mother's coat.

“She’s gone…” he finally said, his voice cracking slightly.

“Who’s gone dear?”

“Sunset. She said that she was leaving Equestria, and that she may never come back. She left us…” he trailed off as he nearly broke down again. Bright Skies closed her eyes in comprehension.

Oh Celestia…so that’s it! She opened her eyes as she leaned down to nuzzle his forehead. “I’m so sorry, Flash. I’m so sorry that she’s gone, that you had to hear that.” And truthfully, she was. Sunset Shimmer may have rubbed her the wrong way at times, but deep down, she could not thank her enough for all that she had done for her son. “Flash, we can never control what others do, but we can control what we do, and how we let other’s choices affect who we are.”

Do what you know is right. The old stallion’s words echoed through his mind. “It still hurts though…” Flash murmered. Bright Skies smiled sympathetically,

“It always does my dear. Sometimes, it’s the ones who are closest to us who hurt us the most.” She grimaced slightly at the memory of her old coltfriend. “But, you don’t have to let it change you,”

“…Except for the better.” He said, finishing her statement. She beamed at him proudly.

“That’s right, my heart.” They were silent for a short while after that, content to simply enjoy the other’s presence; Bright Skies continued to gently stroke him with her wing. Flash stared ahead blankly as he rested his head against her while continuing to softly pet her side. She could tell there was something else still bothering him.

“Mom?” Her ear flopped at him.

“Yes dear?” His face squinted in concentration before his eyes moved up to meet hers.

“Did I…steal your magic?” Bright Skies blinked as she felt her jaw drop, her wing paused mid-stroke.

“Did you…what?! Who in Equestria told you such an evil thing?!” She exclaimed in a surge of outrage. Flash swallowed as he allowed his gaze to drop away.

“It was Slipstream…” Bright Skies ground her teeth in anger.

Why that little…why can children be so cruel?!

“He also said, that you’re not my real mother. That it’s just your job to watch m-” Flash was cut off as his mother suddenly sat up and seized him under his arms, lifting him up and setting him down on his knees with a speed that even Rainbow Dash would envy. She rested both hooves on his shoulders and leaned down, looking him directly in the eyes with a fierceness he had never seen from her before, there was a fire in her eyes so intense and sharp that he actually gulped.

Now it all makes sense…She held his gaze for another moment. “Flash Skies.” She practically growled. “For the rest of your life, I never want you to entertain such a wicked lie ever again, even for a second, do I make myself clear?!” Flash blinked in shock before slowly nodding.

“Yes’m,” he squeaked. She continued,

“I asked to be your mother, Flash. I practically begged the princess for that privilege! And as far as my magic goes, well," She leaned back and smiled slyly at him, "That was providence. I couldn’t be happier that you have it, and I couldn’t be prouder of how well you are able to use it." Bright Skies then leaned down close to him until her velvety muzzle brushed softy against his little nose, and with all of the overflowing love only a true mother could express tenderly whispered to him, "I would gladly give you my wings if I could.”

Tears of complete and utter gratitude began to well up in Flash's eyes as he listened to her declare her absolute love for him, feeling ashamed that he had ever entertained the doubts that had assailed him earlier. The boy grasped her forelimb with one hand and nuzzled it with the side of his face.

“Th-thanks mom…I love you too...” She then pulled him into a warm embrace, wrapping both her forelimbs and wings around him, holding him tightly against her fluffy chest; he hugged her fiercely in return. They stayed that way for a wonderful amount of time, neither of them wanting the special moment to end. Bright Skies knew in her heart of hearts, that she was meant to do this, that it was her vocation to be a mother. She whispered to him,

“No matter where you came from, no matter where you may go, I will always be your mother Flash. Nothing will ever change that.” She felt him nod against her as half-a-sob escaped from him. Flash had never felt happier, or more loved in his entire life. He silently thanked harmony and the Creator of all things that he had such a pony to call his mother.

“I’m so sorry I got into that fight, mom.” He finally managed to say. Flash felt his inner resolve harden like steel, a surge of confidence rising within him like a blazing fire. He thought of Sunset, of Princess Celestia; he would do them and his mother proud. “I don’t want to hurt anypony. For the rest of my life, I only want to help and protect others, just as you and everypony else have helped me.” Bright Skies smiled as she looked down at him.

“And I know you’ll be great at that, dear.” She suddenly noticed a momentary flash of light appear beneath her wings. Confused, she pulled them back and instantly cried out for joy. Flash snapped his head up.

“Flash! Look! Look down! Look at your shoulders!” He immediately looked to see what she was referring to. There, clearly emblazoned on each shoulder, was the image of a grey kite shield with a bright-yellow lightning bolt across the front of it.

“It’s…it’s my…” He was at a loss for words. Tears of pure joy flowed down Bright Skies’ cheeks.

“Yes dear…it’s your cutie mark.” She had been wrong before, neither of them would be getting any sleep that night.

Author's Note

And with that, this story is officially longer than my Master's Thesis:rainbowlaugh:
Don't ever let life get you down. Through the trial can come great growth!
Next chapter, we're back on earth. Action time!
Thank you all for your time, God bless you always!

Going Clubbing

Franklin stomped out another cigarette on the cold, cement floor of the hallway. He had promised his mother that he would quit smoking of course, but like they say, old habits die hard. He was a big man with a bit of a gut but with broad shoulders and a heavy, set jaw; a well-trimmed brown goatee complimented his high and tight haircut. He could easily hear the muted throb of heavy bass music in the main area of the club through the wall where hundreds of patrons reveled and danced. It was his turn to man the back door for pick up and drop offs that evening and so far, everything had gone smoothly. The well-lit hallway with its white-tiled ceilings and plaster walls made for such an utterly monotonous setting that he found himself almost wishing for something out of the ordinary to occur if only to make things interesting for a change, especially since there was no one to talk to tonight. A blasted runaway had caused the boss to send out the extra hands which meant they were running on a relatively light crew tonight which just meant more work for everyone.

He was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts as someone outside pounded loudly on the steel security door. That’s odd, he thought, There shouldn’t be any cash drops this early in the evening. Checking his shoulder-holster under his navy-blue sport coat, he reached over and slid back an eye-slit on the door to check who was in the alley outside. Franklin gazed through the open slide and saw two figures, a man and a woman, dimly illuminated by the exterior light above the door. The man was wearing a brown jacket with a gray hood pulled up causing a shadow that obscured the top portion of his face; a gleam of eyes could still be faintly seen. He was gripping onto the upper arm of the young woman whose disheveled, blonde hair partially covered her face. Even so, Franklin could tell that it was Ella, the one they had been searching for.

“Hey, you lose somthin’?” Came the man’s Brooklyn accent, he jerked the girl’s arm for emphasis. “I came to return an item to the lost and found.” Franklin was delighted to see her back, this meant that he would be the one who would get to report the good news to the boss; the only problem was that he did not recognize this guy.

“And who the hell are you?” He demanded.

“Napoleon Bonaparte, what’s it to ya?” The man scoffed in annoyance. “I’m one of the extra hands your boss called in tonight ta’ help find your girl.” Franklin paused for a moment; he hadn’t heard about the boss calling in extra help. “Look, you can jerk me around if ya want buck face, makes no difference to me. I’ve already been paid and I’ve delivered so I got no problem walking away right now and letting this be your problem.”

“Wait! Hold on a sec’.” Franklin slammed the slide shut before undoing the two dead-bolts and yanking the heavy door open allowing the light from the hallway to spill out into the alley. The mystery man shoved Ella forward into his arms; she immediately tried to run away from him down the hall but he grabbed onto her arm, spinning around as he jerked her back towards him, gripping her other shoulder in the process. “Hey doll face, what do you think you’re doing?” He sneered with a satisfied grin. Ella shook her hair out of her face as she looked up at him and smiled vengefully.

“Distracting you.” She said softly. Franklin suddenly felt a powerful set of arms clamp hard around his neck in a firm chokehold before dragging him backwards; he was practically lifted off the ground. He felt a painful blow to the back of his right knee, causing it to instantly buckle as he dropped down hard to the floor. Unable to breathe, Franklin felt panic surge as he immediately grabbed at the arm that was cutting off his airway and pulled; it was like trying to remove a steel coil. He flung himself backwards with all of his might as he began to see stars but to no effect. His assailant was impossibly strong which Franklin didn’t understand since, from what little he saw of the guy, he knew that he was much larger than him.

After a few more seconds, Flash finally released him as he felt the man go limp allowing him to slump to the cold, hard cement. He pulled the hood off of this head and tucked it back into its inner pocket inside his jacket collar.

“Buck face?” Ella asked with a raised eyebrow as she bent down to search inside Franklin’s jacket. Flash blushed slightly as he ran a hand through his hair to smooth it.

“Yeah, sorry about the language. But I was trying to sound more authentic.” He said glancing to the side.

“Language?” Ella said with greater incredulity. Flash looked at her with that owl-like blink again. She rolled her eyes, “Nevermind.” It’s like he’s from another planet. The idea amused her more than it should have as it made far too much sense. “Not too shabby with the accent,” she remarked.

“Thanks.” Flash took a moment to take in his surroundings. In front of them, the hallway went down a good ways before ending in a ninety degree turn to the left; he thought he could make out stainless elevator doors to the right. He wrinkled his nose at the acrid scent of cheap tobacco that hung heavily in the air, it smelled nothing like the sweet pipe tobacco that Burnt Oak would puff on occasionally. He winced slightly as his sensitive ears were assailed by the awful thump of very bad techno reverberating above them and to their left.

Ugh, what a beastly noise. Vinyl could sure show them a thing or two about proper music. Flash mused to himself. He and Ella had carefully planned their approach to the Velour night club on their drive up to the city. She had explained to him the nature of the back entrance and the different rooms that were hidden there; almost all of them were accessed by an electronic keycard for security. It was her suggestion that he use her as a feign in order to gain entrance to the back; a risky move, but he was impressed by its tactical merits. She certainly knows how to plan ahead. He found that immensely attractive for some reason; the thought caused him to smile slightly.

“Got it!” Ella said triumphantly as she held up a small, white card. “This should get us access to every dirty little secret in this dump.” She cast a glance up to a small, black camera mounted high in the corner of the ceiling. She knew that as soon as they got in, it would be a race against time before they were noticed, if that wasn’t the case already. It all depended on if anyone was doing their job tonight and knowing Enrique, they could count on it. “Let’s move,” Ella said as she rose to her feet. “We need to take care of those cameras I told you about fast before we get any company.” Flash stepped ahead of her as they began to quickly move down the hall.

The only reason he agreed to this approach was because she assured him that they could knock out the cameras quickly after gaining entrance. He was confident in his ability to handle any number of guards there might be, especially after his encounter with the first three men he had faced. But one of Sunset’s warning prior to his departure continued to ring in the back of his mind: “Don’t underestimate ‘guns’.” He understood the concept of these projectile firing ‘weapons’, but knew that he did not yet fully appreciate their capability. His mind flashed back to the seriousness of her expression, “Please Flash, understand. As fast as you are, these weapons are extremely dangerous, they can kill you. My spell will not protect you from them. Please, be careful.”

“Is that the one, up ahead on the left?”

“You got it kiddo, let me get the door!” Ella quickly moved to the other side of the door and leaned against the wall, allowing Flash to stand in front of it; she swiped the card past a gray slat on the wall next to the black steel door. A green light flashed on it and the door swung inwards with a ‘click’. Inside the dimly lit room was a desk and chair set up against the right-hand cement wall. Two computer monitors with multiple screens displaying different areas of the club sat upon the table. The ceiling was unfinished and lined with bundles of cable and pipes.

Fascinating. Flash thought as he eyeballed the alien technology on the desk. They both looked around the room and were surprised that no one was present.

“I don’t get it,” Ella said, “Someone should be here watching the monitors.” They both looked as they suddenly heard the sound of a toilet flushing coming from the far side of the room behind another door; they both glanced at each other before looking back in the direction of the sound. The door suddenly swung open as a man with a medium build and black hair stepped out of it. He was wearing khakis and a black polo shirt; he had a smartphone in his hand; he blinked in shock at the two intruders. “Hey Flash,” Ella said with a smirk, “He didn’t wash his hands.”

“That’s nasty.” Flash agreed with a savage grin as he stalked forward.

“Hey, who are yo-” He didn’t have time to finish his statement as Flash, fast as lightning, landed a solid blow with his fist into the man’s stomach, doubling him over. He followed up with an elbow to the side of his head, knocking the unfortunate fellow senseless and back into the bathroom as his phone clattered to the floor. “Wash up,” Flash said as he grabbed the inner handle of the bathroom door and, after a moment of strain, ripped it clean off before slamming the door shut. Ella shook her head in amazed disbelief before turning her attention to the monitors. Flash tossed the broken handle to the floor with a clatter before joining her at the desk.

“So, what are we looking for?” He asked. She blew a strand of hair out of her face.

“I’ll know it when I see it…” She trailed off. As the seconds ticked by, Flash could not help but steal a few glances at her, the first female of his species he had ever seen. If he had to choose a single word to describe her, it would be‘beautiful.’ More beautiful than any pony, or any other creature he had ever seen. The best part though, was the sense of peace he finally felt after so long. A peace he began to experience ever since he entered into this world and met her.

I’m not alone…after all this time, I’m not alone. The relief felt like a balm on his soul. No, focus Flash! Keep your head in the mission! He shook his head as he turned his attention back to the computer monitors.

“There!” Ella finally exclaimed as she pointed to one of the camera views on the first monitor. Flash squinted and saw what appeared to be a storage room holding several pallets with white bricks wrapped in cellophane stacked in a neat pile on top of each other. “Look at all that horse…” she murmered.

“Horse?” She gave him an incredulous look.

“Smack, Dope, the Big H…” He continued to stare blankly at her. “Heroin ya numbskull! Geez, what kind of soldier are you?!” Flash chuckled slightly at that which caught her a little by surprise.

“You sound like one of my old drill sergeants…I guess drugs go by different street names where I come from.” He said with half-a-smile on his face.

“Yeah? And where’s that, the moon?”

“Nah, I only know one person from the moon, she said it was a rather lonely place.” Now it was Ella’s turn to stare blankly.

“Wha-oh…gosh…You and I are going to have a long talk later…” she grumbled as she glanced back at the screens again. Flash suppressed a smile; he couldn’t help but tease her, even if only a little. “Alright, I know where that room is, let’s go.” They made their way back out into the hall and took a left, heading towards the end or the corridor. Flash took the lead again, stealing a quick glance around the corner to check if it was clear before they headed down the next stretch. Ella smiled a little at how protective he was acting of her. Ain’t he sweet… After about fifty feet they came to a T-junction. “Go Right.” Ella said. He checked the next turn again before following her instruction. This section of the lower level was different. On the right side of the corridor were several black doors each set about twenty feet apart from the other. Far ahead on the left side opposite the single doors, was a set of double doors.

“I’m guessing that’s the room were looking for…Ella? Flash turned around to see her lingering back. She was staring at the multiple doors that lined the hall, her face full of disgust and pain. “Hey, are you alright?” She shook her head.

“I didn't think I would be back here so soon…” Flash glanced from the doors and then back to her.

“Ella…is this what I think it is?” She swallowed and nodded silently. “Are you…” She looked at him sharply.

“Don’t worry about me, let’s just get this over with.” Flash clenched his jaw and, turning, made his way to the outside of the double doors; Ella stepped up beside him. “I saw two guys in there on the security feed. You sure you got this?” Flash let his outrage on her behalf soak into his facial expression.

“Not a problem. I’ll take care of it in ten-seconds flat.” He said it with such certainty that her own confidence rallied as a result. Ella swiped the key-card and the door clicked open. “Wait here,” he whispered as he quickly slipped inside. She heard someone shout followed by a crash of what sounded like a metal shelf falling over. There was a cry of pain, another loud crash, and the sound of something metal rattling to the floor; then it was silent. Flash stepped back outside, “All clear.” He looked no worse for wear but appeared more than a bit agitated. Ella peeked into the room and saw one of the two men she had seen on the security feed sprawled faced down on the floor next to one of the drug pallets. She could not see the other at first until she noticed on the other side of the two pallets a pair of legs sticking out from under a metal shelf that had once held some tools and other miscellaneous items which were now scattered about the room.

“Geez…” She gaped, “That guy ain’t dead, is he?” Flash didn’t answer right away. Ella looked back at him and saw that he had his eyes closed; he appeared to be trying to hear something. “Uh, Flash?”

“Shh!” Ella immediately clamped up as she saw that he was trying to focus on something. After a few seconds he opened his eyes and looked left.

“No, he’s not dead; but someone else’s going to be in a minute.” He stated coldly. Flash looked over at her, his expression neutral, but there was a fire raging in his vibrantly colored eyes; he looked very intimidating. “Three doors down on the right, open it.” She swallowed nervously.

“Why do you ne-”

“Open it Ella…please.” He said calmly but firmly as he looked back in the other direction. “Before I break it down.” The doors were steel fire-doors set in metal frames within the cinder-block walls; but after all she had seen Flash do, Ella did not think for a second that they were capable of stopping him. She nodded before moving immediately to the indicated door.

He could probably tear one of these off its hinges…she thought, dreading what they were likely going to find on the other side; she could sense that predatory air radiating off of him once again. Flash methodically cracked his neck with a smooth roll of his head as he stood before the closed door. Ella gave him a final, worried look before nodding and swiping the card; the door swung inwards. The interior was dimly lit by a single ornate lamp sitting on a small, cherrywood table in the far-left corner of the room. From its soft light, he could tell that the room had been lavishly furnished. The dark blue carpet was thick and soft, the walls had been lined in a deep, violet wallpaper with red, curling vine patterns. On the right side of the room against the wall was a large, queen sized bed with violet sheets that matched the wallpaper and a mirror above its cherrywood headboard. To his immediate right was a half-dresser with a vanity mirror also made from fine cherrywood. There, standing barefoot in his underwear between the bed and dresser was a fat, middle-aged man with thin brown hair that was starting to gray; he stared in slack-jawed bewilderment at the sudden intruder who was now glaring at him with murderous intent.

Flash’s nostrils flared at the scent of blood that mixed in with the other smells of sweat, cheap air freshener, and misery. Looking towards the bed, he could just make out in the shadows the half-naked form of a young girl partially covered by the bedsheets; she was whimpering as she trembled in shock. He couldn’t make out her face completely, but could easily tell from where he stood that it was swollen, badly bruised, and bleeding. Flash slowly turned his gaze from the girl to the man, barely able to contain his rage. The disgusting slob had gone from shocked to indignant as he turned to face the young intruder, puffing out his flabby chest.

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing in here-AAAAAAH!” He screamed in agony as Flash had instantly seized him by the hair faster than the eye could follow. With a brutal yank, he toppled the man over the corner of the mattress and slammed him, rolling onto the carpet at the foot the bed, ripping out a good portion of his hair in the process. Flash shook his hand, letting it drift to the floor. Ella quickly rushed into the room behind him. She took one look at the man on the floor before turning her attention to the girl on the bed.

“Ashley!” She cried as she immediately jumped up onto the bed and pulled the smaller girl up against her chest into a hug; she wrapped the bed-sheet around her shoulders. “Oh baby…I’m sorry, so sorry…it’s going to be alright.” Flash could tell that she was young, not even as old as him; probably two years his junior. The girl hiccupped once before wailing into Ella’s shoulder. It was a kind of wailing unlike any Flash had ever heard in his life: pain. So much dark, unbearable pain. Ella slowly rocked back and forth as she held her close; she locked eyes with Flash, an understanding seemed to pass between them. A groan snapped Flash back to attention.

“Ugh…the hell…” the man staggered to his knees; his face twisted in rage. “Do you…DO YOU KNOW WHO THE FU-” He slammed hard back down onto the floor once more as the back of Flash’s fist smashed like a cannonball into the side of his face with a vicious ‘smack’. His screaming was muffled as he clamped both hands over his bleeding mouth. “Mm toof! Yoo knokd ou my tooooof!!” Flash tilted his head slightly to the side as he stared down at him, his expression no different than if he were looking at a rather curious insect.

“No. I don’t know who you are. Care to enlighten me? You’ll need to speak up though, I can’t understand a word you’re saying.” He stated, his voice as cold and sharp as the edge of a knife.

“City councilman Harold Johnson,” Came Ella’s voice; Flash glanced back at her to see her glaring in recognition of the miserable wretch. “I see beatin’ girls is still your turn on, how’s that fetish workin’ out for ya?” Just a little more gas on the fire… She smiled grimly as Flash turned his attention back to the councilman; that was all he needed to hear.

“A public servant? Someone responsible for the common good?” Flash glanced right and spied a smartphone on the dresser. “Alright then, let me help you with that.” He bent down and seized the man roughly by one of his ankles, causing him to cry out in pain as Flash squeezed hard enough to bruise; he simultaneously snatched the phone off of the dresser as he turned and began dragging the man out of the room.

“Hey, HEY! STOP!” Johnson attempted to grab onto the doorframe but his hands, slick with his own blood, slipped off. “WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?! SOMEBODY HELP!” Flash ignored his struggles as he continued to drag him down the hall towards the storage room, pushing through the open door as he arrived.

“Shut up.” He snarled as with a grunt of effort, he flung the man against the side of the drug pallet, causing several bricks of heroin to tumble onto the floor. Johnson coughed, spitting some blood onto the floor as he glared up at Flash.

“Ugh…you are so dead kid.” Flash raised an eyebrow, slightly impressed that even now, he could be so defiant; he sighed.

“You strike me,” Flash remarked as he pushed the door until it almost closed, “As someone who has always gotten what they wanted. You think you’re just entitled to everything; that the whole world owes you a living.” His knuckles cracked audibly as he clenched his fist. “I truly despise that, but not as much as I despise the man who would dare raise his hand to a woman...and even defile them...” He took a breath to calm himself before slowly letting it out. “I can’t think of anything more dishonorable, you sickening piece of trash. So tonight,” He tossed the phone he had been holding in his other hand at the man’s chest who fumbled as he caught it. “You’re going to help me make this world a better place. Open it.” He remembered enough from Sunset’s instructions the basics of how these strange devices functioned. The man sneered at him through bloodied, clenched teeth; he was missing two on his left side.

“Go to hell kid.” Flash smiled darkly as he abruptly flicked his right fist inward; a pair of curved, golden blades, each extending about 8 inches past his fist, snapped out from under his jacket sleeve with a metallic ‘clack’. The polished metal glinted in the light, appearing wickedly sharp. Johnson’s eyes widened in horror as he immediately regretted his choice of words.

“Here’s how this is gonna work. I’m going to count to three…” He said as he traced a finger over one of the blades with a thoughtful expression, “And if you haven’t done exactly as I’ve said,” Flash looked back to him as he slowly lowered his hands down to his sides, “I’m going to turn you into a gelding.” His eyes shone momentarily with a blue light. “One…” Johnson blinked in bewilderment before fumbling with the phone, trying to unlocked the screen. “Two…” Flash took a threatening step towards him.

“OKAY! It’s open! It’s open!” he practically blubbered.

“Better. Now, you are going to call the police. Tell them who you are, where you are, and what you have found in this room.” Johnson blinked in shock; his left eye was beginning to swell shut.

“Y-you’re crazy! I’m not calling the cops! Do you-” Flash was suddenly crouched at eye level with him, pressing the dull side of his wrist-blades firmly against the flabby waddle of the man’s chin; his fury was palpable.

“You…are trying my patience, of which I have perilously little remaining.” He let his words sink in for a moment as he stared death into the man’s eyes. “Nothing would please me more than to beat you to death for what you did to that girl, and believe me, I’m considering it. Call. The bucking. Cops.” He growled through clenched teeth. That was all it took. Johnson dialed emergency services and began to desperately spill his guts to the emergency operator everything Flash had told him to say and more. Flash stood up and flicked his wrist again, causing the blades to retract. “That’s better.” He took a quick look around the room before looking back down at his captive. “Oh, and tell them to send a couple of ambulances.” Johnson paused for a second in confusion before relaying the message to the operator.

“W-why do you want ambulances?!” Flash stared at him impassively for a second before stomping savagely on the man’s exposed knee with a sickening ‘crunch’, completely shattering it. Johnson’s face turned white with bone-bending pain as he howled in utter agony. Flash snatched the phone from his hand and held the speaker towards him to ensure maximum effect to whoever was on the other side.

“That’s why.” He deadpanned as he turned and stalked out of the room. Flash figured out how to hang up the call as he examined the different icons on the phone’s screen; one said ‘Photos’. He almost regretted opening it as there were multiple, graphic images taken of what Johnson had been doing to the girl in the other room. It took enormous effort for him to resist the urge to go back and tear the man's head off. Flash stepped back into the room where he had left Ella and froze, she was gone. Buck. The young girl Ashley was sitting upright on the bed with the bed sheet clutched around her, she snapped to attention as he walked into the room. Flash glanced back and forth before slowly approaching the girl on the bed; she shrank back from him as he sat down on the mattress across from her.

“Hey, don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you.” He said as he raised his hands in an nonthreatening manner. “Hi. Uh, wow. You’re really pretty.” He stumbled over his words as he tried to overcome his own embarrassment at the relatively immodest situation. Smooth Flash. He became serious again as he took greater notice of her battered condition. For Celestia’s sake… He began to wish he had broken every bone in that man’s body. Flash reached into his jacket and pulled out a violet, circular crystal about the size of a walnut. “Here, don’t be afraid. I’m here to help.” He reached out and gently pressed the crystal to her face causing her to recoil slightly. It was a sealing crystal, one that could contain any number of basic spells. In this case, it was a simple healing spell, standard issue in battlefield trauma kits. It was capable of stabilizing even severe injuries provided there was no serious damage to the internal organs. The crystal flared briefly with a violet light as the spell activated. Ashley flinched as the magic instantly began to heal her bruised and cut face; it wasn’t a moment before she was made whole.

Flash removed the crystal and tucked it back into his jacket. “There, that’s better now.” He said with a gentle smile. Ashley gaped as she reached up with trembling hands to feel her face. “Now Ashley, I really need you to tell me, where did Ella go?” She stared at him as she registered his words; she had brown eyes and hair.

“I-I’m not sure.” She finally said. “She said to not worry anymore. That…that she was going to take care of everything.”

BUCK! Flash immediately stood up, and handed the phone to the girl. “Here. That phone should have on it all the evidence you need to put that freak away for good.” He turned and began heading for the door. “The police will be here soon. Don’t worry, everything’s going to be alright now.”

“Wait!” Ashley shouted. He paused and looked back at her. The girl looked from the phone in her hands and back to him, “Who are you?” She asked, her expression a mixture of confusion, wonder, and gratitude. He responded with a sympathetic smile.

“A friend.” With that, Flash bolted out of the room, racing back down the hall to find Ella.

Author's Note

There is evil in the world; and wherever we encounter it my friends, it must be opposed, come hell or high water. Even the angels have sharp swords. Keep your neighbor close and God closer, God Bless!

Growing Up

Six years earlier.

“C’mon Flash, you said that you would help us out with the next game!” Slipstream flapped in place outside of the second-story window of the cloud-house, the young colt folding his hooves across his chest in frustration, his alien friend sitting at a desk bent over a book with a quill twirling in his fingers. Flash Skies didn’t even bother to look up from his studies, so absorbed as he was in his reading, the bright afternoon sun providing the perfect lighting.

“Pestering me won’t make me finish any faster, Slipstream.” A few days after their fight all of those years ago, Slipstream had unexpectedly shown up at Flash’s front door to personally apologize for all of the hurtful things he had said. Flash had responded by throwing his arms around the young pegasus in a forgiving embrace, the two of them developing into fast friends ever since. Soon after Sunset Shimmer had left, Flash had been overjoyed to discover that a study packet, the first of many, began to arrive in the mail. They included books and notes on various subjects, a collection of specially prepared lessons assembled in advance by his teacher continued to arrive one week after another, allowing him to continue his education from home. Some of the lessons even included small, personal notes from her commenting on the importance of the subject, giving suggestions, and offering him encouragement. His love for her had swelled alongside the sorrow that she was still gone. Nevertheless, he was determined to carry on in his studies, both to honor her efforts and in order to prepare himself for what he was certain was his calling, to be an Equestrian Royal Guard.

Slipstream huffed and placed his hooves on the windowsill, leaning into the room to get his friend's attention. “Look, Rainbow Dash’s team has been killing us in the last several rounds of capture the flag. Every time we’ve asked you for help you’ve been “busy”. Chopping wood, doing homework, always something.”

“Uh huh…” Flash said absentmindedly as he scribbled down a note on a spare scroll. Slipstream scowled before using his wings to flap a gust of wind inside, scattering papers from the desk. “Hey!” Flash glared at him as he scrambled to snatch papers out of the air.

“Hey yourself!” Slipstream retorted. “Look, will you be there or not?” Flash stared a moment longer at the charcoal-grey pegasus, his electric-yellow mane as vibrant and frazzled as ever. His cutie-mark had come in not long after Flash’s own, an image of a white-knight chess piece. He sighed in resignation.

“Fine…yes! I’ll be there, okay?! Now beat it ya buzzard!” Slipstream grinned as he backed out of the window frame.

“I’ll hold you to that, Flash. Otherwise, I’m going to put a storm cloud in your bed again!” Slipstream turned and darted off at high-speed, purposefully creating another gust that blew papers around Flash’s room, again.

“Lousy, no-good…” The boy angrily grumbled to himself as he bent down and began to gather up his scattered notes again. He couldn’t help but smile sheepishly as he felt a little bit of regret for putting off his friends for so long. Yeah, I guess I kinda deserved that. It’s not like he meant to put them off, he was simply anxious to be completely caught up in his studies, especially since he had received a summons from Princess Celestia last week to meet her in Canterlot tomorrow. He had his hopeful suspicions as to why she wanted to meet, but it had been so long since he had seen her in person and he wanted to make sure that he would be ready for any kind of questions she might have for him about his studies and other ongoing events. Whatever the case, Flash couldn’t wait to see her again.

As he finished stacking the paper on his desk, he caught sight of himself in the full-length mirror on his closet door. He was wearing a black shirt that had an image of his grey shield and lightning bolt cutie mark on the chest. Flash couldn’t help but admire how he was beginning to fill out with some muscle. All of that chopping and hauling wood for Burnt Oak over the years, in addition to his other exercises, were really beginning to pay off. Alright, that’s enough preening for now…He thought, mentally chastising himself. A sudden glint of pink in the distance caught the attention of his hawk-like vision; another trait he had inherited from his mother. Filled with elation, Flash turned and immediately sprinted at near super-sonic speed, scattering his notes once more as he ran downstairs and out the front door to greet his mother returning from her morning shift of cloud-busting.

He waited eagerly on their front lawn, which he had made sure to smooth earlier with the lawn condenser. Bright Skies waved as she picked up some speed, quickly closing the distance before alighting with a few back-flaps in front of him. “Hi mom! How are you?” He said as she returned his hug, which now required her to rear up on her hind legs as her 'little' colt was now a foot taller than her; she could not believe how big he was getting. Bright Skies kissed him on the cheek and he kissed her's as they parted,

“Oh, I’m doing just fine sweetheart,” She replied with a happy smile. “Did you have a good morning?” She asked while beaming brightly at him.

“Yes! I’m all caught up on my lessons and I’ll be ready to go see the Princess tomorrow!” Flash said pumping his fist in triumph.

“Well, I’m happy to hear that. I got done with my shift early and thought I’d come home so we could have lunch together. I’m thinking grilled cheese and tomato soup, how about you?” She said while raising a sly eyebrow, knowing that was another one of his favorites. Flash’s eyes practically sparkled.

“Oh, sweet heavenly Celestia! Could this day get any better?! Yo-” Bright Skies blinked in sudden shock as her son instantly vanished before her eyes with a loud ‘whump’ in a streak of rainbow light. She looked to her right to see a familiar, cyan-blue filly with a rainbow main and tail sitting on top of Flash who was now face-down in the cloud-bank almost 50 feet away. Rainbow Dash shook her head to clear it as she glanced back at Bright Skies with an unapologetic grin.

“Oh, hey Miss B’! How are you?” She said in her scratchy voice. Bright Skies rolled her eyes and sighed.

“I guess it will be three for lunch today…” she said as she turned and trotted through the front door and into her house. Some muffled grumbling caused Rainbow Dash to look back down at her friend pinned beneath her hooves; she leaned down closer to listen.

“What’s that? You need to speak up Flash, I can’t hear you.” She chuckled as she leaned in closer. She was then startled as an arm suddenly shot back and hooked around her neck, yanking her with a twist as her captive rolled her over. “Hey!”

“…the big idea…think you can crash into me AT OVER 400 KNOTS?! EAT CLOUD VAPOR!” Flash screamed as he shoved her face into the clouds. Rainbow Dash struggled a moment before breaking free and rolling away from him.

“Oh, look who can’t take a joke, you overgrown monkey, I'd bet even Fluttershy could have dodged that!” She said as she crouched with her wings spread.

“Dodge this!” Flash shouted as he tackled her, the two of them now grappling across the clouds in an attempt to pin the other.

“Got you now!”

“No you don’t!”

“Blue buzzard!”

“Furless freak!”

"Who's a freak?!"

“OW! Hey! No biting!” Flash finally got the upper hand, grabbing one of her hind legs and leaning back against it, pinned her against the clouds. “Alright! Uncle!” Rainbow Dash finally shouted after struggling a moment before tapping out. Flash released her and fell back onto his elbows, spitting out a blue feather from his mouth with a loud ‘puh!’ They sat still for a moment, each panting in an attempt to catch their breath.

“Ha! My point!” Flash said triumphantly as he sat up. Rainbow Dash got to her hoofs as she shook herself off, flapping her wings a few times before folding them.

“Yeah…fine.” She huffed before glancing back at him with a smirk. “The score’s still mine though, seven to four!”

“No way!” Flash angrily objected, “It should only be six to four!” The smug pegasus shook her head.

“Nope. You were totally unprepared when I tackled you, that counts as a point in my favor.” Flash sprang to his feet.

“That’s not fair! That was a totally underhoofed attack!” Rainbow Dash flicked her mane dismissively.

“You should be ready for anything ‘Mr. Wannabe a Royal Guard someday.’” Flash growled as he crossed his arms.

“Ugh, fine. It’ll just make it that much sweeter when I kick your flank in capture the flag later.” His friend turned and slowly sauntered up to him, a sly grin on her lips.

“Oh? Is that so? Wanna bet on it?”

“Anything you care to lose?” He retorted. Rainbow Dash was silent for a moment before locking eyes with him, a mischievous look spreading across her face.

“Alright then, if my team wins, you have to scratch my ears for an hour!” She smiled smugly, confident that he would never take such a steep gamble; she was mistaken.

“Fine!” Flash replied without hesitation. “And if my team wins you forfeit your current lead and I am the winner for this month.”

“Deal!” Rainbow Dash put her hoof out and Flash bumped it with his fist.

“Deal.” He suddenly bolted past her towards his house. “Last one to lunch is a rotten apple!”

“Hey!” She shouted as she immediately took off after him.

Celestia’s sun settled lower on the horizon as the day grew late, orange rays illuminated the sky casting the City of Cloudsdale in a warm glow. Several Pegasi were still out enjoying the cool evening air; they barely took notice of the strange pair lounging together on a small cloud on the outskirts of town.

“Mmmm…oh yeah…right there…” Rainbow Dash groaned as she twisted her neck to push a particular spot behind her left ear into her friend’s hand. Flash was leaning back against her barrel as she laid behind him; his left arm resting on her neck as he methodically scratched her left ear before slowly switching to the other. He rolled his eyes as he looked out over the city, his legs dangling carefree as his bare-feet kicked lazily over the edge of the cloud they were sitting on.

“Yeah, yeah…enjoy it while you can…lousy, feather-brained, speed-demon…” Flash grumbled under his breath. Rainbow Dash’s eyes were closed as she dozed in and out of consciousness.

“I heard that…” She mumbled, too content to care though. “Not my fault for being the coolest and the fastest.” Flash scoffed slightly but decided to let it go; besides it was a nice evening, he was with his best friend, and he was seeing Celestia tomorrow; all in all, not too shabby. He took a moment to enjoy the beautiful view of his hometown from above. As he looked on, Flash caught sight of a pair of pegasi, a young mare and stallion, flitting about each other high above them like two robins in spring time. The yellow mare with a ruby-red mane darted behind a cloud before peaking out over it in a teasing manner. The midnight-blue stallion with a white, short-cropped mane eagerly pursued her, plopping down on the cloud right in front of her. She responded by unexpectedly pecking him on the muzzle before darting off like a sparrow.

Flash blushed in tandem with the stallion who shook his head in shock before shooting off after her. Flash looked away, slightly embarrassed but could not help but smile at the cute scene he had just witnessed. They look so happy. He thought as he gently gripped one of Rainbow Dash’s velvety ears between his finger and thumb, scratching away as he stared off into the distance. He tried to put his mind off it, but try as he might, his mind kept circling back to a realization that had been coming up in his mind ever more frequently during the past year. There’s somepony for everypony…except me. “Hey Dash?” The sleepy pony mumbled something incoherent in reply. “Do you think…I’ll ever find out what I am? If there are other’s like me?”

“…mmmgzz…num num…” Was her only response; Flash paused scratching.

“Well do you?” Rainbow Dash let off a huge yawn, smacking her lips.

“…uhnn….less yappin’…more scratchin'.” He frowned as he sharply flicked her ear with his index finger.

“OW! Hey!” Rainbow Dash snapped her head up, now fully alert as she glared at him, “What the hay was that for?!” Flash looked away guiltily.

“Ugh…nevermind. Sorry.” She cocked her head to one side as she considered him.

“Hey, are you alright Flash?”

“I said forget about it.” He said as he reached for one of her ears. Rainbow Dash shook her head as she pulled away from his hand. She forced him to sit up as she rose to her hooves before moving to his side and sitting down next to him.

“Nuh-uh. You’re telling me what’s wrong right now.” She stared at him intensely, not letting up until he was forced to meet her gaze; Flash finally turned and met her magenta eyes.

“Well, its just that…I’m eleven years old now. I’ve been in Equestria for over ten years, and yet, nopony knows what I am or where I came from...not even Celestia.” He looked away sadly. Rainbow Dash remained silent, signaling for him to go on. He gave her a sad smile. “Am I...always going to be alone? Are there no others like me?” Rainbow Dash turned away, gazing down in thought, she didn't want to give her friend a careless answer.

Urgh, why is this so hard? Fluttershy is always the better one to talk to about feelings and stuff. C'mon...think! This means a lot to him. A thought suddenly came to her, and she looked back at him and smiled.

“You had to have come from somewhere, Flash. There must be others like you.”

“Yeah, but, what if I never get to see one of them?” Rainbow Dash replied by extending a strong wing across his shoulders and pulling him to her side in a warm hug.

“Don’t think like that. I don’t know how, but I have a feeling that you’ll find out where you came from and that someday, you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for.” She favored him with a warm smile as he considered her words.

“You really think so?” Her eyes narrowed in a confident expression as she gave a firm nod.

“Yeah, I really do.” Flash smiled as he put an arm around her and hugged her back.

“Thanks Dash.”

Oh yeah, nailed it! Hey, I'm pretty good at this whole 'advice' thing. “Don’t sweat it Flash! It's what friends are for." Rainbow Dash allowed him to enjoy the hug for a moment longer before thinking, Alright, that's enough of this syrupy stuff for now. "Besides,” she grinned mischievously, “I bet there are others like you that can give way better ear scratches than you do.” She laughed as he scowled at her.

“You had to go and ruin the moment!" Rainbow Dash pulled away as he took a half-hearted swipe at her. "I knew it! You only like me for my fingers!”

“Well duh! I had to find something you’re good at!” They both glared at the other for a second before cracking up simultaneously in riotous laughter, falling onto their backs in their shared humor. After a while they both fell silent, staring up at the beautiful evening twilight coloring the sky; they stayed that way for a few more minutes as they caught their breath. Flash was the one who finally broke the silence.

“Thanks again Dash, you’re the best friend an alien could ask for.” She twisted her head and gently bumped her forehead against his shoulder.

“You’re not too bad yourself Flash.” He grinned as he suppressed a giggle.

“Feather brain.”

“Monkey butt.”

The sharp ringing of an alarm clock going off early the next morning caused the young human to stir from under the warm sheets of his soft cloud-bed as he reached over with fumbling fingers to silence the incessant noise. Once it was off, Flash laid on his back for a moment longer while gazing up at the tall ceiling of his bedroom. So comfy…He snuggled a bit deeper under his sheets, his whole body feeling like lead. It was six in the morning and the late summer light of the morning sun was already streaming through the gaps of the drawn blinds that covered the window of his room. The Princess is up. You should get up. Eventually, it was the tantalizing scent of frying bacon wafting up from the kitchen below that finally gave him the will to move. You’re the best mom. Flash suddenly wrinkled his nose as he began to feel a large sneeze coming on, but it faded as quickly as it had appeared. Huh, that felt a little weird. He thought as he rubbed his nose. Flash took a quick glance up at the large, metal pull-up bar that stuck out of the side of the wall close to the top of the twelve-foot ceiling of his room. Well, best get to it.

Throwing off his sheets, Flash quickly sprang from his mattress and landed on the floor at the foot of his bed before dropping to the floor to stretch and carry out his morning physicals. Ever since he had made up his mind to try and join the Royal Equestrian Guard, he had taken on this habit of a morning exercise routine, gradually intensifying it over the years in order to discipline his body. It was especially helpful for the physical demands that came when he began working for Burnt Oak all of those years ago. He knew that he could never hope to match the stout earth pony in strength, but as Sunset had told him, ‘push past your limits.’

After quickly belting out one-hundred push-ups, with his blood now hot and heart racing, Flash looked up and leaped the nearly twelve feet towards the ceiling, latching onto the steel bar to begin the same number of pull-ups, breathing hard. When those were completed, he neatly flipped himself upside-down, hanging from his legs to do the same number of sit-ups; it didn't take him long. …ninety-nine, one-hundred! A fine sheen of sweat coated his limbs as he finally finished. Flash hung there for a moment, gasping and panting, his arms swaying limply as he waited to catch his breath, his whole body burning with lactic acid. When his breathing finally slowed, the boy kicked off the bar, and flipping over, landed lightly on his feet next to his bed; control of his equilibrium was something that came easily to him. Satisfied, Flash walked out of his bedroom towards the bathroom to brush his teeth and take a much-needed cool shower.

After completing his morning ablutions, as he walked by the bathroom mirror, Flash suddenly paused as he noticed that his silvery hair appeared to be sticking nearly straight up, as if he were sitting on a charged storm cloud. He ran a hand over it in attempt to push it down; no luck. Huh, maybe they’re preparing a lighting storm later. Shrugging, he went to his closet to pick out a special outfit for his meeting with the Princess. He chose an emerald-green, long-sleeved collared shirt made of a soft, velvet-like material. The shirt also sported a small image of his cutie mark embroidered onto the left breast.

Flash smiled at the memory of when Rainbow Dash had introduced him to Rarity in Ponyville. The aspiring fashionista jumping at the opportunity to design clothing for his unique form. That filly sure knows her stuff, I’ll have to thank her again later. A pair of dark slacks, a brown belt, and his black shoes completed the ensemble. As Flash prepared to don the outfit, he suddenly felt a tingling spreading rapidly over his entire body before concentrating in his face. He held his nose with both hands as he felt a tremendous sneeze building. “Ah…Ah…”

Bright Skies hummed to herself as she finished setting the table for breakfast. She wanted to make sure that her son would have a good meal to begin such an important day. As the pony walked back to the stove to turn off the heat, she was almost knocked off of her hooves as the entire house shook with an enormous clap of thunder. Oh for Celestia’s sake! “Flash Skies!” Bright Skies shouted as she turned and galloped up the stairs. “Did you and Slipstream hide a storm cloud in your room again?!” The flustered pegasus moved down the hall and pushed open the bedroom door. “I swear, if you two don’t act your age I’ll-” Bright Skies was cut off as she saw her son sprawled out on the floor in nothing but his underwear, attempting to push himself up on his elbows as scraps of scorched paper drifted about in the air. Blue-lightning curled and flickered about his body as he shook his head; his eyes went wide as he caught sight of her.

“MOM!” He shouted as he rolled over behind his bed to get out of her sight. Flash ripped the bedsheet off and wrapped it around himself as he peaked over the mattress, blushing furiously. “Knock before you barge in!” She immediately threw a wing up over her eyes and glanced away.

“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry!” Bright Skies said as she nervously glanced at him with one eye between two primary feathers. She waited until he was decent as he pulled on a pair of sweatpants that had been laying on the floor. “Flash, what happened?! Are you alright?”

“I don’t know…I mean, yeah. I think so.” He said as he rubbed the side of his head; the lighting sparked and fizzled about him a few more times before it finally faded out of sight. “Ugh...but it feels like I just tackled a fully-charged storm cloud.” Bright Skies slowly approached him before tentatively putting out a hoof to tap his arm. Sure enough, she could feel electrical feedback through her hoof, the same as if she were handling a storm cloud.

“You feel just like a charged thunderhead!” She said with wonder. Flash held his hands up, staring at them for a moment before spreading them out and quickly clapping them together. The effect was immediate: there was a flash of light accompanied by a loud bang; the sudden discharge of electricity sent him flying onto his back.

“WHAT THE HAY?!” He shouted in shock and frustration as he propped himself up again on his elbows. Flash looked up at his surprised mother who stared back in bewilderment at him. “What am I going to do now?! I can’t go out like this!” Bright Skies sighed before reaching out a hoof to help him up.

“Well for now, let’s just stay calm about this. I’m sure the Princess knows somepony who can help you figure this out.” Flash groaned as he got back to his feet.

“Stay calm?! I’m shooting off lightning mom!” Flash began to nervously pace while holding his head in his hands. “How am I going to explain this to the Princess? What if this keeps me out of the academy?! Oh, this could qualify as a 4F…” Bright Skies reached a hoof out and stopped him. She smiled as she placed the same hoof on top of his hair, still charged with static and standing straight up. The experienced weather-pony concentrated and focused her magic for a moment before running her hoof over his head; his hair slowly discharged and settled back into its normal form. Bright Skies chuckled softly as she withdrew her hoof, shaking the tingling energy from her limb.

More surprises from my little alien.“Don’t worry Flash, I’m sure you’ll figure out what this is and how to control it.” She turned and headed for the door. “For now, just finish getting ready. The sky-chariot will be here soon.” Flash groaned as he ran a hand back through his hair.

Of all the days…

“Just tell them it’s because you have such an ‘electrifying’ personality dear!” Bright Skies called out as she headed back downstairs. Flash thought his eyes might roll out of his skull.

“That’s such a ‘mom-joke’ mom!” He scowled as he gathered up his outfit.

“That’s my prerogative!” Her sweet laughter ringing down the hall caused him to smile in spite of it all.

The trip to Canterlot Castle had gone smoothly enough; no new surprise lighting-discharges. Flash had taken the time to try and remain calm by focusing on his breathing, it seemed to help. Just keep it steady. He thought as he paced slowly around the large corridor outside of the throne room as he waited for the Princess. It was a beautiful day and the morning sun was streaming through the grand windows of the hall, reflecting off of the white-marble floors creating a beautiful, luminous effect. The two pegasi royal guards standing outside of the double doors in their signature golden armor were as unreadable as ever, but Flash swore he caught one of them smirking slightly for a second; a twinkle of amusement seemed to glimmer in his eye. I can do this…just stay calm. Breathe in, breathe ou-”

“Good morning Flash.” No aspiring soldier should ever be heard to make such an undignified yelp, let alone in the presence of his liege. Flash found himself leaning back against the breastplate of one of the guards he fell into who, in his opinion, deserved a medal for not biting off his own tongue as he suppressed his laughter.

So much for remaining calm His heart felt as if it were about to hammer its way out of his chest. “P-princess Celestia!” She was never in the throne room, Flash had merely assumed that's where she was. In the meantime, she had somehow managed to sneak up behind him from the opposite direction without making so much as a peep. Now the magnificent Princess of the Sun stood before him in all her pristine glory with an amused smile gracing her elegant features; her ethereal mane and tail sparkling in the sunlight. How did she do that?! Flash quickly regained his composure and dropped to one knee, bowing low before her. “I-I didn’t see you there, forgive me you highness!” She reached a hoof out and gently lifted up his chin.

“Rise my little one, no need to be so formal with me Flash.” Celestia drew him into a warm hug as he stood which he gladly returned; he always marveled at the sheer amount of energy he could feel radiating from her through her warm, white fur. “Gotcha.” She whispered playfully into his ear as she released him; he turned crimson. Flash realized that the Princess was getting payback for the time he had jump-scared her all of those months ago when she was visiting him last in Cloudsdale; Slipstream had dared him.

Prankster level: Grand-Master. Flash mused to himself. Celestia turned and gently touched his back with the edge of her wing, encouraging him to walk with her. Despite his growth spurt, she still towered above him. The young human took notice that her hoof-steps on the marble only gradually began to produce sound once more. She even used a stealth-step spell! He marveled in disbelief. She waited until his embarrassment passed before speaking to him again.

“So, how have you been Flash? Is your mother well?” He swore he could listen to her soothing voice all day. He coughed and cleared his throat.

“Yes, I am…I’m doing so well Princess, and so is my mother. Thank you!” He replied nervously. Celestia dipped her head slightly in acknowledgment.

“Well I’m certainly glad to hear that, and I’m so glad you’re here today. As you probably have guessed, I have some good news that I wish to share with you.” Flash looked up at her, eyes full of hope. “After much deliberation, I am happy to announce to you that your application into the Equestrian Royal Guard Junior Academy has been accepted, congratulations!” The joy that surged through him caused Flash to instantly forget all of his previous nervousness about his present condition as well as the deferential reverence he normally displayed in Celestia’s presence as he cried out in happiness, flinging himself into the Princess’ side with a hug.

“THANK YOU! Oh thankyouthankyouthankyou Princess!” Celestia chuckled as she gazed down in delight at his exuberant reaction. “I promise that I’ll do my very best!”

“I know you will, little one,” She leaned down and twisted her neck to give the side of his face a loving nuzzle. “I expect great things from you, Flash.” Princess Celestia silently marveled once more at how this small stranger from another world, a creature so different from them, had so completely given himself over to Equestrian society. Such enthusiastic loyalty, such love! I wonder if all of his kind are so wonderfully disposed?

Celestia happily recalled the day, less than a year prior, when he had first requested her permission to apply. She remembered taking him aside in order to carefully explain to him the challenges he would face if he chose to pursue this particular path. The reality was that there were many within the Guard who were opposed to him even being allowed to apply and the reasons they had presented to her were fair; going far beyond the obvious biological differences which in and of themselves, would create a distraction. For one, it would mean breaking the time-honored tradition and uniformity that had been painstakingly built up and maintained within the Guard; he would be the first non-pony in Equestrian History to ever be accepted into the Academy.

Additionally, they pointed out that his very presence would inevitably create the appearance of special treatment as Celestia's personal affection for Flash was no secret. This alone had the potential to create animosity within the ranks and might cause his superiors, even on a subconscious level, to treat the human differently. This concern remained despite Celestia’s repeated assurances to them that they would have no need to fear of any reprisals from her and that Flash should be treated no differently than any other recruit and that this was precisely what he wanted.

Lastly, she told him that for all of these reasons, even if he was accepted and could pass muster, that he would likely have to endure at least some level of prejudice and disapproval from many of his fellow guards, even long into the future. Celestia smiled as she remembered Flash’s response when she had asked him, with all of these things considered, if he still desired to become a Royal Guard. Without hesitation, the boy replied with an adamant, ‘Yes.’ That was all Celestia needed to hear; his determination was astounding. He had her approval and backing, he would get his chance; she could not be more proud of him. He truly is one of us.

Flash for his part felt his love for his Princess exploding. He was well aware that his acceptance into the academy was due in no small part to her personally advocating on his behalf. As he treasured this special moment, the boy understood that he now had a long and difficult road ahead of him. He would receive no special treatment. He would need to work very hard in order to make good on his stated intent and to compose himself with excellence; not only for his own honor, but that of Celestia who had vouched for him. Flash swore then and there that he would always represent her well and that he would repay the Princess and every other pony for their kindness to him.

Celestia ended the embrace but not before briefly touching her nose to his, causing him to blush slightly. “There is one more matter that I need your assistance with while you are here my little one.” Flash nodded eagerly.

“Of course Princess! Your wish is my command!” Celestia smiled warmly at him as she resumed walking down the corridor.

“As you are already aware, after Sunset Shimmer’s unfortunate departure, I took on another student.” Flash’s jubilant spirit was slightly dampened by that sad memory; his love for his former tutor had never faded. He had never met this successor, she always seemed to be absent when he was visiting with Celestia; but he had heard of her. Apparently, she was supposed to be something of a magical prodigy from what others had said. Flash had always been a bit dismissive of those reports. After all, nopony could possibly be as smart or as powerful as Sunset was. This Twilight Sparkle was probably just talked up by the gossip vine in order to lessen the blow of losing a true prodigy like Sunset Shimmer. Celestia continued,

“Before you arrived here today, my student Twilight was made aware that you would be coming and she has been rather…eager to meet you.” Flash frowned slightly in confusion.

“I don’t understand, I have been here many times over the years. Why did I never meet her sooner?” Celestia gave a knowing smile.

“Twilight is one who is very devoted to her studies.” Devoted? More like a religion. “There are times I can hardly drag her out of the library.” She chuckled. “Every other time you have been here previously, she was otherwise occupied. But today, she made the point of asking me to see you; she is very curious.” Flash nodded.

She likes to read, huh? Maybe we will be able to relate a little… At the same time, Flash felt a little self-aware. How often had he put off his friends because of his dedication to his studies and work? “What would you like me to do Princess?”

“For now? Just talk with her. Twilight will likely wish to conduct an exploratory interview of sorts and take some notes about you. After all,” Celestia gave him a sidelong glance, “You are a fairly unique presence in Equestria, Flash Skies.” He smiled shyly at her description. At the same time, a flood of warm memories of Sunset studying him, taking notes and asking him questions came to mind. Celestia paused before a set of white and gold double doors that he recognized as leading to one of the ancillary study wings. “More importantly my dear Flash, I think it would do her a great deal of good to simply spend some time with somepony else. Could you do that for me?” If she had asked him to wrestle a wild manticore, Flash could not imagine refusing her.

“Absolutely, your highness. I would be more than happy to help.” After all, how hard could this be? Celestia seemed to have guessed his thoughts; she raised a bemused eyebrow that said, 'Prepare yourself' as her magic pushed the doors open. Flash stood with Celestia at the entrance to the room and peered inside. The study’s walls were lined with bookshelves and tasteful fixtures, with a map of Equestria adorning the far side and a long, rose-wood writing table in the center of the room. Sitting at the table, engrossed in one of several books, was a young, lavender unicorn with a violet mane sporting a few pink highlights. From what Flash could tell, she was no longer a filly, but not quite an adult. He guessed her age to be around fifteen, perhaps a year older than Rainbow Dash. So, this is Twilight Sparkle. Huh…thought she’d be older.

“Twilight, there’s somepony here to see you.” Celestia called out. Twilight immediately perked up.

“Princess Celestia!” She quickly gathered up all of her books, quills, and parchment at once into two saddlebags bearing her star-shaped cutie mark in what Flash thought was a rather impressive display of casual telekinesis. She began trotting towards them. “I didn’t think you’d be here so soon I-” Twilight froze as she caught sight of Flash standing at Celestia’s side. Her violet eyes widened; Flash noted that they were the same color as his mother’s and, partially, his own. That was the last coherent thought he had before a mad grin spread over the unicorn’s face as she practically materialized in front of him.

“OH MY GOSH! HE’S REALLY HERE!” Flash staggered backwards as the young mare exploded into his personal space, energetically trotting all around him. “Wow! He really is bipedal! Are you able to fly?”

“Uh, not really-”

“Is it true that you need meat in order to survive?”

“That’s not quite-”

“You really don’t have any fur, do you?!” Her magic tugged curiously at his entire body the whole time she spoke; pulling on his limbs, opening his mouth, and lifting his shirt.

“MADAM!" Flash shouted as he tugged his shirt back down, blushing furiously; he noticed how delightfully amused Celestia seemed to be at the entire scene. She knew this would happen…As overwhelmed as he was by Twilight's excitement, he couldn’t help but think that the unicorn was a bit adorable in her contagious enthusiasm. Sunset had never been this wild in her mannerisms; then again, she was a bit older.

“Sorry!” Twilight took a few steps back but still had an eager grin plastered across her face. She held her hoof out, “Twilight Sparkle, I’m so happy to finally meet you Flash!”

“Likewise,” he said nervously as he shook the offered limb.

“Oh, I’ve heard so much about you! This is just so amazing! Do you mind if I could ask you some questions?” Twilight began to levitate a quill and scroll from her saddlebags. Before Flash could answer her, he felt a severe tingling building up in his body and focusing into his nose.

Oh no…He held up a finger as he began to squint, his face contorting in restraint. “Agh…Ah…” Celestia cocked her head to one side in concern.

“Flash dear, are you alright?”

“Eck..AH…WAAAH-CHOO-” An enormous flash of light accompanied by a deafening thunderclap shattered the quiet decorum of the castle, sending many of the castle staff scattering in panic while several guard came galloping in from all directions in to assess the situation. Flash for his part was lying flat on his back; his shoes had been blown clear off his feet while several holes were burnt into his now smoking garments. Ugh…It’s over…and Rarity’s going to kill me. He sat up as the smoke cleared, a black ring was scorched into the marble around him. Looking up, he saw that Celestia had thrown up a magical barrier around herself and Twilight. The princess blinked at him, not hiding her surprise.

“Um, Flash? Is there something you needed to tell me?” He barely registered her words, distracted as he was by the crazed unicorn who currently had her face and hooves mashed against the golden magic of Celestia’s barrier. Twilight stared hungrily at him as if she were a foal at Hearths Warming looking through a toy shop window at the last ‘must-have’ item of the season; that grin could only be described as ‘manic’.

“Please don’t drop that barrier…” Flash murmured as Celestia released her magic; Twilight shot towards him like an arrow released from a bow. “…help…”

“What an incredible ability!” She shouted as she rapidly circled him. “Have you always been like this? Are you able to control it? What does it feel like?! Oh, this could open a whole new area of study in weather magic related phenomena!” Princess Celestia finally intervened.

“Just a moment Twilight,” She said as she gently raised the boy back to his feet with her magic. “Give him a moment to compose himself.” Twilight retreated slightly to her side but was still practically prancing in place, grinning from ear to ear. “Flash, could you please tell us exactly what just happened?” He sighed as he brushed his ruined clothing off and, starting from the beginning, explained to them what had been happening to him since that morning. Celestia listened patiently, a concerned expression on her face while Twilight furiously scribbled down notes based on what he said. Flash’s face fell as he finally finished.

“It’s just that, well, why now? I’ve never had anything like this happen to me before.” Celestia appeared pensive for a moment before speaking.

“Well, I have one theory. It could be because your body is beginning to mature." Flash looked curiously up at her. "Many changes occur in every creature when they begin to um…grow.” A random ‘eep!’ came from Twilight who appeared on the verge of bursting with excited curiosity. Celestia continued, “This phenomenon could be a latent ability that was created when you first received your magic, but only now is beginning to emerge.” Flash cringed.

“This won’t keep me out of the academy, will it Princess?” Celestia’s face broke into a sympathetic smile. She placed a hoof comfortingly under his chin.

“No, it shouldn’t. Not if you can learn to control it.” Flash felt warm relief flood through him, relieving the tension that had been building up in him; a few random sparks popped from his fingertips.

“Thank you, princess.” Celestia chuckled as she pulled her hoof away.

“But first, we need to help you figure out exactly what it is that is happening with you.” She looked down at Twilight who looked like a sprinter waiting for the starter pistol to go off. “Fortunately, I think I know somepony who would be more than happy to help you with that.” Flash nervously took a step backwards.

“Uhh…”

“Twilight, do you think you cou-” It was like watching a flame fall on flash-powder.

“YES!” The lavender unicorn sprang forward so quickly that Flash thought she might have teleported. “Yes!Yes!Yes!Thankyousomuchprincess!”

“Wait! Don’t I get a-”

Flash suddenly found Twilight’s muzzle nearly touching his nose as she practically jumped on him. “Don’t worry Flash, you and I are going to learn so much about you together!” With that, she seized him firmly in her magic and began to drag him in the direction of the castle library. Flash clawed fruitlessly at the marble floor, a look of horror etched onto his face.

“Princess…HELP!” Celestia was turning a lovely shade of red as she fought to suppress her laughter.

“You two have fun!” She called out after them. “I’ll check in on you later after I’ve had a chance to consult with some of my researchers!” And after I've found a secluded place to laugh my head off. Celestia heard her student’s jubilant voice echo down the hall.

“We’re going to need more boo-OOKS!”

“SOMEPONY HEEELP!!!!”

Author's Note

Growing up can be so hard at times.
Sorry for the delay, I hope this was worth the wait! Let me know your thoughts below.
As always, God Bless you all!

Equestrian

"Flash?"

"Yes Ella?"

"Why can't I take revenge on Enrique? He ruined my life, the lives of so many others...he deserves to die."

"Maybe he does."

"So why not?" Flash sighed but he gave her a friendly smile, one filled with warmth and compassion. Ella refused to meet his gaze as she kept her eyes locked on the road ahead with a distant look, as if she were gazing into the past.

"Because no good can come from it. All revenge can create is more pain, more suffering; and it ends up making us as ugly as those who hurt us." He turned to face forward, "I don't want you becoming ugly." Ella scoffed slightly.

"I think it's a little too late for that, Flash." He smiled.

"No. I don't think it is."

Ella checked the snub-nosed .38 revolver she was clutching tightly in her hand for what must have been the tenth time as the elevator rose steadily to the fifth floor, the top floor; Enrique's floor. This is where he and his associates would conduct business and relax. Laughing and living it up like kings without a care in the world for all the hell happening beneath their feet, a hell of their own making. Ella imagined that even without a key card to access the elevator, it would not take Flash long to find her. That kid is relentless. She would need to act quickly. She immediately pushed aside the bit of guilt she felt at giving Flash the slip. She had to do this, she needed to do this; and she would, with or without him. Ella shook her head, trying to clear his words from her mind as she attempted to bring her focus to bear.

Sorry Flash, but I'm doing this. She turned her attention instead to her burning hatred of Enrique, all the ugly things she had to do because of him. Her hate was inflamed all the more by the wrath she felt at seeing little Ashley so badly roughed up, just another thing to add to the list of reasons as to why he needed to die. Ella remembered when the young girl was first brought in and how she had done her best to look out for her, but the younger ones were so hard to protect. He'll pay...I'll make him suffer for what he did to me...to her.

The elevator neatly chimed as it reached its destination, the door gliding open in smooth silence. Ella stood to one side out of sight in case there was anyone in the hall before peeking out briefly; all clear. This area was far better furnished than the basement level she was more familiar with. Hardwood floors lined the hall with dark, violet wallpaper decorating the walls. After checking once more that the way was clear, she carefully made her way down the corridor, hugging the wall towards the first junction. Ella's heart began to beat faster as she thought she could make out Enrique's voice coming faintly from around the corner up ahead to the right, the way that led to his spacious office; it sounded like he was on the phone. She tried to steady her breathing as her palms began to feel sweaty. Peeking around the next corner, she could see the luxurious, wooden double doors about thirty feet away. They were slightly ajar, allowing her to glimpse a bit of movement inside, but not much beyond that.

As cautiously as a cat stalking a mouse, Ella inched her way towards the doors, staying out of sight of the small opening. As she finally reached them, Ella stole a couple of brief glances through the small opening, finally able to see him. Enrique was sitting on the far side of the room behind his ornate, rose-wood desk; he was indeed on the phone chatting away, completely oblivious to the fact that his reckoning had come. Ella gritted her teeth as she stared a moment longer, hating the fact that Enrique was just as handsome and seemingly carefree as ever. With his dark complexion, close-cropped beard to compliment his wavy, dark-chocolate hair and matching eyes, he had the looks of a model. What she hated even more though, was the fact that she still found him attractive after all of this time, even though she knew his beauty was literally only skin-deep; underneath, he was a soulless monster. And here he was, all alone; completely at her mercy. This is too perfect. Was her last thought before she violently shoved open the door and stepped into the room.

Stars exploded across her vision as Ella felt something hard and heavy slammed into the side of her head. She felt her body go limp as the hardwood floor rushed up to meet her. Dazed and unable to move, Ella felt someone tug the gun from her limp hand as strong hands roughly grabbed her underneath her arms, dragging her to her knees; someone was laughing derisively, but it sounded like it was far away. The sharp pain of her arm being twisted behind her back brought her somewhat back into focus as she was yanked to her feet. Ella shook her head as her vision started to clear, but her head continued to throb painfully. Looking around the room, she saw three other men present, four counting the one holding her from behind. They all began to move away from the sides of the entrance where they had been hiding, laughing and snickering to themselves. Ella looked up and saw Enrique leaning back in his chair also laughing as he gave her a slow round of mocking applause. With casual ease, he reached over to the silver laptop on his desk and used one finger to slowly spin it around to face her. Ella felt her heart sink into her stomach as she saw two black and white camera feeds on the screen: one of the interior of the elevator, and another of the view of the hall just outside his office. They had seen her coming from a mile away, the phone call had been a ruse. Enrique grinned at her.

"Hey babe, saw ya coming and just thought it would be nice to throw you a surprise 'Welcome Back' party." His voice was as smooth as an oiled-dagger and about as comforting, it gave her chills. Ella tried to pull away from whoever was holding her only to hiss in pain as whoever was gripping her arm twisted it further. The rest of Enrique's crew, a motley assortment of unsavory creeps dressed in a various assortment of boring, modern styles, continued to spread out into the room, presumably resuming the places they'd been at before they had noticed her intrusion. One of them went over and flopped down on the red-leather couch on the left while the other walked around the ornate glass-table in the center-left of the room to go behind the bar on the right side, pulling a bottle off the wall to pour himself a drink. The third leaned back against the bar while keeping an eye on her; he casually tossed her black revolver on top of the counter with a clatter.

Stupid! Stupid! Ella screamed at herself in her mind. She had allowed her emotions to cloud her judgement. Of course it had been too perfect, too easy. Of course Enrique would have cameras set up outside his office. How could she not realize that sooner?! Because she let her anger get the better of her, just like Flash had hinted to her earlier as his personal struggle. Oh where is that kid...

Enrique stood up and strolled around his desk, making his way towards her. He was clad in white slacks and a light pink polo shirt that fit loosely around his fairly toned physique; Ella made no effort to conceal the venom in her expression. "You have caused me quite a bit of trouble Ella." He stated in a calm, mocking tone as if he were scolding a child; he now stood less than a foot away. Enrique gave a dangerous smile as he counted out fingers on one hand, "First, you steal from me. Then you leave without saying goodbye, you cost me extra pay, and even put some of my guys in the hospital!" He reached out to caress the side of her cheek, "And after everything I've done for you."

Ella snarled and attempted to bite his hand, nearly succeeding as he quickly pulled it back. "Oh ho!" He laughed as some of the other men chuckled in amusement.

"Careful Riq!" The man behind the bar snickered, "She's a feisty one!" Ella grimaced as the man behind her painfully grabbed onto a fistful of her hair and twisted it, holding her head firmly in place. Enrique shook his hand out a few times.

"That she is!" He leaned in close to her face, she could smell his cologne. "But you know, that's what I've always liked about you Ella," He said as he grabbed her chin between his forefinger and thumb. "You always kept that defiant spirit, I can respect that. And take this for what you will, but I always considered you my greatest catch." Ella glared death at him while breathing hard, but she refused to give into his taunts. She could get out of this. She had made a serious error, yes; but she still had one ace up her sleeve.

They don't know yet that Flash is downstairs. Ella chuckled out loud which surprised Enrique a little. She gave him a smug grin despite the pounding ache growing in her head. "Aintcha even a little curious as ta' how I got up her in the first place you sick freak?" His eyebrows raised slightly in annoyance. "You think I just strolled in through the front door?" Enrique was silent for a moment before he smiled slightly, seemingly regaining his composure.

"Oh, don't worry sweetheart, I was planning on asking." He replied coolly, "We have so much to catch up on." He stood up straight as he slowly cracked the knuckles on his right hand in an intimidating manner; there was a small gold ring with a single diamond on his right pinky finger. "Let's start with your new friend. Where's this little tough guy I've heard so much about? Is he waiting out in the club for you? Maybe we should invite him up, then we can all have a good time." A few of his men snickered a bit. Ella smirked.

"Nah, last I checked he was downstairs rippin' your business a new asshole." She said with all the gloating she could convey. That was all it took to melt the self-satisfied grin right off her hated enemy's face and gain the more serious attention of all present. Enrique glanced at his man who was leaning against the bar. He responded by immediately reaching into his leather jacket and pulling out a radio.

"Johnathan check in, copy?" The device clicked off with a beep. He waited five seconds before clicking again, "John check in! Roberts? Do you copy?!" Ella smiled.

"I believe John is still takin' a nap and Roberts needed an extra long toilet break if ya wanna know." Enrique's face twisted into utter rage. He grabbed onto her face hard enough to make her eyes water.

"You WHORE! What did you DO?!" Ella's only response was a defiant glare. Enrique snarled and backhanded her across the face; she felt some of her hair pull loose from the fist holding it, his ring tearing a small cut across her cheek. It hurt, but it was worth it to seem him losing his cool.

"Why don't you go downstairs and find out? Should warn you though, kid's got a hot temper." Ella flinched slightly as he raised his hand to strike her again only to stop when an urgent beeping began to sound from his laptop. Ella was fairly certain what that was for, it signaled an unauthorized door access; a door had been opened without a key card. Here we go... The man with the radio now moved over to the laptop and leaned over it.

"The hell?" She heard him mutter. Enrique stepped over as his man clicked away, bringing up the camera view of the alarm's location. His eyes widened in shock as he saw the black and white video feed of the door downstairs next to the elevator that led to the stairs. It was currently hanging halfway off its hinges, swaying slightly as if it had been rammed by a truck. A blur moved past the next camera angle before a young man came into view in the next feed. He paused briefly, his head twitching with unnatural quickness as he briefly looked around. The young man then glanced up at the camera, staring right into it for a moment, right at Enrique, before he darted out of view. Enrique blinked, unsure of what he just saw. In a growing sense of panic, he spun around and pointed to the doors,

"He's coming up the stairs! Go! If you can't grab him, kill him!" With the exception of the man still holding her, the other three moved quickly towards the door, one of them grabbing an aluminum bat that had been leaning against the corner wall while another flicked open a black-bladed knife; the one leading the way, however, drew a silver pistol from the inside his leather jacket, cocking it as he went.

"Have fun boys!" Ella tauntingly called out after them. Enrique responded with a brutal punch to her gut, doubling her over and knocking the wind out of her.

"Shut. The hell up." He furiously growled at her.

Okay, that one hurt... Ella thought as she gave a few violent coughs as she tried to catch her breath. "You know..." She said weakly after a few moments, blinking tears out of her eyes, "He really hates it when guys beat on girls..." Enrique didn't reply but instead turned to stare, with growing frustration at the computer screen. Damian had called him from the hospital earlier. Gave him some bull of a story about some kid who had managed to beat the hell out of all three of them. He had dismissed it as some kind of excuse as it made absolutely no sense. But then again, Damian didn't seem able to make sense out of what had happened to him either. Enrique banged his fist on the desk, a feeling of unease beginning to crawl up his spine.

It's just one stupid kid!

Flash tore down the hallway, retracing the way he and Ella had come before; his flight magic coursing through him, gripping onto the surrounding atmosphere as well as the planet's magnetic field, stabilizing his body, allowing him to take turns at what were already impossible speeds. It took him but a few seconds to reach the silver door of the elevator as he slid to a halt in front of them. Stupid! Stupid! Flash berated himself as his eyes darted around, searching for any kind of a control feature. He angrily banged his fist against the stainless steel, putting a sizable dent in it, as he realized that like all of the other doors in this place, this too required a key-card. Think! Think! He glanced left and noticed another black fire door perpendicular to the elevator access. That's gotta be the stairs! Flash took a quick assessment of the obstacle. Steel door, metal frame set in cinder-blocks... He cracked his neck and took a deep breath before brutally thrust-kicking the door as hard as he could, aiming his heel at the section of the door right next to where it latched. The door crumpled as it was violently smashed open, its momentum causing it to rebound slightly as it banged off the inner wall; small cracks appeared in the bricks surrounding the door frame.

Open says ME! Flash smirked to himself as he raced up the first flight of concrete and metal stairs. As he reached the first landing, he paused briefly to look up the stairwell and count the remaining number of floors to the top. Five. Flash noticed a camera up in the corner and glared hard at it for a moment before taking off again at a speed that made him nearly invisible to the naked eye. Please don't do it Ella...you're better than this I know it... The echo of a door opening above him made him slow to a stop as he rounded the corner to the last set of stairs. Looking up, he saw three men filing through said door. The first one was a man of medium build with close-cropped blond hair wearing jeans and a leather jacket; he was holding a gun. Ah, horsefeathers... Flash then felt a surge of panic. If they're here, that means...Ella! The lead man had taken about two steps down the stairs and had begun to aim his pistol with one hand towards Flash.

"Hold it right theAA-" Before he could react, Flash had closed the 25 feet or so between them within a fraction of a second, seizing his wrist before violently yanking him forward with enough force to pull his arm out of its socket, sending him rocketing head over heels down the steel and concrete stairs into the next landing where he crashed in a broken heap.

One. The next man, a skinny guy wearing khakis and a white t-shirt with messy brown hair, blanched in shock before swinging the knife in his right hand with a wordless shout as he attempted to slash his opponent across the face. Flash leaned back like a reed in the wind, allowing the sharp blade to sail by only a few inches from his face before grabbing the man's elbow with one hand and pushing his wrist with the other, causing him to plunge the weapon up to the hilt into his own left shoulder. The color drained from his already pale face, his shout turning into a scream which was abruptly cut off as Flash put a hand to the side of his head and slammed it sideways into the metal handrail with a dull clang. Two.

The final guy, a shorter, hulking brute in dress slacks and a sport coat and holding an aluminum bat, proved a bit smarter and beat a hasty retreat backwards out the doorway from where he originally came. Flash pursued him but had the sense to pull his head back as he got to the doorway right as the aluminum bat smashed into the door frame where his face would have been. Flash's arms shot forward as he grabbed onto the man's shoulder while his other hand hooked on the back of his neck. He pushed him back before jerking him face-first hard into the steel door frame with a loud 'thud'; the man melted to the floor. Three. Flash felt as if he was acting solely on reflex and instinct, so focused as he was on finding Ella. The whole encounter had lasted less than 5 seconds.

Flash quickly stepped out into the hall, glancing left and right, not sure which way to go. He put his nose up, sniffing the air in an attempt to catch Ella's scent; it was faint. "ELLA!" He urgently called out as he began to move right. Then he heard her voice somewhere from behind.

"Flas-" Was all he heard before her voice was abruptly silenced. A sense of dread and rage overcame him as he spun around and sprinted in the opposite direction. Rounding the corner, he looked up to see a large man about thirty feet away with a gun aimed right at him. The muzzle flashed.

Enrique gaped in silent incredulity, not fully processing what he was witnessing on his screen as he watched the stranger tear through his men with more brutal efficiency than a chainsaw going through paper dolls; the speed with which he moved was unbelievable. He swore loudly as he scrambled around his desk, snatching his own pistol from the top drawer; a 1911 chambered in .45 ACP. He slammed the action back to chamber a round as he quickly moved back towards Ella. "Give her to me!" He snarled as he roughly grabbed onto the collar of Ella's jacket and hauled her backwards towards him. Enrique pulled her around and forced her to her knees, facing the doors. She could finally see that it was Joe, one the more competent members of Enrique's crew, who had been holding her. A tall man with broad shoulders and hard features. He reached behind him and pulled a black pistol from his belt. "I want you to blow this guy's head off the second he comes around the corner, you hear?!" Joe nodded with grim determination as he quickly turned and exited the office, partially closing the doors behind him. Ella shuddered as she felt the hard muzzle of Enrique's gun press against the top of her head.

"What the hell is he?!" He demanded. Ella savored the sound of panic in his voice as she flexed her fingers on her now liberated arm to help circulate the blood.

"Extremely pissed off I'd say..." She muttered with growing satisfaction. Before Enrique could punish her for her insolence, a voice rang out from somewhere outside the room.

"ELLA!" Flash's voice filled Ella with a renewed sense of hope; but at the same time, she knew she had to warn him of the new threat waiting for him.

I don't think he's fast enough to dodge bullets! Enrique seemed to sense what she was about to do though as she drew in a quick breath, "Flas-" Pain exploded in the top of her head and her vision dimmed as he brought the butt of his pistol down hard on the crown of her head.

"Shut! Up!" He hissed through clenched teeth. Ella's head lolled to one side, her neck felt like rubber as she struggled to remain conscious; she felt nausea building as warm blood begin to trickle slowly down the side of her temple.

Ugh...c'mon Flash... There was the sound of some kind of movement followed by the sharp report of a pistol firing three shots in quick succession. There was a shout and the sound of a brief scuffle before the doors were suddenly smashed open with explosive force by a body flying backwards through the air.

"HOLY SHI-" Enrique shouted as Joe landed hard on the glass coffee table with an incredible crash, shattering it into thousands of small fragments that exploded outwards across the wooden floor. He staggered backwards a step, dragging Ella with him; his man was not getting up. Ella slowly raised her eyes towards the battered entrance. Flash darkened the doorway, appearing as the very embodiment of a reckoning: his arms were loosed at his sides for action, his fists tightly clenched. A great rage radiated from him as his eyes narrowed in righteous anger, glaring death at Enrique; she swore she saw a glow come from them again. Flash glanced down at Ella; she was a complete mess. Her golden hair stained with fresh crimson as blood trickled down the right side of her face, mixing in with the blood from the cut on her cheek. She gave him a timid, somewhat apologetic smile.

"What took ya kid..." She managed to croak. Ella saw his face soften for an instant, his mouth open in shock before his features hardened again in redoubled ferocity. His eyes snapped up as his lips curled into a fixed snarl.

"Let her go." He growled angrily. Enrique kept the gun firmly pressed against Ella's head.

"Who the hell are you?!" He sputtered as he shuffled back another few inches. Flash took a menacing step forward.

"Last warning...Let. Her. Go." He said with an air of finality. "Do it, and I won't tear your arms off."

Enrique just stared back at him, his face a mixture of shock, outrage, and disbelief. Flash knew he couldn't risk making a move until that gun was no longer pointed at Ella. He needed to get Enrique to point the gun at him, if only for a second. His first encounter with gunfire had been an, enlightening experience to say the least. Those bullets had been fast, almost too fast. The image of that first one speeding towards his head was still fresh in his mind. He had barely managed to avoid the first shot, quickly zigzagging after that to avoid the next two. Even so, he was fairly confident that even at this range, he could control the outcome; they were only about 20 feet away.

Flash side-stepped so that the ruined table was out of his path. "You must be Enrique. Huh, just the kind of loser I thought you'd be, maybe taller." He moved just a little closer as Enrique's eyes shifted nervously. "I bet you feel like you're really important, the 'Big Man' of crime around here. Must be, after all, it takes a big man to hide behind a woman." He continued to pour on the sarcasm as he put his arms out to his sides in a mocking gesture, trying to provoke him. "What's the matter? Don't think you can hit me from there? C'mon, 'big man', take a free shot." He taunted. Enrique began breathing hard,

"Shut up!"

"Aw, did I say something to upset the 'big man'?" Flash tapped the middle of his forehead, "Come on, put one right here, right between my eyes if you're man enough. I'd bet not." He slowly slid forward another inch. "I've known foals with more guts than a sniveling coward like you..."

Enrique clenched his teeth in fear and frustration, sweat was dripping down the side of his face "Keep back...I said keep BACK you freak!" He swallowed nervously, "I will shoot this bitc-" He never finished as Ella suddenly and unexpectedly shot her hand back between his legs; she clenched and twisted as if her life depended on it. Time seemed to slow down for Flash as he saw Enrique's eyes widen in pain as the hand holding his pistol involuntarily flinched, taking the muzzle off of Ella's head. Flash moved.

He shot forward with every ounce of speed that he could muster. His right arm raised up over his head as the twin blades of his wrist gauntlet snapped out. Flash shouted as he brought the deadly edges down hard on the gun in Enrique's hand, the enchanted steel slicing through metal, flesh, and bone as if they were all equally insubstantial. Flash continued his forward momentum, allowing his elbow to smash into the man's sternum. He felt the satisfying crunch of bones breaking as the blow sent the miserable wretch crashing backwards into the desk behind him. Ella had already pulling away from him, rolling to one side.

Enrique gasped in wordless pain, unable to scream, unable to breath as he clutched his wrist in agony; half a hand remained clinging to half a pistol. Flash stood over him, breathing hard as he retracted the blades with a flick of his wrist. Though anger continued to course through him, Flash could not bring himself to inflict any further punishment on the broken, ruined man at his feet. As far as he was concerned, justice had been served; the police could take it from here. Flash began to turn, "Ella, are you all-" He froze. Ella was standing just behind him. She had grabbed her revolver off of the counter and was now pointing it squarely at Enrique, her eyes filled with an inestimable combination of pain and black hatred.

"Ella..." Flash said softly, "Ella, give me the gun." She released the breath she had been holding in a partial sob as she took another step closer, the muzzle still aimed directly at her hated enemy. Flash raised his left hand slowly above her wrist now that she was next to him. "Ella...Ella look at me." She held steady for a few, agonizingly tense moments before finally meeting his gaze, her eyes brimming with tears. Ella looked into Flash's eyes, those otherworldly, two-toned eyes. For the first time, and with unmistakable clarity, she could finally see the depth of compassion this mysterious young man had for her, a compassion she had not experienced since she was a child. A compassion that said that if it were possible, he would willingly bear all of her pain for her if that's what it took to give her peace and make her happy. "Ella," he said with such gentleness, "This isn't you." The gun tumbled from her hands to the floor.

Flash suddenly found himself holding her as she collapsed against him, sobbing onto his shoulder. He wrapped his strong arms around her and rested his cheek on her head as years of indescribable pain and darkness came pouring out of her. Flash felt a sense of surrealism as he found himself whispering to her the same words his mother had said to him so long ago. "It's okay, it'll be okay, I'm here for you..." They stayed that way for what felt like hours but was in reality only a few moments. Flash was about to say something when he suddenly felt a tingling on his forehead as the hair on the back of his neck stood up which led to him to glance behind him to look at where Enrique had been laying, what he saw nearly caused his heart to stop. In his unmutilated left hand, Enrique was holding another pistol, Joe's pistol. Flash realized with growing horror that it must have fallen unnoticed into the room when he had kicked that man through the doors. A bloodied, deranged grin full of spite was affixed to Enrique's face as he pointed the gun straight at them both.

Flash dove forward, holding Ella tightly against him as the first shot rang out; energy surged down his right arm. A second shot rang out, and he felt a tremendous impact in his back just to the left of his right shoulder as he continued to shield Ella with his body. Flash twisted around bringing his right hand up as the charging energy crescendoed to a fever-pitch within the tips of his fore and middle fingers which he pointed directly at Enrique.

Ella felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up before a blinding flash and deafening thunderclap shook the entire building, causing her to wince involuntarily as she clung fearfully to Flash's chest. It was eerily quiet for a beat except for the sound of countless small pieces of debris falling to the floor. The acrid smell of ozone, burnt wood, and seared flesh filled the air as she dared to open her eyes again. There in front of the desk, or what was left of it, lay Enrique's smoking, apparently lifeless body. Steam drifted up from his gaping mouth and burnt out eye-sockets. Ella felt her legs grow weak as shock began to overtake her.

Flash coughed once and staggered slightly. She looked up at his face and saw him staring ahead with a blank expression. The force of the blast had knocked out the back window, allowing them to clearly hear the growing noise of approaching sirens as well as the many car alarms that had been set off by the blast. Without a word, Flash suddenly scooped Ella up in his arms and turning, sprinted out of the destroyed office. Time to leave, gotta get out... He thought as he tore down the hall. He had to find an exit before the police came in; he was in no condition to face them, nor did he have any desire to.

Flash knew that he was hurt, he just wasn't sure how badly as adrenaline kept any pain at bay for the moment. He focused an electrical charge around the wound in his back, constricting the tissue in order to restrict any blood-flow. At least I won't bleed out. Turning around one corner, he saw a large window up ahead through which he could see another building about thirty feet away with an old metal fire escape on it's side. Perfect.

"Hold on to me!" Flash commanded as he sprinted towards the window. Ella wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and closed her eyes as he sprinted towards the window. She winced as he unleashed another bolt of lighting at the window from his left hand, blasting it out along with a good portion of the wall. CSI is going to love this place. He thought grimly as he jumped through the opening, sailing through the open air, before landing with a clang on the side of the opposite building's fire escaped, gripping onto one of the railings with his left hand while cradling Ella's legs with his right. She, for her part, maintained a death grip around his neck. An agonizing pain immediately lanced through his back as he tried to steady himself. Flash gritted his teeth, squinting tears out of his eyes as he looked up to see the top of the building about forty feet away. He took a deep breath as he gathered his strength. This is going to hurt... He kicked off hard as he leaped for the edge of the roof, ...A LOT! Flash just managed to clear the edge, landing on the top of the building as he staggered, dropping to one knee. He coughed again as he stood up and took off running, leaping the fifty feet to the next rooftop of the adjacent building.

Ella remained in a semi-conscious daze, vaguely aware of her surroundings as she rested her head against Flash's warm chest, listening to his strong heartbeat pound in her ear as he ran through the cold night air. Flash, She wondered to herself, What are you?

A young woman wearing a short, black skirt and white blouse stood alone in a darkened study staring out at the city lights illuminating the night through one of the massive windows of her luxury penthouse located at the top of one of the city's tallest buildings. It always gave her a sense of power to be in a place that towered over the majority of the city, the humans below appearing as no more than ants scurrying about their meaningless lives on the streets below. Though she bore the appearance of a woman in her late thirties, she was absolutely flawless in her beauty. Her voluptuous figure was perfectly accented by her long, raven-black hair and emerald-green eyes. Her rose colored lips and lightly-tanned skin made her the envy of any other woman of her age, and utterly irresistible to the men she chose to manipulate. The only other source of light in the room besides those coming from the city outside came from a roaring fire in the large, ornate fireplace at the far side of the room and from a small, black sphere on her desk that steadily pulsed, like a heartbeat, with an eerie, green glow.

For almost eighteen years that small gem, enchanted with a detection spell, had remained silent. There was not a hint of magic left to be detected in this world. All of that had changed in the last five hours when the stone had suddenly been awakened by the presence of magic, Equestrian magic. She continued to stare hard out at the city, eyes hungry and filled with longing. Please, let this finally be what we've been waiting for. For the first time in seventeen years, she allowed herself to hope.

A knock sounded at the entrance of the dark room. "Enter!" She called out, not even bothering to turn about; she knew who it was. A tall man impeccably dressed in a dark suit with a green tie entered the room. He was an imposing figure, powerfully built and perfectly proportioned with a physique that any major modeling agency or football team would kill for. Like her, he had jet-black hair but cut high and tight and styled with a flat-top; his eyes were a pale, dull blue.

"Mistress," he said as he walked over to the desk and set down the folded laptop he had been carrying under his arm. "I think we may have something here." The woman turned and immediately joined him at the desk. "What have you found, Telson?" The large man opened the laptop and began clicking open files.

"Earlier this evening, one of our local hubs was raided by the police. They found everything: the drugs, the girls, everything. The place was practically destroyed. The manager was found dead in his office, and almost every other asset had been injured badly enough to require immediate medical attention." She raised an eyebrow at him with a bemused scoff.

"Telson, I was under the impression that you were bringing me some good news." He glanced over at her with a small grin.

"Forgive me Mistress, just laying out the facts as they stand." She motioned with her head for him to continue. "As per standard protocol, all of the security footage on the servers was wiped, the only remaining file being the one we have backed up here. I was reviewing the footage, and take a look at what I found." The woman leaned down towards the screen as Telson played back footage for her. They both watched together in silence, her excitement building as her eyes darted back and forth following the replay of events.

"Pause it right there!" She exclaimed. Telson complied and smiled.

"I see you spotted it too." He said as he zoomed in on the frame of the young man as he cleared the stairwell after practically destroying the three men in his way. He clicked away as he brought the man's face and upper body into focus and then leaned back. The woman placed both hands flat on the desk as she leaned forward, staring with incredulous delight at the screen.

"Well, well, look who finally decided to come home." She said, unable to hide her excitement. She leaned even closer to get a better look at one of the patches on his left shoulder, the one she had noticed. It was the silhouette of a unicorn's head over the image of a blazing sun. "And a Solar Guard no less!" Telson smiled at her, happy to see that she was pleased. She drank in the image a moment longer. "I want every asset, every single sack of meat who was assigned to this hub who isn't yet jailed, hospitalized, or dead right here, within the hour."

"Already summoned, Mistress." She turned to him, giving him a satisfied smile.

"Well done, Telson. Well done." He simply nodded in humble acknowledgment.

"I'm going to go and call in some additional backup, I will alert you as soon as they've all assembled, Mistress." Telson turned and swiftly walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. The woman sat at the desk, continuing to stare at the image filling the screen.

Finally, after all this time, a way home... A predatory smile spread across her beautiful face. "Welcome home, little Equestrian," She whispered as her eyes flashed with a green light, "Welcome home."

Author's Note

Often I call to mind those of our community who are burdened with the heavy responsibility to wield deadly force if necessary in order to protect the innocent: police officers and soldiers.
They are the ones among us who make the hard choices so that we don't have to, the split-second decisions that can mean the difference between life or death for themselves or for another. How often they have to make these choices at unexpected moments. How often they are scorned for it, even when their judgment is true. How often they have to bear the painful consequences of their right actions alone. Even sheep are known to give comfort to the sheep dog after it has driven off a wolf. We should do the same.
Pray for those who serve us. Thank you to all those who serve, God bless.

The Ties that Bind

Four years earlier.

The pink mare sat alone on small rise under a grey, overcast sky. The normally vibrant grass had similarly dulled as winter continued to tighten its icy grip over the land. Bright Skies remained motionless as she stared out over the rows of headstones, her red scarf drifting slightly as a small gust of wind cut by, causing her to shudder slightly despite the natural resistance to extreme temperatures that she and the rest of her race enjoyed thanks to their flight magic. She finally moved a hoof to brush a violet lock out of her eyes as she drew in a deep breath of the chilled air in through her mouth, holding it for a moment before letting it out slowly through her nostrils. It never became any easier to come here, no matter how many times she visited over the years.

"Sorry it took so long for me to get here since last time, dearest. It's been such a crazy month..." Bright Skies trailed off as she stared out into the graying distance. The thick overcast made it almost impossible to make out Cloudsdale in the distance as it nearly blended in against the clouds. "So much happened this year, so much change in Equestria." She gave her head an incredulous shake. "Apparently the Princess has a sister, can you believe that? She was the Mare in the Moon! It was so incredible, and nopony ever even knew! Well, except for young Twilight Sparkle, she had figured it out."

The mare paused for a beat as if waiting for a reply. "It's practically the only thing Flash talks about in his letters home since this Princess Luna returned last spring, he's such a fancolt." She chuckled slightly at the thought of it. "He's made so many new friends, you know. Especially with our own little Rainbow Dash now being a national hero and all. Little hometown mare, who'd have guessed? She never let's us hear the end of it of course...drives Flash crazy." Bright Skies shook her head slowly, remaining silent for a beat as she swallowed past a lump that kept trying to build within her throat.

"It's going to be Hearth's Warming this weekend...and Flash will finally be coming home tomorrow evening!" She managed to smile at the happy thought. "He still gets so excited for the holidays, he's been that way since he was a foal. Oh you should see him now, he's gotten so tall!" She began to laugh. "He, he doesn't exactly fit under my wing anymore like he did when I used to cuddle him." The mirth continued to rise warmly in her heart as the memory of him lifting her off of her hooves for the first time in a hug popped into her mind. "Now, he's the one holding me!" She said as she now laughed freely at the ridiculousness of how much her tiny colt had grown.

Bright Skies laughter began to fade from it's crescendo as she wiped a tear away from one eye. "Oh he used to be small, so small..." Her head drooped as she stared at her hooves, "Though, not quite as small as you, dear...I remember..." A choked sob finally escaped from her throat, "...I could hold you with just one hoof..." She whimpered, her voice cracking. "You were so little...so beautiful..." Her strength finally left her as she collapsed forward onto the ground, sobbing openly into her hooves as her hot tears soaked into the stiff, lifeless grass.

The tip of one hoof dug into the hard ground as she seemingly reached for him with untold longing. "I miss you, I miss you...Oh, All-Maker...Source of all...please watch over my little one..." The pegasus stayed that way for some time, muttering the little prayer over and over again until her crying finally subsided. Slowly rising to her hooves, Bright Skies wiped her face off of the few bits of dead grass that now clung to her tear-stained fur before leaning down to place a gentle kiss on a small headstone. "Happy Hearth's Warming, my little Light." And with that, she spread her wings and took to the air. She passed in a deliberate, slow circle over the headstone with her left wing angled down before she straightened out, winging her way back home to Cloudsdale.

LIGHT SKIES
May Harmony Be Always With You

The night sky over Canterlot was clear and beautiful, sparkling with the brilliant light of a million stars which shone like bright gems embedded within a dark, cave wall. Even the moon seemed brighter as it bathed the streets of Canterlot in its pale light, giving the white stone of the capital city's many houses and shops a luminous appearance. At this time of night, the streets of the city were mostly empty. Empty, save for a pair of cadets walking side by side on the cobblestone streets alongside a high retaining wall that separated the current street from another level of the city.

Flash and Slipstream walked slowly along the path which gently curved and rose as they followed it towards their destination. Both of them were dressed in the standard, khaki uniform and garrison caps worn by all academy cadets, Flash's uniform of course being molded to his unique form and included a pair of polished, black dress shoes. Though it was cold out, Flash opted not to wear a jacket over his short-sleeved uniform shirt; his flight magic always seemed to be enough to keep him warm in all but the most extreme temperatures.

"You're staring again, Flash." Slipstream said, smirking slightly as he glanced at his friend. The human blinked as he snapped his gaze away from the night sky. It was true, he did find himself staring more often at the night sky during the last several months. But who could blame him? The changes and enhancements the newly restored Princess Luna had continued to add to the night sky were indeed, breathtaking. Flash cleared his throat.

"What? I love what she's done with the sky is all, it's beautiful." He said as he stepped up his pace slightly.

"Yeah?" Slipstream said. "You sure her sky is not the only thing you find beautiful?" He asked while waggling his eyebrows. Flash glared at him.

"Oh, knock it of you pervy pegasus." He growled while adjusting his cap. "That's the last thing I need added to the Canterlot rumor mill." Slipstream laughed while nudging Flash with the edge of one wing.

"Hey, you're the one who got summoned by her Lunar Highness to a private meeting. How can I not wonder what that was all about? And you have to admit," He said while shuffling his wings, "She is pretty easy on the eyes." Now it was Flash's turn to give a bemused grin.

"Well, now look who has a crush." Slipstream surrendered a guilty chuckle as he adjusted his cap in a poor attempt at hiding his blush. Flash laughed to himself but decided not to push it. "But yeah, she is beautiful," He paused for a beat before adding, "For a pony." The pegasus' ears suddenly folded back as he regretted his tease, remembering how Flash had confided his loneliness to him on more than one occasion.

"Hey, look bro, I'm...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"It's alright," Flash said, giving his friend a reassuring smile. "It is what it is so let's just drop it, yeah?" Slipstream nodded gratefully.

"Yeah." The walked along a few minutes in silence before Slipstream spoke up again, "So, what did she want to meet about?" Flash shrugged.

"Nothing important."Flash replied, but the truth was that the small gestures he had made to make Princess Luna feel welcome had gone much further than he had anticipated. The Night Princess, who was already curious about him, took an instant liking to him, and he to her. The conversation they had enjoyed during their first meeting had been a long and meaningful one and with the exception of his mother, Celestia, and Twilight, Flash didn't want anypony else to know about his budding friendship with Princess Luna that had begun to take root over the last nine months since her return. He had enough attention as it was and the last thing he wanted was the appearance of even more special treatment or favor. Flash continued, "She just wanted to see how I was doing, asked me a few more questions about my upbringing here; thanked me for the letter I sent her welcoming her back to Equestria." Slipstream smiled.

"Yeah, you were almost the only guy not freaked out by her. Seems you got on her good side."

"Maybe," He said with shrug. "She just wanted to make sure I wasn't having any trouble is all." Slipstream's ears swiveled forward as they suddenly caught the sound of a familiar voice; Flash's immobile ears caught the same. "Speaking of trouble..." The pegasus grumbled under his breath. Sure enough, as they rounded the bend, they caught sight of a white unicorn with a silver mane who was also wearing a cadet's uniform: Lumen Dawn. The proud son of a Canterlot noble, he was a painful stereotype of the typical, insufferable elite who looked down on everypony else. It was almost as if he relished in playing to that exact stereotype as he always made it a point to rub his noble status into the face of every lowborn country or Cloudsdale 'peasant' such as themselves.

His arrogant attitude wasn't helped by the fact that the horse's ass was actually, in fact, quite skilled in offensive magic and one of the top in his class at the academy. Of course, he was quick to add these facts to his endless list of 'proofs' as to why he and other noble-born ponies were the only ones worthy to serve the two Princesses. The sad reality was that Lumen did in fact possess the strategic talents that could make him a fine officer someday, provided he could find anypony who could stand to serve under him.

Slipstream bore a particular animosity towards him due to how he always targeted and tormented Flash for 'contaminating', as he put it, the prestige of the Royal Guard with his 'alien' presence. Slipstream knew that Flash's species was only part of it. It was perfectly obvious to him, and most everypony else in their division, that Lumen was extremely jealous of Flash due to how he was personally connected to the Princess, both of them now. And ever since Luna's return, his bullying had gone from being merely intolerable to downright toxic.

The unicorn's gaze snapped to them as they came into view; he offered them a very unfriendly looking sneer. "Well, if it isn't the 'peasant patrol' and his pet alien. I thought the law was you had to keep your pets on a leash in Canterlot?"

Slipstream snorted angrily to himself as he glared daggers back at Lumen. Just give me a reason you stuck-up, son-of-a-mule... He suddenly felt Flash's hand on his shoulder as the human shook his head with a sympathetic look.

"Let's just play it cool, and keep walking." He said under his breath. Slipstream snorted again.

"I honestly don't know how you put up with it." He grumbled. "Please don't tell me I was anything like that to you back in the day?"

"Okay, I won't tell you." Flash whispered back causing his friend to cringe and grit his teeth in irritation. Lumen had two of his insufferable sycophants with him: Star Tail, a red unicorn with a white mane, and Platinum Trim, another unicorn with a dark grey coat and green mane. They were also sons of lesser nobles and were always paling around with Lumen. All three unicorns now moved slowly into a position to block their path; Flash and Slipstream slowed to a halt just a few feet from them. The human sighed, "Is there a problem Lumen?"

"Why yes," He answered, "Your very existence." Flash raised an eyebrow as he looked down at him, he was more than a foot taller than the average pony now.

"Well, a happy Hearth's Warming to you as well." He said as he attempted to step around him only for Lumen to step into his path again. Flash let out an exasperated breath, "Yes Lumen?"

"I didn't say you could leave, freak." He said, his voice dripping with condescension and from what Flash could sense, pent up frustration. He knew that it was likely due to the fact that he had never once given into Lumen's goading. Flash understood perfectly that the young stallion had made it his personal mission to get him thrown out of the academy and undoubtedly thought that if he could just get him to lose his temper and lash out, he might succeed. So far, no dice; and Flash intended to keep it that way no matter what he said or did. And with all of them about the graduate from the Junior Academy at the end of the next semester and move onto full training, Lumen knew that he was almost out of time and had been redoubling his efforts as of late. Slipstream moved up closer to Flash while Star Tail mirrored his movement to stay between him and Lumen.

"You know you got a big mouth Lumen..." He said in a warning tone. The unicorn snapped at him in disgust.

"I'm sorry, but did you just speak peasant?!" He spat with obvious disdain. Flash's mouth opened slightly in shock as Lumen continued, "When I desire to tolerate the grating noise of your inbred braying, I'll ask for it but until then keep that hole in your muzzle shut!" That tore it. Slipstream's eyes widened and his nostrils flared with fury. His wings sprang open in outrage as he leaped forward at Lumen only to collide and bump chests with Star Tail who had instantly moved to cut him off, his horn flaring with silver magic. Flash shot out his arm in front of his friend as he managed, with no small amount of difficulty, to hold his enraged friend back as he attempted to keep himself between the two ponies as they both screamed at each the other.

"WHO IN TARTARUS DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!"

"Mind you're own business you snivil-"

"YOU GOT THE BALLS TO TALK TO US LIKE-"

"ENOUGH!!!" Flash bellowed as a few sparks of bright-blue electricity snapped off his body in loud pops. Both sides shut up as the unicorns now eyed the human warily. Slipstream was breathing hard through his nostrils as he continued to push against his friend's shoulder and outstretched arm. Flash glared at Lumen before saying, "You know one of these days you're going to have to grow up Lumen!" The unicorn's jaw dropped in shock before curling into a hateful scowl. It looked as if he were about to retort when Flash continued, "When are you going to finally pull your head out of your perfumed plot and realize that we're on the same. Bucking. SIDE?!!!" Lumen Dawn's yellow eyes widened in astonishment before narrowing as he shook with utter rage that this alien, this thing would dare to speak to him in such a crude manner. For the span of a few heartbeat's, nopony spoke. Flash angrily held his opponent's gaze before he finally broke away.

"Let's go, Slipstream." He growled as he stalked around Lumen and his cohorts to continue on his way; Slipstream gave a huff but stomped after him. Flash shook his head, feeling hot under the collar; his previous good mood now spoiled by a wave of stress and irritation. He had only made it a few steps when he felt a tingling on his forehead as he heard the telltale whine of a spell charging up. Slipstream heard it as well as they both spun around just in time to see a bolt of yellow magic shoot off from Lumen's glowing horn and straight at Flash. The pegasus moved to shove his friend out of the way but wasn't quick enough as the bolt caught the human square in the chest.

Or it would have, if it hadn't struck a translucent barrier of crimson magic that had suddenly materialized out of nowhere in front of Flash. The spell created a sharp bang as the barrier neutralized it. Flash blinked in astonishment, shocked that Lumen had actually attacked him while all of the ponies gaped silently in disbelief at the blazing outline of a red and yellow sun that was now glowing in the center of the his forehead. A few strands of crimson electricity curled and crackled around his body before the image and magic faded slowly from sight. Slipstream snapped his head towards Lumen who was still gawking in disbelief at what had just happened.

"You slimey, BACKSTABBING-"

"What is going on here?" A calm but strong voice interrupted. All of the cadets snapped to attention as they caught sight of the armored Lunar Guard now standing in their midst. Flash's eyes went wide with surprise as he stared in awe at the night sentinel who had managed to drop in next to them unnoticed, as silently as a shadow. He was a thestral, a mysterious race of pony that Flash had never seen up close until now. Ever since Princess Luna's return, they had begun a slow reemergence and reintegration back into Equestrian society after their self-imposed seclusion. And from what Flash could see, the descriptions of their fearsome appearance he had heard and read about hardly seemed to do them justice.

The pony was clad in the dark, curved armor of the Lunar Guard. His muscular physique was covered with a dark, heavy fur that was far thicker than the coat of any other pony he had ever seen before. Leathery, bat-like wings folded with a dry rustle against the pony's barrel. Curved white fangs gleamed in the moonlight beneath large, crimson eyes bearing slitted pupils that shone faintly with an ominous glow. Those predatory eyes now flicked back and forth from one group to the other with a steely, neutral expression. Flash could not recall ever seeing a more intimidating kind of pony. He now understood why most ponies were wary of these night creatures who loyally served the Lunar Princess and Equestria. The cadets all noticed the two black chevrons on the collar of his breast-plate, the rank of a corporal.

"Well?" The pony said more firmly when nopony answered, causing them all to flinch. Lumen was the first one to speak up.

"Oh thank goodness you're here, sir." He said with feigned exasperation. Lumen pointed an accusing hoof at Flash and Slipstream. "My friends and I were minding our own business when these two brutes began harassing us for no reason!" Slipstream balked, puffing up like a sitting hen.

"That's ridiculous you-"

"Cadet!" The thestral barked as he glared at the pegasus, instantly silencing him. Slipstream held his tongue but appeared fit to explode. The guard looked back at Lumen. "Go on." Lumen smiled, now a bit more confident.

"Yes sir. You see, they wouldn't leave us alone no matter how much we asked them." Flash grit his teeth but remained firmly at attention, not wishing to receive a sharp rebuke himself.

He's just getting both sides of the story. He's just getting both sides of the story. We'll get our turn... Meanwhile Lumen had gone from confident, to downright smug in his appearance as he continued to speak.

"That's when this," The unicorn regarded Flash distastefully as he searched for the proper word, "Foreigner began to get violent, forcing me to reluctantly unleash a stun-spell in order to defend my friends and I." Star Tail and Platinum quickly nodded their agreement. "But he used some sort of counter-spell. If I may say, sir, I think he has some sort of unlicensed artifact with him." One of the bat pony's tufted ears twitched as he stared impassively at Lumen Dawn for a moment.

"I see." He said before looking over at Flash.

"I'm sorry sir, what was your name?" Lumen inquired.

"Crimson Star." The pony answered without taking his eyes off of Flash as he studied him; he seemed to have come to some kind of internal decision. Flash and Slipstream would not have known it, but Lumen recognized the significance of Crimson's name. The Star family was one of the oldest noble clans, dating back more than twelve generations. To get an 'in' with a member of such an influential family would be a highly lucrative move on his part; he could hardly believe his luck. "And what is your name, cadet?"

"Lumen Dawn, sir." He answered proudly, sticking his chest out. Crimson nodded slowly in acknowledgement.

"Well Cadet Dawn, thank you for your clear explanation of the situation. I'll take it from here." The color drained from Slipstream's face as something appeared to die inside of him. Flash could hardly believe what he was hearing as well. "In fact," The bat pony continued, "I would like the helpful assistance of you and your two companions on an important matter tomorrow morning." Lumen's face twitched as he struggled to suppress the enormous, gloating smirk that was attempting to break out across his face. The other two unicorns also shuffling in their barely contained excitement.

"Of-of course, sir! It would be an honor!" Crimson turned towards them.

"Very good. Meet me at division headquarters tomorrow at 0600, building three. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir!" The three unicorns answered in unison, snapping to a salute which Crimson returned before saying to them,

"Dismissed." The three ponies turned and began to trot away, but not before Lumen shot Flash and Slipstream a particularly venomous look which clearly said, 'I win.'

Crimson Star waited until the three unicorns were well on their way before turning back to the two remaining cadets who were still at attention. He turned his gaze on Slipstream. "Name?"

"Slipstream, sir." He responded as he swallowed past a lump in his throat. Crimson nodded,

"At ease cadet." Slipstream relaxed his stance. "Were you on your way home to visit family?"

"Yes sir."

"Very good, on your way then." The pegasus blinked in surprise as Crimson smiled at him.

"You heard me cadet, dismissed! Happy Hearth's Warming." Slipstream glanced nervously with an unsure expression from Crimson to Flash before saluting the guard, spreading his wings, and shooting off into the night sky. Flash stole a glance upwards as he watched his friend depart, equally as confused has he was. Crimson's voice snapped him back to attention.

"Cadet Skies, I'd like a word, please."

"Sir?" Crimson chuckled as he waved a hoof at him.

"At ease cadet." Flash relaxed as he met the thestral's gaze. Crimson's eyes flicked up and down as he considered the human. "Were you heading anywhere in particular this evening?" Flash nodded.

"Yes sir, I was actually headed for a cafe nearby before this...incident."

"Perfect." Crimson said while flashing him a toothy grin. "I just got off shift so let's go chat there."

The inside of Doughnut Joe's cafe was as warm and inviting as ever, the smell of fresh dough and sugar clung heavily to the air. The relaxing atmosphere made all the better by the hot cup of freshly poured coffee that Flash now rested his hands around in order to warm them. Crimson Star was sitting across from him at the booth they shared, a platter of freshly assorted doughnuts sitting on the table between them. The cafe was one of Flash's favorite stops in Canterlot, the perfect place to either begin or end one's day.

Twilight had taken him here for the first time a long time ago as a reward for him being such a good and patient 'lab specimen' for her that week. Flash smiled to himself at the happy memory. She's such a good mare. Crazy, but good. It was funny because it was thanks her obsessive experimenting and study of him that had led them not only to becoming friends, but also allowed him to finally learn how to fully control his magic. He was so proud of her for all that she had accomplished, especially in the last year. Added to that joy was the fact that she had finally connected with other ponies after all these years; and of all ponies, his own childhood friends! It's like they were meant to meet and save the world.

Crimson Star removed his helmet, setting it next to him on the bench which allowed his thick, dark red mane to tumble free. He shook his head back and forth to loosen it up, causing his large ears to flop against his head. Flash suppressed a snicker, as the sight gave the fearsome night pony the appearance of a rather large, adorable dog. He probably wouldn't appreciate it though if I tried to scratch his ears. He mused to himself. While feeling a bit relieved, Flash also had to resist the urge to crush the mug he was gripping between his hands. Still, why did he let those jerks off? What does he even want to talk about?

Crimson eyed the human over his mug as he took a sip of his coffee before setting it down. "You're upset with me, aren't you?"

Flash looked up and met his gaze. "Permission to speak freely, sir?" The thestral laughed, revealing his pointed teeth.

"Always so formal! We're on break cadet, say whatever you'd like." Flash sighed as he paused to consider his words.

"It wasn't fair, sir. You deliberately heard only one side of the story. You didn't even give me and my companion a chance to explain what had happened and as a result, you let those jerks get off scott-free." Crimson swallowed the entire doughnut he had been chewing on before washing it down with another swig of coffee.

"Hey, I'm on your side; but I never said I was fair. That's the princesses' territory." He said before snagging another doughnut. Flash cocked his head to one side, even more confused now.

"If you're on my side, why didn't you let us speak?" Crimson paused mid-bite and raised a curious eyebrow.

"C'mon kid, I was told you were smart!" Flash stared blankly at him; the bat sighed as he put his pastry down. "I didn't need to hear your side of things because I saw the whole thing! I just wanted to hear those brats incriminate themselves further." Flash rested his face in hands as he let out a frustrated sigh.

"Of course...bucking horsefeathers..."

"Language!" Crimson chided gently as he chuckled at the human's 'no duh' moment. Flash sheepishly looked up over his fingers.

"So, the 'important matter' you wanted their assistance with?" The thestral's eyes narrowed as he grinned savagely, giving him a positively sinister appearance.

"If by important, you mean scrubbing every latrine at division headquarters with a toothbrush and polishing my armor? Then yes, very important. Too bad they won't be able to use their magic though. Disabled for security reasons and all that for those who don't possess full security clearance." The thought of Lumen and his pals showing up the next morning expecting special treatment only for them to be put on latrine duty caused Flash burst out laughing. He held his head in one hand while pounding the table with the other. Crimson smiled quietly to himself as he finished his doughnut.

"Oh Celestia, I'd pay bits to see their reaction!" Flash said as he wiped away a tear from his eye, his mirth finally subsiding.

"I'll see that you get a full report on their performance, written by them of course." Crimson said with a wink as he leaned back in his booth. "By the way Skies, what was that magic you used back there to deflect Lumen's spell? Looked like powerful stuff. You aren't actually carrying an unlicensed artifact, are you?" Flash got serious again, his eyes taking on a distant look.

"No sir. That was a gift, an enchantment placed on me a very long time ago, by a very dear friend." Crimson Star's eyebrows rose in surprise as he nodded slowly in understanding.

"I see. That's quite the gift. I don't know of many mages capable of placing permanent spells on living beings, especially ones that powerful. Your friend must be quite gifted." Flash smiled sadly.

"Yeah, she was something special." He murmured as he methodically rotated his mug in his hands, lost in thought. Flash was quickly brought back to the present by the clatter of bits being dropped on the table. He looked over at Crimson who was now standing with his helmet under his forelimb.

"It's on me, kid." He said as he replaced his helmet on his head. Flash immediately slid out and stood next to the booth.

"Thank you, sir. For everything." Crimson smiled warmly at him.

"No, thank you Flash. Thank you for showing kindness to our Night Mother." He then surprised Flash by saluting him, which after a second of shock, Flash snapped to and returned. Crimson turned to leave before looking back, "You know, it's not too late to consider a transfer to the Lunar Corps. I know for certain that all of us there would be happy to have you, including a certain Princess." Flash laughed, caught off guard by the offer.

"That's, very kind of you sir. I'll certainly consider it." Crimson smiled again.

"Please, call me Shaggy. All my friends do. Happy Hearth's Warming Flash Skies." The human grinned from ear to ear, touched by the Lunar Guard's kindness.

"Happy Hearth's Warming, Shaggy."

Bright Skies paced nervously in the living room of her home in Cloudsdale. The place was tastefully decorated for Hearth's Warming, a fire was crackling away merrily in the fireplace, and the delicious smell of savory food filled the air. She had spent all day preparing a welcome home meal for her son. Celestia's sun was just beginning to set and Flash would be there soon, she could feel his approach. One of the many things they had learned about themselves over the years was how just how strong and deep their connection with the other had become.

It happened one day, almost two years back. Flash had been working the stove when he had accidentally burned himself. She had been outside, working in the garden when she too, recoiled, as if burned. Bright Skies had instantly realized that she had felt her son's pain. With Twilight's assistance, they soon discovered that their bond went far beyond a connection of magic, but that she and Flash were in fact soul-bonded, with the strength of that bond increasing with each passing year.

It was to the point now that they could each sense what the other was feeling: physically, emotionally, and even spiritually. The connection weakened with distance, such as the distance between Cloudsdale and Canterlot, to the point of being nearly imperceptible. But one sense that did not fade was the ability to know if the other was in pain. Even if it was not physically felt, the other simply knew. The ability carried with it many benefits, and more than a few drawbacks. For one, it made it practically impossible to not know when the other was upset about something when they were in range of the other.

One pony's foul mood could easily spoil the good mood of the other or vice versa as their emotions bled over from one side to the other's. Twilight had suggested they practice trying to conceal their feelings from the other to see if it were possible to control it, which was met with limited success. They learned that it was indeed possible to restrict their emotions from the other if they really tried, but that it was too easy to let it slip if they lost focus.

And right now, with Flash coming home, focus was the last thing Bright Skies had. There would be no hiding the distress she was now feeling over what she discovered, quite by accident, while preparing his room for him. Apparently, Flash had forgotten to take his journal with him from his last visit. While she had been dusting the shelves, she had accidentally knocked it to the desk below where it had promptly opened to his last entry. She should have just immediately replaced it, but no. She just had to give into temptation. A decision she immediately regretted. Not only for the invasion of her son's privacy, but also for what she had discovered. And thanks to their bond, she would not be able to hide what she did and would have to fess up to it. What Bright Skies had read continued to run through her mind over and over again:

Dear journal, today Princess Celestia invited me to tea with Princess Luna and Twilight. They were so kind, but I could tell that they had something serious to tell me. Celestia began by apologizing to me, which nearly caused me to drop my saucer. She explained to me that she has known for some time now that it may be possible for me to return from wherever it is I first came from, but that she did not tell me right away because she didn't want to distract me from my current pursuits. But with midterm break approaching, she said that she could not in good conscience keep this discovery from me any longer. Apparently she had asked Twilight to look into this matter for her a while back. I was shocked to hear this news, of course. This is something that I've always wanted to know. I told her I was not upset that she kept it from me because she's right, I would not have been able to focus on the academy if she had. But then she also confessed that part of the reason she withheld the information from me was selfishness. She was actually afraid that if I knew this, that I may leave Equestria. (She's probably thinking of Sunset Shimmer as I was, xo.) I must admit, this shook me a little. That said, I could see the genuine hurt in her eyes, and to see her in pain was more than I could stand. I gladly accepted her apology and we shared a nice hug. She's so warm. Luna and Twilight joined in soon after, hehe. But now what? What should I do with this knowledge? I think I need to sit on this for a spell. Till next time then.

Bright Skies reversed direction as she continued to pace. That was almost three months ago, and he didn't tell me? He managed to conceal news like this for that long? Why? Oh Harmony, my baby wouldn't leave me, would he? She was so lost in thought that she didn't realize that Flash was now standing right outside until she heard a sharp knock at the door. "Eeep!" She squeaked as her wings popped open, she flushed slightly in embarrassment as she took a quick moment to compose herself before charging at the door to yank it open. Bright Skies moved back as Flash stepped inside the house, dropping his green duffel bag to the floor as he shut the door behind him; he was wearing his cadet uniform and garrison cap.

For a second, neither pony nor human, mother or son moved. They stared at one another in happiness before they both leaped forward, crashing together into a warm embrace. Bright Skies wrapped her forelimbs tightly around his strong neck, kissing his cheek several times as Flash wrapped his arms about her withers, and leaning back, lifted her clear off of the floor, causing her to squeal and giggle as she relished in the sensation of being small to him. Their hearts felt as if they were melding together as they smothered the other in a flood of affection and love.

Flash took a few steps over towards the couch, still holding her before collapsing backwards into a seated position. Bright Skies adjusted herself so that she was seated next to him, but with her forelimbs about his waist while resting her head against his chest. Flash kept an arm about her neck, his hand on her shoulder, resting his cheek against the top of her head as he soaked in her comfort. The mare sighed contentedly.

"I missed you." She whispered, causing Flash to smile.

"I missed you too, mother." They remained silent for a few minutes as they each quietly examined the other's heart. Finally, they both said to the other at the same time,

"What's bothering you?" They looked at the other in surprise before laughing out loud. "You first." They said simultaneously once more, causing them to laugh again as they each held the other more tightly.

"Alright then," Flash said as he then proceeded to recount to her the previous evening's events to her. Bright Skies smiled as she felt the tension leave his heart as he shared his concerns and troubles with her. After he had finished, she waited a moment before responding.

"Hmph. Well, I still think those three got off too easy. To think that brat Lumen took a shot at you..." She grumbled. "He's lucky I wasn't there!" Flash smirked to himself.

"Maybe it's better that you weren't, even Lumen doesn't deserve your wrath." He said while gently stroking her shoulder. Flash squinted as he tried to make sense of his mother's emotions. Beneath the euphoria of her joy at him being home with her, he could feel a twisted knot composed of fear, sorrow, concern, and guilt. "Your turn mom." He said as he felt her tense up slightly. Bright Skies sighed as she worked up her nerve.

"I, I read your journal." She said, her own words causing herself a pang of anguish. "I didn't mean to, it was an accident. I should have just looked away." Flash smiled as he continued to rub her shoulder.

"It's alright mom. To be honest, I'm glad you did. I was tired of keeping it a secret. I just didn't want to worry you is all, to make you think that I might leave." Bright Skies sat up so that she could look her son in the eyes.

"So you're not planning to leave Equestria?" She asked, her violet eyes shimmering in earnest. Flash shook his head,

"Of course not! Sure, I definitely want to visit someday, to see if there are others like me. But Equestria is still my home, mom." Bright Skies looked down nervously at her hooves before looking at him again.

"But, what if you find that you like where you came from more than Equestria? What if it's a better, more beautiful world than here, and you wanted to stay? I'd bet it is," She trailed off as she looked away. "After all, it gave me you. My wonderful son." Bright Skies felt his warm hand cup her cheek as he gently drew her gaze back to him as he smiled tenderly at her.

"Even if it were ten times better than Equestria, it could never be better than you, mother. I would never leave you." Tears of joy filled her eyes as she closed them, rubbing her cheek against his hand before she embraced him again, snuggling into his side as he put his arms around her again. Flash smiled as he felt the last of the tension empty from her heart. "No matter where I may go, no matter what happens in the future, I will always be your son, dear mother." He said as a few tears came to his own eyes. Bright Skies choked out a sob over his shoulder, sniffing as she took a breath.

"I love you Flash, so very much."

"I love you too, mom." He whispered back. "Happy Hearth's Warming."

Author's Note

As you can probably tell, I meant to release this chapter before Christmas. But me being me, I'm always late haha. A special thanks to my friend Rushy for lending me his OC Shaggy for a scene.
Treasure those you know! Remember, God places in your life all the people, both good and bad, that are needed to help make you a saint. Peace to you all and a Blessed New Year!

Consequences

The beautiful woman stared at the computer screen as she continued to carefully scrutinize the security footage from the nightclub, meticulously absorbing each and every last detail of her young quarry as she planned her approach. She was currently replaying the footage from Enrique's office over and over again as she attempted to figure out exactly what had happened before the cameras in the office went blank as they shorted out. The last thing she could make out through the growing static was an intense light that shone from the boy's two fingertips the second before the screen went blank. That careless idiot could have killed him. The thought causing her to scowl. If he weren't already dead, I'd tear his throat out. Too bad. She smiled darkly to herself.

She cut to the next clip of footage that she had also been examining, the clip of him sprinting down the adjacent hall, carrying the female in his arms. She could tell that he was just a hair slower than before and that his gait was slightly off. Hmm, hurt are we? Let's hope not too badly, not yet anyways. Once more the camera footage blanked out; but this time, only for a moment before it faded back into view. The camera now showed only a gaping, smoking hole in the same wall that he had been running towards.

How are you doing that my friend? An artifact? Celestia's witchcraft? She smirked as she imagined what Enrique's body must have looked like after being hit by whatever magic it was that could blow a hole through a building with such ease. She never did like him, not that she liked any human really. Just another sack of worthless meat. Rewinding the footage a few seconds, she paused it, staring thoughtfully at the young woman he was holding in his arms. What is she to you, little Equestrian?

A sharp knock sounded at the door. "Enter," She said without taking her eyes off the screen. The door swung open and Telson strode into the room, turning to shut the door behind him before moving to stand in front of the desk with his hands clasped behind him.

"They are all assembled, Mistress. I have given them a brief synopsis of the situation, but they await your full directives." The woman leaned back, slowly steepling her fingers together as she closed her eyes in thought. Telson waited patiently, knowing better than to say anything while she was thinking. After a few moments, her emerald eyes snapped open as she gazed up at her towering companion.

"What is your evaluation of the Equestrian, Telson? What do you make of him?" She asked while looking him straight in the eye. The large man nodded as he paused a second, glancing to the side as he considered his words, a careless answer would not do. He met her gaze.

"The boy certainly knows how to handle himself, he's obviously been well-trained. And he's strong. Far stronger than any human his size should be, and fast. He definitely has magic of some kind. How?" He gave a slight shrug, his huge shoulders rising like a pair of boulders. "I'm not sure. An artifact? Bewitchment of some sort? Perhaps the Equestrians experimented on him." The woman folded her hands but continued to keep her gaze upon him.

"Is that going to be a problem?" The corner of Telson's mouth lifted ever so slightly in amusement.

"His strength? Not so much. His speed? Well, that could prove...irritating. But I believe that I should be able to slow him down." He concluded, causing her to raise a bemused eyebrow.

"Without breaking him." He added; she chuckled at his quick save.

"Yes, I would like to have him in one piece for now, dear Telson." She said as she now rested her folded hands on her lap. "Any theories as to how he killed Enrique or blasted his way through that wall?" Telson shook his head,

"I'm not entirely sure, but preliminary autopsy reports from our contacts say that the cause of death appeared to be brought about by a sudden and catastrophic discharge of electrical current." He answered.

"An electrical discharge?" Telson nodded.

"One of the examiners said that it's almost as if he were struck by lightning," He smiled at her before adding, "While inside the building. That, and he was missing most of his right hand. Sliced clean off." This information actually caused her to laugh out loud in savage delight.

"For order's sake!" She exclaimed, laughing a bit more. "What did Celestia do, turn him into a weapon?!" She shook her head disdainfully. "That's about her style." She calmed herself as she glanced down in thought for a moment. "Still," She said with an understanding nod of her head, "He killed without hesitating." She looked back up at her assistant, "I'd say he's a chip off the ol' block. Wouldn't you agree Telson?"

"Yes Mistress." He replied. "An electrical based attack would also explain why the cameras in the office shorted out before we could fully see what had happened. Again, I'm not certain how the he does it. Best guess? An artifact or some other enchanted item." She nodded in agreement.

"Well, we'll have much to discuss with him once he's here. Can you handle this one without me?" Telson smiled and nodded.

"Assuredly, Mistress. Though, it is likely we will lose most of the assets I've gathered in the process." She waved a hand dismissively.

"They're expendable. Use them however you see fit." He nodded once in acknowledgment as she rose to her feet. "One last thing Telson, I want the female he has with him as well. She could be of use to us in persuading him if he decides to be less than cooperative."

"My thoughts exactly, Mistress." He concurred as she walked slowly around the desk, keeping her eyes fixed on him as she moved until she was standing before him.

"Besides," She whispered, "Young, innocent love is such a rare delicacy. It would be such a shame to let it all go to waste." Telson smirked as he nodded in agreement. She was still for a moment as she continued to look into his pale blue eyes without blinking. For more than a minute, she simply stared. He was careful to not stare back too long, that would be disrespectful. But in the time he did, he had seen within her emerald eyes for a fleeting moment, a great longing and sadness. She suddenly appeared so very worn and tired. It was a rare moment of vulnerability in her otherwise impeccable demeanor.

He had only seen it once before, nearly seventeen years ago when she had realized that they were both now trapped here in this miserable world, unable to return to their beloved home and Queen. He secretly knew that she had always blamed herself for their stranding. But in all truth, he never did; he couldn't. There was simply no way for any-ling, even one as capable as her, to anticipate every possible scenario. From that time on, he had resolved himself to carry on in his duty to serve her to the absolute best of his ability; it was his honor to do so. His Queen had commanded it, and by order, he would do so or die trying.

Telson stiffened as she suddenly, and unexpectedly reached up to place one of her elegant hands on his enormous shoulder. He nervously glanced from her hand to her face. He was shocked, completely unsure of how to respond to such a generous gesture that he felt most unworthy to receive. Slowly, ever so slowly, she allowed her face to break out into a genuine, caring smile as she favored him, her faithful servant and guardian who for all of these years had loyally stood by her and never once failed or disappointed her. She could not wish for a better companion. He swallowed, filled with trepidation. "Mistress..." He began to say, but she shook her head, cutting him off.

"No. I want you to say my name, Telson. My real name," She paused for a second before whispering, "Please." Her voice trembled slightly, and her eyes began to appear glassy. His eyes went wide with alarm, this was not an order, but a request! A plea!

Oh, Mistress... But he complied, nodding solemnly before whispering to her, "Chelicerae...Princess Chelicerae." Her face relaxed as she softly closed her eyes, allowing the meaning of those words to reverberate within her very being as she drew strength from the reminder of her true identity.

I do not belong to this world. This is who I am... After a moment, her eyes shot open, a glimmer of green light passing through them as she smiled brilliantly, flashing her perfect teeth. Her eyes narrowed as her face filled once more with steely determination and confidence.

"Let's go home, Telson." She said with invincible conviction, "Let's go home together."

Damian paced the floor of the enormous living room with all the pent up frustration of a caged tiger, the throbbing pain in his bandaged nose and plastered wrist only slightly muted by the pain medication he had taken earlier. The room was divided into two levels, the upper portion fitted with hardwood flooring and a luxurious bar around which several artistically designed stools were arranged. The lower level cradled a sunken sitting area and had a soft, blood-red carpet upon which several dark leather sofas and armchairs were arranged. There was an enormous fireplace at the other end featuring a large reproduction of Jean-Léon Gérôme's Napoleon in Egypt over its mantel. The lighting in the room was slightly muted, giving the room a somewhat cozy and relaxed atmosphere. The city gleamed through the large, floor to ceiling windows of the rooftop penthouse. Whoever lived here was accustomed to money, and lots of it by the looks of things.

He wasn't alone. In addition to Sergio, his driver from earlier that day, there were six other men in the room, none of whom he was familiar with. They were all superbly dressed, wearing dark, tailored suits and coats and each of them were imposing in both size and their demeanor. All of them bore the deadly serious look of true professionals, hard men accustomed to doing hard and awful things. They had yet to even say a word to him, but he could care less. He was growing impatient as struggled to absorb all that had happened in the last few hours.

Damian still couldn't wrap his arms around the reality that Enrique was dead, not that he held any kind of love for his deceased boss, he had no love for anyone really. But it was more of the shame of it all. The sweet setup he had enjoyed as Enrique's strongman which had allowed him to freely live out all of his dark fantasies had suddenly been stripped away from him in an instant along with their entire operation. And all of this had been done by the same punk who had embarrassed him earlier, which he was still struggling to accept. What the hell is taking so long? What do they have to discuss?! We find the freak, we make him wish he was never born, and we kill him.

He couldn't wait to get his hands on that kid, and Ella, who was apparently in on the whole thing. He would kill him. Oh with such exquisite torment, he would kill him; and he would make her watch. He allowed his twisted fantasies to give him some sadistic pleasure for a moment, if only to distract himself while they waited for the go-ahead. Still, the memory of what had happened to him earlier that afternoon, his powerlessness to wrestle free, the kid staring coldly into his eyes as he had slowly crushed his wrist, filled him with unease. What the hell is he anyways?

He was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of the large double doors next to the far side of the bar on the upper level swinging open. All eyes moved to follow as the tall, muscular man with black hair wearing the black suit and green tie who had briefed them all earlier stalked into the room. At his right arm, resting a hand on his elbow was perhaps the most beautiful woman Damian had ever seen. She was of middling height with long, glossy-black hair and emerald eyes. Her white blouse hung lightly over her slim, but shapely figure. The short-cut black skirt she wore rose just above her knees, giving him a perfect view of her smooth, tanned legs.

He had never met the head of the larger organization that he and Enrique worked for, and he certainly had no idea that it was a woman. His initial thought had been that the tall man who had briefed them earlier was the boss, he certainly looked the part; but it was not so. The big man had referred to another, and that when she was introduced, they would address her only as 'mistress'. That was rich. Damian thought with a smirk. However, as much as he wanted to, he opted not to stare for too long at her. Her massive man-servant was slowly giving the death-glare to everyone in the room, his gaze a fearsome warning to anyone who might dare to look upon her too openly. As if on cue, the other six goons began to move forward to stand in a semicircle before the pair; Damian and Sergio joined them.

The woman stepped away from her assistant who took a step back with his hands hanging loosely at his sides, ready for action. It was easy to tell that she carried the air of one who was supremely confident in their abilities. Her head turned slowly back and forth as she surveyed the eight men before her. Damian scowled interiorly as she appeared to smirk slightly as she took note of his battered appearance. When she had finished her appraisal of those before her, she finally spoke.

"As you have already been informed, one of our stations was taken down earlier this evening by the young man whose image you were shown earlier in Telson's briefing." She said as she began to slowly walk along in front of them, her hands clasped behind her. Her voice sounded warm and inviting, yet as smooth and dangerous as an oiled dagger. It caused the hair on the back of Damian's neck to stand up. She continued, "Thanks to the phone the woman who was formerly in our employ is still carrying, we have a general idea of where they are."

Come on, get on with it you stuck up idiot. Damian thought as he shifted his weight back and forth.

"However, this job will be a little different from what you're normally accustomed too. I must emphasize that this is not a hit." She paused to gauge their reactions before she continued, "Your job, is to go and retrieve this pair and bring them here to me. Understand that I want them both alive and as unharmed as can be managed." Damian bristled as he could not believe what he was hearing.

Alive? You've gotta be freaking kidding me! Why would you possibly need them in one piece?! He was snapped out of his thoughts as the woman stopped in front of him.

"Do not underestimate the boy," She said as she gestured to Damian, "As you can see, he is far more capable than he appears." Her remarks caused a few of the others to snicker as Damian fumed with hateful outrage. She then moved away from him, "Hit him hard, hit him fast, but remember, he must be alive. Do I make myself clear?" At first, no one said anything, but then a single voice broke the silence.

"Yeah, what's the payout for this job?" All eyes turned towards the source of the voice, it was Sergio. The stocky man was still wearing his brown leather jacket and had his arms crossed defiantly across his chest. Damian's jaw clenched as the mistress turned towards him.

Shut up you idiot! Of the three of them, Sergio had gotten off the easiest in their first encounter with the kid. He was lucky to have only been knocked out. Slab was still in the hospital having his jaw wired back together, looking like he had been kicked in the face by a horse.

The woman stepped towards the shorter man who stared defiantly back at her. She continued her pace until she was standing less than a foot away, crowding his personal space. She looked down on him with a curious expression, as if she were merely considering the color of the floor beneath him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that." She calmly stated after a rather uncomfortably long pause. "Care to repeat yourself?" Everyone in the room remained motionless, the air filling with tension as the man continued to stubbornly meet her gaze.

"Yeah. This freak killed our boss and only after he took out the rest of our crew single-handedly! This is a high risk assignment, and I want some extra 'hazard pay' for this. That, or I walk." She raised an imperious eyebrow but said nothing more as her eyes continued to bore into the man as if she were attempting to peer into his very soul. After a few more tense moments, something seemed to shift in the shorter man. He looked away, no longer able to hold the woman's stern gaze which surprised Damian as Sergio was easily the most stubborn man he had ever met. It was abundantly clear to all present that he had lost this little contest of wills. But rather than move away, the mysterious woman continued to ominously stare him down.

As the seconds continued to tick by, Sergio began to sweat, but he dared not look back up at her or even make a sound. She continued to stare. The growing sense of discomfort was now spreading out over the entire room and still, she did not let up. Damian never imagined that a woman could be so intimidating. He knew what it was like to take pleasure in making others, especially women, squirm in pain and misery, he did it all the time. But this was different. She was certainly causing Sergio discomfort for sure, but it didn't seem to be for pleasure. This was not subjugation, this was annihilation.

Alright, we get it. You're the boss, enough already! He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was something off about her, something profoundly wrong. It was almost as if the very world around her could not bear her existence. A chill ran up his spine as he realized that he had never before in his life feared a woman until now.

As the seconds turned into a full minute, the very air in the room was beginning to feel like an oppressive weight, each breath becoming an immense labor. And the longer Damian was in the same room as her, the louder his instincts screamed at him to run, to place as much distance between himself and whatever predator his mind was convinced was present there with him before it turned and devoured him as well. He felt helpless, the same kind of feeling one would have if they were stranded out in the open ocean as a massive shark circled in the dark waters below. Just as he was beginning to seriously consider how much time it would take him to sprint the exit, she finally spoke.

"So, you're done then?" She quietly asked. Sergio was now literally trembling, his arms braced tightly at his sides as he glanced desperately at the others for support. No longer was his expression that of a man trying to gain support for, what was earlier in his mind, a legitimate objection, but a plea for his very life. It was too late though, everyone could sense it. Impassive stares were all he received. He was dead where he stood and it was best to not become between a lion and its prey.

"Y-yeah," He stuttered. "I think I'm done." The woman nodded once before she straightened her posture and stepped to one side.

"Well, there's the door." She said as she gestured to another door perpendicular to the set she had come through earlier. She smiled at him, a seemingly genuine smile. "You're a man who's aware of his limitations, I can respect that. If you would rather not take the risk, then take your leave." It was incredible. With that one smile, she had somehow managed to instantly dispel all of the nightmarish energy that had been building up in the room, vanishing as if it was never there to begin with. Everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Sergio blinked, startled by the unexpected turn of events. Not wanting to wait any longer, he moved towards the door, muttering something unintelligible in gratitude as he stepped past her and headed eagerly for the exit.

The woman turned and looked at Telson, something seemed to pass between them. As the shorter man passed blissfully in front of him, the powerful man's hand suddenly darted out with the speed of a striking snake, seizing the unfortunate man firmly by the neck. Sergio barely had time to utter a shout before they all heard a sickening 'crunch' as Telson effortlessly closed his fist with the force of a hydraulic clamp around a paper cup. The dead man fell limply to the floor, twitching once before he was still.

Damian felt his blood run cold as he stared at his associate now dead on the floor, struggling to comprehend what he had just seen. The woman sniffed dismissively as she casually looked up from examining her fingernails, "Anyone else?" Dead silence was the only response. Damian flinched as she suddenly turned to look at him. He felt pinned to the very spot he stood by her eyes, like a small bird that freezes up when it makes the fatal error of locking eyes with a snake. After a tense moment, she smiled and winked at him, "Be a dear and help Telson take out the trash, will you? Thanks." She turned and began to walk out of the room, a slight sway in her hips. She paused and glanced back at him, "Oh, and do hurry back, I simply can't stand delays."

Ella leaned against the counter of the concierge's desk of the fancy hotel lobby that she and Flash were presently standing in. "I'd like a room for the night, top floor if possible." She said. The tall and sharply dressed attendant on the other side nodded as he efficiently clicked away on his keyboard.

"I have a suite available, will that suffice?" He asked, his voice crisp and affable as he eyed the odd couple before him. They didn't exactly look the part of the sort of guests who could afford the rates at this establishment. He was slightly surprised when the young woman nodded without batting an eye. He noticed the young man behind her look away from him and back to the entrance of the lobby, he appeared agitated. "That will be $800, please." She paid for it in cash which further surprised him. He slid two key cards in a folded card across the counter to her before saying, "Enjoy your stay." Ella grabbed the cards and turned to head for the elevators, Flash followed behind her with his right hand in his jacket pocket, in his left he was holding a small, black tool bag.

The hotel was indeed impressive. The beautiful central lobby consisted of a massive, open space surrounded by stacked, wraparound tiers that made up the various floors. Gilded glass elevators rose quickly along the four different sides, taking their occupants up the various levels. An ornate stone water-fountain occupied the center of the area. The artistically flowing water created a comforting ambiance of sound as soft jazz music drifted in from the elaborate restaurant and bar on the other side. Being so late at night, there were relatively few patrons left.

Ella didn't pay much of this any notice as she stared blankly ahead while the elevator doors closed as she hit their floor number. Her mind had practically gone blank as she tried not to think too hard about everything that had just happened. She felt as if she did, she might run screaming from the building. The only reason she was keeping it together was because Flash had promised to explain everything to her once they were in a safe location. He had asked her to find them a hotel, the only stipulation being that it be an upscale one which she agreed to without objection. She really didn't know what else to do at the moment but follow his instructions, she owed him that much.

Ella curiously reached up and rubbed the top of her head again, marveling at how no trace of her injury remained. After they had fled the club and gotten back to the car, Flash had done something to her that she couldn't quite remember. She could vaguely recall him examining her injuries, a worried look on his face. The next thing she knew was that her pain had immediately dissipated and that she could think clearly once more. She had no idea what he did to her, but she was sure as hell going to find out.

From there they had driven to a convenience store where he had created cover for her while she discreetly slipped inside the store's restroom in order to wash the blood out of her hair and off of her face so that she would be presentable enough to get them checked into a hotel without the police being called. After she had parked the car, he had oddly asked her if she had any kind of tools. She checked the trunk and found a tool bag which he strangely took with them.

Ella glanced over at Flash who was staring at the floor as if he too, were lost in thought. She noticed that his jaw was tightly clenched and he was swaying slightly. He looked a bit pale, which was saying something considering his fair complexion. He had barely spoken a word to her beyond the immediate instructions he given, only speaking when necessary. He doesn't look so good. In fact, now that she really thought about it, he looked downright terrible which began to worry her slightly. She cleared her throat before asking, "So, uh, an-any reason why you wanted an expensive place?" Flash's head snapped up as if he had been dozing off, he shook his head and looked at her.

"More secure location, and places like this will have alcohol in the rooms." He said before going silent again. Ella was a bit surprised by his answer.

Guess I'm not the only one who could use a drink, She grimly thought. The image of Enrique's dead, smoldering body leaped to the front of her mind again causing her to shudder. What are you Flash? How do you do all of these things? She still could not process what had happened and yet, as freaked out as she was, she still felt completely safe with him.

The elevator chimed as it finally reached the top floor, the pair wordlessly exited together and began to walk side by side until they found their room number. Ella opened the door and stepped inside the dimly lit room, flicking on the rest of the lights which revealed the cozy interior. Her stomach turned slightly as the room was similar to many she had seen before when visiting high-end clients. The interior was large and spacious, with a high ceiling and dark-blue carpeting. An enormous, king-sized bed draped in thick, vanilla-colored bedding occupied the center with a mini-fridge and vanity immediately to its right. The curtains were drawn over the large windows which she knew would also include a balcony on the other side. Additionally, there was a writing desk with a chair as well as a large, padded armchair over in the corner.

Ella tossed her pale-red arm bag onto the bed as she pulled off her worn leather jacket, Flash staggered past her towards the writing desk, still holding the nylon tool-bag. She knew the pink tank-top and jeans she was wearing could probably use a wash, luckily she had a change of clothes in her bag.

"I could really use a shower," She sighed as she shook her head to loosen her still slightly damp hair. "How about you Flash?" Ella jumped as she was startled by a sudden clatter. She spun around to see that the tool bag had slipped from Flash's hand, falling to the floor as he slumped forward. He dropped to one knee before he caught himself, clinging onto the corner of the desk with both hands for support, his head lolling to one side.

"Flash!" Ella shouted as she immediately sprang to his side. Unsure of what to do, she grabbed him under his left arm as she tried to help him to his feet; he was shaking. He managed to stand back up before collapsing backwards into the desk chair, breathing hard. Ella's eyes went wide as she noticed a smeared, bloody handprint where he had grabbed onto the desk. "Flash! Oh my gosh, Flash! What's wrong?!" She shouted as she placed her hands on his shoulders, shaking him slightly. Her eyes danced over him as she desperately searched for his injury. His two-toned blue and violet eyes flicked up as he looked at her apologetically.

"Sorry about that, I got a little dizzy, that's all." He said as he shifted in the chair to sit up. "I think I took one back there." He exhaled. She blinked in confusion.

"Took one? One what?" Her heart skipped a beat as she finally took his meaning, "Wait, ya mean you've been SHOT?! When did-" She paused as she remembered the two gunshots in Enrique's office and how Flash had shielded her with his body. "Oh go...why didn't you tell me?!" She practically shouted. Flash shook his head,

"You were hurt, and I didn't want to worry you." He replied as he stood up and attempted to take off his jacket which was difficult with only his left arm cooperating.

"Oh damn, DAMN! This is all my fault!" Ella exclaimed as she moved to help him slip out of it; the jacket was surprisingly heavier than it looked. She held it up to the light, her heart practically stopping as she caught sight of the bullet hole in the upper back. "Flash! We need to get you to a hospital!" He shook his head again,

"No hospitals, we'll patch up here...but I'll need your help." He stated calmly. His voice was steady, but Ella could now tell that he was in a great deal of pain. She tossed his jacket on the floor next to the bed.

"Look Flash, I'm not a nurse! I-" She gawked as she caught site of the golden vambrace on his right forearm with two curved blades connected to a mechanism on its topside. Flash didn't seem to notice her surprise as he pressed a latch-release on its underside causing a portion of the armor's underside to withdraw and slide back with a few metallic clicks. He removed the piece from his arm and set it on the desk with a dull thud. Ella stared at the strange device a second longer before she noticed Flash picking through the tool bag on the floor. He pulled out a pair of needle-nose pliers which he placed on the desk.

"You still have that switchblade on you from before? He asked. Ella reached into her front pocket and pulled out the pearl-handled switchblade that she had taken off the driver Flash had knocked out when the two of them had first met and handed it to him. Flash clicked the knife open and carefully examined its double-edged blade before twirling it around with practiced ease and setting it next to the pliers. He motioned with his head, "Check that ice-box, see if there's any alcohol, please." She immediately complied and went over to check.

That's why he wanted alcohol, She realized, He didn't want a drink, he wanted to patch himself up! This is crazy, this is crazy... Ella opened the fridge and found four small bottles of alcohol: two bourbon, two vodka as well as an assortment of beer and soda. She grabbed the four small bottles and left the rest. As she turned around, she suddenly froze as she saw Flash holding the tips of the pliers with his right hand up between the spread forefinger and thumb of his left hand. Ella squinted as an arc of blue electricity crackled and leaped between his two fingers, heating the tips of the pliers until they burned with a dull, red glow. He then repeated the same action with the blade of the knife. Flash held them both up and nodded, satisfied that they were now sterile enough before setting the tools back on the desk with the hot ends hanging out safely in the air. He then looked over at her and gave her a tired smile.

"Come along now," He said with a weary gesture. Ella snapped out of her bewilderment and moved quickly over to him, setting the bottles down on the desk. "Right then," Flash said as he took a breath and forced himself to his feet. "I've been keeping the wound sealed by bracing the muscles around it with an electrical charge. As soon as I release it, there will probably be a lot more blood. So we'll need a towel and a washcloth."

"Oh Flash," Ella groaned as she quickly went into the bathroom to retrieve them. "We really should get you to a doctor." She said as she came back out into the room and saw him trying to remove the black, short-sleeved shirt he was wearing with only his left arm. Ella set the cloths on the bed and then moved forward to assist him. "Here, let me help you with that." She said as she reached for him which caused Flash to recoil and almost topple backwards.

"No, I got it!" He exclaimed with his hand raised defensively between them, a touch of rose coloring his cheeks. Ella stared in disbelief for a second before she blinked and shook her head.

"Oh, will you get over here!" She snapped impatiently. Flash grimaced slightly in embarrassment before relenting and lowering his hand. "Let's put the chivalry on hold until we're both sure you're not in danger of bleeding to death, okay?! Honestly..." She grumbled. First time I actually meet a guy who doesn't want me to touch him because he's just that proper. Ella had to resist smirking at the thought. What a guy, would rather risk death than appear to be even slightly improper with a gal... She shook her head as she reached over and grabbed the bottom of his shirt, gently lifting and pulling it up over his head. Flash winced as he tried to raise his right arm, so she pulled the shirt down the limb instead. Now shirtless, he looked away from her, apparently still embarrassed. My, you're a shy one.

Ella paused to stare at him for just a moment. His skin was smooth and completely hairless. All of his muscles were remarkably well-defined and formed, though not bulky. His sleek form reminded her of the lithe figure of a jungle cat or a racing horse. He looked like a sculpture. She then noticed a thick scar about two-inches long and a half-an-inch wide on the top of his left pectoral muscle. What stood out the most though, was the pair of vibrant tattoos that he bore on either shoulder of a grey kite-shield with a bright yellow lightning bolt across the front. They looked exactly like the patches on the shoulders of his jacket. However, these images appeared far sharper, and better defined than any kind of tattoo she had ever seen before! They didn't seem to be composed of ink, or any other recognizable material at all.

"Those are some pretty sweet tattoos ya got there Flash, didn't think you were the type." Flash turned his head with a genuinely innocent and confused look. No, there's no way... But sure enough, he said it.

"What's a tattoo?" Ella just sighed and face-palmed in disbelief.

"Oh, nevermind kid," She groaned. "Just, just tell me how to fix ya." Flash nodded as he took his shirt from her and tied it around his waist in order to catch any blood that might drip. The truth was Ella was actually pretty handy at first-aid. During her enslavement, she had taken it upon herself to look after the other girls whenever they were hurt, which was more often than she cared to think about. Most of them were younger than her, and she felt drawn to look after and help them in anyway she could. It was a quality she knew that she had inherited from her mother. She was always looking to help others... Ella bit her lip as a tear threatened to come to her eye. Not now, stay focused. This kid is hurt because of you.

Flash reached over and grabbed one of the pillows off of the bed before turning about and sitting backwards in the desk chair. Ella muffled a whimper with her hand as she finally saw the full extent of his wound. The bullet had struck him in the upper-right portion of his back, directly in the shoulder-blade. Dried blood was smeared all around the entrance with some of it trailing around his shoulder and down his arm. The skin around the injury showed the dark discoloration caused by internal bleeding. She watched as Flash wrapped his arms around the pillow and the back of the chair, twisting so that his right shoulder was slightly forward.

Ella understood that the pillow represented how he was holding her when had he shielded her with his body. He was placing himself in the exact position he was when he was shot so that the muscles underneath the skin and flesh would match the trajectory of the entrance wound, giving her a better chance at extracting the bullet. As he did so, she noticed three more large scars, similar to the the one on his chest, along the left side of his back, arranged symmetrically as if a giant hand had clawed him. His back rose and fell as Flash took slow, steady breaths.

"Basically," He began, "You want to use the knife to slightly enlarge the wound, I suggest vertical incisions. After that, use the pliers to dig in and extract the bullet, I can feel it embedded in my shoulder-blade." Ella took a breath and held it for a second before slowly letting it out.

"Oh, God help me..." She muttered as she reached over and moved the adjustable desk-lamp to shine directly on the wound. Ella opened both of the vodka bottles and taking one of them, held it in front of Flash's face from behind. "Here, drink some of this." Flash shook his head.

"No, I need to keep my wits about me."

"Flash!" She insisted. After a moment's hesitation, he relented and took the offered bottle, taking a swig and coughing as the alcohol burned a track down his throat. Ella took the bottle back and drained the rest of it herself, just to steady her nerves. "How are we going to stitch you up after I get it out? She asked.

"Let me worry about that," He replied, "Go ahead and start." He slowly drew in a breath, holding it for a moment before releasing it. Ella saw the muscles in his back twitch as they suddenly relaxed, blood began to immediately seep from the wound. Taking the washcloth in one hand, Ella grabbed the second vodka bottle and poured its contents over the area, causing Flash to hiss through clenched teeth.

"Oh, sweet, blessed Celestia..." He muttered under his breath. Dabbing the area clean, Ella quickly went to work with the knife. She used slow, delicate slices to open it up just as he instructed her. Setting the knife aside, she now grabbed the pliers, opening them slightly as she began to probe into the wound. She moved slowly, wiggling them slightly back and forth as she steadily pressed them deeper into the entrance; Flash stifled a groan.

Hang in there kid, I almost got it. Ella held the washcloth under the injury which was now bleeding profusely as she continued to probe. After what felt like an eternity, with her growing more uncertain with each passing second, Ella finally felt the tips of the pliers contact something a bit harder than flesh and bone. "Hang on, I think I got it..." She paused before adding, "This is probably going to hurt a lot, Flash."

"Really?" He asked sarcastically, his voice strained. "I had no idea!" Ella couldn't help but smirk a little, surprised by his quip.

So, you do have a bit of snark. Clamping down hard on the obstruction, Ella placed her other hand on his back around the entrance and began to steadily pull. Flash uttered an incoherent sound in agony as with a few more tugs, the pliers finally pulled free, the bullet glistening with clotted blood in the light. She looked at it closely for a second, noticing how the tip of the .45 caliber slug was slightly deformed before depositing it with a clatter on the desk. Ella quickly held the washcloth against the wound, applying pressure. It was quickly becoming saturated with blood.

"I got it Flash, its out!" She said, almost crying as she said it. Ella watched as Flash pulled something out of his front pocket, his hand trembling.

"Pl-place this on the injury..." He gasped, his voice shaking as he held up a glowing, violet stone. Ella stared at the strange object, mesmerized by its appearance. She took it from his hand.

"Flash, what is this?" She asked.

"You'll see," He replied weakly, "Just do it..." Without a second more of delay, Ella removed the cloth and placed the mysterious stone against the hideous injury. She watched with fascination as the stone flared before the wound began to miraculously knit itself back together, starting with the inner muscle and flesh. Flash grunted and arched his back slightly at the sensation. It was almost fully closed before the light in the stone suddenly went out and the injury stopped healing. There was still a small, raw opening and the skin surrounding it was still fairly bruised. Ella didn't even know what to ask at first as she did not comprehend what had just happened.

"I, I don't get it, why did it stop?" Flash was panting hard, sweat pouring down his face as he turned around in the chair and took the now dull stone from her hand.

"Because it's out of mana," He said as he looked at the stone before pocketing it. "It's a sealing crystal that contains a basic healing spell. I used it earlier on Ashley, and then you. Guess there wasn't enough left to finish the job on me." Flash rolled his shoulder experimentally, wincing slightly. "Still, that's good enough for now. It'll have to do." He moved to stand up but staggered, almost falling over before Ella caught and steadied him. "Sorry," He said sheepishly, his cheeks flushing slightly as he straightened up, "Thanks."

"What," She sputtered, "What do you mean...what is going on, WHAT IS ALL THIS?!" Ella shouted as tears began to form in her eyes. Her shoulder's rose and fell as she breathed hard, looking him directly in the eyes with a look that demanded answers. "Who are you Flash?!" Flash stared at her a moment, noticing how her hands were stained with his blood. He gave her a small, reassuring smile.

"Alright," He said softly. "Let's get cleaned up first, and then I'll tell you everything, I promise."

Ella stared at the rock-glass in her hands as she sat cross legged on the corner of the bed, the ice had long since melted away, leaving her with with a small amount of diluted bourbon. Flash sat across from her in the armchair, rolling a now empty rock-glass between his fingers that he had earlier filled with orange juice from the fridge. Both of them had showered, Flash of course insisting that she go first which Ella thought ridiculous as he was the one covered in blood. She was wearing her fresh change of clothes, another pair of faded jeans and a dark blue shirt. Flash had his black shirt on once more. After he had thoroughly rinsed it of blood, he had passed an electric current through it, drying it instantly. He explained that all of his clothing was specially tailored from a unique fabric designed to not burn up whenever he used that ability.

For nearly an hour, Flash had done his best to explain to her what he was; beginning with where he came from, what it was like, how he was raised, and why he was now here. Ella had simply stared at him in stunned silence for the most part, only speaking when she asked him to repeat himself or explain a particular detail. All in all, he thought she took it rather well.

Ella took a deep swallow from her glass as he finished. "So," She mumbled, "How did you get those other scars on your back?" Flash gave a mirthless laugh as a shadow seemed to pass over his face,

"A very...ill-tempered centaur and I had a disagreement of sorts." He replied. It was such a random question, Ella wasn't even sure why she had asked it. Her mind was utterly swimming with an overload of impossible and downright ridiculous information that Flash had been telling her for the last hour. She didn't even react to his answer

"I have a feeling that you're having a bit of trouble believing me." Flash added after gauging her lack of response. Ella scoffed to herself.

Ponies...a world of magical, freaking, ponies... She looked up from her glass, "You know, it would be much more believable if you just said you were an alien from anotha' planet, or some kinda secret government super-soldier or somthin'." She deadpanned. This caused Flash to smile and chuckle a little.

"Sounds like you've read too many comic books haha, ooh, hurts to laugh..." He said as he reached over his shoulder to rub it. Ella pursed her lips and looked away for a moment.

"And you were raised by a pony?" She asked, hardly believing that she was asking something that sounded so utterly ludicrous. Flash smiled and nodded.

"She raised me as her own."

"And they talk...do they look like the ponies here?" Flash shrugged,

"I don't know, what do your ponies look like?" Ella responded by pulling out her phone and performing a quick image search before holding it up for him to see. Flash leaned forward and squinted at the screen before he frowned, shaking his head as he sat back. "Well, they're similar, but where I come from their muzzles are much shorter, and they have larger heads and eyes with much more expressive faces." Ella nodded as she tried to come up with a mental picture. She noticed that Flash was now holding the bullet she had pulled out of him earlier between his fingers as he curiously scrutinized it.

"It's a wonder that thing didn't punch right through you," She muttered, still feeling painfully guilty. Flash tilted his head in thought before responding.

"Well, there's a material called 'armor-weave' sewn into the lining of my jacket. It's made to resist blades and stabbing weapons, but not this. Still, might have slowed it down a bit." He said as he replaced the projectile back on the desk. "That, and I've learned that I'm far more durable than humans without magic. The magic in Equestrians makes us strong." Ella looked up.

"How strong?" Flash paused a moment in thought.

"Hard to say really, you all seem pretty fragile." He said as he paused again before saying, "I'd say five, maybe ten times stronger?" Ella shook her head slightly in disbelief. Feeling self-conscious, Flash quickly tried to make it sound less impressive, "But I'm nowhere near as strong compared to many other ponies from where I come." He gave an nervous laugh. "Any stout earth pony, for example, could easily lift more than me. Heck, I'm friends with a good farm-mare who could fold me into a square if she really wanted to, and don't get me started on her older brother." Ella didn't seem to respond, her eyes were distant as she took a sip from her glass.

"And how fast are you?" At this, Flash glanced away, appearing slightly flustered.

"Well, I don't have wings so I've never quite been able to break the sound barrier, but I've gotten close. In comparison to some pegasi, my best friend for example? She can go ten-times that fast..." He muttered. "But I can move pretty quick when I need to for short bursts."

Pegasi She scoffed in her mind. "And those images on your shoulders, they're called?" Flash glanced at his now covered shoulder.

"Cutie Marks," He replied which caused her to chuckle incredulously as she face-palmed at the silly-sounding name.

Well, you certainly are a cutie, Flash Ella thought with a small smile. He continued,

"A pony gets them when they discover their true purpose in life." This got Ella's attention.

'And what is your purpose, Flash?" She asked. Flash looked steadily at her before saying,

"To protect others." Ella's hands tightened their grip on her glass.

Is that why you've been protecting me? Why Flash, why are you risking so much for me? You've been hurt, you could've been... She shook her head before downing the rest of her drink. "Huh, must be nice having something that tells you your life's purpose." Flash smiled at her.

"I believe everypony, er, everyone has a common purpose in life." He said. "All of our different talents are meant to contribute to harmony, to help each other grow in love and become better individuals. It's kinda like an orchestra that has many different instruments. By themselves, they can each make their own song. But playing together in harmony, they create one, beautiful symphony." Ella looked down at the empty glass in her hands as she absorbed his philosophy, not sure of what to say.

Is it really that simple for you, Flash? You have such an innocent outlook on things. His eyes suddenly appeared distant as he began to speak again but in a more solemn, serious tone.

"It's when others choose to waste their talents, or worse, use them for selfish gain, to harm others...that's when you have suffering...that's when you get an Enrique." No sooner had Flash spoken that name when the thick glass he was holding suddenly shattered in his grip, causing Ella to flinch. He hardly seemed to even notice as he stared with dead eyes at the few bits of glass now sticking into his palm that drew pin-pricks of blood. He blinked as if shaken from sleep. "I'm, I'm sorry...I didn't mean to..."

Flash slid out of his chair and got to his knees, his head bowed as he began to gather up the fragments from the carpet.

"Flash..." Ella murmured as she immediately got on her knees to help him. His hands brushed hers aside as he continued to mindlessly gather up the shattered glass.

"I...I didn't...I didn't want to..."

"Flash,"

"I mean, I hoped I could..."

"FLASH!" Ella shouted as she grabbed onto his shoulders and shook them. He stopped picking up the glass before slowly raising his head. Ella felt her heart finally break as she saw the rivulets of tears that were now pouring down his cheeks.

I've ruined him. This sweet, innocent kid... Ella glared at him despite the tears forming in her own eyes, "Don't you even..." She whispered as she slowly shook her head while maintaining eye contact with him. "Don't you dare blame yourself for what happened back there." Flash stared back at her but said nothing. "That's on me. I put you in that position, me!"

Flash could barely register her words as conflict raged within him. On one hand, he knew that he had only done his duty as a soldier, that it was a righteous kill made in self-defense and the defense of another. That he had no other choice; it was him or them. At the same time, it felt as if something had broken within him, something he could never get back. I've taken a life...I've killed someone, my own kind. I'm a killer. After he had blasted Enrique, he had followed his training and was able to compartmentalize his action to one side in order to focus on his next objective, getting them both to safety. His next focus was to heal and then explain himself to Ella. With these objectives now accomplished, the sheer magnitude of what he had actually done was presently crashing down upon him with the weight of the entire universe. He felt like throwing up.

Letting go of one of his shoulders, Ella slowly reached up towards the side of his face to gently brush a tear away with her thumb. She hesitated for a second as he flinched at her touch. Trying again, she succeeded, resting her hand against his warm cheek while giving him a sad, but consoling smile as she attempted to ease his pain. "I'm so sorry, Flash. Sorry for everything I did." Looking deep into his unique eyes, Ella felt something spark within the dark confines of her heart, something she had not felt for a very long time: compassion for a man. For the last five years, men had done nothing but lie to her, manipulate her, use and hurt her; and she hated them all for it.

But this young man was different. Ever since meeting him earlier that day, he had shown her nothing but deference, respect, compassion, and care. And how had she repaid him? With condescension, manipulation, and lies, all while belittling his noble character as unrealistic and silly. Meanwhile, he had protected her, bled for her, and now because of her selfishness, even killed and lost his innocence for her. I've become so callous, I didn't even know how to accept kindness anymore. I've treated him like garbage...God knows he deserves better than me...

Flash's mind had emptied as he floated on a sense of surrealism. Never before in his life had he felt another human hand on his face other than his own. Never before had he experienced such an intimate gesture, this 'human' connection. It felt so soothing on his raw emotions as her kind gesture began to bring him back into focus. Get it together soldier...do your duty. He shuddered as he slowly reached up and placed his hand over hers, gently gripping it, the contact causing his heart to flutter. Compared to his hand, hers felt so soft, so delicate. I've got to get her out of here, she needs to be safe. Once she's safe, I can figure out what to do next. A renewed sense of determination began to take hold in his heart. He reluctantly pulled her hand away from his face, giving it a soft squeeze before releasing it.

"Thank you, Ella. It's alright. I'll be alright." Flash rose to his feet as he turned around and covered his face with both hands, taking a deep breath before letting it out as he wiped the tears from his face. He coughed and cleared his throat. Ella remained on her knees for a moment, looking up at him in wonder.

You're thanking me?! She thought as she stood up, I'm the one who should be thanking you, for the rest of my life! Flash gave his head a shake before turning around to face her, he gave her another tired smile.

"It's late, we should get some rest. You take the bed, I'll take the armchair." Ella knew better than to argue that point with him, so she let it go.

"What do you plan to do?" She asked.

"Tomorrow? Get you out of town." He replied.

"Why?" Flash gave her a serious look.

"Because this isn't over Ella, not by a long-shot. There's no way a loser like Enrique was the top dog in this chain. We've stirred up a hornet's nest. I've got to get you out of here, you won't be safe until I do." Ella shook her head angrily.

"No, I mean why are you doing this?!" He paused as she brushed a half-dried tear from the corner of one eye before continuing. "You barely even know me! Why are you still helping me?! " Flash stared a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Because I want to." He firmly replied. "I chose to help you, and by Celestia, I'm going to see that through. I won't stop until I know you're safe." Ella scoffed and shook her head as she rubbed her temple with one hand.

"Then what?" To this, Flash shook his head.

"Not sure. Probably go back to Equestria, plan my next move from there." Ella gave another sarcastic scoff,

"We Earthlings really didn't make a good first impression for you, huh?" Flash huffed as a sad smile softened his face.

"I wouldn't exactly write home about it, no." He turned and grabbed his vambrace off the desk, sliding it onto his right forearm and locking it back in place. "Don't worry about me, Ella. I can take care of myself." He then grabbed his jacket and put it on again, wincing slightly as he put his right arm through the sleeve. "We'll discuss it in the morning. For now, let's just get some rest."

Ella laid completely still under the warm blankets of the soft bed, still fully clothed. She had laid there wide awake for the first hour, trying to order her thoughts while planning her next move. Flash had turned the armchair towards the entrance of the room so that she was out of his line of sight. The chair was currently reclined, the mostly dark room making it somewhat difficult to tell if he was truly asleep.

Eventually, she heard the telltale sound of deep breathing as sleep finally took hold of him. As quietly as she could, Ella slipped out from under the covers, putting on her shoes, and gathering up her belongings. Sneaking over to the writing desk, she scribbled out a quick note of farewell, thanking Flash for all of his help.

As she slipped by the armchair, Ella paused to look down at the young man who had done so much for her. Even in the dim light spilling through the partially closed curtains, she could see his eyes dancing beneath his eyelids as he dreamed. You're too pure for a gal like me, Flash. I'm...damaged. I can only bring you down. She slowly reached down and brushed aside a lock of his silvery hair that had fallen across his forehead. Any girl would be lucky to have ya. Placing a kiss on two of her fingers, she gently touched them to the side of his soft face, lingering there for a moment before she withdrew them. Whoever you are, wherever you're from, I hope you find what you're looking for kid. Thanks for everything...thanks for caring...

Ella turned away as tears threatened to come to her eyes again. Moving silently, she carefully opened the door, looking back at Flash's sleeping form one last time before sliding out into the hallway.

It's better this way, Ella sniffed and wiped the corner of her eye as she walked towards the elevator. He's resourceful, he doesn't need my help for anything. She stopped in front of the elevator and pushed the descent button, resting her weight on one foot as she waited for the doors to open.

In an attempt to distract herself from what she was doing, Ella's thoughts turned to when she had first met Flash the previous day. As she replayed those events in her mind, something began to bother her, a question from earlier that she hadn't given the time to fully process. How the hell did Damian know where to find me? I got away clean, nobody saw me...

As she absentmindedly reached for her front pocket in order to grab her phone, the sheer horror of the realization hit her harder than Enrique ever did. The phone... A chime sounded as the elevator doors slid open. Ella looked up, her breath catching in her throat as she caught sight of the two burly men in dark overcoats and leather gloves standing inside. Both of them stared at her with unfriendly eyes which widened slightly in surprise for a second before narrowing in hostility again. The one on the left slowly drew a pistol with a glossy, black suppressor on its muzzle from his coat pocket and pointed it at her while simultaneously raising a single finger to his mouth, a wry smile tugging at his lips.

The color drained from Ella's face as terror seized hold of her, but it wasn't the gun that her eyes were fixed on. It was the bruised and battered face of the third man who stepped out from behind the other two, the last face she ever wanted to see again. Damian's mouth curled into a ghastly smile, the bruising in his face having discolored even his front teeth, giving him the looks to match his winning personality.

"Hey babe," He whispered as he stepped up in front of her. Ella couldn't breath, she couldn't think, she couldn't even move as everything seemed to die inside her. "Where is he, huh? Where's your soldier-boy?"

Author's Note

Fun facts: Chelicerae is the scientific label for the fangs/mouth-parts on an insect/arachnid.
Telson is the tip of a scorpion's sting.
I just wanted to take a moment to thank you all who have taken the time to read my story up to this point. I know it still needs a lot of work and editing, I'll get to it eventually.
A quick note, I am currently in basic training as I am now a United States Navy Chaplain. This means that it may be a while before my next chapter. Please say a quick prayer for me if you can for my perseverance, I greatly appreciate it. All the best and God bless you all!

Sting

Present Day

Sunset Shimmer paced restlessly in the now deserted corridor outside of the white double doors that led into one of the many guest suites in Canterlot Castle, her ears pinned back in frustration and worry. Even though she had been away for so many years, the sights and smells of what was her home for most of her formative years were still quite familiar to her. It was late, Luna had long ago raised the moon and most ponies throughout the castle, save for the guards and a few night owls, were all sound asleep. But sleep was the furthest thing from the fiery unicorn's mind whose youthful appearance masked the weight of her years, a weight matched only by the growing sense of dread that hung within her gut like a millstone.

Oh Flash, you brilliant...IDIOT. You should have let somepony go with you... Sunset spun back around as she continued her pacing. Of all the things I taught you, I had hoped that my stubbornness wouldn't have been one of them. The memory of Bright Skies' piercing, gut-wrenching scream and subsequent hysterics sent a shiver up her spine as she racked her brain for an idea. Something, anything that they could do to find out what had happened to Flash. She lifted a forelimb to rub her cheek which still stung from the slap she had received only minutes before.

Her ears perked up as she snapped her head to the sound of one of the doors to the room opening. Twilight Sparkle stepped quietly out of the darkened interior and carefully closed the door behind her. The young alicorn turned to face her, appearing exhausted as she rubbed the bridge of her muzzle with one hoof.

Sunset quickly stepped up in front her, anxious for answers. "How is she?" She whispered urgently, the low volume doing nothing to diminish the worry in her voice. Twilight sighed as she lowered her hoof and opened her eyes.

"Heavily sedated. She's sleeping now, Luna is going to stay with her." Sunset nodded sadly before allowing her gaze to drop to her hooves. "And how are you?" Twilight asked, her voice and expression one of genuine concern.

"Fine but, I think Rainbow Dash now hates me forever." She said as she rubbed her reddened cheek again. Twilight grimaced but shook her head.

"No, she doesn't hate you she's just...distraught. She acted out emotionally." Sunset smirked at that.

"Well, I'm sure my shouting match with her didn't do anything to soothe those emotions."

"Even so, she was out of line to slap you like that. I'll talk to her once she's had a chance to cool off, I'm sure she'll apologize." Twilight said with a disapproving frown.

"It can wait." Sunset sighed, "I probably deserved a lot worse." Twilight shook her head.

"No Sunset!" She retorted, "You can't blame yourself for this. Flash knew the risks, he chose to go." Sunset nodded slowly in acknowledgement but said nothing. She remained silent for a few beats before saying,

"Bright Skies. I've...I've never heard anypony scream like that." She said before raising her eyes back to her friend. "Any idea what could have happened to Flash to make her go into panicked conniptions like that?" Twilight shook her head, appearing as worried as Sunset felt.

"Not a clue, but it can't be good. From what I've heard, Flash reacted in a similar way back when Tirek had gotten to Bright Skies." Twilight said with a slight shudder, her wings flexing slightly. "But maybe we will know more soon."

"How?" Sunset asked, her eyes pleading. Twilight took a breath and exhaled before saying,

"After Luna put Bright Skies to sleep, she explained to me a theory she has had for some time but has never tested."

"And that is?" Twilight paused a moment to formulate the theory in her own words.

"Because of the unique bond they share, she is going to try and access Flash's consciousness through his mother's." Sunset's eyes widened in surprise.

"Has she ever done this before?" She asked, her voice hopeful. Twilight shook her head.

"No, it has only been a theory of her's one she's never tested here, let alone interdimensionally. And for it even to have a chance of working, Flash would need to be asleep at the same time." Sunset nodded in comprehension as she glanced to the side in thought.

"Well, Bright Skies could still feel him this whole time, so that means there's a chance that this could work." Twilight swallowed nervously.

"But only if Flash is still, I mean-" Sunset shot her a vicious look.

"Don't you even think it..." She snarled causing Twilight to lift a forelimb defensively in shock. Sunset's face immediately softened with regret, her ears drooping. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say it that way. It's just..." She trailed off, looking to the side again as worry consumed her features once more. Twilight stepped up to her and rested a comforting hoof on her shoulder.

"I know, we all love him too." Sunset sniffed and wiped a tear that was beginning to form in the corner of one eye.

"Oh, I'm going to have such words for that blockhead when he gets back." She said with a humorless chuckle. Twilight smiled and raised a bemused eyebrow as she lowered her hoof back to the carpet.

"You may have to get in line." She replied which caused Sunset to let out a more genuine laugh which Twilight joined her in. The two friends shared a brief embrace before they turned and began walking together down the corridor towards the royal pantry. "C'mon, let's go find Rainbow Dash. Knowing her at this time of night, she's probably trying to drown her worries in dessert." Sunset smirked.

"Yeah, if Celestia left her any." Twilight's lips twitched as she suppressed her own smirk, the two friends continuing on together in silence.

Princess Luna stood motionless on an ethereal plane of blue light. Above her, a starscape of the night sky stretched endlessly in all directions. The breathtaking sight might have been impressive for anypony, even her. But none of this held her attention at the moment. Rather, all of her focus was on the young human who sat on the edge of the plane, his back to her as his bare feet dangled freely over the endless void of stars. Flash's dream form was wearing a sky-blue t-shirt and white shorts, an outfit he used to wear all of the time when he was a child.

The Lunar princess knew that Flash was aware of her presence, but he had yet to speak to or even look at her, a far departure from the usual deference that he always showed her and her sister despite their familiarity and friendship with him. She was willing to wait though. The present situation would require a delicate approach. Her powerful vision could clearly see the fracture points that had begun to form in the aura of his psyche and heart, a careless move or word now could prove disastrous. She didn't have to wait long.

"How's mom?" Flash asked softly, still not looking at her as he gazed aimlessly into the star-filled void below him. Luna's heart ached for him as she could sense his pain.

"She shall be fine, I believe. I placed her into an enchanted sleep before she could harm herself." Flash nodded and whispered a nearly inaudible thanks. Luna dared to take a step closer to him. "And what of you, dear Flash?"

"What about me?" He replied, his voice neutral, nearly devoid of emotion. Luna frowned, her face filled with concern as she saw his aura darken further.

"Thou hast been hurt," She paused before continuing, "In more ways than one. Pray, tell us, what happened?" Flash shrugged but still didn't look at her.

"I got shot. I was careless. If it wasn't for Sunset's spell warning me, we wouldn't even be having this conversation right now." Luna slowly took another step forward.

"I was not speaking of the injury to thy flesh, what has happened to thy heart?" Flash smirked a little to himself as he noticed that she had slipped back into her olden airs, something he knew that she only did when she was upset. Ever since her return, she had been working on adopting a more modern dialect. He sighed, silent for another beat before he finally spoke.

"Do you remember Luna, what you said to me that one time about not forgiving?" The princess nodded solemnly.

"I told thee that, 'Unforgiveness is as a poison, young Flash, that one drinks whilst hoping the other shall die." Flash nodded in acknowledgment.

"Forgiving Discord was probably the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my life up till now. Hating him...it almost ruined me." Luna took another step forward so that she was right behind him now, staring down at him.

"And who do you struggle to forgive now, my friend?" She whispered. Flash swallowed as he raised his head slightly.

"Myself..." He replied as he finally turned his head and looked up at her with baleful eyes. "How can I forgive myself?" Luna gazed at him sympathetically, her glimmering eyes conveying all of her concern and affection for him. Flash looked away again. "I did what I was supposed to do, I did my duty. But..."

"But what, dear one?" Flash held his head in his hands.

"If I did what was right, then why...WHY does it hurt so much?!" He shouted as he angrily shook his head from side to side while holding it in his hands. "Why can't I reconcile this? Why do I STILL see his wretched face?! It's not like he was some innocent child, he was SCUM! So why?! Why do I?! What do..." Luna moved quickly, settling down next to him as she drew a strong wing around his shoulders and pulled him to her side, resting her chin atop his head. He stiffened, trying to resist her embrace for a just a second before relenting and leaning into her warm neck. Without him even telling her, Luna now understood what had happened. The events replayed so clearly through his mind and with such violent force that she could both see and sense them in her own.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." She whispered, trying as best she could to give him comfort. His emotions were a strange cocktail of sorrow, rage, and guilt.

"I'm a freaking soldier," Flash muttered after a few moments. "If I did the right thing, I should be able to acknowledge that and get over it. But here I am, whimpering like a foal. I'm weak..." Luna responded by tightening her hold on him before she spoke.

"Oh Flash, we should never be surprised if we are weak. None of us are as yet complete. But this, this is not weakness." She lifted her chin off of him as he looked up at her, his face longing for answers. She gave him a sorrowful smile. "Though you did no wrong, it does not change the reality that it remains a dreadful thing to have to do. I would be far more concerned if such a deed was not troubling you. You may be a soldier, but that is not who you are." Flash glanced away in thought as he soaked in her words, unsure of how to respond.

For all of the long discussions he and Luna had had in the past, talks on ethics and philosophy, on situations precisely like the one he found himself in now, he never really considered what it would feel like to actually experience it. He had always assumed that so long as he knew what was right, he could deal with any situation, no matter how grievous. He sighed before speaking.

"All my life, I've wanted to do this." He said. "When I signed up, and all through my training, I made peace with the reality that there might come a day where I would have to take a life. A monster, a changeling, All-Maker forbid, a pony. Tartarus, I tried to kill Tirek." Luna felt him shudder at the memory. "...but..."

"But not thy own kind?" Luna finished for him. Flash eyes flicked to her briefly as he nodded slowly.

"I never expected to ever even see another human, let alone have to...kill, one. Especially after only a handful of hours after seeing my first one." He paused a moment before meeting her eyes once more. "I was so excited to be given the opportunity to see my own kind, so eager to learn about them. But all I've done in the short time I've been here is break and destroy. It's like I'm no better than the ones I've had to fight..." Those words cause the Lunar Princess to wince.

Luna tilted her head down slightly so that she could look directly into his eyes. "You are nothing of the sort, Flash Skies." She said with a bit more sharpness than she intended, but she wished to drive home her point. "Any brute can kill, because he cares little for the value of life. But a good soldier, a strong soldier does. He loves it, treasures it, and will only take it when he must protect it. Tis' indeed, a terrible burden to bear, but bear it he does so that others will not have to." Flash recognized those words, it was very similar to what she had said to him when she had gifted him the enchanted vambrace he now wore. He looked down and sighed.

"I know, it's just that I...I just feel so adrift. I don't know how to come back from this." Luna reached out and gently touched a hoof to his chest.

"By not doing it alone, my friend; and by remembering who you are." The human remained silent so she continued. "You are fierce in thy passions, young Flash, but possess a benevolent heart. You care for others, your desire is to protect them. And while it is true that we can never return to being exactly as we were before such an experience, it doesn't have to change the reality that you are still a good person Flash." Luna said as she then placed her hoof under his chin to raise his face back to her own, her expression a curious mixture of both compassion and determination. "Don't lose that." Flash's eyes narrowed as he felt a flicker of hope beginning to rise within him. Luna noticed this and decided to press forward in this line.

Just a little more..."You have seen much foulness in thy home-world within a very short time my friend, and my heart breaks for you." She leaned forward and briefly touched her soft muzzle to his forehead in a simple gesture of affection. She leaned back and smiled warmly at him, "But, do not let it consume thee. Rather, let it temper thy virtue, and resolve to rise above it." Flash's eyes widened slightly as the beginnings of a smile began to form on his face. He almost wanted to laugh as a familiar mantra came into his mind.

"...Don't let it change you, except for the better." He muttered to himself, shaking his head slightly in amusement. Luna smirked slightly.

"Always the stoic, your mother taught you well. Remember that my friend. Remember who you are and where you come from." Flash finally gave a small, if sad smile.

"Always easier said than done, though." Luna loosed a small chuckle as she gave an exasperated roll of her eyes.

"Yes, unfortunately that is always the case. Only through sacrifice and suffering do we grow in virtue." She winked at him, "I shall let thee know if I ever find an easier way." Flash managed a smirk at that.

"You'd better, otherwise I'm telling the night guard that your favorite color is pink." Luna glared at him in a teasing manner as her lips formed a pout.

"Don't think that I won't drop thee in the castle moat, little human." They both stared at the other in mock tension before sharing a small laugh together. Flash leaned in and hugged her which Luna returned. She felt some relief as she saw the colors of his spirit beginning to settle into a more healthy hue, though still tinged with some grey hardness. He was far from whole, but she felt confident that he would recover from this. It would take time, along with much love and support from his familiars.

"Thank you Princess, I really needed that."

"Of course," She said as the embrace ended. "But I still want you to meet with your division chaplain when you return, is that clear?" Flash nodded.

"Oh, you can count on it," He said with a dry chuckle. "And thank you for taking care of mom," He said, looking a bit guilty. "Could you please tell her for me that I'll be alright? I can't reach her with my mind over there." Luna nodded,

"I shall, but what will you do next?" She asked, her speech regaining her modern dialect. "You are still injured, you should come home now." Flash sighed again as he shook his head.

"No, I can't. Not yet. There's someone who still needs my help. Once I get her to safety, I'll come back to rethink my strategy with the others."

"How long do you think that will-" Luna was cut off as a blazing orange and red sun suddenly exploded into existence in the sky above them, shattering the star-scape with its burning glow. The entire dreamscape began to burn away like tissue paper in a fire as Flash was abruptly pulled from his sleep. "Flash, wait!-"

Luna's eyes snapped open as she jumped to her hooves in the dark bedchamber, breathing hard. A sharp contrast to the slow, steady breathing of the pink mare lying asleep on the mattress before her. Bright Skies' face was twisting into a grimace even now. Dread clutched at the Lunar Princess' heart as she attempted in vain to rebridge the connection, but it was no use. Sunset's spell had abruptly pulled Flash from his sleep, a spell that she knew only began to activate in the presence of malicious intent.

Luna quickly turned and bolted from the room, placing a soundproofing spell on the doors behind her before she tore down the corridor like a gale-force wind, the pounding of her diamond-hard hooves like a roll of thunder. She shouted as she ran, the unbridled might of her voice causing stone to flake off the very walls.

"SUNSET SHIMMER!!!!"

Ella's heart pounded as she watched the now four large men in dark coats stand outside of the room Flash was in as they prepared to enter. Three more had gotten off the 2nd elevator to join Damian and the other two who had arrived on the first one. One of them now had his gloved hand firmly clamped about her mouth as he held her firmly with her back against his wide chest. He was the one who had grabbed her after she had flung her phone at Damian's face in a desperate attempt to run back to the room and alert Flash. It had almost worked, her move causing him to flinch as he moved to dodge it. But before she could move more than two paces or even scream, the man now holding her had seized her, his powerful arm almost choking her out.

All she could do now was watch helplessly, praying that Flash would somehow wake up. She knew that he was strong, but he was also still hurt; and these guys were about to get the jump on him. Ella wanted to reach for the switchblade that was in her front-right pocket, but the thug holding her had his other hand tightly gripping her wrist. They're learning. She snarled inwardly.

Using silent communication, the four men arranged themselves on either side of the door-frame as one of them pulled out a keycard for the room. Ella twisted against the man's grip who simply tightened his hold, giving her a shake. Damian glanced sidelong at her and smirked as he looked back to watch their progress. It had been fairly easy for them to gain access to the hotel. One of the men had produced an extremely convincing federal ID and warrant to the man at the front desk for the young couple who had checked in. That along with an envelope crammed with what must have been a very substantial amount of cash, judging from the look on the concierge's face, to cover any "damages" that might occur when apprehending this dangerous suspect, obtained for them the immediate location and access they needed.

What confused Damian now were the instructions Telson had relayed to them after they had informed him that they had already captured Ella. He had directed Damian and Mike, the man currently holding Ella, to position themselves by the exit at the far end of the hall and that they were to be ready to move as soon as they had given Flash a chance to see them with her. The exit led to a stairwell that connected directly with the parking garage ten stories below. It's like he expects these guys to fail. He thought, which seemed impossible considering the present situation. But then again, the 'impossible' seemed to be the order of the day. Damian didn't even think about objecting to the order. Fear was driving them all now. Fear of death, fear of the Mistress.

The only consolation Damian had now was the hope that he might still have his chance at having a little 'fun' with Flash once they had him. He would see to it that he did, the thought making him smile sadistically to himself. He turned his attention back to the other four men about a hundred feet away. They nodded to each other before the one with the card unlocked the door, allowing the four of them to file into the room in one swift and silent movement.

For the span of a few heartbeats, there was nothing but silence. Suddenly there came the sound of a loud thud, like a chair being knocked over followed by the sounds of grunts and struggles. Ella held her breath, her heart hammering away in her chest. C'mon Flash... A second later, all three of them flinched as one of the men came flying backwards out of the room, impacting the wall of the corridor with enough force to cave in the plaster. He appeared rattled, but otherwise fine. He shook his head to clear it as he staggered back to his feet just in time to meet the tangled mob practically falling out of the doorway.

The three larger men were currently in a desperate struggle to keep their grip on Flash who, incredibly, was managing to stay on his feet despite having one of the huge goons on his back as well as one on either arm. The man on his back had his arm locked around Flash's neck, keeping all of his weight on him as he kept his other hand clamped over his nose and mouth with a chloroform rag. The one who had been knocked down then sprang forward, driving his fist into the young man's gut as hard as he could while grabbing onto his left leg, causing Flash to finally drop to one knee. The group swayed from side to side under the young man's unnatural strength and for a moment, it seemed that they might actually succeed in subduing him.

Ella saw Flash look up, his eyes full of anxiety; that was, until he caught sight of her. In the space of a heartbeat, she saw that anxiety replaced by a burning anger, an anger so intense that it actually frightened her a little. Get em' kid...His brow furrowed as a blue light temporarily illuminated his eyes. Snapping his head to his right arm she heard him utter a muffled growl as he focused with all of his strength, pulling his arm forward and twisting his wrist inward to the utter astonishment of the man heaving back against it with both hands.

"Hold him, dammit!" The one on his back snarled. What happened next occurred with such speed and ferocity that one could scarcely believe that the young man had ever been in any actual danger. Flash unexpectedly reversed the direction of his arm, causing the man holding it to stagger. He put a foot forward to regain his balance and right into the path of the twin golden blades that suddenly snapped out from under Flash's sleeve which proceeded to nail the man's foot to the floor.

The man gasped in pain, his grip loosening, resulting in him being punished further by the armored forearm that proceeded to smash him in the face with enough force to break bone; the man withered to the floor. Without pausing, Flash's now free arm swung inwardly as the blades retracted, the base of his palm connected brutally with the jaw of the man holding onto his leg. Teeth went flying with an audible crack as the man was jerked to one side, rolling senselessly along the floor.

Damian gaped at the sudden turn of events as he heard Mike snarl, "Let's move!" They both immediately backed through the door, not even bothering to look behind them as they moved down the stairs as quickly as possible, dragging Ella with them.

The final two men didn't even have time to react as Flash heaved himself to both feet, his back arching as he unleashed a powerful electrical discharge that sent both of them flying into the wall and ceiling with a deafening crash. Now free, he staggered forward and collapsed against the wall, gasping and panting as he coughed to clear his airway, his head swimming from the fumes of the drugged rag. Flash looked up as he heard the door at the end of the hallway close. He shook his head in an attempt to clear his double-vision. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to stand up straight, ignoring the pounding in his head and the agonized moaning of the few men around him who remained conscious. Flash tightened his grip so hard that his fingernails nearly cut into his palm, his temper rising like the buildup to a volcanic eruption. "Bucking...ANIMALS!" He screamed as he shot forward, rocketing towards the door at a terrifying speed.

Ella struggled viciously against her captors, doing everything she could to slow them down. "Get offa me ya' ugly mook!" Mike shook her hard as he barreled down the stairs two at a time. Damian ran in front of them, constantly checking over his shoulder as they made it down to the fifth landing and turned. Ella thought the fear plastered on his face was so utterly satisfying despite the ugliness of the situation. Mike tightened his grip, struggling to move efficiently before almost falling down the stairs as Ella arched her back and managed to kick off the side of the handrail. He growled at her.

"Shut up you-" They had made it to the third to last step when suddenly a loud crash was heard coming from the stairwell far above above them. They all heard it clearly despite the fact that the carpeted stairwell muffled most sound. A thump was heard, followed by another, and another, and another. Each successive impact grew ominously louder and louder as the force behind them drew nearer and nearer. Ella was the first to realize that it was the sound of feet hitting each separate landing as Flash leapt down the full length of each staircase, not even bothering to run. Just as they began to resume their movement, a blur appeared over them as a body jumped and twisted mid-air before landing with a final thump on the next landing in front of them.

Flash rose slowly to his full height, fists clenched, teeth bared in barely contained rage. His eyes were narrowed to slits, he did not look happy. Hell yeah. Ella thought with a smirk. For the second time that evening, Mike gulped nervously; the first time had been in the presence of the Mistress. Damian blanched as he froze, unable to move as fear seized hold of him. This was no ordinary kid, or human being of any kind. He was not of this world, and he was a killer.

"Boo..." Flash growled in a low voice, his hand shot forward faster than the eye could follow. Before Damian could react, Flash had seized the front of his leather jacket and with irresistible force, yanked him forward, tossing him into the wall behind him. Stars exploded in Damian's vision as he slammed full-frontal into the drywall covered concrete before collapsing to the carpeted landing, completely dazed. Mike proved a bit more clever and shoved Ella forward hard towards Flash, forcing him to catch her. He followed up at the same time with a powerful haymaker aimed right at the young man's face, shouting as he swung. He tasted victory as it solidly connected to his right cheek-bone, snapping his head sharply to one side.

It was a fantastic punch, one with all of his weight put behind it. It was a blow that could've cracked a two-by-four, the kind of punch that would have flattened even a heavy-weight boxer. He might as well of poked him.

Mike gaped as the young man turned his head back and scowled at him, a red-mark appearing on his face as if he had received no more than a slap. Flash kicked forward hard with his heel into man's left knee, causing it to hyper-extend 90 degrees in the opposite direction. Mike didn't even have time to scream as Flash followed up by seizing him by the throat he fell forward and slamming his head into the wooden bannister.

Damian squinted up from the floor just in time to the see Mike's massive, unconscious form fall on top of him, pinning him to the floor. Without pausing, Flash seized Ella by the hand before turning to sprint down the stairs, "Let's move!" Ella didn't even have time to respond as she did her best to not trip as Flash quickly led them further down the stairs, towards the parking garage where they had parked their car.

They quickly reached the bottom which led to a tan metal door with a small square window providing a limited view into the parking garage. "Flash, wait!" Ella said as he grabbed the handle and yanked it open. He glanced back as he pulled them through the open door.

"Not now-" Time seemed to slow down as Flash's hand was abruptly torn from her grasp with such violence that it yanked her forward, causing her to fall to the cold hard pavement. Ella barely managed to break her fall, scraping her hands on the concrete as she heard a loud crash and the sound of breaking glass. Looking up and to her right, Ella's breath caught in her throat as she saw Flash slowly extracting himself from the crumpled rear door of a grey sedan. He quickly stood up, only to sway before falling back down. He shook his head, a dazed expression on his face as bright-red blood began to trickle from his left nostril. She couldn't believe it, He's actually...stunned!

Not really wanting to know what could hit Flash, someone with practically preternatural strength that hard, she reluctantly turned her head and looked to her left. Ella gasped as there in the well-lit garage, she now saw the enormous man wearing a pitch black suit and bright-green tie towering over her.

He was huge, easily six foot-five and probably 270 lbs at least of perfectly proportioned bulk. His powerful muscles were easily visible through his clothing as he rubbed his right fist with his left hand. His chiseled face was plainly accented by his close-cropped black hair which was styled with a flat-top cut. In a way, he could definitely be considered good looking, though in the same manner a polished sword could be called good looking. Beautiful, but radiating a deadly purpose. He looked down at her with his pale-blue eyes for a second before looking back up towards Flash.

Flash shook his head as he tried to regain his focus. Nopony had ever hit him that hard. Not Rainbow Dash, not Big Mac, not even Tirek. He felt a little sick as a wave of nausea swept over him, he knew it was likely a concussion. Falling forward on his hands and knees, Flash looked up at his towering opponent as a little fear began to creep into his heart, fear of the unknown. His head was swimming now more than ever, and he knew that his speed and reflexes were deteriorating. He considered attempting to charge a lightning bolt, but felt too unfocused to do so. Even if I could, I can't risk hitting Ella. Buck, I should just grab her and run...

The mysterious man seemed to sense his intention as he made a move to grab her. Ella responded by tucking and rolling to the side in order to get out of his reach. Flash clenched his jaw, his rage granting him a burst of strength as he sprang forward from all fours, launching himself towards his opponent like a loaded spring being released. Telson smiled as his target took the bait, he waited the half-second it took for his smaller opponent to close the distance before throwing his massive fist forward to meet him head on. Flash balked at the man's unexpectedly quick reflexes as in an instant, he went from being on offense to being put on defense. He crossed his right arm in front of his left, taking the hit on his armored forearm, the impact jarring him so hard that his teeth hurt. Bloody Tartarus he's strong!

Flash barely had time to react as his opponent thrust kicked at his gut. He managed to twist his torso so that it was only a glancing blow, but one that still knocked him sprawling onto this back. He immediately kicked to his feet only to have to duck and roll forward, just getting under another massive swing. Spinning around, he managed to speed up and threw a hard right, catching the man on the left side of his face with a loud smack. He followed up with a left, but the man easily caught it with is right hand. Flash responded by quickly punching low with his right, but was grabbed again by the other's left as the man then crossed Flash's arms, locking them in place. Thinking fast, he agilely flipped sideways, uncrossing his arms with the intention of following up with a thrust kick of his own but found himself beaten to the punch as the man's heel crashed into his abdomen, knocking him back once more.

Sucking up the pain, Flash struggled to regain his footing as the huge man was on him again, unleashing a flurry of intense and precise blows that he only just managed to dodge or block; and even when he did block them, the feedback from the deflected impacts rattled his very bones. It didn't help that the man's height gave him a much longer reach. Flash managed a few return hits of his own in the rapid exchange of blows, but they didn't seem to phase the behemoth too badly. On top of that, he was quickly realizing that of the two of them, this man was clearly the more experienced warrior. The only advantage Flash still held for the moment was his speed, and that was fading fast. Even though they had only been fighting for a handful of seconds, at the speed they were moving, it felt like hours. His reflexes were slowing from the combined effects of his injuries and the drugging while the big man's were as fast as lightning, and getting faster.

This man was different, unlike any opponent Flash had ever faced before. It wasn't just his strength and skill, he was so completely focused: calm and collected, with a relentless, singular determination that seemed out of this world. A perfect warrior. No matter what Flash threw at him, he kept coming. He didn't threaten or taunt, he just kept coming. He didn't snarl or yell or even look angry, he just. Kept. Coming.

Flash knew that he was in big trouble and had to find a way to end this fast. Drawing upon his reserves, he put on a burst of speed. Ducking under a fast cross, he spun and kicked with all the strength he could muster, feeling elation as his foot connected solidly with the man's gut. The man grunted as he was knocked back 8 feet and slammed into the side of a parked white panel-van, denting the sheet metal. Flash pressed his attack, launching himself forward with a flying knee aimed right at the man's chest. The man quickly crossed his arms in front of him, just in time to partially block it as he was ferociously knocked back against the van again, denting it further.

Flash flung his right elbow up hard at the man's jaw only to be blocked by a forearm and knocked back by a quick right-jab to the face that snapped his head back. Tasting blood, Flash threw his left arm up just in time to block a devastating right haymaker. Reacting on instinct, he wrapped and trapped that arm while simultaneously grappling him under his left arm. Twisting and heaving with all his might, Flash managed to flip his massive opponent over and towards the pavement. The man made a hard landing but still managed to slow his impact at the last moment by gripping onto Flash's left arm. He shockingly sprang back to his feet without any delay while still holding onto the boy's arm as his left hand shot out and clamped hard around his throat. Flash panicked as he felt the crushing grip immediately cut off his airway. He grabbed the man's thick arm with both hands in a fruitless attempt to break his grip.

The man held him at arm's length for a second, nearly lifting his feet off of the ground before yanking him forward towards his face. Looking him straight in the eye, Flash saw him smile slightly before he was thrust up into the air before being brutally choke-slammed into the pavement with enough force to crack it.

Flash's entire world went white with pain. Mind-numbing, bone-bending pain that ripped through every fiber of his being as the air forcefully rushed from his lungs. He couldn't move. He couldn't breath. He couldn't even see straight as red, grey, and purple clouded across his vision, his heart pounding in his head. His hands felt like dead fish as he feebly pounded on the hand still clamped firmly around his neck, the last of his strength ebbing away. No...not now... Just as he felt himself about to surrender into the black-embrace of unconsciousness, the pressure around his neck suddenly vanished as he was released.

Air never tasted so sweet as it rushed back into his lungs in great, coughing gasps, his vision still blurred with tears as Flash felt someone grabbing under his right arm, trying to pull him to his feet. "Flash get up! Get up NOW!" Ella screamed as she gripped under his arm with her left, her right hand holding her switchblade in an overhanded grip out in front of her. With her help, Flash managed to get back to his feet as she draped his arm across her shoulders so that he could lean on her. Blinking tears from his eyes, he saw the large man standing about six feet away. He had a small, shallow cut on his left cheek that he reached up and touched curiously with his right hand.

He glanced from the small about of blood on his fingertips to Ella. Surprisingly, rather than appearing angry, he actually looked somewhat impressed; he raised an eyebrow at her as if he were merely scolding a child. Ella had kept her distance as she watched the two super-humans clash. Her first instinct, of course, had been to run. Rather than give into that reaction, she brutally crushed it. Something had risen up in her heart when she saw that Flash was in serious trouble, something powerful, more powerful than her fear or even her sense of self-preservation. It was at that moment that she had made up her mind: no more. She was done running, and she was certainly done looking out only for herself. This kid, no, this man, for that is what he was, was definitely worth fighting for, perhaps even dying for. I won't leave him again...

She glared at the huge man with righteous fury, her lips fixed in a snarl as she kept the tip of the knife pointed at him while she angled herself between him and Flash who she knew was only barely conscious. "Flash, c'mon, we gotta go...snap out of it!" She yelled as the man lowered his hand, the corner of his mouth raised in a bemused smile. Flash suddenly lifted his arm off of her shoulders as he staggered back out in front of her. The twin blades of his hidden vambrace snapped out from under his sleeves. Equestrian rules of engagement stated that he was not allowed to use weapons against an unarmed opponent unless he felt that his life or the life of another was in danger. And at that moment, he never felt more certain about anything than in his entire life.

"Ella run..." He said as he tried to steady himself.

"What?!"

"RUN!"

"No."

"RUN!!!" He screamed at her, his voice echoing throughout the garage as he even pushed back against her with his left hand.

"BUCK THAT!!!" She screamed back, adopting one of his own swear words as she took up a supporting position with her knife. If their lives weren't in peril, Flash probably would have laughed in surprise. Instead, he allowed himself a grim smirk as he kept his eyes locked on his opponent who after taking note of his weapon, took a threatening step forward. Even though he knew that he was probably about to die, he felt strangely calm and determined.

"Come on...mother-bucker..." Flash growled as he grit his teeth. He knew at this point, that he absolutely couldn't win. It was taking everything he had just to stay on his feet. But he wouldn't give up, no. He would make this freak pay dearly for his prize. At that moment, the door that he and Ella had come through earlier suddenly swung open about ten feet away on his left. Damian stepped out and blinked as if he had just stepped into the sun as he took in the scene. Flash glanced at him for a split second; Telson moved.

Flash didn't even have time to curse his distraction as his opponent crashed into him with the force of a mountain. Ella tumbled to one side as the pair barreled by her. Flash swung his right arm down in an attempt to slash at the man who responded by catching his wrist while also using his other hand to grab hard onto the upper portion of his left arm. Flash drew his head back in a last ditch attempt to headbutt his opponent when the man suddenly darted his own head forward and clamped his jaws onto the side of his neck.

Time stopped as Ella couldn't comprehend what she was seeing. What.... Flash screamed.

He screamed and he screamed until his voice gave out. It was a scream that didn't even sound human. It was primal, beastial even, one filled with shock and desperation. It was like the crying out of an animal after it had been seized in the jaws of a predator. It was more than pain, it was a cry for survival, a scream of death that chilled her to the very marrow of her bones.

Flash thrashed about like a pinned rabbit as he began to make incoherent sounds, lashing out with his left knee once, twice, three times with incredible force into the man's solar plexus before the man finally released him and stepped back, wiping some blood from his lips. Flash fell to the pavement. He immediately sprang up, only to fall back down again. The twin blades retracted as he hopelessly tried to push himself up with his hands before falling to his side, twitching and spasming uncontrollably as his body would no longer obey his commands. Bursts of bright-blue electricity began to curl, pop, and spark off of his convulsing form as if his body were a blown capacitor that could no longer hold its charge. Ella covered her mouth in horror as Flash desperately looked up at her, tears streaming down his bloodied face. His wild eyes were filled with fear, fear and confusion, his face pleading pitifully with hers for help. She wanted to throw up.

With the last of his strength, she saw him mouth 'run' at her before his eyes rolled back into his skull. He twitched once and was completely still. For a second, no one moved, and all was silent. Ella couldn't even breath as it felt like her very heart had stopped beating. She wanted to move, wanted to rush to his side but her body would not respond to her will.

Time started moving again as the large man began to calmly reach down towards him as if the unimaginable horror she had just witnessed was perfectly normal. Ella uttered a wordless scream as she flung herself at the man blade-first, attempting to plunge it into his side. He effortlessly caught her arm as if she were no more than an afterthought, neatly plucking the knife out of her hand with his fingertips before casually tossing her to one side. The young woman rolled to distribute the impact as she fell. Getting to her hands and knees, Ella threw herself over Flash's prone form, raising her right arm while glaring defiantly up at the monster looming over her, prepared to bite and scratch if that's what it came to.

"Don't you touch him!" She shrieked as the man paused. He tilted his head to one side as he considered her, his face not unkind. He appeared somewhat confused, frowning as if he were seeing something for the first time and needed a moment to think. Telson looked up as their large, black SUV roared up next to them with a squeal of rubber, his last man behind the wheel. Damian trundled up next to him and looked down at Ella. He looked a bit bewildered himself before he quickly snapped back to the to the present and grinned at her.

"Time to go, sweetheart." He sneered as he began to reach for her with his good hand. To Ella's shock, the big man swatted him away with the back of his hand, nearly knocking him over. Damian shot him an enraged look, "What the hell are you-" But immediately clamped up as Telson glared at him before looking back at Ella who looked up at him, breathing hard. He nodded once at her,

"You have courage, small one." He said softly, speaking for the first time. Ella blinked in surprise, the man's voice was smooth and strong, with no hint of the cruelty that she was expecting; it had something of a noble character to it even. He smiled,

"And for that, I will give you a choice. Come quietly, and I promise you, that as far as I am able, I will allow no harm to come to you, this I swear." Ella's jaw dropped partially in response to his words as he continued. "However, if you choose to resist, well..." He gestured to Flash, "I'm afraid that it will be less than pleasant for you, my dear."

Honestly, it was the last thing on earth that Ella expected to hear and did not know what to make of it. On the one hand, she wanted to tell him to go to hell. But on the other, for some strange reason that she could not explain, she believed him. She looked hard into his pale blue eyes and could see no deception, no animosity. If anything, she could see some strange kind of respect. He graciously offered a huge hand down to her,

"Come."

Author's Note

“Suffering is the Average treasure on earth; it purifies the soul. In suffering, we learn who our true friend is.” ― Saint Faustina Kowalska

Sometimes, it is the evil that we have to face that draws out the good to be found within each of us. Stay safe my friends. As we face this terrible trial together, remember that within each of you, no matter your life experience up to this point, lies a tremendous potential for good and Godly action. Look out for each other, love each other, and rejoice in hope. You are all in my prayers, God's blessings to you.

-Destiny Chaser

The Scars of Sacrifice

Eighteen months earlier.

Bright Skies shifted in her chair at her kitchen table in her Cloudsdale home, the last two hours of sitting making her feel a little stiff. The mid-afternoon sunlight streamed brightly through the windows, illuminating the homely kitchen with a pleasant light. “I’d say about ten minutes, Sunset Shimmer.” The orange unicorn’s teal eyes flicked up from the empty mug resting between her hooves on the table between them, she had been staring at it as if lost in thought. She swallowed nervously.

“Does he suspect anything?” Bright Skies tilted her head to one side, squinting slightly in concentration before suddenly jumping as if she had been sharply poked. She shook her head.

“No, I’ve managed to hold him off. But he’s being very insistent that I tell him what the hay is going on.“ She winced, rubbing the side of her head with one hoof. “He’s definitely a bit cross that the Princess ended his shift early and didn’t tell him why.” Sunset sighed as she rubbed her temples with her hooves.

“Great, just great.” Bright Skies smiled in sympathy for her, still amazed that the mare before her still appeared as youthful as the day she had disappeared. Not that she herself was that old, only thirty-four. But Sunset still appeared to be only twenty years old, if that.

But that’s what happens when you are soul-bound to a Phoenix I suppose. She thought, calling to mind Philomena, the Phoenix that Sunset had hatched at her entrance exam decades earlier and that had been Princess Celestia’s pet ever since. For the last two hours, she and Bright Skies had been catching up on everything that had been going on in her absence for the last 8 years. She couldn’t believe how much this fiery, headstrong, and at times arrogant mare had grown since then, even if she never physically aged past her prime. She was so much more humble, so kind and thoughtful. It’s like she’s a different pony.

A crisis in the strange world she now called home had driven her back to Equestria, seeking Princess Twilight Sparkle’s help. In the course of solving that problem, Sunset had reconciled with Celestia her former mentor and for the past week, had been doing her best to mend the other rifts that had been created by her abrupt departure all of those years ago, save one.

At her request, both Celestia and Twilight had kept her return a secret up until now as she did not want Flash to know yet that she was here. That, however, would soon change in less than ten minutes. It would have been difficult enough if she were merely here to amend fences with him, that in and of itself was more than she wanted to consider. But Sunset was also here for an even more difficult problem, one that Twilight, Celestia, and even this new Princess Luna had begged her to address.

“So you’re telling me he still hasn’t forgiven him?” Sunset asked. Bright Skies face fell as she sadly shook her head.

“Not even close, even though both Celestia, Twilight, and all of his friends have talked seriously to him about it. Not even Princess Luna, Rainbow Dash, or even Burnt Oak have been able to reason with him, and that’s saying something.” Bright Skies sighed as she looked down, shaking her head. “And poor Fluttershy,” She shuddered at the memory of her tears after Flash had snapped at even her, the very Element of Kindness and one of his earliest childhood friends when she had tried to broach the subject with him. “Their relationship has suffered as well...” Bright Skies sniffed, “He’s never been this way...all his life he has been quick to forgive. But not this time, and it’s tearing him apart.” Sunset nodded but said nothing.

It had been over two months since Tirek had attacked Equestria, she of course, had not been present when it happened. Bright Skies had been part of one of the first hastily assembled response teams led by the very Wonderbolts, and it had been an unmitigated disaster. She explained to Sunset that she, like all the others, had her magic forcefully taken from her by the ruthless centaur. That it had felt as if her very soul was being ripped from her body.

Flash had been in garrison near Canterlot, he and the other cadets being confined to quarters for their safety and told little of what was actually occurring other than that there was an imminent threat to Equestrian National Security. Slipstream had later recounted to Bright Skies that at that moment, the moment her magic was stolen, that Flash had fallen to his knees, clutching his head and howling as if somepony were tearing his very heart out of his chest. It appeared as if he had gone completely insane to those around him.

Ignoring every order, Flash had torn his way towards her location, running so fast across Equestria that his feet had bled. He had found her seemingly more dead than alive. It was then that he caught up to Tirek in a murderous rage, attacking him with all the deranged fury of a madpony. It had ended very badly for him, he was in the hospital for more than a week after that. And of course, he blamed it all on Discord for betraying them.

After the Lord of Chaos had initially reformed, Flash had been one of the few Equestrians along with Fluttershy to welcome him with open arms. He strove to give Discord the benefit of the doubt, shrugging off his mischievous teasing as just how he related to others and insisting that friendship could change anypony for the better. He would even get into heated arguments at times with Rainbow Dash for her often openly hostile attitude towards him.

All of that of course, had made it so much worse, the most colossal knife between the ribs for Flash when Discord had given into temptation and betrayed them all. The betrayal made all the more soul-crushing by Flash’s experience of his mother’s pain; he had literally thought she had died. Ever since that day, he had not been the same. A black hatred was slowly consuming his heart, robbing him of his former joy and slowly poisoning his other relationships.

He had even gone so far as to irrationally threaten Discord when he had tried to apologize to him, telling him that the next time he saw him, only one of them would walk away alive. Not even his upcoming graduation and commissioning in three months, a milestone for his life up to this point, could raise his spirits. Each week he was becoming more distant and hollow, focusing only on his duties and isolating himself from others, even his mother. It was into this dreadful situation, that Twilight and the others had asked Sunset to insert herself; and at this point, she was not even confident that Flash would forgive her for leaving him, let alone if she could talk to him about forgiving Discord.

“He’s below Cloudsdale, Sunset.” Bright Skies said, smiling sadly. Sunset marveled at how much stronger and precise her bond with Flash had grown, to the point that they could even talk to each other telepathically and even know the other’s thoughts if allowed. I wish I’d been here to see that part of him grow. The unicorn pushed herself back from the table and got to her hooves, stretching as she stood. She walked around to the end of the table, facing the front entrance and letting out a stressed sigh.

“I don’t know if I can do this, Bright Skies.” Sunset said as she glanced from the door to her, anxiety seeping through her features. “After all the things I’ve done, I’m hardly the one to talk to anypony about doing the right thing.“ The pink pegasus hopped off of her chair and walked around to join her, and then completely surprised her by giving her a heartfelt hug. Sunset blanched for a moment before leaning into it, allowing the comforting gesture to sooth her stressed feelings. She had never been much of a hugger, an oddity among most ponies, but now she saw just how good they could really be. All the wasted years... She sighed inwardly to herself.

“That, that right there,” Bright Skies whispered into her ear, “That is precisely why you’re the best pony to talk to my son. Because you know what it’s like to come back from a fall.” Sunset felt a tear come to her eye as she raised a forelimb to return the embrace. “I couldn’t be more grateful that you were the pony that helped me to raise him, and I know you can help him now in his time of need.” They stayed that way for a moment as Sunset realized that after all of these years, she and Bright Skies were finally friends.

“Wow, you really are a great mom, aren’t you?” Sunset said with a small chuckle as they parted; she wiped her eye. Bright Skies smiled warmly at her.

“I’ve picked a few things over the years.” She said with a wink. Causing Sunset to laugh a little. “Comes with being the first pony to ever raise a...” Bright Skies squinted in concentration, “A hyooman?” Sunset laughed again.

“Hu-man.” She said with careful enunciation. Both ponies jumped at the sound of a metallic clatter coming from the threshold of the house, one of the few solid areas of the cloud-home. They both looked over to see Flash standing at the door in his khaki working uniform, his Gallic-style helmet had fallen from his hand as he had stepped inside. The human dropped to both knees, staring in shock and awe at the one pony he thought he would never see again. His head tilted to one side as he continued to stare at her.

“S-Sunset?” He said in barely a whisper. She smiled at him, her eyes sad.

“Hey kid.”

Ella squinted in the blinding light, her eyes taking a moment to adjust as the black bag covering her head was abruptly pulled off by the large man she had surrendered to; he neatly folded the bag in half as he turned and stepped away. True to his word, the man had not harmed her or even treated her roughly thus far. Shaking her hair out of her face, it didn't take her long to gather in her new surroundings. She was in a windowless, nearly featureless pale-white room. To her it looked to be a storage room of some kind that one might find in the basement of a building, which it probably was judging by the staleness of the dry air. It spanned about twenty-five feet in length and width with a ten-foot high ceiling composed of concrete-encased steel girders. The cinder-block walls and cement floor had been painted with a thick, non-stick paint. There, lying in the center of the room, lay Flash's battered and unconscious form.

His jacket, shirt, shoes, and socks had all been removed, leaving him in only his blue-jean like slacks. He was lying on his side with his head and back slightly angled towards her. His hands were cuffed behind him. The handcuffs were connected by a long, braided stainless-steel chain which went through a thick steel loop embedded in the cement floor behind him. A similar set of cuffs restrained his ankles. Ella's heart ached as she could now see the full extent of the damage from his brutal fight with the big man. Most of his back was covered in a mottled assortment of dark and purple bruises. The gunshot-wound on his shoulder-blade had partially opened up again and smeared a portion of his back in dried blood. What concerned her the most, though, was the spot on the side of his neck where the man had bitten him.

Curiously, there were no traditional teeth marks, only two small holes as if he had been bitten by a large rattlesnake. The veins in that area had grown a bit dark and discolored, easily visible through the skin. It was as if a poison was spreading through his body from his neck. Ella eyed the man warily, knowing that like Flash, he was more than he appeared. Is he same as Flash? She still had trouble absorbing what he had told her before about being from a world of magical talking ponies, but the sheer number of bizarre realities she had personally witnessed was making her wonder if it could actually be true.

Ella looked down at her right hand which had been cuffed to a thick pipe running down from the ceiling and through the floor. She couldn't help but give it an experimental tug, causing a metallic rattle and confirming for her what she already knew to be a solid connection. The big man on the opposite side of the room didn't even bother to look at her. He was standing next to a dull steel table that was bolted to the wall arranging some things on a metal tray that she could not make out. Stepping away from the table, the man approached Flash and got down on one knee next to him.

Ella watched with interest as he placed two fingers on the side of Flash's neck while he flicked his other arm out in front of him to check the watch on his wrist. After a few moments, seemingly satisfied, the man stood up and stepped back to the table. It was then that Ella noticed that the center of the room to which Flash was secured was slightly concave, and that there was a small drain in the floor right where he was lying. A horrifying realization began to dawn on her as she began to understand the purpose of the room's design: the non-stick paint, the drain, the isolation. This is a torture chamber.

Flash was going to be tortured to death and she was going to have to watch it. As if confirming her suspicions, the man turned back around holding a large, hypodermic needle. He held it up in front of his face with a scrutinizing gaze as he carefully tapped it and squirted some of the clear fluid out to clear any trapped air.

"HEY!" Ella shouted as she gave her handcuff a violent tug; the man seemed to ignore her. "Hey, I'm talkin' to you!" She yelled as she angrily rattled the metal against the pipe. After a moment, the man finally glanced over at her, appearing a little annoyed. She glared back, "What'd ya think you're doing?!" She continued to yell as he began to step towards her with long, steady steps. "You're plannin' on hurtin' him aren't you ya sick freak?! I bet you are, you're just like Damian. You get off on hurtin' people! You haven't the guts-"

Ella stumbled backwards and fell seated into the metal folding chair she hadn't even realized was behind her as the large man stepped abruptly into her space, towering over her. She glared angrily up at him as he gazed down at her with a slightly irritated expression. They stared at each other for a few seconds as Ella breathed hard through her nose. She noticed he had a small band aide on his cheek where she had managed to cut him.

"Don't be dramatic." He stated flatly. He stared at her another moment before his gaze softened slightly, he tilted his head to one side. "What is your name, small one?" Ella blinked, the question catching her somewhat off-guard. Few people in the sordid world she had been a part of for the last two and a half years had ever actually been interested in who she was. What's more, there surprisingly seemed to be the slightest amount of care in his voice: a detectable measure of tenderness with the way he called her 'small one.' It was both unsettling and yet strangely, a bit comforting.

"Ella." She finally said after a few moments. The man smiled slightly and nodded once in acknowledgement.

"Ella,” He repeated in an approving manner, “Means ‘beautiful’." He smiled as he crossed his left arm over his abdomen and gave a slight bow of his head, again shocking her. "My name is Telson. And no, I have not been ordered to hurt anyone at his point so please, put aside your fears for now and remain calm."

Ella resisted the urge to gape in surprise as without another word, Telson turned and stepped back across the room to the table from before where he grabbed a stethoscope and draped it casually around his neck; she watched him like a hawk. All of his movements appeared routine, as if he was accustomed to this sort of work. Turning back around, he approached Flash’s prone form, dropping again to one knee to get closer.

“What are you going to do?” Ella asked as Telson checked the syringe he was holding once more.

“Just watch.” He replied without looking at her as he gently raised Flash’s chin to one side with two fingers before inserting the needle into his neck, slowly depressing the syringe. The effect was almost immediate. Ella flinched as Flash suddenly jerked awake, his back arching as he took in a sharp breath before coughing violently. Telson quickly tossed the syringe over to the table as Flash shouted something incoherent, snarling as he tried to spring up only to be restrained by his bonds which allowed him to rise no higher than a kneeling position.

“Calm down.” Telson stated firmly as the young man thrashed about like a wild animal, appearing completely disoriented. Flash pulled so forcefully against his bonds that the cuffs began to cut into his wrists.

“Calm down!” Telson shouted as he grabbed onto the back of Flash’s neck with one hand to restrain him. Flash screamed wildly as he tried to mindlessly lash out at the larger man who responded by slamming his face cheek first into the hard floor, keeping him pinned there.

“Calm!” Telson shouted again as Flash’s struggles started to diminish, the impact seemed to have knocked some sanity back into him. His hard breathing began to slow as Telson continued to speak to him in a soothing tone,

“Calm, that’s right...focus on the sound of my voice...good...just like that. Control your breathing young one.” Ella couldn’t help but feel fascinated as she watched Telson work. It was incredible to see how a man who had earlier fought with such brutality, could at the same time be so gentle, relatively speaking of course.

He’s an enigma... Ella thought as she rose to her feet to get a closer look. Flash’s eyes appeared distant as Telson continued to hold him down.

“What’s five plus five?” Telson asked. Flash continued to pant but made no answer. Telson frowned, “Come on soldier, five plus five!”

“T-ten...” Flash mumbled after a moment. Telson nodded,

“Good, what’s six times six?”

“Thirty....thirty-six...” Flash gasped between pants as Telson used his other hand to fit the stethoscope to his ears before placing the chest piece against the young man’s back. He listened carefully as he moved it methodically to each quadrant of Flash’s lungs.

“Very good,” Telson said as he removed the ear pieces and slowly lifted Flash’s head off the floor, allowing him to kneel. He placed a hand on the side of his face, opening his eyes one at a time with his thumb and forefinger while shining a penlight into them that he had taken from his pocket. “Name?” Flash was quiet at first before relenting.

“Flash Skies.” Ella gasped slightly on finally learning his full name.

“Rank?”

“Second Lieutenant.”

“Serial Number?”

“5149976184.”

“Very good,” Telson said as he put away the light before placing one hand on Flash’s shoulder while using the other to gently tap down his back with the base of his fist. The young man winced and hissed sharply as the middle of his back on his right side was touched. Telson nodded to himself as if confirming something he already suspected.

“Do you need to use the facilities?” Flash shook his head.

“Well Second Lieutenant Skies,” Telson said as he continued to rest his right hand on Flash’s right shoulder. “You are both presently the guests of my Mistress. I advise you to not try anything foalish.” Flash kept his head bowed as Telson spoke, refusing to look up at him. “That shot of adrenaline I gave you should begin to counteract the venom, but don’t push yourself. I hit you with a pretty strong dose, I don’t envy how you will feel later.“ He gave what seemed to be a comforting pat on the young man’s shoulder. “And don’t bother with the chains, I’ve reinforced them with a spell. Not even you can break them.” He rose to his feet, adjusting the jacket of his suit and tossing the stethoscope to the table.

“Do you have any questions for me?” He asked. Ella had a thousand that she wanted to ask, but Flash remained silent, breathing hard. Telson nodded, “Very well. I will return shortly, continue to focus on your breathing.” Telson glanced over at Ella and gave her a courteous nod. “Try to talk to him, but he may not speak for a while. His distress is deep.” Ella blinked as he turned to the table and retrieved the small metal tray with the stethoscope, syringe, and other medical items. He grabbed the handle to the heavy metal door and pulled it to one side, causing it to slide smoothly into a slot on the wall.

Telson paused a second before glancing back at the small, defeated human kneeling in the center of the room. “If it means anything to you little Equestrian,” His mouth curved slightly into a smirk but mixed with a hint of sympathy, “Best scrap I’ve had in years, better than any human I’ve ever faced. I would have loved to have faced you uninjured.” With that, he stepped out of the room and slid the door shut with a heavy thud. A loud metallic noise sounded as a bar was locked in place on the other side.

Flash coughed once, wincing as it pained his bruised and cracked ribs. His head was pounding and his mouth felt dry and sticky. The spot where Telson had bitten him burned and itched, though not nearly as bad as when it had actually happened. At that time, it had felt as if molten lead was being injected directly into his veins. What had hurt even more though at that moment, was realizing exactly what his enemy was and how he had failed to see it coming. Some officer you are... He thought as he berated himself.

Ella bit her lip as she looked back at Flash, unsure of what to say. He had his face turned slightly away from her so that she couldn’t see his eyes.

“Did he hurt you?” He asked quietly. Ella shook her head.

“No. If anything, he's been kinda gentle. He promised he wouldn’t hurt me.” Flash nodded, grateful for small mercies but still did not look at her.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry...” He said, before going silent, grimacing as he clenched his jaw.

“Flash, Flash look at me. Are you okay?” His labored breathing was his only reply. She didn’t need to be a psychologist to know that he was crushed. That he was likely berating himself for failing to get them to safety. Worse still, she could sense that he could not stand for her to see him so broken and vulnerable. Ever since they met, he had tried to be a pillar of strength and comfort for her. So confident, so capable and sure of himself. Ella understood now that his behavior had not been mere hubris or cockiness, but that he was earnestly trying to be strong for her, to give her hope in spite of his own fears and uncertainties. And now, he had failed in at that as well, or so he thought.

Her heart went out to him as she tried again. “Flash, this isn’t your fault.”

“Yes it is...” He grumbled in a low voice. “I’m such an idiot...I should have seen this coming...” Ella couldn’t fathom how that was possible, but then again, she suspected he likely knew more information that he might not have shared yet. Still, she was eager to keep him talking.

“We can’t predict everything, Flash.” Ella said as she reached for the paperclip in her back pocket, “And beatin’ yourself up over it ain’t going to help either of us.” She scoffed to herself at the sudden reversal of roles. He’s been the one giving me advice all night, guess it’s my turn. Ella always kept a paper clip on her. With as much experience she had being on the wrong side of the law, she had become fairly knowledgeable about how to pick the lock on standard police-issue handcuffs, like the kind she was wearing right now.

He made no reply to that, so she decided to switch gears. “What’s the deal with this Telson? He called you ‘human’, like he ain’t one. What is he, a vampire or something?” She asked, glancing at the two holes on the side of his neck. Flash let out a humorless laugh.

“No, not exactly, but good guess.” Ella paused at that, looking up from her work of bending the paper clip into a usable shape. Flash glanced at her for a second before staring back at the floor. “They’re called changelings.” Ella swallowed nervously.

“And...do they come from where you do?” Flash nodded.

“I’m afraid so.“

“So, what are they like?”

“They’re shape-shifters, insect-like. Sort of like an ant colony. A bunch of drones and soldiers with one queen.” Flash said as if he were merely reading from an encyclopedia. Ella shivered at his description, not wanting to know what Telson might actually look like. Bugs gave her the creeps.

“Are they evil?” Flash shook his head.

“No, not exactly. No more than any other creature has the potential to be evil.” Flash smirked as if recalling something funny. “I mean, we used to think they were. But in reality, they’re just hungry...always hungry.”

“Hungry for what?” Ella whispered, almost afraid to ask. Before Flash could answer, a loud clang sounded at the door before it was pulled to one side. Ella felt her heart drop into her stomach, it wasn’t Telson.

Damian stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame. A disgusting grin split his sadistic face as he eagerly took in the scene. He looked from Ella to Flash, his smile widened further. “Alone at last.”

Telson stepped into the nearly pitch black room, carefully closing the door behind him as he heard the electronic lock automatically secure behind him. The air in the room was warm, and slightly humid. A sickly, sweet smell clung to the air. Like fruit that had just begun to turn but was not yet completely spoiled. A faint green glow came from further ahead giving him just enough light with his human eyes to make out her dark silhouette as she sat on her haunches, her back to him. He immediately dropped to one knee, bowing his head as he waited for her to acknowledge him. The shadowy outline slowly rotated its head to one side and paused, a sliver of green light suddenly stabbed through the darkness as she cracked an eye open.

“Status?” She asked, the single word cutting through the heavy silence like a knife.

“Mild concussion, three cracked ribs, extensive bruising and contusions, and a partially-healed gunshot wound. He’s battered, but he’ll hold up. I should have him ready soon.”

“And the gate-key...did you find it?” Telson smiled as he reached inside his jacket to pull out a small silver chain attached to a multicolored gem that swirled with a faintly glowing light.

“It was in his jacket.” No sooner had he held it out when a green glow enveloped it and tore it from his fingers. An excited chittering and clicking noise coming through the darkness.

“Yes...yes at last...” She hissed to herself, practically buzzing with barely restrained glee.

Telson smiled as he kept his gaze to the floor, not daring to raise his head, but thoroughly pleased that he could give her the object of her longing. He was happy that she was happy. “Telson,” She hissed.

“Yes Mistress?”

“Look at me.”

Telson swallowed nervously before obeying, daring to look directly at her. The single, glowing green slit in the darkness held his gaze with a piercing stare. After a few moments, its angle shifted slightly as her expression changed; he could tell she was smiling.

“Excellent work, Telson. You have done well.”

Telson dipped his head, bowing once more, feeling totally unworthy of her praise. “It is my honor to serve you.”

“Let me know as soon as he’s ready.” She said, the green sliver disappeared into the darkness as she turned her head away.

“Absolutely, Mistress.” Telson said before rising and exiting the room, the door securing behind him. Chelicerae opened her eyes as she dangled the gate-key in her magic before her, staring at it with utter satisfaction. She looked up to the ceiling at the more than two-dozen humans suspended in the luminescent, green cocoons attached to the ceilings. A cloudy, pink haze of their love that her changeling eyes could see hung in the air. Love caused by dreams of loved ones caring for them, dreams that they could practically touch, dreams that would never be a reality for them.

They were mostly women and children. All runaways and strays. All unwanted and ignored in the mostly unnoticed underworld of human trafficking that so called ‘civilized society’ in this world chose to largely ignore. It was why she despised these humans she lived among: no loyalty, little order. Despite all of their impressive advancements in technology, there was often no care for their fellow hive mates outside their own immediate circles. And even these often carried with them disordered and broken relationships. They disgusted her, and were largely unworthy of her respect. But at least they were good for one thing. The changeling princess parted her jaws as she sucked in another healthy dose of the life-giving energy from the air.

She swallowed contentedly, feeling more energized than ever before. One benefit that she and Telson had from being alone, was that there was never a need to ration and as a result, they had both grown far more powerful than was ever conceivable back in Equestria. She looked back at the gate-key floating in her magic, a delighted grin beginning to spread across her face as she bared her fangs.

“Time for our long awaited reunion, my sweet little human.”

Damian strolled casually towards the middle of the room, gloating every step of the way. “Aww, little soldier boy’s all tied up.” Flash continued to stare down at the floor, acting as if he was unaware that the other man was even in the room. He stopped in front of him, cocking his head to one side. “What, no ‘hello’? What happened to all that confidence of yours?” Flash remained silent, making Damian grow irritated at being ignored. Ella though, had had enough. She had always been afraid of this psychopath before, and in truth, she still was. But as of now, her care for Flash far outweighed her fear of this sick man.

“Hey asshole!” Ella shouted mockingly. Damian held up a forefinger at her, but continued to look at Flash.

“Patience honey, the show’s about to start.”

“Yeah, the show where you prove what a ball-less wonder you’ve always been by trying to torment a chained up kid?” She said with all the dripping sarcasm she could muster. Ella closed her fist around her paperclip to conceal it as he glanced at her.

“Aww, trying to help your little boy-toy?” Ella glared, infuriated at the degrading insult he had leveled at Flash.

“Oh, I’ll help him. But he definitely doesn’t need my help with a pathetic loser like you. He could beat you with both arms tied behind his back.“

That seemed to finally have an effect as Damian turned and began walking slowly towards her. Ella felt slightly afraid, but at the same time, never more alive. It felt so good to fight back, to no longer live in this freak’s shadow. She smiled,

“Yeah, that’s right. That kid’s a better man than you could ever dream of being. He’s worth a thousand of you.”

Damian seized her by the throat and slammed her back against the wall, breathing hard through his broken nose. Ella continued to stare back defiantly. He gave her an unholy look.

“Is that right?” He whispered. “Maybe I should start by reminding you what a real man is like.” He said while licking his lips.

“Hey flank-face...” Came a low, threatening voice behind him. Damian turned his head and saw Flash with his face turned, looking up at him. A wicked looking smile curled his lips as his starburst eyes shone temporarily with a lightning-blue glow. His gaze held a deadly intent that actually sent a chill up Damian’s spine.

“Wanna play?”

Damian felt enraged, angry that even in this state, this kid was still making him feel fear. He spun around and stomped towards him, winding up a kick towards the kid’s jaw with every intent on breaking it. At the last second, Flash’s head suddenly twitched back with unnatural quickness, allowing his assailant's foot to sail by into open air. Damian lost his balance as his other foot flew out from underneath him, causing him to fall flat onto his back. Ella stared in stunned disbelief before bursting out in incredulous laughter.

“Ooh, too bad.” Flash tutted, “Care to try again?” Damian sprang up in a rage and got right in Flash’s face, slamming his uninjured right fist as hard as he could into it. Ella winced as his head snapped to one side but immediately felt relief as Flash looked back up at him with an unimpressed expression, seemingly unaffected. Damian screamed in frustration as he struck Flash again and again, hitting him across the face with his fist and knees until he had to stumble off to one side, panting and out of breath.

Flash spat a small amount of blood off to the side but otherwise, looked no worse for wear as he tilted his head, looking up with a judgmental glare at Damian. “That all you got? My grandmare hits harder than you.”

Damian’s face twisted in utter rage as he punched as hard as he could square at Flash’s nose, intending to break it as he had broken his. Once again, he forgot about how unnaturally fast the younger man was. Flash waited until the last second before tucking his chin, allowing the fist to crash into his forehead, effectively head-butting it and causing the man’s wrist to painfully buckle.

Damian screamed a string of foul expletives as he danced around clutching his wrist. “Yeah, you take a minute.” Flash said. Ella laughed again, she couldn’t help it. Damian was actually getting beaten up by a tied up man. Flash was glad that he could make her laugh, he was absolutely infuriated that this freak had dared to lay hands on her. He wanted to keep the man's attention completely on him, no matter what it might cost him.

At the same time however, Flash was worried. He had wanted to charge his body with high voltage so that Damian would have been blasted across the room the second he touched him. But true to its nature, the changeling venom still coursing through his bloodstream was suppressing his active magic, cutting off much of his abilities. It was only a matter of time before Damian attacked him in a more vulnerable spot, like his damaged ribs. Blast it Telson, where are you...

As if he had read his mind, Damian suddenly spun around and kicked Flash as hard as he could in his right side, directly into his cracked ribs. Ella stopped laughing as Flash cried out in pain, grimacing as he struggled to stay upright.

"Flash!" She shouted as Damian kicked Flash again in the same spot, laughing gleefully at finally being able to hurt him.

"Oh, does that hurt? Here, let me make it worse!" Flash clenched his jaw, unable to defend himself as Damian kicked him again and again, his vision going hazy with pain as the deranged man refused to let up. On the next kick, Damian aimed his foot so that the point of his toe speared into the young man's side. Flash felt a crack and a piercing agony sharper than before as something inside of him finally gave way.

He fell to his side, coughing and unable to breath as he tasted hot blood entering his throat and mouth. Damian stepped in front of him, landing a brutal stomp on his head before he stomped onto his gunshot wound, twisting and grinding his heel into it.

The pain was unbearable, and yet Flash could not even catch his breath to scream as darkness began to creep into the edges of his vision. He bit the inside of his cheek, using the pain to force himself to stay conscious. Damian's foot finally lifted off of him as he bent down, dropping to one knee to admire his handiwork.

"Hey kiddo, don't fall asleep yet!" He sneered as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a large folding knife that he flicked open. "We're just getting started!"

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Ella screamed from behind, but he ignored her. Damian placed his knee on Flash's neck while casually holding the knife in his right hand.

"You know, sometimes with special cases, I like to keep a souvenir. Something to remember our special time together." He lightly traced the edge of the knife along Flash's back, drawing a long, thin scratch. The young man grunted something, but made no outcry. "What was that? You need to speak up." Flash coughed, some blood splattering out of his mouth.

"I said, 'You talk too much!'" He wheezed, finally opening his eyes as he glared up at his enemy. "I should have broken your jaw..." He growled before giving him a rather ghoulish, bloodied grin.

Damian's brow furrowed as he placed the edge of the knife on Flash's left shoulder, right across his cutie mark, and slashed.

"Oops." Damian said as Flash screamed once; but his scream wasn't so much one of pain. It rang more of despair and loss.

"No..." he moaned as blood began to flow from the deep laceration.

"Aw, you like your tats? Sorry about that."

Flash gritted his teeth, a few tears coming to his eyes as he attempted to get up before Damian bashed him in the side of the head with the butt of his knife. He grinned, thoroughly enjoying himself.

"You know those eyes of yours are pretty sweet, I think I'll keep one..." Flash tried to shake his head loose as he felt the tip of the knife begin to cut into his eyelid.

Without warning, he suddenly heard Ella scream savagely and Damian shout in alarm as the weight on his neck immediately lifted. The young woman had tackled the lunatic from behind, leaping onto his back and clinging to him with her arms and legs. She clawed Damian across his face as if her life depended on it, drawing long, bloody scratches as she bit and scratched him in a frenzied attack.

Damian dropped his knife as he was forced to defend himself, screaming at the pain being inflicted on him as she tore the bandages off his broken nose, grabbing and twisting. He stumbled from side to side, twisting his torso back and forth as he attempted to throw her off. He finally managed to grab onto one of her forearms with his right hand while swinging his left elbow back, catching her in the side and knocking the wind out of her.

"YOU BITCH!" He screamed as he finally managed to fling her off and to the floor. Ella hit the ground and rolled to one side, struggling to overcome the shock to her system as Damian bore down on her. She involuntarily closed her eyes as he drew a leg back to kick her.

A second ticked by and no kick came. Ella slowly cracked her eyes open as she heard muffled grunting. The first thing that came into view were Damian's black sneakers which oddly, were about six inches off of the floor and flailing wildly. The next thing she noticed were the two thick legs clad in dark slacks and polished dress-shoes standing directly behind him.

Telson had seized him from behind by the neck with one hand, lifting him clear off the floor while choking him in a crushing grip which Damian clawed at in a futile attempt to get free. The powerful man held him aloft to one side in an unbelievable display of physical strength, grimacing as if he were being forced to handle a polluted rag, in his other hand he held his metal tray that was loaded with various medical supplies. What grabbed Ella's attention the most though, was the expression on Telson's face.

Even though he was controlling his appearance, she could easily tell that he was apoplectic. A thick vein pulsed in his neck and temple, and his jaw was clenched so tightly that the muscles underneath his skin were deeply pronounced. A volcanic rage smoldered within his pale eyes as it appeared that he was using every ounce of his considerable self-mastery to not pop Damian's head off like an overripe grape from a vine. Ella shrank back in fear.

"What...do you think you are doing with the Mistress' prize?" Telson said, forcing out each word. Each syllable that fell from his lips crashed down with the weight of destiny, every word sounding like a pronouncement of doom.

Ella scrambled on her hands and knees to Flash's side, sheltering him with her body as she watched Telson toss Damian across the room with a flick of his wrist. The man hit the floor, rolling several times.

Telson stepped in the opposite direction to set his tray down on the steel table before whipping back around, both hands free now. "I should kill you.” He snarled. “I WILL kill you!" He declared, raising his voice for the first time. His footsteps seemed to shake the room as he stomped towards Damian who was scrabbling across the floor like an eel out of water, trying desperately to get away.

He cried out in terror, rolling over and trying to shield himself with his arms as Telson bore down on him. The large man stomped his foot onto the center of his chest, pinning him to the floor. Damian grabbed at Telson's ankle in a hopeless struggle to save himself.

Ella tore her gaze away from the horrifying scene to look down at Flash for a second, he looked terrible. His whole side was now one, giant bruised and bloody mess. His right eye was obscured by blood as was his left shoulder. His breathing came in rattling gasps.

"Flash..." She whimpered as she touched his feverish skin, feeling helpless as she looked back to Telson who was staring down at the man pinned beneath his foot. His face was full of killing intent but for whatever reason, he hesitated. He certainly wanted to kill, and yet something seemed to be holding him back. Finally, after another tense moment, Telson leaned down towards Damian, resting his forearm on his knee.

"Listen, and listen well." He said in a low, quiet, and yet terrifying voice that caused Damian to freeze. Telson drew in a breath and let it out, "Make no mistake, the only reason you're still breathing you little cretin, is because the Mistress has not ordered me to kill you yet." He snarled as he stood back up straight. "So if I were you, I would make myself scarce!" He practically spat the last word as he kicked his foot, like he were trying to scrape something distasteful off the bottom of his shoe.

Damian slid across the smooth floor and banged into the wall next to the entrance of the room. He didn't even look back as he scrambled to his feet, scurrying from the room like the roach he was. Telson continued to stare out of the room for a few moments, his rage still simmering.

What a disgusting individual. This world would be better off without his existence.

“Telson!” Ella’s voice rang out from behind, snapping him back to the present. He spun around and saw Ella kneeling next to Flash with her hands on the young man’s shoulders, trying to stabilize him. Her eyes were wide and glassy, full of worry and concern. “Help him, please!”

With instant movement, the large man sprang into action, getting down on one knee in front of them as he gently lifted the boy’s chin, and took measure of his new injuries. “For order’s sake,” he cursed under his breath. Flash’s uninjured eye fluttered open as he looked at him, smirking slightly despite his obvious pain.

“What took you big guy?” He gurgled weakly.

“Give me room.” Telson said to Ella which she did, scooting back slightly. He turned Flash’s torso slightly to one side, performing an odd kind of embrace as he placed his ear against his back and listened for a moment. “Order curse it...” He swore again as he pulled back; there was genuine worry on his face. He looked over at Ella and gestured with his head, “Bring me that tray, quickly!”

Ella rose and obeyed without hesitating, crossing behind him and retrieving the laden tray from across the room. On it were rolls of bandages, ointments, a clean washcloth, a plastic bowl, and a few bottles of water among other things. She knelt by Telson’s side, holding the tray for him. The man snatched the washcloth from the tray and paused, staring for a moment as if he were trying to decide where to begin. He sighed as he replaced the cloth and took the tray from Ella, setting it on the floor.

Telson reached into his jacket and pulled out the black cloth bag that he had pulled off of her head earlier. “I need you to put this on and go sit in that chair, now please.” He said as he held it out to her. Ella hesitated, a bit surprised that he was asking instead of forcing her. Flash coughed again, more blood splattering across his chin.

“Ella, it’s okay.” He said weakly, “Just do what he says.”

“Aw, hell.” She said snatching the bag from him and walking over to sit in the chair.

“No matter what you hear, don’t take it off until I say so. I’m trusting you on this.” Telson said, looking seriously at her. Ella looked hard at him before nodding as she pulled the bag on over her head and waited.

“Bite down on this.” She heard him say to Flash. “I’m sorry young one, but I’m afraid this is going to hurt quite a bit. It’s not exactly my specialty.” There was a noise that sounded like a rush of flames followed by a chitter and a loud, fleeting buzz as if a giant hornet had flown by, it gave Ella chills. It was as if an enormous insect had suddenly appeared. Flash groaned in renewed pain as a strange hum filled the air.

“Try to hold still.” Telson said, but his voice sounded strange; more hollow with a hint of reverberation to it. Ella resisted the temptation to tear the cover off her head. In the end, it was fear of what she might see that helped her to resist. After what felt like a few minutes, the hum stopped and she heard the sound of rushing flames again. She heard Telson sigh.

“Alright small one, you can take it off now.” He said, his voice sounded normal again. Ella pulled the dark cover off and rushed back over to Flash as Telson pulled the rolled up washcloth out from between his teeth. She caught onto his shoulders to support him as he panted hard, unable to raise his head. His breathing was no longer ragged.

“What did you do to him?!” She snapped at Telson who was opening a bottle of water and pouring it into the bowl. He calmly soaked the washcloth and wrung it out before beginning to dab at the blood covering Flash’s right eye.

“See for yourself.” He replied. Ella’s heart swelled with relief as she saw his now unobscured eyelid flutter open, his brilliant eye still perfectly intact though a thin, white scar now ran vertically across his eyelid.

“Oh thank God,” she practically sobbed as she looked at Telson with a renewed sense of gratitude. He nodded once at her as he rinsed out the cloth and began to clean off Flash’s left shoulder. The laceration was closed, but a white scar now cut horizontally across his cutie mark. It was as if months worth of healing had happened in the space of a few moments. Ella shook her head in disbelief.

“How did you?” Telson motioned with his head at Flash.

“You can ask him later.” Though burning with curiosity Ella accepted the answer. She reached for another cloth on the tray and began to help him. Together, the two of them worked to clean him off and dress the remaining injuries that Telson had not healed. They worked together in silence and for just a moment, Ella could almost imagine that she was not presently a prisoner as she felt strangely comforted by Telson’s protective presence. Not a hint of ill-will towards her or Flash ever came from him. Even when he had attacked them, there was no malice in his actions, as brutal as they had been. It was like he was just going through the motions.

Flash remained silent as they tended him, choosing not to speak, ask questions, or even look up at them. Telson smiled inwardly as he recognized the basic tactic. When captured, better to listen than to speak. Gather whatever details you can glean from your enemy. Not bad Lieutenant, you have good discipline. Still, he was extremely upset at what had happened. Not only for failing to guard the Mistress’ prize, but for failing in his personal pledge to little Ella.

“I’m sorry,” Telson finally said as he finished wrapping Flash’s torso with bandages. “This wasn’t supposed to happen.” He glanced at Ella, concern on his face. “Did he hurt you?” Ella winced slightly as she tested her left side where Damian had elbowed her; she knew it was bruised.

“I’ll live.” She said. Telson made a disgusted noise as he tossed the rags on the tray and emptied the now sanguine colored water into the drain on the floor. Ella couldn’t take it anymore, she had to know. “Who are you Telson?” She asked pointedly, he paused and looked at her. “Why are you working for these people? You don’t seem like the kinda creep who fits this role. If anything, your the nicest guy I’ve met since Flash here. So why?”

Telson sighed as he gathered up the tray and stood up. “My reasons are my own.” He picked up two bottles of water off the tray and handed them down to her. “It would have been nice to have met a human like you under better circumstances, but such as it is, I cannot change that.” Ella took the bottles from him.

“I don’t understand.” She said as he nodded sympathetically at her.

“It may become clearer to you soon, small one.”

“Is there, is there any chance that we get out of this alive?” Ella asked, finally addressing the elephant in the room. Telson smiled gently at her though his eyes appeared sad.

“I cannot say for sure, it is not up to me. But I certainly hope so, for both of you.” He said before turning and walking over to the handcuffs dangling from the pipe. He plucked the paper clip still jammed in the lock out of it. He held it up, raising an impressed eyebrow at her, “Not bad. You continue to impress me small one.” Ella blinked, unsure of what to say. Telson motioned to Flash, “Take care of him, and prepare yourselves for what comes next. This time, no one will get in here, that I can assure you.”

Without another word, he turned and stepped out of the room, closing and locking the heavy steel door behind him. Ella sighed as she set the bottles down, opening one before offering it to Flash who gratefully accepted, draining more than half the bottle in one go. Ella took a sip from it as well when he finished. A few beats of uncomfortable silence passed as she tried to think of something to say to him.

“So, a world magic ponies, huh?” She said lightheartedly trying to raise his spirits. Flash gave a small huff as he finally raised his head and looked at her, his face sad but he managed to give her a small smile.

“Eeyup, among other creatures.”

“Like magic bugs?”

“Like magic bugs.” He repeated with a small chuckle. Ella smiled as she scooted a little closer to him.

"And your last name is 'Skies'?" Flash nodded as he glanced away, as if reminiscing.

"Yes, my mother's name. She gave it to me." Ella nodded.

"I like it, it's kinda fitting."

"Thanks, I like it too." Ella glanced back at the door.

"Any ideas on how to get out of here?"

"Working on it." Flash said as he looked around the peripheries of the room before going silent again. Ella paused, a small realization causing her to smile.

"So tell me, was I the first girl you've ever seen?" Flash blushed slightly as he turned his head away, before nodding silently.

"Yeah," He finally whispered. For some reason, Ella found that immensely satisfying and touching.

That explains A LOT. No wonder he's so sweet and shy. The thought caused her to smile again. "You know, you're really cute when you get all shy like that." She gently teased which caused him to flush further. Her smile fell though, when her eyes landed on his left shoulder. A long scar now cut right through his cutie mark, dividing it completely in half. Ella was beginning to understand just how much these marks meant to him. His purpose.

She slowly reached out to gently trace a finger over it, causing him to flinch hard as if she had touched a raw nerve, she jerked back her hand. His head snapped to hers and she recoiled slightly. His face was absolutely livid, his eyes full of anger and pain. It took her a moment to realized that the anger was not directed at her. Tears were beginning to form in his eyes as his shoulders rose and fell with heavy breathing. Ella stared back, locking eyes with him. Tears began to form in her own eyes as she could now see to what depths he had been wounded.

Without a word, Ella immediately pulled off her jacket and draped it around his shoulders before taking his head into her hands and gently pulling him into a comforting embrace, resting his head under her chin. She tenderly stroked the side of his face as she held him close. He shuddered slightly, but made no sound as he melted into her embrace. Together, they stayed that way as an unspoken dialogue passed between them, a dialogue of compassion and shared sufferings that words could not even begin to describe. It was their most important conversation yet, and they savored every moment of it. Eventually, Ella felt moved to audible words, knowing exactly what she wanted to say to him.

“Thank you, Flash.” She whispered after a few more moments, turning to rest her cheek atop his head, his hair was extremely soft. “Thank you for helping me, for everything you’ve done. No matter what happens, I just want you to know that you’ve made me happy. For the first time, in a very long time, I’m happy.“ She paused to swallow, choking back a sob. “You’ve helped me to remember what it means to be alive, to be human. You’re the best thing to ever happen to me, so thank you.” Ella barely got the last words out as hot tears began to roll down her face and into his gleaming hair. For the first time since her mother died, she had opened her heart to someone. She was glad that it could be to someone like him.

Tears rolled down Flash’s cheeks as he absorbed the incredible weight of her words. He instantly thought of his mother, how her special talent was being able to brighten the lives of others and felt a deep, penetrating connection within the very depths of his soul. In spite of his failings, despite his pain and injuries, he had accomplished something far beyond simply protecting. His persistent efforts had helped to change another person for the better, to brighten their life. He was his mother’s son. His body may be scarred, but his identity was whole and never stronger, never more confirmed.

Only through sacrifice and suffering do we grow in virtue. Luna’s words rang clearly through his head. Flash understood that now, better than ever. He had been tested by adversity, gone through the fire, and came out on the other side stronger than ever before. Far from being broken as he had first feared, he now felt renewed in purpose, and it was all thanks to this woman whom he could now call a friend. His earlier hope that there was still some glimmer of true beauty buried deep within her soul had not been in vain. And that beauty was now brilliantly on display for all to see.

“Thank you, Ella.” He whispered, “I’m glad that I could help you.” She leaned back and held his face in front her of hers, smiling beautifully at him. She looked like a new person. Flash felt as if he was finally seeing who she really was for the first time, and she was truly beautiful. He blinked in shock as she leaned in and gave him a small, pure kiss on his cheek. She leaned back again, giving a small smirk at his bewildered reaction. Ella beamed as she realized that for the first time since she was a little girl, she had given a happy kiss.

Before either of them could say anything, they heard the noise of the lock being pulled back on the other side of the door. They both looked at the door before looking back again to each other. Flash’s eyes narrowed in determination as he nodded sharply at her which she returned. The silent gesture said what they were both thinking: Together.

The door slid back and Telson stepped inside. His face appeared worried as he looked at Ella, motioning with a slight jerk of his head that she needed to get back over to the chair. She nodded back to him in comprehension as she pulled her jacket off of Flash’s shoulder’s, her hand lingering on his cheek for just a second before she went over to the chair and stood next to it.

Flash looked straight ahead, his eyes widening in surprise as Telson stepped aside, his hands clasped in front of him as another figure strode into the room from behind him.

She was stunning, absolutely flawless in her appearance. Her looks were so peerless that they borderlined artificial, mythic even. Long, dark hair shimmered in the light like the night sky. Her fierce emerald eyes simply sparkled with delight. Her shapely figure was adorned by a modest white blouse that just covered her shoulders and a dark skirt that went to right above her knees.

Even Ella, who was considered ‘good looking’ by any standard, felt a bit threatened at first by this woman’s looks. That feeling quickly vanished though, squashed by her reborn confidence as well as the bond she knew she now had with Flash. And despite her beautiful appearance, Ella wasn’t fooled. Something from deep within her instincts screamed at her that nothing about this woman was as it seemed. She knew from the moment that she had stepped into the room, that this creature was not human, and that she was absolutely lethal.

The mystery woman walked forward slowly with the air of one who had power and enjoyed using it. She stopped about five-feet in front of Flash, staring down at him with the longing of a starving individual who now had a sumptuous banquet laid before them. A wide smile broke out on her beautiful face, her voice was like warm honey as she spoke.

“Hello, my little Equestrian.”

Author's Note

If there’s one thing quarantine will give you, it’s plenty of time to write.:twilightsheepish:
Never be afraid to spend yourself on others. It is want of love that darkens the hearts of others. So wherever you do not find love, put some there, some of your own. To live Charity is the greatest life there is.
Peace and God’s blessings to you all my friends.

Fangs

“Thank you Raven, that will be all.” Celestia said. Raven Inkwell, the white-coated, brown maned unicorn that was her personal secretary gave her a polite bow before turning to depart down the side ramp of the dais upon which the throne rested. “And be sure to take tomorrow morning off!” She called out after her.

Celestia rubbed the side of her head with one hoof, feeling exhausted. She had been up for more than twenty-four hours now for what must have been the seventh time that month. It was late, past three in the morning. She regretted having to call her aide in at this time of night, but she wanted to make sure Twilight and Sunset had all the help they could get as they poured through the archives for the umpteenth time in what turned out to be another fruitless search for anything they might find on replicating the Gate-key, one of the few artifacts actually made by the legendary Starswirl the Bearded. But like so many of his secrets, the techniques he had used to create it had vanished along with him centuries ago.

They had even enlisted the help of Starlight Glimmer who was presently visiting Sunburst in the Crystal Empire. The two skilled unicorns had been pouring through the great library of that kingdom even longer than their own team had been searching here, but with no luck.

This confirmation of what they already knew was of course, no comfort to her sister and the three ponies gathered with her together down below the throne inside the empty court. The lack of light coming through the stained glass windows made the normally vibrant area seem especially gloomy; the moon didn't seem to be shining as brightly that night. Twilight and Sunset sat on their haunches, resting their strained eyes for a moment while Rainbow Dash buzzed restlessly back and forth a few feet off the floor like an angry wasp. Luna was still standing, staring pensively down at the floor, her anxious eyes appearing lost in thought.

“There has to be something we can do!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed for what must have been the hundredth time.

“Ugh, for the last time Rainbow Dash, we’re trying!” Twilight said as she rubbed both temples with her hooves.

“Well our ‘trying’ isn’t good enough!” She screamed as landed with a noisy clatter of hooves that echoed throughout the empty court. Sunset bit her lip as she resisted the urge to snap at Rainbow Dash again, but she understood her anguish. Though the tough pegasus usually tried to conceal her feelings, Sunset knew that her worry for her friend was approaching panic levels of anxiety. Sunset had nearly panicked herself when Luna had told them all that Flash had been shot. She actually did long to tell Rainbow that there was one possibility they had, one that she, Celestia, Twilight, and Luna knew of but had not dared to suggest because of the risks involved.

When Flash had first arrived to Equestria and had his mother’s magic imprinted on him, the magic of the gate-key that had been around his neck had been partially infused onto him as well, meaning the gate-key would no longer function unless he willed it to. Additionally, during the course of her experiments, Twilight had also discovered that what had happened to Flash had also happened to Bright Skies. That she too had the gate-key’s magic coded into her own and was thus also able to wield its power.

Their theory was that if they cast the right spell, there was a chance that they could trigger the gate-key’s residual magic in Bright Skies and create a dimensional gate. The only problem being that without the artifact itself to stabilize the gate, the interdimensional forces would likely tear her apart. It was simply too dangerous to even suggest taking such a route.

“Peace, Rainbow Dash,” Luna calmly interjected as she looked sternly but compassionately at her. “For the moment, there is nothing we can do and it does us little good to consume ourselves with worry. Flash is more than capable, so we must trust that whatever danger he is in that he can take care of himself, he is well trained.” Though her voice was steady, Celestia knew her sister well enough to know that she wanted to scream in frustration as she herself desired to as well. For all their power and resources, they were still helpless to assist their friend.

She was about to say something when one of the large, main doors to the throne room slammed open with a loud bang. Celestia’s eyes went wide with surprise as she saw the lone pink mare limping down the red carpet towards the assembled ponies. Bright Skies appeared the very definition of frazzled. Her mane was a twisted jumble, her cheeks stained with tears, and the tip of her right wing dragged limply across the floor. She was a right mess, but in her eyes burned an indomitable force of will that Celestia was certain that if harnessed, could move the very heavens just as easily as she could. One of the guards, a grey thestral with a dark blue mane and orange eyes immediately stepped into the room, appearing apologetic.

“I’m sorry your highness, but she-“ Celestia raised her hoof, cutting him off.

“It’s quite alright Steel Wing, let her come.” She understood that he had as much of a chance at halting her as he did the movement of time itself.

The assembled ponies parted for her, not daring to speak a word as she came to a halt within their midst. Bright Skies paused, panting for a moment before raising her head, flicking her mane out of her face as she stood tall, grimacing as she forced her wing to close. She looked from pony to pony, making direct eye-contact with each of them, allowing them each to clearly see and understand that she would not take ‘no’ for an answer to the declaration she was about to make. Sunset shrank back slightly, her ears drooping as she understood what was coming. Bright Skies, please don’t suggest it...

“Do whatever you have to, but we are getting my son.”

Ella silently watched as the woman stared hard into Flash’s determined eyes as they each sized the other up. She could tell that he was trying to anticipate and prepare himself mentally for whatever his enemy might have in store for him. The woman, however, seemed delighted by the apparent challenges her quarry presented. She smiled slightly as she began to walk slowly in a circle around him, carefully noting each of his injuries.

Flash resisted the urge to shudder as she ran a single finger delicately across the new scar on his shoulder. Each of her moves were slow and deliberate, as if she were taking stock of a priceless artifact. A sweet scent, like honey on clovers wafted off of her, teasing his nostrils with a delightful effect. The woman halted in front of him as she sharply seized his chin in her hand, lifting his face to hers as she lightly traced her thumb over the scar on his right eye, her eyes squinting in displeasure.

“Yeah,” she muttered after a few moments as she released him and glanced back to Telson, “Kill that guy.” He lowered his hands to his sides, his hands clenched into fists as a dark look came into his eyes.

“With pleasure Mistress.”

“No.” Flash said causing the pair to both look at him.

“What?” The woman said as she raised a disapproving eyebrow. Flash looked hard at her.

“I said ‘no’.” He repeated. “Don’t kill him. I don’t want anypony- anyone else dying because of me.” She frowned at his objection.

“Don’t be a foal Equestrian, he’s destroyed more lives than you can count! He deserves to die. Trust me, I’d be doing your species a favor.” Flash glared at her.

“Yeah, seems like you’ve been doing my species a lot of favors,” Flash said, letting that statement hang in the air for a moment. The woman stared back at him for a tense moment as the air seemed to be sucked from the room. Flash sternly held her intimidating glare for a few more moments before breaking the silence. “Maybe he does deserve to die, and maybe you would be doing us all a favor. Justice will find him soon enough, but not like this. I don’t want you killing on account of me or merely to satisfy your own displeasure, Mistress.” Her eyes narrowed as she glared at him, though at the same time, the corner of her mouth rose in amusement. It was almost as if she enjoyed the novelty of being challenged for once by one who understood that they were helpless before her. She smiled,

“Merciful, are you? Hmm, alright then, I’ll put his fate on the back burner for now, for your sake my soft-hearted friend.”

“Much appreciated.” Flash responded neutrally but with a small dip of his head.

“But I wonder,” she said as she leaned down to look at him face to face, “How far does that mercy of yours go?” Flash couldn’t help but squint slightly in confusion, wondering what she meant by that cryptic statement. He didn’t get to consider it for long as she unexpectedly moved to sit down on the floor in front of him, her legs out to one side while she rested her weight on one arm; his eyes widened more than a little in surprise.

“But enough about that for now, let’s get to know each other a little, shall we?” she said with a coy smile. Ella glared at her, infuriated by her cheap, manipulative ploy. She wanted to say something snarky, but decided it was best to hold her tongue, trusting that Flash knew how to handle the situation. “And please, call me Chelicerae. Princess Chelicerae, but you can call me Chel.” She said with a wink. Ella noticed Telson’s eyes squint a bit in discomfort, as if he had just heard a blasphemy, before going stone-faced again.

Flash’s eyes widened slightly in surprise once again, despite his best efforts to control his reactions. Even though he knew she was a changeling, her choice of disguise was making him quite uncomfortable; he understood that it was just a ploy to unsettle him. But what was more unsettling, was the revelation that she was a princess.

He was unaware that the Changelings had any princesses among them and the fact that they hadn’t ever mentioned them seemed to suggest that they were either a closely guarded secret, or not a part of their present institutional memory. She’s either lying, or she’s been here for a very long time. He thought. But if she was telling the truth, then that changed a few things. The chains rattled as Flash tugged his right arm, he glanced down at it before looking back up at her with a sheepish grin. “Sorry, force of habit. I’m supposed to salute all foreign dignitaries. I would stand too, but, yeah.” He said with a smile and a shrug causing the chains to rattle again.

Chelicerae smirked, impressed by his reaction to this first test. Oh child, don’t make me like you more... “Well, aren’t you a bit of a charmer? So tell me, how is dear old Celestia doing? Does she still have all her little sycophants planted firmly under her golden hoof?” Flash’s eyes narrowed for just a second but so imperceptibly that an observer would wonder if they had imagined it.

“Oh it’s not so bad your highness,” he responded with a smirk and a hint of sarcasm, “Keeps us from being blown away during storms.” She giggled a surprisingly girlish laugh, revealing her perfect teeth as she seemingly enjoyed his wit.

“I see, and how did you get these?” She said as she reached out to trace a finger up his undamaged cutie mark. “Were you Celestia’s little lab rat?” Flash shook his head as he resisted the urge to shudder at her touch,

“Nah, just her student’s. It was alright though, I got doughnuts when I was good.” Chelicerae scrutinized him for a moment, closely observing the colors of his emotions as well as his body's physiological reads for any sign of deception, but found none. His eyes never wavered, and his heartbeat remained steady.

Cheeky, are you? She thought before deciding to shift away from probing pleasantries. “So, why are you here? I’m guessing you’ve come home looking for answers?” Flash stared a moment, she could see him calculating a response.

“Something like that.” Chelicerae reacted with a warm smile that sent chills up his spine. One thing that had been bothering Flash from the moment she had first laid eyes on him, was the sense he was getting that she had been waiting for him. How does she know about me? Was she in Equestria when I was growing up? Has she been here the whole time? How did she even get here? The implications of the latter were chilling to say the least, but at the same time, he wasn’t sure if this was all just another subterfuge designed to throw him. Changelings were the most devilishly difficult things to read. Everything about them, their very nature, was designed to disguise them to and misdirect their prey.

He had already graduated the academy after the great metamorphosis had occurred, but had received additional training along with the rest of the guard when King Thorax had sent a former infiltrator drone, Refract, to teach a course on counter-espionage. It had been an enlightening, and extremely humbling experience to say the least. They had learned that the Changelings had pretty much owned them on that front, coming right into Equestrian territory, even into Canterlot itself, whenever they had darn well pleased, and all right under their noses.

That was the other burning question, did she know about the metamorphosis? If she did, then that meant that she and Telson were part of the few remaining Chrysalis loyalists that were still out there as he had seen that Telson was still in his base form when he had transformed in order to heal him. Gah, she’s got me twisting in the wind here. Time to change tactics. Flash thought as he threw a nod towards Telson. “You know I’ve tangled with more than a few changelings in the past and I must say, he felt stronger than any five of them. You must be pretty well fed.” She glanced back at Telson as she grinned like a mother who had just received a compliment about their child.

“And he has been snacking between meals,” she boasted before looking back at Flash who tilted his head with an impressed nod.

“And like any good Changeling, I’m sure that you aren’t simply hoarding all of that energy for yourself and must make regular deliveries to the hive, yes?” Chelicerae’s smile faded slightly as she understood that he was probing to see how up to date her knowledge was. But in the end, she decided that it did not matter how much she revealed to him.

After all, it's not like he’s going anywhere. Not this time... She thought. “Let's put the games aside for now, shall we?” She said with a smirk. Flash smiled,

“Was it that obvious?”

“It was a nice try, but not necessary. You see, I plan on telling you everything.” She sat up and pulled her knees under her into a sitting position. "Firstly, to answer your question, no. I have not been to the hive in nearly 18 years. That is how long Telson and I have been here in this world."

Flash kept a poker face to this revelation, but knew he would not be able to hide the shock coloring his emotions which he knew she would clearly be able to see. Chelicerae smiled,

"I see that I have piqued your interest, yes?" Flash swallowed, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"I'm listening." He said. She reached into the pocket on the side of her skirt and pulled out the silver chain connected to the multicolored gem, allowing it to dangle to one side from her fingertips.

"The reason we've been here so long, is because we lost the way home. So you can imagine just how happy I was to see you." Flash nodded once slowly,

"I can imagine," he stated calmly, despite how his mind was now racing. Who is she?! Is she the reason I was sent to Equestria?! Is she telling the truth?!"

"Yes, but can you simply imagine my complete surprise that when I tried to test the gate-key just a few minutes ago, that it wouldn't work for me?" She asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, isn't that just the darndest thing?" Flash said with a sly grin, but she seem undeterred by his snark.

"Obviously you've managed to put some sort of safeguard on it, smart thinking." Ella felt completely lost as she silently watched them, with no idea what they were talking about. She threw a glance to Telson, hoping that he would grant her a clue, but he continued to stare ahead with his hands clasped in front of him.

"So I tell you what," Chelicerae said looking from the gate-key back to Flash. "If you could just tell me what I need to do in order to use this, in return, I will tell you everything you've ever wanted to know and more about your past. What do you say, help a girl out?" Flash remained silent for a beat, trying to process what he just heard.

"Just like that?" She smiled and nodded,

"Just like that. Didn't think you would find everything you were looking for so quickly, did you?" Her face softened as she suddenly took on a sympathetic expression, "I'm sorry for the discomfort you have had to endure up to this point, truly I am. But don't you see? Your search is over! We can help each other and then we can put all of this behind us. I can't tell you just how ready I am to finally go home," she said with an exasperated laugh, "So what do you say, do we have a deal?"

Flash stared hard into her emerald eyes, only a foot away from his own. The disguised changeling smiled warmly at him, returning his gaze with a kind expression as she eagerly awaited his response. He remained silent for another beat before finally speaking.

"No." Her eyes widened as her smile melted away in shock.

"What?"

"I said 'no'." Flash repeated firmly, his eyes narrowing into a glare. As much as he longed to learn about his origins, his duty to Equestria came first. Besides, he knew that he couldn't trust a single word she said.

"But, but you're an Equestrian! Aren't you all about helping others? Isn't that what the ponies taught you?" She frantically asked, appearing on the verge of tears.

"Oh save the crocodile tears your highness, it's unbecoming of you." Ella gasped as Telson stiffened in outrage. "I've seen firsthand the pain and misery you've caused, it's obvious you didn't come into this world on a goodwill mission. So until you tell me why you’re really here, until I determine you're not a threat to Equestrian National Security, until you begin trying to undo some of the pain you’ve caused in this world, you might as well get comfortable because I'm not helping you go anywhere, princess." Flash saw a shadow pass over her face as her eyes narrowed, a dangerous gleam that carried a hint of madness crept into her perfect eyes that chilled him to his core. She's been away from the hive for too long, He realized. It actually did make him feel a bit of sympathy for her as he had some understanding of how damaging it could be for a changeling to be alone.

I should try to help her, maybe I can. But first, I have to figure out what her intentions are. He decided to see how far he could push the envelope.

"You know you almost had me there for a minute, princess. A fantastic, well-woven and layered performance, your mother Chrysalis would be proud." He said with a slight smirk, hazarding that educated guess. Before he could react, her hand suddenly shot out and clamped like a vice around his throat with such force that it brought tears to his eyes. Ella shouted and tried to step forward only to be blocked by Telson who quickly moved and put his arm out in front of her. She began to push against it, but Flash managed to glance over at her and give a small shake of his head.

Chelicerae slowly rose to her feet, lifting him clear off the floor until his chains were pulled taught. It was hard to believe, but she felt even stronger than Telson, he could barely breathe. "You dare say her name...” She growled in a low, threatening voice that was not reflective of the growing alarm she was currently experiencing. How does he know about mother?! Just how much have I missed?! Changelings were not completely unknown to the other creatures of Equestria when she had left, but neither were they common knowledge either as they were, by nature, a hidden race. And certainly no one knew about the Queen, let alone her name. I need answers... She thought as she glowered at the young human struggling in her grasp.

The changeling princess glanced at Telson who looked at her with sympathetic concern, she could sense that he was as alarmed as she was, but was keeping it to himself. She took a calming breath before looking back at Flash, “You are a clever one, boy." She said icily with a small smirk. “You’re right, perhaps the tears were a bit much.“

"You’re welcome?" He managed to gasp past her choking grip. She held him there for another excruciating moment before dropping him back to the floor with a clatter of chains, Flash gasped and coughed as he struggled to catch his breath. She waited patiently until he had, she wanted him to hear what she was about to say.

“Why do you loathe what I’ve done so much?” He heard her say in a low and scornful tone, he looked up to meet her angry eyes; her fists were clenched at her sides. “You think I was acting any different than the rest of these humans? I’m a changeling, I needed to fit in! And you’ve seen what they’re like, they’re treacherous, all! And yet you have the gall to judge me?! You and your whole self-centered race!” She spat. Ella stood fixated in the moment, so captivated by her words that she hadn’t even noticed that she was still holding onto Telson’s arm as he stood next to her.

Flash could clearly see the disdain and hatred in her eyes, but at the same time there was something more, something strange. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but if he had to hazard a guess, maybe it was sorrow, regret? He cleared his throat, “And yet, rather than set a better example for my race, you chose to become like the worst of them?” Flash said with a raised eyebrow. He motioned with his head towards Telson, “Perhaps you could have been more like Telson here, he’s behaved more honorably than many ponies I know.” Flash could tell that one had stung as her eyes narrowed in rage.

“Yes,” she hissed, “Telson is honorable, far more noble than any human you’ll ever meet. But some of us don’t get to have the luxury of being so noble.” She said as she spun around and took a few steps away before halting. “I had a mission to accomplish,” She said angrily, “Surely you of all people can appreciate that?”

The ends justify the means, Chrysalis’ influence no doubt. “Yes, but I wouldn’t accomplish that mission if it meant destroying my soul,” Flash retorted. “What profit is there in gaining everything at the cost of who you are?” Chelicerae didn’t answer at first as she stood there silently with her back to him. Ella felt her heart beating so hard from the tension that she swore it could be heard.

Flash meanwhile, was starting to see a bigger picture. Holy harmony, the first humans she encountered must have been terrible! She must have thought that all humans were like that and so became like them in order to fit in, that can’t be healthy. That, on top of being away from the hive for so long, she must be going crazy! Poor girl... He thought, feeling real sympathy for her now. He glanced at Telson and, though he kept a straight face, could not hide the concern building in his eyes as he looked at her. He’s been the one trying to hold her together. Even for a changeling, that’s some devotion.

“You know nothing of the changelings, of what it means for us to have orders...“ Chelicerae finally said as she slowly turned around. “You think you’re any better? You think yourself so different from your fellow humans because of where you were raised?” She asked as she began to slowly walk towards him once more, her face determined. “Oh no, my little Equestrian. I’ll show you, by the time we’re done here, that you’re no different than the rest of them. That you too can be just as cruel, just as hateful...it's in your blood.” She said as she stepped back in front of him. Flash could not help but tense up as she drew nearer, knowing that she was about to try and break him somehow. Why she hadn’t yet threatened Ella to get what she wanted baffled him. Heck, she had hardly so much as looked at her. She was certainly playing a deeper game here, but he couldn’t understand why.

Has she really gone crazy? He wondered.

“You know, you really do look just like him.” Chelicerae said, pulling him from his thoughts. Flash looked up at her confused and was surprised to see that her face had gone soft, a look of wonder in her eyes that confused him further.

“Like who?” He said, almost afraid to ask as she smiled kindly at him.

“Isn’t it obvious? Your father, Viktor Alexandrov. The only human I’ve ever respected.”

Bright Skies stood still, simmering in place as she listened with ever thinning patience as her well-meaning friends and sovereigns once again ran her through a gambit of reasons as to why they could not take the risk of using her as a gate-key. Rainbow Dash had been furious when she first heard of this possibility, angry that it had been kept from her by Sunset and the others, but quickly simmered down once she learned of the risks involved and realized that her friends had not wanted to give her false hope by telling her about it.

"What are we supposed to tell Flash if you die?" Twilight asked.

"That I love him."

"What about us? How are we supposed to live with that on our souls?" Sunset objected.

"I forgive you."

"What sort of message would that send to everypony in Equestria when they hear that one of them died in some sort of risky magical experiment approved by the crown?" Luna warned. On and on they went, a cacophony of voices that battered at Bright Skies' mind as she struggled to hold her psyche together which was already threatening to split asunder with the stress her son was currently experiencing. Her entire body ached from the beatings and the torture he had underwent. She could feel the pain, the sorrow, the anxiety. Every little detail, each bead of sweat, all in such exquisite detail because she refused to isolate herself from him by willfully narrowing their connection for fear of losing what little contact she still had left with her baby. She could still feel the moment when the fangs had pierced his neck, the moment that had torn her screaming from the enchanted sleep that Luna had placed her under.

Stop it, Bright Skies thought, squinting her eyes shut as she grit her teeth. Quiet! Her head was pounding as the others continued speaking words of correction, comfort, and shared sorrow. Finally, she could stand it no more. The last barrier of her patience and even proper decorum shattered like a straw door before a steam locomotive as a cry from the deepest depths of her wounded soul tore past her lips with the combined fury of every mother who has ever had to defend their child from wanton aggression and evil.

"I WON'T LOSE ANOTHER CHILD!!!" She raged, stamping her front hoof so hard that it cracked the magically reinforced marble tile under it. Her voice reverberated off the walls of the empty court, echoing back and forth more than three times. Everypony was gaping at her, most of them with their ears folded flat against their skulls. Bright Skies panted hard past clenched teeth, her wings fully extended as her righteous-indignation at being unable to help her son burned in every fiber of her being. Nopony said a word as she glared at each of them, even the Princesses, daring them to contradict her adamant declaration of intent. She calmed her breathing as she stood up straight and slowly folded her wings.

"Either help me to do this, or I will find somepony who will. And don't you DARE think any of you will stop me!" Bright Skies knew that if this all ended well, she would likely have a heart-attack later after realizing that she had raised her voice at three of Equestria's five Princesses, but none of that mattered now. All that mattered now was helping Flash.

Celestia sighed, knowing with deep sadness in her heart that nothing would deter her. At this point, their best chance of minimizing the risks involved was to simply help her do it. At least they could do their best to control the outcome far more capably than some renegade wizard or accursed witch hiding in some dark, Source-forsaken corner of Equestria. Her motherly heart could only protect her little ponies so much. There came a point where she knew she needed to let them take their own risks as much as it pained her to let them do so.

"Alright Bright Skies," she said with all the weariness of her years. Celestia looked at the ponies assembled before her: her sister, Twilight Sparkle, and Sunset Shimmer. In this very room were three of the most powerful and capable mages Equestria had ever known. If anypony stood a chance at making this happen, it was herself and the three of them. "Let us make immediate preparations then, our time is short."

Bright Skies felt a surge of relief, but she could not bring herself to smile because of the dread which had been growing in her heart with each passing moment. It's not just our time that is short I fear...

Flash felt his face twitch, he shook his head once, “What?” He had trouble registering the sound of his own voice. Chelicerae smiled at his reaction.

“You heard me,” she said. “Your father, and your mother too, I knew them both.“ She reached out and softly brushed the side of his face with the back of her hand. “You as well, I even held you in my arms once.” Flash felt his mind practically going numb from the shock being caused by her stunning revelations, but she didn’t let up.

“Michail, that is your name. Your real name.” Flash shook his head,

“Wait, hold on!” He shouted, beginning to feel very overwhelmed at the relentless pace at which she was revealing world shattering information to him.

“Oh, I’m just getting started little ‘Misha’, that was your mother’s term of affection for you by the way.” Chelicerae said smugly as she reached up to attach the gate-key around her neck before crossing her arms.

“ENOUGH!” Flash screamed as he rattled his chains. He breathed hard as he glared at her, “How do I know you’re even telling me the truth?” He demanded, his voice breaking slightly from the stress. Chelicerae’s face suddenly turned serious as she reached up and grabbed the collar of her blouse as she turned her head and bared the side of her neck to him. Flash instantly recognized it as the most solemn gesture that a changeling could make. They only did it to other changelings when swearing allegiance to the queen or taking a solemn oath. Telson audibly gasped in shock as his stoic bearing faltered for a second.

“All true my friend, I swear it.” She said as she released her collar and turned her face back to him. Flash felt violated as his concentration began to waver, his mind spinning with the weight of the knowledge she was blasting him with. Even though he knew that she was doing this to break down his mental defenses, using the truth itself as a battering ram, he felt powerless to stop her. He was just going to have to endure her assault. The princess started walking in a slow circle around him, moving out of his view.

“Let me tell you a little story, my dear Michail,” she said as she traced a finger along one of the scars he received from Tirek as she moved behind him. “One year, a very long time ago, we experienced an unusually lean gathering season. And the hive, which is always short on supply, experienced a genuine famine, the worst in memory. Hundreds of drones starved to death, we were weaker and more desperate than we had ever been before. Our beloved Queen knew that she had to do something to change the wretched status quo. Scrounging, always living off scraps!" she said with particular bitterness in her voice.

Ella listened intently, the whole while despising how she was belittling him, circling him like a predator stalking its prey. The facade of a woman continued speaking after a momentary pause.

"She always knew of the rich land of Equestria far to the north, how it had all the resources we could ever want. Oh how she longed to simply go there and take what we needed. But she also knew that it would be suicide to confront Celestia directly, the sun witch’s power was far too great.”

Chelicerae paused in front of him and smirked before she continued circling, “That is, unless she could find something to tip things in our favor. So she decided to use one of the hidden treasures of the hive, an ancient, lost artifact that she had discovered in her many years of exploring the badlands, the gate-key.” The princess fingered the artifact dangling from her neck as she made another pass in front of Flash. “She knew that it could open a door to another world, but what world? What could possibly be on the other side? That was when she honored me, by asking me to go, to go for the sake of the hive. To see if I could discover something, anything that could aid us. She selected Telson, the hive’s finest soldier to accompany me, and sent us off into the unknown.”

She paused a moment to look at Telson with a smile while at the same time, flicking a glance at Ella who resisted the urge to shrink under her gaze and instead, glared back defiantly. Chelicerae raised an eyebrow at that but moved on. “And what a world we discovered!” She continued as she resumed her methodic pacing, “Such scale, such technology and weapons!” She held up a hand in front of her face, slowly flexing her fingers, “And a new form with which to wield them. We immediately reported our findings back to the Queen who instructed us to do whatever it took to find and amass such weapons so that we could arm the hive, and take whatever we wanted from the mewling Equestrians.”

“And what has that to do with my father?” Flash asked as she stopped in front of him.

“Why everything, Michail. Absolutely everything.” She said with a knowing smile. “You see, it was far too cumbersome to acquire large numbers of firearms legally, and stealing them would be far too risky. What we needed, was an arms dealer.“ She began pacing again,” It took weeks of painstaking infiltration. A lot of time, effort, and more than a few bodies, but eventually, I embedded myself deeply enough into this city’s criminal underworld to find the kind of human I was looking for. He was quite dangerous: cold, ruthless, and utterly brilliant. A man who commanded fear and respect even among his enemies." She sighed as if recalling a fond memory as she came into view once more, "And that man, was Viktor Alexandrov, your father my dear Equestrian.”

Chelicerae came to a halt once more in front of Flash, her eyes curious as she saw him trying absorb this information. His eyes had grown distant, and he was no longer making eye-contact with her. She slowly hooked a finger under his chin, gently raising his face to hers. Would you stop touching him so much ya nasty witch! Ella thought as she gritted her teeth in frustration.

"Come now, don't zone out on me now Misha, there's more to come still, much more." She said as she released his chin with a slip of her finger. Flash finally looked up at her, scowling slightly.

"You said you respected him," he said in a low, cautious tone, "What was it that you found so respectable? A minute ago you were lecturing me about how you despised humans for their treacherous behavior, so why the double standard princess?" Chelicerae smiled and tilted her head to one side.

"Do you know what made your father the most successful, powerful crime boss in this city?"

"Enlighten me."

"It was because of how he treated those who worked for him. If you worked for him, you were family. His genuine concern, even for the lowliest of his people, inspired such loyalty among them, such enthusiasm to please him, that he never once had to fear betrayal or being sold out. He was loyal to them, and they were loyal to him. It was so very 'changeling' like, a rarity in the disordered society of humans. He commanded such respect, how could I not admire him?" Flash blinked at her, but didn't respond. So she went on. "Naturally, such loyalty didn't come easily, it had to be earned. And he was also quite cautious about who he conducted business with. Your father wasn't going to make a deal with me simply because I had a lot of gold or batted my eyelashes at him." She smirked as if remembering something. "You'll be happy to know he was extremely devoted to your mother. He only had eyes for her so any typical flirtatious tactics would never work. No, you had to earn the privilege of doing business with him."

"So how did you earn that? You save his life or something?"

"Oh, even better," Chelicerae replied as she bent down to look him directly in the eyes. "I saved yours." Flash's eyes widened at her revelation; she seemed delighted by his reaction. "That's right little Equestrian, you owe me your life."

"What happened?" He asked as she straightened back up, crossing her arms.

"It wasn't that difficult. A group of men sent by one of your father's competitors tried to kidnap you, take you right out of your mother's arms in front of this very building we are in right now; you were barely five months old at the time. I had learned of the plot only days before through some of the connections I had made up to that point. And can you guess what lucky duo just happened to be there just in time to save the day?" Flash sighed, glancing away.

"You and Telson."

"You're welcome." She smirked, repeating his earlier words back to him. "First time I got to hold you too. I must say, you were quite adorable for a little bundle of flesh." The princess closed her eyes a moment, drawing in a long breath through her nostrils as if recalling a fond memory. "Your mother fed me that day, her love for you was exquisite." Ella squinted in confusion at the strange words as well as Flash's reaction to that. His eyes widened in longing while his jaw clenched in anger.

Chelicerae suddenly appeared a bit downcast as she seemed to be wrestling something. When she spoke again her voice was a bit more subdued rather than smug or excited as she had seemed before. "What began from there was an admittedly happy experience, the only human I've ever actually enjoyed being around; we made such a team. Your father was a delight to work with: smart, capable, and generous to a fault. He would even go out of his way to teach me many industry secrets and how to navigate his world." She chuckled at something, "Hard to believe, coming from a man who at the same time was quite capable of snapping a man's neck with his bare hands." Flash felt a bit sick from hearing how his father was in reality a horrible person.

I was sired by a monster, he thought to himself, the knowledge was like a hot knife across his heart. But as much as he wanted her to stop, he felt himself hanging on her every word, longing with ravenous desire to hear the next detail about his past.

"I killed him right here." Flash's head snapped up, his mouth hanging open slightly. Ella felt her breath catch in her throat.

"What?" he asked, blinking as if he had just been slapped. Chelicerae looked down on him, her expression inscrutable as she kept her emotions completely neutral.

"Yes," she replied as she glanced to one side, unable to meet his gaze. "In the very spot that you are now kneeling in." Flash felt his blood turn to ice, his jaw working up and down a few times as he struggled to find words. The changeling princess finally looked at him again, "Wasn't what I originally planned, but your mother forced my hand." Flash cleared his throat,

"Why...?" He practically croaked. Ella could tell he was fighting back tears as his features hardened. Chelicerae let out a sigh,

"Know that I took no pleasure in it," she replied in a surprisingly genuine tone, "But it was because I was careless. You see, while your father trusted me, your mother was always suspicious and would secretly spy on me." Chelicerae gave a small sigh, her eyes distant as she reminisced. "She was good at that you know, enough to make a changeling proud. Inevitably, she eventually learned about the gate-key, and witnessed how I would travel back and forth from Equestria. So in order to expose me to your father, she one day managed, quite brazenly, to steal it from the office your father had given to me for my use." She shook her head in a regretful manner, "If only I had just kept the blasted thing on me, but I became complacent, too comfortable with the routine."

"And so what, did you kill her too?" Flash said angrily, blinking back tears. The princess squinted slightly, appearing upset once more.

"Not directly, no. When I confronted her to get it back, she had hidden it away. So I took both you and your mother hostage and forced her to reveal its location, and because I knew the game was up, I made her summon your father and have him bring the gate-key so I could secure the situation. My plan was to put the three of you in cocoons until I could figure out what to do with you all, perhaps memory manipulation or something. But your father attacked Telson and I the moment he was in the same room as us, very nearly killed me. His wrath was something to behold." Chelicerae paused a moment to massage the bridge of her nose before continuing with her account.

"In the ensuing struggle, he was grievously injured and the gate-key was dropped and subsequently snatched up by your mother. Your father screamed at her to run, but the door was already blocked. So she then did what I least expected," Chelicerae dropped her hand and looked at him, "She activated it." Flash noticed that when she had looked up from her hand, that the pupils in her emerald eyes were now slitted. The concentration on her disguise was slipping, so great was the turmoil in her emotions.

"She obviously must have learned how to do it from when she had spied on me. She must have been absolutely convinced that I was about to kill you all, that she had no other choice. Her reasoning must have been, 'better a chance of survival in the unknown than certain death in that room'. She made the desperate move to escape with you in her arms even though she had no idea where the portal she had just opened before her led." Chelicerae paused, her eyes distant as she seemingly gazed into the past. "But before she could make it through, I managed to tackle her legs. Seeing that she could no longer escape, she slipped the gate-key around your neck, kissed you, and tossed you into the portal."

Flash swallowed, his heart pounding in his ears in reaction to the sheer enormity of what he had just learned: his origins, his entry into Equestria. The monumental knowledge was presently leveling the plane of his mind. She saved me, my mother wanted to save me... He thought as he struggled to come to grips with this revelation. "So then what happened?" he asked.

Chelicerae crossed her arms again, her eyes flickering for a moment with green light. "With nothing left to do but hold out and await for a practically non-existent chance of rescue, I took your father here and interrogated him about everything I thought I would need to know to take over and run his empire while surviving here. I knew he wasn't long for this world, Telson had been forced to shoot him in order to stop him from shooting me." Ella glanced up at Telson who was still standing at her side, his face was unreadable; but she could see there was pain in his eyes as the princess continued speaking.

"Your father wasn't going to survive without a hospital, and that was absolutely out of the question. So after I felt I had taken from him all the knowledge I could, I put him out of his misery. It was quick and painless." Flash closed his eyes, his brow furrowing as he took a deep, slow breath.

"And my mother?" He asked quietly. Chelicerae's jaw clenched and her eyes narrowed.

"Unfortunately, she went into shock when I revealed my true form while interrogating your father. I placed her in a cocoon, trying to see if I could stabilize her, but the trauma she had suffered as well as her anguish at losing both you and her husband, in the end, proved too great a strain for her to bear. She took ill, and faded away after a few weeks. There was nothing I could do." Flash opened his eyes, casting his gaze to the floor as he slowly nodded his head.

"What was her name?" he asked, his voice barely audible.

"Natasha," she softly replied, "Would you like to see a picture of her?" Flash raised his head, staring at her for a moment before nodding. Chelicerae snapped her fingers, Telson responded by pulling out a white envelope from the inside of his jacket pocket and handing it to her. She pulled out an old photograph, slightly worn around the edges, but still clear and sharp and held it in front of his face.

The picture showed a man standing with a woman who was holding an infant in a white outfit, both of them were standing in some sort of shrine with candles in front of a large white basin on a marble pedestal. The woman was beautiful. She had long, wavy brown hair, clear blue eyes and was wearing a long red dress as she smiled proudly at the camera. The man he assumed was his father was tall and strong, similar to Telson in many ways with neatly trimmed black hair, brown eyes, and wearing a dark suit. His gaze was piercing and his bearing hard. Flash could easily see he had inherited his strong jawline, sharp nose, and other facial features. But it also made it easier to see just how much his adoptive mother's magic had altered his appearance, changing the once dark color of his hair while making his features more streamlined, angled, and hawk-like. It was also apparent that he had his birth mother's clear blue eyes, now starburst with the vibrant violet of his adoptive mother's eyes. I have both of my mothers' eyes. He noted with wonder.

After allowing him to gaze on it for a few moments, Chelicerae withdrew the photo, placing it back in the envelope before tossing it over to the table on her left. She looked down at him as she crossed her arms, "So you see? You're origins are no more noble than any of the humans you've had to confront since you've arrived here. You think I made any of this?" She asked as she gestured around the room. "None of this is really mine, this was all your father's, your inheritance. That night club you destroyed? That was yours. This building we are in is yours." She pointed sharp finger at Ella without even looking at her, "That is yours! This is what you really come from, what your true nature is like. And while it may have been tamed a bit by the Equestrians, if given time here, like me, you will inevitably be no different. It's what you humans are."

Ella remained completely still when the woman had pointed at her, too absorbed in the stunning revelation that Flash was the heir of the very crime organization that had made her life a living hell. What were the odds that of all people, she would be the first one he bumped into? That's some crazy kinda providence if I've ever seen it. She thought. Flash had his head bowed, staring at the floor appearing deep in thought. Don't you believe her Flash, I know you. You're nothing like the scum I've had to endure. You're good! She saw Chelicerae smile slightly as she stared down at him, looking as if she were beginning to taste victory. Flash slowly raised his head and Ella felt her heart soar, he was smiling.

Not a sly, sneering, or defiant smile, but one that looked soft, sympathetic even. His eyes were filled with sorrow, but overall he appeared peaceful. Chelicerae's smile faded and her eyes widened in shock.

"I'm sorry princess," he said calmly, "But you're wrong. We never get to choose our parents, but that doesn't mean we can't choose what we will be like." He sighed, glancing to one side before looking back up at her with a slight frown. "Did you really think you would break me with the truth? It's true, the truth can potentially break you, but I choose to let it improve me. It hurts, yes, but it's only pain, and pain is temporary." The princess' arms slowly dropped to her sides as she unfolded them, but Flash went on.

"I may be my parent's child, but I'm not their son." he said, his eyes now becoming more serious. "I was taken in by the ponies of Equestria. I was raised by a mare who couldn't have loved me any more even if I were her own flesh and blood. I serve and have sworn allegiance to the most kind and benevolent leaders one could ever ask for. These good, blessed creatures, they made me who I am, not my blood. I am not my parents, and I'm nothing like you."

The changeling stared pensively at him, the electric hum of the overhead lights being the only noise in the room as her eyes bore into him. After a few more moments, her gaze narrowed into a glare. "Your lying," she said in a low tone, "You must be, I killed your parents! Admit it, you hate me! You wish you could kill me, I know you do!" She snarled, her voice increasing in volume.

Flash blinked, a bit shocked by her sudden outburst. He was about to answer, when suddenly, it dawned on him. Merciful Maker, she wants me to hate her! She wants me to hate her in order to justify her hatred for... the realization hit him like a kick from Applejack, ...for herself." He had first thought her emotional turbulence throughout their conversation was merely another manipulative ploy, but now he was beginning to understand that there was more to it than that. She hates what she has had to do, what she has become. She's been consumed by guilt and self-loathing. That and being trapped here, it's probably made her more than a little neurotic. And she probably wants me to hate her in order to make it easier for her to hurt me. Sweet Celestia... Flash also realized that this was what she had meant earlier about wondering how far his mercy went.

His thoughts suddenly turned back to the awful knowledge that his parents were dead, his heart throbbed in pain as it had when she had first told him, and his anger at the terrible things she had done began to flare up in him once more. There was definitely a strong temptation to give in to hatred, but, No, he thought, stamping that fire out. I'll never go down that path again. Flash looked back up into her demanding eyes, she appeared to stand somewhere between rage and sorrow. He sighed, as he marshalled his will to act.

"Yes, you killed my parents princess. It was a terrible crime, one that you should answer for and I am heartbroken to learn of it, I will certainly be mourning them. But, that being said," he paused as he looked hard at her for one more moment before finally coming to a decision. "I gave myself over to hatred once," he said, shaking his head. "Never again." His gaze was stern, but he managed a small, sad smile before saying, "I forgive you, Chelicerae." Flash felt the weight that had been threatening to build within him vanish as the words left his mouth.

The princess practically gaped at him, appearing genuinely mystified. As if for the first time in her life, a human did not behave as she expected them to. "You can't mean that..." she whispered. Flash turned his head to one side, baring the side of his neck to her.

"I do, princess. I swear it." Ella felt herself smiling as she watched them. She felt a warm hand close around her forearm and looked up to see Telson staring, utterly captivated by the scene, no longer able to conceal the wonder and delight in his eyes. Ella smiled, understanding that he probably hadn't even realized what he was doing.

"Princess, I don't think that you actually wanted to do any of the terrible things you have done," Flash said in a sympathetic tone. "I think you did them because you believed that you had to in order to carry out your Queen's demands. It was still wrong, you've done inexcusable things but, I don't think that you are actually evil. Please, let me help you."

Her eyes wavered, her mouth opened and then closed as if she wanted to say something but couldn't. A deep longing and sadness appeared in her slitted eyes and for just a second, Flash thought he might actually be reaching her. But as quickly as that thought came, it vanished as her face was suddenly twisted by rage.

Chelicerae seized him painfully by his hair and yanked his head back, glaring down into his face, "I don't need your help," she snapped, "I need to complete my mission!" Ella flinched in shock at the sudden and violent shift in her tone and body language, she was pretty sure Telson did the same.

"And you're going to do exactly as I say, or so help me, I'm going to-"

"But there is no more mission!" Flash shouted back, cutting her off. His eyes watered as she tightened her grip and moved her face closer to his, he could feel her breath on his skin.

"What are you saying? Be careful little Equestrian, my respect for your father will only protect you so much," she said in a dangerous tone.

"I'm saying that everything's changed! The hive, Equestria, everything!" Her eyes narrowed to slits,

"And Queen Chrysalis?" Flash swallowed, knowing that his next words could very well be his last.

"She, she is no longer queen."

If he had spat in her face, she could not have been more insulted. The changeling princess actually had to restrain herself from snapping his neck for that blasphemy then and there. Impossible...she thought, but he wasn't lying, she could see it in his eyes, emotions, and feel it in his pulse. At the very least, he believed what he was saying to her to be true. She held him for a moment longer before releasing him, and taking a step back. A few strands of his glimmering platinum hair falling from her hand. She glowered at him in barely restrained fury.

"Explain."

Flash shook his head once and took a breath to steady himself. Starting with a brief summary of his life in Equestria, Flash recounted for her the changeling assault on Canterlot nearly four years ago, Chrysalis' revealing of herself and her defeat. He then went on to lay out her second attempt to take over Equestria less than six months ago, and finally, the metamorphosis and her expulsion from the hive.

Both changelings listened with rapt attention, neither one even so much as moved a muscle as he recounted everything for them. When he had finally finished, Chelicerae just stood there, her expression inscrutable, completely masking the sheer panic exploding within her mind. She attacked without me...she acted, WITHOUT ME! I'm too late! She has been betrayed! Usurped! AND IT'S ALL MY FAULT!!! Mother... The pain was too much to bear. Her countenance finally broke, she groaned, her eyes clenched shut and her teeth ground together as she grabbed the sides of her head. "No...no, no, NO!!!!" she screamed, Flash winced as the blasting volume of her voice hurt his sensitive ears.

"Mistress..." Telson murmured, his voice trembling slightly. Ella couldn't believe what she was seeing, he appeared afraid. Chelicerae's hands dropped and her head snapped to him, her flawless face now a wreck of anger, panic, and despair. She looked at her faithful companion with baleful eyes.

I can't even keep my promises to him... She looked back at Flash, filled with rage. "This changes nothing!" she screamed as she got in his face and grabbed his lower jaw with bruising strength. "All this means is that I have an additional objective. I will kill this usurper Thorax and every traitor who follows him! And you, my little Equestrian, are going to help me do it!"

Flash shook his head loose from her grip, "To what end princess?! Didn't you hear what I told you? About how the changelings are now happy and at peace with us? How they no longer have to be starving all the time?" Ella saw a look of longing appear in Telson's eyes as Flash spoke. "Please! I'm begging you your highness! Let go of this dead scheme! Come home with me! Come, and you will see," he pleaded.

Stars exploded across his vision as she backhanded him, hard, across the face nearly knocking him to the floor. His head swam and pounded with pain as the blow aggravated his concussion. Ow... was all he could think; his ears were ringing. When the princess spoke again, her voice sounded far away for a moment.

"If the Queen spurned this transformation, then so do I!" Flash shook his head, just managing to get upright again as his hearing began to return. His whole body felt like one giant bruise as he looked up at her furious face. "Time's up Michail, tell me how to use the gate-key!" She yelled with ever increasing fury. He stared back at her, remaining defiantly silent.

Her lips curled into a snarl, "You really want to go there?! Fine! We'll do this the hard way." The princess snapped her gaze over to Ella, "Telson!" The large man grimaced ever so slightly as he turned and looked down at Ella who shrank back from him, her eyes fearful. His gaze was soft and sad as he could taste her bitter fear, he hated that she was looking at him that way.

"I'm sorry, small one," he said as he firmly grabbed onto the upper portion of her left arm, "But it's no longer up to me."

"I know, it's okay," she whispered as she offered him no resistance. Telson felt her words break his heart.

Why is it that rare and beautiful things can never last? He asked himself as he stood Ella in front of him gripping both of her shoulders, facing her towards his mistress. Telson saw panic fly across the young officer's face. He yanked at his bonds.

"No! Leave her alone! She has nothing to do with-" Chelicerae cut him off with a kick to his gut, doubling him over and knocking the wind out of him. Flash writhed in agony, unable to inhale because of the shock to his diaphragm.

"Last chance Michail," he heard her say. "Tell me what I want to know, or I'll have Telson start pulling pieces off her." He finally gasped and coughed, struggling to regain his breath. He now knew he had no choice, I have to tell her...

"COWARD!!!" Ella's voice echoed inside the confined space. All heads turned to look at her as she glared furiously at Chelicerae. She couldn't take it anymore, she had held her tongue long enough, and Flash needed her help.

"What was that?" The princess asked bemusedly, appearing a bit surprised.

"You heard me! I call you coward!" Ella shouted back as the changeling turned and began walking towards her, but she didn't care. "I know your type Chel, too gutless to do your own dirty-work so you force others to do it for you! Princess? Don't make me laugh, you're anything but! I've known crack-whores with more dignity!" Chelicerae's knuckles cracked as her hands clenched into fists. Ella felt a bit giddy, almost laughing out loud, Wow, I'm about to die. Worth it... she thought with grim resolve as she smiled defiantly at this monster who now stood in front of her, simmering with murderous rage.

A few tense moments passed as the two females stared each other down, waiting for the other to flinch. Chelicerae broke into a dangerous smile, "You know, Telson's quite taken by you," she said as Ella took notice of her slitted pupils. "At first, I couldn't imagine why. But now I think I see what he was talking about, you have spirit little girl. A rarity among all the sniveling worms in this world."

"You should get out more Chel, there are good people out there, people like Flash."

"Interesting. So tell me, give me one good reason why I shouldn't crush your skull right now?" Ella smirked,

"Please Chel, I've been thrown into a world of magic and monsters, you'll hafta do better than empty threats if you want to scare me at this point." The princess smiled broader, revealing a pair of fangs. Ella felt herself flinch slightly, but Telson held her firmly by the shoulders.

"Is that right?" Chelicerae asked, her voice sounded distorted. It was as if she were speaking with an additional set of vocal chords. "Alright little girl, Let's try it your way. Just give me a second, allow me to slip into something a little more terrifying," she yelled as she took a step back. Heatless green flames suddenly leapt out from beneath her feet and began crawling up her legs, licking away her skin to reveal a black, chitinous shell underneath. Ella felt her eyes widen, her stomach sinking as the impossible unfolded before her.

Is this really happening...? Flash was shouting something to her, but she couldn't hear him, he sounded so far away. Ella felt her mind grow numb in response to the horror now raising its grotesque head in front of her as a loud buzzing filled the air. Somewhere someone was screaming, it sounded terrible. It took her a second to realize that the screaming was coming from her.

"ELLA DON'T LOOK AT HER EYES!!!" Flash screamed as Chelicerae's disguised burned away revealing her true form. Now finally exposed, Flash was able to finally see what she really looked like. In many ways, she looked very similar to Chrysalis, with the same emerald eyes and same color mane, though hers was curiously streaked with a few blood-red highlights. She was also a bit smaller, about two-thirds her height. Her horn was straight with a single jagged angle running through its length; shorter than the queen's, but longer than any drone's. Her form was slender and elegant, but a bit more robust from so many years of being well-fed. She also had fewer holes running through her legs and wings.

Ella stopped screaming as she involuntarily tried to scramble backwards, pressing her back into Telson's chest. Chelicerae was obviously delighted by her reaction, casting a glance back at Flash. "Didn't you tell her about us?" She asked as she chuckled, her undisguised voice reverberating in her throat.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Flash screamed while yanking on his chains so hard that the cuffs bit into his skin. He desperately reached for his magic, trying to charge a lighting bolt, but succeeded in only creating a few sparks which popped randomly off of his body, his mind still felt heavy as the venom continued to suppress his magic.

The princess laughed again as she turned back to Ella, "Oh how I never get tired of the uninitiated's reaction to this. So what do you think little girl? Are you scared yet?" Ella screamed an expletive and kicked out with her heel, catching Chelicerae in the chest. It felt like just a tap against her chitin, but it still surprised her. "Oh ho! You still have some spunk!" She remarked as she rubbed the spot with her hoof. Telson pulled her back and pushed her down on her knees, dropping to one himself so that he could maintain his grip on her shoulders without having to bend over.

Ella managed to get ahold of herself, even though her heart felt like it would explode as it hammered away at her ribs. It's real! SHE'S REAL! It's not that she didn't believe Flash, but what he told her had never felt real. Flash's displays of superhuman speed, strength, and other feats of magic that she had seen were indeed wondrous to behold, but he was still human. Now though, now that she could see a creature from his world, it made it all so very real. Chel looked like something straight out of a nightmare. But despite her monstrous appearance, there was still something inherently attractive about her. Something definitively feminine, a dark and forbidding beauty that sent shivers through her. Like an exquisite oil painting that was captivating to behold even if what it portrayed was terrifying.

"How much did Michail tell you about us? Did he tell you what we eat?" Chelicerae said with a smile that revealed more of her sharp teeth. Ella remembered that was the last question she had asked him before they were interrupted by Damian. She trembled as a forked tongue flicked out from between the changeling's fangs, tasting the air like a snake.

"No Chel, DON'T! PLEASE!" Flash yelled behind her, but she ignored him.

"You know, I was planning on saving you for dessert, but why wait any longer?" Ella felt herself suddenly becoming lost in her green eyes. They seemed so large, so captivating. She wanted to tear herself away from their gaze, but it felt like she was falling into them. She began to feel sleepy, a bit warm and comfortable as if a large, soft blanket was slowly being drawn up over her.

What's happening...? Ella thought, her mind felt heavy and slow. Flash was yelling again, but he sounded so far away, like he was yelling through water. Why did he need to yell anyway? This felt so nice...so warm...would it be so bad to just rest a little? After all, she was so tired...

"Now I lay me down to sleep...

Dark, so very dark...

"I pray the Lord my soul to keep...

Where am I? It's cold...

A little girl with golden curls was kneeling by her bedside praying. "If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take." She paused, and looked up at her mother who was kneeling beside her. The woman was pale and weak. Her head was wrapped in a cloth because she was sick, which made all of her pretty hair fall off.

"Mommy?"

"Yes dear?"

"If I ask God, will he make you all better? Will he help you?" Her mother smiled warmly, reaching down to gently stroke her head.

"Oh sweetheart, your prayers always help mommy."

"How? You're always sick, how come don't you get better?"

"Because some things are more important than that my little Ella." The woman scooped her up in her arms and hugged her child close.

"What does that mean?" she asked, hugging her mother back as she rubbed the back of her head.

"While being healthy is nice, it's not the most important thing in this world dearest."

"Then what is mommy?" The woman smiled before looking up at the small Crucifix hanging above her daughter's bed as tears came to her eyes.

"That we love Ella, that we love. That no matter what happens to us, good or bad, whether we are sick or healthy, the most important thing in this life is that we always love." Little Ella looked up at her mother with doe eyes.

"Do I do a good job of loving mommy?" Her mother bent down and kissed her forehead.

"Yes dear, you are the best. You have so much love to give my little Ella. And someday, I know your love will help others just like your love helps me."

...

...dark...so very, dark...I'm so...cold...where am I...where is...Flash...he needs my help...I need to help him...Flash...wake up...WAKE UP!

Ella screamed savagely as she snapped out of her trance, thrashing her head from side to side. Chelicerae was in front of her, her horn enveloped in a fell, green light as a stream of pink light flew from Ella's chest and into the changeling's open jaws.

"RAH!" Ella shouted as she managed to get a foot out from underneath her and kick at Chelicerae's face. The changeling princess snapped her jaws shut and yanked her head back, narrowly avoiding being struck. Ella felt the sudden burst of energy fade from her just as quickly as it had appeared as she went limp. She felt exhausted, no, drained. More so than she had ever felt in her entire life. It felt as if she had just been forced to run an entire marathon, but only after being starved for a week. She couldn't even hold her head up as she melted to the floor, the only thing supporting her being Telson's strong hands.

He immediately changed position, placing his large arm underneath her as he cradled her head in the crook of his elbow. Ella weakly looked up at him as he looked down at her, his pale blue eyes were full of worry and concern. Small one... Chelicerae meanwhile wiped her lips off on the back of her hoof.

"Well, well, I didn't expect that!" She said with a small chuckle of amusement. "You broke out of my entrancement spell little girl! You should be proud, no one has ever broken free from my magic! You have an exceptional will." Ella couldn't muster the strength to even reply as she felt herself shaking, it felt difficult to even breath, she could barely keep her eyes open. The changeling princess leaned down to look her in the eye, "You were right my dear, it is so much better to do things yourself sometimes. Now, shall we go again?"

"That's ENOUGH Chel, you're going to kill her!" Flash screamed, "Your quarrel is with me not her! Stop this!" Chelicerae glared back at him,

"I'll stop when you tell me what I want Michail!" she snapped, "Now let's try this again little girl-"

"OKAY IT'S ME! I'M THE KEY!" Flash screamed at the top of his voice. Chelicerae slowly straightened up and turned around to look at him cocking her head inquisitively to one side. "You win," he said, nearly breaking down, "Just, leave her alone, leave her alone..."

"Tell me what that means," she demanded. So Flash briefly explained to her how when he had first appeared in Equestria, he was hit by lightning. It was how he had obtained his magic, and why the gate-key was now connected to him and how only he could now use it. Chelicerae slowly walked towards him until she towered over him, the gate-key glinting as it dangled from her neck.

"Do you now comprehend the position that you are in Michail?" she asked in a cold tone. "What happens to her from now on, is entirely up to you. I will spare her but, disobey me, and she dies. Try to escape, and she dies. Do anything other than exactly what I tell you to do, you so much as displease me, and she dies! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!" She shouted down at him.

"Yes!"

"SAY IT!"

"YES!"

"SAY YOU UNDERSTAND!" She screamed as she jammed her hoof under his chin and forced him to lock eyes with her.

"I UNDERSTAND!"

"SAY THAT YOU WILL SERVE ME, SAY IT!"

"I will serve you!"

"SAY IT AGAIN!"

"I WILL SERVE YOU!"

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU SOLDIER, LOUDER!"

"I WILL SERVE YOU!!!" Flash screamed so hard that his voice broke, his broken ribs throbbing in agony from the compression of his diaphragm. She flicked his chin away with her hoof and took a step back as he choked back a sob, biting his tongue to prevent himself from breaking down completely. She then gave him a sympathetic look as tears streamed down his face.

"There now, was that so difficult?" She gently asked. Flash couldn't answer her, looking at her with a hopeless, heartbroken expression. "You belong to me now Michail, don't you forget that." She then reached out and placed a hoof on his shoulder as she bent down to look into his eyes, her horn touching the crown of his head. "I don't want to be your enemy Michail, it doesn't have to be this way. I don't want to hurt you, either of you, I never did. I just want to go home, I want to serve my queen, that's all."

Flash couldn't answer her, he felt so mentally wrecked. Disgusted with her because of what she had done to Ella, and at himself for failing to prevent it. The princess' hatred was going to destroy them all. He flinched as she suddenly embraced him with one limb, resting her cheek against his. Surprisingly, her hug felt genuine.

"You should know this," she whispered into his ear so that only he would hear it. "Her love was new, so very fresh and recent. I don't know what you did to make such an impression on her, but all I can say is that you're truly something special child." She then kissed him softly on his cheek before releasing him and stepping away.

"Telson," she said. He looked up at her mournfully from where he was kneeling on the floor, cradling Ella. "Release him."

"Yes mistress," he said as he carefully laid Ella down on the floor where she curled up, shivering uncontrollably. Telson stepped over behind Flash and unlocked his bonds. He fell forward on his hands and knees, feeling incredibly stiff and sore. But that didn't stop him from scrambling over to Ella as quickly as he could and snatching her up in his arms; she trembled against him.

"Ella, Ella can you hear me? I'm so sorry," he wept. She felt so light and looked so pale as she weakly raised her eyes to him and smiled.

"Hey you," she murmured as she slowly lifted a hand to brush a tear from his cheek. "It's okay," she whispered, "I'm here for you." Flash caught a glimmer of green light in his peripheral vision and looked to see Chelicerae back in her human form standing at the doorway, glancing back at him.

"Come along now Michail, we have work to do."

"I'll be right there, princess." He sighed, his submission to her making him feel sick. She nodded once at him before walking out of the room. Telson stepped around Flash and knelt opposite of him and Ella. The three of them stayed that way for some time, their collective sorrow shared by their silence. After a few more moments of this, Telson reached out and placed a hand on Flash's shoulder.

"Go," he said, "I'll bring her along soon, I promise." Flash looked up at him and glared, but quickly softened when he saw how distressed the changeling was.

"It's okay Flash," Ella whispered, "I'll be fine." Flash nodded, taking her hand and squeezing it gently before handing her to Telson.

"Is there anything you can do for her?" He asked.

"I'll do what I can." Telson replied.

Chelicerae rounded the corner as she walked down the basement corridor, the only sound in the grey and white cement hall being the buzz of the fluorescent lights and the clacking of her sharp footfalls. As she moved, she suddenly slowed, and came to a halt. She looked to her right at another grey steel door, she pushed on it and went inside. The lights in the room automatically flickered on, revealing shelf after shelf, row after row, stacked over a hundred feet deep and to the ceiling with weapons and munitions of every kind and caliber: Rifles, ARs, pistols, shotguns, machine guns, grenades, RPGs and more. There were at least four more storage rooms in this building, most of them much larger than this one, all of them absolutely stuffed with weapons. All of it the fruit of years of buying, trading, stealing, murder, trafficking, and utter human misery. The stale smell of gun oil and cordite filled the air as she slowly stepped inside shutting the door behind her.

The princess took one slow step forwards before collapsing against one of the shelves, clinging to it for support with one hand while she use the other to cover her mouth as sobs wracked her whole body. She fell to the floor as her disguise slowly evaporated away in green flames, weeping uncontrollably with loud, gasping sobs. The Queen was in exile, and it was her entirely her fault.

Added to that unbearable agony, was the image now burned into her mind: the haunted, horrified look in Michail's eyes as she threw his mercy and offer of assistance back in his face while she tortured his friend. It summoned an unbidden flood of dark memories, all of the unspeakable things she had done over the years in the name of duty. So much pain, so much suffering and death, all wrapped in the excusing mantle that she was simply acting as any human would. Any human, except this pair. They had proved to her, that they were not all the same after all.

Forgive me?! He forgives me?!! Chelicerae groaned as she ground her face into the cold, hard cement in an attempt to scrape the memories out of her mind. She was so full of love, and yet never felt more empty or alone. I can't do this anymore, I can't do this!!!" She raised her head, staring up at the lifeless ceiling, tears streaming down her face as she cried out in a weak voice, "Mother...mother! Please, help me! What do I do? What should I do?" Her ears flicked forward, straining to catch the sound of any reply, but no reply came, none ever did. The night was deep, and she was alone.

Author's Note

"You have heard it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father." -Matthew 5:43-45
There is a story behind every enemy, behind every bad person. Never write them off, never dismiss them altogether. Only love can heal the broken, for it was love that made us in the first place.
I just so happened to complete this chapter on my birthday, and I couldn't be happier to do so. Keep each other close my friends during these dark times, for only by loving one another, will we ever bring healing to our world.
A special thanks to my friend and storyteller extraordinaire Antiquarian for allowing me to borrow a bit of the Equestrian theology he created for his story, "A 14th Century Friar in Celestia's Court"
If you haven't taken a look at it already, I highly recommend it.
Also credit to my friend Handyman for the original head canon he came up with on how Changelings swear allegiance in his delightful read, "Bad Mondays."
Peace and God's blessings to you all!

Conflicts of Interest

Ella shifted slightly as Telson laid her gently down upon the small double bed, the strong changeling moving her as if she were made of glass, so that she was resting on her right side, her head supported by one of the pillows. She felt so weak that each breath felt like a great labor. She managed to keep her eyes open as Telson had urged her not to go to sleep. She found herself in a small bedroom that she was pretty sure was his own private quarters and took the opportunity to have a small glance into the changeling’s personal life.

The room was a little small which seemed odd considering his great size, but was extremely neat and well-maintained. The sheets and blankets she was lying on were drawn tight and crisp. A small lamp sitting on a small dresser did its best to cast some light into the room which seemed particularly dark, with the curtains drawn fast over the large windows. There was a bookshelf in the far corner filled with literature. She noticed one shelf in particular that was devoted to an assortment of philosophical texts, the writings of Aristotle, Plato, and even Nietzsche to name a few. She even spotted a bible which struck her as a bit curious considering he was not from this world. The walls were clean and white and adorned with various pictures and pieces of art. Most of the pictures were simple images from nature: a cloud in a blue sky, a white flower, a single tree on a grassy plain.

Guess there’s not a whole lot of nature out here in the city. Ella thought as her eyes moved on to some of the art. The art was mostly oil paintings of the classical variety, but what caught her attention in particular was the large display of Our Mother of Perpetual Help which seemed to dominate the center of them. Ella thought it strange that a creature from another world would have a religious image from this world. She remembered how her mother had a smaller one on her nightstand, the image of the frightened Christ child being comforted by his Mother had always brought her comfort. Maybe he finds some kind of comfort in it as well? Ella wondered.

The truth was, that even after all that had happened to her, even though she wasn't exactly sure what Chelicerae had done to her, somehow consuming her energy, she felt very much at peace, and felt no desire to hate the changeling princess. She couldn’t explain it yet, but when the princess had fed off of her, something strange had happened, something she could not yet describe. During that moment, Ella for some reason had both seen and felt the other’s misery and self-loathing, like she had a window into the other’s soul.

Beneath all the anger and malice, she saw incredible suffering and pain all wrapped in an incredible sense of single-minded devotion to duty. It had caused a pang of empathy to arise within her heart, a sorrow for this wretched creature that was suffering as she had recently been suffering. It was at that time that she realized that Flash was right about her, she truly did not wish to do the terrible things she has done and was at present being consumed with regret.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Telson placed a soft, midnight-blue blanket over her, carefully tucking in the sides as if she were a child. Despite his stoic features, Ella could easily see the hurt, worry, and concern in his eyes, and she found her heart going out to him, touched that this creature had come to care so much about her. The large man paused, turning to stare at her in wonder as he sensed the emotions suddenly being directed at him, his face confused as if he were trying to understand how she could feel that way towards him, how was he deserving of her sympathy? She could see it on his face, the question he wished to ask, Why?

It was a fair question. After all, he was one of the individuals partially responsible for her suffering and misery, even if indirectly. But things were different now. Ella no longer wanted to dwell on her ugly past, what would that do anyway besides make her miserable and hateful? After all, she now had something she hadn’t had in a long time, someone who cared about her, someone kind and compassionate, she had Flash; and now it seemed, Telson as well. She felt liberated by that reality and decided that she would much rather focus on the good she now had before her rather than on the ugliness behind her. That was the far happier choice. Still, the changeling wanted an answer. He had yet to so much as move, nailed to the spot he stood by shock and wonder, so Ella decided to ask him what she knew he wanted to ask her.

“Why Telson?” She whispered, her voice weak. He swallowed apprehensively,

“Why what small one?” He asked back, though he knew full well what she had meant. Ella smiled at his hesitancy before saying,

“Why do you care about me? What makes me so special to you?” Telson sighed, his large shoulders drooping slightly before he slowly dropped down to his knees next to the bed so that she would not have to turn her head as much to look at him. He was quiet for a beat, appearing pensive before his pale blue eyes flicked to hers.

"Where I come from," he began softly, "My kind have always been misjudged. We are the monsters in the dark of which parents warn their children, the terror of nightmares, the thing under the bed." Telson paused for a moment, glancing away before meeting Ella's eyes once more. "Yes, that reputation is not completely undeserved, we are a predatory race after all, and we have done things in the past that are regretful. But we didn't do so because we're monsters, it's only because..."

"You're hungry." Ella finished for him, remembering Flash's words. Telson nodded sadly.

"All the time." He softly replied. His eyes gained a certain conviction, "I hated that we were so misjudged, only because we had to steal what others freely receive. And so I made a vow: Never would I treat any creature as we have been treated, never would I rashly judge another. When I came among you humans, it would have been so easy to do so, to hate you as my Mistress does. There was so much wickedness and despicable behavior. But I wouldn't, surely there had to be some among you who were different than the criminals we lived among?" Ella blinked as she listened, amazed at the nobility of his heart that he was now baring to her. Telson smiled as he ever so gently reached to brush back a lock of her hair that had fallen across her forehead.

"And you were my reward, small one. After so long a time, you showed me, that I had not hoped in vain."

"How? What did I do?" Ella asked with wonder. Telson smiled warmly at her,

"Because you chose to stay." He replied. Telson saw her still a bit confused so he continued, "You could have escaped during my fight with Michail. For all you knew, I was there to kill you both, you didn't stand a chance. But you stayed, risking your very life, and only for the sake of another." He paused as he seemed to savor the memory, "I've never seen a human do that before, but it was what I had been waiting for. You showed me that humans could be selfless, that there is something noble about you after all, and that I was not wrong in the vow I had made in refusing to condemn another race." Telson stared at her, the look on his face part possessive, part admiration. "That is why I care small one, because in this dark world, you gave me hope."

Ella gazed at him in wonder, trying to process his words and the reason behind his feelings for her, not sure what to think. All she did know, was that she was truly amazed at his noble convictions that formed his personal code of honor. He's like a knight in shining armor. She mused. "Telson, what is it that your kind is so hungry for? What did your princess do to me?" The disguised changeling's expression suddenly appeared as one wounded, but he answered her questions.

"Love, small one. We consume love. The energy given off by another's will. We can consume most any good emotion, but it is love, that free-willing of another's happiness, that is the most powerful and nourishing of all. We cannot live without it, and yet we are always starving for it. Because who is going to love a monster?"

Ella's heart was moved with pity for him, Love? They're hungry for love?! That's what they need?! The thought almost brought tears to her eyes. Telson continued,

"Normally, we feed passively from love that is freely offered when we disguise ourselves as another creature's beloved. It is deceitful, yes, but the most effective way to obtain what we need. And since it is freely given, it does little to no harm to the one we take from, just as a bee does no harm to the flower when it draws nectar from it." He paused for a moment, sighing as he continued. "However, it is active feeding, the forceful taking another's love, whatever love may be present in a creature's heart, what my Mistress unfortunately did to you, that can do terrible harm. It's like ripping the flower out of the ground and chewing it up." He said before sorrowfully adding, "I am so sorry."

Ella could see the remorse and conflict in Telson's eyes, how he was torn between his code of honor and his loyalty to Chelicerae. He did not wish to harm her, but neither would he disobey his Mistress either. He was truly one caught between a rock and a hard place and her heart went out to him. After a moment of consideration, she came to a decision, one that she hoped would help them both.

"Telson," she whispered, "Let me see you." His eyes went wide with surprise and alarm. No creature had ever made such an intimate request of him before, he didn't know what to say. As much as he wanted to show her, he remained hesitant. She was already so weak and he was fearful of what any further shock could do to her. He eyed her nervously,

"I do not think that is wise," He said while shaking his head. "I don't want you to be afraid of me any more than you already are." He said, wincing at the memory of her momentary fear of him back in the interrogation room. She could understand his concern, seeing Chelicerae for the first time had almost scared her to death. But she had been trying to frighten her, Telson wasn't. Ella smiled at him,

"I'm not afraid of you." She said. Telson almost gaped as he felt a warm wave of her compassion accompany her words. She really meant it! The changeling took a breath, leaning back slightly with his hands resting against the edge of the bed for a moment before he acquiesced to her request. Ella jumped slightly as a burst of green flames rushed around him, stripping off his disguise and leaving him in his natural form.

She took a moment to gaze in wonder at the alien creature now before her. He was shorter than Chelicerae, about four feet tall by her estimate, four and a half if she counted his curved horn. His chitin was black and glossy like the princess's, but with an ocean blue shell on his back from which protruded insect-like wings. He was stocky, and more robust than her. Broader in the shoulders and deeper in the chest with a sharp, curved horn positioned on the top of his head and large white fangs protruding from his upper jaw. Large blue eyes that glowed with a soft luminescence squinted slightly with a worried expression, his tattered ears folded back against his head as he awaited her reaction.

Even though bugs did creep her out, any reservations Ella might have had were easily disarmed by Telson's vulnerability and how open he was being with her. If anything, she thought he looked kind of cute despite his admittedly fearsome appearance.

"Do I frighten you, small one?" He quietly asked. Ella smiled softly at him,

"No. I'm not afraid." She whispered back. Telson's wings gave a happy buzz in response, overjoyed as he was that for the first time in his life, a creature other than another changeling was looking upon him without judgement, without fear.

Ella slowly pulled a hand out from under her blanket, the movement requiring real effort in her weakened state as she curiously reached out to him. Telson flinched slightly at first before gently leaning into her hand, allowing her to stroke the side of his head, a chittering purr emitting from his throat as he delighted in the unique contact. Ella moved her hand to gently rub behind one of his ears, his shell felt like hard leather, and was slightly warm to the touch. Never imagined meeting Flash would lead to something like this. She thought, almost chuckling out loud.

The changeling lowered his head between his hooves, resting it on the mattress next to her, sighing as he allowed her affection to wash over him, affection that had not required him to deceive in order to receive, another first. Even though it was being freely offered, he wouldn't dare feed off of her, not in her weakened state. Still, he couldn't help but flick out the tip of his forked tongue briefly for a small taste of her love, which was indescribably good to say the least.

Telson felt the conflict within him increasing, his feelings for her were growing from mere protective admiration to downright reverence. She was a treasure, a diamond among rocks, a rarity of incomparable worth. I can't hurt her again... He thought sadly, feeling like he would rather tear off his own wings than commit such a sacrilege.

Telson recalled what Flash had told them, how the changelings had transformed and were no longer starving and miserable, it sounded like a dream beyond compare. And all it had required was for them to share their love, which on its face, seemed absurd. How can anyling give away the very thing keeping them alive and not die? It was a leap of faith unlike any he had ever considered, but could it actually be true?

Flash had believed so at the very least, the human hadn't been lying, that much he was certain. The words, He who loses his life will save it... suddenly came to his mind, he recalled reading that in a human religious text at some point.

Even if I could, who should I share it with? His thoughts immediately went to the young human currently scratching behind his ear. Her...I could give it to her. She's so weak right now, it would restore her strength. I...no! He still wasn't certain if such an action wouldn't kill him, certainly weaken him severely at the very least. And he was not allowed to die without permission. After all, his life did not belong to him. It belonged to his Queen, it belonged to his Mistress.

"Telson," he raised his eyes to her face, his expression sad but curious. Ella stopped moving her hand but kept it resting against the side of his head. She looked him dead on, her expression surprisingly fierce while remaining sympathetic. He was a bit taken aback by the strength of her spirit which, despite what she had suffered, remained undimmed, unbroken. If anything, it seemed stronger. Her eyes narrowed, "Help us."

"I can't." He said.

"Help us please!" She repeated. Telson shook his head,

"I cannot! I must obey my Mistress, she needs me." Ella clenched her jaw as she fought off another wave of lightheadedness.

"Then help her too!" Ella exclaimed, the effort causing her vision to swim. "You know better than I do that she hates what she has become! She's going to destroy herself, and us with her! If you truly care for her, and I know that you do, then help her find another way. Didn't you see how she reacted when Flash forgave her? How close it came to changing her?"

Telson gritted his teeth as he squeezed his eyes shut. He knew that she was right, that the Mistress had a poison in her heart that was slowly destroying her. His own heart had soared when Flash had shown her mercy because he knew that it had been exactly what she had needed the most, that it was the antidote for the blackness that was slowly consuming her soul and mind, ruining the beautiful creature she once was.

It used to be different, she was so different. Princess Chelicerae, daughter of the Queen. First changeling queen born to the hive in countless generations. To him had been given the honor of being assigned to her as her guardian, a duty that he had fulfilled with religious fervor, keeping careful watch over her since she was a nymph and he was but a young drone. He remembered those days fondly. She was so bright and eager, so enthusiastic and curious about life. She was a bright light in the hive, always happiest when she could help her fellow hive mates and make life better for them.

Telson had never sired any offspring of his own, but she had more than filled that hole in his heart. She was his little daystar, his life, his purpose. He swore that he would never leave her side, that he would always be there for her, and that he would die to protect her. He had always thought that he could protect her from anything, anything that is, until they had arrived in this world, where he learned that there were some evils that he couldn't protect her from, the evils that were chosen.

Telson had been forced to watch the bright light that was his little daystar slowly fade, the joyful soul she once was sour and grow colder the longer she had been here, becoming violent and hateful to all around her. He had done his very best to support her, to try to give her hope by always being there for her, but now it all seemed hopeless. The princess was standing before the yawning maw of despair and madness, about to fall in and be swallowed up forever. He could not, must not allow that to happen!

Mistress... But what could he do? If they continued forward with her current intent, the princess would surely be destroyed. And was it not his primary mission to protect her? But to disobey her, the very thought of it made him want to retch. The conflict within him was so strong that it felt like his carapace would split asunder. Telson's eyes snapped open, looking hard into the face of the young human female who had given him hope.

"I don't know what to do..." He murmured, completely at a loss for the first time since being in this world. Order had always been so clear to him, but now it seemed that there was no way forward, every decision was the wrong one. Ella nodded to him in sympathy, the emotion feeling like a soothing balm on his conflicted soul. She tenderly stroked the side of his face,

"What does your heart tell you to do Telson?" The changeling stared at her, his eyes going wide for a moment.

My heart? No one had ever asked him what he cared about before, but he instantly knew what that was. My daystar...It is my duty to protect her, even if that means protecting her from...herself. He thought, his eyes narrowing in renewed determination as he now understood what he must do. Ella smiled at him as she could see him coming to a decision. Telson smiled back, nuzzling her arm for a brief moment before saying,

"I will not disobey her, but I will find a way to help you small one, in a way that also helps my Mistress." He said as he turned his head, baring the side of his neck to her. "I swear it."

"Thank you Telson." Ella whispered as she scratched behind his ear, eliciting another happy buzz and chittering purr from him which caused her to giggle a little. Their hope was one, and the night suddenly did not seem so terribly dark.

Author's Note

Hope has two beautiful daughters; their names are Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things are, and Courage to see that they do not remain as they are. -St. Augustine
Peace and God's blessings to you all!
Good to be here again, even if only briefly. This particular chapter, while smaller than usual, was near to my heart and I thought it deserved to stand on its own.
It took a bit longer to get out given my present location, but I hope it was worth the wait. Continue to persevere my friends, never surrender your hope!

Broken Minds, Broken Hearts

Three days earlier.
The sun was setting low in the horizon, blanketing the Equestrian countryside in a soft orange glow as another beautiful day prepared to give way to the beautiful night. The weather was perfect, not too warm with just a hint of a cool breeze flowing through the air. Flash looked up from the piece of wood he had been carving at with a small, black-handled dagger as another breeze passed by, pausing to savor the feel of it passing through his wind-swept hair. Wearing a white shirt and khaki slacks, his bare feet kicked over the side of Burnt Oak's front porch, the old stallion himself lounging on a bench, a wooden tobacco pipe dangling lazily from one side of his mouth as he watched the sunset.

Flash looked down at the small block of wood in his hands, turning it over slowly as he considered it. There were no real defining features so far, he wasn't even very sure what he wanted to carve. He sighed as he stared at it, almost as if he were willing an image to reveal itself from the block.

"You're a bit worried, aren't ya son?" Came the warm voice behind him. Flash smirked as he looked up but didn't turn around.

"I didn't say that I was." He replied.

"You didn't have too." Burnt Oak said with a chuckle. "I've known ya long enough to tell when somethin's knawin' on your mind." Flash smiled at that, glad that the old stallion was not like other ponies. One of the biggest complaints he had always gotten from other ponies in the guard was that his immobile ears and lack of a tail made it very difficult for anypony to read his mood in a given moment.

Look at you! No ears! No tail! No way to know what's going on in that head of yours! How do I even know if you're not thinking of killing me?! I bet you was thinking of killing me, weren't you?!

No sir!

No?! Well why in Tartarus not?! Are you a pacifist Candidate Skies?!

No sir!

Are you gonna hug the changelings to death?!

No sir!

Bull-spit! I'll bet your so lovey with the enemy that the bugs will label you a new major food-group! I'll be watchin' you!

Flash laughed a little to himself at the memory of Gunnery Sergeant Hard Tack singling him out on the first day of boot camp. Slipstream had almost had an aneurism trying to suppress his laughter.

"It's only natural that you'd feel nervous, takin' a trip to wherever it is ya come from is a pretty big event." Burnt Oak said. Flash smiled and shook his head,

"No, it's not that. Well, I mean," He stood up and stepped off the porch, "Yeah, I am a bit nervous about that, but that's not what's worrying me." Flash said as he turned around. One of Burnt Oak's ears flicked at him as he raised one bushy eyebrow.

"Oh, and what's that?" Flash sighed, looking down at the small, shiny dagger in his hand, loosely hefting it a few times before turning around and throwing it at the chopping block in the middle of the yard where it embedded itself with a sharp thunk. Hitting the small knot in the wood he had been aiming for.

"Discord paid me a little visit the other day." He said, letting that statement hang in the air for a moment. Burnt Oak didn't say anything to that, but Flash noticed the curious look the old stallion was giving him. "Don't worry, we're good." Flash quickly remarked, "But he was uncharacteristically serious for once."

"What did he want?" Burnt Oak asked. Flash half turned so that he could see the stallion out of the corner of his eye while at the same time, staring off into the evening twilight.

"He said he came to ask me something, that he wanted to know why did I need to try and go to my home world? He said that I have everything I could ever need here: a beautiful home, a noble responsibility, friends and family who love me. So why should I go? Why not leave well enough alone?'" Flash remained silent for a moment as he considered the chaos spirit's cryptic words. "I think he might have peeked. Celestia knows he's more than capable of it. I think that was his strange way of looking out for me, maybe trying to warn me off." Burnt Oak took a long draw on his pipe before breathing out a plume of smoke, the rich scent of pipe tobacco lingered in the air for just a moment before being carried off by the evening breeze.

"And what did you say to that, son?" He asked. Flash shrugged,

"I said that I wanted to go to find out who I was, where it is I come from. That I want to know if there's others like me. After all, Sunset Shimmer told me that the world she had been in was not mine, that the humans there are a different kind than I am." Flash paused to look down at the block of wood in his hand, he just now realized that he had been squeezing it so hard that his hand felt cramped. He relaxed his grip before continuing, "Discord responded with 'what we want is not always what we need', challenged me to 'think about it' before bidding me well and vanishing." Flash glanced at Burnt Oak. The pony flicked an ear at him again but otherwise remained silent. "Maybe he's right," Flash said with an air of uncertainty. "Maybe I am poking my nose around where I shouldn't and I should just be content with my good life here." Burnt Oak said nothing at first, chewing thoughtfully on the stem of his pipe as he allowed a long period of silence to stretch out between them. Just as Flash was about to ask his friend to say something, the old stallion spoke.

"You need to do this." He said with a calm but convicted voice. Flash blinked, a bit surprised at the forwardness of the pony's words. Burnt Oak shook his head as Flash turned to look at him, "It's not fair to yourself to keep yourself from the truth in order to please others. If you don't do this, you'll always be left wondering what might've been different with your life if ya had gone." Flash's eyes narrowed slightly,

"And if I find that it's no good?" Burnt Oak smiled,

"Then leave it a better place than ya found it." He replied. "What have I always told you son? 'Wherever you don't find any goodness?'"

"'Put some of your own there.'" Flash said with a smirk. The old pony nodded approvingly.

"You betcha. Just watch your back while doing it though, hmm? Don't let anypony take advantage of ya." He said with sly twinkle in his eye. Flash laughed at that, giving a sharp nod in return. The rest of the evening was spent in comfortable, aimless chatter that went well into the night, with no other purpose than to enjoy the other's company. Burnt Oak had even gotten a couple of mugs of hard cider out at some point, teasing the young human that he was still a bit of a light weight when it came to alcohol. Laughter was shared, stories recalled, and new memories were made. By the time they were done, the stars were twinkling in the night sky as Luna's moon bathed the countryside in a soft, comforting light.

Flash stepped down off the porch, stretching as he prepared to walk home. The cool night air and the chirping of crickets made it a nice night for a walk. He turned as Burnt Oak came up behind him and held up a hoof which Flash clasped in his hand, the old stallion's grip was still as strong as iron as he held the human's gaze with steely blue eyes. "You watch yourself now son, and get yourself back safe. I just want you to know that ya done me proud to see the kinda stallion you've turned out to be." Flash smiled as he felt the words swell his heart, staring back with grateful eyes at the gruff stallion who was the closest thing to a father he had ever known.

"I will, and thank you sir. Thank you for all that you've done for me, for always being there." He said as he released his grip before adding, "Love you, you old stallion." Burnt Oak gave a small smile and a gentle nod as Flash turned and walked off into the night. The pony stood there for a few minutes longer, watching the young human go off into the distance until he was unable to see him anymore.

"Love you too, son." He whispered before turning and walking into the house.

Flash Skies whipped his head out from beneath the elegantly shaped faucet, gasping for air. He coughed hard, spitting out a thick globule of coagulated blood into the sink. His whole body was groaning in pain, everything hurt. His head pounded, his neck burned, his bullet wound throbbed, and his torso felt like the whole Apple clan had mistook him for one of the trees in their orchard, twice. Chelicerae had directed him to one of the penthouse bathrooms where he had spent the last ten minutes or so retching into the toilet before practically drowning himself in the sink in an attempt to rehydrate and flush the venom out of his system. Shutting the water off, Flash grabbed a clean towel off the golden towel rack to his right, drying his face and hair.

Telson had sealed up his wounds with his magic as best he could, but the changeling was no doctor and his efforts were a far cry from any true healing spell. Flash sucked in a slow breath to steady himself as he took a moment to gaze at his countenance in the large, well lit mirror. His torso remained tightly bound in white bandages and his face bore a few red marks. Of course the most prominent new feature gracing his face was the scar that now ran vertically across his right eye. Flash took a moment to softly run his fingers over it. He shuddered slightly, knowing that if it wasn't for Ella, he would now be blind in that eye. He then reached over to feel the far larger scar that cut across his left shoulder, marring his cutie mark. He grimaced at the unfamiliar bumpy texture caused by the ridge of scar tissue now present there, wondering how his mother and friends would react to his battered appearance if they could see him now.

Flash held up a hand, focusing hard as he reached for his magic, the effort causing a spike of pain to go off in his head as he only succeeded in causing a few sparks to leap off his fingers before he finally released his focus. He leaned against the counter for support, breathing hard as his head swam. His body was still producing and storing electricity, but with his magic still suppressed, he was unable to reach it, let alone control it.

Flash began to methodically think back through all of the events that had occurred over the last few hours as he attempted to order his thoughts. What presently pained him more though than any of his physical injuries, or the knowledge that his parents were dead, or even the experience of being cowed by Chelicerae, was the guilt he was feeling for losing control of the situation so that the princess had turned her wrath on Ella.

Flash had meant to tell Chelicerae what she had wanted to know if it came to choosing between operational security and his friend’s safety, but events had moved too fast. He had hesitated, and Ella had paid the price. What were you thinking? His reflection’s accusing gaze shouted at him. His roiling anger at both himself and the changeling curled up in his chest, threatening to burst out like a viper about to strike, but he immediately restrained it.

No! Keep it together soldier. Hot-headed decisions and self-loathing are not going to help anypony. There would be time to chastise himself later. Flash turned his thoughts back to his present predicament, searching for a solution. I have to get the gate-key back and escape with Ella. He thought as he considered his options, which were few to say the least. Even if he were at full-strength, getting the gate-key back from Chelicerae would still be extremely difficult. A well-fed changeling was a dangerous opponent, all the more so if she was of Chrysalis' blood. And she had no doubt by now protected the gate key hanging about her neck with more than a few spells anyways, a quick dash and grab would simply never work. And so long as Ella was her hostage, he couldn't risk any moves against the changeling that weren't guaranteed to succeed.

'Don’t hate her Flash, don’t hate her…' Had been Ella’s last words to him before Telson had carried her off. Flash wondered to himself why she had said that to him of all things. Did she seriously want him to try and appeal to her darkened heart again? What had she meant by that? Flash slammed his fist against the counter in frustration. A strange mixture of guilt, anger, and sorrow was making him feel sick. I need to calm down, focus Flash. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. He repeated the breathing technique Princess Cadence had taught him years earlier for controlling his anger again and again until his pulse slowed and his mind began to clear.

When he had forgiven the changeling, he had truly meant it. And he had sincerely hoped that his act of mercy would have been enough to touch her heart, he’d seen it work before with his friends. Twilight’s forgiveness of Discord was proof of that, even if he had been too blinded by hatred at the time to see it. But it hadn't worked this time. Perhaps it was simply naïve of him to think that a changeling that had been Tartarus-bent on her mission for 18 years would suddenly up and change because of one act of charity, however significant.

Flash opened his eyes and glanced down at his black t-shirt that was folded up on the counter next to him. He thought back to the look on Chelicerae’s face when he had forgiven her, how a light of hope had glimmered in her eye, even for just a moment. It nearly worked, she was so close. He then remembered how her face had twisted in rage and her violent outburst. It reminded him of Chrysalis and how she had slapped away the hoof of friendship that Starlight Glimmer had offered her. Maybe she's too much like her mother, maybe I'm wasting my time trying to reach her and should just find a way to take her out instead... Then it hit him.

Flash looked up at himself in the mirror, his eyes widening with a realization. No, there is a difference between the two of them. Chrysalis lacked something, something that her daughter seemed to have in abundance: remorse, regret for the things she had done. Chrysalis had never been sorry for anything. Maybe that's it. He thought. Maybe that's what Ella meant. Perhaps that was the crack in her armor that he could use to get through to her, and get them all out of this mess.

Celestia always says that the greatest power in the universe is not magic, but love. Flash thought as he pulled his shirt on. A happy memory of him sitting under Celestia's wing in the gardens of Canterlot Castle when he was very young came to his mind."Love, my little one, is the greatest power there is. It can remake all things, renew all things, because it is the same force that first made all things. Never forget that my dear Flash." Her words echoed in his mind, as he fastened the straps on his boots before straightening up. The power of charity, harmony... It was the Equestrian way that had allowed his adoptive home-world to live in peace for over a thousand years. How many times had he seen it change enemies into friends? Discord, Trixie Lulamoon, Starlight Glimmer...Nightmare Moon. Flash smirked to himself a little, Okay, that one was more of an exorcism, but still...

His eyes narrowed, a confident smile beginning to pull at his lips as he started to see a possible way forward. "If it can cleanse the heart of even a demon-alicorn, it can heal Chelicerae as well." He said to himself. Alright Ella, I'll keep trying to reach her. I may not be an Element of Harmony, but by Celestia, I'll do my best to kill her with kindness. He knew this wouldn't be easy, but doing the right thing never was. Flash bowed his head, whispering a small prayer to the Source of all life for strength and guidance. If a tactical opportunity to escape with Ella presented itself, he would take it. But in the meantime, he resolved himself to the difficult task of shedding some light into this poor changeling's darkness.

Stepping out of the bathroom, Flash scanned the ridiculously large area that was the main penthouse's living room. The ceilings were at least twenty-five feet tall, with large floor to ceiling panels of glass that made up the entire far side of the wall looking out into the city. Dawn was still hours away, but the distant skyline was lit up by the lights of the city in addition to the lighting of an approaching storm that Flash had felt long before he had seen. A subtle rumble of distant thunder followed a few seconds later, like the warning growl of some great beast.

The rest of the room was divided into two levels. The lower level cradled a large, sunken sitting area that had a soft, blood-red carpet upon which several dark leather sofas and armchairs were spaciously arranged in a semi circle around a large glass coffee-table. Three steps up connected it to the upper portion which was fitted with beautiful hardwood flooring. Against the wall closest to him stood a luxurious, wraparound bar with a black-granite counter around which several artistically designed metal bar-stools were arranged. And there situated on the stool furthest from him, still in human form, sat Chelicerae.

Flash turned to his right to get a better look at her. The princess' face was obscured from view by her black hair as she stared down at the crystal rock-glass that she tilted about in one hand, idly swirling the amber liquid inside. A sapphire-blue crystal bottle of expensive-looking make sat on the counter in front of her. She had yet to so much as even look at him, focusing instead on the contents of her glass to the exclusion of anything else. His sharp sense of smell could detect the scent of alcohol in the air mixing in with the changeling's natural honey on clover scent.

Even as his heart pitied her, Flash couldn't stop his mind from racing for a moment at the possible opportunity presented before him. She was alone, he was out of her line of sight. Those bar-stools looked pretty solid. A quick burst of speed, aim a stool at the back of her head, and I could probably... He shook his head, dismissing the thought from his mind as he knew that it would probably not be enough, and that she was likely more on guard than she appeared. Besides, the thought of striking a mare still filled him with revulsion. Burnt Oak had always taught him that any stallion who dared raise his hoof against a mare was trash or worse. And Mama Skies didn't raise no savage either.

"I'm glad you didn't do that, Michail." Chelicerae said as she took a slow sip from her glass. "Otherwise I would have been forced to break Telson's heart. And then I'd really be the villain, wouldn't I?" Flash's eyes widened a bit in surprise at her situational awareness. He slowly walked over to her, pulling out one of the stools and sitting down next to her, leaving one seat in between them.

"You could tell all that just by reading my emotions?" He asked. Her wrist suddenly flicked as an object shot towards his head, his hand immediately sprang up and intercepted the mystery-item with a sharp smack. Flash looked to see that she had thrown a bottle of pain-killers to him. He smirked as he popped open the bottle and swallowed down some of the pills. "Thanks," he muttered quietly as he snapped the lid back on. Chel took another drink from her glass.

"I've always been particularly adept at guessing another's thoughts based on what they are feeling, sort of a special talent I guess." She replied, her voice sounded distant as if her mind were someplace else. Flash glanced over at her,

"Yeah? And what am I thinking now Chel?" She remained silent for a moment before setting her glass down hard.

"You waste your time and energy pitying me, Michail." She snapped at him. "You see unlike you, I am not a good person. I would think you'd have realized that by now."

"But you're not all gone yet either, princess. So you'll forgive me if I still have some hope for you." She shot him a venomous look,

"Don't act like you know me, human!" Chelicerae growled as she pushed off her stool and turned threateningly towards him, her disguise was stripped off in an instant with a burst of green flame. Flash matched her movements but in a slow, unthreatening manner so as to show he was not challenging her. Her hoofs impacted sharply on the hardwood floor as she closed the distance between them until she was only two feet away from him, her eyes smoldering with a mixture of anger and spite. "You should know by now that I have no pity left in my heart, none!" Flash could smell the alcohol on her breath and wondered just how much she had been drinking.

"Why did you kiss me then?" Chelicerae blinked as if she had been slapped, the question obviously catching her off-guard. Flash remained silent, allowing the question to hang in the air for a moment. "Why did you embrace me, or tell me that Ella-" He paused at that, glancing down for a moment. He took a slow breath and then looked up, "It may have been a calculated measure of comfort, maybe because you didn't want to completely break me, but it was comfort nonetheless, princess. And you meant it." Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly,

“So what if I did, what difference does it make?” She hissed.

“I'm pretty sure your mother would have never done that.” Flash dared to say, “Except maybe as a mocking taunt. No, she would have ground me into the cement I was kneeling on, gloating all the while. But you’re different, there’s still some good, some empathy left in you. So understand if I hold out even a little hope for you.” Chelicerae took one step forward so that she was directly in his face, eye-level with him as she was just as tall as he was. Flash felt her breath on his face as she exhaled hotly through her nostrils, glaring at him.

“Compare me with my mother again, and I’ll cut off your hand. Do I make myself clear Michail?” She said in a low, heated voice. Flash had to resist the urge to shudder, but he held her gaze with confidence.

“As you wish, princess.” He calmly replied. Chelicerae looked at him a moment longer before turning about and stepping away.

"I appreciate the return of my clothes, any chance I can get my wrist-blades back?" He asked, causing her to scoff incredulously.

"As soon as I'm sure you won't try to eviscerate me with them, then perhaps."

"Don't trust me yet Chel?"

"Patience, Michail," She said with a sigh, "It's something we're both going to need."

"Yeah well, just be careful with them. It was a gift from Her Majesty." She simply grunted in response. Seizing her glass in her green magic, she drained the rest of its contents before tossing it over the side the bar where it noisily shattered.

“I’ll have a full accounting of your capabilities Michail,” She said as she glanced back at him, “And don’t omit anything, remember I can tell if you do. I want to know what I have available to me.” Flash sighed, rubbing a hand over his tired eyes for a moment before nodding and looking up.

“Alright, well, I’m basically a pegasus without wings, Chel. I have the strength, resiliency, and agility of a very athletic pegasus. And unless humans here are capable of reading the print of a newspaper on the street even from way up here, I’m guessing I have sharper senses than an ordinary human does as well. My body also generates and stores high levels of voltage which I can then capacitate and focus into offensive blasts.” He said. Chelicerae’s eyes widened in understanding,

“I see, so that’s how you killed Enrique.” Flash grimaced slightly,

“Yes.” She cocked her head at him,

“Do you regret it?” She asked as she turned back around to face him. Flash stared at her a moment before shaking his head.

“No, I don’t. Don't get me wrong, it was a bucking awful thing to go through and I pray that I'm never in that kind of situation ever again. That being said, the more I’ve thought about it, the more I realize I did the right thing. I’d do it again if I had to.”

“Hmph, you’re more like your father than you think,” she said with a slight smirk. Flash clenched his jaw at that but chose not to respond. He found his eyes drawn to the gate key dangling around her neck for a moment before Chelicerae placed a hoof under his chin and lifted his face back to hers. "Eyes up here, Michail." She said with a tired, bemused expression and tone as she flicked her hoof away. "You mustn't look at things that might tempt you to make a very regrettable decision." Flash glanced away,

"Whatever you say, princess." He said while trying to keep his irritation from showing. Her eyes looked him over as if she were searching for something.

“What else? There’s something else about you, what is it?” Flash hesitated a moment, reluctant to give up what had been a trump card for him countless times in the past, but he knew she would be able to tell if he denied it.

“I've had an enchantment placed on me.” She raised an eyebrow,

“Go on.”

“It’s a protection charm, it guards me from most any malicious spell and offensive magic. The only drawback is that it draws on my energy when it's activated. The stronger the spell, the greater the cost on my strength.” Chelicerae’s jaw dropped slightly in surprise as she motioned with her head for him to come closer. Flash stepped before her as her horn lit up with a pulsing, green glow. He felt an unsettling tingling sensation as she scanned him with her magic.

It required real effort for Chelicerae to maintain a neutral expression as she analyzed the enchantment, as what she found took her breath away. The spell was one of amazing complexity, with layers upon layers of construction, all functioning in seamless harmony. That combined with the fact that it was somehow perfectly knitted to the very fabric of his magic and life-force, as if it were something he was born with, boggled her mind. The thought that there was a pony capable of this level of spellcraft both amazed and terrified her. Whoever made this is an absolute genius, and a legitimate threat. I must be cautious...

"It's...impressive." Chelicerae said as she finished her analysis, keeping only the barest hint of interest in her voice so as not to betray her actual thoughts on the matter. Flash nodded once,

“I’m glad you approve.” He said with a tired sigh. Chelicerae motioned for him to follow as she turned and walked towards a large, standalone counter past the bar. The countertop was made of the same, dark-colored granite as the bar. Further beyond it and to its side was a fully furnished kitchen with high-quality stainless-steel appliances and chestnut-colored cabinets lining the wall. On top of the counter, was a large piece of map paper which to Flash’s surprise, had a map of Equestria drawn upon it.

Even though it appeared to be drawn from memory, the images, areas, and scale were fairly accurate and well-sketched. “Didn’t know you were an artist, Chel.” He said as he stood next to her, to take in the sight.

“I didn’t draw this, Telson did. He’s always been the artistic type.” She said. Flash nodded but said nothing. Chelicerae’s eyes went to him before looking down at the map. “I want to know the current state of Equestria: where the changelings are living, what if any significant changes there have been, and any information on the current whereabouts of the Queen.” Flash nodded, clearing his throat.

“Well, the changelings are still living in the hive,” He pointed to a section on the map, “Out in this portion of what was formerly part of the Badlands. I say formerly because after the metamorphosis, the place is no longer an arid, barren wasteland. With the changelings no longer needing to suck the very life out of every organism within their territory, the place has transformed with rich vegetation now surrounding the entire area.” Flash noticed a strange look appear in her eyes as he said that; but as she said nothing, he decided to continue.

"One thing I'll say about your mother, she certainly knows how to stay hidden when she wants to. Other than a few insubstantial rumors here and there, we haven't seen so much as a glimpse of her since she fled the hive."

"I'll be able to find her, I'll always know how to find her..." Chelicerae whispered to herself. Her eyes were distant and her voice so disconnected that Flash found himself wondering if she had even meant to say that out loud; he could not help but feel a pang of sympathy for her.

“Princess…you have to know that you cannot succeed in this.” Her eyes snapped to him with a sharp glare,

“Don’t underestimate me, and when I want your opinion I’ll ask for it Michail, until then you’ll keep your mouth shut!” Flash shook his head,

“You don’t understand Chel, Thorax is not just the leader of the hive, the Changelings are now allied with Equestria directly. Your fight wouldn’t just be with him. He has friends and allies now, some of whom are more powerful than you can possibly hope to overcome.”

“There are more ways to victory than direct confrontation!” She spat, “All it requires is the right planning, the right deceptions! By the time I’m done, the hive will be begging for the Queen to return!” Flash felt his hands tightening into fists in frustration at her ignorance-fueled, self-delusion.

“And then what?!” He said, the volume of his voice steadily rising. “Say you succeed, say you are able to bring Chrysalis back! She hasn’t transformed Chel, she doesn’t want to! Do you think the Changelings are going to go back to the way things were? Being enemies with everypony, stealing love when there’s no longer any need to?!” Chelicerae clenched her jaw as she bared her fangs.

“They will do as the Queen commands! Or-”

“Or what, you going to exile them? Execute them?” He interjected, cutting her off.

“Michail…” She growled in warning tone, but he didn’t let up.

“Does that include the nymphs as well? The new younglings that have never even known hunger?!” Flash knew that touched a nerve as her expression recoiled, repulsed by such a horrifying suggestion.

“No, they’ll see reason, I’ll make them see!”

“Why are you doing this princess?"

"You know very well why-"

"Is it because of the awful things you’ve done? You feel as if you don’t do this, it would all have been for nothing?

“STOP IT!” Chelicerae screamed, stomping her front hoof for emphasis. “Just…stop!” Her eyes burned with raw emotion, no longer trying to conceal it. Her shoulders rose and fell with her hard breathing as she glowered at him, appearing once again caught between the verge of tears and wrath, unable to choose which one to succumb to. The tension between them was so strong that it felt like electricity running through the air. Flash chose his next words carefully, channeling all of the genuine sympathy he could into them.

“I won’t kill for you, Chel. And I won’t stand by and watch you kill yourself on some suicide mission either.” The changeling grit her teeth so hard that Flash could hear the enamel clicking. When she finally spoke, her voice sounded so strained that he thought her vocal chords might split.

“Why…why do you insist on caring about me so much you foalish, stubborn Equestrian?! Don’t you realize how many of your kind I’ve killed? How many I’ve tortured to death? How many men I’ve heard cry out for mercy before me as I crushed the life out of them?! This would be so much simpler for the both of us if you would just get over your misplaced morals and despise me! I thought hurting Ella would have been enough! So why, WHY?!” She screamed as she got in his face. Flash winced slightly at the mention of Ella, but didn’t let it throw him off.

“Because you need it.” He quietly replied. Chelicerae’s face softened for just a second before quickly rehardening,

“Well I don’t want it!” She snapped. Flash sighed as he slowly shook his head,

“How is it that you can know the taste of love Chel, and yet not know how to receive it?” Flash stared hard into her enraged face, noticing that there was something off about her, at least, something different than before. It was as if something drastic had happened to her in the short time between when they were in the basement and up here. There had been a total shift from her previous shrewd demeanor. She appeared vulnerable.

A suspicion that had arisen earlier in his mind was now steadily growing into a certainty. So much so that he dared to put it into words. “You’ve never actually harmed an innocent before, at least not with your own hooves, have you?” Chelicerae recoiled a few steps, her face holding the expression of a child whose secret had been found out by their parents. The changeling stared silently at him with astonished eyes for a moment before turning her head towards the map on the table, her teal and red-highlighted mane falling to one side, obscuring her face from him. Since she didn’t respond, Flash decided to continue,

“I’m guessing every human that you’ve ever harmed before have been people like my father, Damian, or Enrique. Individuals who were anything but innocent, who were destined to reap what they had sown anyways.” Flash paused but still, she said nothing. His mind felt like it was working in overdrive as the light of understanding continued to grow.

“But then, you hurt Ella…” Flash said, pausing to swallow as he forced down a sudden spike in his anger. Chelicerae shuddered slightly as if haunted by the memory.

“I realized that it was a line I never wanted to cross…” She finally whispered, her voice sounding distant.

“Then don’t cross it again.” Flash said. Chelicerae turned her head back to him, looking to his earnestly pleading face. He gave her a compassionate smile. "You know, if it weren't for you, I probably would be a very horrible person right now. I would have grown up the son of a mobster, probably far worse than my father knowing my temper. Instead, I had a saintly mother to raise me; friends and mentors who taught me the meaning of love and harmony. It's incredible how providence can bring good out of terrible situations, perhaps the same can happen for you?" Her face softened and Flash saw that glimmer of hope and longing return to her eye, far deeper and stronger than before. Just a little more, you're almost there girl... He reached out a beckoning hand to her, "Come back Chel…please. Before it’s too late.”

Chelicerae closed her eyes as she bowed her head in thought. She wanted to take his hand, so much so that it hurt. But she knew she couldn't. She had a job to do, a job that he had just made that much harder for her to accomplish. Apparently no amount of condescension, spite, or cruelty could deter this particular human from wanting to help her, and she both loved him and hated him for that. At the very least, she could abandon that vicious tactic for now. This wasn’t supposed to happen, none of this should be happening. You were supposed to be like every other human, you were supposed to hate me… Chelicerae held back the tears she wanted to release, biting her bottom lip so hard that she tasted blood, hating herself completely for what she was about to do. Opening her eyes she reached a hoof up to his hand, resting it there for just a moment, savoring what could have been.

Flash smiled softly as he could see that the rage had faded from her eyes, though they remained painfully sad.

Chelicerae watched his hope soar for just a second before seeing it shatter as she gently pushed his hand down. “I’m sorry, Michail.” She said in a trembling voice, “But you’re going to have to let me go. I…appreciate what you’re trying to do, I know you really mean it. You’re the only one besides Telson who has shown me any kind of genuine kindness in the last eighteen years…but it’s too late. There’s no way back for me…I need to complete my mission.” Flash shook his head, a pained expression of disbelief on his face.

“It will never work…”

“I failed her Michail, I failed my queen, my mother…I have to try.” Flash shook his head again,

“You know that I cannot help you do this princess, no matter what you forced me to say earlier.” He said with quiet conviction in his voice. Chelicerae nodded slowly,

“I understand Michail,” She said as she took a slow step towards him, her horn igniting with a subtle green glow. “But you’re still going to help me, whether you want to or not. For I cannot do this without you.” Flash took a step back, a chill going through him at the ominous vibe suddenly coming off of her, causing him to wonder why Sunset’s spell was not warning him. He could see the muscles tensing in her legs as he slowly shifted his feet into a more defensive stance.

“What are you going to do Chel,” He asked in a guarded tone, “Mind control? I already told you, malicious spells won’t work on me.” She nodded once as she took another slow step forward,

“How fortunate then…” Flash caught himself staring into her shimmering eyes as she drew nearer and suddenly understood why Sunset’s spell was not activating. “…that I have never bore any real malice towards you, my child.”

A slight twitch of her wing, that was all the warning Flash had before he attempted to dive to one side as she pounced like a spider. The changeling collided violently with him, her hooves tightly gripping his shoulders as she drove him backwards, slamming him into the bar and knocking a stool to the floor with a deafening crash. Flash gasped, ignoring the pain the impact caused his damaged ribs, choosing instead to focus his attention on trying to fend off the invasive presence he now felt smothering his thoughts.

He had been trained in the academy on the basics of mental defense, a skill he had excelled at thanks largely to the unique bond he shared with his mother. But nothing could have prepared him for this, it felt like he was trying to hold up the weight of a mountain with his mind. Even if Chelicerae hadn’t caught him off guard, he doubted that he would be able to hold her off for long, the changeling princess’ magic was incredibly strong. A mental ray of immense strength clawed hungrily for the center of his consciousness as he desperately attempted to get away from her.

“Chel, stop!” Flash shouted as he grabbed onto her hooves, attempting to break her vice-like grip on his shoulders; his vision began to blur with tears of pain. With the panic of a drowning man, he threw himself sideways in an adrenaline fueled surge of strength, feeling her sharp chitin dig into his skin through his shirt as he dragged them both down the length of the bar, knocking over more stools with loud bangs. Chelicerae held firm though, her rear hooves gouging deep scratches into the hardwood flooring as she used her superior strength to shove him back against the bar counter, keeping him firmly pinned against it.

Flash heard something made of glass shatter behind him as he futilely tried to pry her off, the grip on his mind tightened further, like a python slowly squeezing the life out of its prey. As Flash attempted to reposition his hands for better leverage, he suddenly felt a small sting to the side of his neck, close to where Telson had bitten him earlier. Flash didn’t need to see her to know what had happened. A heavy warmth began to spread over his entire body, his knees buckling as his strength melted away.

“Shhh…” Chelicerae softly shushed in his ear as she gently guided him into a sitting position on the floor beneath the counter. She moved to sit next to him, cradling his shoulders to support his head, her horn continuing to steadily pulse with her spell. “That’s right, don’t fight it child…there you go...” Unlike Telson’s venom which had caused him searing, agonizing pain, hers caused the exact opposite. Flash felt blessed relief as all of his bodily aches and pain began to quickly evaporate, a sense of euphoria threatening to overcome him.

“Princess…don’t do this…” He begged as tears streamed down his face. Chelicerae shook her head,

“Trust me, it’s better this way...at least this way, you won’t know what you’re doing. It won’t be your fault, I can take all the blame…and I won’t have to hurt Ella anymore. She’ll be safe, I promise.” She whispered. Flash felt the last of his mental resistance crumbling as he pulled his remaining free thoughts into a tight ball around his consciousness in a last, desperate stand. Chelicerae placed a hoof under his chin, raising his eyes to hers and saw with regrettable satisfaction that a faint, green glow had begun to form in them. She admired his resolve, his shoulders rose and fell with labored breathing as he continued to try and resist her spell, even though he had already lost. What amazed her more was that even now, his emotions were colored with love, a desire for her happiness albeit now tinged with a deep sadness and a little fear. She allowed herself a small taste of the bitter-sweet concoction so that she would always remember his efforts for her, he deserved that much.

“Do you know, when I first started caring about you?” Chelicerae asked with a small smile. Flash stared back blankly, hearing her, but unable to respond. “It was right after I saved you when you were a baby. Maybe it’s because I always felt a bit protective of you after that, or maybe it’s because I fed on some of your mother’s love for you, but I’ve never felt any hate for you my child. No matter what I may have said or did earlier in my anger." She sighed as she leaned forward to briefly nuzzle the side of his head, "You truly are something special child, something good. Don't ever lose that, don't change. Even if it did not work this time."

Chelicerae watched in astonishment as the human managed to raise a trembling hand, reaching up towards her face. “Please…” He murmured, the warm tips of his fingers barely brushed against the tip of her muzzle before his arm fell limply back to his side as the last light of consciousness faded from his eyes.

“I'm sorry…” Chelicerae whispered as she closed her eyes, bowing her head. A single tear slid down her face, “Forgive me.”

Author's Note

If you choose to love, you will suffer. For to love another, to will another's happiness, means you will have to sacrifice for them, to suffer for them. To willingly suffer their shortcomings, their imperfections, their inability to please you totally. And if you choose to love God who is able to please you totally, you will suffer for the sake of righteousness. That is why our Blessed Lord called Discipleship a cross.
Do not be afraid to suffer, do not run from the Cross. For to run from the Cross, is to run from love. And to love is what we are ultimately made for my friends.
God love you.

A Gathering Storm

A soft cry pulled Bright Skies from her sleep. It was a baby’s cry, her baby’s cry. She smiled sleepily as she rose from her soft cloud-mattress, hopping to the floor and plodding her way over to the crib that she had moved from the nursery into her own bedroom so that she could be closer to Flash. With a gentle flap of her wings, she alighted as softly as a feather up into the crib and next to her child, scooping the whimpering bundle up into her forelimbs and holding him tenderly against her chest.

“Hey,” she whispered, “It’s alright…it’s me, it’s your mama.” The infant cooed with a trembling lower lip as he clung desperately to her, his small fingers clutching her fur; she loved it so when he did that. Bright Skies gently nuzzled his delicate head, shushing sweetly to him.

“Nightmare, huh? I know, they can be so scary, can’t they dear?” Flash continued to whimper into her chest, crying on despite her attempts to calm him. She was gently stroking his back, wondering what to do when an idea came to her. Spreading her wings, she quietly took to the air, continuing to hold him lovingly against her. With delicate, virtually silent flaps, Bright Skies hung vertically in midair, her hind legs dangling beneath her. As she floated in place, she began to sway slowly from side to side, twisting with graceful pirouettes in a kind of aerial ballet, as placid as a dream born aloft on a cloud. And as she danced, with a soft, lilting tone, she began to sing:

Across the vast and starlit sky,
I’ll sing to you a lullaby.
To soothe your heart, and dry your tears.
Until my love calms all your fears.

Dread not the darkness nor the height,
These too shall never give you fright.
I’ll bear you gently on my wings,
Till shadows fall and sunlight sings.

Should all the lights of heaven fail,
No stars to shine or moon to hail.
You’ll lack no warmth, nor peace, nor guide.
For I shall be there by your side.

Bright Skies continued to sing the lullaby, a song that her own mother had sung to her as a foal, over and over until Flash was no longer crying. She looked down to see him gazing up at her in wide-eyed wonder. She smiled back, placing a warm kiss on his small head, continuing to rock him gently through the air, humming the song to him. Eventually she felt him yawn, snuggling into her fluffy chest as his eyes grew heavy. Landing on her bed, Bright Skies slowly rolled backwards, laying on her back while continuing to hum the dulcet tune, slowly decreasing in volume as her baby slipped off into sleep.

As she listened to his steady breathing, she found herself having to blink away a few tears that had begun to form in her eyes as she realized that the last time she had sung that lullaby, had been to her little Light when he used to wake her up at night with his tiny kicks. Bright Skies found herself idly rubbing her belly with one hoof as she reminisced. She shook her head before reaching down to draw the blanket up over both of them. The mare shifted to her side, curling protectively around the sleeping infant as she dropped a soft wing over his small, sleeping form

Nuzzling Flash's little head again, she whispered to him, "Don't worry, I'll never lose you my dear...I'll always be there for you, my little Flash."

Bright Skies paced nervously back and forth across the violet carpet of the ancillary study as she had been doing for the better part of an hour. Something's not right...something's wrong... It had happened about thirty minutes ago. All this long night, she had felt all of her son's discomforts, all of the pain caused by repeated injuries, both physical and emotional, that he had continually received. The distance of being in another dimension had severely limited many of the abilities her connection with him provided, but the one that had not faded in the slightest, was that she could still feel him. But then suddenly, and without warning, everything stopped. No pain, sensation, or feelings of any kind.

He wasn't dead, that much she was certain. But Bright Skies had never felt anything like this before. Even when one of them might narrow their connection willfully, as when one of them would do when wanting some privacy, there was always still something, some sense of the other. But this was different, it felt hollow, empty and unnatural. To further complicate things, there was something else added to it, something that she could not quite put her hoof on. It felt as if there was another presence, one dark and full of hate standing in between her and Flash. It was there and yet not, like the sense one got when somepony was looking over their shoulder only for there to be nothing there when they turned to look. Bright Skies shuddered, the feeling was making her feel a bit sick and causing the hair on the back of her withers to stand up.

What could even cause such a thing!? She thought, trying very hard not to panic. Bright Skies had shared this new development with Celestia and Luna as it had occurred while the two princesses were in the middle of completing their placement of more than a half-dozen protective wards and strengthening spells on her in order to increase her chances of surviving the experience of being used as a dimensional gate. She presently felt as if she could have a building fall on her and not notice it. After she had told them what she was sensing, the two dirarchs thought it wise to keep this information between the three of them for the moment, so as not to distract the others from their tasks. After all, a certain young alicorn was already anxious enough.

Bright Skies felt a pang of guilt as she watched Twilight from across the room, the princess looking frantically between a dozen different pieces of parchment suspended within her magic around her with a look on her face that spoke of border-lined panic. Bright Skies did not mind putting her own life on the line for her son. Even if she should have to die for him, she could do so laughingly if it meant he would be safe. However, she was beginning to feel a certain kind of regret for basically forcing the others to assist in what could likely be her demise. Even if everything worked, had she really taken into account how Twilight and the others would feel knowing that their actions directly resulted in ending her life, regardless if it was done so willingly?

Celestia and Luna stood behind her, the former offering gentle reassurances to the poor girl who seemed on the verge of tears. "Twilight dear, this is the fifth time you've reviewed the spell. You know that it's ready, you've done your very best, there's nothing more to change." She said.

"But what if I missed something?!" Twilight exclaimed as she spun around, eyes wild as she scrutinized another leaf of paper. "What if I'm wrong, what if I've made a mistake?! If I have, somepony might, I mean, Bright Skies will probably..." She bit her lower lip, unable to finish the thought. Celestia sighed, knowing full well the feeling that Twilight was experiencing, the feeling experienced when lives hung on the outcome of your decisions. She was about to speak further when Bright Skies suddenly walked up to Twilight, placing a comforting hoof on her shoulder while giving her a compassionate smile.

"Twilight, sweetheart, it's alright. I'm going to be alright. It will all be fine, you'll see." She said, her voice warm and full of hope. Twilight sniffed, wiping the corner of one eye with a hoof.

"But how can you be so sure?" Bright Skies smiled again,

"Because, you're the pony who helped Flash understand his magic. You're the smartest pony I know, you would never do anything to hurt somepony, and more importantly, you're Flash's friend. He trusts you, your mentors trust you, and so do I. You're the best pony for this task and don't forget," she paused as Celestia and Luna joined her, "You're not alone." Twilight's face seemed to soften as she looked to one side, seemingly reassured though a glimmer of doubt still seem to linger in her eye.

"Are you sure you still want to go through with this Bright Skies?" She asked in a quiet voice after a few moments, "Flash is smart, he might be able to deal with whatever's happening to him by himself." Bright Skies shook her head,

"I wouldn't be able to live with the consequences if something happened to him and I didn't do all that I could to help him. Besides, it's the the role of parents to give up their lives for their children. I need to do this Twilight, though don't worry. I'm not going to die." Twilight looked Bright Skies in the eye as she said this, the mare's fiery conviction bolstering her confidence.

"Alright," she said with a nod. Twilight then looked to Celestia, and Luna in particular. "However, I've calculated that we will have the best chance of success if the three of us are here to stabilize the gate." She said, gesturing to the other two alicorns. "Princess Luna, I know you wanted to go, but-"

"I will stay." Luna stated firmly, causing Twilight to blink in surprise. "I had already reached the same conclusion as I reviewed the spell, I will stay behind to help with the casting." Though her voice was strong, it carried a noticeable tone of resignation to necessity rather than what was preferred. Celestia smiled sympathetically as she touched her sister's withers with a comforting wing. Luna nodded to her with a smile. "However, this means the task shall be left to young Rainbow Dash and Sunset Shimmer," She said, her voice carrying a tone of uncertainty that they all felt at the proposition, as it had been plainly obvious to everypony that the two had been at odds with the other since they had first come together the previous day. "I can only hope that they have managed to work through their differences."

Sunset Shimmer had learned much over the last several years. Lessons about vice and virtue, life and love, the power of friendship, and what it meant to care about somepony other than herself. It had not been an easy lesson. Oh what a uniquely painful experience it had been to finally own up to consequences of her inordinate self-love, a vice she had glossed over and denied for so long that it had taken her being possessed by a demonic entity for her to finally comprehend the magnitude of her selfish choices. But the agonizing humiliation that was her ignominious defeat, though, in the end, proved to be one of the greatest blessings of her life. For the experience had finally opened her eyes to the truth, turning her life around, and setting her hooves firmly on the path of growing in harmony and virtue.

But with those invaluable lessons, she had also learned that no matter how aware one became of one’s weaknesses and sinful tendencies, it remained a constant battle to resist them. Case in point, the uncharitable anger that always threatened to consume her whenever she encountered somepony who simply would not listen to reason. That certain sompony in this instance, being the bull-headed, cyan-blue, rainbow-maned pegasus who was presently doing her level-best to help her grow in the virtue of patience.

“Rainbow Dash please, be reasonable.” Sunset said. The mare didn’t even look at her as she continued to methodically pace herself through various fighting stances, her wings extended as she moved gracefully from side to side on light hooves with perfect form, honed from years of practice and training, complimented of course by her being at the very peak of athletic ability.

“I am being reasonable,” She replied in an irritated voice. “My friend is in trouble, and I’m going to help him.”

Sunset and Twilight had put their heads together and had managed to hammer out a spell that would activate the magic of the gate-key that had been imprinted into Bright Skies, allowing them to travel to Flash's world. There was just one problem. The more individuals transported by the spell, the greater the strain on Bright Skies’ life force which was already going to be at terrible risk. Twilight had calculated that they should risk no more than two of them going, and Sunset knew that the ones who ended up going should be those who were capable of casting spells, as magic would be needed for both stealth and combat ability while within an alien world.

Celestia and Luna, Sunset had rationalized, were out of the question. As much as they might want to go, and Luna certainly did, Sunset knew that in the end, they could not risk having either of Equestira’s sovereigns trapped in another dimension should something go wrong.

Logically, that left Twilight and herself. Twilight for her peerless abilities in spellcraft as well as the raw power she wielded as both the very Element of Magic and due to the fact that she was an alicorn to boot, and herself; as in addition to being skilled with magic, she was also the only pony, besides Twilight’s limited exposure, who had experience living in a world of humans, even if they were of a different sort than Flash’s species. Sunset had stepped out of the ancillary study where the others currently were and back into the empty throne room in order to explain the situation to Rainbow Dash who had remained behind in order to stretch and warm up in anticipation of going. She took it about as well as Sunset thought she would, in that she was having none of it.

Sunset wasn’t too surprised, after all, this was the bearer of the Element of Loyalty of all ponies, and Flash was her friend. Trying to tell her she could not help, was like trying to make a fire that wasn’t hot. She was so similar to the alternate Rainbow Dash that she had come to know from the other world she now called home and yet, so different in many ways. This Rainbow Dash was a bit older, a bit more experienced with life. A military pony with a kind of seriousness that tempered her usual carefree attitude, born no doubt from her countless confrontations with world-ending events. But there was something else, besides her adamant loyalty, which Sunset could sense was making this Rainbow Dash so hostile towards her, something she had noticed ever since she had met her, but that she couldn’t quite put her hoof on. Sunset had been aware in the past that Flash was her friend, but had never taken the time to get to know her, or anypony for that matter.

Sunset took a deep breath and let it out, “Look, Rainbow Dash, I know Flash is your friend. I understand that you feel compelled to help him, but if you really want to help him, you need to let Twilight and I handle this one.” She said with as much patient sympathy as she could convey. Rainbow Dash suddenly dropped down hard on her hooves, throwing an enraged glare back over her shoulder at her.

“Oh, I need to let you help him?!” She snapped as she spun around, her mane whipping to one side. “Because we both know you’ve been so helpful in the past!” Sunset’s eyes widened in alarm before narrowing.

“What are you saying?” She asked cautiously, “This isn’t about me Rainbow, this is about doing what is best for Flash.” Rainbow Dash’s mouth fixed into a snarl as she took a threatening step forward.

“You want to do what is best for Flash?!” She hissed as she grit her teeth, her eyes squeezing shut as she appeared to be holding something back.

“I don’t know why you’re so angry with me Rainbow Dash, but we need to-”

“YOU LEFT HIM!” She finally exploded, her wings springing open in outrage. Sunset flinched as if struck, her jaw dropping as the echo in the empty chamber repeated the harsh accusation, the veracity of the words hitting her as solidly as a hammer blow. Rainbow Dash stepped towards her, jabbing a hoof at her chest, “Where were you when he was growing up?!” The pegasus shouted as tears began to form in the corner of her eyes. “Where were you when he was kidnapped by dragons?! Were you the one watching his back when bullies targeted him?! Or did you stay by his hospital bed after Tirek beat him within an inch of his life?!” Rainbow Dash paused from her angry rant, letting the force of her accusations sink in for a moment before she continued.

“Flash looked up to you, thought the world of you, would never shut up about you! And just how did you treat him in return?! You broke his heart, and left the rest of us to pick up the pieces! And now! After all that, you think you can just waltz in here, push aside the friends who have stuck by him his whole life just so you can be the one to help?! OVER MY COLD DEAD FLANK!” Rainbow Dash shouted, panting through clenched teeth for a few moments until she caught her breath. She then straightened her posture, slowly folding her wings as her eyes narrowed in scorn, “Sorry, but you haven't earned that right...you don’t deserve to be that pony, Sunset Shimmer.” She finished in a low voice.

Sunset felt as if the air had been sucked out of her lungs as she bowed her head in shame, cut to the heart by the litany of pain poured out through the justified anger of this mare who she now understood was hurt, hurt and afraid. Hurt by what Flash had suffered in the past because of her selfish choices, and afraid because she thought there was the very real possibility that she might lose one of her oldest friends. Sunset knew that she had been friends with Flash since they were both foals, but from what Bright Skies had related to her earlier, it was more than just a friendship. Flash was like family to her, he was like her kid brother whom she had always looked out for. Sunset was one of those ponies who had hurt him, so of course she would feel this way about her, how had she not seen it before?

“You’re right Rainbow Dash,” Sunset finally whispered, “I did leave him, I left everypony...and I don’t deserve to be the one who helps him now.” She looked up just in time to see Rainbow Dash finish her attempt to inconspicuously rub the tears from her eyes. The pegasus sniffed as her hard demeanor softened slightly at that admission. “You’re the one who’s stuck by his side, you’ve been a true friend to him, and I truly cannot thank you enough for always being there for him, especially when I wasn’t. That’s something I’m always going to regret. But tell me something Rainbow Dash, haven’t you ever done something you’ve regretted? Something that you’d do anything to make up for?”

Rainbow Dash eyes widened slightly before glancing down and away, “Yeah,” she murmured after a moment, “I’ve definitely been there a few times.” Sunset nodded in sympathy.

“And I'll bet you always made sure to make things right with those you let down, am I right?” Rainbow nodded silently in response. “That’s why I’m asking you Rainbow Dash, even though I don’t deserve it, please. Let me do this. I need to make it right. I want a chance to atone for all the times I haven’t been there for him. Please, would you please let me do that?”

Rainbow Dash remained silent for a good while, not looking at her as she appeared to wrestle with herself. After a few more moments, she suddenly sighed loudly, snapping her tail in irritation, her eyes flicking back and forth in thought as she weighed her decision. “Ehh…buck it.” She finally grumbled as she looked back at Sunset with an appraising look. “You really want to be there for him, huh?”

“With all my heart.” Sunset firmly replied. Rainbow Dash stepped forward until she was looking the mare square in the eye, her eyes squinting with a deadly focus.

“Then you need to swear to me Sunset, swear that you will bring Flash back safe no matter what...swear it.” Sunset smiled as her gaze narrowed with a fiery gleam.

“I swear Rainbow Dash, I will bring him back safe,” She replied, and in the spur of the moment, decided to double-down, “Pinkie Promise.” She said while crossing her heart and putting a hoof to her eye. Rainbow Dash managed a smile at that as she stepped back.

“Good, because I still need to kick his flank when he gets back for going alone.” She said with a sly smirk. Sunset chuckled softly as she wiped the corner of her eye.

“Yeah, right after Twilight and I get through with him, he’s all yours.”

“Eh, so long as you leave me something to kick,” Rainbow said with a shrug and a laugh before suddenly appearing a bit sheepish. “Sorry I slapped you earlier, Sunset. That wasn’t right.” She said nervously while rubbing a hoof behind her head. Sunset shook her head,

“It’s alright Rainbow. Honestly? I think I deserved that one.” Sunset said before offering a hoof out to her, “Don’t hate you?” She asked, uncertain if they could call each other a friend yet. Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow and smirked before reaching out and bumping hooves with her.

“Yeah, ‘don’t hate you’ either Sunset.” She replied.

“Tehe! Well now we know Flash will come home safe for sure now!” Said the cheery voice behind Sunset.

“SWEET BLAZING BUCKS!” Sunset screamed as she spun around, backpedaling wildly until she banged into Rainbow Dash. Somewhere in the castle, Philomena burst into flames as her life-cycle suddenly reset 50 years ahead of schedule. The newly reborn phoenix looked up from its pile of ashes with a confused squawk.

Pinkie Pie stood there cocking her head to one side, a curious look on her innocent face. “What?”

“YOU! HOW?! WHERE?! FACE-” Sunset sputtered incoherently as her heart decided to call it quits and attempted to take its leave through her ribcage.

“Pinkie, what are you doing here?!” Sunset finally managed to gasp as she held a hoof against her chest so that her heart could not vacate the premises. The pink mare giggled,

“Well I have to be there to bear witness whenever somepony makes a ‘Pinkie Promise,’ silly!”

“Right, of course you do…” Sunset wheezed between pants.

“Whelp, glad to see you two could come together, gotta run!” Pinkie said before bouncing around them and heading for the double doors at the end of the throne room.

“Wait, where are you going Pinkie?” Rainbow Dash called out after her.

“Why to prepare the ‘Welcome Home Flash We’re So Glad You Didn’t Die Don’t Ever Leave Us Again’ party of course, see you there!” Pinkie flung open one of the doors, bouncing past a flabbergasted Steel Wing. The poor thestral gaped, looking from the departing party pony to the two mares still inside, eyes begging for anything resembling an explanation. As he opened his mouth to say something, Sunset and Rainbow Dash just shook their heads. Steel Wing gulped, glancing back and forth nervously before slowly backing out and closing the door. Both mares continued to stand where they were, staring at the closed door.

“So...” Rainbow Dash began, “Does, your world have a-”

“Yeah.”

“I see, and is she-”

“YEAH.”

“…do you think she-”

“YEAH???” Rainbow Dash paused a moment, opening her mouth and raising a hoof before pausing again and putting it back down.

“You know what? I’m good.”

“Me too.”

“Don’t need to know, right?”

“Right!”

"Would just be pointless."

"Completely!"

“And this never happened.”

“What happened?”

“Awesome.”

“Yup.” Note to self, never make a casual Pinkie Promise again…EVER! The sound of another door opening pulled Sunset back from the event horizon of madness she had mistakenly peered into. They both looked over to see Princess Luna leading the others out of the study, her face solemn.

"Come quickly, both of you. It is time."

Bright Skies stood in the center of the group of gathered ponies, looking up at Princess Celestia who stood before her. "Is there anything you would like to say at this time, Bright Skies?" She asked gently. The pink mare glanced down nervously at her hooves, looking as if she were having a hard time in coming up with the words that could express how she felt. After a moment, she suddenly surprised them all by flinging herself forward to hug the princess. Celestia's eyes widened in surprise before she smiled warmly, wrapping a forelimb around her little pony.

"Thank you princess, thank you for allowing me to do this. Thank you for allowing me to raise Flash...to be a mother." She whispered, unable to keep a few tears from squeezing out of the corners of her eyes as she spoke.

"Of course dear, but I hope you know, that it wasn't I who made you a mother, my little pony." Celestia replied as she released her, gently placing a hoof under Bright Skies' chin. "You became a mother because of your own generous heart, because you were willing to open your heart and love another." Bright Skies smiled, feeling a bit abashed as she looked around at the others who looked back at her with expressions ranging from sad to admiration, but all showing their care and concern for her. As she had already said her farewells to them, and not desiring to delay any longer, she took her place between Sunset and Rainbow Dash.

Both ponies had initially been surprised to find out that they were the ones who would be going, but had readily agreed to help. She was so grateful to the both of them, not only for their willingness to help, but for being such wonderful friends to her son. Bright Skies looked sternly at them as the three alicorns arranged themselves in a triangle formation around the three ponies.

"Girls, no matter what happens, you get Flash home safe, understand?" She said in a low undertone, to which they both nodded their assent.

"Don't worry Miss B, we got this!" Rainbow Dash said with a confident grin. Bright Skies smiled at her, glad that she had never run the wild filly off when she and Flash were foals.

"Are you ready Bright Skies?" Twilight asked. Bright Skies turned and spread her stance, a slight sense of trepidation coming over her as the full realization that she was very likely about to face her own mortality hit her. But before the feeling could gain any traction, she allowed a flood of memories to come into her mind, focusing on all she had experienced and gone through ever since Flash had been dropped into her life. Countless moments of love, hope, sorrow, and joy. Each of them priceless to her, knowing with absolute certainty that she would not trade a single one of them for anything in existence. And in that instance, she was able to completely banish all of her fears, her heart having no room for them in place of the love that burned there for her son, more intensely now than ever before.

"Yes, I am ready." She replied as she bowed her head, clenching her jaw in determination as she squeezed her eyes shut. Hold on Flash, I'm coming for you.

Author's Note

“Love to be real, it must cost—it must hurt—it must empty us of self.” -Saint Theresa of Calcutta.

I'm back! I pray that life finds you all well my friends. Peace and God's blessings to you all!

The Storm Breaks

Rain lashed at the enormous bay windows of the penthouse as a lightning bolt lit up the darkened sky, a crash of thunder followed not a moment later, sending a vibration through the entire building. Chelicerae sat in a chair at the table that held the map of Equestria, running a finger over the golden vambrace that belonged to Michail. As before, she had scanned it with her magic and had discovered that much like the human, it was more than it appeared. The armament had been forged with magic, of a kind and power that she had never encountered before. There were powerful spells and practically unbreakable wards infused within it that made it all but immune to any kind of damage, physical or magical. The blades themselves were inlaid with spells of such cutting force that she imagined they could carve through a block of steel as if it were no more than a lump of cheese.

This strange magic was of an even more formidable kind than the permanent enchantment she had discovered on Michail. It was neither unicorn, changeling, or any kind of sorcery she had ever felt which left only one other kind: alicorn magic. Celestia... Chelicerae cursed under her breath. Her mother had taught her that the immortal was not one to be trifled with, and that if she should ever find herself in the Sun Witch's presence, that she was already dead. Before she had spoken with the boy, she had assumed that the young human had merely been Celestia's pet or plaything. Now that she saw this weapon, she knew that the relationship between them must be one of far greater significance. After all, this was a unique and powerful piece of equipment, given as gift apparently according to him. No ordinary soldier would carry such an exceptional item. He must have caught her favor somehow. This means any harm I cause him will no doubt invoke that tyrant's wrath...just great.

Then again, maybe she was wrong about Celestia, wrong about the ponies? After all, both Michail and Ella had destroyed all of her preconceived notions about humans, and the Equestrians had been the ones to raise the boy to such a standard. Chelicerae glanced down at the young human to her left, resting against the underside of the bar where he had succumbed to her venom and spell. She had retrieved his jacket, placing it over him like a blanket. His chest rose and fell gently with his breathing as he slept, the peaceful expression he wore causing her heart to twist in guilt and anguish. What am I doing...

His mind was hers now. Her spell would work in the background, subtly influencing his reason, making him docile to her directives and obedient to her. To the casual observer, he would still appear to be himself on the surface while in reality, not truly being there at all. Of course if she needed to, she could take complete control, turning him into a mindless drone while still retaining all of his abilities.

Chelicerae shook her head as she tore her gaze from him, staring instead at her hands as she clenched and flexed them. I have to do this...this is necessary... She thought, attempting to convince herself that she had made the right decision. She wished now that she hadn't fed from him earlier as she had completed her spell, though at the time, she had been unable to resist the temptation. After all, it was love that was freely offered; she had never experienced that before. The human had freely offered her love even though he knew she was a changeling, even though he knew that she had killed his family; and he had continued to give the life-giving gift even as she was violating his mind. The taste of it was unlike any other love she had ever consumed: pure, powerful, deliberate and selfless. A true desire for her to be free and happy. It had given her a rush unlike any other, but at the same time, caused her heart to shatter with guilt as it made her intimately aware of just how rare and precious was the gift that she was deliberately choosing to destroy.

It's too late now, I just need to finish the job. She would simply have to file it away as another in a long list of things to regret. What was one more? After all, she regretted everything.

Ella opened her eyes as she heard the elevator doors opened with a soft chime, lifting her head slightly from where she had been resting it against Telson's chest. He had a pleasing scent about him, similar to Chelicerae's except rather than the sweet scent of honey on clover, his was more sharp and reminded her of freshly cut cedar-wood. She wondered if all changelings produced such a scent, maybe something that helped make them more attractive to their prey? Whatever the case, it was definitely pleasant. It was so hard to believe that the person carrying her right now was not a human being, even though she had seen his true form. Changelings...magic. What a day this has been. The thought causing her to chuckle slightly, which quickly turned into a small whimper as her head swam again.

Telson stopped walking, looking down to the young woman cradled in his arms, that look of worry returning to his face. "What is it, small one?" Ella did her best attempt at giving him a reassuring smile, but all it did was just made him appear even more concerned. She knew that she was in a bad way, if the pain in her chest was any indication. She felt a bit more alert now that Telson had given her some sort of medicine, but still felt so weak that even raising her hand required a moment of concentration.

"Nothin', just...I don't feel so good, that's all." Ella said. The room the changeling was carrying her through looked like a connecting hub of some sort, with doors and hallways branching off from the main area of the penthouse, leading to other sections of the top floor. Far ahead of them across the wide, lobby-like room was a pair of dark-oaken doors. Telson shifted his grip slightly, making sure the blanket was securely tucked around her in order to conserve her body heat. As if it wasn't bad enough that most of her life-force was violently consumed, he was fairly certain that her body was going into shock.

"Just hold on, don't worry, you'll begin to recover with time." I hope... Ella smiled up at him again,

"Hey, don't worry about me big guy. You just focus on doin' what you need to do, yeah?" There it was again, that warm, mouth-watering wave of kindness and compassion that washed over him again. Telson shook his head, managing a small smile as a humorous thought struck him.

"You know, you should probably tone down that kindness of yours, it's making you smell delicious." This caused the girl to laugh softly at the slightly dark humor.

"Oh, is that right? Alright, well I'm really good at being cold an cynical if that would make me less appetizing, how would that taste for ya?" Telson wrinkled his nose slightly to exaggerate the point,

"Like old gym-socks dipped in vinegar." Ella laughed softly again before pausing to catch her breath. She looked up at him with a more serious expression.

"Telson, no matter what happens, thanks for tryin' to help, I really appreciate it." He shook his head slightly,

"No small one, thank you. Thank you for giving me hope, and reminding me of my purpose. I only hope that it's not too late, and that I am able to repay you someday." Ella smiled,

"You already have, big guy." Telson clenched his jaw to keep his emotions in check, he looked forward towards the doors through which his mistress waited for him. With one more reassuring look to the human in his arms, he stepped forward towards the doors.

Flash awoke with a start, nearly hitting his head on the underside of the bar-counter as he sat up. He felt different, better. In fact, nearly all of his bodily pains were gone, with only a muted hint of soreness from his damaged ribs. But at the same time, he felt off. When did I fall asleep on the floor? He thought as he rubbed the side of his head with his hand. The last thing he could remember was talking to Chel, but he couldn't for the life of him remember what they had been talking about. He looked up to see her only a few feet away, sitting in a chair by the table in her human form.

"You passed out," she said in response to his questioning look. "Your concussion was worse than I initially thought, so I took the liberty of healing some of your injuries." She stood up and walked over to him, staring down at him for a moment with an indiscernible expression before offering a hand out to him. "However, I expect a return on the energy I just invested in you, Michail."

"Uh, sure princess, of course." Flash said as he reached out and took her hand. Chel effortlessly pulled him to his feet as he grabbed on to his brown jacket before it could hit the floor. He shook his head Why did I... He had begun to wonder why he had said that but before he was able to complete the thought, it had simply vanished. Why shouldn't he help her? After all, it just made sense. He didn't know why, but it seemed like the most reasonable thing to do. More than reasonable, it felt necessary.

Chelicerae eyed him closely, looking for any signs that her spell might not have completely taken. It had been a while since she had manipulated a human with it, and Michail's mind was strong. In fact, his mental defenses were stronger than any human's she had encountered before. She was glad that she had managed to gain entrance before he had been able to marshal a full defense. Otherwise, she doubted that it would have completely worked, even with her venom weakening his mind.

Chelicerae held up his vambrace, "Who gave this to you, was it Celestia?" Flash blinked as he shook his head as if trying to clear it.

"Uh, no. Princess Luna made that for me." Now it was her turn to be confused.

"Who?" She asked, feeling more than a bit alarmed.

"Princess Luna," He repeated. "She's Princess Celestia's younger sister. You wouldn't know about her because she returned to Equestria while you were gone. She was the Mare in the Moon, and had been banished there by Celestia over a thousand years ago when she had succumbed to darkness. She's my friend."

Chelicerae blinked in astonishment. The Mare in the Moon?! I thought that was just an old mare's tale! Another Alicorn?! A living legend?! Apparently one that views him as a friend?! She looked at the vambrace, the thought of the kind of power that the being who forged it must possess caused her to shudder a little. Oh...she's gonna just love me for what I've done to him...

During her time in this world Chelicerae had become accustomed to having humans as opponents, crushing enemies that were in no way capable of competing with her. Now that she would be returning to Equestria, she knew that she would be facing powerful adversaries against whom she would have few advantages and even fewer allies. It made her feel more confident in her decision to coerce Michail into her service, as she would need all the help she could get to have even a hope of succeeding in her goals. Chelicerae handed him the vambrace, "Here, you're going to need this if you're working for me." She wanted to interrogate him further on the matter, but now was not the time. She could ask him all the questions she wanted to later, and he would answer them for her without hesitating. Just one more thing to deal with.

Flash didn't even question why she returned his weapon as he secured it to his arm before pulling his jacket back on. "Is there anything else you want to know Chel?" Before she could reply, the double doors from the far end of the room opened. Telson walked through, carrying Ella in his arms. He made eye-contact with his mistress before stepping down into the sitting area to lay the young female on one of the couches. Chelicerae noted how very faint and weak the girl's aura appeared.

Perhaps, I went to far... She thought. Michail looked from Ella, and back to Chelicerae, his face pleading. She nodded to him, "Go to her." The words had hardly left her lips before he dashed to his friend, moving so quickly that he seemingly vanished from sight for a moment. Telson glanced back at the pair of humans for a second as he approached his mistress.

"Status?" She asked in a low voice. Telson sighed before responding.

"I gave her some stimulants, but..." Chelicerae raised an eyebrow,

"But?" She said expectantly.

"She's very weak, dangerously so. I fear that if she falls asleep that she may never wake up again. I've done what I can for her, but she really needs a hospital, mistress." Chelicerae gritted her teeth in frustration,

"Blast it..." She cursed under her breath. She was already upset for having harmed the human in the first place, now even more so as she realized how much she had allowed herself to lose control in her anger. Flashbacks of what happened to Michail's mother haunted the back of her mind. "If something happens to her now it could upset the balance of control I have over Michail!"

Telson frowned as he glanced again over his shoulder, noticing how strange young Michail's aura appeared as he spoke with Ella. "Control? What do you-" His eyes widened in horror as he realized the reason why. His face snapped back to Chelicerae, "Oh, Queen's mercy, you didn't mistress..." She blinked in shock,

"Telson!" She said in an astonished tone. In all her years here, Telson had never once questioned her actions, never once expressed doubt on any of the decisions she had made. The suddenness of it happening now of all times nearly took her breath away. His eyes widened as he seemed to realize that he had actually spoken what he had been thinking out loud. He immediately dropped to one knee, bowing his head before her.

"Forgive me mistress...but I was wondering, is this truly the best way to assist the queen?" He asked. Chelicerae's eyes narrowed dangerously,

"What do you mean...explain yourself, Telson." She hissed in a low voice. He slowly raised his head, looking back up at her.

"A rare opportunity presents itself to us mistress. We have an officer of the Equestrian Military, an individual who is willing to bring us home under a banner of peace. If we returned openly, made use of the resources made available by this new ally, together with our hivemates, we could find the Queen and perhaps reunite her to the hive so that she too could benefit from this new and better life we have been told of?"

"Absolutely not!" Chelicerae scoffed. "It is not up to us to decide what is best for the queen, she decides that! We will return to Equestria, find her majesty, and lend our assistance to her however she sees fit!"

"That would be suicide mistress, you know this!" Telson pleaded. Chelicerae's eyes widened, not believing her ears. Telson had always offered wise counsel in the past, but never contradiction.

"I have my orders Telson..."

"And I have mine." He stated as he unexpectedly stood, rising to his full height. He winced as her visible shock at his resistance cut him to the heart. "Mistress...the Queen ordered me to protect you, that is my prime directive. I must protect you, even if that means protecting you..." He paused, feeling as if he would rather be burned alive than go through this, "...from foalish decisions that will get you killed."

Chelicerae felt as if she had just taken a punch to the gut, her world was spinning out of control. She would have sooner believed that the sun would not rise at dawn than even entertain the suggestion that Telson would ever resist her. His nobel character was a greater certainty in her mind than the very laws of nature itself. His invincible loyalty, his absolute obedience had been a constant in her life from before she could even recall having memories. To have that seemingly shift was to call into question her very perception of reality. She felt lightheaded for a moment, actually staggering a step to one side. Telson immediately put out a hand to steady her only to have it viciously smacked away.

"Don't you dare touch me!" She snarled, causing Telson to recoil as if burned. The wounded look on his face that Chelicerae received in return caused her to recoil in horror at her own actions. The two changelings starred at the other in silence, neither one making a move. What am I doing?! What have I done?! Telson...not you too... She wanted to scream, to rage and destroy everything around her until there was nothing left as her world continued to crumble around her. Chelicerae desperately seized hold of that present rage in order to keep herself from breaking down in tears. It was a caustic wrath: anger at herself, at the world, at the unfairness of it all. She had failed her mother, her hive, her friend. She had lost everything, and now, even the chance at making it right, even that felt like it was slipping away.

NO! I won't let it! Chelicerae glared at Telson, but chose another target for her anger. "I see what it is. It's that human female, you're infatuated with her, aren't you?" Telson's eyes went wide as he quickly shook his head.

"No, it's not like that! She's, she's only trying to help...she wants to help us, to help you mistress!" Chelicerae had to fight to keep the shock out of her face.

Her too?! After what I did to her?! What sort of madness possesses these two humans anyways?! Don't they realize that you're supposed to hate those who hurt you?! "Well whatever it is, she is obviously distracting you from your duties, Telson." He began to reply but she cut him off, "The Queen may have ordered you to protect me, but she also ordered you to follow my commands. I don't care what reservations you might have about my decisions, do whatever you think you need to keep me safe, but you will obey my orders without question, do I make myself clear?!" She nearly shouted, trying to keep her voice down.

Telson swallowed, a hard look in his pale blue eyes as he obviously struggled with himself. Chelicerae couldn't stand to see him this way, she knew that it was because he cared about her, but he had never let that interfere with his duties before! Orders always came first! She sighed, softening her tone, "Telson, I know this is not an easy task, that our path is a difficult one. But I need you completely on my side to do this." His eyes narrowed,

"I have always been on your side my mistress, and I always will be. But please, Daystar..." He whispered. Chelicerae felt a tremor go through her at the sound of the epithet that Telson had always endearingly called her when she was very young; it was the first time she had heard him use it since since they had come to this world. It instantly reminded her of happier times, when life was simpler, and the world far less complicated. A young nymph with dreams of helping everyling to have a better life and be happy. A brave, young warrior drone who always encouraged her, always at her side to teach her about the wide world, to protect and guide her. A lump formed in her throat as she struggled to find words.

"Telson...I..."

"Flash! What's wrong with you?!" Came a shout from across the room. Chelicerae's eyes snapped to the pair of humans. Michail was stepping back from Ella, a confused look on his face as one of his eyes twitched. The changeling princess felt a surge of panic as she realized that she had left them alone for too long.

"Michail!"

Ella saw Flash's eye twitch as he stepped back from her, appearing confused and disoriented. She didn't understand, their conversation had started off well enough, but things quickly got weird once she started telling him about Telson being willing to help them by trying to help Chelicerae as he had. To her utter shock, he calmly explained that it was no longer necessary, and that he was going to help Chelicerae get back to Equestria and help her however he could. When she pressed him as to why he was cooperating with her, he couldn't give her a straight answer and the more she pressed him on it, the more irritated he seemed to become, his remarks sharp and dismissive.

This was not the Flash she had come to know, something was definitely wrong with him. It was like he had suddenly forgotten all of his previous efforts, and that nothing else mattered to him other than aiding the changeling princess. "Flash! Flash what's wrong? It's me, Ella! Look at me!" He held the side of his head with one hand, his expression muddled. It was then she saw it, a flicker of green light, just barely visible for a moment in the center of his pupils. She had seen his eyes shine with a blue light several times since she met him, but this seemed unusual, even for him.

"Enough!" Chelicerae shouted as she suddenly appeared in Ella's view, standing between her and Flash. The changeling turned her head to look at him as she rested a hand on his shoulder. "Go over there and wait for me, I just want to talk with her okay?" Flash gave her an uncertain look before nodding and stepping aside. Ella tried to reach out and touch his hand as he walked past, but was too slow.

"Flash, wait..." She said weakly, her earlier outburst having taken a lot out of her. Ella glared up at Chelicerae who was staring down at her, a calculating look in her eye. "What...did you do to him?" She demanded. The false woman's eyes narrowed,

"What I had to, little girl. You don't understand the world Michail and I come from."

"I understand that you're wreckin' every offer of help that Flash's given you Chel!" Ella snapped. Chelicerae clenched her jaw,

"This is no longer your concern, little human."

"Flash is my concern!" Ella retorted, feeling her eyes beginning to get wet. The changeling's eyes softened for a moment as Ella looked her dead on, her breath shallow. "Tell me I'm wrong Chel, tell me that's not true. You fed off me, you should know..." Once again, Chelicerae found herself impressed by this human. She impressed her in some ways even more than Michail had. Her determination, her courage, her sheer force of will that never seemed to flag or give up was something to behold and something that until recently she had not believed humans were capable of. And in that admiration, Chelicerae found that she could no longer direct her anger at the poor creature.

I think I finally understand why Telson likes you so much... "Believe me little girl, I know...better than anyone." She whispered before reaching down to gently pull the blanket back up over her from where it had slipped. "But be that as it may, your part in this is at an end." Ella's eyes widened in panic.

"Chel, no! I know you don't want to do this...when, when you fed...I, I saw...I don't know how, but I saw how you really feel..." Chelicerae grew alarmed as the girl's heart fluttered, her aura fluctuating wildly. She immediately bent down, placing a hand over the girl's mouth, though not roughly, causing Ella to squirm as she tried to get away.

"Life isn't always about what we want, Ella." She whispered, saying the girl's name for the first time. The human stopped struggling and starred wide-eyed at her, her face pleading. Chelicerae gave her first genuine smile of the night to her, "It's strange, you're special too...just like Michail. Perhaps you are a fitting match for him after all..." Ella managed to grab onto her arm and in a feeble attempt to push her hand away. The changeling sighed, looking away for a moment before turning back to her, "I'm sorry for what I did to you earlier Ella, and for all that you've suffered. I'll see to it that you get the help you need, but your time here is at an end. And try not to worry about Michail, I don't plan on keeping him forever. Perhaps someday, you may even get to see him again...but not today my dear, I'm sorry."

Ella mumbled something against her hand, but Chelicerae only shushed her, gently brushing the girl's hair a few times before leaning in to place a kiss on her forehead. "None of that now, child." The changeling allowed her eyes to shift as she looked deeply into Ella's, "Look at me." As soon as she did, a flash of green light went through her eyes. It was a low level charm, nothing like the entrapment spell she had used earlier but one that Chelicerae hoped would calm the girl down and keep her from drawing Michail's attention.

Ella felt her mind slow as a pleasant warmth crept over her. She tried to speak as Chelicerae removed her hand from her mouth, but her tongue felt thick and heavy, unable to form words.

"Telson," Chelicerae said, causing the large man to walk around the couch and into view. Ella watched as she gave her friend a hard look before leaning up to whisper something in his ear. She leaned back as Telson nodded at her.

"Yes mistress, I understand." Chelicerae gave Ella one last look, a ghost of a smile on her face before stepping away. Telson lifted the girl into his arms again, carrying her back from where they had come. Ella managed to glimpse Flash across the room as they left, staring directly at her, but not seeing her.

"Flash..." she managed to weakly mumble. Please, wake up!

Telson looked down at Ella, trying to give her a reassuring look as he carried her out of the main sitting room and back through the lobby. "Do not fret small one, I think it's working. I spoke to her, challenged her to think. She's beginning to doubt herself, and I think I'm beginning to see glimpses of her old self again."

"Old self?" Ella murmured. Telson smiled, his eyes sad.

"The mistress was not always so cold, she used to be like you child. Full of hope and kindness. I'm hoping that she will begin to remember that."

"Where are we going?"

"I'm going to make arrangements to get you to a hospital, small one. The mistress is right, you need one." Ella leaned her head against Telson's chest, the lingering effects of Chelicerae's spell making her feel slow.

"Please don't leave without me, don't let her take Flash away..."

"I will do everything I can to convince her otherwise, but whatever happens, I'll make sure-" Telson stopped in the middle of the lobby, a frown on his face as he saw the numbers above the elevator changing, for some reason it was coming up. That's odd. He turned to his right, laying Ella down on small black sofa arranged on the side of the wide hall. Ella looked up at him confused,

"What is it?" She asked. Telson frowned,

"Wait there, let me see." He said as he turned and stepped towards the elevator. No sooner had he stepped before the doors when they opened, and when they did, Telson suddenly felt a solid impact in his gut that stopped him in his tracks. Time seemed to slow down as he reached down to touch the spot where he had felt the hit. Pulling his hand away, he looked down to see it dripping with dark, red blood.

Looking up, he saw Damian standing before him in the elevator, festooned with various weapons. An AR was slung over one shoulder, and a bandolier of grenades over the other. A twisted grin was on his face, and a black pistol with a long black suppressor was in his hand; smoke trailed from the barrel.

Telson blinked as Damian pulled the trigger two more times, two dull thumps sounded as two more rounds slammed into his abdomen, causing him to stagger backwards before collapsing on his side, writhing in agony.

"Telson!" Ella squeaked, too weak to scream as the living nightmare stepped gingerly over Telson's body.

"Boy, this place is like candyland!" Damian said with a chuckle. "You wouldn't believe the stuff you can find!"

Chelicerae slowly paced, her head bowed in thought as Michail followed her movements, his head turning as she moved. What was that...Why did I do that? What are these humans doing to us?! It was after Telson had left the room, that she had realized that she had enjoyed that. She had enjoyed showing another some genuine sympathy and kindness, something that she thought she was no longer capable of. It had started first with Michail, but she had brushed that aside, chalking it up to simple nostalgia because of her history with him and his family. But why the girl? Why did she suddenly feel compelled at that moment to comfort the poor thing?

Her mother had always frowned upon kindness, making her feel ashamed of it, teaching her that it was a weakness, a liability for a predator such as herself. When Chelicerae had first come to this world, she knew that it was a part of herself that she would have to lock away, something that could only get in the way of her mission. A mission that required her to be cold and ruthless in order to infiltrate the humans of this world. She had hated it at first, but the building disgust with which humans filled her had made it easier for her as time went on until eventually, she saw them as no more than ants beneath her hooves. Easy to crush, easy to brush aside as means to an end. It wasn’t long before she began to enjoy doing so as it filled her with such a sense of power, pride, and accomplishment. That she could be just like her mother, that she could do whatever was required for the good of the hive.

Whenever the flickering flame of her conscience would chastise her, she made sure to drown it in blood. After all, this is what it meant to have orders, this is what it meant to be a changeling. The Queen's will was all. And yet, how wonderful it had felt to help another, even in a small way. It was the most liberating sensation that she could remember feeling. In that moment, she felt free. In that charity, she was back at the hive again, she was herself; and the part of her that she thought she had sealed away forever was now pounding at the door, begging to be released. Daystar...oh Telson, why oh why did you have to call me that again? Why throw that obstacle in my path, why tempt me? You know I can never be that again...

Chelicerae looked at Michail and was tempted, oh so tempted to set him free. It wouldn't be difficult, his little interaction with Ella, much to her surprise, had begun to weaken her spell. She could break it, tell him what she had done, and beg his forgiveness. He had forgiven her once already, hadn't he? Surely he would do it again. Then they could go home, this nightmare would be over, they could see other changelings, share their new life, they could find the Queen...

"NO!!!" Chelicerae screamed, shaking her head as she grabbed it in both hands, clenching her fists so hard that she pulled out some of her hair. Her heart pounded, feeling as if she was being torn in half as she wrestled her conscience back into submission. It doesn't matter what I want...IT DOESN'T MATTER!!! She glared furiously up at Michail who was staring at her in concern.

"Princess, are you alright?" He asked. She gnashed her teeth, grimacing as she managed to slam the door on her nagging conscience, locking it away once more.

No...I will finish what I started, I must! I've gone too far, worked too hard, and sacrificed too much to stop now! I will complete my mission, I will obey my queen, and I'll kill anyone foalish enough to get in my way! "Michail, get over here, now!" The human immediately obeyed, stepping before her as she transformed to her true form in a burst of emerald fire. Her horn lit up with energy as she touched it to his forehead. "Hold still child..." The young man winced, stumbling back a few steps as she finished, blinking and shaking his head as her spell was successfully reinforced.

Chelicerae shifted back to her human form as she finished, taking a moment to collect herself as she waited for Michail to get his bearings. As she opened her mouth to say something to him, she began to feel an uncomfortable heat building around her neck. Shouting in alarm, she grabbed onto the gate-key around her neck as it felt like it was on the verge of burning her. Before she could pull it off, a sphere of multicolored lights suddenly appeared before her, pulsing with a sudden contraction before disappearing with loud bang.

Chelicerae found herself flung back by the resulting concussion of energy. Flash responded instantaneously, moving at high-speed to catch her before she could smash through the table halfway across the room. Shaking off the initial shock, Chelicerae got back to her feet, blinking in utter bewilderment as there, fifty feet in front of her, were three ponies.

Sunset shook her head, trying to shake off the disorienting effects of the dimensional shift, which felt to her exactly like a bad teleport. Rainbow Dash looked like she fared no better, blinking as a pony that had just come out of the dark only to have a bright light shone in her face. Ugh, that's the worst interdimensional shift I've ever had...wait, Bright Skies! She immediately looked down and saw the pegasus lying on the floor.

The poor mare had drops of blood all over her pink coat from countless small micro-tears in her skin. More blood was dripping out of her nostrils and even from the corners of her eyes like crimson tears. Sunset's panic though, quickly turned into relief as Bright Skies groaned, shifting slightly as she attempted to raise her head. "Oh thank Celestia, you're not dead!" She exclaimed as she dropped down close to her. "Bright Skies! Are you okay? Can you hear me?"

Bright Skies mumbled something in response that Sunset could not quite make out. Rainbow Dash meanwhile finally cleared her vision, looking first at Bright Skies before her eyes caught Flash standing on the other side of the enormous room she found herself in.

"Flash!" She shouted, her heart soaring with relief as she saw him. She began to gallop towards him before stopping as she saw the strange creature standing next to him. The creature looked like Flash except, more curves, with a distinctly feminine appearance; she also appeared extremely angry. I guess that's a female hooman? She thought before turning her attention back to her friend. "Flash, what the buck?! You had us worried sick!" She paused, her jaw dropping as she noted the scar over his eye. "Sweet Celestia! What happened to your face?!"

Sunset Shimmer looked up briefly from tending to Bright Skies to see what Rainbow Dash was shouting about. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw his scarred visage, but that wasn't the only thing she noticed. Flash was staring ahead at them with dead eyes, as if he didn't even see them. Bright Skies mumbled something again as she tried and failed to pick herself up.

"Bright Skies! Stay still," Sunset said as she quickly analyzed her condition with a spell. The mare was battered badly, with countless bruises and micro-tears throughout the skin and muscle-fibers of her body. It looked bad, probably felt worse, but she would live. Sunset had no doubt though, that if it weren't for the protective wards the princesses had placed upon her, she would have been ripped apart. "Bright Skies, hold on, let me-"

"No..." She finally managed to groan. "Rainbow Dash...get away...get away from him!" She said, her weak voice gradually increasing in volume. "That's not Flash..."

Rainbow Dash cocked her head back, looking at Bright Skies with a confused expression, "What?" She shouted back, not noticing the glowing green light that began to envelop Flash's eyes.

"That's not Flash!" Bright Skies shouted as she forced herself to her hooves, blood dripping down her legs and body to the floor.

Sunset felt her blood run cold as her eyes darted from Flash to the mysterious woman who was glaring at them, a hateful look blazing within her enraged eyes. What shocked her the most, was that the woman didn't seem very surprised to see them; and if looks could kill, they would already be dead. Lightning flashed and the following report of thunder shook the building; though her voice was drowned out by the noise, Sunset managed to read the woman's lips as they moved to form two words: Kill them.

Bright Skies snarled as her wings sprung open. Her eyes shone with momentary light as a surge of energy seemed to course through her with such force that it could be felt throughout the room. "HEEEEEEY!!!" She screamed, causing everyone to pause and turn towards her, astonished by the force of her voice as she glared death at the mystery woman. "GET AWAY FROM HIM, YOU BITCH!!!"

Sunset didn't have time to react as Bright Skies launched herself like an arrow, the woman's eyes going from enraged to blinking in shock as the pegasus rocketed towards her, tackling her across the room and into the wooden table behind her, smashing it into splinters.

"Whoa!" Rainbow Dash shouted as she ducked to avoid getting hit by flying pieces of debris. The young mare looked back up and time seemed to slow down as she saw Flash in front of her, moving at incredible speed. Rainbow Dash barely registered it in time to move her head out of the way of his fist, which shot by with such blistering force that she could feel the small snap of the sonic boom it created as it just missed her skull. Her friend's forward momentum carried him forward as he crash-tackled into her, knocking the wind out of her as they both flew across the room, smashing into furniture on the opposite side.

Sunset just managed to duck as the pair went barreling over her. She looked up just in time to see a flash of green light come from the other side of the room as a pulse of raw energy surged over her. When she opened her eyes, her heart nearly stopped. There across the room from her stood a changeling, tall and dark, it's long horn crackling with malicious energy as she held Bright Skies pinned beneath her, a hoof on the pegasus' neck. Sunset charged her horn with magic as she galloped forward, "Bright Skies!"

Ella was crying, tears streaming down her face, trying but unable to push herself up as Damian casually strolled up to her, his dark eyes filled with a sadistic satisfaction. "Telson..." She whimpered, no longer able to see him past the man now blocking her vision. How could this happen?! Why is this happening?! Her heart felt like it was breaking over the injustice of it all.

"Whoa, babydoll. You ain't lookin' so hot. What did they do to you, huh?" He asked as he brushed a hand across her face. She responded by trying to lunge at the gun in his other hand, which only resulted in her falling off the couch and to the floor as Damian was easily able to step out of the way, laughing at her pathetic attempt to attack him. He crouched down closer to her, "Hey baby, where's your boyfriend? Is he up here somewhere? He still owes me an eye..." He said as he grabbed her chin, pulling her face towards him. "And I still owe you for these," Damian said as he traced the side of his scratched-up face with his gun.

"Get off me..." Ella tried to snarl, but it only came out as a squeak. Damian gave her a nasty grin as he traced the side of the hot suppressor against her face, causing her to flinch.

"Oh, not yet sweetheart..."

"...get...away...from her...WRETCH!" Damian spun around ready to fire, only to relax when he saw that Telson was still over where he had left him. The large man had managed to get to one knee, one hand on the floor as the other pressed against his abdomen, blood seeping rapidly from between his fingers. Damian laughed out loud,

"Whoa, dude! Three .45 slugs to the gut and you're still kickin! Damn! You are one tough bastard!" Telson coughed, a large mouthful of blood splattering onto the floor as he nearly went down again. He glared up at Damian, clenching his blood-stained teeth.

"If you so much as touch her, I swear, by all that I hold holy...I will rip off your misbegotten head!" Damian raised an eyebrow,

"Oh really? You mean, like this?" He suddenly spun around and kicked Ella squarely in the stomach. Ella saw stars, her vision going hazy as pain ripped through her body, unable to scream as the air was driven out of her body. "Or like this?!" Damian laughed as he grabbed her by the hair and drug her to her knees. Ella's felt agony tear across her scalp as she reached up to try and grab at his hand.

Telson roared in outrage as he managed to get to his feet. Damian laughed again as he pointed the gun at him and fired, striking him in the left knee. Ella heard Telson utter an unearthly shriek that sent chills up her spine as he went down again. Damian stopped laughing, a look of shocked confusion on his face.

"What the hell was that?!" He shouted. Telson only hissed in response as he clutched at his ruined knee. Damian gave a nervous laugh as the strange moment had passed. "Man, never knew a guy could make a sound like that, did you?" He said as he gave Ella a shake, causing her to cry out in pain. "Say, what other noises can-"

"I'm going to kill you." Damian clamped up as Telson looked up, staring directly at him. The expression on his face appeared collected and calm, seemingly uncaring of the violence inflicted upon him, though a deadly gleam was clearly visible in his cold, blue eyes. The twisted man felt a chill go through him. It wasn't just the threat Telson made, but it was how he had said it. He said it plainly, as if he was simply stating something as simple and factual as 'the sky is blue.' That it was going to happen, a fait accompli. And there was not a single blasted thing Damian could do to stop it. He tried to chuckle, to scoff at the threat, but it only ended up sounding like a nervous laugh.

"Heh, oh yeah? How do you think you're-"

"First, I'm going to break both your arms. Then I'm going to break your neck. After that, I'll tear your leg off at the hip, and beat you to death with it." Again, the deadly calm in his voice, the even tone; he could have just as easily been reading off a shopping list. Damian had felt fear earlier that day. The inexplicable things he had seen Flash do had made him afraid of the younger man. But that was nothing compared to the fear the mistress had instilled in him before in this very building. He was feeling that fear again, and its cause was radiating intensely off of Telson.

Once more he felt as if he was in the presence of a predator, something cold and calculating. It's presence was otherworldly, something ancient and dark; so old that it had been all but forgotten, and only remembered in the dark places that not even nightmares dared to tread. It could not be deterred nor intimidated by threats. It was a creature that did not know fear, it was fear. It did not desire riches, popularity, power, or pleasure. For it was a being possessed by the more base and harsh wants of order and survival, compelled ever onwards by an overpowering, insatiable hunger. A ravenous monster endlessly consumed by an ever present need to feed.

Damian felt his blood run cold as he tried to raise his arm to shoot the man dead, but for some reason, his limbs would not obey his commands. They felt dead and heavy, even his mind felt slow, as if he had been drinking heavily; and for the life of him, he found that he could not tear his gaze away from Telson's eyes which to his terror, seemed to shine with a faint, green light.

"What...what are you?!" Damian managed to gasp between pants. He felt Ella twist slightly in his grip, but he could not look down to see what she was doing.

"I am hunger." Telson replied, "But there is nothing to take from you. Your heart is like a dark hole, an empty pit. You are a cancer on this world, and I am going to burn it out..."

Damian felt the all encompassing horror reaching unbearable proportions, his life was over, death stood before him, and he could not bear to face it...No... No he would not die, not now, he couldn't! He was his own master, he was the one who took his pleasure in having power over others! His opiate was their pain and fear. He came here to kill them, not to be killed by them! He would kill this monster...he would kill that kid! But not before he killed Ella, and made him watch it. Yes... The vision gave him delight, something to focus on that seemed to break whatever spell had been placed on him. An inhuman howl tore from his throat as with a surge of adrenaline, he finally managed to raise his gun. He began applying pressure to the trigger, aiming right for the monster's face, only for a piercing, burning pain to shoot through his arm.

"Hey Damian, ya lose something?" Ella said as she twisted the knife she had driven into the inner joint of his arm. It was the same large folding knife that the fiend had used earlier to torture Flash. He had dropped it when she had attacked him from behind, and she had managed to surreptitiously slip it into her pocket while he had been busy with Telson. Damian screamed, involuntarily dropping his gun as the blade sliced through critical muscle fibers. She fell forward on top of the pistol as he lost his grip on her, grabbing the weapon as it hit the floor and rolling away before sitting up and pointing it directly at him.

Ella knew that she should shoot, but for some reason, she hesitated. Damian pulled the blade out of his arm, "You little bitch..." He hissed. The gun trembled in her grip, she could barely hold it up. He froze when he saw her pointing it at him, looking from the gun to her. A second ticked by, and when no shot came, a smile crept over his twisted face. "What's wrong, can't do it sweetheart?" He spread his functioning arm out to one side, blood dripping from the knife in his grip. "C'mon, I'm right here..." He said as he inched forward. Ella felt her finger tighten on the trigger. "Here I come..." He singsonged. Hate twisted the man's face as he drew the blade back, preparing to lunge forward and plunge it into her chest.

I have to do this, he's going to kill you...shoot him Ella, SHOOT HIM! Ella closed her eyes and screamed, about to pull the trigger when she heard an intense blast of noise accompanied by a rush of heat rapidly passing over her head. She slowly opened her eyes and felt her jaw drop. Damian's arm was on the floor in front of her, still clutching the knife; its severed end smoldering with the acrid smell of burnt flesh. Ella looked up to see Damian starring flabbergasted at the charred stump that was his shoulder before looking up, staring in wide-eyed horror at something behind her. His mouth opened for a scream that never came as a crackling bolt of green energy blasted a hole clear through the center of his chest.

Damian uttered a strangled, gurgling noise as a wheezing gasp of air escaped from the gaping hole in the center of his chest, collapsing to the floor as limply as a marionette whose strings had just been cut. Ella blinked in shock as she continued pointing the gun at his unmoving corpse, the man's face frozen in a twisted visage of confusion and terror. Damian was dead. She dropped the gun to the floor with a clatter as she twisted around to see Telson propping himself up on his front hooves, a wisp of smoke trailing off the tip of his curved horn.

"Insect!" He hissed as he spat some blood off to one side. He looked at Ella as he panted for air, giving her a sad smile. "Are...are you alright?" He managed to gasp before falling to the floor on his side.

"Telson!" Ella grabbed her blanket as she began to drag herself towards him, feeling utterly faint. She had no strength left, she had used the last of it when she had stabbed Damian. She felt her vision blur as a sharp pain in her abdomen nearly caused her to black out. Gritting her teeth, Ella willed herself to stay conscious as she pulled herself along, hand over hand towards her fallen friend until finally, she was alongside him.

Telson's side rose and fell with rapid, shallow breaths, a pathetic chitter escaping his throat as he looked up at Ella, his wing faintly buzzing.

"No, no, no, no..." Ella sobbed as she saw his terrible state. The carapace of his belly was shattered, his left hind leg ruined. He clutched his hoofs to his gut in a futile attempt to stem the flow of blood as his life poured out of him, pooling on the floor beneath him in a dark, viscous red pool. Ella pressed the blanket over his abdomen to try and help, but she knew that it was hopeless. Even though she knew next to nothing of his physiology, it was obvious that these wounds were fatal. She whimpered in pain as she forced herself up onto her knees, taking his head into her lap as she desperately projected her feelings out to him, silently urging him to feed: all of her gratitude to him, her newfound love, her desire for him to live and be happy, hoping beyond hope that it could somehow save him.

Telson couldn't help but smile, unable to believe what he was sensing. The girl barely had the strength to keep her own life going, and yet she was offering it to him. You truly are a treasure. "I'm afraid it's too late for that, small one..." He whispered. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks as she cradled him.

"No! No it's not, ya hear me!" Ella sputtered past her tears. "You, you can't die, you're too strong for that! You can't leave now...I can't do this without you...I, I was just getting to know you...please...please..." The girl's pleas trailed off, her whole body shuddering as she tried to choke back her sobs.

Telson slowly reached up with one hoof, gently touching her cheek, leaving behind a small smudge of his blood as he brushed aside one of her tears, which were more precious to him than diamonds. Tears? No one has ever shed any for me... "Please hear me small one, there isn't much time." He said as he coughed again, blood dripping from his mouth. "Your friend is under my mistress' control, he's not himself. He will do whatever she tells him to, even kill. You must convince her to release him. I know I have no right to ask...I have done too much evil in the name of obedience...but please, please help my mistress, my Daystar...You're the only one who can now. I have failed her...You see, I'm not supposed to die without permission. So please, I beg you...help her. Love is the only thing that can save her now...her and your friend. Please..."

Ella looked down into his pleading blue eyes which shimmered with tears of his own. She grabbed hold of his hoof, her fingers slipping between some the grooves and holes in his limb and held it against her cheek, squeezing her eyes shut as a fresh wave of hot tears flooded from them. A sob escaped her lips as she nodded, unable to speak at first. "...I will...I will help her, I promise..." Ella finally managed to whisper.

She felt him relax slightly as he sighed, "Thank you...you don't know what that means to me, what you have come to mean to me..." Ella felt like her heart was being torn in two as she felt his life slipping away. And from the depths of her broken soul, she cried out.

Why...why God?! Why is this happening?! Why are you taking away the first people to love me in years? WHY?! Please, please save him, save Flash...save us! I know I've been a bad person...but please, you're good, aren't you? Have mercy...I can't do this, I can't...not alone, not like this... Ella suddenly felt an incredible warmth blossoming within her chest and spreading throughout her entire body. She opened her eyes and gasped at what she saw. Streaming from Telson's chest was a brilliant, pink and crimson stream of light, flowing right into her own chest and directly into her heart.

"Don't worry, small one. I will still be with you..." He whispered as he opened the channels of his soul, releasing all the love that he had, willing all of his remaining life to this creature he had come to know and care for. Ella could feel it, could feel just how much he had come to care for her as vitality and strength, the likes of which she had never known, continued to flow into every fiber of her being. The world seemed to fade away as an overwhelming sense of peace surrounded her. There was no more sadness, no more tears. She felt as if she could never know unhappiness again, for in that moment, she knew what it meant to be happy, she knew without a single doubt, that she was loved.

Ella heard his voice speak to her in her heart as his soul softly brushed up against hers. "Thank you Ella, thank you for giving me hope, for giving me love...and for teaching me how to share it with another...please, continue to share that gift, for it is the greatest gift there is...never forget that."

"I won't forget...and thank you Telson, thank you for being my friend. I love you..." Ella felt him smile at that.

"I love you too, small one..." She held him close, and all was still.

Author's Note

"Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

Wow, nearly 1500 views. I never imagined my poor story would reach that many eyes. I know many of you will probably be sore at me for leaving this chapter in suspense. Believe me, I like long chapters as much as the next reader, but when I calculated that this one would be in excess of 16,000 words, I had to find a place to split it; this seemed the most fitting mark. Here's wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, and a most blessed New Year filled with peace and happiness, God love you.

Weathering the Storm

Sunset Shimmer sighed contentedly as she leaned her head against Flash's shoulder, nuzzling her cheek against it. The pair were seated together on the edge of Cloudsdale, watching the Equestrian countryside glowing under a beautiful setting sun. It had now been one week since she had reunited with him, and had spent the time mending her relationship with the young human. She smiled as she felt the arm around her withers tighten slightly, as if he was reminding himself that she was real, that she was truly there with him. It amused Sunset to think that the last time she had been with him, he was small enough for her to carry him on her back. Now the 15 year old boy could pick her up if he wanted to.

Their initial reunion wasn't quite as peaceful; Flash had been unable to speak as he had fallen to his knees, crying softly into her mane as she had embraced him. Since that moment, the tutor and her former student had been able to spend much time together, with many deep and meaningful conversations shared between them. Much to her relief, Sunset discovered that he had long since forgiven her, and her apology to him created a moment that finally broke through the hard shell of hatred he had formed around his heart for Discord, which led to the two of them finally being reconciled with the other, much to the delight of Twilight and the girls whom he also apologized to. The wounds in his heart were finally beginning to heal. Though there was one subject they still had not broached, one that Sunset could sense was coming.

"Sunset?" Flash quietly asked.

"Hmm?" She replied sleepily, not wanting to open her eyes.

"Why did you leave?"

'Ah, there it is...' "Because I was unhappy."

"Why were you unhappy?"

"Because I was selfish, and selfish ponies are never happy. We're only truly happy when we love, because that is what we are made for." Flash paused, and Sunset could sense him frowning slightly in confusion.

"But, you were Celestia's student. Surely she taught you that lesson before. She's taught me that since before I could speak." He replied. Sunset smiled, drawing in a breath and slowly letting it out in a sigh.

"There are some truths that will only be believed after we discover them on our own." She said, "Pride, anger, self-love, these things blind us to the truth, we won't hear it no matter how many times somepony tells us because it's not what we want to hear. Only a humble heart accepts the truth, and sometimes, it is only after a heart is broken before it will ever accept it, especially if it is a prideful one, like mine was."

Flash was silent for a while, his hand gently brushing her shoulder as he mulled over her words.

"Sunset?"

"Yes Flash?"

"Are you happy now?"

"Yes, I'm very happy now Flash, because now I have friends." Flash paused for a moment before asking,

"Am I your friend?" The unicorn sighed, but she understood why he asked; after all, her pride kept her from saying it all those years ago.

"Yes Flash, you have always been my friend, and you always will be."

"Please don't stay away again."

"Don't worry kid, I'll never stay away again."

Bright Skies choked, unable to breath past the hoof slowly crushing her windpipe. She continued to struggle, violently kicking her hooves and beating her wings against the changeling who snarled down at her as she thrashed about.

“Wretched little pony...DIE!” Chelicerae shouted as she prepared to release the magic charged within her horn. But before she did, she suddenly paused as she took notice of the mare’s fiery aura and the seemingly immeasurable amount of love burning within her heart. It was intense, roiling, and burned like a star. In all her years, Chelicerae had never seen anything like it. Her shock was doubled when she suddenly felt a mental presence slam into her mind, and heard the mare’s voice blasting inside her head.

GET AWAY FROM MY SON!!! Chelicerae shook her head, the magic fading from her horn as she cocked her head at the mare with a shocked expression.

Bright Skies knew it was her, from the second she was in the same room as Flash, without even seeing the changeling, she knew that she had been the dark, hateful presence that she had sensed back in Equestria standing between her and her child. Now that distance was no longer weakening her bond with him, Bright Skies could clearly see and sense what was happening. This changeling had invaded his consciousness, manipulating his thoughts. It was like Flash’s mind was in the center of a twisted web, and she was the spider holding the strings.

"'Son?'" Chelicerae queried in confusion, "What are you-" She was abruptly cut off as a crimson beam of magic suddenly blasted her off of the mare and sent her sprawling across the floor.

Bright Skies gasped and coughed for air as Sunset Shimmer slid to a halt next to her. "Bright Skies! Are you alright?!" The pegasus coughed again as she rolled over.

"That changeling, she's controlling Flash!" She gasped as she tried to get to her hooves.

"I gathered as much," Sunset said, But that shouldn't be possible! She thought, her mind racing for an explanation as she heard more smashing sounds from across the room as Rainbow Dash and Flash battled against the other like a pair of raging tornadoes. She glanced from that chaotic fight back to Bright Skies, "Bright Skies, I need you to-"

"LOOK OUT!" Bright Skies screamed. Sunset didn't even look as she instantly threw up a barrier around them just in time to block a bolt of emerald magic that struck her shield with the force of a locomotive. Pain throbbed at the base of her horn from the force of the impact.

Hellfire she's strong! Sunset thought as she spun around to face her enraged opponent. The changeling was back on her hooves, advancing steadily towards her, horn aglow and murder in her eyes. "Bright Skies, get to cover! Try to get through to Flash!" She shouted as she charged the changeling.

Sunset teleported mid-gallop, reappearing on the changeling's side in a shoulder check hard enough to knock her opponent sideways. Chelicerae slid a few feet across the smooth hardwood floor, snarling as she rounded on the smaller unicorn.

"Who are you changeling?! How are you controlling him?!" Sunset demanded angrily as she charged her horn with energy. Chelicerae chuckled darkly.

"Oh? So you're the little mage who put that spell on Michail!" Chelicerae said with feigned surprise, as she brushed off her shoulder. "What can I say? You missed a spot!" She sneered as she unleashed another deadly bolt of magic.

Sunset teleported away again, the attack blasting away the flooring and scoring the cement beneath it.

Chelicerae spun around, predicting that her opponent would reappear behind her and attack, which she did. The changeling deflected the oncoming bolt of magic with a casual flick of her horn, causing it to go wide and blast a hole in the wall. Crafty little pony, she's stronger than she looks... She thought warily as the two began to slowly circle one other, each sizing their opponent up.

Sunset subtly cast a spell that would increase her agility, and another what would increase her durability. She had already calculated that if she was going to beat this opponent, it would have to be with close range magic. She could ill-afford to get into a contest of strength with an opponent that obviously had such an enormous reserve of power built up.

Chelicerae, meanwhile, could easily see how the unicorn's anger smoldered, making the already vibrantly colored pony appear that much more intense in her eyes. She smirked as an idea came to her,

"How does it feel little pony? To know that your best wasn't good enough?" She taunted as she prepared another spell, "That your precious pet belongs to me?"

Sunset ground her teeth. She knew that the changeling was goading her, enraged as she already was that she was controlling her friend; added to that, the frustration that for whatever reason, her spell didn't protect him. Sunset knew that like Flash, she too had a temper, and that if she didn't control it, it could very well imbalance her. A foalish way to fight against such a dangerous opponent. But frankly? She didn't care. Because if there was one thing anger could temporarily grant a unicorn, it was more power; and power was exactly what she wanted right now.

Sunset screamed as she lunged at the changeling, unleashing a blinding flash of magic as she did. Unphased, Chelicerae sidestepped her attack and proceeded to skillfully dance around the flurry of kicks, horn jabs, and furious blasts released by the enraged unicorn.

"Ha! Pa-thetic!" Chelicerae cackled as she blocked one of the shots with a conjured shield.

"Shut up!" Sunset snarled before being knocked back and to the floor as the changeling countered with a shot of her own.

The unicorn coughed as she pushed herself to her hooves, glaring daggers at the changeling walking towards her.

"Face it Equestrian, you can't win!" She gloated before unleashing a battle cry as she charged, slashing her long horn at the pony's chest.

Chelicerae suddenly felt a burning sensation in her left shoulder as the unicorn unexpectedly ducked and rolled around her attack. She hissed between clenched teeth as she looked down to see blood dripping from a short but deep cut in her shoulder, as if an invisible blade had slashed right through her hard chitin. Rounding on her opponent, she gasped as she spotted the unicorn crouched low, a pair of glowing, orange blades made of pure magic hovering on either side of her.

"You sure about that?" Sunset smirked, allowing herself a sinister-looking grin.

"Well, well, the little insect has some sting after all..." Chelicerae said, taking a more cautious stance. Her opponent was more formidable than she thought. The two magical blades hummed as they spun like a pair of saw-blades.

"Round two, bug." Sunset said while widening her stance.

Chelicerae ground her teeth in anger, swallowing nervously. This pony is dangerous...Telson, where are you?! I need you!

From where she knelt on the floor Ella could hear the the sounds of shouting and crashes coming through the walls. She knew that it was time to move, that she needed to go and find out what in the world was going on, but could not bring herself to leave Telson's body just yet. After he had breathed his last, she had covered him with the blanket he had earlier wrapped her in.

Gathering her nerve, Ella placed a hand upon his covered form. "Goodbye Telson...I'll never forget you." She whispered. Wiping her eyes, she leaned down to place a kiss on the changeling's covered head. "If you're up there, say a prayer for me," she whispered while making a quick sign of the cross. Turning in the direction of the penthouse, she made her way down the hall towards the doors, not looking back. If she had, she would have noticed a bright light beginning to shine from beneath the shroud.

Rainbow Dash ducked under another slash, darting from side to side as her friend relentlessly pursued her. She kept to her rear hooves, using her wings for balance so that her front hooves were free to block and redirect strikes. The feisty pegasus had been dumbstruck when Flash had suddenly blitzed her, not understanding what in the world was going on. It didn't take long for her to put two and two together though, once she caught a glimpse of the changeling on the other side of the enormous room. Since then, she had been doing her best to stay one step ahead so as to not be killed by her brainwashed friend, a task that was becoming increasingly difficult.

She had been the one who had originally taught Flash how to fight in the first place, and had sparred with him countless times since they were foals. She knew his style as well as the majority of his moves almost as well as her own. But unlike in any previous bout, they were never trying to actually hurt the other; and here, he was literally trying to kill her. Further complicating the situation, Flash was much more disciplined in his combat training than she usually cared to be, and it was beginning to show. His attacks were precise and focused, making her hastily mustered defense look almost clumsy by comparison. And while she was a good deal faster than him, her initial shock and hesitancy to fight back had cost her some of that speed advantage already. Blood dripped down her coat from multiple shallow cuts where she had not reacted quickly enough to his initial attacks, and her jaw ached from where he had caught her in the side of the head with his knee.

"Flash wake up! It's me, Rainbow-WHOA!" She was forced to fall backwards as he slashed at her again, the twin blades of his vambrace moving so quickly that they appeared as glistening arcs of light. Rainbow Dash rolled backwards over a small sofa, one of the few pieces of furniture not yet reduced to particles by their fight. As the couch tipped back, she kicked it towards him with both hooves as hard as she could, sending it rocketing towards him.

Rainbow Dash gaped as Flash slashed the object into two pieces around him, continuing to charge towards her without pause. He dove, flying through the air blades first, aiming to stab her right through the face. Thinking quickly, the pegasus tilted her head to one side, grabbing his arm with both hooves while slamming her two rear ones soldily into his gut, launching him clear over her. The human flew through the air, crashing upside down into the towering stone fireplace mantle with enough force to knock some of the masonry loose.

A pained cry rang out behind her and Rainbow Dash glanced back to see Bright Skies stagger and fall against the far wall, clutching at her middle. "Bright Skies!" Rainbow shouted, realizing what she had done.

"No Rainbow, look out!" The mare shouted back in alarm. Rainbow Dash spun around just in time to see Flash nearly on top of her. She dodged to the side a hair too late, a terrible pain slicing through her right wing as his blades raked across it, scattering the red carpet below with a small flurry of her cyan-blue feathers, many of them sliced cleanly in half. Rainbow Dash cried out in pain as she kicked Flash away with one hoof while spinning away from him. Quickly checking her wing, her heart skipped a beat as she saw the crimson stain of blood now spreading out between her feathers. She gave it a tentative flex, hissing as it stung. It was a nasty cut, but it looked like he missed her major flight muscles and tendons; even so, flying would now be a bit of a challenge.

"Rainbow Dash!" Bright Skies shouted. Rainbow glanced back at her, taking notice of the grim resolve on the other mare's face. "Don't worry about me, do whatever you have to to wake him up!" She said past gritted teeth. Rainbow Dash looked back to Flash who was picking himself from that last kick. He glared at her, the green light in his eyes seeming to intensify. She looked back one more time at Bright Skies, giving her a sharp nod.

"Right..." She breathed as she quickly looked back at her friend. "Sorry Flash, but believe me when I say that this is going to hurt me a lot more than you..." Rainbow Dash said as she set her jaw, dropping into a low crouch as Flash began stalking towards her. "Flash, I'm going to get through to you, even if I have to beat you back to your senses!" She shouted before rocketing towards him.

The pair moved as a blur, their blazing movements whipping the air around them into a mini-tempest, blowing debris across the room with gale-force wind as their combined movements charged the contained atmosphere with intense levels of their magical energy. Their rapid blows crackled and snapped like the noise of lightning and gunfire as they each continually broke the sound barrier with their high-speed movements. Rainbow Dash was a bit slower now due to her injuries, but she still held a slight edge in speed which she used to try and land a decisive blow.

Finally getting an opening, the pegasus tackled Flash around the middle, driving her shoulder into his gut as they flew across the room, smashing through the wood and plaster of a wall on the opposite side of the space and into an adjoining bedroom. Rainbow Dash didn't let up, pressing her advantage by raining down a hail of lighting quick blows across his face with her hooves: left, right, uppercut, cross; a relentless series of strikes that seemed to finally put him back on his heels. She shouted savagely as she brought down both front hooves together as one, aiming for the top of his head in what would doubtless be an incapacitating knockout blow. A loud smack cracked through the air as Flash's hands had shot up, catching both her forelimbs and holding them fast. The human glared at her, spitting some blood off to one side.

Rainbow Dash grunted in frustration as she twisted from side to side, trying to get loose. "Ung! Flash! Let g-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!" She screamed in agony as a powerful electric current suddenly ripped through her form, intense blue arcs of electricity curled around her body, causing all of her muscles to painfully spasm before the powerful discharge blasted her backwards out of the hole in the wall she had made before. Her body smashed back into the broken furniture of the sitting room, the carpet giving her a few vicious rugburns through her coat as she skidded to a halt.

The pegasus coughed, gagging on the acrid stench of ozone and her own singed feathers as she clambered back to her hooves, her whole body aching as she shook her head to clear her vision. Rainbow Dash looked up just in time to see Flash standing about 20 feet away, the fore and middle fingers of his right hand pointing directly at her, glowing with an intense blue light.

"Oh buck me..."

Bright Skies winced, her ears flattening against her head as a deafening thunderclap shook the entire building from within. The sounds of battle raged on, with Rainbow Dash's shouts sounding increasingly more desperate. No, Flash...don't! It's me! Please stop! Still huddled against the wall, the mare focused her thoughts into an iron hard spear, concentrating with all her might as she hurled her mind once more against the barrier that was separating Flash's consciousness from her own, only for it to glance off to no effect.

She tried to pick herself up, but it was no use. She was utterly spent, and in more pain than she could ever remember being in. Her head swam as she struggled to stay conscious. Oh All-Maker above, please...help us...help my baby... She was about to try and pick herself up once more when she felt a human hand suddenly rest gently against her shoulder. Bright Skies looked up, gasping slightly as she saw the young human crouching down next to her, her face full of curiosity and concern.

She was beautiful, even though her face was stained with tears and the clothing she was wearing was smeared with a dark colored blood. Bright Skies knew enough about humans that the blood was too dark a color to belong to this female. She had golden hair that went past her shoulders, with curls much like her own and blue eyes that shone like sapphires. The human was staring at her in wonder, obviously in awe at the sight of a creature not of her world. There was kindness in her eyes, but mixed with a deep, abiding sadness.

Bright Skies cleared her throat with a cough, "Who, who are you child?" The human continued to stare at her, not saying anything at first before finally murmuring,

"You're his mother...aren't you?"

Ella gaped down at the strange and wondrous creature she had before her, at a complete loss for words. When she had finally managed to stumble forward into the main penthouse, she had found it almost impossible to gather her bearings as her senses now swam in a cacophony of new sensations and heightened awareness. Something inexplicable had happened earlier as Telson had poured his life force into her. It felt as if something inside her had completely changed. There was now so much energy coursing through her body, that the world around her felt as if it were made of cardboard; she nearly tore the handle off of the door as she entered the room. Far more alarming to her than the ridiculous strength, was the additional senses that had formed in her body and mind. Everywhere she looked there was now color, every color of the rainbow. She could see what others were feeling, she could taste the bitter fear and anger hanging in the air, and she could smell a powerful source of love somewhere in the room. Is this what a changeling feels like?!

As if the new ability wasn't overwhelming enough, even her ordinary senses felt as if they were dialed to eleven, with every sight, smell, and texture amplified to a profound degree. She could feel every small pit in the metal of the door handle as she had turned it, and could clearly make out each grain in the hardwood floor. Her lungs sounded like bellows, her heart was a beating drum. It was almost too much, and it took all off her concentration to focus through the vast flood of unfamiliar sensations and information that her new and amplified abilities were granting her. But amidst all the noise and chaos that she suddenly found herself surrounded by, there was one new piece of information that halted her in her tracks, Ponies...these, are ponies?!

They were exactly as Flash had described them to her: bright, colorful, a bit strangely proportioned with enormous eyes. But despite their initial strangeness, there was something charming, even captivating about them. They were so utterly and practically disarmingly...Cute. Ella thought, at a loss to think of any other word to describe them at the moment. Unable to get near Flash who was locked in violent combat with another vibrantly colored pony, or approach Chelicerae at the far side of the room engaged in another vicious fight with, Is that a unicorn?! Ella had instead followed her new senses which told her that tantalizingly close, was an enormous quantity of love.

It was then that she had discovered the poor, battered, and blood-stained mare that was now before her. But as roughed up as she was, it did not dim in the slightest the sheer amount of love radiating off of her, love that Ella could clearly see burning for one person in particular: Flash.

The pony blinked at her, seemingly confused. "What did you say?" She asked. Ella starred back, noticing the beautiful violet of her eyes which sparkled like amethysts, the same color violet that streaked through Flash's blue eyes; suddenly, it all made sense.

"You're Flash's mother, aren't you?" She repeated.

"Y-yes, yes I am. But, who are you? And how did you-" A loud explosion rocked the room again, cutting her off. Ella immediately ducked low, shielding the mare with her body as she felt splinters and pieces of debris sprinkle around her. She was glad that she was still wearing her leather jacket.

"No time to explain, little pony," Ella said as she sat back up. "My name is Ella, and let's just say I'm a friend of your son's, and I think I know how we can get through to him."

"You do?!" Bright Skies asked, feeling a spark of hope glimmer.

"Yes, but I'll need your help." Bright Skies stared up at this human, not entirely sure what to think, or if she could trust her. The girl seemed earnest enough, and she somehow already knew about her connection to Flash, meaning he or somepony else must have talked to her. She knew time was running out, and it looked as if Rainbow Dash was losing ground fast. With so much at stake, she decided to risk it.

"What is your plan?" She asked. Ella smiled,

"What's your name, pony?"

"Bright Skies."

"Well Bright Skies, first, let's get you to him."

Rainbow Dash dodged another series of quick strikes from her friend: left, right, before hitting him with a gust of wind from her wings, blasting him backwards. Flash stabbed his blades into the floor as he slid back, slowing himself to a halt; he looked back up, completely undaunted.

Rainbow panted, trying to catch her breath; she hated to admit it, but she was getting worn down. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't seem to land a decisive blow. And with every second that the battle unnecessarily dragged on, she was losing that much more energy while gaining additional injuries, bringing the odds that much closer that she might slip up and make a fatal mistake. It wasn't like she hadn't gotten in several good hits of her own, perhaps more than she had received. She was faster, and every bit as strong as him; but no matter how many times she hit him, Flash didn't seem to respond to pain. It was like he had been numbed to it.

The mare snarled in anger, Pain... Why should she have to beat on her friend?! Why did they have to risk killing each other?! She glared at the changeling across the room locked in battle with Sunset; they seemed evenly matched. This is all her fault... Rainbow glanced back at Flash who was picking himself up for another attack. If I could just take that changeling out, Flash would wake up and this nightmare would all be over!

Gathering her strength, Rainbow Dash shot out her wings, seizing hold of every air molecule she could feel before slamming them together with a ferocious shout. A focused blast of wind struck Flash in the chest, forcing him to crouch down to avoid being blown away. Rainbow Dash noticed how he held his right hand up in front of him like a blade, using his own weather magic to bifurcate the air around him. Clever, she thought, but it didn't matter. It would keep Flash pinned for just a second, and a second was all that she needed to get by him.

Rainbow Dash took off like a shot, smirking as she streaked by him, her sights locked onto the changeling who didn't even see her coming. I'll plaster her to the wall! A glint of intense light suddenly appeared in her peripheral vision right as she flew past Flash. Her head turned in slow motion to see the finger of Flash's left hand pointing at her from behind the bend in his right elbow as he continued staring dead ahead at the space she had occupied a millisecond prior.

Rainbow Dash's vision went white with pain as a bolt of lightning, accompanied by a deafening thunderclap, caught her directly in the barrel. The intense energy blasted her sideways across the room and into one of the enormous windows, her body striking it with such appalling force that it cracked the thick, ballistic grade glass.

Rainbow fell to the floor, gasping for air as she clutched her middle with both hooves, unable to tell if she had broken something. Her whole body was trembling in shock as she tried to get back up. Get up Rainbow, get up! He's coming! He's- "Ack!" She grunted as she felt an iron-like grip clamp around her throat, choking off her airway and pinning her to the floor. Rainbow Dash kicked out blindly with her hooves, hitting nothing but air as she struggled to try and push Flash away, grasping at his wrist. Her vision blurred with tears of pain, she looked up just in time to jerk her head sideways, narrowly avoiding the blades that stabbed by her face and into the floor, grazing her cheek and leaving a painful cut as they went by.

Flash tugged with his arm, seemingly stuck for a moment before wrenching the blades free from the floor and drawing back for another blow. Rainbow Dash felt the cold claw of fear grip her heart at last, knowing that her luck had finally run out. "No...Flash...don't..." She choked out as she tried desperately to break his grip. She couldn't even scream as she saw him taking careful aim, getting ready to nail her head to the floor. The tips of the blades just started to move forward when another set of arms suddenly shot out from behind him, curling up under his arm and placing him in a half-nelson.

Rainbow Dash gasped for air as her throat was released, immediately using her restored mobility to roll free. Looking up, she was shocked to see another human behind Flash struggling to hold him in place.

Ella held on for dear life as Flash thrashed about, trying to throw her off. Even with her newfound strength, it felt like she was trying to wrestle a panicked horse. "Umpf! A little help here?!" She shouted at the battered blue pony that was gaping at her.

"Oh, right!" The pegasus leapt forward, grabbing onto Flash's other arm and hauling him to the floor. Together, they managed to keep him pinned on his back. At the same time, Ella heard Chelicerae scream in rage from across the room as a pulse of energy shook the building, cracking several windows.

This had better work, Ella thought as she called out, "Bright Skies, now!" The pink mare responded instantly, landing from above onto Flash's chest and seizing his head in her front hooves. She pressed her forehead against her son's, squinting in concentration.

"Flash! It's me! Can you hear me!" She shouted with both her voice and her mind. Flash stopped struggling for a second, his eyes twitching, shaking his head as if he'd been slapped.

Ella felt a sense of elation as she kept her arms locked around Flash's bladed forearm, I was right, the spell is weakened by love! "It's working! Keep it up!" She shouted before twisting her neck to look at him, "Flash! It's Ella, wake up!"

"We're here for you!" Rainbow Dash chimed in, seeming to understand the strategy. Flash grunted, swinging his head from side to side as he began to scream in pain.

"Please, you need to come back to us baby! I love you! I love you so much!" Bright Skies shouted, continuing to press her mind with all her strength against the thick web surrounding his consciousness. She felt him, she could feel his mind beginning to wake up as she hurriedly tore away at the bonds ensnaring it. But she also felt something else building up as well, something dangerous. Panicking, she quickly cried out to the others, "Ella, Rainbow Dash, GET BACK!"

They obeyed just in time, letting go and leaping clear just as a blinding discharge of electricity consumed the mother and her son. Ella shielded her eyes as she heard the pony cry out in pain. Ella looked back once the light had faded and felt her heart drop at the sight before her, "Flash, NO!"

Chelicerae cursed her opponent for what must have been the hundredth time under breath, screaming in frustration as she fired off what she knew would be another ineffective blast at the unicorn who merely teleported away to avoid it. The battle, which at first had been going in her favor, had quickly turned against her. While she may have been stronger than her opponent in terms of raw strength, it had quickly become apparent that in terms of magical knowledge and ability, she was hopelessly outmatched. This blasted mage had an experience and knowledge of spellcraft that far outstripped her own rudimentary skills, a liability that the unicorn was exploiting with ruthless efficiency.

In the relatively short exchange, the pony had managed to pick away at her with innumerable small wounds. In particular, a cut over her right eye that dripped blood into her vision, another on the joint of her left hind leg that made it difficult to bear weight on, while one of her wings dangled limply due to an injury to the muscles, stripping her of her flight advantage. In return, she had only been able to mark the pony a few times, after which the little beast had made sure to stay well out of her reach.

"Stand and fight me you cowardly little pony!" Chelicerae snarled as she seized and launched pieces of the decimated flooring and kitchen at the unicorn with her magic. Sunset responded with a barrier that transformed the deadly shrapnel into harmless bubbles as soon as they struck it.

"Now why would I want to do that?" Sunset said, tapping her chin in mock-wonder; the changeling looked fit to explode. She was happy to use the same psychological tactics her enemy had employed on her before, but she knew that she had to end this quickly. Despite her confidant bravado, she was exhausted. Fighting an opponent who had enough magical strength to crush her outright if she got her hooves on her had not been an easy affair. Her reserves were low, and the longer the fight dragged on, the greater the likelihood that she or one of her friends might be hurt or worse.

Sunset charged her horn, preparing a complex spell to counter the provoked attack that was no doubt coming. "C'mon, changeling! Is that the best you got? I'm right here!" She emphasized by tapping of her hoof on the floor, taunting her in an attempt to ensure that outcome. The changeling bore her fangs, screaming in rage as she unleashed a blast with enough energy to reduce her to a skeleton.

"Come to mama..." Sunset smirked in a low voice. The spell she had readied was a complex one: risky, intricate, and costly. But if it worked, she could end this fight now.

Chelicerae looked on in shock as her magic struck an orange disk of magic ringed with arcane symbols that had suddenly manifested in front of the unicorn. The ring glowed with intensity as it absorbed her magic, seeming to collapse in on itself before exploding outward into over a dozen glowing chains whose links appeared to be made of fire. Before she could react, the magical chains shot towards her, quickly wrapping around her limbs, horn, and body like so many snakes, completely ensnaring her.

"GAH! WHAT IS THIS?!" Chelicerae screamed as she pulled against the magical bonds to no effect. She tried to charge her horn with magic, only to feel it stop at it's base like a clogged faucet.

Sunset sighed in equal parts exhaustion and relief as she stepped before the changeling thrashing about on the floor in a vain attempt to free herself. She glared down at her, "Submit." The word caused her prisoner to freeze and look up at her with hateful eyes. "Those chains will suppress your magic, you cannot transform or escape. So, release Flash from your spell right now, or I'll break off your horn, changeling." Sunset said, emphasizing the threat with a painful tug on the magical bonds.

Sunset Shimmer watched in alarm as Chelicerae's face twisted into a mask of pure indignation and hate. The changeling giving her a look of such spite and hostility that she actually took a step back.

"Submit...SUBMIT?!" She raged. A red haze descended over Chelicerae's vision as she pushed raw energy into her horn with all of her hate-fueled might, so much so that it felt as if she might split her skull; but she no longer cared, willing to suffer any level of pain just as long as she could kill this arrogant pony.

Sunset's ears flattened against her head as a high-pitched whine began to fill the air, starring in horrified disbelief as glowing green cracks of light began to shoot through the bright orange light of the magical chains. Before she could fully react, an incredibly forceful blast of magical energy exploded in front of her face, shattering the partially formed barrier she had just begun to raise about herself and cracking several of the enormous bay windows. The force of the blast flung her like a rag-doll across the floor.

Sunset's ears were ringing, her vision hazy as she tried to push herself to her hooves, only to find that they wouldn't move. Tugging at her hooves again, Sunset's vision cleared to see that the cement that had been exposed earlier by the destruction the wooden flooring had transformed into a thick, viscous liquid that flowed over her hooves and up her legs like living quicksand. A panicked scream was the only thing she had time to utter as the liquid stone completely engulfed and swallowed her, hardening instantly.

Chelicerae cut off the spell, breathing hard as she now stood before the vaguely pony-shaped lump of hardened cement. "Submit?" She repeated past her panting breath. "Never, little pony...never to you. And now, you're dead."

She turned away from the petrified pony and began to limp towards the other side of the room which had grown strangely quiet. It didn't take long for her to see why. Michail was sitting in the middle of the destroyed sitting area with Ella and another pony, a blue pegasus with a rainbow-colored mane, who were sitting on either side of him. A pink pony with a violet mane was sitting in his lap; well, more red than pink. There was so much blood running down her left side staining her coat that it was difficult at first to discern her color. Chelicerae realized with alarm that Michail was now somehow awake; but before she could say or do anything, she heard him utter a single word, a word that caused her mind and heart to freeze in horror at the revelation of who the badly wounded pony in front of him actually was.

"Mom?"

Bright Skies smiled warmly as she stared into the eyes of her son; his bright, fully conscious eyes. He always looked so cute when he was utterly bewildered like that, it reminded her of when he was a baby and the look of wonder that came upon his face whenever he discovered something new.

"Mom?" He asked, his voice almost too quiet to be heard.

"Hey," she whispered back. "It's me, it's your momma." She managed to respond, her voice trembling from the pain caused by the blades presently piercing completely through her raised forelimb and deep into her shoulder. Bright Skies knew that as soon as Ella had released his arm, that the blades would come shooting towards her neck. Rather than risk the girl being hurt by the electrical discharge she sensed building, she decided to block them with her forelimb, sacrificing the appendage in order to preserve both of their lives.

Flash's jaws worked up and down a few times in muted horror as he looked from his mother's face to his blades impaling her body. "No..." He breathed as the blades retracted with a wet squelch. Bright Skies whimpered as she fell forward against him. "No, no, NO!" He yelled, his voice increasing in both panic and volume. Flash uttered a gagging noise as he looked with indescribable revulsion at his right hand, stained with his mother's blood; sheer, unbearable agony twisted inside of him at the realization that he had hurt, possibly killed his own mother. His head pounded as he struggled to comprehend what was going on and how he got here, his own arm and shoulder burning as he felt her pain.

"H-help...somepony help me!" He shouted desperately while pressing his hand against her bleeding shoulder. Ella and Rainbow Dash immediately sprung into action, though Flash couldn't see them past the tunnel vision forming in his eyes as he focused on his mother. It was too much to bear, he felt as if he was going mad. Where am I?! How could this happen?! Why...why did I attack my mom?!! His thoughts spun out of control as tears welled in his eyes. Just as he felt like he was about to completely lose it, he felt his mother's soul suddenly rush into his, enveloping his mind and heart in a sweet, all-comforting embrace. And in that moment, all of the panic, fear, and caustic emotions threatening to overwhelm him were swept aside like so many dead leaves before a great wind, no match for the incredible peace that the presence of her love brought to his heart.

As their minds melded into one, Bright Skies instantly became aware of all that he had done and all that had happened to him since he had come into this world. Moving at the speed of thought, she commended him for his bravery, comforted him over the life he had taken, and showered him with motherly pride and affection over how well he had persevered in charity and selflessness in the face of so much hardship and adversity. Wow, I'm so very proud of you, my splendid son. You did so well, nopony could have asked more of you. Don't worry, I'm going to be alright. It's not as bad as it looks. I'm here for you now, everything's going to be fine, you'll see.

At the same time, Flash saw through her thoughts all that had happened while he was gone and how much she had risked to come to his aid. Every time he tried to be upset, to blame himself for putting her in danger, her soul would block him, not allowing him to focus on any of the ugliness around them, but only on her love for him. None of that dear, no. That doesn't matter right now. All that matters is that you're safe, that I'm here for you. She smiled as she felt his heart calming and the storm of anguish that had nearly consumed him begin to recede.

Bright Skies sat back up, placing her good limb on his shoulder while keeping her badly wounded one tucked against her side with one of her wings. "There now," She reassured him, lovingly touching his cheek with her hoof while smiling. "See? Everything is going to be alright." Flash shuddered, rubbing his eyes as he gripped the gentle hoof touching his face. Bright Skies did her best to conceal her own growing heartache as she became more aware of her son's injuries, particularly the scar on his cutie mark in addition to seeing the scar on his face. Ella, meanwhile, was tearing a blanket that Rainbow Dash had found among the wrecked furniture into strips.

"Here, let me see!" Ella said. Bright Skies lifted her wing, allowing the girl to wrap her limb and shoulder with the make-shift bandages. The pony looked upon her with newfound appreciation and understanding as she more closely examined Flash's memories and feelings about her. Her eyes widened, and a knowing smile tugged at one corner of her mouth as she looked from the girl to her son, a touch of red flushing her cheeks for a moment.

Flash looked at Ella as she worked on her mother's wounds. "Ella? How did you...are you alright?" She smiled sadly at him,

"Hey kiddo, ya had me worried there for a sec'." She said, sniffing and rubbing one eye while continuing to bind his mother's wounds.

Flash sensed something was very wrong with her; she looked heartbroken, and her scent was wrong. Is that blood? He wanted to ask her more, but he decided it best to wait. After all, his mind was still spinning as he attempted to fill in the gaps in his memories with what he could see in his mother's thoughts. He slowly scooted back, allowing his mother to gingerly sit down on the floor as he got to his knees, gaping at the destruction all around him while rubbing the side of his aching head.

He looked to his left to see Rainbow Dash sitting next to him, a tired smile on her bruised face as blood dripped down from a cut on her right cheek. She looked worse than he could ever remember seeing her, and that was saying something. Her mane was totally disheveled, as were her wings; one of which was darkly stained with blood. There was a blackened scorch mark in the fur on the right side of her barrel, and her coat was marked with several shallow cuts. He had a terrible feeling that he was the reason she looked that way.

"Rainbow?"

"Hey Flash," She said with her trademark smirk. "You sure gave us all one heck of a scare."

"Did, did I do all this?" He asked gesturing to her injuries. Rainbow Dash's smile suddenly faded as she looked past him. She jumped to her hooves, flaring her wings.

"Not exactly," She growled as she glared at something past him. Every eye turned, following her gaze to see the changeling looking down at them all from where she stood at the upper edge of the sitting area. Flash's eyes narrowed, not knowing what to think or feel as his eyes beheld Chelicerae's stunned and battered countenance. He blinked as he struggled to remember; bits and pieces of his memories beginning to surface in his mind the longer he stared at her: a violent struggle, a stinging bite, tearful pleading, and the fading echo of a voice that begged...forgive me. Of all the reactions that Flash thought he might have at seeing one responsible for harming the pony he loved more than life itself: wrath, hate, a desire for vengeance, the last feeling he ever expected was presently welling up from the depths of his soul with such force that it nearly brought him to tears: heartbreak.

Why...why Chel...why...would you do this? He bit the inside of his cheek as he felt his eyes growing glassy.

Flash, He stole a glance at his mother who was looking at him with tender sympathy, understanding now his connection to this creature. Sometimes, there are no reasonable answers... She said with pity for the changeling, though she made no attempt to hide the raw anger she felt towards her for all the harm she caused him. She truly is a pitiful soul. But unless she desires to change, she cannot be helped. It's not your fault.

Chelicerae wilted under Flash's gaze, feeling guilty as sin as she came to grips with the reality that because of her, the human had nearly killed the pony he called his mother. The human's heartbroken look making the torturous feeling all the more unbearable; she opened her mouth to speak, but found no words that she could say. She had hurt him. She hadn't meant to, but she had still managed to harm him in a manner far more cruel than any physical injury. And she had done so despite all of his forbearance, all of the love and mercy he had unnecessarily shown her. The feeling was heart-rending, as if she had wounded love itself. I'm a monster... Was the only thought she could think.

"Michail, I..." She began before noticing Ella staring at her. The very sight of the human causing her mind to empty, falling into the bottomless pit of fear now forming deep within her. The girl's clothing was stained with blood, the scent of which was unmistakable; and the human's aura was a deep, dark color of pure sorrow that shook the changeling to her core.

"Ella?" She murmured, "Where's Telson?" The human didn't answer, though the grief in her eyes hinted of an answer too horrible to describe. Before Chelicerae could utter another syllable, a burst of orange light suddenly erupted behind her, bathing the room in a wave of incredible of heat. The changeling princess whirled around, gasping in terror at the sight of the impossible.

The unicorn she thought she had destroyed now stood in the middle of a blazing ring of fire. The cement that should have been the pony's tomb had melted into a glowing molten slag, dripping down the pony's fur as if it were nothing more than water to her. Her eyes shone with a vengeful light, and a blazing aura of heat surrounded her with all the intensity of the sun itself as her hoofsteps melted prints into the very floor. When she spoke, her voice sounded like the roar of a rushing wind.

"Well congratulations changeling, you forced me to use one of her spells!"

Chelicerae didn't even have time to form a thought as a powerful telekinetic grip unexpectedly seized her, slamming her to the floor with such force that she saw stars. It lifted her up and repeated the assault; slamming her again, again, and again with ever increasing violence before flinging her across the room where she smashed through part of the kitchenette, destroying appliances and rupturing the sink's water line before she finally landed in a tangled heap. Even though she was now in mind-numbing pain, she gave not a thought to herself nor to the pony that might very well be her death stalking towards her. Her mind was concerned for only one individual...Telson.

"Wait, stop!" Ella shouted as she leapt to her feet, sprinting to place herself between Chelicerae and the practically homicidal looking unicorn. The flames around the pony winked out of existence as she halted, though Ella could clearly see surprise and suspicion still coloring the mare's intense emotions.

"Get out of the way," Sunset said cautiously, unsure of what this human's motives were, or if she even was a human and not another changeling in disguise.

Flash, stunned by Ella's restored energy and unusually quick movement, responded by quickly moving to stand at Ella's side. "Sunset, wait," He said, holding up a hand. "She's human, I assure you." Ella gave him a grateful look as she turned to see Chelicerae picking herself up, panic growing on her face.

"Ella, where's Telson..." She said, a tremor in her voice. Ella swallowed past the lump building in her throat, not knowing how to answer.

"Chel, he's..." She began, but found that the words caught in her throat. Ella saw Chelicerae's pupils shrink to pin-pricks as the terrible truth began to become ever more evident with each painful second that passed.

"Who-whose blood is that...WHOSE BLOOD IS THAT?!" Chelicerae screamed, her voice becoming increasingly hysterical, tripping over her own hooves as she scrambled towards Ella, who was forced to place her hands on the base of Chelicerae's neck in order to hold the crazed changeling back as she got in her face. "TELL ME, YOU TELL ME RIGHT NOW!!!"

Flash moved to intervene but stopped when Ella held up her hand, a movement that caused Chelicerae to halt as well as she waited with baited breath for the human to say something. Ella felt tears coming to her eyes, but still couldn't bring herself to say it; an action which told Chelicerae everything that words would not.

"...I'm sorry Chel..." Ella finally said with a slow shake of her head, a tear sliding down her face. "It all happened so fast. It was Damian...we were attacked. Telson was hurt...he saved me, but he, he didn't make it...I'm, I'm so sorry..." The whole room fell completely silent, no one made a sound as the air itself seemed to leave the space. The only noise being the spray of water striking the floor from one of the ruptured pipes in the destroyed kitchenette.

Ella watched helplessly as Chelicerae stumbled back a few steps, uttering a defeated whimper as she fell to her haunches, a distant look filling her vacant eyes. Ella waited. She waited and waited for what felt like hours for the princess to say or to do something, anything. Perhaps ask her for more details, or to demand some sort of proof; to scream and rage, maybe even attack them all. But Chelicerae did none of those things. She continued to stare at the floor, appearing dead to everything around her as her heart and mind seemed to implode.

Ella fell to her knees in front of the crushed changeling, at a complete loss at what to do. Flash was now free, but what could be done for her? She had promised Telson that she would try and help Chelicerae, but how? What could she possibly do in the face of such immeasurable despair? It was then that she heard Telson's voice ringing in her mind,'Love is the only thing that can save her now...' This was quickly followed by the memory her mother's words, ...someday, I know your love will help others just like your love helps me. Steeling herself, Ella removed her jacket, tossing it to one side. Ever so slowly, and with great care, she reached out her hand, placing it gently against the side of the changeling princess' face.

Chelicerae slowly looked up at her, her eyes still empty and distant. Ella caressed her cheek, her sorrowful eyes communicating to the changeling a depth of sympathy and compassion that no words could. "He never gave up on you, Chelicerae." Ella whispered to her, "To the very end, he still believed in you, believed that you could come back...that deep down, you were still his Daystar...and he loved you, so very much."

Flash saw it, his eyes widening as he watched the impossible unfold before him: the miraculous moment a heart of stone was finally broken by the persistent outpouring of love.

A mournful keen so sorrowful that it could have moved stones to tears tore from Chelicerae's throat as she collapsed against Ella's shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably. Ella wrapped her arms around the changeling's withers, leaning her head against the princess' and holding her close as an ocean of pain, sorrow, regret, and self-hatred poured out of the poor creature's shattered soul.

In his whole life, Flash could not recall ever seeing a more pitiful sight than the scene before him. The poor changeling's crying was like that of a small, sorrowful child. It was as if her wounded innocence that she had discarded and locked away so long ago was now finally free, lamenting both the loss of her true self as well as her friend. Flash knelt down next to Ella and Chelicerae, placing his arms on either of their shoulders as he lent his support to them. He himself felt floored to hear the news that Telson was dead, hardly believing that anything could kill the powerful changeling. He desperately wanted to know what had happened, but put his questions aside for the time being, knowing that what mattered now was helping his friend. Through his mother's eyes, Flash became aware of his friends watching them while she herself gazed approvingly upon him, silently encouraging him in the goodness of his present actions.

Over and over again, through her cries and weeping, Chelicerae expressed sorrow upon sorrow and apology after apology, begging Telson, the two humans embracing her, and even Order itself to forgive her for all the evil she had done, for all of the pain that she caused them. And as often as she begged, Ella and Flash responded in affirmation, repeatedly assuring her over and over that they forgave her, that she was not alone, and that they were there for her. She cried until she had no tears left to give.

Finally leaning back from their embrace, Chelicerae raised her eyes to look at the two humans who had broken through her darkness, all because they had refused to give up on her; waves of both love and sorrow for her radiated off of them both. She felt utterly drained, her heart completely broken. The very thought of facing the reality that Telson was gone and that it was partially her fault was still more than she could bear. If only I had listened to him... The thought almost causing her to break down once more. And yet, despite the pain, there glimmered in her heart ever so faint, something that had all but been extinguished: hope. Hope, and the determination to make things right, if for nothing else but to honor Telson's memory, and try to live up to the potential that he had believed she still possessed.

Mother...I can no longer help you by doing what is wrong...I can't. I must find another way. Chelicerae looked from Ella to Flash, immeasurable gratitude for them both welling within her. She reached up and took Flash's hand while detaching the gate-key from her neck with her magic and placing it in his palm. "Here," she said, her raw voice cracking, "You'll need this to go home, Michail." She said as she closed his fingers around it.

Flash looked from his hand to her, "Won't you come back with us princess?" He asked. Chelicerae shook her head.

"No, not yet. First, I need to begin undoing some of the damage I've caused here." She said while looking to Ella. "Ella...I know I have no right, and you probably want to go with Michail," She said, causing the girl to blush ever so slightly. "But, would it be possible for you to stay here and help me do that? At least, for a little while? I, I don't want to be alone..."

Ella glanced at Flash first who smiled and nodded at her, "Oh, of course I will Chel." She replied.

Chelicerae nodded gratefully, once again overwhelmed by her kindness, "Thank you, thank you both, dear children." She whispered, steeling herself for what she knew she needed to ask next. "Could you, could you show me where you laid him?" Ella sniffed, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand.

"Yeah, c'mon, I'll show you." She said.

Chelicerae took a deep breath as she moved to stand, immediately gagging and coughing on a sour smell that had filled the air. Flash noticed it too as he rose to his feet, seeing the haze that now seemed to fill the room as he coughed on the foul air as well. Chelicerae's eyes widened in alarm as she glanced to her left at the destroyed kitchenette where water was still spraying from the ruptured pipe. It was then that she noticed the wreckage of the gas-stove, and the cracked gas-line that had been venting into the room, slowly filling the air with it's deadly contents.

To her horror, Chelicerae saw a pair of frayed electrical wires hanging from the wall lying exposed on the floor, towards which the spreading puddle of water had now expanded to. She immediately turned her head towards the ponies still on the other side of the room, particularly to her former opponent. "SHIELD NOW!" She screamed at the unicorn as she seized Flash and Ella in her magic, throwing them both behind her while conjuring a magical barrier of her own in the same instance the water engulfed the wires, creating a spark.

Ella's screaming was the first thing that snapped Flash back to his senses as he twisted and tumbled through the darkness, wind and rain rushing past his ears. Chelicerae's quick thinking and magic had saved their lives, but had not stopped the blinding explosion from blasting the three of them back through the shattered windows and out into the open air, sixty stories above the street below, but now only 300 feet away, rushing rapidly up to greet them. Flash reacted without thinking. With all of his skill, he used his flight magic to kick off the air, propelling himself instantly towards Ella where he grabbed onto her before immediately repeating the action to shoot himself in the opposite direction towards Chelicerae's unconscious form, grasping her around the barrel.

With only fifty feet left above the pavement, Flash did the only thing left to him. "GATE!" He screamed as he willed the gate-key still clenched in his fist to activate, summoning a shimmering wall of light through which they fell. A sphere of multicolored lights exploded high in the clear Equestrian night sky from which the three figures continued to fall. Flash had chosen an area close to Cloudsdale where he knew there would be a familiar pattern of clouds. He knew passing through a portal would not change their momentum, and needed to choose somewhere that gave him a chance of slowing them all down. They were now about a thousand feet up, which he calculated would buy them about seven more seconds. At the same time, he willed the portal he had opened to remain so, praying that Sunset or Rainbow Dash might be able to follow after and save them in case he couldn't.

"HANG ON!" He shouted above the rushing wind as he aimed himself towards the first in a column of five clouds. Ella responded by wrapping her arms around his neck, squeezing herself close to him. Twisting over so that he would impact against his back, Flash held Ella and Chelicerae against his chest and braced himself for the collision.

Clouds were wonderful, soft things; even the mattress he slept upon at home was made from one. Those who did not possess the natural ability to touch one would weep to know what they were missing. That being said, hitting one at terminal velocity with the added weight of two bodies was about as comfortable as getting hit by a pillow...filled with sand, fired from the muzzle of Pinkie Pie's party cannon, with a double load of powder, and only after the world-bending mare had gone on a particularly wild sugar binge.

Flash grunted in pain as he punched through the first cloud, the impact knocking the wind out of him and painfully reminding him that his ribs were still broken. He blasted through the second, third, and fourth cloud in rapid succession, feeling a sense of hope as the impacts served to dramatically slow their velocity; he was certain that the fifth one would finally stop them. Unfortunately for him, the fifth cloud was slightly out of position, sloppy handling on the last weather-team's part no doubt. Flash made a mental note that he would have to have a word with their shift manager, that is, if he lived to do so.

Flash shot out a his right hand as they glanced off the fifth and final cloud, his fingers digging into the cumulous and bringing them to an abrupt halt. He screamed in pain as he felt his arm pop out of its socket, his hand maintaining a deathgrip on the cloud. They were now dangling perilously a good 400 feet above the ground, still far too high a fall for any of them to survive. Ella kept her arms wrapped tightly about his neck as she screamed something about excrement being holy, which Flash thought to be an odd combination of words.

He felt a stab of panic as Chelicerae began to slip out of out of his other arm. Shooting out his hand, Flash managed to grab hold of one of her front hooves, hollering as the action caused the pain in his abused shoulder to increase. Breathing fast through pursed lips, he attempted to lift the unconscious changeling up towards the cloud, knowing that with her magic, it should be able to support her. He made it about a quarter of the way before his strength gave out and she fell back to her previous position.

"Oh come on!" Flash shouted in equal parts frustration and pain as he wracked his brain for a solution, knowing that his grip couldn't last forever. Between his dislocated shoulder, injuries, and the beating he took from Rainbow Dash, his strength was nearly spent. He considered using a pendulum effect to swing the changeling up, but decided against it, doubting that the piece of cloud he was gripping onto would hold under such strain. He glanced down at Ella and couldn't help but blush as her face was right up in his. She smiled shyly despite the terribleness of the situation.

"Ya know Flash," She grunted as she shifted her arms to maintain her grip about his neck. "I was kinda hopin' that the first time we got this close would be, mmf, at a dance or somthin'!"

"That right?" Flash hissed as he tried again but failed to lift Chelicerae up. "I've...never danced with another human, only other ponies. Had to learn, urgh, as part of my training as an officer...formal balls and all," He said before shouting in frustration as he was unable to pull either of them up. He looked up into the moonlit sky, breathing hard as he felt the portal he had opened finally close, unable to maintain it any longer at this distance.

"I've never been to a ball before," Ella said, trying to hide the worry in her voice as she saw the fear in Flash's aura deepen.

"Well, there's this big one that they throw in our capital every year, unh! Called the Grand-Galloping Gala...biggest show you've ever seen. If we get out of this, I promise I'll take you..." Flash said as he felt his grip slip a little.

"Heh, I'd like that Flash, I really would!"

"Michail..." A voice below interrupted. Flash and Ella both looked down to see Chelicerae looking up at them, a wearied look in her eyes. "Let me go." She said.

Flash's eyes widened, "No Chel, you can't fly!" He said, casting a glance at her damaged wing.

"I know." She replied.

"Just, just change yourself into something lighter!" He shouted. Chelicerae's horn sparked a few times and fizzled out as she tried and failed to transform. Breaking those magic nullifying chains with brute force seemed to come with some nasty after-effects. That, combined with blocking the explosion afterwards had all but drained her.

"Can't," She panted after another few tries. "Just, let go."

"But you'll die!"

"And you'll live, it's the least I can do."

"Chel, no..." Ella said, though she knew not what she could do.

"No, buck that! I won't let go, not when we're so close!!!" Flash screamed as he felt the edge of the cloud beginning to tear away.

"Michail," Flash looked down to see her smiling, her emerald eyes gazing softly at him. "It's okay." She whispered.

Flash grit his teeth, knowing that she was right. That if he didn't let her go, all three of them would die. But he couldn't do it, he couldn't bring himself to let her fall to her death, not after all they had gone through to help her. He screamed in frustration as he felt his grip slipping, his hand numb from the exertion. "Buck it all, NOOO!"

A strong hoof suddenly shot out from above, seizing hold of his arm and arresting their fall. "Got you, Lieutenant." Came the strong, masculine voice. Flash's eyes shot up, looking to see who their savior was and nearly choked. It was another changeling, tall and powerfully built. It's chitin was the glossiest black he had ever seen, glistening like polished ebony. The tip of his curved horn faded into the brightest red, as if it had been dipped in fresh blood. His shining eyes were the color of pure gold, his wings and tail a brilliant burnt-orange, and the shell on his back the deepest blue, like the depths of the sea. Even though his appearance had completely changed, there was no mistaking who this changeling was.

"TELSON?!" Came the collective shout. The transformed changeling gave them all a friendly smirk as he enveloped the three of them in his golden-colored magic. Spreading his magnificent wings, he descended quickly to the ground below before gently setting them all down upon the soft grass.

Chelicerae immediately rose on shaky legs, her voice trembling as she stared in awe at her friend. "It's you..." She murmured with a sigh before falling to one side in a faint. Telson darted forward with incredible speed and caught her, slowly laying her down on the grass. Ella covered her mouth as she stifled a joyful sob.

"You're alive!" She cried out as she tackled him in a hug with such force that Telson was driven to his haunches. The changeling blinked in surprise before smiling down warmly at her.

"Yes, I am alive small one." He said while embracing her with one forelimb. Ella broke the hug after a few moments, tears of wild joy in her eyes as she looked him up and down.

"You're taller!" She said with a laugh while wiping her eyes. And indeed he was, at least a foot taller than before. His large fangs were gone, and there were no more holes in his limbs or wings. It looked as if an artist had taken the best aspects of the changeling and enhanced them. Ella looked down, noticing three silvery, star-shaped patterns on his barrel that shimmered in the moonlight and a fourth one on his hind leg, the places where he had been shot.

"But, how? Ella asked. "You were, dead. You died!" Telson shook his head.

"I'm not so sure myself. I only remember waking up, being released from some sort of cocoon. I stepped into the room right as the explosion went off." Telson said while catching Flash's alarmed face. "Don't worry, your friends are fine." He quickly added, allaying the young man's fears. "Though I imagine they are more than a bit anxious for you to go back and get them, yes?"

Flash stood up slowly, holding his dislocated shoulder with his other hand. "Yeah, I'll go back for them in just a second. But what about you?" He asked while looking at Chelicerae who was still passed out on the ground. "What will you do?" Telson rose to his feet, looking tenderly down at his mistress.

"I'll take her somewhere where she can recover, I imagine she will need some time to think about what she wants to do next."

"Well, I suppose it's my duty as a guard to ask you to turn yourselves in so that we can debrief you." Flash said half-heartedly. Telson smirked, raising a sly eyebrow at him.

"Well, I can't do that, not yet anyways. So, just tell your superiors that I 'hit' you."

"Wait, what?" Flash asked as Telson seized him in his magic. Flash gave a startled yelp as with a loud pop his shoulder was snapped back into place.

"BLAST IT TO BUCKING TARTARUS, YOU SORRY EXCUSE FOR A MEDIC!" Flash roared as he rolled on the ground, clutching his shoulder in pain. "Give me a bit more warning next time, you musclebound oaf!" Flash grumbled as he sat up, glaring daggers at the changeling.

Ella couldn't help but chuckle a bit at his expense as she reached down to help Flash to his feet. Telson's eyes and horn shone with a momentary glow as he looked Ella up and down. "You've changed as well small one." He said, astonishment coloring his voice. Ella gave a weary chuckle as she held the side of her head,

"Yeah, seems your heroics changed somthin' in me, this'll definitely take some getting used to." She said with another laugh. Telson nodded,

"Well, I'm sure young Michail here knows somepony who can help you understand this change." He said while gesturing to him. Ella smiled and stepped closer to Flash who glanced between her and Telson, a puzzled look on his face.

"What are you two talking about? Ella?"

"I'll explain it to ya later Flash," She said with a small wink.

The couple stood side by side, watching as Telson gently hefted Chelicerae onto his back. "I'll be in touch, Lieutenant." He said a bit more solemnly, turning towards them. "I'll need your assistance returning to your homeworld to begin undoing much of the harm that we caused there." The three of them stared at each other for a moment, an intoxicating air of joy and gladness growing between them. Telson smiled at the two humans,

"Thank you, both of you, for all that you did to help us. I am forever in your debt my friends." Ella stepped away from Flash's side for a moment. Leaning up, she hugged the changeling one more time, kissing him on the cheek. Flash was surprised to feel a momentary flare of jealousy, but it quickly passed.

Telson smiled, gazing upon the human in pure admiration and love, he reached up with a hoof to gently brush her cheek. "Thank you Ella, for everything. I will never forget your kindness." And then for whatever reason, he began to laugh. He laughed loudly and with joyful abandon. "You know what?" He exclaimed between laughs, "For the first time in my life, I'm not hungry anymore! What an incredible feeling this is! HAHA it's gone!" He said with another hearty laugh.

Ella grinned, giddy with happiness as she stepped back to give him room. Telson nodded to her and Flash, beaming with joy, "Farewell my friends, until our next meeting!" With that, the changeling spread his powerful wings and took to the air with a thunderous noise, speeding off into the distance. Flash and Ella stood together, watching them go until they winked out of sight.

Ella caught Flash's eye after a moment, smirking as she could now literally see how he felt about her. Flash blushed as he noticed her giving him a knowing look.

"So, Ella...Uhh, welcome to Equestr-" An unexpected hug cut him off. Flash looked down at her, swallowing nervously before he hesitantly returned it. "Uh, Ella?" She sighed, her arms tightening around him.

"Just shut up for once and enjoy the moment, you adorable dork."

The moon shone brightly, and the night was beautiful.

Author's Note

And in doing good, let us not fail. For in due time we shall reap, not failing. Galatians 6:9

My friends, know that the greatest happiness is found in love. If you wish to experience true happiness, then start by loving your fellow man. Start, by loving your neighbor. And love them not for anything they can do for you, or for any pleasure they might bring you. Love them for their own sake, for their happiness. And you will began to see the beautiful truth, that they are a creature of God.

If there is anything I might pray for you about, please feel free to send me a message. Peace and God's blessings to you all my friends.

Homecoming

Flash's world went sideways the moment he stepped into Celestia's study, the meteoric impact of lavender fur and feathers that was Twilight Sparkle knocking him flat onto his back as the young alicorn, once more forgetting her own strength, hugged the human with enough pressure to fold a steel beam in two.

"Twilight...ribs...can't...breath..." Flash squeaked as he felt his internal organs migrate to the polar extremes of his torso. He had to admit, it was the best imitation of a Pinkie Pie hug that he had ever experienced outside of the Element of Laughter herself. He gasped a huge lungful of air as Twilight released him, looking down at him with a wild grin stretching from ear to ear.

"Oh Flash, thank Celestia! You're not dead!" She exclaimed. They joyful expression animating her cute face lasted all of 10 microseconds until Flash saw one of her eyes twitch, which he knew from dreaded experience as the signal to run if he valued his very soul.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!!"

The boy was off like a shot, not daring to look back as he tore his way across the room, the eldritch horror he had foolishly summoned from the darkest depths of Tartarus hot on his heels.

"GET BACK HERE! FACE YOUR FATE LIKE A STALLION YOU COWARD!!!

"TWILIGHT, LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS!"

"DON'T YOU WIMP OUT ON THIS!"

"SHE'S GOING TO KILL ME!"

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

Ella blinked, not sure which was more shocking: the reality that she was in an alien world, the incredible creatures standing around her, or the fact that none of them seemed to think any of this was out of place. The ponies called Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash, and Bright Skies all stood behind her, watching the spectacle with a familiar amusement that she thought seemed alarmingly too casual. Sunset had managed to partially heal Bright Skies by the time she and Flash had gone back to fetch them, which helped to ease her concern about the poor creature, though she still looked a fright.

Ella couldn't get over the fact of how these ponies were so far beyond the creatures they represented back on earth. Their very appearance was so vibrant that they appeared to be on a higher plane of existence than the rest world around them. Their movements, their facial expressions and bodies were all so smooth, animated, and fluid that they seemed more like humans than any kind of animal she had ever seen, least of all actual horses or ponies.

That being said, the three ponies she had seen so far were nothing in comparison to the two standing before her now, gazing upon her with expressions of great interest. They were tall, much taller than the other ponies, possessing both wings as well as long, elegant horns. And they were strong...extraordinarily strong! She was fairly certain that even without her new abilities, she would be able to tell what forces of nature these two beings actually were. The raw power that radiated off of the wonderous pair felt as if it could light up half a continent. But despite the power and the air of regality that exuded from the two, it was outdone by the sense of warm benevolence and almost motherly affection that was visible in their faces, particularly that of the white one.

Her multicolored mane flowed like an otherworldly ether that Ella felt like she could stare at all day and still remain mezmorized. The shorter one, though still easily as tall as she was herself, had a similarly flowing mane that looked to contain an entire galaxy's worth of glittering stars within its ever-shifting midnight-blue depths. Ella found the darker one's emotions to be a fascinating mix: zeal, excitement, curiosity, and even a hint of mischievousness though tempered with a seriousness that could only be born of trial and hardship.

Ella felt a bit lightheaded in their presence, but still managed an unpracticed curtsy, as it was quite apparent to her, crowns aside, that these ponies were the ones in charge.

"Uh, your majesties? Ella...my name's Ella." She stuttered. A loud crash sounded somewhere in the background.

"-NEVER LEAVING THE LAB AGAIN!"

"HAVE MERCY!"

The white one smiled warmly at her as she took a step towards her, "Ella," She said, her gentle voice like a warm, soothing balm.

"What a lovely name!" The blue one energetically added.

"We are both so glad to welcome you to Equestria, my dear." Celestia continued.

“AAAAAHHHHH!”

“ARRRRRRRGH!”

"We assume that thou art the one to whom our young Flash extended his aid?" The blue one asked.

"Uh, yeah, yes! Flash helped me a lot!" Ella said, finding it very difficult to keep her attention from being divided as she saw Flash leap back into view in the background, clawing his way along one of the bookshelves.

"TWILIGHT! REMEMBER BOOKS?! YOU LOVE BOOKS!" He desperately pleaded while slapping and flinging tomes off of the shelves at the purple hurricane pursuing him.

"STOP TRYING TO CHANGE THE SUBJECT! YOU'RE NOT GETTING OUT OF THIS!" She screamed while catching the hail of hardbacks in her violet magic.

Am I...the only one seeing this? Ella wondered to herself.

"Well," Celestia continued. "I very much look forward to hearing about all that transpired in your time with Flash. Would you accept our invitation to stay here as our honored guest?"

"Y-yes, it would be my honor and-IS anyone else seeing this?!" Ella finally blurted out as she pointed behind them at the lavender alicorn currently hefting a ridiculously massive spiked-mace the size of a wrecking ball behind her in her magic. It seemed that Flash had managed to lock himself in the privy on the far side of the study.

"...open this door Flash, or Celestia will never find your remains."

"Did you know that you're really cute when you get all flustered like that?"

Ella adjusted herself on the red cushion that she sat on, finding it difficult to get comfortable while sitting so close to the floor. They don't have chairs, that makes sense. But they have teacups? She wondered as she observed the white porcelain cup with silver trim on the saucer in her hand. Celestia had ordered tea and refreshments brought in while she and Luna listened to Flash give his report.

At the same time, a small team of medical ponies had been summoned who busied themselves examining the group and tending to each of their injuries while they conversed. It took some convincing on Ella's part to one of the doctors who insisted on having her checked over that she was fine, the dried gore on her clothing doing nothing to help her case, and that he should tend to the ones who were actually hurt. While the good doctor eventually acceded to her insistence that she was fine, she still noticed the brown-maned, cream-colored unicorn giving her a disapproving glance every now and then.

It's not that she didn't trust the little equines, but she wasn't quite ready to have one of them that close. She was still struggling with the fact that they were real in the first place.

Ella noticed the one called Luna staring at her, and making no point to hide it. The night princess gave her a small, friendly smile, causing Ella to busy herself with her tea, pretending as if she hadn't noticed. There was something about the way this pony looked at her that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Her emotions remained an interesting mix of curiosity, excitement, sympathy, and something else that Ella didn't know how to identify. Determination?

Ella blinked and shook her head, still grappling with her new abilities. Isn't there an off switch for this?! She almost grumbled while rubbing the side of her head. One thing that was very obvious however, was this particular mare's deep affection for Flash. It was a jealous, protective love. Like a mix between the love of an older sister for her baby brother and the love of some rare, priceless gift. It tasted rich and full, with a slightly bitter hint, sort of like dark chocolate...Ella clamped her jaws shut, cutting off the flavor. She was becoming increasingly alarmed of the fact that she could literally taste and now it seemed, even consume love if she wanted. The flavor and rush of energy that followed was dangerously addictive. Get ahold of yourself girl, she's looking at you...

Ella looked at Flash as he explained another part of his experience with Chelicerae to Celestia while holding an ice-pack against his head. The lavender pony she understood to be Twilight Sparkle What a name haha. Was sitting just to his right scribbling notes down on a scroll. The pony had calmed down considerably from her initial freak-out, but still appeared more than a bit indignant at Flash, though Ella could tell her sour mood was born from an extreme concern for him whom she obviously considered a dear friend. There had been a collective shock among the ponies, with Luna stifling a whimper with one hoof, when the doctor had made Flash temporarily remove his shirt, allowing them all to see the extent of his injuries, particularly his marred cutie mark. That moment had created a cloud over the mood in the room that did not seem to have fully departed yet.

Ella noticed how Celestia appeared calm and impassive as she listened to him, but the Princess could not conceal the growing concern clearly visible in her pink eyes. Her emotions were a bit more difficult for Ella to read. It was clear that this pony held a special love for Flash as well, one that came across as maternal, as did her love for most of those present in the room. But at the same time, it seemed as if the pony was wrestling with another emotion, like some difficult decision or choice that she was trying to make.

In the course of the report, the princess had asked each of them for input on their part in the transpired events, with Ella explaining to her how Flash had repeatedly put himself in harm's way to help her. She had to admit, answering the inquiries of a magical pony princess was an experience that almost made her want to pinch herself, just to be absolutely certain that she still wasn't dreaming. Flash let out a breath as he finally finished his account, setting his ice pack down as he adjusted the sling holding his other arm.

Princess Celestia turned and looked at her sister, something seemed to pass between the siblings before Luna nodded to her with a small smile. Celestia returned the smile before looking back to Flash.

"Well Flash Skies, that is quite a remarkable account. And let me first say that I think that you acted quite commendably in this journey, upholding the highest of Equestrian values while under the most extreme of circumstances, I am very proud of you." She said with no small amount of pride in her voice.

"Thank you, your highness." Flash quietly replied with a polite nod, appearing uncomfortable.

Celestia smiled at his bashfulness. "And it is your opinion that this changeling princess no longer represents an active threat to Equestria?" She asked. Flash shook his head,

"No, your highness. I firmly believe that she no longer represents a threat to anypony, except to maybe herself. I am sure that her companion Telson will keep careful watch over her and help her to find a new and better start. I expect to hear from him again in the near future as he told me to expect contact from him." He said. Celestia nodded, seemingly satisfied by his answer.

"And what of you dear Flash? How are you feeling now with all that you have experienced?" The question hung in the air for a moment, and Ella could sense that there was more to this inquiry than represented by the pony's words. Flash gave her a faint smile.

"Uh, hard to say my Princess. I'll let you know in the morning?" He ambiguously replied. Celestia raised an eyebrow, clearly bemused at his benign deflection.

"Technically it's morning now my dear, and almost time to raise the sun." Ella frowned at the strange words.

'Raise the sun?' What in the world does she mean by that? She thought as she caught Luna giving a small smirk at her reaction.

Celestia rose to her hooves from the dais she had been reclining on while listening to Flash's account. She looked down at her young human charge, a calculating look in her experienced eye. A few beats of silence went by before the diarch finally spoke.

"A month." She said. Flash's eyes went wide with alarm.

"A month?!" Flash exclaimed as he shakily rose to his feet. "Princess Celestia, I'll be more than sufficiently recovered from these injuries after a week, you can't possibly expect me to-"

"A month of leave, 2nd Lieutenant Skies, and not a day less. I will bear no objections in this matter." She interjected in a tone that was firm though still laced with kindness. Flash's jaw clenched, and Ella noticed a slightly hurt look in his eyes.

"Yes, your highness." He finally relented, his tone a bit downcast. Celestia's face softened in sympathy as she stepped before him, reaching up to gently trace her gilded hoof over the scar on his face. Ella saw a tremor of pain ripple through the princess's aura, a dull shade of worried concern now visible beneath her glowing matronly love.

"I'm fine princess, really." Flash said, looking like a child that didn't want his mother's attention. Celestia smiled, though her eyes were sad.

"Are you?" She whispered, her voice barely audible. The alicorn leaned forward, embracing the young man with her neck and forelimb, tenderly rubbing the side of his face with her soft cheek. Flash shuddered, before relenting and leaning into her embrace with his good arm. Ella couldn't help but smile at the sweet scene, theirs was clearly a relationship that ran far deeper than that of a mere ruler and her subject. It was so deep in fact, that if Bright Skies hadn't already told her that she was his mother, Ella would have readily believed that this pony was instead.

"I need you to trust me on this, my little one." Celestia said as she ended the embrace. "Besides, I'm sure your new friend here would be more than happy to have your company during your time off." She added while warmly regarding Ella.

Ella felt herself flush slightly at her attention as she looked at Flash and nodded reassuringly to him. He smiled back at her, but she could see the slight crestfalleness in his mood.

"And thank you, Bright Skies, Rainbow Dash, and Sunset for your courageous acts. I'm so proud of each of you, my brave little ponies." Celestia said to the three ponies who had been sitting behind Flash and Ella. The three ponies rose and bowed to their princess, though Bright Skies seemed to stumble slightly in her attempt. Her coat had been cleaned of blood, and there were bandages on her forelimb and shoulder where the doctor's healing spells had not yet fully completed their work. Rainbow Dash looked far better, though her right wing was bound with bandages. Sunset, being the least scathed of the three, had only a bandaid on her left cheek, though she looked so exhausted that she appeared to be swaying slightly on her hooves.

Flash looked at Rainbow Dash, half-expecting her usual bravado about how it was no sweat for her, that she knew they would succeed because she was so 'awesome'. Instead, he felt slightly unsettled to see that she simply accepted the praise with a quiet smile, while seemingly avoiding his gaze.

"Dr. Lighthoof?" Celestia asked as she turned her attention to the doctor and his two unicorn assistants.

"They should be fine, your highness," He responded to her questioning tone. "But just to be safe, I would like to keep Bright Skies and the Lieutenant through tomorrow for further observation." He said in a clear, clinical tone. Ella noticed Flash give his mother a worried look which she returned with a small smile.

Celestia nodded, "Very well. Now, as for everypony else, this is quite enough for now. We'll discuss these events further in the coming days, but for now, I expect you all to go and get some well deserved rest."

Ella began making her way towards Flash as the small group began to disperse, taking time to repeat her gratitude to Sunset and Rainbow Dash before they departed. She noticed Celestia speaking in hushed tones with Twilight who glanced over at her, giving her a shy smile before looking back to Celestia who continued speaking to her.

Trying to put her mind off of what they might be discussing, Ella continued forward but paused as she saw Flash speaking with Luna. She had her hoof on his shoulder, speaking softly to him. He nodded slowly at something she said before she leaned in, touching her forehead to his in a tender display of affection. The night princess smirked slightly as she noticed Ella waiting and stepped back, inviting her to approach.

Flash adjusted his sling, the white cloth contrasting sharply with his black shirt, before his eyes caught Ella's as she approached him.

"Hey," he said, a half smile on his lips.

"Hey yourself," Ella replied with a small chuckle. "Are you alright?" She asked.

He gave her a tentative smile. "Yeah, I'll be alright. It's...it's just never fun when mom grounds you, that's all." He sighed.

"She's your mom too?"

"She's everypony's mom." Flash chuckled, though Ella could see the near reverential love he held for the pony, it smelled almost like incense.

"So what now?"

Flash sighed. "Now? Now I go to the hospital and let Dr. Lighthoof and his team fuss over me for the next 24 hours. I don't see what the big deal is, everypony's overreacting."

Ella gave him a deadpan look. "You've been shot, Flash...and tortured, traumatized, envenomed, bewitched, and beaten to a bloody pulp, twice I might add. Give me a break."

Flash winced slightly at that last part. "Ow. Hearing you say it like that hurts more than the actual beatings did."

Ella rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Just go and get better, okay kid? I'll be waitin' for ya when you get out."

Flash nodded, a tired smile on his face. As she looked at him, Ella couldn't help but notice a dark spot in his aura near his heart. It was small, but seemed to be expanding ever so slowly, like an inkstain slowly spreading across parchment. His eyes seemed to grow distant as well as the spot continued to grow, roiling and pulsing like a small thundercloud that threatened to unleash a larger tempest.

"Hey!" Ella said, snapping Flash out of his daze. The spot suddenly retracted back to a small, pulsing dot, but persistently remained. She eyed him cautiously, "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, I just...I just need some rest, that's all." Ella didn't feel convinced, but she decided to let it go for now. After all, they all needed some rest at this point.

"Well, thank you again Flash, you know I can't say that enough, right?"

"You're very welcome, Ella. I'm so glad you're okay, that you're here right now."

"Come along now, Lieutenant." Dr. Lighthoof gently called out. Flash glanced back at the doctor and his mother both patiently waiting for him.

He reached out with his right hand which Ella grasped. "Gotta run. Don't worry, they'll take great care of you." He said, giving her hand a small squeeze.

Ella just smiled and nodded before reluctantly releasing his grip. She watched him until he exited the study, the door closing slowly behind him. He's just tired, yeah. That's it. Ella thought, feeling unconvinced. She was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of someone politely clearing their throat behind her.

Turning about, Ella felt a little startled to see all three alicorns before her, with Princess Luna being flanked by the other two, each of them smiling at her.

The Night Princess shuffled her wings slightly. "Might we have a word, child?"

Ella kept her hands nervously clasped in front of her as she walked down the wide corridor with the three ponies, with Celestia slightly ahead and to her right while Luna and Twilight walked to her left and right respectively. She found the rhythmic clopping of their hooves echoing off of the white marble to be somewhat soothing, though she was confused how dark it still was outside as they passed by the evenly-spaced arched windows.

Didn't she say that it was almost dawn? Why is there no light in the sky? Ella wondered as her gaze lingered for a moment on the outside. She looked again at Celestia, noticing the image of a sun on her immaculate flank. I guess that's her cutie mark? I wonder what it could mean?

"I imagine this all must be a lot for you to take in, Ella?" Princess Celestia said, casting a sidelong glance to her.

Ella nervously cleared her throat. "Heh, well, that would be putting it mildly your highness. No offense, but I'm still tryin' to wrap my brain around the fact that this is all real."

Celestia smiled and nodded. "None taken my dear, an honest assessment is the best way for us to gain an understanding of one another."

Ella took a second to glance back at Luna and Twilight, searching for some sort of clue as to where they were going; but if there was one, they kept it to themselves. She looked away, tugging once more at her blue shirt, still marveling at how spotless it was after the one called Twilight had unexpectedly magicked it clean for her before they set out.

Magic, Ella thought as she touched the side of one temple, I don't know if I'll ever get used to this.

The answer as to where they were headed came soon enough as they rounded a corner to a pair of white-wooden and glass doors. The pair of thestrals in dark armor flanking them moved to open the doors for the group. Ella had to keep herself from gawking at the pair of leathery-winged, fanged ponies as she went by. The charcoal one with a shaggy, dark red mane gave her a friendly, sharp-toothed smile as she walked by.

What sort of ponies?! Ella shook her head to clear it as she stepped out onto an enormous balcony hugging the side of the castle. The cool night air smelled sweet and fresh as the sound of crickets and the water from the fountain in the courtyard below created a comforting ambiance beneath the glowing moon.

Ella walked to the edge of the balcony, leaning against the railing as she took in the incredible view of Canterlot and the greater Equestrian countryside off in the distance. Even in only the moonlight, she could tell what a beautiful land this was. As the seconds ticked by, she could sense the three ponies watching her, they seemed to be waiting for her impression.

Ella smirked at the thought of actual royalty waiting on someone like her as she turned to face them. "So, this is the world where Flash grew up in, huh?"

Luna smiled and nodded. "Until relatively recently, we didn't even know what species he was or where he came from. He's the first human to ever be raised in Equestria."

Ella glanced down, feeling uncomfortable under their collective gaze. "Well, you certainly raised him to a good standard, that's for sure." She paused a moment before looking back up at them. "Sorry your highnesses but, what is it that you want from me?"

Celestia took a step forward. "No Ella, rather, what is it that you want from us? What is your desire?"

Ella gave a small sigh. "Are you askin' me if I want to stay here?"

Celestia gave a soft chuckle. "Among other things, my dear."

Ella paused, to be honest, she was not sure what she wanted. She hadn't thought much of the future in the last twenty four hours past anything but surviving to the next. She never considered that meeting Flash would upend her life so rapidly, or that she would end up learning about the existence of magic, alien creatures, or the reality of a whole different world, let alone that she would end up in it. Did she really want to go back to earth? After all, there was nothing waiting for her back there but painful memories. On top of that, she had magic now. She could feel it humming in her blood, synchronizing with the greater magical energy that seemed to permeate everything in this land, down to the very building she was presently standing on. It was such a strange, alien sensation. Difficult to ignore and yet at the same time, so subtle as to make her feel as if she had always had it.

Could she really continue to live as a normal human being on earth, especially when she didn't even know how to control her new power? What if someone discovered her abilities? Or worse, how much would the magic continue to affect and change her? What if she developed a deficiency like Chelicerae or Telson that required her to feed on others in order to survive? Ella shuddered slightly at the thought.

It's not that she didn't appreciate what Telson did for her. After all, his actions had literally saved her life. She may have denied it at the time, but in reality, she knew the truth. She was dying. Chelicerae had taken far too much from her for her to ever recover on her own. If Telson hadn't poured his life-force into hers with his dying breaths, she doubted she would have survived to see the next sunrise. And while his selfless gesture may have saved her life, it also appeared to have permanently changed her in a way that he had not intended.

She didn't loathe the change, she would have been willing to undergo much more if it meant continuing to live so that she could help Flash. But even so, having something going on inside her that was presently beyond her ability to fully control only added to her sense of uncertainty about the future, what she wanted, or of what to do next.

Ella knew that she needed help, desired it even; but she was reluctant to ask. After all, the last two people she had had asked for help, Flash and Telson, had ended up being badly hurt, with one of them even being killed, miraculous rebirths aside. Everyone she had ever allowed to get close to her had ended up either hurting her or being hurt because of her. She considered for a moment to simply take whatever help she was offered from these ponies and move on, but that felt too much like her old self, using others only for her own sake.

I'll never be that person again. She adamantly thought with a grimace. Ella rubbed her face and was startled to find it wet, with tears running down her cheeks. When did I... Embarrassed, she turned away to the balcony railing, quickly trying to compose herself.

"I'm, sorry. I don't know...what's come over me." She said, furiously wiping her eyes. Ella stiffened as she felt an extraordinarily soft, warm wing suddenly drape across her shoulders, immediately taking the edge off the early morning chill. She looked to her left to see Princess Luna standing by her side, her eyes brimming with compassion and understanding.

"Do not be afraid to not yet know the answers to the questions your heart presently asks, dear child." The beautiful equine gently said.

Ella smirked, rubbing her eyes. The pony at her side felt so wonderfully warm and comforting, she was like a childhood fairytale come to life. Her scent, like that of a fresh breeze flowing over a field of lilacs served to enhance to that effect. "Heh, it's kinda hard to not feel that way. I don't even get a magical mark that tells me what I'm good at."

The warm fur of Celestia's shoulder suddenly appeared on her other side as the princess joined her sister in comforting the young human.

The wondrous creature smiled down gently at her. "A cutie mark does not guarantee purpose, my little one. It merely reveals the potential that was always present to begin with."

Twilight Sparkle appeared at Celestia's side, propping her front hooves up on the railing so that she could turn and look at Ella. The young alicorn favored her with an understanding smile before speaking. "Even with a cutie mark, it is only through the love we choose to freely share with those around us, that we truly come to know and become who we are meant to be. I know how...hard, that can be. Especially when you're used to only relying on yourself. It feels like a terrible and unnecessary risk to try and change that, to change who you've always been. But trust me when I say, that the effort to open yourself to others is totally worth the risk."

It suddenly occurred to Ella that this pony was very young, probably around her own age. Yet there was a depth of experience and learning to her words that far exceeded her youthful appearance.

Maybe she's Luna or Celestia's daughter? It was hard to tell, but her words sparked a hope in her that maybe she could entrust herself to these creatures, that there was the possibility of peace and purpose to be found in this world, and that it was not her cursed destiny to only cause others pain and loss. What amazed her the most, was that there was no secondary motive, no hidden agenda to these ponies' words and gestures. She could see it clearly in their auras. Their genuine desire was only for her happiness, and nothing more. Now I see why Flash is the way he is.

Ella sighed contentedly as she felt Luna's wing tighten around her shoulders, pulling her closer into the pony's warm side; her fur was like the most luxurious velvet. My gosh, I'm being cuddled by a pretty pony princess. I just want to hug her and never let go. Ella thought with small laugh, feeling like a little girl again for just a moment.

Luna gave her a curious look. "What amuses you so, child?"

Ella laughed softly again. "Nothin' it's just that, well, you're all just so incredibly...cute."

Her comment elicited laughter from the three ponies, making Ella feel a bit bashful.

"Well, I suppose that's nice to hear coming from an outside perspective." Celestia said appreciatively.

Ella reached up and rested a grateful hand on the wing draping across her shoulders. These creatures were incredible, so kind and marvelously selfless. Completely foreign from the cruelty she had lived under for years. She would never have a better opportunity at a new start or to learn about herself than with them. They were opening their hearts and home to her, willing to trust her on goodwill alone. It was time to show some trust and goodwill back.

Ella sighed, "I think...I need help. Somethin' happened to me when I was with Flash, and I don't know what to do about it." She then went on to explain in greater detail what had happened in her encounter with the changelings. Chelicerae's forceful feeding on her, her weakened state, Telson's parting gift, and the changes that were presently happening within her as a result. The three alicorns listened attentively, but never once did they make her feel worried or nervous. If anything, their calm, understanding demeanor made it easier for Ella to reveal what had happened to her. It didn't take her long to finish.

"It's just, I don't know what to do now, or how to control this. I don't want to wake up someday and start lookin' at others like they're a free lunch." Ella said while rubbing her temples.

Twilight was the first to speak, and her response surprised her. "Not a problem." She said with a confident grin. "I helped Flash understand his magic, I'm pretty sure I can help you with yours."

Ella looked at her with hopeful eyes. "Really?"

Twilight gave her a sharp nod. "Yes, and believe me when I say that it would be my pleasure to help." She said with an eager look in her eye.

Celestia smiled at Ella. "I asked Twilight earlier, and she has already agreed to have you stay with her if that is what you wish."

Ella felt overwhelmed by their generosity. "Thanks..." She said while wiping her eyes. "Really, thank you. I'm not used to people being so generous, I really don't know what else to say."

Luna touched her soft muzzle to Ella's shoulder. "Your words of gratitude are more than enough for now. And hopefully, we can change that experience for you."

Ella laughed, feeling almost excited at the new possibilities that were now before her. "Well, you're all doin' a great job at that already, lemme tell ya." They all remained silent for a spell after that, enjoying the comfort of the moment. During that time, Ella found herself once again looking curiously at Celestia and Luna's cutie marks. "Sun and moon," She murmured before looking to Celestia. "If ya don't mind me askin', what do your marks mean?"

The two sisters exchanged what could be described as almost mischievous grins, causing Ella to feel a bit nervous.

"Why don't you see for yourself dear?" Celestia said. Ella was about to ask what she meant when she heard what could only be described as the gentle sound of wind-chimes. She looked to her left and to see that Luna's horn was glowing with a soft, blue light. The alicorn smiled and gestured with her head towards the sky. Ella looked up and felt her jaw drop.

The moon was moving. Slowly but steadily, in a way that should not be physically possible, the moon was moving, dipping down slowly towards the horizon. At the same time, she heard Celestia's horn ignite as a warm glow began to appear on the horizon, bathing the Equestrian countryside in a wonderful light as the most beautiful sunrise she had ever seen in her life occurred right before her very eyes.

Ella continued to stare in disbelief, her mind emptying as once again, the impossible unfolded before her.

"Welcome to Equestria, Ella." She heard Celestia say.

For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, Ella found herself shouting, "WHAT THE HELL?!"

Author's Note

A little throwback to the first chapter haha. Man, that seems like so long ago. I really can't believe I've been writing for this long, but it has been my joy to do so, and my gratitude to all of you who have been kind enough to stop by along the way.

Always remember to love one another, for it is only in love that we discover our truest self.
Peace and God's blessings to you all!

Hidden Wounds

A sharp clack cut through the air as Flash brought down his axe, splitting the log into perfect halves that tumbled off either side of the tree stump that served for a chopping block. Cutting firewood was the kind of chore that he never really considered a real chore, as he found it always helped him to relax and clear his mind when under a lot of stress. So when he discovered that Fluttershy had a pile of logs behind her cozy cottage on the edge of the Everfree forest that had yet to be split, he gladly offered to take care of it for her. Anything to help him take his mind off of things, or to prove to his friends that he had not in fact, been deliberately avoiding them.

Flash sighed as he paused and leaned against the axe. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining amidst a tasteful smattering of fluffy white clouds in the clear blue sky. Wearing a grey, dry-fit t-shirt and khaki slacks, he flexed his feet, gripping the soft grass with his toes as he tried to better appreciate the moment. It's not like he had truly been avoiding everypony, of course not. I just want to be alone for a little while, can't anypony get that?

It had been three weeks since his trip to earth, three weeks into his involuntary one month of leave from the guard. In that time, by all appearances, things had gone wonderfully. His wounds had largely healed, albeit a few new scars, but he was used to those by now. And he had been having a blast welcoming Ella into his world. Showing her around, introducing her to his friends, and just delighting in her unique company while enjoying her reaction to each new and unfamiliar sight and experience.

Ella had connected well with Twilight and some of the others, and had even survived Pinkie's surprise 'Welcome to Ponyville' party with most of her sanity intact. So wins all around, right? Life was good, better than ever before. He had finally met another human, and she was actually here in Equestria with him! And she's my...friend. That's still good, right? But despite all of this good, Flash couldn't bring himself to enjoy it.

I should be happy, why can't I be happy?! He angrily thought while clenching his jaw. But he knew why, the answer was always there, lurking in the back of his mind like some dark fiend, ready to torment and mock him everytime he was foalish enough to ask himself questions to which he already knew the answers to.

Flash could feel her, right on the very edge of his mind as he kept careful track of her movements, trying to watch closely without her noticing him doing so, just in case she had another episode. He had to make sure he was there for her. After all, it was all his fault...

"Flash!"

Flash snapped out of his bitter thoughts as he whirled around, axe in hand, only to meet the startled, sea-foam green eyes of Fluttershy as she recoiled back from his abrupt reaction. She hovered a few feet away at eye-level with him, a tray holding a glass of iced-lemonade held within her hooves as she eyed him warily.

Flash grunted in frustration as he twisted and stuck the axe into the tree stump with a dull thunk. "Fluttershy, you should know better than to sneak up on me like that, especially when somepony is working with an axe!"

Fluttershy frowned. "I didn't sneak up on you, Flash! I called your name at least three times! But you were just staring off into the distance, like a statue!"

Flash just caught himself from responding back with a biting retort of how he might have heard her is she actually spoke up for once. What the?! No! Why would you ever speak to her like that you jerk?! He fumed at himself.

He cleared his throat with a nervous laugh. "Sorry about that Flutters, maybe I should clean the wood-chips out of my ears. Thanks." He said while taking the offered refreshment.

Fluttershy stared at him a for a few more seconds, her wings beating softly, a cautious wonder in her eyes. "Flash, are you sure you're alright? You've been acting really strange lately."

Flash eyed her over his glass as he took a swallow of the cold, sweet liquid. It tasted like it was made with love, like everything she did. He knew he couldn't fool her, Fluttershy had been his friend for almost as long as Rainbow Dash had. They had grown up together, and she was one of the few ponies who could easily tell when he was upset, even if she wasn't the bearer of the Element of Kindness. That said, he was getting tired of everypony asking him about his well-being.

He exhaled slowly as he lowered his glass, searching for some piece of information that he could give her that would satisfy her question.

"Yeah, sorry Fluttershy. I'm just...really stressed out is all. I just want to go back to duty, for things to get back to normal, yeah?"

The yellow pegasus remained stoically silent, not speaking as she eyed at him carefully, like she was weighing what he had said with what she had observed. Flash felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up under her gaze, not wanting this inquiry to go on any longer than it already had.

Fluttershy finally let out a small sigh. "I understand Flash, but, to be perfectly honest...I've, been worried about you. In fact, the other girls have been worried as well."

Flash gave her a winning smile. "Worried? Whatever for girl? Is it because I didn't get together with you all the last time?"

The mare blinked slowly as she raised an accusatory eyebrow. "Try the last three times Flash, or did you not get the invitations?"

Flash clenched his jaw slightly. Has it really been that many? I must have lost track... He thought as he cleared his throat. "Well, come on Fluttershy. You can't expect me to turn up to every social event. I've just wanted some time to myself, that's all." The two stared at each other a moment longer before Fluttershy finally relented with a sigh as she glanced off to one side.

"Alright, Flash. If that's what it is, that's fine." She said, though Flash could tell that he had failed to convince her. He reached back around with his left hand and yanked the axe free, desperate to occupy himself and appear casual.

"Have you spoken to Rainbow Dash lately?" She asked quietly.

Flash froze, a rush of emotional pain flowed over him that caused a sweat to break out on his neck and back as he swallowed back a lump of grief and anger.

"She doesn't want to talk to me..." He muttered, not looking back at his friend. With a soft flap of wings, Fluttershy circled around so that he was forced to look at her. When Flash looked up, he was alarmed to see the pained look of concern in her eyes.

"Flash, she hasn't been talking to anypony. Nopony has seen her for the last two weeks."

Flash blinked in astonishment before glaring. "What do you mean, 'nopony has seen her?' I saw her at Pinkie's 'Welcome to Ponyville' party for Ella-

"Three weeks ago, Flash." Fluttershy said cutting him off. "Since then, she's been cooped up in her house and refuses to leave. Twilight and I have both tried speaking to her, but she brushes off us. She's even taken leave from the Wonderbolts, right in the middle of spring training! Have you ever known Rainbow Dash to take leave? Especially in the middle of training?"

Flash had no answer to that. Rainbow Dash was so devoted to the Wonderbolts that she could have had a limb lopped off and would still insist show up for flight routines. This was truly troubling news, but what could he do about it? She had hardly spoken a word to him since he had come back, but he knew why. Why would she want to talk to the 'friend' who almost killed her?

Flash grimaced before speaking. "Fluttershy, I-" A burning spasm unexpectedly shot like fire through his left arm, causing him to drop both the axe as well as the glass of lemonade which shattered as it hit the ground. The sharp blade of the axe glanced off the outer side of his thigh, slicing through his pants and giving him a shallow cut on his leg. "Buck!" He angrily swore as he clasped his trembling left wrist with his right hand.

In a panic, Flash quickly broadened his connection to Bright Skies, his consciousness rushing to hers full of concern. Mom! What happened?! Are you alright?! She didn't answer right away as he felt her trying to hide the issue from him. Fluttershy, meanwhile, was gently pawing at the bloodstain slowly spreading on his pants while shouting something about him staying put while she went and fetched the first-aid kit; but he wasn't really hearing her.

Eventually his mother's delayed response came through. Oh horseapples...sorry honey. I, I just tripped, that's all. Just being a clumsy old mare.

Flash ground his teeth, knowing that she was just trying to laugh it off in order to make him feel better. No, you stay right there. I'm on my way! He mentally shouted while severing the connection before she had a chance to object.

Turning about, he sprinted off at high-speed in the direction of Cloudsdale. He hated leaving Fluttershy without an explanation, he hated the fact that he had used coarse language in front of her. But most of all, he hated himself.

His forehead began to tingle again as the landscape streaked by him. This is all your fault, you selfish foal...

Ella shifted in the crystal chair, leaning her elbows on the Table of Friendship to get into a more comfortable position while sitting inside the throne room of Twilight's castle. The same mare was presently pacing back and forth beside her, slowly flipping through a collection of notes that she held within her violet magic.

The young princess' aura was currently a pensive tinge of yellowish-green, signaling how the wheels in her impressive brain were currently working in overdrive as she sought to find an answer to the question that had been dogging them both for the last two weeks. Living with Twilight Sparkle during this time had been nothing short of a joyful experience overall. The young princess was bright, optimistic, thoughtful, and kind. All wrapped in a kind of innocent, boundless enthusiasm that Ella felt was practically contagious, even if the pony did come across as a bit obsessive at times. She's such a sweetheart. Ella thought with a humorous smirk, grateful to have had her company as she continued to adjust to this strange, impossible new world.

At the same time, Ella was both amazed and delighted at the incredible progress she had been able to make in regards to understanding and controlling her magic thanks in no small part to Twilight's assistance. Together, they had been able to figure out what had happened to her when Telson had given her his love, drastically altering the balance of energy within her.

She had been so weak at the time the transfer had occurred, that the level of changeling life-force within her, combined with it's magical nature, overwrote her own fading strength, triggering a kind of reprogramming of her human physiology down to a cellular level. As a result, she now had many of the abilities, and even the magical signature of a changeling.

There were some differences to be sure. For one, she did not possess the ability to change her form, and there appeared to be no physical manifestations as a result of the change, for now. But there were plenty of other abilities that continued to emerge. The most obvious being that Ella found that now, like a changeling, she could both see and sense the emotions of others, even feed on them if she chose to. It was so complete a change that if she wanted, she could easily sustain herself on the love of others completely, without the need to consume actual physical food.

Added to that ability, Ella found that her physical strength would also commensurately increase according to the amount of energy she allowed herself to take from others. However, if she refrained from feeding, as she had been doing for the past week per Twilight's instructions, the increased strength, like the kind she had initially gained after Telson's gift, would eventually fade, though never completely. Even at its lowest point, she found that she was still noticeably stronger and far more resilient than she had ever been before having magic.

With the aid of Twilight's analysis and the guidance of a young female changeling named Ocellus whom Twilight had introduced her to, Ella had quickly gained almost full mastery of her new senses. She could now easily control just how much the emotions that she was constantly bombarded with affected her almost as easily as she could control her breathing, being able to adjust her perception of them at will with the happy result that she no longer felt overwhelmed by the presence of others around her. All in all, things were going very well. There was just one, small problem.

"So," Twilight began. "In the last week, has the hunger gotten worse or stayed the same?"

Ella took a moment to smooth the skirt of the simple yellow sundress she was presently wearing before looking at Twilight with a sigh. "I think it's about the same, hard to tell. Sometimes it feels worse, at other times it's just kinda, there."

Twilight lowered her notes as she met the girl's face. "And you haven't been feeding at all for the past week, correct?"

Ella gave her a sheepish grin, "Well yeah, mostly. I mean, I've pretty much resisted the desire altogether, but there have been a few times where I've caught myself...tasting an emotion or two, but I stop as soon as I realize it!"

Twilight gave a friendly giggle at her slight admission of guilt. "Don't worry Ella, you're not harming anypony."

Ella frowned slightly, "But I don't like doin' it! Honestly, treating others like food like, like some sorta vampire..." she grumbled. "But it's just, well...I'm hungry!" She said with a defeated exasperation, slouching back into her chair. And it's not like you ponies make it any easier, you all throw around love like it's going out of style, God bless you...

Twilight sighed, "I know you are, Ella. But, it just doesn't make any sense! From what I've deduced, your metabolic rate signals the same rate of cellular respiration regardless of the source input for oxidation!"

Ella raised an eyebrow, "In 'english' Twilight?" Or is it 'ponish'? I can't remember.

"You shouldn't be hungry!" Twilight replied. "Your body is functioning perfectly from the energy you get from normal food, there should be no need for you to feed on the energy given by love."

Ella sighed, "Then...why? Why am I just so hungry all the time?"

Twilight's ears drooped slightly as she shook her head, "I'm not sure, maybe it's a side effect of your human physiology still trying to adjust to changeling magic?" She said while setting her notes down on the table.

Ella shrugged, "So, what should I do? Hope that it eventually goes away?"

Twilight was silent for a few moments, tapping the the tip of one hoof the floor as she looked down in thought. "The first recorded instance we have of a changeling losing their hunger was Thorax, right after he became friends with Spike. The love shared through their friendship was what began the transformation..." She trailed off. Her eyes suddenly widened slightly before she looked back up at Ella. "Are things good between you and Flash?"

Ella blinked in surprise, the question catching her off guard. "Uh, yeah, of course they are! Never better! Why do ya ask?" She said, feeling a nervous sweat beginning to break out on her forehead.

Twilight's eyes narrowed slightly. "He's been acting really strange lately, and he hasn't been talking as much to me or any of his other friends. I'm beginning to worry it may have something to do with his recent experiences. Has he talked to you at all lately? Do you know what might be going on?"

Ella swallowed nervously. Flash had asked her not to tell anyone, assuring her that he would eventually be fine. She had reluctantly agreed; but still, should she tell his friend here what she had seen? That he was hiding from his friends the fact that his heart was currently a flaming trainwreck? That he was being consumed by guilt? Or that she had only made things worse by officially 'friendzoning' him two weeks before? That had gone about as well as a rusty chainsaw through the heart. It had broken her own heart to do so. After all, he deserved better. But that's why it's for the best, he'll see that someday...

Ella cleared her throat, "I think, he's still a little shook up about some of the nasty things he had ta' see by going to earth. I think he'll eventually be alright." I hope...

Twilight stared at her a beat before sighing in resignation. "Yeah, you're probably right. It's just, I don't like to see him this way. He really needs a friend right now, and for that matter, so do you! I think that is ultimately how you're going to fix this 'hunger' problem, by making more friends."

Ella smiled sadly. "Yeah, you're probably right princess."

"Twilight," she gently corrected with a friendly wink.

"Heh, yes Twilight...thank you. I'll keep an eye on Flash, don't worry." She stared at her a moment, considering all of the time they had spent together so far, and of the many pleasant experiences she had been having with this amicable pony these past few weeks before deciding to ask her question. "Though, is it safe to say that we're 'friends' now too?"

The pony brightened up, giving her the sweetest smile while her aura flashed a vivid pink of heartfelt kindness and love. "Oh Ella, of course we are! I'm happy to consider you a friend."

Ella smiled, before reaching out to begin scratching behind one of Twilight's soft ears, "Thanks Twilight, I really appreciate that, and all of your help. Thank you."

"Oooh..." Twilight groaned, her eyes rolling slightly. "You're...welcome...Ella. Though, remind me later to make an observatory note that...female human fingers may be even better at this...than male ones..." She said while adorably twisting her head into Ella's hand.

Ella had soon discovered that unlike on earth, petting and ear scritching was something of a novelty for these ponies. While the most natural inclination for her, or any normal human in the presence of such unadulterated cuteness, turns out, it was something that they rarely got to experience, which made her all the more happy to provide it for them. Ella stopped as she noticed one of Twilight's rear legs beginning to drum against the floor. That's just precious, but I probably shouldn't cause a princess to do that. She thought with a chuckle as she rose to her feet.

Twilight gave a half-joking whimper as Ella withdrew her hand and got up to depart. "You off to meet with Rarity again?" She asked, shaking her head briefly to straighten her mane. "She mentioned earlier that she had an appointment with you this morning."

"Yeah, she wants to take some additional measurements and whatnot. It'll be fun." Ella said as she turned to head for the exit.

"Hey, Ella!" Twilight called out after her.

Ella paused and turned about, her eyes widening slightly at the vibrant pink energy radiating brightly off of the mare in what was an obvious free-will offering of friendly love. She felt her mouth practically water at the prospect.

Twilight smiled shyly, "I know you're trying to do without it but, uh...do you want something for the road? You know, just to take the edge off?"

Ella paused, taken aback by the unusual, but kind offer. She wanted to say no, thinking that it would be better to simply ignore the hunger now that she knew that she wouldn't come to any harm if she did. Then again, allow others to be generous?

Ella dropped to one knee, opening her arms as Twilight met her in an embrace. She wrapped her arms around the pony's warm, fluffy neck as the young alicorn placed her forelimbs around her. Everytime she hugged one of these marvelous creatures, Ella felt like she got a small part of her lost childhood back.

The love coming off of the pony was warm and rich, like freshly baked cookies right out of the oven. Ella parted her lips slightly, ready to inhale the sweet love filling the air around them, almost giddy at the anticipation of finally feeding after a week of ridged fasting. But at the last moment, she stopped. An image of Flash, his aura a battered black and blue floated in front of her mind's eye. No, she bitterly thought, clenching her jaw shut.

Ella reluctantly leaned back from the hug, brushing Twilight's silky mane with one hand; the pony looked at her with slight confusion. "You're a sweetheart, Twilight." Ella said with a smile in answer to her questioning look. "But, I can't. Not now. I...I need to learn to not indulge this. Ya know, in case it gets any worse?"

Twilight frowned slightly, but nodded. "I understand Ella, that's really brave of you." She said, her ears wilting slightly. "Sorry if I needlessly tempted you."

Ella smiled as she rose to her feet, "No, it's alright Twilight. Thank you for the generous offer, I may take you up on it in the future. But for now, I think it's best to wait."

Ella blinked as she stepped out into the warm Equestrian sun, pausing a moment to take a deep breath of the fresh morning air while she allowed her eyes to adjust before setting out on the now familiar path that would take her straight through the middle of Ponyville and right to Rarity's boutique. She was already beginning to regret not taking Twilight up on her offer, teasing her senses like that had only made the hunger pangs worse. Which was an odd feeling to have when technically she was full, having had a large breakfast that morning. That little dragon sure does make the best pancakes.

But this new hunger, which had begun to manifest roughly two weeks ago as Telson's energy faded, was of a different nature and could not be satisfied by physical food.

Ella sighed, Best not to think about it girl. Though that was easier said than done. The air of Ponyville was heavy with the sweet scent of love and happiness as it's inhabitants went to and fro about their business. It was like walking through a banquet hall arranged with a sumptuous feast and trying to avoid tasting anything after not eating for a week. Ella clenched her jaw shut as she narrowed her senses to the lowest possible level she could in an attempt to reduce the temptation to feed. They're ponies, not food. They're ponies, not food...

A trio of ponies working at a flower stall waved at her as she walked by, while a small foal looked shyly at her with enormous eyes from behind one of her mother's legs. Sweet mercy foals were cute. Oversized heads, glassy doe-eyes, all fluff and fur. Ella waved back to them with a friendly smile while continuing on her way, trying to shake the feeling that she was somehow walking through a children's storybook.

She was amazed at how quickly the ponies had become accustomed to her presence after the initial gawking and crowding she had been forced to deal with when Flash had first taken her here. They sure don't seem to mind the new alien walking through their town anymore. Must be because they're used to Flash. Ella grimaced as she thought about him, a longing tugged at her heart which she quickly suppressed. She hadn't spoken to him in almost three days now, and she couldn't help but miss him.

He'll heal in time, he'll heal in time...all guys go through this at some point. Yeah, he's going to be alright. He's a tough, smart...really good lookin' kid.

Ella snapped out of her thoughts as she heard a small bell jingle, surprised to find herself already at the front entrance of the boutique. A small, white unicorn filly with a pink and purple mane was scampering out of the doorway. The small pony paused a moment as she caught sight of the human.

"Oh, hey Ella!" She greeted with a bright smile. "You here to see Rarity?"

"Hi Sweetie Belle, yeah. Is she inside?"

"Mmm-hmm! She's waiting for ya right now!"

Ella thanked her before turning to head inside the cylindrical shaped building.

"Gotta run, say hi to Flash for us! Tell him we miss him!" The little filly shouted over her shoulder as she galloped off.

Ella sighed, "Sure, I'll do that." She muttered despondently under her breath. She stepped onto the light purple carpet of the first-floor workroom, kicking off the soft sandals she was wearing as she did. The place appeared to be in it's usual semi-organized, ever functional status. With pony mannequins and clothing stands arranged in various states of progress along the far side of the room. There among them facing away from her, was the beautiful white unicorn she had become accustomed to seeing almost as much as Twilight.

"I'll be with you in a moment darling!" Rarity said, her cheery voice reflective of the creative excitement that Ella could see beautifully coloring her emotions, like a gem in the sunlight.

Ella smiled to herself as she took her place up on the small display stage. Rarity had already lowered it so that her taller than usual guest would not have her head and shoulders cut off in the backdrop mirrors' reflections. While she may have gotten friendly with Twilight over the last three weeks, with Rarity, Ella had practically bonded.

The marvelous mare felt like the older sister she never had, the first female she had met since her own mother who made her feel like a real woman rather than a piece of meat. In addition to most generously providing her with a slew of new clothing, Rarity had provided her with something even more valuable: a listening ear, heartfelt empathy, keen insight, and the kind of quality advice that one girl can only get from another, more experienced and cultured woman. Her friendship felt to Ella like a refreshing rain on the parched earth that had been her own badly neglected femininity. Rarity was a true girlfriend, a mare who both taught and treated her like a lady; a person whom she felt safe in telling almost anything, almost.

Ella felt the tingling of Rarity's magic as the unicorn undid the saphire-blue ribbon that had been holding back her golden hair, allowing it to fall freely over her shoulders. She had noticed how her hair, eyes, and skin seemed to be gaining a kind of enhanced luster ever since she had been endowed with magic. That must be why Flash's hair practically shines... She thought as Rarity took a moment to examine the piece of fabric.

"My, I was right about this color being the perfect touch to complement your eyes, especially in that dress." Rarity said with admiration. "Though I must say, you look positively lovely with your hair down like that."

Ella giggled shyly, "Do you charm all of your customers like this?"

Rarity winked at her, "Only when it is deserved, love." Ella smiled while lifting her arms as the unicorn elevated a measuring tape across her shoulders.

"So," Rarity began, "Was this last measure still too tight in the shoulders? Do you need me to let it out more?"

Ella shook her head, "No Rarity, it's pretty much perfect. I think the last time was just me not being used to wearin' a dress, I haven't worn one since I was a little girl." She said with a small chuckle.

Rarity nodded, "Yes, well, those other garments you came here in may have been functional, but they hardly did your appearance any favors, darling. Clothing for a lady should be more than a utilitarian tool, it should both present and preserve her beauty."

Ella laughed, "Wow, ya gettin' all philosophical on me, huh Rarity?" It was a gentle tease, but Ella knew what she was getting at. It was a simple dress, with a collar that dipped just one inch below her collarbone, a slightly splayed skirt that went just below the knees, and sleeves that just covered her shoulders. Such a simple garment, but she had to admit, she thought it looked better than anything she had ever worn in her adult life.

The pony tittered a little into her hoof, "Well, I'm not the only one who thinks you look better in a dress. After all, Flash certainly seems to approve of it, if the color of his cheeks were any indication..." Rarity said, raising a sly eyebrow.

Ella sighed at the sweet memory of Flash losing his steely bearing and turning as red as a cherry the first time she had stepped out of the changing room in one of the many dresses Rarity had fashioned for her. "Yeah, well, keep in mind that he's still a young man who's not used to seeing girls."

"Perhaps dear, but don't sell yourself short either. I don't know much about humans but even I think you cut a striking figure." Rarity retorted.

Ella simply nodded with a grateful smile, but didn't say anything as she allowed Rarity to do her thing. The skilled seamstress took a few additional measurements while floating several different rolls of fabric of varying colors around her with her sparkling blue magic, commenting on the merits or lack thereof of each piece. Ella was happy to simply listen to the mare talk, only giving input when necessary. But at the same time, she felt distracted. Now that Rarity had brought him up, Ella couldn't get the thought of Flash out of her head, with doubts about her decision to limit their relationship beginning to assail her once more.

"So, are you ready to talk about it?" Rarity suddenly asked, breaking Ella from her train of thought.

"Talk about what Rarity?"

Rarity set her material down while removing her red-framed eyeglasses. Ella thought she looked adorable whenever the pony wore them. "About you and Flash," she said matter of factly, "Don't think I haven't noticed the change in his demeanor around you, darling. It's the same sullen look in any colt when he's been relegated to the dreaded 'friendzone.'"

Ella gave a small smirk, "I guess there was no hiding it from you, huh?" She paused a beat before asking, "How obvious was it?"

Rarity gave her a compassionate look, "As the sun in the sky, dear. I didn't mention it when I first noticed, I wanted to give you some time with your decision. But now that I can clearly see how unhappy it is making you as well, I simply have to ask. It's obvious that he feels very strongly about you," The pony paused, before adding, "And it's plain to see that you feel the same about him."

Ella's eyes widened, "How do you know that?"

Rarity smiled, "I have eyes, darling. Not quite as adept as yours, but I can still see how you feel about him. You light up like a firefly whenever he's around. So tell me, why?"

Ella was silent for a moment, wondering if she was ready to share this part about her with this pony whom she had come to admire and appreciate so much. She hesitated, partly due to embarrassment, but also due to a fear of what her new friend might think of her. In the end, Ella decided that such a fear was petty and prideful.

Relenting, Ella stepping down from the display stage so that she could sit on it's edge. "Because I'm not the right girl for him." She stated flatly, wincing at the pain the admission caused.

Rarity tilted her head to one side, clearly confused. "But why ever not darling?"

Ella opened her mouth to speak, but found the words caught in her throat, halted by the the sudden onset of a deep, soul-crushing pain. It hurt, it hurt worse than any physical pain she had ever felt. The pain of finally admitting to another what had happened to her felt like a sledgehammer to the chest, hurting so much that she wanted nothing more than to break down, hug this mare, and cry on her shoulder. But she didn't, she wouldn't. She refused to let those tears fall; and honestly? She didn't even know why.

Rarity's aura immediately flashed purple with worry and concern as she noticed how deeply troubled Ella had now become. The beautiful unicorn responded by hopping up onto the stage and sitting down next to her, sidling up close to the young woman in order to lend the human her comfort. Rarity didn't speak, she knew that words were not the right instrument at the moment. Instead, she simply waited. Patiently waited until whatever was causing her friend's pain came out on it's own.

Ella stared down at her hands, grateful for both Rarity's presence as well as her silence, which made it easier for her to find her voice again. The pony's worry and concern had a scent that was almost earthy in nature, but fresh. Like the scent of a tree on a clear, autumn day; it mingled with the smell of the jasmine-scented perfume gently wafting off of her mane. When Ella finally did speak, she found that her voice was strangely calm and quiet.

"I was a whore, Rarity." She said, casting a quick glance at the pony. "A call-girl, an escort, a woman of pleasure. Call it what you want, but I was not a good girl, even if it wasn't done willingly. And Flash?" She paused, a humorless smirk interjecting her words, "He's just so, innocent...not that he's naive, no way. I mean, he's just so pure! So...good, so selfless. Strong and brave, so untainted by the kinda darkness I've had ta live through. Believe me, I would be happy to be with him. After all, what girl wouldn’t? He’s every bad girl’s dream!” She said with a small, humorless laugh.

Ella shook her head slowly, “But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it's only natural that he'd fall in love with the first girl he's ever seen, and...that it would be selfish of me if I took advantage of his inexperience, especially after all that he’s done for me. No, he needs time, time to meet other women and see that there are better ones out there for him, ones that aren’t so damaged by the worst parts of the world.” She said, hesitating before adding, “He deserves better than me.”

Ella sighed as she finished her explanation, feeling a bit less anxious now that she shared her reasonings with another, but at the same time, all the more depressed. She turned and looked at Rarity, waiting for her to say something. Instead, the pony surprised her by wrapping her forelimbs around her shoulders in a deep, tender hug. Ella gladly returned it, her arms sinking into the incredibly soft fur of the pony’s withers. The sorrowful compassion radiating off of the mare smelled like crushed rose-petals.

“Oh darling,” Rarity breathed into Ella’s ear after a few moments, they leaned back from the embrace though Rarity still kept one hoof on the girl’s shoulder. The unicorn gave her a sad smile. Her sapphire eyes, the same color as Ella’s, sparkled with a fresh film of tears that had just begun to form.

“Why should you allow your past to dictate your future? Flash certainly doesn’t think any less of you for it, and neither should you.”

Ella felt a powerful surge of emotions rise up in her heart in reaction to the truth in the pony’s words. She wanted to release them, to cry and vent at the unbearable shame of her past that made her feel so unworthy of love, unworthy of Flash. Instead, she forced them back down, entangling them deeply within the hunger now painfully twisting around inside of her as it angrily demanded satiation. Chew on that you monster...

Ella didn’t know it, but her eyes flickered faintly with a green light. Rarity’s eyes widened as she noticed the phenomena.

“It’s not that simple, Rarity.” Ella said, gently brushing the pony’s hoof off of her shoulder after giving it a grateful squeeze.

Rarity frowned, “But why shouldn’t it be Ella? You’ve just stated that you care more about Flash’s happiness than your own, what would one call that but an admission of true love? You want to be with him darling, why shouldn’t you? Why should it be anyone other than you? After all, it was you and not another that managed to capture his heart.”

Ella wasn’t sure how to answer her at first. Then, for whatever dark reason, she suddenly found Chelicerae’s words to her from before coming into her mind.

“Life isn’t always about what we want, Rarity.”

Black darkness, searing pain, wrath, violence, blood.

“They break so easily, don’t they?”

Shattered limbs, burning flesh, agonizing screams.

“They’re pathetic, so inferior to us, they don’t deserve our pity.”

Tearing, rending...stronger, faster!

“Kill them...KILL THEM ALL!”

Resistance...don’t let them stop you...KILL!

His blades shot forward, they impacted flesh, sinking deep. A beating heart cut itself to ribbons as it fluttered against the sharp edges of his weapon.

Flash gaped as he stared into the mournful eyes of his beloved mother, blood trickled from her mouth as she coughed and gasped with her dying breaths.

“Why Flash?” She gurgled, choking on her own blood. “Why would you kill me? Was I a bad mother? I’m sorry...I’m sorry I wasn't good enough...

A ragged scream tore from Flash’s lips as he shot up in bed, a cold, clammy sweat clinging to his limbs and torso. His heart pounded in his ears as his gaze tore around his moonlit room, searching for a threat that wasn’t there.

“Oh buck...buck me...” He muttered through heaving breaths, holding his hands against his face which was wet with his tears and sweat. Flash immediately threw up mental walls around his consciousness, not wanting his disturbed mind to wake his mother again. He had temporarily moved back to their home in Cloudsdale from the loft he rented in Canterlot in order to be closer to her while she recovered, which made keeping his mind from her all the more difficult.

Flash rolled off of his cloud mattress as he stumbled into the adjoining bathroom, flicking on the lights as he did. He slapped the small raincloud above the sink, splashing some of the cold water it released onto his face. Wiping his face with the small hand towel, Flash looked up slowly into the mirror, his scarred visage angrily staring back at him.

The nightmares were getting worse, with the unpleasant consequence that he hadn’t had any decent sleep in weeks. He had been examined by no less than three mages, including Twilight herself. And other than some neural scarring, none of them had found any trace of Chelicerae’s magic still affecting his mind; but it didn’t feel that way.

He had sensed Luna’s approach during the horrid dream as she rushed to his aid. But like all the previous times, he forced himself to wake up before she could get to him. He didn’t want to talk to her. He didn’t want to talk to anypony, he just wanted to be alone. Luna, Celestia, Burnt Oak, his chaplain, none of them could understand what he had done, what it felt to like to live with this inescapable shame. But it wasn’t their fault, how could it be? No, the only one to blame was him. He put himself in this situation, him and his own selfish desires.

Flash felt his fist clenching as his rage at himself flared hot, black and caustic. He wanted nothing more than to drive his fist through his reflection. The magical outline of the red and yellow sun, Sunset's cutie mark, shone faintly on his forehead as her enchantment reacted to his very own malice. It only served to further fill him with even greater self-disgust. The scar on his cutie mark burned like a hot brand, its very existence a mocking reminder of just how spectacularly he had failed in his vocation to protect others, and of all ponies, the ones who were most dear to him. He clenched his eyes shut not wanting to look at himself any longer. Feeling as if he was about to explode, Flash did the only thing he could think to do: he ran.

A diving leap out the second story of his bedroom window later, Flash tore down the deserted streets of Cloudsdale, reaching the edge of town in only a few seconds. Without pausing, he dove clear over side and out into the open sky, the wind rushing by his face as he plummeted towards the ground far below, ricocheting off of strategically placed clouds with practiced ease to slow his decent.

Hitting the ground much harder than he normally would, Flash distributed the impact in a five-point roll before taking off like a bolt loosed from a crossbow, leaving a silver streak of magical energy in his wake.

Flash poured on the speed as he ran and ran, legs pumping, arms swinging as he moved faster and faster, his surroundings a blur.

More.

He pressed harder, unable to remember the last time he ran so fast, perhaps when Tierk had attacked his mother? Perhaps never. He felt the air pressure in front of him building, that wall of thick, ground level air that had always prevented him from ever achieving sustained supersonic speed. Gritting his teeth, Flash dug deep, pushing himself harder than he ever had in his life as he felt himself reaching the very limits of his abilities. He thought he might break first: his muscles ached, his lungs burned, his heart was beating fit to burst, but he pressed on; straining every fiber, burning through every reserve.

Just as he felt that he could go no further, it happened. With a resounding boom that echoed across the Equestrian countryside, Flash Skies blasted through the sound barrier, crossing a line that he had always believed to be unbreachable for him.

With a sense of thrill and more than a little shock, Flash quickly slowed down, afraid that he might lose control and wipe out. Sliding to a stop, he collapsed to the grass on his hands and knees, gasping and panting as sweat poured down his face and body. He had left his home so quickly, that he had not even bothered to put on his shoes or grab a shirt, and was wearing only his light-blue sweatpants. Even with his enhanced durability and flight magic, his feet throbbed in protest at the abuse he had just put them through.

As pleased as he was at this incredible accomplishment, Flash found the joy was short lived. He couldn’t get the horrific images of his wounded mother, her blood hot on his hands out of his head. He looked up and finally realized where he was. He was standing in an open plain on a small hill upon which sat a lone elm tree; Canterhorn Mountain loomed in the distance. It was a secluded place, one he used to visit all the time when he was younger whenever he desired to get away and have time to read, be alone, or reflect on his life.

It was an especially meaningful location to him, and he was a bit surprised that had he ended up here of all places when he thought he was running to nowhere in particular; he hadn’t been here in years. A fresh wave of agony rolled through his heart as he caught sight of some graffiti that was carved into the trunk of the tree, reminding him of a memory he had all but forgotten until now.

Flash and Dash
Best friends forever!

A red haze descended over his vision, his fingers digging into the bark of the tree as a great rage rose up inside of him. You’ve ruined that as well, haven’t you?! Flash joined his anger to a familiar energy swelling up within him, raw and powerful. His eyes shone brightly with blue light as he sent the power surging towards his right fist, and with a wordless scream, punched the center of the tree with all of his might, releasing the full-force of the thunderbolt contained within his arm.

With a blinding and deafening blast of light that hurt his ears, the tree exploded with tremendous force. The trunk shattering into countless shards and splinters that stung his face and bare torso while it’s once proud branches crashed to the ground in utter ruin. The echo of thunder rolled off into the distance, slowly fading out of existence.

Flash felt his arm trembling, the discharge of energy so intense that it had left it almost completely numb. He slowly lowered his clenched fist to his side, blood dripping from the torn flesh on his knuckles as he paused to take in the wanton destruction that he had caused.

“You know Equestria is going to lose a lot more trees that way,” said an all too familiar, baritone voice from behind him. “Though I suppose if you were looking for the most chaotic way to create a lifetime supply of toothpicks, I applaud your most vigorous efforts.”

Flash scowled, not bothering to turn around. “What do you want Discord?” He grumbled. “You come to gloat? Say ‘I told you so?’”

There was a flash of light, and the decimated tree was suddenly whole once more with the draconequus responsible for its miraculous reconstruction lounging on one of the branches, a smug grin on his face.

“Moi?” Discord said, placing a claw against his chest. “Since when do I ever gloat?”

"...Not dignifying that." Flash muttered under his breath. Though secretly, he was glad that Discord had kindly restored the part of his childhood that he had foalishly destroyed in his anger.

"Well, fair enough...but seriously! If either of us has any reason to boast, shouldn't it be you?" Discord said, holding up the digits on his lion's paw which multiplied in number as he counted off.

"You discovered your origins, rescued countless damsels, defeated the baddies, converted fearsome enemies through the magic of friendship, made a new friend, who I must say, is not too shabby on the eyes," Discord was suddenly at Flash's side, nudging him in the ribs with his elbow while wiggling his eyebrows. Flash took a swipe at him only for the mischievous spirit to vanish in a flash of light and reappear behind him.

And, returned home safely! Very impressive, quite the conquering hero I must say! If anything, I should be the one eating humble pie and Celestia should be pinning you with medals!" He snapped his claws and Flash found himself pristinely arrayed in his short-sleeved officer khakis, as sharp and fresh as if he had just stepped out of the changing room. A mirror instantly materialized in front of him so he could take in his appearance.

"Oh it cost you a few new character marks to be sure," Discord said while snapping his claws again, and Flash found that the vision in his right eye suddenly disappeared. He looked and saw in the mirror that he was now wearing a stylish, black eyepatch.

"But hey, the ladies love a soldier with battle scars! Quite the roguish appearance, wouldn't you say?"

Flash snarled angrily as he tore the eyepatch off and kicked the reflective surface, shattering it into countless shards that immediately took flight as a swarm of mirror-winged butterflies.

"Enough!" He shouted. Flash glared at the Lord of Chaos, "I don't feel like humoring your games right now, Discord!"

Discord cocked his head to one side, folding his mismatched arms and pouting his lips, "But why ever not? I can't see a single reason for you to be so upset when you've obviously triumphed so splendidly."

"Triumphed...TRIUMPHED?!" Flash screamed, almost wanting to shoot lightning at his nigh omnipotent friend, as futile a gesture as he knew that would be. Flash's shoulder's heaved as he struggled to contain his temper. He didn't want to be angry at Discord. After all, he was his friend, and he knew that he was only trying to help him, albeit in his own, peculiar fashion.

Flash was about to ask him to leave, but in the moment, was struck with a different thought. If there was ever an individual that might give him an unusual perspective, something that he and others might easily overlook, it was Discord. Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, Flash decided to share with him the new reality that had been brutalizing his heart and mind.

Flash spun about, turning his back on Discord. "You want to know how spectacularly I've triumphed Discord?" He asked, a bark of self-deprecating laughter escaping his throat. "Well how about this?!" He turned about again, eyes flashing with rage. "Because of me, my mother's crippled now! She's got permanent nerve damage, not even magic can touch it...she's only 36 years old and she'll never WALK straight again!" Flash angrily exclaimed, gripping his left forearm for emphasis.

Discord blinked, his gaze enigmatic, but he didn't speak. Flash swore and turned his back on him once more, continuing with his rant. "And if that wasn't enough, the Alicorn magic in my gauntlet severed some of the energy lines in her forelimb, her magic doesn't flow through it normally anymore, which means I've all but ruined her career as a weather pony!" He paused for a moment, swallowing back a surge of grief that almost caused his voice to crack. "And my best friend? Rainbow Dash? Because of what I almost did to her, she can't even stand to look at me anymore. And why, for WHAT?! All because I was curious. Because I just had to know where I came from...how's that for 'triumph' Discord, huh?! YOU TELL ME!" He screamed, his voice echoing faintly across the moonlit plain.

Flash felt hot tears coming to his eyes as he finally heard his pain put into words. The guilt, the unbearable shame that he had caused those who loved him pain, combined with the gut wrenching knowledge that Ella would not have him was too much to bear. "I, I should have listened to you Discord." He said quietly. "You were right, I should have left well enough alone..."

Flash then waited, waited for what felt like forever for Discord to say something in response to his failure, to pass some sort of judgment on him, but no answer came. He grit his teeth as he spun about, "Well? SAY something you trickst-" His word died in his throat as he caught sight of the Princess of the Night silently stepping into reality from out of Discord's very shadow where she had apparently been hiding. The sadness in her beautiful eyes a testimony to the fact that she had heard everything.

Flash looked from Luna to Discord, completely stunned at the realization that Discord had so completely set him up. The draconequus frowned, uncharacteristic sympathy coloring the gaze of the normally urbane spirit. "I do not believe that I am the one you need to speak to at the moment, my friend."

The noise of the dining hall entrance being slammed open caused Princess Celestia to look up with a start from her morning report as her bedraggled looking sister stalked towards the dining room table.

The solar princess set down her notes and saucer that she had been holding in her golden magic while proffering a fresh cup that she had been keeping ready towards her sister. "Sister?" She asked, "How did-"

Luna ignored the offered cup, instead snatching the entire carafe off of the white table cloth with her magic and downing it's contents in several long gulps.

"Ah," Celestia remarked, "That bad?"

Luna took a gasp of air as she slammed the empty container back on the table. "It's worse than we thought sister," She said, giving Celestia a worried glance with her heavily ringed eyes. "Among other disturbances, Flash completely blames himself for his mother's condition, and because he is constantly aware of his mother's discomfort, he cannot see past this present trauma which has become all but a waking nightmare for him."

Celestia frowned, upset not only at the terribleness of the situation, but at her sister's obvious distress on the matter. Flash was the first friend she had made after her return, and held a special place in her heart, perhaps even more so than her own. Oh my little one, why do you choose to suffer alone? She thought with a grimace.

Luna bowed her head, "He, he did not even want to listen to me...he's never shut me out before..." She whispered in pained disbelief. "He said, that he didn't want to inconvenience anypony any more than he already had, that I should not waste my time on him, that he would have to come to peace with this on his own, if ever."

The two alicorns remained silent for a time, with the only sound in the room coming from the steady ticking of the stately grandfather clock against the far wall.

Celestia was the first to break the silence, "What do you think Luna, do you want me to intervene?"

Luna continued to stare down at the floor in thought for a moment longer before she shook her head and looked up. "No, sister. I know you care, but I think your intervention would only make the situation all the more tenuous. Instead, I think it's time we brought in a fresh perspective, one that Flash is not so accustomed to hearing from on a regular basis."

Celestia smiled, knowing instantly who she meant. "Alright Luna, I'll leave this to you. I trust your judgment in this matter."

Fifteen minutes and another carafe of coffee later, Princess Luna stood at the dark mahogany desk in her private study. The curtains were drawn, but the shifting patterns of the night sky magically imprinted onto the ceiling gave a soft luminescence to her tired eyes. Her bed called like a siren, rich with the promise of glorious, refreshing rest. But not yet, not until she completed the task at hoof.

Luna tapped the quill against her lower jaw in thought. It had been a long time since she had faced a problem of this nature that she was not able to solve on her own, and wondered how to relate what she had observed to another. Luna was not in the habit of revealing what she had seen and heard in the dreams of others, and kept the strictest of seals on that information less she lose the confidence of and scandalize her little ponies. Proceeding with caution, she placed her quill to the blank parchment.

My dearest Cadance,

It is with utmost urgency that I write to you this day...

Author's Note

More tortuous than anything is the human heart, beyond remedy; who can understand it? -Jeremiah 17:9

Be patient with your neighbor, you never know what they might be going through.

Greetings my friends, so glad to be back. I apologize for the delay, things have just been crazy for me as of late, with the result that I haven't been able to get this out as soon as I had originally planned. Be patient with me.:twilightsheepish:
As always, thank you so much for your presence here, and feel free to contact me with anything I might pray for you to the Lord God.
Peace and God's blessings to you all my friends!

Love is Patient, Love is Kind...

Something was not right. Ella stood on the streets of Cloudsdale, staring at the front of the two-story cloud house that she was informed belonged to Flash and his mother. She had managed to hitch a ride up to the sky-bound city on a sky chariot with some of the exceedingly generous allowance of bits that Celestia had allotted to her since her arrival in Equestria.

Flash's hometown was even more incredible up close than what she had beheld at a distance. As she had approached the city, the sheer scale of it boggled Ella's mind. It looked as if someone had uprooted an entire mountain, hung it in the heavens, and with painstaking detail, carved an entire civilization out of it. There were immense buildings, elaborate towers and countless columns, and all of it formed out of clouds bound with rainbows and the all elements of the weather itself. The style of the marvelous architecture reminded her of some ancient Greek city, though arrayed from a dream and held aloft by imagination. And all of it constructed by ponies, or more specifically, the pegasi.

Twilight hadn't been exaggerating in her lessons when she had explained to her how there were few things the sky tribe couldn't do when they set their wills to it. They were a proud race that were proud of their abilities, and were not at all shy about making that ability visible for all to see.

Ella had also noticed how the buildings also contained solid matter such as wooden doors, glass windows, and other solid fixtures. Material that was enchanted, according to Twilight, to function seamlessly within the greater parts of the cumulous constructs.

But her otherworldly surroundings were not the present object of her attention. There was something else, something so mind-blowing that Ella did not consider it possible even by the insane standards of this magical world that routinely made sport of the the very laws of physics as she knew them. There was something inside of Flash's house, something with a magnitude of presence so great that it had practically numbed her senses from the moment she had first set foot in the city.

It was power. Pure, raw, unimaginable power. Celestia and Luna, God bless them, were many things: beautiful, powerful, simply awe-inspiring beings unlike anything she had ever encountered. But this? Whatever was in there was on a higher plane of existence altogether. It was a glowing, molten inferno of such incandescent fury that Ella was left wondering how in the name of sanity the house, the city could possibly contain such a force without being vaporized out of existence.

Adding to that bewilderment, was that none of the flying, pastel denizens of the town seemed to take any notice of the veritable birth of another universe in their midst other than to cast a curious glance at her as they flew by the spot she was presently rooted to, unable to move. But how could they not notice?! Clouds could not contain a volcano!

Ella swallowed, her throat dry. What...what is it? What the buck is it?!

Willing herself to move, Ella began to slowly advance towards the door, each step requiring her full focus, feeling increasingly lightheaded the closer she got. She felt like a flag caught out in a hurricane, a kite in a storm. It took everything she had to simply hold herself together, feeling that if she faltered for a moment, the very fabric of her being might be rent asunder by the immeasurable pressure issuing from the space before her.

Raising a trembling hand to knock, Ella stumbled forward as the door suddenly swung inwards. She bounced off of something that was as soft as a cloud and yet as unyielding as a mountain before falling to her knees. Feeling as if her head were made of lead, Ella slowly raised her face only to meet the light violet eyes of a majestic pink alicorn gazing down at her with a look of surprised curiosity.

She was beautiful. No, fairer than the heavens and all the stars they contained. Her fair scent was like the smell of every fragrant flower of the field, her sweet love the delectable taste of every savory food, her dazzling countenance more radiant than the sun itself, made so by the blazing fire of creative life that formed the very beating center of her luminous being. This was no mere equine. Here, was a flame cast from the very Hand of God.

"Um, hello. It's Ella, right?"

The girl gaped like a fish out of water for a few seconds, trying, straining to form some words of grace which alone might be worthy of utterance in the presence of what was clearly a precious creature sent from the very courts of heaven itself.

"H-hi...yoU'rE...pReTtY poNy..." Thump.

Princess Cadence, Alicorn of Love, Sovereign of the Crystal Empire and of all the Northern Tribes was truly, not at all concerned with the slack-jawed gawking of the locals as with a haste not at all unbecoming of the dignity of her regal personage, quickly seized the unconscious human, dragging her into the house and slamming the door.

"Ella? Ella, I need you to sit right here. Can you do that for me?"

A burst of hysterical laughter was the reply. "Sure! Wow, that couch is made of cloud! Is everything up here made of cloud?"

Ella couldn't remember the last time she felt so alive, so full of energy and power. She could feel it, a strength that thrummed from the tips of her fingers to the very ends of her hair, so invigorating, so empowering was the sensation that it made the entire world around her feel as if it were made of cardboard.

Though at the same time, one could say that she felt a bit tipsy, and by tipsy, drunk; as drunk as a skunk. But Ella was the fun, happy kind of drunk. The type who suddenly and inexplicably loves everyone around them and made very well sure to let each and every one of them know just how much she loved them.

The pretty pony helped her to sit down before taking a few steps back. "How do you feel?"

"FINE!" Ella blurted. Cadance blinked.

"So," Cadance began, "I'm guessing you came here looking for Flash, am I right?"

Ella nodded a bit overenthusiastically, "Oh yeah, he's a silly boy and I really wanna tell him how much I love him. Did you know he can shoot lightning? I know he can shoot lighting. It goes all...'pew, boom...'" She said while wiggling her fingers for effect.

Cadance blinked, "Uh, yes. Ella, are you sure you're okay?"

Ella laughed, "I'm friggin' fantastic! I feel greeeaat...Did I tell you how beautiful you are? You're like an angel from heaven. Can I pet you?"

Cadance sighed as she stood back up and stepped towards the girl.

"Ella, hold still. I need you to focus."

"Boop." Ella said, touching the Alicorn's muzzle with a single finger.

Cadance went cross-eyed at the surprise boop before shaking her head, wrinkling her muzzle.

"Ugh, you're as bad as Flurry Heart, Hold still Ella, if you do, I promise you can pet me."

"Really?!"

"Yes, really..." Cadance said while charging her horn. She touched the girl's forehead with it, casting a sort of sobering spell of her own design that she had been forced to craft after more than a few awkward encounters with unprepared changelings. The effects were immediate.

Ella inhaled sharply as if slapped, "WhOA! Hell! What the hell?!" She looked up and felt her stomach sink into the floor.

Cadence smiled at her, "So, do you still want to pet me?"

Ella felt her face flush with the heat of embarrassment, her cheeks matching the color of the Alicorn’s coat, utterly mortified now that she was fully conscious of exactly how she had been behaving. It was like waking up after a wild party, but instead of hazy recollections, remembering every detail with painful, near photographic clarity. “Uh...hi. I’m, I’m sorry.”

Cadence gave her a friendly smirk. “Hi ‘Sorry,’ I’m Cadance, nice to finally meet you!”

“Better?”

Ella stared hard at the thick, ceramic mug of warm tea clasped tightly in her hands as she sat on a cloud sofa opposite of Princess Cadance, concentrating with all of her might to not crush it like an eggshell and scald her lap for the third time. The Alicorn of all Things Wonderful, Life-Giving, and Delicious had been gracious enough to restore it and cleanse her each time with her magic, but she did not want to inconvenience the heavenly being again.

Ella took a breath, slowly counting backwards from ‘ten’ before exhaling. “Mmm-hmm,” she murmured to the Princess with a small nod. Twilight had taught Ella all about the Alicorns as part of her crash-course of lessons on Equestria. But hearing and experiencing were two very different things in this case.

Ella had no idea that Princess Cadance was going to be here, and even if she had, it still would not have prepared her adequately for the encounter. As a result, the unprepared channels of the changeling human’s soul had been blown wide open like an unsecured hatch in a squall by the avalanche of pressure given off by the Alicorn’s tremendous magical signature, treating Ella to a practical force-feeding of pure, unfiltered love-themed magic.

Trying to regain control of those channels in the presence of so much raw power felt akin to trying to dam the full force of Niagara Falls with all the structural might of a marshmallow. Thankfully, the moment had passed, and with the Princess’ and Bright Skies' help, she now felt in control once more, if still a little woozy.

Ugh, may I never be hungry again. Ella thought as she carefully set her mug down on the small glass coffee table in front of her, choosing instead to focus on her lap full of warm pony. A sleepy, contented hum emitted from Bright Skies as the young woman began to softly stroke and scratch behind one of the pony’s velvety ears.

The pegasus snuggled in closer, nuzzling her cheek more deeply into Ella’s lap while her forelimbs tightened their covetous grip on the human’s thighs. The pony had surprised her earlier by hopping up onto the couch next to her and settling into her lap after Ella had accidentally crushed her tea mug for the third time, still shaking with an overabundance of love. The pegasus' comforting presence was an immense help in both calming her nerves and helping her to regain control of herself.

Adjusting her senses ever so carefully, Ella looked closely at the pony resting her head on her lap, carefully observing the mare’s spirit. She couldn’t tell whether Bright Skies was awake or asleep as her side slowly rose and fell with her breathing. What she could see however, was how badly the pony’s heart had been wounded. A dark core marked the center of her aura, with several violet tendrils spreading out from it to the edges of her spirit like so many veins from a heart.

The taste and scent of her emotions were very bitter, like unripe bananas and vinegar. And yet, thankfully, it did not appear to be getting any worse, with several hues of pink and healthy blues already beginning to seep back towards her center, no doubt due to Cadance's efforts who had managed to get here and help the poor mare hours before had Ella shown up. But strangely, the dark center in Bright Skies' aura didn't seem to be from something recent, but older. It was like an old wound had suddenly and violently been dragged to the surface before being brutally torn open.

“What do your eyes see, Ella?” Cadance asked.

Ella shook her head, almost wanting to cry in empathy, “She’s been hurt, real badly. I’ve never seen such a wound since…since I got my magic. It’s even worse than the one I saw in…” she trailed off, remembering her promise.

“Flash,” Cadance finished for her with a nod. “And it’s a safe bet to say that if you could see him now, he’s probably similar to what you’re seeing here in Bright Skies, maybe worse.”

Ella frowned as she considered the implications. Twilight had explained to her when she had first arrived in Equestria, the nature of the unique bond shared between Flash and his mother, that their souls were interlinked. It was how Flash had first gained his magic, and that what happened to one of them always affected the other.

“Then, what happened?!” Ella quietly exclaimed, “I can’t imagine Flash would deliberately hurt her, he’d sooner saw his own leg off!”

Cadance shook her head, “Not deliberately, no. But last night, Bright Skies confronted him about his current state, and in the heat of the moment, he said something very…regrettable.”

Ella saw a crimson flicker of wrath pass through the mare’s aura, like red-lightning illuminating the dark, distant thunderhead of an approaching, terrible storm. It faded as quickly as it appeared, but had the chilling effect that the human suddenly felt very small and vulnerable in this pony’s presence, as if she were standing in the presence of a tall, looming mountain that might accidently fall on her if she wasn’t careful.

Ella swallowed nervously, Why is it that the most cutesy things in this world are always the most terrifying? “So, what do we do now?”

“Well, if we’re going to help Flash, first, we need to find him.” Cadance said as she rose to her hooves, stretching her wings for a moment before folding them back into place. She gave a sympathetic glance down at Bright Skies, “Fortunately, we know somepony who can tell us exactly where he is.”

Ella looked down at the mare in her lap, one of her ears flicking in seeming response to the attention being directed at her.

“…Mmm…please don’t kill him,” Bright Skies sleepily murmured, “He’s still my baby…”

There was an audible crack as the Alicorn dipped her chin to one side. "Nothing...permanent, I assure you..."

Ella glanced up as the sky, feeling increasingly nervous at the ever growing number of pegasi who were slowing down to catch a glimpse or outright gawk at the strange pair walking down one of the sidewalks of the neighborhood.

An alicorn princess and an alien, not the most inconspicuous pair, I get it, but TAKE A PICTURE WHY DONCHA?! A camera flashed from somewhere in the crowd in answer to her thought, causing her to sigh and hold her head.

"Sorry again about the door," Ella said, sheepishly casting her gaze to one side. She had accidently torn the brass handle clear off of the front door of the house as they had left, not realizing how much her strength had increased from her present love-high. Cadance had kindly repaired it without a word.

"Not a problem," the Princess replied with a small chuckle. "I imagine it's still quite the experience trying to adjust to having magic after living your whole life without it, am I right?"

Ella nodded shyly, still feeling a little intimidated in this creature's presence. "Yeah, it feels so weird and yet at the same time, familiar, like I've always had it. And 'no', by the way."

Cadance raised an eyebrow, "'No' what?"

"No, female humans do not normally have eyes and fangs like this."

"How did you know that I was thinking that?" Cadance asked, sounding impressed.

"I didn't, but your emotions showed me that you were curious about something, so I took a guess." Ella said with a small smile.

Cadance paused mid-step at that, turning to look Ella straight in the eye. Ella held her gaze without flinching, which required more nerve than she knew she possessed. A handful of tense seconds ticked by, and just as Ella thought she might melt into a drooling puddle on the street, a wry smile slowly curled the alicorn’s lips.

“You know? I think you’re going to do just fine here, Ella. And that you may be just what Flash needs.”

Ella swallowed nervously, “Yeah? And what is it that he needs?”

“To get out of his own head,” Cadance said, casting a glance to the ever increasing rubber-necking they were attracting. “That, or a slap upside it, take hold of me!”

Ella obeyed without hesitation, quickly placing a hand on the princess’ neck. The pair vanished in a burst of light-blue magic, appearing an instant later on a remote cloud which gave them a spectacular view of Cloudsdale from a distance, hanging in the clear blue heavens like a bejeweled mountain adorned with rainbows.

“Thanks,” Ella said as Cadance lowered the wing she had placed against her back to steady her. I’m never going to get used to that. She thought, trying to shake off the post teleportation jitters while slowly sitting down. Ella took a moment to soak in the magnificent view before speaking.

“Why Princess, why is Flash taking what happened to Bright Skies so hard? I get that she’s his mother and all, and what happened to her was terrible, but why is it tearing him up so bad? It’s like he’s losin’ his mind.”

Cadance sighed as she sat down next to her, suddenly appearing very tired while settling onto her belly, her forelimbs crossed before her. Ella began to realize just how much the Princess' efforts with Bright Skies must have taken out of her.

"We'll get to that, but first," She gave Ella a friendly glance, "Tell me a little about yourself, Ella. Tell me what happened when you met Flash."

Ella nodded, and after taking a moment to gather her thoughts, she began to share with the Princess a little about her background before telling her all about her experience with Flash. She left nothing out, humbly sharing every detail, the good and the bad alike. From her time with him on Earth though her time with him in Equestria, making sure to include the reasons why she had initially rejected him, how her own personal insecurities had led her to deny her own heart, before finally confessing to how she truly felt about him when Telson had confronted her the previous night. Ella sighed as she finally finished, feeling almost as if she had gone to confession.

Ella watched as Cadance slowly closed her eyes, a pensive look on the alicorn's face. She waited patiently for the pony's judgment, for judge her she would. A few tense moments passed, and Ella curiously noted how the alicorn's long horn shone momentarily with a light blue glow before she opened her eyes. The young woman felt a wave of relief when the Princess turned to regard her with a warm smile that reached her beautiful eyes.

"You're a remarkable woman, Ella." She said, "Where others may try to conceal their flaws, you readily admit to them."

"Thanks...I think?"

Cadance giggled sweetly, "It's refreshingly humble," She continued, "And just as impressive, is that you don't allow your flaws to stop you from beginning anew once you've been made aware of them."

Ella felt herself flush slightly at the praise, "Yeah, well, quittin' just ain't in my vocabulary. But what about Flash?"

Cadance's eyes suddenly appeared sorrowful for a moment before turning her head to regard the horizon.

“Flash,” She began, “Didn’t exactly have what you could call a normal childhood.”

“I can’t imagine why.” Ella said with just a hint of sarcasm.

“I mean, besides the obvious,” Cadance added with a tired laugh.

“What do you mean?”

“Flash, was the kind of child who didn’t allow himself to be a child for very long. Since the day he got his cutie mark, he gradually began to deny himself many of the ordinary pleasures children generally have, forcing himself to grow up quickly. While other foals played, he worked and studied. Where others his age played with toys, he trained and disciplined his body.”

“But why?”

“Flash loves Equestria, he loves the ponies who took him in and raised him, even more than his own life. And in that love, was born a near obsessive desire to repay us, to give his life in service to protect the ones who had done so much for him. For most of his young life, he has done little else but prepare himself for that role, and believe me, it shows. He’s not only the first non-pony to ever be a member of the royal guard, but one of the youngest commissioned officers in its history. He was top of his class, his marks and training record are superb. There's not a doubt, even among his detractors, that he earned his place in the guard. But that's why he's taking this present situation so hard. In his mind, despite all of his preparation, sacrifice, and effort, he failed, and failed the one who matters most to him."

"Bright Skies," Ella murmured.

Cadance nodded, "Exactly. He's been wounded to his very soul, and even though his mother's condition is not his fault, he doesn't see it that way. It was her blood on his hands, so as far as he's concerned it is his fault. He failed as a son, and he failed his purpose, so in his mind, he cannot forgive himself."

Ella sighed, holding her head in her hands. "And right when he was just looking for some comfort, I went and slammed the door in his face. Great, just great."

A fluffy wing softer than the cloud she was sitting on wrapped around her shoulders, she looked over at Cadance who gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Don't be too hard on yourself, you can't rush into a relationship if you weren't ready for one."

Ella blushed slightly, "Well, I think I'm ready for one now. So, what should we do?"

"We need to jog his memory, remind him of all the good he's done."

Ella nodded, "I getcha, so how should we approach that? Should we be subtle? Or..." Cadance shook her head,

"The time for subtlety is over, Ella. I think it's time for a more, direct approach." Ella slowly nodded,

"Yeah? Glad to hear that. I've never liked beatin' around the bush. So, how direct are we talkin'?"

Cadance smiled slyly, a smoldering look in her glittering eyes, "Well tell me, what were you wearing when Flash first saw you?"

Ella, glanced down at the ocean blue blouse and black skirt she was wearing before looking up at Cadance and smiling,

You know? I think Princess Love-Horse and I are gonna get along juuust fine...

Author's Note

Well hello my friends, and welcome back!

It's been a long deployment, and it's not over yet, but we are getting closer to returning so, :yay:.

I pray that you've all been well. So yeah, new chapter. Took me long enough, hopefully the next one will be out considerably sooner. (Definitely:raritywink:)

Don't have a whole lot to say right now, but I wanted to give a shout out to my good friend Venerable Ro once again for his wonderful advice, encouragement, and patience. He was the one who encouraged me to bring in love horse when I was unsure of the concept along with a slew of other good thoughts and brainstorming, cheers mate!

Glad to be back with you my friends, God love you!

Tough Love

The 14 year old boy pulled himself to his feet using the broken haft of his spear. His torn clothing was smeared with blood and dirt, his training helmet dented and discarded, as useless as his broken left arm that dangled limply at his side. Looking up through the blood, sweat, and tears that stung his eyes, he beheld his end.

Tirek stood over 10 feet tall, towering over his small form, the strength and magic of a thousand ponies coursing through him; stolen magic, his mother's magic.

"ARE YOU STILL TRYING TO FIGHT ME, BOY?! The monster thundered, his voice laced with cruel amusement.

The boy glared up defiantly at the massive centaur blotting out the sun above him, hate and anger burning away any measure of fear.

He coughed blood, "I s-swear I'll stop you!" He angrily exclaimed, "I'm NOT going to let you hurt another pony! I'll protect them...I'LL ALWAYS PROTECT THEM!"

Scornful laughter was the only response as a massive hoof lifted, casting a shadow over the lone human. "PROTECT THEM?! HA! YOU CAN'T EVEN PROTECT YOURSELF!"

The boy had one final thought as the hoof came smashing down,

'Mom, everpony...I'm...sorry...'

"Again!"

Flash's shout echoed sharply inside of the spacious training complex, and was immediately followed by a chorus of groans from the assembled guard ponies lying about in various positions of pain from where they had collapsed in exhaustion after the latest series of exercises.

"C'mon sir, have a heart!"

"We've been doin' this for three hours straight!"

"I can't feel my hooves."

"I can only feel my lips..."

Flash sighed, wiping the sweat from his forehead, "Oh, excuse me, but did I ask you fillies for a BUCKING SURVEY?!" He barked, allowing his anger to bleed into his voice. "Sarge! Get 'em up!"

A slate grey earth pony with an even darker grey mane, Sergeant Forthright, looking as sharp as ever in his khaki uniform and campaign hat, stepped forward next to Flash, who himself was wearing a short-sleeved, coyote brown shirt with tan pants, a matching belt, and boots.

"Alright fillies, you heard the LT, on your feet! Now, MOVE IT!" He screamed while taking a threatening stomp forward, causing the assembled ponies to scatter into formation like a flock of startled starlings.

"Go on, move your flanks! And I'd better not hear one more word of backtalk or I swear to Luna I'll PT you until Celestia dies of old age!"

Flash knew Forthright as a pony who kept his opinions strictly to himself unless asked for, it was one of the qualities he admired about the stalwart stallion. So when he noticed the sergeant's eyebrow rise ever so slightly in a quick, sidelong glance towards him that asked, 'You alright sir?' He knew that he had done a poor job of concealing his wrecked emotions.

In truth, Flash was exhausted, unhealthily so. He hadn't slept a wink since fleeing his mother's presence the previous night, not that he had been sleeping much at all the during the past month. When he fled, he had run non-stop all the way to Canterlot.

But no matter how fast he ran, he could not escape the agonizing mental image of his mother glaring down at him after she had knocked him to the floor, her face a mess of shock, pain, and tears. The regret over what he had said to her felt like a hot knife stabbing him in the heart over and over again.

Why, WHY did I say that?!

In his aim to spare her further suffering, he had only caused her to suffer more. And the way she had looked at him in that final moment, the outrage, the hurt, the anger, it felt as if for the first time in his life, she was looking at him like he was an alien, and not her son.

Flash shook his head, tightening his grip on his practice spear. His right pinky was hot and slightly swollen from a hit he had taken in the last sparring match. It was the closest any of the sixteen assembled ponies who made up his department had come to dealing him any kind of real damage. The challenge he had issued to his troops was that if even one of them could win a match against him, they could all hit the showers early, making him more than a little disappointed that even with that incentive, nopony had manage to collect yet.

Flash opened his mouth to give another order when he heard the door at the far side of the complex bang open with an echo, the clattering of hooves signaling somepony moving in a big hurry. Flash looked over and saw one of his staff messengers, a white pegasus with an orange, flame of a mane galloping towards him, a scroll tucked beneath his wing. The pony skidded to a halt, rendering a hasty salute which Flash returned.

"Corporal Blaze, what's the rush? You look like you've seen a ghost." Flash said as he unfurled the missive that was hoofed over to him.

"Well, uh, sir-" He began to say but stopped as Flash held up a hand, his eyes widening as he scanned the lines of text.

There's no way, Flash thought before looking at his corporal. "She's here, now?"

"Yes sir, should I tell her to wai-"

"No!" Flash replied a bit too hastily before pausing, taking a moment to compose himself. "I mean, no. That's fine corporal, I'm ready now. Good work!"

The pony gave a quick nod and a salute before turning and hurrying back out of the complex. The other ponies murmured amongst themselves, wondering what was going on.

Flash swallowed nervously before finding his voice again. "Sarge!"

"Yes sir?"

Flash glanced from his sergeant to the assembled guard ponies now standing at attention, awaiting further instructions. He allowed himself a resigned sigh.

"Take 'em to chow sarge. After that, we're done for the day. Twenty-four hour liberty pass for all present."

The looks of sudden wonder and gratitude on their faces almost made Flash smirk, he was pretty sure he saw one unicorn almost getting teary-eyed. He turned away as Forthright called the guard ponies to attention before fast-marching them out of the complex, the rise and fall of his hard-voiced cadence slowly fading until cut off by the echoing boom of the far exit doors closing behind them.

Flash took a breath, holding it in a moment before letting it out as he cast a quick glance around the now empty training area. The complex was relatively new, with two levels. At the ground level was an obstacle course, a wide open training mat, and various exercise equipment, all surrounded by an elevated running track which made up the 2nd level. The gray steel ceiling was domed in shape, allowing plenty of space for pegasi to practice aerial combat maneuvers.

But standing alone as he was in the center of the padded training area made him feel less like an officer, and more like a condemned criminal awaiting sentence, small and vulnerable. After all, there could only be one reason why she of all ponies was here.

The unmistakable burst of a teleport behind him didn't cause Flash to flinch so much as the intense levels of magical energy he could practically feel in his teeth did. Her unmistakable presence seemed to fill the entire complex. It was the presence of one of the rarest and most powerful creatures on the planet, the presence of an immortal, the presence of an alicorn. He quickly spun around, dropping to one knee and bowing his head.

"Your highness, it is an honor to have you with us today." Flash said, focusing only on his reflection in Princess Mi Amore Cadenza's golden hoof covers.

"Oh come on Flash, the first time we see each other in months and that's your greeting?! Stop being so formal with me!" Cadance said, delight and humor coloring her tone. Flash slowly stood up, leaving his practice spear on the ground. The Princess beamed at him, "After all, you're practically family." She said with a small chuckle.

"Sorry your highness, just old habits and-whoa! Just a second princess, I've been training all morning, I'm a sweaty, disgusting mess right now, you really shouldn-"

His stream of objections were cut off by a firm hug as she wrapped her forelimbs around his shoulders, pulling him close to her. Flash hesitated a moment before returning it, relaxing slightly in her embrace.

"Don't care, it's good to see you again Flash." She playfully whispered in his ear. "And you'd better start calling me 'Cadance' from now on, got it?" She emphasized the last part with a small, but powerful squeeze that caused a few of his vertebrae to audibly pop.

Flash laughed nervously, reminded as he was of just how incredibly strong this pony really was despite her fair, delicate appearance. "Yeah, got it Cadance. It's good to see you again too."

They separated after a moment, Flash managed a smile.

"How's Flurry Heart?" He asked, trying to avoid for as long as possible the elephant in the room.

"Growing like a weed and continuing to learn new ways that she can blackmail Shiny with cuteness. He says 'hi' by the way." Flash nodded,

"Thanks, though I'm surprised the CO didn't escort you in here himself." He remarked.

"Oh he tried, wanted to show me around with all the formalities of my station and whatnot. But I insisted that I wanted you as my base escort today, and that I wanted to see you alone."

Flash did his best to conceal the massive cringe trying to work its way up his face, wishing for a moment that he was anywhere but here right now. A court martial? A night patrol of Ghastly Gorge? Perhaps volunteering to go and prune some of the monstrous, pony-eating carnivorous plants in the darkest depths of the Everfree...with a dull spork...by himself? Hmm, Yes, that last one certainly had merits.

"Cadance, it's really good to see you, but I've got a full schedule and-"

"AND the Colonel was all too happy to acquiesce to my request," Cadance said, cutting him off, "Saying that he would personally see to it that you would have no other engagements to distract you today and that you are hereby ordered to see to my every need."

Flash grimaced ever so slightly. A stressful, angry sweat breaking out over his face and back. "That's...swell." Cadance gave him a look of feigned sympathy,

"Aww, am I really such bad company Flash?” She said with a slightly impish smirk. “There are far worse fates than escorting a princess around. From what I understand, most officers would kill to add such an experience to their fitrep.”

“I’m not most officers.” Flash grumbled in reply.

“Exactly!" She gleefully exclaimed. "It's what I like about you Flash, you're always a unique experience. Now, whatever shall we do?" She flicked him annoyingly with her tail as she walked by, making him feel that much more frustrated.

Flash exhaled hard through his nostrils, trying to suppress his growing ire, "Alright, who put you up to it Cadance, was it Celestia or Twilight?" He demanded. Cadance cast an exaggerated look of surprise over her shoulder,

"My, such accusations! Am I not allowed to come see an old friend on my own, especially after he's discovered his origins?” She said before pausing and adopting a more serious tone, “But if you must know, it was Auntie Luna. She's really worried about you Flash, and can you blame her? We all are."

Flash grit his teeth, kicking his practice spear up into one hand and spinning away towards one of the pony-shaped practice mannequins hanging from a thick rope.

“Well, you shouldn’t be!” Flash said as he began to lightly strike the dummy with a series of standard attacks. “I appreciate how much everypony cares, but honestly? All of this attention? It's only making it worse!”

“How so?”

Flash continued striking the mannequin with steadily increasing speed and force, his temper rising. “Because I’ve already inconvenienced everypony enough, and now here you are, a Princess of all ponies, crossing half a continent, wasting all of your time on me!” He sensed her take a few steps closer,

“Is that what you think you are Flash Skies? A waste of time, an inconvenience?”

Flash bit back the angry affirmation he wanted to scream in response to that. Worse Princess, inconveniences don’t hurt the ponies who love them! He cast an angry glance over his shoulder, “What do you want Cadance, hmm? Want me to break down? To get all weepy? Talk about my feelings and pretend like it’s all better?!”

"It'd be a nice start." She gently teased, though it failed to elicit a response from the obviously irritated human. She tried again, dropping her lighthearted attitude and adopting a tone that contained all of her genuine sympathy for him.

“I want you to listen to yourself, Flash. Listen to just how unfair you're being to yourself.”

A loud bang echoed throughout the complex as Flash spun and struck the mannequin with the haft of his spear with such force that it tore off of its mounting, bouncing a few times across the padded floor.

He turned and glared at Cadance, breathing hard, “Oh, because listening to myself has already yielded such wonders for me, hasn’t it?! Like how I listened to myself in going to earth?!” He shouted.

The Princess just stared back at him, eyes calculating, but patient. After a moment, she glanced to her right at a rack holding additional practice spears before taking hold of one in her teal-colored magic and bringing it up to her face.

“You know, Shiny tells me that you’re really good with these.” She said while slowly rotating the tool beneath her scrutinizing gaze. “In fact,” She said, looking up at him, a sly smirk on her face, “He says that you’re one of the best he’s ever seen.”

Flash eyed her suspiciously, wondering where she was going with this. At the same time, he couldn't help but feel slightly elated that his former commanding officer had spoken so highly of him. Shining Armor had been the one who had originally trained him in the basics of martial combat with weapons. Flash didn’t like to boast, but false humility would not do either. He may not be strongest in the guard, nor even the fastest. But by Celestia, he was damn-good with a spear; it was his weapon of choice.

“I know enough,” He responded neutrally.

“So modest! Care to give me a demonstration? Perhaps we can have a little sparring match?” Cadance asked, casually dropping her spear into one hoof.

Flash’s eyes widened in surprise. The very idea was ludicrous. After all, she was a civilian, a Princess! Is she being serious? Yeah, she’s an alicorn, but she probably knows as much about wielding a spear as I do about the history of pudding. Then again, Shining Armor may have given her a few pointers, but on the other hand-

A sudden explosion of motion cut through the space before him and Flash suddenly found himself tumbling like a small leaf caught in a blast of wind across the practice mat. Her speed was breathtaking. He had barely caught sight of her before throwing up a guard on reflex alone, just in time to catch her strike; it felt as if he had tried to kiss the Manehattan express.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Were you not ready?” Cadance goaded.

Muttering every curse in the Equestrian language under his breath, Flash pulled himself to his feet, feeling rattled, and checked his weapon. The practice spears were inlaid with spells in order to make them very durable. Even so, he was surprised that the haft hadn’t splintered, giving it a few shakes to ensure that the blunted metal spear-head was still attached.

“Tartarus Cadance, what the hay was that for?!” He exclaimed

“What, too much? Should I give you a handicap?” She asked while removing her crown and other adornments with her magic so that she was completely bare. She stretched out her magnificent wings, giving them a few powerful flaps before folding them in place. “Ah, that’s better.” She sighed before cocking him an eager grin. “Ready?”

Flash fumed at the foalish taunt, trying to think of a way to politely decline her request.

“Cadance, this is highly irregular, you're a VIP, and I don’t think it’s a good image if somepony should see-”

Another blistering strike cut him off, but he managed to catch this one more effectively, gripping his spear with his left hand while bracing it against hers with the palm of his right. The two weapons vibrated as they both pushed back against the other.

“Not open for debate, Flash.” Cadance said, leaning forward to look him right in the eye with a determined gaze. “Now, defend yourself, Lieutenant!”

Shoving him back, the princess proceeded to advance on him with a series of standard strikes. Shocked as he already was by her sudden aggression as well as her surprisingly competent ability with a spear, Flash decided to humor her, and casually deflected them with a basic defense pattern, keeping a sharp eye out for any tricks. She had already surprised him once with her incredible speed and unexpected ferocity, so he had no desire to be caught off guard again.

What are you getting at Cadance? Flash wondered to himself.

He had to admit, he did appreciate the fact that she was wielding it with her hooves, rather than with her magic as most unicorn guards tended to do. And because that required her to rear back on her hind legs, it gave her the added bonus of a height advantage over him. She was surprisingly agile, using her powerful wings both for balance and movement, gracefully dashing from side to side on light hooves as she sought to work past his guard.

Flash noticed her speed gradually increasing, along with the strength and level of skill behind her attacks, the rapid clashes of their weapons resounded through the complex like so many hailstones hammering away on a hard tin roof.

He had known Cadance since he was a child, but he had never seen this side of her before. Her eyes were focused, with a sharp gleam of some burning determination that made him wary. Her combative movements, her aggression, and the way her tri-colored mane whipped around her neck as she quickly flowed from one attack to the next made her appear less a like a princess, and more like a fierce mare of war from ancient times that he'd see displayed in the Cloudsdale art gallery.

"You didn't answer my question, Flash." Cadence said as the human leapt back from a sharp thrust of her spear. "Do you think that you're just an inconvenience to everypony? That nopony's allowed to care about you? That we're supposed to just stand by and ignore you while you suffer?"

Flash paused, gripping the haft in his hands so hard that his fingers hurt. He couldn't stand it, the fact that nopony but him seemed to think that what he did to his mother was a big deal.

Why is everypony wasting their care on me? They should be caring about her!

His anger folded in on itself, redoubling into a dark fire that burned like the very depths of Tartarus. He swallowed it down, deciding instead to counter with a question of his own.

"Can you fix her?" He quietly asked, "Can you undo the harm I did to my mom?"

Cadance frowned, her ears splaying slightly, "Not at this time, no."

Flash nodded, "Then I believe I have answered your question."

"Flash, I know you're upset-"

"ENOUGH Cadance!" He snapped, cutting her off. His shoulders rose and fell as he breathed hard through his nostrils, struggling to contain his temper that more and more felt like a bomb about to cook off. The princess just stared back at him, her expression a strange combination of sympathy and calculation, as if she was trying to come to some kind of difficult decision.

He could see it, the same genuine concern and worry that he had seen in the eyes of his mother, his friends, and more than a dozen others who cared about him. More than a small part of him wanted to simply accept it, to pour out his wounded heart to this good friend and just accept his mother's present condition as the tragedy that it was, something that was beyond his control. But he could not accept that. What would that change? Forgiveness might fix him, but what about his mother? Where was her justice? Who was going to fix her?

Flash took another slow breath and let it out, angry at the fact that yet another friend had to see him this way.

“I’m sorry for snapping, Cadance, and I’m sorry that you came all this way for nothing, but talking about this isn't going to solve anything.” He said, moving to walk past her. “We’re done here.”

A wing snapped out in front of him, causing him to halt abruptly. But it was the way that it bumped into his nose, just hard enough to make his eyes water, that made it seem all too infuriatingly deliberate. Cadance tilted her head slightly, her eyes narrowing at him,

“I didn’t say you could leave, Lieutenant.” She said, her tone suddenly aggressive. "After all, you've failed to land a single hit on me yet."

"That's because I wasn't trying to hit you, Cadence. You're a princess!"

"Well, you'd better not let that stop you, soldier. Otherwise, I'm going to start thinking that Shiny was exaggerating about you!"

Flash glared back at her, drawing on the last dregs of his patience to not say or do something he'd later regret. He knew that she was baiting him, probably trying to get him to engage in more worthless talk. Even so, alarm bells were going off at every level in his head. There was a sudden sharpness in her tone that he had never heard her use before, and her eyes held the telling of a provoked ferocity that he’d rather not discover the origins of.

“This is none of your business, Princess.” He replied in a patronizing tone, ignoring the voice of reason in the back of his mind that shouted, threatened, and downright pleaded with him to deescalate the situation. But he didn’t care. Why should he back down? After all, she of all ponies, the one who taught him so much about controlling his temper, was the one provoking him!

She wasn’t just carelessly stepping on his last nerve, she was deliberately stomping, twisting, and shredding it with an iron-studded horseshoe. But only after having directed a herd of heavily inebriated Yaks to have their annual smash-dance celebration upon it. His anger was calling the shots now, and he was tired of this. Tired of all the pain, the guilt, the sleepless nights, and the forced politeness he had to use with everypony and their concern. He just so very tired of it all, and it was time to end this.

Cadance continued to hold his gaze, her eyes dangerous, “It becomes my business when it hurts the ones I care about, Flash.”

“Oh so you care? I should be so lucky!”

“Indeed you are, talk to your mother lately?”

Flash felt something snap inside of him as he saw red, and within the deafening roar that was the turbulent sea of pent up anger, grief, self-hatred and frustration on the verge of being released, he heard the voice of reason utter one final plea to Celestia, Harmony, it’s Maker, and all things holy for mercy on its miserable host.

Cadance felt him tense up, but before he could make a move, she made one of her own, shoving him back with her wing. Hard. Perhaps too hard. She winced as the human went flying, smashing through a wooden rack about twenty feet away and scattering practice spears and helmets like an explosion of so much confetti. She decided to press on, knowing that he was tough enough to take it.

"Why are you demanding the impossible on yourself, Flash?!" She shouted, "I know you want to protect others from harm, but you can't protect us from everything, especially the unpredictable!"

A enraged scream accompanied by a bright flash of blue light and a deafening clap of thunder cut through the air.

Here we go... Cadance thought, readying her stance.

The human stalked towards her, looking like a living thunderstorm. His eyes shone with an angry blue light while lighting crackled and curled around his body and spear with a violent fury matched only by the rage twisting his features. The glowing outline of a red and yellow sun blazed brightly on his forehead

"PROTECT?!" He roared.

"All my life, all I have EVER wanted to do, was give a little back to those who have given me everything, BUT WHAT HAVE I EVER DONE?!"

Flash shot up twenty feet into the air before kicking off the atmosphere, coming down at Cadence so fast that it looked like he had ricocheted off an invisible wall.

"WHO FAILED TO SAVE A SINGLE PONY FROM TIREK?!" He screamed while delivering a brutal, double-handed slash with his weapon. Cadance threw up her spear in a guard, the collision creating an explosion of thunder, wind whipping up between them.

"WHO ALWAYS HAS TO BE RESCUED BY HIS FRIENDS?!" A following upward swipe almost knocked Cadance's spear from her hooves.

"WHO WAS IT THAT CRIPPLED! HIS OWN! MOTHER?!"

Flash delivered a hail of blows that were beyond Cadance's level of skill, forcing the alicorn to retreat a few steps to avoid being hit before the human smashed his spear against hers, pushing with all his rage-driven might in an attempt to shove her back. Incredibly, he managed to move her back about a foot before she dug in her rear hooves in, halting his progress. Cadance glared at him,

"Not your fault, Flash."

Flash responded with an angry shout while releasing an electrical surge large enough to light up Fillydelphia through their connected weapons, making the pair of combatants appear as if they were being consumed by a dazzling ball of lightning. Cadance seemed to wince in momentary discomfort at being hit with such an immense amount of energy, before opening her eyes with an almost apologetic smile.

"Born pegasus, remember?"

She delivered a solid head-butt to the human's face, through which she sent a surge of her own weather magic, as if she were cloud-busting a thunderhead like she did when she was a filly.

The effect was both immediate and dramatic as an enormous blast of lightning exited out of the human's back, blasting a decent-sized hole in the far side of domed ceiling with a deafening boom and a shower of sparks, the molten edges of the gaping hole glowing cherry-red with heat.

Cadance took advantage of the now discharged human's visibly stunned state, delivering a series of sharp blows with her haft that doubled the young man over and knocked him back across the padded floor.

Flash immediately sat up only to scream in frustration as Cadance blasted him with a bolt of his own lightning fired from the tip of her hoof, generated with the remainder of the current he had hit her with, knocking him clear across the floor. Even with that blow, she could tell that he was far from done.

C'mon kid, let it all out,

"Is that all you got, Flash?!" Cadance shouted as she dove towards him, bringing the haft of her spear down in an overhead strike.

Moving like quicksilver, Flash rolled to one side, avoiding the blow before springing up with explosive force, driving his shoulder into the alicorn's chest and knocking her to the floor.

Cadance let out a genuinely surprised gasp as the maneuver caught her off guard. She quickly scrambled back to her hooves, moving to get clear of her enraged opponent. She looked up to see Flash angrily snatching his spear up off the ground while tearing off a lose strip off his ruined shirt and casting it aside. The look in his eye was so fierce that it actually caused her to pause. Something about that stare reminded her that this was indeed a predatory species, and very much alien.

Flash was livid. This wasn't a match, it was a humiliation. He knew alicorns were powerful, but this brief encounter made him realize that for all of his skill, training, and ability, against this pony, he was but a kite in a storm. It didn't matter that he was more skilled than her, he probably couldn't harm her even if she let him try. He couldn't beat her, but by Celestia, he wouldn't let her humiliate him either. He would land a hit in this infuriating match, if it was the last thing he did.

Shouting in frustration, he swung his weapon back and forth with the unbalanced fury of a madman. Cadance swept back, dodging and ducking before a stab of mild pain erupted in her right wing from a lightning quick thrust, the blunted spear tip actually succeeding in knocking a few of her beautiful pink feathers loose.

Cadance quickly swung her own spear in a wide arc in an attempt to create some space between them, only to be shocked when Flash caught her weapon with his bare hand and tore it out of her unprepared grip, tossing it away.

Drawing upon her magic, she quickly snatched up another spear from the many scattered around the training area, bringing it to bear just in time to catch a savage strike as Flash brought his weapon down as hard and as fast as he could. A loud snap ripped through the air as the force of the blow caused both weapons to partially crack; but the human was far from done.

Snarling with effort, Flash struck again with a violent chopping motion, attempting to smash the weapon out of her hooves. He viciously swung his weapon again and again with deranged rage, sending fragments of enchanted wood flying with each strike as his attacks battered both of their spears to pieces, screaming all the while.

"HOW CAN I PRETEND LIKE EVERYTHING IS FINE WHEN IT'S NOTCADANCE?! WHY DOES NOPONY CARE ABOUT WHAT I DID TO MY MOTHER?! WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?! TELL ME WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO DO, TELL ME! IDON'TKNOW!IDON'TKNOW!IDON'TKNOW!"

Cadance waited for one of the split second between his strikes before springing forward with terrific force, knocking the splintered remains of their weapons aside as she tackled the human to the floor, pinning him on his back. Flash scrabbled like a hooked fish, almost managing to break free of her grip.

"Let go of me!" He shouted, tears running down his face, mixing with the blood and sweat from a cut over his eyebrow.

Flash twisted over, attempting to get a knee under him only for Cadance to haul him back with a bear hug from behind, trapping his arms at his sides and keeping him seated on the floor. He grabbed at one of her forelimbs, trying and failing to pry it lose as he thrashed from side to side, his tired eyes blurred with tears.

"Let go of me Cadance...let GO!"

Cadance held firm, pulling him back against her chest while leaning forward to keep her weight on him. She patiently waited him out until his struggles eventually weakened, and his defiant protests gradually dissolved into the soft sobs of the broken man he was who finally collapsed against her, utterly spent.

She hated seeing him this way, hated seeing the confident, capable young officer who never quit, who always strove to lift up and inspire those around him with his fiery devotion and endless care reduced to such a pitiful state. But it was a state that she understood all too well, the sorrowful heart of one wounded by the cost of sacrificial love, unable to accept that such a price should be spent on them.

"It's wrong...It's all wrong...why did she come? She shouldn't have come...it's all my fault..." He quietly grieved.

Cadance slightly relaxed her restraining grip on the human and took her weight off of him, while still holding him close to her. She bent her neck down to softly nuzzle the side of his head with her cheek, lending him her comfort. She said nothing at first, letting him spend his pent up emotions, while also taking the time to catch her own breath. She wasn't exactly out of shape, but neither was she a trained soldier. She hadn't physically exerted herself like this in a long time and it showed.

"Flash," she finally said after a short while. "I know, that you want to give back, to show your love, your gratitude," She paused a moment to raise his tattered left sleeve, observing the scar on his cutie mark before continuing, "But you must understand, who you are, your value, doesn't come from what you can or cannot do for us. You're worth so much more than that."

"It doesn't feel that way..." He whispered through heaving breaths.

Cadance nodded in sympathy, "I know. Sometimes, most times, our feelings do not align with what is true, and we can feel so lost. But those are the times, where we need others to help us, to show us what is real."

A hum began to fill the air as Cadance charged her horn with a powerful spell that she had been preparing for several days now. She hugged the human reassuringly when she felt him nervously tense up against her, a reaction caused no doubt by the painful experience of the violation of his mind he suffered at the hooves of Chelicerae.

"Shh, it'll be alright, trust me," She whispered.

Since she had arrived from the Crystal Empire in answer to Princess Luna's letter, Cadance had been a busy mare. One after another, she had conducted several visits. One to each of his friends, to fellow guard ponies he had served with, and with other ponies who knew him while he was growing up, with the last contribution to the spell being from Ella herself.

And from the various encounters with them all, Cadance had gathered something special, something more powerful than all the magic in Equestria, something that she very much wanted Flash to experience.

"You love us Flash Skies, you love us all so very much. But you're forgetting something," She paused as he twisted his neck to look up at her.

Cadance smiled warmly at his rather tired, befuddled look. "You're forgetting, that we love you."

With that, she gently touched her horn to his head, unleashing the immense power of her magic.

Flash gasped as a staggering sensation took hold of his mind and heart, flooding his consciousness with a countless myriad of memories, thoughts, and emotions, all tied together by one binding and absolutely blinding reality, the undeniable reality of love. Except, it was not his love. The memories, the emotions, none of them were his.

They were Celestia's. They were Luna's. They were his mother's, Rainbow Dash's, Twilight's, his friends, neighbors, and fellow Equestrians. And from them all, Cadance's magic forced him to both see and experience from their point of view all of the joy, all of the love and happiness that he had caused in each and every one of them since the day he had arrived in Equestria.

There was the radiant joy his mother felt when he had first called her 'momma', Luna's heartfelt gratitude at his concern for her when she had first returned to Equestria, and the soothing consolation Celestia felt from a simple hug and 'I love you Princess!' from him when she had been in quiet desolation at the unspoken memory of her banished sister at a Summer Sun Celebration.

The experience of it all was breathtaking, heartrending, and unspeakably beautiful; but also, completely overwhelming.

Cadance released the young man, allowing him to fall forward on his hands and knees. Heaving for air, Flash rolled over, propping himself up on his elbows.

"What...what did you do to me?" He stuttered, placing a hand against the side of his head. Cadance smiled softly, her horn still glowing with the power of her spell.

"Call it a reversal of empathy, Flash Skies. Words might not be enough to convince you of the blessing you have been for us, so I found a way to have you experience it instead, to experience all of the good, all of the the love you have generated among those who have known you since you arrived in Equestria."

"It's, it's too much! Please, make it stop!"

Cadance shook her head, "I cannot, Flash. Once started, this spell won't stop until it runs its course. Just try to relax, and look closely at what it shows you.

Flash squeezed his eyes shut, holding his head in his hands while the flood of memories and sensations continued unabated. There was the comfort felt by Scootaloo when he had empathized with the little filly at also being unable to fly, the hope stirred by a kind word given to a frustrated fellow cadet when he had been having a bad day. Even Discord had managed to share something, the feeling of being genuinely touched when Flash had welcomed him along with Fluttershy all of those years ago, openly declaring himself to be the chaos spirit's friend.

There were countless other happy moments in the veritable flood of memories, but there was one experience that stood out from all the rest, one that was utterly unique and never before experienced in his life: the newfound happiness, joy, and sense of self-worth he had engendered within another human being. And tied to that sensation, was another kind of love, a kind that fell into a completely different category from any of the others, though no less intense, a love that caused his cheeks to burn with heat.

Flash let out a deep, shuddering sigh as the spell finally ended, his heart pounding in his chest and ears while tears continued to stream down his face. Though the magic had ceased, the reverberating effects of the consoling feelings it had caused continued to swell his heart with the unmistakable knowledge of the love those he cared for had, in fact, for him. And for no other reason than for who he was. The heavy desolation he had been carrying in his heart for the past month was suddenly gone, burned away by the rapturous experience of pure charity revealed to him by the kindly alicorn.

Flash slowly sat up, looking at Cadance who was sitting on the floor across from him, panting with exhaustion just as he was; the spell apparently had been a costly one, even for her. He wiped the tears from his eyes,

"C-Cadance...I, I mean," he stuttered, trying to find words. The alicorn smirked and raised a hoof, causing Flash to wince, thinking that she was about to slug him again, only for her to reach out and tap him on the nose.

"Boop." She said, the gentle nudge being enough to cause the worn out human to fall onto his back with a confused sputter.

Cadance joined him a second later, flopping down on her back next to him, staring up at the ceiling as they both caught their breaths. She too felt spent. Her mane was disheveled, and one of her wings would need a serious preening later. But at the same time, she felt relieved in the knowledge that she had accomplished what she had set out to do. She turned her face towards him,

"Flash?"

Flash groaned in reply, holding his hands over his face. "Ugh...I kinda wish you had just gone and beat me to death...is it too late to ask?" Cadance chuckled softly,

"Sorry, but I promised your mother that I wouldn't kill you."

"My mom...what am I supposed to do now?"

"Well, I'd start with an apology." She teased, to which Flash responded by banging the back of his head a few times against the mat.

Cadance rolled over and pushed herself up into a sitting position,

"Flash, I know that what happened to your mother hurts beyond description, and I can't pretend to understand what it felt like, what it continues to feel like for you, but you see now why she placed herself in that position without hesitation? She loves you, you big dope." Flash lowered his hands from his sweat and blood-smeared face and looked up at her.

"I never doubted why she did it, I just...wish that she hadn't." She smiled at him,

"I know, but that's the nature of true love, it will always willingly sacrifice itself for the other. Yes, it hurts to see that sometimes, and maybe we think we're not worth it. But after the gift has been made, the only thing left to do is to accept it, to be grateful for it. To do anything less can only cause more pain, more suffering."

"She's right, Flash."

Flash sprang up at the sound of the all too familiar voice calling to him from across the arena. The sudden movement causing him to hiss in pain as adrenaline was no longer masking the latest collection of bumps and bruises he had recently acquired.

Cadance steadied him with one hoof, keeping him seated.

"Easy now," she said.

Flash looked in the direction of Ella's voice, only for his breath to catch in his throat as a sense of surrealism overcame him. The young woman was leaning with her shoulder against a grey support column, her arms folded across her chest. But what really surprised him, was the fact that she just so happened to be wearing the very same faded jeans, pink shirt and worn leather jacket she'd had on when he had first laid eyes on her.

He would never forget that moment, the moment he first saw another human being, and the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. But it began to dawn on him, that the clothes she had on was the only thing from that moment that remained the same. He began to understand, that the woman now wearing them, was an entirely different person from the one he had first encountered.

Ella smiled shyly at him, her eyes apologetic as she began to walk towards him.

Flash moved to sit on his knees, struggling to find his tongue,

"E-Ella, I mean, Cadance, you..." A tingling, refreshing sensation swept over him as Cadance cleansed his body of sweat and blood with a quick spell. The Princess winked at him,

"Making you presentable." She whispered with a sly smile in answer to his questioning look, a second quick spell mended his ruined shirt.

Flash returned his attention back to Ella as she sat down on her knees opposite him. She appeared more beautiful now than he had ever seen her before. Her blond, shoulder length hair gleamed like shavings of polished gold, her skin was flush and smooth like that of a child's. Her entire countenance seemed to contain a near luminescent sheen, caused by the magic that now flowed freely throughout her entire being. But it was her eyes, so full of life, happiness, and love, that stood out the most; so completely different from the dull despondency and anger they had contained when he had first met her.

"Hey kiddo," she said with a half smile. Flash then noticed the white calla lily that he had given her, as fresh and as white as it had been weeks ago thanks to the preservation enchantment Luna had placed on it for him. She had tucked it neatly into her hair over her right ear. But there were other changes about her that he began to notice as well.

"Ella, your eyes, your, your, uh, fangs? When did you, how did?" Ella laughed, her small white fangs catching the light.

"Well, let's just say it's a consequence of being a bit stubborn. What do you think, do they make me look ugly?" The sudden hue on Flash's cheeks put anything in Applejack's orchard to shame.

"No! I mean, I don't think anything could, I mean, wow, they're uh, kind of neat, I mean, they make you...you're, uh, really, really beautiful..."

Ella laughed again, exchanging a knowing glance with Cadance who wore a smug smile of approval, her eyes half-lidded with amusement.

Adopting a more serious demeanor, Ella reached up and took the lily out of her hair and held it with both hands in her lap. She looked down at it for a moment before raising her gaze to Flash. Words were not needed as their eyes connected. Ella knew, thanks to Cadance's spell, that Flash would know exactly how she felt about him, that she did indeed, love him. She smiled shyly at him,

"What do you say Flash, do you still want to be with this crazy girl?" Flash glanced down to one side, his eyes distant for a moment in thought before slowly looking back to her,

"And, what if you were right?" He said, a hint of doubt coloring the tone of his voice, "What if, I really am just a dumb kid who fell in love with the first girl he ever saw?" Cadance glanced from Flash to Ella, one of her ears flicking.

Ella felt her eyes grow a little wet, but she still managed a determined smile. "Well, in that case, then, I'm glad it was me, Flash. I'm happy, to be that girl."

Flash felt his eyes widen, his heart almost going still at the strength of her conviction that came through in those words; she really meant that. Her words triggered his memory, taking him back to that profound moment when she had comforted him after they had both been captured. That moment, when he had seen for the first time the beautiful soul that she truly was come to the surface.

My purpose...isn't simply to protect, but to love. Love changes us for the better. And if I allow others to love me, I will be a better protector, no, a better person than I could ever be on my own...how did I forget that?

"Well, would you look at that?" Cadance said, her soft voice snapping Flash back to attention. He looked at Cadance who was looking proudly at him, a gentle smile on her face.

"Oh wow," Ella added, holding a hand over her mouth, tears of joy filling her eyes.

"What?" Flash asked, before noticing the glow coming from beneath his shirt sleeves. Scrambling with his hand, he seized his left sleeve and pulled it up, to reveal his cutie mark shining with a brilliant, pulsing light. He stared in wonder, looking at his cutie mark as if he had never seen it before, like he did as a child when they had first appeared on his shoulders all of those years ago.

"Looks like you finally found yourself again Flash Skies, it's about time." Cadance said, her voice thick with emotion. She wiped a tear from her eye,

"But, if I could try just one more thing..." Her horn ignited once more with her light blue magic,

Narrowing her eyes in concentration, the beautiful alicorn tilted her head forward, and gently touched her horn to Flash's left shoulder, or more specifically, to the thick scar that ran across his cutie mark.

Flash shivered as a sensation like ice being dragged across his skin ran through him. The glow on his cutie mark intensified for a moment, shining even more intensely before slowly fading, disappearing to reveal his shoulder and cutie mark whole and pristine once more.

Flash felt his jaw drop in disbelief. Cutie marks were tricky, mysterious things; and because they were so tied up with the soul of the ponies, or in this case, human who bore them, they usually resisted most any magical manipulation as evidenced by every healing spell previously lavished upon him failing to have any effect. Flash's eyes shot up,

"Cadance...How did you, I mean, nothing worked before, what did you..." The alicorn's wings lifted slightly in the approximation of shrug,

"Just a basic restoration spell. Perhaps nothing worked before because you were still conflicted, who knows?"

Flash ran a hand over his shoulder, marveling at how smooth it was once more. He looked at Cadance, tears of gratitude welling in his eyes,

"Cadance, I...thank you..." He managed to breath.

The Alicorn Princess smiled sweetly at him, placing a hoof on his shoulder while leaning forward to place a gentle kiss on his forehead. Then, taking his hand in one hoof, and Ella's in the other, she brought them both together.

Ella smiled as she felt Flash's warm, strong hand squeeze her own in a clasp that she could only describe as one of pure joy. Through her eyes, she could see his spirit shining once again like the dawn with restored confidence, bright and golden, interspersed with dazzling bursts of bright pink love and wreathed in the emerald green of hope.

Flash smiled at her, like he had when he was with her back on earth. He looked like himself again, that confident, joyful soul that she so lovingly remembered. The one who had led her out of the darkness of her old life, and into this new life of love, happiness, and peace; he looked like the happiest man she had ever seen.

Cadance then extended her wings, forming an arch over the two humans in a solemn gesture of benediction, her posture regal and refined. Even without her crown, Ella thought the pony looked every bit like the princess she really was, and almost laughed at the incredulous sensation of once more feeling like her life had somehow become a fairy tale. A beautiful, wonderful fairy tale.

The Alicorn Princess warmly regarded the young couple, looking at one and then the other in turn, "Flash Skies, Ella Braugher," she said, her voice filled with the most heartfelt kindness. "May Harmony keep you, all the days of your lives, and may you both find happiness together."

Bright Skies paused over her kitchen sink, quickly drying her hooves on a towel before dropping down to all four hooves. She turned towards the far window, looking off into the distance towards Canterlot for several minutes, her ears tilted forward. The mare slowly closed her eyes, placing a hoof to her heart. After a few moments, she inhaled deeply through her nostrils, tilting her head back while a serene smile spread across her face, tears squeezing from beneath her eyelids.

The sun was shining now, and she was no longer alone.

Author's Note

“Love and sacrifice are closely linked, like the sun and the light. We cannot love without suffering and we cannot suffer without love.”

-St. Gianna Beretta Molla

Peace and God's blessings to you my friends, I hope this note finds you all well.
This and the previous chapter were originally going to be combined, so glad that I decided to break it up haha. And for you Rainbow Dash fans out there, don't worry, I haven't forgotten about our favorite speed pony. She and Flash patch things up in the next chapter.

Once more a shout out to Venerable Ro for his help, he was the one who suggested Cadance's little reversal of empathy spell when I was stuck with the idea of love horse only beating sense into our hero, this worked so much better methinks. Thanks again mate!

If you have stuck it out this long with me, I thank you for your viewing and comments, they are very much appreciated. Still a bit more to go before we wrap things up, see you in the next chapter, God bless!

New Beginnings

Bright Skies sighed contentedly as she stretched out on the small, soft cloud she had chosen, the warm rays of the mid-afternoon sun warming her glossy pink coat. She had chosen this particular cloud not only because it was a bit distant from the city itself and offered some privacy, but also, because it floated above the same path Flash usually took to come home. He would be there soon, she just knew it.

Flipping onto her back, she once more held up her left forelimb, admiring it’s color, fascinated by it’s sudden restoration just a few hours prior. Her magic, almost completely severed from her limb by her previous injury, had inexplicably begun to flow freely through it once more. And while she could still feel the small, random twinges caused by the nerve damage that still remained, other than that, it looked and felt as good as new.

The mare rolled back onto her belly, hugging the cloud beneath her, trying to decide whether or not to give into the pleasant, sleepy sensation caused by combined warmth of the sun and her comfortable setting. It had been about 4 hours since she had sensed her son’s epiphany, and the wonderful feeling of peace and joy that had finally returned to his troubled soul. No longer did he conceal his heart from her; and while joyful, she could still feel his remorse towards her, and the desire to reconcile with her face to face before fully bridging their connection. She would give him that, and was willing to wait for him.

Just come home my dear, I’m ready when you are.

No sooner had she this thought, when suddenly, she felt him. Bright Skies’ head popped up from it’s resting place, her hawk like vision scanning the distance. While he was still a long way off, she caught sight of him, and instantly felt her heart moved with an inexpressible longing and compassion for him.

Shaking the lethargy from her limbs, Bright Skies shot from the cloud faster than an arrow loosed from a bow, racing through the sky towards the one she loved more than any other.

Landing with a thunderous impact, she ran to him, galloping like a filly for the last few yards, not caring if anypony saw her, before tackling the human in a two legged, two winged hug, and kissed him.

Flash dropped to his knees, wrapping his strong arms tightly around her, his face buried in her neck and mane as his body shook with overwhelming emotion.

Words were not needed as their hearts rushed into the other, becoming one once more. And when they did, contrition met mercy, sorrow found joy, and parent and child reunited in bonds of boundless charity, forged stronger than anything either of them had ever known before. The bitterness in the son's heart, as great as it was, was completely lost, swallowed up in the veritable ocean of love now surrounding him within the heart of his beloved mother. She was his, and he was hers.

Bright Skies held him tightly, nuzzling her cheek against the side of his head. Despite their inner union, she could feel that he still felt compelled to say something, anything that would audibly convey his contrition over what he had said to her.

"Mother..." He began to whisper past heaving breaths,

"It's okay," she whispered back, "I've got you."

Though it had been over a month since Flash had returned to Equestria, it was only now that he finally felt like he was truly home again.

The late afternoon sun settled in the sky as Ella casually strolled through the streets of Ponyville on her way back to Twilight's castle. She was in no particular hurry to get back, enjoying the time to herself as she recollected all that had happened to her earlier that day with Flash and the Alicorn of Love.

She felt tired, but in a pleasant, satisfied way. Her heart continued to float on the euphoric feeling she had been experiencing since that morning, a feeling akin to having won the lottery, caused by the knowledge that Flash was hers, that he knew her true feelings about him, and that they could now finally explore the next stage of their relationship with each other.

Ella knew that there would be challenges. After all, he was still so young, and knew almost nothing about women, but she would be patient with him. She still smiled at the delightful thought that she was still the first girl he had ever seen or known, making her wonder if this is what Eve must have felt like when Adam first beheld her. It made her grateful for the singularly unique blessing it was to have such a rare and special young man to call her own, one that was so pure, so virtuous, and so willing to give his all for her.

She wouldn't waste that, nor spoil his innocence. No, she resolved to be the best of kind of lover, one that would only serve to elevate him, so that he would know only the ideal of a truly loving relationship, and know nothing of the quick, wasteful pleasure that she had seen so many men vainly throw themselves away on in their wicked encounters with her.

I'll love him, I'll show him what it means to have true commitment from another human being. She thought.

Ella looked up to discover that she had wandered into the center of town, right in front of Ponyville General Hospital. The homely building looked inviting enough, like much of the quaint architecture of this semi-medieval culture. But it was the red cross, painted right on the front of it's central tower, that really gave her pause for consideration.

How would these ponies even know about such a symbol? She wondered, "What does it mean to them?

The longer Ella stared at the simple sign, the more she felt old stirrings in the depths of her own soul, stirrings of a relationship that she had long neglected, despite the few utterances of prayer she had recently engaged in. But beyond the guilt she felt in her heart, she suddenly felt a longing, a desire to open that door once more, the door that her mother had taught her to trustingly open so long ago. It took her a moment to gather her nerve, trying and failing a few times to begin before she managed, despite her fears, to elevate her heart and mind to Him,

Lord God...It's me, Ella. Hey...I know we haven't exactly been on speakin' terms for a long while, and I know that I've been pretty, well, a pretty bad girl, and that after mom died, that I said that I hated you, and that I would never speak to you again.

Ella paused a moment to wipe away the tears that had begun to come to her eyes, taking a few breaths before continuing,

But, I wanted to let you know, that I didn't mean that. I was just so angry, so sad to lose her. And even though I left you, I see now, that you never left me, that you've always been there, waitin' for me to come back. And, I just...I just wanna say, how sorry I am...that I'm sorry, for everything, that I'll do better from now on...and I also want to say...thank you!

Ella almost laughed as she wiped her eyes again, a wonderful joy blossoming in her heart as she continued to tear away at the old cobwebs in this long-neglected corner of her heart,

Thank you for giving me another chance, thank you for giving me Flash! For showing me this incredible world with it's beautiful creatures, for so many new friends, and for teaching me how to love again! For showing me again the truth of what my mom told me, that the most important thing we do no matter what, is that we love, that we always love!

Ella sighed, taking a moment to catch her breath as her heart was pounding furiously in her chest.

And one more thing, dear God, please, help me not to mess this up. You know me, I could wreck a steel ball. Help me to be good to Flash, to not bring him down. Help me to be a good person, do that, and I'll never be bad again...Amen.

Ella finished her prayer with a quick petition for all the sick ponies in the hospital and a sign of the cross, almost feeling silly at the child-like simplicity of her request, as it had been so long since she had really given herself to serious prayer. Paying it no further mind, she decided that it was good enough for now, and that she would get better with practice.

Turning about, Ella spied a wooden park bench along the street, and deciding to take a load off, moved to it and took a seat. There was still an hour or two before Celestia lowered the sun, and the weather was perfect.

After all, they can make their own weather! Ella thought with a humorous smirk.

She spent the next several minutes idly observing the pastel population go about their lives, marveling still at the reality of a society of sapient, magical ponies.

They truly are beautiful creatures, Ella thought with a warm smile. It was at that moment, that she caught sight of yet another peculiarity that caused her to practically gawk with surprise. Every time she thought she was starting to get the hang of being in Equestria, the world seemed to know it and did something to unsettle her certainty, with seemingly humorous intent.

A cream colored unicorn was walking down the street past her. She had a wild, electric blue mane with highlights that was styled with a messy and yet purposeful look that communicated an air of contained energy just waiting to be released. Her cutie mark was a set of bridged eighth notes, and she was wearing a pair of stylish shades with amethyst colored lenses.

But it was not the shades that had grabbed Ella's attention, it was the fact that the mare was wearing a pair of what appeared to be large, noise canceling headphones on her ears. They were white, with teal-rimmed earpieces that sported an image of her cutie mark on either side. But other than that, they looked like any other high-end piece of electronics that she might find in any shopping mall back on earth.

No television, no phones, they seem to have barely made it past the steam engine, yet they have things like this?! Ella thought with incredulity.

The mare plodded along slowly, steadily bobbing her head in time with whatever the tune she was listening to, when she noticed Ella's curious stare. She paused in her step, cocking her head towards the human and giving a small smile.

"Hey, uh, hi. Um, whatcha listen to girl?" Ella asked, trying not to sound as awkward as she felt.

The pony said nothing, but smiled at her again, slowly walking up to her. She cocked her head to one side again, looking up at Ella with interest before tapping the headphones with one hoof and then pointing towards the human.

"Uh, yeah, sure! Do you mind?"

The mare removed her headphones with one hoof, holding them out to Ella.

"Thanks," Ella said, taking the offered headset.

"What's your name?" She asked the pony. The pony smiled and pointed at her headphones. Ella looked down and noticed a small label on the underside of one of the ear pieces. It read, 'Property of Vinyl Scratch.'

"'Vinyl Scratch?' That's your name?" Ella asked. Vinyl nodded and smiled, causing Ella to smile back.

Wow, she's so cute with that little smile of hers. Ella thought before saying, "I like your name, it's kinda cool. My name's Ella."

Vinyl bobbed her head in acknowledgement, before making a shooing motion with one hoof, urging her to have a listen. Ella willed her eyes to focus, something that she knew caused them to briefly flicker with a green glow as she had begun to notice as of late. She could now clearly see the bright joy of the mare's spirit mixed in with gentle hues of curiosity and what looked to be a small smattering of nervous anticipation. The aroma was like black cherries, and the taste like that of wild berries with a touch of spice.

Smiling, Ella slowly placed the headset over her ears, still warm from being on the pony's fluffy head. The high-quality headset instantly sealed off the noise of the world around her, and her eyes widened as she was immediately immersed in another world of marvelous sound and passion.

The music was of an electronic variety, with a vague resemblance to some of the music that she used to hear back in the club on earth; a good, solid beat punctuated by staccatos of varying pitch and tone, but that is where the similarities ended. Whereas the music she had heard in the club had a primitive, primal mood to it, made to elevate the most base passions and desires in the revealers on the dance floor, this music felt, different. It was soothing, uplifting, unlike anything she had ever heard before. It felt as if it was almost, alive.

The music flitted about joyfully, like a bird in spring. It swelled and danced, weaving together so many layers of rich sound in a warm pattern of harmony that seemed to simply wrap around her soul like a warm quilt, making her to feel as if she were being met by an old friend who was just happy to see her. It was, in a word, magical.

Ella opened her eyes, only to see Vinyl bobbing her head at the same pace she herself was, making Ella realize that the pony knew exactly what part of the song she was at, which of course meant,

She made this! Ella thought with amazement. And with that realization, she could now hear all of the heart, all of the passion, love, and care that this creature put into her work. For her, it was an extension of herself that she happily shared with others; a gift of love. Ella could see that Vinyl was leaning forward slightly, her spirt flashing with eager anticipation for some feedback from her.

Ella laughed, reaching out to gently scratch behind one of the pony's soft ears while leaning down, touching her forehead to the little pony's as she looked into her eyes, which she could now see, were a beautiful magenta in color.

"It's really, really good Vinyl, thank you." She whispered.

Ella watched as her words caused the pony's aura to light up like a fireworks display, a joyful blast of happiness, relief, and gratitude that pulsed off of her being in steady, refreshing waves that smelled like a fresh Christmas tree and carried the sweet, tangy taste of a cherry Jolly Rancher.

Vinyl crouched slightly before hopping up onto the bench with a clatter of hooves, turning about as she settled onto her haunches next to Ella and leaned into her side.

Ella rotated one of the earpieces so that she could share the headset with the pony cuddling at her side, putting an arm around her warm, soft withers while her hand found the pony's other ear, gently scratching it. She smiled as she felt the pony sigh with contentment, the little equine equally savoring the moment of sharing her life's passion with the stranger she just happened to meet in that moment. The pair sat together in comfortable silence, ensconced in the shared melody that seemed to wrap around them both like a warm hug.

Ella couldn't remember the last time she had listened to music that she had actually enjoyed, and had forgotten how wonderful it could be to simply experience the powerful stirrings that could be caused by a good song. The winding, gentle beat, the warm mare at her side, the simple comfort of enjoying the sound of music with another soul, all combined to form a symphony of harmony that filled her with a delightful sense of serenity and peace.

For the first time since arriving in Equestria, Ella no longer felt like a tourist, nor a stranger in a strange land. For the first time, she felt like she was finally home, and it was truly, beautiful.

Black darkness, searing pain, wrath, violence, blood.

“They break so easily, don’t they?”

Shattered limbs, burning flesh, agonizing screams.

“They’re pathetic, so inferior to us, they don’t deserve our pity.”

Tearing, rending...stronger, faster!

“Kill them...

"But, I don't want to! Please, don't make me!"

You don't have a choice...Kill them. KILL THEM ALL!

Flash squirmed in his sleep, the horrendous nightmare inevitably leading up to the same dreaded moment as it had done countless times before. The moment where he stabbed his mother through the heart, cutting her life to ribbons. But as the moment arrived, another presence, one strong, indomitable, and uncompromising suddenly swept into his mind, dissolving the horror before it could even manifest.

"Mom?"

A soothing warmth surrounded him, wrapping his entire being in perfect comfort, brushing away the terrible dream as if it were no more than a forgotten memory.

"Rest now my love, I am here for you, I've got you...

Princess Luna gazed down on Bright Skies' magnificent dreamscape, an ocean of clouds beneath a night sky of glittering stars and a shining moon so beautiful that the Night Princess almost felt jealous for a moment.

The mare in question was curled up in comfort on the clouds with Flash, who's appearance was like that of a boy only four years of age. The small human was huddled against her side, snug beneath her wing, sound asleep while his mother softly nuzzled his head.

Luna settled softly down next to the pair, a touched look on her face at the sight of the tender scene before her,

"I sensed the danger, but it appears that somepony beat me to it." She said. Bright Skies lifted her head, turning to look up at her,

"Your highness," she said softly with a small dip of her head. She smiled, "I'm sorry if I intruded in your domain, but, I sensed his distress and, well, tried something I wasn't sure I would be able to do, but it seems that I can." Luna smiled warmly,

"There is nothing to apologize for, dear Bright Skies. I think you handled his distress far better than even I could have, you have my gratitude, and my blessing."

Bright Skies dipped her head in humble gratitude, before turning her gaze back upon her slumbering son. Luna stepped up next to her, pausing a moment, before settling down next to them, her gaze pensive, and slightly anxious.

"Is he...going to be alright?" She asked, her voice tempered with concern. Bright Skies nodded,

"Yes, I think he is going to be just fine. He has finally allowed himself to begin healing."

Luna let out a relieved sigh, nodding her approval, but remained silent, her gaze focused and apprehensive, as if wrestling with some thought. Bright Skies didn't want to pry, but this was her dreamscape after all, and she could sense that the Princess of the Night was still worried about something.

"If I may ask, what troubles you princess?" Luna gave her a fond smile,

"You know, Flash is very blessed to have you. He is so strong of spirit, but I think that is due in no small part to his knowledge of your love for him. It makes him confident, hopeful, and that is something that he is very much going to need in the near future." Bright Skies turned her gaze back to Luna, her eyes curious,

"What do you mean?" Luna sighed, looking down, her eyes flicking back and forth in some inner debate. After a moment, she raised her head,

"My sister, has plans for Flash, plans that I do not entirely agree with nor approve of, but she is determined to move forward with them regardless."

Bright Skies stared for a moment, her own mind racing as she wondered what it could possibly be. The fact that Luna had not voiced it yet, made her wonder if it was because Celestia wanted to tell her herself? Or perhaps she wanted Flash to deliver the message? Even so, she began to have an inkling as to what it might be,

"It has something to do with the guard, doesn't it? Some special assignment? Something that you think may be unnecessarily dangerous?" Luna looked up, her eyes widened slightly with surprise,

"How do you know this?!" She queried. Bright Skies smiled,

"Because, I know my son, I know how great his passion is to protect others, and I also know that Celestia didn't allow him into the guard out of pity. She sees something in him, something that can be useful, not just for the good of Equestria, but for him as well."

Luna did not respond at first, looking to one side, her eyes wrestling with uncertainty.

"Princess, is it because you fear that something might happen to him? That you might lose him?" Luna did not meet her gaze, after a moment she finally spoke,

"He was the first friend that I made upon my return, the first one to reach out to me. He's...special, to me." She whispered, her voice quavering between fear and anger. Bright Skies nodded,

"Yes, and I can assure you, the feeling is very mutual. Flash feels the same way about you." Luna finally looked up again,

"But you're his mother! How can you be so calm about this uncertain, likely dangerous future for him?" Bright Skies sighed, gazing lovingly down at Flash,

"You can't hold onto them forever, your highness. Eventually, your children spread their wings and leave the nest. Yes, it does concern me, certainly, and I'm sure that I will feel even more anxious when I learn further details. But at the same time, I am happy in the knowledge that Flash will be happy, that he will be doing exactly what he's been trained to do, what he want's to do, what he's good at. Flash is at his best when he protects others, I think your sister knows this, and wants to give him the opportunity to fulfill his potential, not just for the good of Equestria, but for his own good as well. And frankly, as his mother? I couldn't be prouder that she would choose him. Besides," Bright Skies smirked slyly, "With friends like you behind him? I almost feel bad for the enemies of Equestria, I'm sure I won't be sorry."

This finally caused Luna's worried expression to break as she grinned a little, a small chuckle escaping her lips. "Well, I can assure you, if you are, they will be sorrier..." She said with a hint of protective anger, causing both mares to share a laugh together.

Luna rose to her hooves, reaching down with tip of one primary feather to gently brush Flash's cheek. "Thank you, Bright Skies, it is not often that I am the one receiving any sort of comfort or reassurance in this realm, you truly are a wise mother." Luna said, while noticing Bright Skies' cutie mark, a sun peaking out from behind a fluffy white cloud, shimmer for a moment.

Bright Skies dipped her head in humble acknowledgement, "I'm simply fulfilling my part, your highness."

Luna turned to leave, but paused, glancing back at her, "You know, it has been a very long time since I have instructed anypony in the lost art of dream walking, and for your first time, you did exceptionally well. Might you be interested in having lessons with me in the future?"

Bright Skies' eyes widened slightly in surprise, "Well, that is quite the offer your highness, I...might take you up on that!"

Luna smiled, "Good night, Bright Skies, and pleasant dreams to you both." She said before rising into the sky and vanishing into the moon.

Bright Skies watched her go before turning her attention back to the small human huddled against her side, nuzzling him gently while she began to softly hum a familiar tune.

Across the vast and starlit sky,
I’ll sing to you a lullaby.
To soothe your heart, and dry your tears.
Until my love calms all your fears...

Pink. That was the first thing Flash saw as his eyes slowly peeked opened. It took him a moment to realize what he was staring at, the underside of his mother's soft, strong wing.

The mare had curled up around him as he had slept on his back, taking the place of his pillow, his head and shoulders resting on her warm barrel while her wing covered his face and chest. It had been many years since he had slept under her wing like a foal, and the multiple sensations it came with brought with them a flood of fond memories from when he was very young, and the reassurance he had always experienced from her physical presence. He kept still, listening to the steady beating of her heart while feeling the rise and fall of her slow breathing which told him that she was still fast asleep.

Flash couldn't remember the last time he had slept so soundly, and was loath to rise, supremely comfortable as he was, encased in the warmth of her wing, and the love of her heart. But alas, he knew that he had to get a move on, there was still something, or rather, somepony that required his immediate attention.

As gingerly as he could, taking great care not to wake her, Flash slowly extricated himself from beneath his mother's wing, which was more difficult than he had anticipated, as he was still very sore from his little tussle with Cadance.

Note to self, never spar with love horse again...EVER. He thought with a wince.

As he finally sat up, Flash turned his head, taking a moment to contemplate the sleeping mare, the only creature he had ever known or referred to as mother. She was still in her prime, her pink coat and violet mane as rich in color as ever, all the more so now that her magic had seemingly miraculously begun flowing back through her injured limb once more, which up to this point, had appeared dull and sickly in contrast to the rest of her.

Staring at her caused his mind to wander to his birth mother, Natasha, the woman who had given him life, the one who had quite literally tossed him into Equestria, and he considered the fact that he would never know or meet her. Flash thought it strange that this knowledge did not make him sad, that he felt no real loss, at least, not enough to ruin his mood. Was he just being heartless? Or was it because this pony had so wonderfully and completely filled this key part of his life? This pony had been the perfect mother to him, he couldn't imagine life without her, and he wouldn't trade that life for anything. Still, he didn't want to be dismissive of his original parents.

After all, if it weren't for her, I would have never known mother, or Equestria.

And for that reason alone, he immediately felt grateful to his birth mother, uttering a brief prayer to the Source of all that her spirt would find rest.

Flash gently pulled the blanket up over his mother, leaning down to softly kiss the side her forehead. A wordless murmur escaped from her lips, with one corner of her mouth twitching up into a smile, but she remained asleep.

Flash smiled at the sweet sight before moving on to get a look at himself in the bathroom mirror. His face was bruised on one side, and his left eye held a good shiner. Removing his shirt, he saw that his muscled torso bore several welts and a few bruises, with one of them even shaped like a hoof.

Ugh, well, I guess I had it coming. He thought. The fact that he had taken this much damage, even though he knew Cadance had been pulling her punches, made him shudder to consider what would happen if she was really trying to hurt him.

Hooman go splat. He chuckled darkly to himself. Flash ran a hand over his smooth left shoulder, the sight of his newly restored cutie mark still causing him to smile. Thanks again, Cadance.

Done with his self-assessment, he quickly cleaned himself up, and changed into some blue slacks and a black t-shirt. At the same time, he grabbed his brown leather jacket, the one that he had worn while back on earth. He hadn't worn it since his return, and he hadn't even bothered to repair the bullet hole that was still in the back of it. After a moment's hesitation, he finally swung the heavy garment around his shoulders and put it on.

Flash glanced down at the second patch on his right sleeve, the one right below the patch of his own cutie mark. It was a patch of a rainbow-colored lightning bolt coming out of a white cloud, the cutie mark of the same mare who had gifted this special jacket to him and the one whom he was also on his way to see.

Alright Dash, let's do this.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he hoped that he would be able to get through this day without adding to his seemingly ever present collection of bruises, but the smarter part of him knew that this was probably wishful thinking.

Flash peeked around the corner of Rainbow Dash's house, glancing at the horizon to check the sun for the time. He knew he wouldn't have to wait long. Few knew it, but for as much as she slept, he knew that she always got up at the crack of dawn to go for a hard flight. He was one of the few individuals who didn't take Rainbow Dash's incredible physical prowess for granted, and appreciated just how hard the mare trained everyday to retain that peak athletic physique.

He finally caught sight of her in the distance with his sharp eyes, the vapor cone forming in front of her refracted the sunlight, making her appear like a gleaming star with a rainbow, comet-like tail descending from the heavens at an air-speed he gauged to be a comfortable 600 knots or so, well, comfortable for the likes of her. Most pegasi would give themselves a heart attack to reach those kinds of speeds which she achieved without so much as breaking a sweat.

Rainbow Dash landed in front of her modest cloud home with a flare of her powerful wings, giving them a few strong flaps before neatly folding them to her sides. She huffed a breath, wiping the sweat from her brow as she did.

Flash always thought that she was a beautiful mare, both inside and out. He still remembered the first time he met her when he was only 4 years old, when she had come in like a bolt out of the blue to defend him when he was being picked on by a few of the local colts. She was only about 4 years older than him, about the same age as Ella now that he thought about it; he had always looked up to her after that moment. She, for her part, had kindly taken him under her wing, becoming friends with him without a care in the world as to what other ponies might say. She was his first friend, his best friend, which made him feel all the more like garbage for how he had treated her for the last month.

Well, no time like the present, he thought as he stepped out into view. Flash casually leaned against the corner of the house, hands in the pockets of his jacket, "Hey Feathers," he said with a shy grin. He was the only one who called her that, an abbreviation of 'feather brain' that had, over time, evolved into an epithet that he would use to both tease as well as communicate his affection for her.

Rainbow Dash's head snapped up as she caught sight of him. She said nothing at first, her magenta eyes wide with surprise and indecision. Her mouth worked up and down silently for a second or two, a blush coming to her cheeks as a glare overtook her countenance; Flash braced himself. He made sure to roll his chin with the punch, even so, she hit hard.

Ow... He thought as he fell to his back, seeing a few stars. Rainbow Dash pounced on top of him, her front hooves slammed down on either side of his head while her rear ones planted solidly into his gut. She snarled down at him, her muzzle practically touching his nose.

"Huh, guess I deserved that, yeah?" He sheepishly quipped.

"You're DARN right you did you big, IDIOTIC BLOCKHEAD!" She furiously snapped. She then proceeded to launch into a breathtaking tirade of just how monumental a blockhead he had been, so big in fact that, among many other things, she insinuated that Princess Luna could substitute his skull for the moon and still control the tides without missing a beat. Flash for his part, simply grinned up at her the whole time, just happy to see her, to hear that scratchy voice again, even if it was at the end of a tongue-lashing so fierce that it could strip the shine off of armor. After what felt like a few minutes, it seemed she finally began to run out of steam.

"And you're just such a, a, a...buck, what the hay happened to you?" She asked, finally noticing the nice coloration on his face.

Flash chuckled as she stepped off of him, finally letting him sit up. "Well, I guess you could say love was out to get me."

"Huh?"

Flash rubbed his chin, "You know, you're the third mare to punch me in less than 48 hours. I'm hoping this isn't becoming a trend or something."

Rainbow Dash squinted slightly in confusion, opening her mouth to say something, but closed it again, remaining silent; her tail flicked in indecision as she looked hard at him, wondering what to do next. Flash smiled,

"Sorry it took so long Dash, but, can we talk?"

Rainbow Dash's laugh echoed across the plain as she listened to the latest detail of his past month, hardly able to lie still even while getting a most enjoyable and long overdue ear scritching.

"So you actually fought with her, Cadance, you actually fought with Cadance?!"

Flash sighed despondently, "Well, I don't know if you could call it so much a fight as you would call it, an attempt to fight, but it probably was more like, 'flailing angrily.'" Rainbow Dash burst out into uncontrollable giggles again, practically snorting with glee. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up feathers, I'd like to see how well you would fare against a friggin' alicorn who's peeved at you."

"Yeah? Well I wouldn't be stupid enough to try!" She guffawed, tilting her head into his fingers to get at a particularly pleasing spot. Flash let her have her kicks at his expense, it was worth it just to be able to spend time with her. They were both sitting under the tree in the field between Canterlot and Cloudsdale, the one that they had both carved their names into when they were foals. The sun was approaching high noon, shining brilliantly in the clear blue sky. Rainbow Dash calmed down after a moment, allowing a comfortable silence to grow in between them. She snuggled a bit more closely into his side, her head resting on her forehooves.

"Well, I'm just glad to have you back Flashy." She said, causing Flash to smile.

"Yeah, glad to be back Dashie, glad to see you again." A few more beats of silence passed before she asked him,

"So...you and Ella?" Flash felt himself blush slightly, and nodded,

"Yeah." He quietly replied. He felt Rainbow smile, her head leaning against his leg.

"Hmph, well, it's about time, rookie. I always told you that there were other's out there like you."

"Yeah, yeah you did." He replied. Flash was so glad to be able to share this news with her, feeling like a major part of his life had been missing up till this moment. Rainbow had always been there for him when he had felt alone, and it felt so good to finally share his joy with her of no longer being a one of. This happy thought was distracted though, as he felt her suddenly tense against him, which experience meant that she was up to something.

"So...did you kiss her yet?"

Flash felt his cheeks immediately turn uncomfortably hot, "That's, that's none of your business!" He sputtered, almost wanting to flick her ear in retribution.

Rainbow Dash burst out into laughter again, "I'll take that as a 'no' then, huh? What's wrong Casanova? Aintcha worked up the nerve yet?" She ribbed while rolling away from his half-hearted swipe at her.

"You just had to go and spoil the moment, didn't you! You always do that when we're having a moment, you insufferable troll!" He accused. Rainbow Dash enjoyed another good laugh at his expense, and it wasn't long before Flash found himself laughing alongside her, too happy to care about her teasing. When they had both finally calmed down, Flash found himself locking eyes with her as she grinned fondly at him, and finally decided to say to her what he had wanted to say to her over a month ago.

"Thank you, Dash. Thank you for coming after me, for helping me when I got into trouble."

The vibrant pegasus smiled at him, the delight caused at his acknowledgement of her evident in her eyes, letting him know that that was all she wished to hear from him to set things right.

"You're welcome, Flash. I'd never leave you hanging, and I never will!"

Flash grinned, holding out a hand to her, "Friends?"

She nodded sharply, clasping his hand with a strong hoof, "Friends." She affirmed. Flash yanked her towards him, pulling the mare into a firm hug which she enthusiastically returned. He sighed in relief as he felt the last missing piece in his heart fall back into place. The moment was so satisfying, that he almost missed the mysterious addition that had been carved into the tree next to his and Rainbow Dash's name.

Apparently Discord had carved an image of himself, grinning like the trickster he was and giving the human a thumbs up of approval. Flash couldn't be sure, but he could have sworn he saw the image wink at him.

Flash grinned. It was a new day, life was good, and the future shown brightly before him.

Author's Note

Tis the season, and traditionally, I have always tried to release a new chapter during this wonderful time of the year, glad I could make it so once more.

Merry Christmas my friends, may the Lord bless and keep you during this truly special season, and may your New Year be filled with joy, God love you!

Great Expectations

Three months later.

“See now? All better!” Ella said while down on one knee, smiling at the 3 year old foal sitting patiently before her. The small tan earth pony named Soft Mist shyly withdrew her forelimb that Ella had just finished binding, staring up at her with enormous blue eyes. The little filly glanced nervously from her bandage and back to the human before scurrying back to her mother waiting at the back of a small exam room inside Ponyville General.

The mother, a light blue Pegasus with a white mane named Cool Mist eagerly observed her daughter’s binding before breathing a sigh of relief.

“Oh thank Celestia, I thought for sure she was going to need stitches! You’re sure it won’t scar?” She asked, looking up at Ella,

Ella smiled, “No, not so long as you keep it clean and change the bandage once a day, it should heal up nicely.”

“And she didn’t even cry!” Cool Mist exclaimed, “It’s just like everypony said, you really do have such a way with children!” She said before looking down at her daughter, “Softy, what do you say to the nice nurse?” The little pony looked shyly from her mother to Ella, hesitating for a moment before taking a small step forward,

“Th-thank you Miss Ella, it feels a lot better now,” she squeaked in a voice so adorable that Ella felt like her heart would give out.

“You’re very welcome, little Soft Mist. You just be more careful now, okay?” The little pony nodded her big head and turned back to her mother, pausing, and then turning about, surprised Ella with a quick tight hug around her waist. Ella returned the hug, marveling at how soft the little filly’s fur and mane were as she saw the pony’s aura explode with the shimmering pink of innocent love that was sweet as honey and smelled like strawberries.

Sweet friggin’ mercy, I want a foal… Ella thought as the pony released her and scrambled back to her mother. She bid them both farewell before standing up, placing her hands in the small of her back and stretching for moment.

“You know, ponies are going to think you’re putting a spell on their children at this rate,” said a voice from the doorway. Ella looked up to see Nurse Redheart leaning against the door jamb, a sly look in her pretty blue eyes.

“Oh please, kids love everyone.” Ella said dismissively, trying to brush off her compliment. Redheart shook her head,

“I’m serious, in case you haven’t noticed, ponies in general are kind of skittish to begin with, but they don’t seem to have a problem with you, and you have fangs! You must be doing something right.” Ella laughed,

“Well, it’s not like y’all are that hard to love, especially when you’re all practically made out of diabetes-inducing levels of cuteness.” Ella said as she took another moment to smooth out her white skirt and adjust her pink apron that was emblazoned with a large, red heart. She also glanced in the mirror to make sure that her nurse’s hat was on straight.

Rarity had been the one to design the outfit for her, and if she didn’t know any better, Ella would have sworn that the fashionista had purposely dressed her to such a cliché, if the color of Flash’s cheeks were anything to go by.

Well, what does a pony know about dressing an alien anyways? Ella thought with a small chuckle. The last three months had been a blur of activity. Adventures, unexplained magic, and spontaneous song seemed to be business as usual for Equestria in general, but especially in Ponyville. She was still living with Twiight, while stealing free moments with Flash whenever she could, who seemed to grow more confident by the day in learning how to court her.

He was adorable to watch, especially when some of his male friends tried to give him advice on wooing the fairer sex. Though following Discord’s suggestions had led to them both being chased by a swarm of angry bees and an animated rose bush trying to serenade them for half a mile before falling into a pond composed of chocolate pudding. Ella had almost laughed herself to death while Flash screamed something about never trusting the thrice-blasted trickster for dating advice ever again.

The biggest change however, had happened when Twilight had asked Ella one day over breakfast what it was she had always hoped to be able to do. Besides being a mother, which Ella kept to herself for the time being, she had told the princess that she thought she might like to learn medicine as she had always been pretty good at looking after others when they were hurt or sick.

It was then that Twilight had introduced her to Nurse Redheart, Ponyville’s resident nurse practitioner and general manager of Ponyville General Hospital. Ella had taken an instant liking to the warm-hearted little earth pony, as the sweet-natured white mare did not hesitate in taking the human under her wing to teach her the basics of caring for sick and injured ponies.

Ella was a quick study and took to her apprenticeship with enthusiasm. She was already becoming pretty capable with general care, but it was with foals, those otherworldly adorable balls of fluff and eyes, that she had really found her stride. Thanks to her Changeling senses, Ella knew how to soothe and comfort an upset child like no other caretaker in the region, and had quickly gained a reputation among Ponyville’s parents as a wonder-worker with children.

“I swear, at this rate, I’m just gonna go adopt a foal,” Ella sighed,

“Well, why don’t you and Flash just get married already and make some foals of your own?” Redheart said with a wink. Ella suddenly discovered both to her surprise and delight that she had not lost her ability to blush.

“Redheart!” Ella exclaimed, her cheeks burning. Redheart smiled, cocking an eyebrow,

“What? I’m not the only pony around who think the two of you make a perfect couple. Besides, the Grand Galloping Gala is tomorrow night. Do you think he might pop the question?”

Ella would be lying if she said the thought hadn’t occurred to her, and she found herself almost giddy with anticipation at the possibility that Flash was planning to ask her. But at the same time, she didn’t want to give herself any false expectations. She shook her head,

“Well, ahem, you know, I don’t wanna rush the kid or nothin’. He’s got a lot on his mind after all.”

“Stallion.” Redheart gently corrected, “Or is it, ‘man’ for a human? Either way, he’s not a child anymore dear, and I can see how seriously he takes you, don’t underestimate him.” Ella nodded, swallowing nervously,

“Yeah, you’re right. I keep forgettin’ because he’s still so young but, I gotta say, he’s more mature than guys I’ve met who were twice his age. You ponies really did an incredible job with him.”

“Well, he was easy to work with. Your species is quite a noble one, Ella. And my time with you has only strengthened that opinion.” Redheart said.

Ella felt strangely stirred by the little pony’s words. For so long, she had only thought of humanity as depraved, but hearing the perspective of this entirely different creature contradict that sentiment, felt refreshing, in a most uplifting way.

“Oh you, I just wanna scratch your little ears now,” Ella said with a laugh, “But I don’t think that’s appropriate since you’re my boss and all, yeah?” Redheart laughed as well and then surprised Ella by stepping forward and hugging her.

“Hmm, well, so long as none of the other staff see it, I suppose it’d be alright,” She whispered as Ella got down on one knee to return her embrace, and after a moment’s hesitation, gripped one of the pony’s delicate ears for a few well placed scritches. The little pony uttered an adorable noise, one of her rear hooves drumming slightly against the linoleum, causing Ella to giggle slightly at the innocence of it all; the sweet creatures were truly wonderful beings. After a few moments, the pony spoke, “Now then,” Redheart said as she reluctantly ended the hug and scratching with a small shake of her head, “I don’t want to see you here for the rest of the day, after all, you have a big day to get ready for tomorrow!”

“Oh but Redheart, it’s not even lunchtime yet, and there’s still plenty to do here! I need to update those charts, refill the medicine cabinets, and those linens won’t clean themselves!” Ella protested. Redheart shook her head and began gently pushing the girl out the door with her forehead,

“Nope, I will hear none of it, shoo now, off you go! You have a spa appointment with Lotus and Aloe early tomorrow morning and I know Rarity will be looking for you this afternoon and the last thing I need is for that mare to hunt you down here, go on now, shoo!” Ella tried to object again, but Redheart would have none of it, and was impressed as once more she was reminded of just how strong the little equine pushing her out the door actually was.

“Alright! Alright! I’m goin’, sheesh!” Ella said, moving down the corridor towards the exit.

“Oh, and Ella?” Redheart called, causing the girl to pause and turn about. The mare gave her a sly smile, “Knock that colt’s socks off, will you?”

Ella did her best to hide her blush as she hurried out the door.

Flash paused outside the large, double white doors that led to Princess Celestia’s private quarters, hat in hand, taking a moment to check the gig line on his officer’s khakis. He was quite familiar with this area of the castle as he had spent a good deal of time here as a child whenever Sunset Shimmer or his mother had dropped him off for another day of quality time with the Princess at her request. He remembered those days fondly, Celestia had always been like a second mother to him, but it had been a long time since she had asked to see him up here, making him wonder if this summons was for official reasons or personal ones. He did his best to push any apprehension aside as he gently knocked.

“Come in!” Came Celestia’s warm voice.

Grasping the cool brass handle, he pulled the door open and stepped inside. His black dress shoes sunk into the thick, plush crimson carpet of Celestia’s sitting room. The large bay doors on the far side leading to the expansive balcony were open, allowing the dimming rays of the late afternoon sun to pour into the room, the princess herself was standing in front of a large dais which was positioned next to an ornate crystal coffee table that also featured two white wingback chairs for guests.

“Your highness,” Flash said, dropping down to one knee and bowing his head before his liege. Celestia stepped forward, looking as magnificent as the day he first remembered her as she placed a gentle hoof to his chin,

“Rise my little one, thank you for coming,” she said, drawing him up into a warm embrace that Flash gladly returned. Celestia gave a small frown as they separated, gently tracing the scar over his right eye with her hoof. "I really wish you would allow me or any of our healers to remove that blight from your countenance." Flash smiled,

"Nah, it's alright Princess. Some scars serve as good reminders of where we've been. Besides, I kinda like it, makes me look...tough."

Celestia gave a small chuckle, shaking her head, "You're such a colt, you know that?" Flash laughed at that, giving a guilty shrug in response.

Celestia gestured him to one of the two chairs as she raised a white, gold trimmed teapot from a set on the table in her golden magic.

“Tea?”

“Please, thank you Princess.” Flash said, graciously accepting the offered cup which he already knew would contain one lump of sugar, as he knew she knew his preferences. Celestia reclined on her dais, taking her tea up in her magic. A few moments of comfortable silence passed between them as they sipped on their beverages.

Flash glanced to his left, and noticed sitting on Celestia's large mahogany writing desk, a black wooden case about two and a half feet long, four inches tall, and six inches wide that looked to be made out polished ebony of the highest quality. The lid of the case was emblazoned with an outline of Celestia's cutie mark etched in pure gold that contrasted beautifully with the rest of the dark-colored case while, a gold latch affixed with a blood-red ruby secured it.

"So, how are you feeling my dear?" Celestia asked, interrupting his curious musing.

"I am doing very well Princess, thank you for asking." He replied.

"And Ella, how has she been? Is there anything she needs?"

"Oh no, she's doing great, and she says 'thank you' again for commissioning a dress for her to wear to the Gala, Rarity has been working on it all month!" Celestia smiled,

"It is only right that she look her best for her first Gala, and I hope that you'll be ready as well, young man." She said with a knowing look over the rim of her tea cup.

Flash chuckled nervously, feeling a bit of heat touch his cheeks. "So, uh, what can I do for you my Princess?" Celestia paused, staring at him before setting her cup down gently on the low-sitting table.

"What makes you think I called you here to ask for something dear Flash?" Flash smiled,

"Well for one, you're still wearing your crown, Princess," he said. In the past, Flash was able to tell when she had called him for business or pleasure, as when it was merely a personal call, she had usually already removed her crown and other adornments by the time he arrived, signaling her desire to simply enjoy his company. Celesita's eyes flicked up at her crown,

"Hmm, perhaps I'm becoming a bit too predictable in my old age?"

"I would prefer to call it, 'beautifully consistent' your highness, as are you." She gave him an amused, smoldering look,

"My, what a silver tongue you've developed, I think you've been hanging around Discord a bit too much. But you should know, that flattery will get you nowhere, Lieutenant." Flash grinned,

"Well, can't blame an officer for trying to grease the skids for a promotion, can you?" He said with a laugh which she joined him in. Their laughter died down, and Flash sat up, recognizing that the Princess was now adopting a more serious demeanor.

"Flash, do you remember the incident with Tirek?" Flash nodded solemnly,

"How could I forget?" Flash said, absentmindedly rubbing the scar on his left pectoral from the mad centaur's claws. Celestia nodded,

"Yes, Tirek, Discord, the two attacks by Chrysalis, and many other threats besides. In the last eight years, there has been a drastic increase in events that have put Equestria in danger. But tell me my officer, do you know what our response to each of these events had in common?" Flash grit his teeth,

"Yes your highness, they were all reactionary. It seems we're always playing 'catch-up' to whatever new threat crops up," Flash said, suddenly feeling a bit hot under the collar. Flash loved ponies, but what he could never understand, was how they were never proactive enough in defending themselves. Their might was formidable, so much so that no nation had dared raise the sword against Equestria for the last 1000 years. But that might seemed only to respond when provoked by some already active foe, and usually too late. He had long argued that the guard should be much more aggressive in combating potential threats, a vocal opinion that he was well known for in the academy and which had earned him some ill-will from a few of the higher brass.

"Exactly," Celestia said, surprising Flash for a moment by her agreement with his assessment. "And it seems that a thousand years of peace have only reinforced that behavior. I realized, after the near disaster with Tirek, that if Equestria is going to overcome future threats more effectively, we must learn to be more proactive in our approach to them." Flash nodded eagerly,

"Glad to hear it your highness, so what's your plan?" Celestia did not answer him at first, taking a moment to pick up her tea cup for another sip,

"My plan?" She asked, looking at him over her cup, "Tell me dear Flash, if it were up to you, what would you do?" Flash blinked in surprise, caught off guard by her question. It didn't take him long to form an answer though, as he had long given thought to Equestria's present military structure and what he thought it lacked. He had even written a term paper on it once.

"Well for starters, I would form some sort of special team, a group of skilled specialists that could operate independently of the current structure so that it could respond quickly to threats. Of course, for it to be effective, it would need the backing of the crown as well as immediate access to intelligence resources so as to act on threats before they can gain momentum. It would still function as part of the Guard, but to speed things up, it should be granted a degree of freedom to make calls on it's own, with only you and Princess Luna as the final say on weightier decisions. Naturally, whoever leads this must be somepony of sound judgment and unquestionable loyalty to Equestria who knows how to pool talent from all the branches and even races, be they unicorn or even thestral. That is what I would do, Princess."

Flash sat back with a sigh, running a hand through his platinum hair, his pounding heart a reminder to himself of just how passionately he felt about this particular subject. Celestia stared at him for a quiet moment, her face inscrutable, the only sound between them being the ticking of the grandfather clock against the wall. Then she smiled,

"Excellent plan, so, when can you start?" Flash stared for a second before breaking out laughing, only to calm down when he realized that Celestia wasn't laughing, but continued to smile at him with calm but serious eyes.

"Wait, you're serious?"

"As a heart attack," she replied, her tone steady without a hint of humor. Flash leaned forward in his chair,

"Your highness, I'm flattered that you think so highly of my ability, but, it can't be me! You need somepony with more experience in these matters! I'd be happy to make some recommendations for you." Celestia shook her head,

"You're perfect. For one, there is nopony in the present officer corps who sees a need for such a change, they're too set in their ways, you're the only one who believes in the plan's merits, and the fact that you stated precisely the reason why I called you here today, to propose this very same idea to you, proves to me that I was right about you, Flash Skies." Flash squinted slightly in confusion,

"Right about what Princess?" Celestia sighed, setting her cup back on the table,

"The day Tirek attacked, you were the only one of my subjects who attacked him without waiting for a command, and you weren't even a soldier yet."

"Yeah, and it almost got me killed."

"The point is my dear, that despite your upbringing, being raised by ponies, you have something, something in abundance that we ponies sorely lack."

"And that is?" Celestia's eyes narrowed,

"Aggression, Flash. You don't think like a pony." Flash's eyes widened at what felt like an accusation from her,

"Well I'm, sorry princess, I just-"

"That's not necessarily a bad thing, Flash." She interrupted, much to his surprise. "I want you to be aggressive, to use that predatory instinct that I now know is inherent to your species for the protection of my little ponies. It wasn't until that terrible day, as I stood by your hospital bed, that I fully appreciated just how strongly that quality exists in you, and it was then that I decided that I would harness it for the good of Equestria, and for your sake as well."

"My sake? What do you mean, Princess?"

"You're a guardian, Flash Skies. You're at your best whenever you are in the role of serving and protecting others. I want to empower you in that role. I believe placing you in this unique position would make you happier, better fulfill your potential, and is a far better use of your talents than simply standing guard and managing regular patrols like any ordinary officer; because you, my little one, regardless of what you might think of yourself, are far from ordinary."

Flash leaned back in his chair, taking a moment to weigh the enormity of everything she had just said to him. Ever since he was a boy and first entered the junior academy, he had always insisted that he didn't want any special treatment, and that he just wanted to be treated like any ordinary cadet. But now he realized that it would be hopelessly naïve and even foalish of him to insist that he was just like everypony else. If his Princess saw something in him that could be beneficial to himself and others, then he had a duty to rise to that challenge, however daunting it might seem at first. He glanced up at her,

"What did Princess Luna think of all this?"

"Oh, she hates it." Celestia said bluntly, not even attempting to put a spin on it which earned a laugh from Flash,

"Yeah, I can imagine she had some choice words," Flash said with another chuckle, shaking his head. He looked back up to Celestia, and could see the earnestness in her eyes as she waited for his response. He thought back to what she had told him about that day in the hospital, and was struck by the implication that his Princess had been planning this for years and had likely arranged events to bring him to this point, grooming him for this very role. It reminded him of what Discord had told him long ago, 'Remember, Celestia always plans, and that is just so very boring sometimes...'

But he liked that, he liked that Celestia once more proved that she could choose the good of Equestria over her own personal feelings. It was a quality of her leadership that he had always admired. This job would no doubt be dangerous, which is why, he guessed, Luna did not like it. Flash felt a little apprehensive at the vastness of the responsibility being set before him, but at the same time, excited, thrilled at the prospect that Celestia would place in him a position to do what he had always wanted to do: protect the ones he loved. In his heart, he knew exactly what his answer would be.

"I understand if you would like some time to think about it, I know that this is a lot-"

"I'll do it." Flash said, surprising her with his uncharacteristic interruption. He smiled at her momentary shock, "It would be an honor, your highness. I will do my best to fulfill this role to the utmost of my ability and to the fullness of your vision for it, I am grateful for this opportunity to serve Equestria's need."

Celestia rose from her dais and stepped around the table towards him. Flash rose to his feet at the same time to meet her, noticing that the room suddenly felt noticeably warmer as the sun princess beamed with pride at him.

"Thank you, Flash Skies. Know that I will always be here to support you in this endeavor, and that I am confident in your ability to see this through, I expect great things from you, my little one." She said with a warm smile. Flash nodded once in acknowledgement before Celestia stepped around to the other side of her desk. A few scrolls were immediately drawn up into her magic along with a quill with which she started to quickly scratch some notes.

"After today, you will no longer report to Colonel Slate, I am reassigning 2nd Lieutenant Highball to take over your position at training HQ." The scroll rolled itself up, her seal materializing on it before it vanished, on its way to its receiver. She took up another scroll, "From now on, you will report directly to me. I expect you to use your newly available time to begin scouting out potential recruits for your team and to compile a list of assets that you wish to have in establishing your department."

"Absolutely your highness, I'll get started on it right away," Flash said, feeling almost lightheaded at how quickly this was all happening, giddy at the thought that she was making him the head of his own department. He took up his tea, taking a sip of the soothing brew to calm his nerves.

"And I'm promoting you to the rank of Captain." Tea nearly sprayed out of Flash's nose, leaving him coughing and sputtering for a moment. Celestia did not look up from her work as the edges of her lips curled slightly in a small smirk.

"Your, your highness! I am, too young!" Flash exclaimed while he hastily set down his cup, checking the front of his uniform.

"A deficiency that you will shortly overcome," Celestia replied, continuing to write and send scrolls. "You are to represent me Flash Skies, my authority, and it is only appropriate that you have the requisite rank to both fulfill the task I am giving you and so that other ranking officials will take seriously the vital role this new department. So do not worry, whatever you feel you may lack in capability I know you will learn as you have both the humility and the willingness to seek advice from others."

Flash swallowed nervously, but he could see the logic of her decision. He may be an officer, but no other senior ranking officers would take a butter bar seriously. Still, the thought of jumping two whole ranks at least 6 years ahead of the usual timeframe was causing his head to spin. This gave him an idea,

"Princess, I request the permission to promote one level of rank any pony I choose for my team, be they enlisted or officer." Celestia glanced up at him,

"Granted, provided that they have not recently promoted. You wish to give potential recruits an incentive to join I'm guessing, yes?" Flash nodded,

"Yes, and a way to empower their confidence in decision making. The ponies on this team must be freethinkers."

Already taking to the role, Celestia thought with a smile. Finishing with her missives, she rose from her seat and stepped around to him, fanning her magnificent wings, "Attention to pinning, raise your right hand, and repeat after me."

Flash snapped to attention before his Princess, and with his heart soaring with love and admiration for her, he repeated his commissioning oath:

"I, Flash Skies, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Nation of Equestria against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the Crown and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me Harmony and the Source of all."

Celestia's horn shone, as the golden bars on either side of the collar of his uniform were transformed into twin silver bars, the rank of a Captain. The Princess then dipped her head, tapping both of his shoulders with her long horn,

"Congratulations Captain Skies, and thank you for your loyal service to our nation." She said while handing him a sealed scroll that contained his new commission as well as the orders that would give him special authority to act freely within the different ranks of the Royal Guard. Flash looked down at the scroll in his hand, and then back up at his Princess who gazed upon him with such love.

Unable to contain himself any longer, Flash flung himself around her neck, kissing her warm, soft cheek. Celestia returned the embrace, settling down on her haunches and drawing him close to her with a large, alabaster wing; she sighed with contentment. In a land of little ponies, Flash had always been grateful that she was not so little, "Thank you Princess," Flash whispered, "Thank you, for always being so good to me, for all of your love."

Celestia nuzzled the back of his head with her cheek, "You are so very welcome, my little one.” She whispered back, “And thank you for being such a blessing to me and to Equestria, you will always be our adopted son.” She leaned back, but not before briefly touching her nose to his, a gesture of affection she had done with him since he was a baby; it always made him blush slightly.

Keeping her wing on his shoulders, Celestia raised a small jeweler's case from the top of her desk, “Just a few more things dear Flash,” Opening the case, she removed a small bronze colored heart at the end of a red and white ribbon. “For conspicuous gallantry in the face of danger, and for perseverance in the highest of Equestrian values while under extreme duress, I award you, Captain Skies, the Bronze Heart of Valor.” She said, pinning the medal to the left breast of Flash’s uniform.

Flash gaped in disbelief at the third highest military honor now hanging from his uniform, at a complete loss for words. “Princess…I, don’t know what to say…” He gasped. Celestia smiled reassuringly,

“Don’t be so surprised my dear, your performance in your home world, even though done on a personal endeavor, was a most admirable feat. I had wanted to give you this award as soon as you had returned, but I knew, because of the conflict you felt at the time, that it was better to wait. I am so very proud of you, Flash Skies.”

Flash clenched his jaw, holding back a few tears while looking from the glinting medal back to his Princess, “Thank you, Princess.” He managed to say. Celestia gave a small squeeze of his shoulders with her wing,

“And now, lastly,” She said, lifting the long, glossy black case from the desk in her magic, the one Flash had been eyeing earlier.

“Oh what is this, Hearth’s Warming? You’re going to spoil me your highness!” Flash said with a laugh. Celestia gave a small chuckle,

“A princess may do as she pleases,” She teased before opening the case before him. Flash felt his eyes widen as he beheld what lay inside. Ensconced in violet velvet, lay a spear of breathtaking make. The spearhead was a dusky silver, with golden runes of power inlaid upon its spine. The haft was of a dark, polished ash, with a golden engraving of Celestia’s cutie mark at the collar of the weapon. The spear seemed to radiate a deadly purpose, and Flash could already feel the incredible magic that emanated from it. He hadn’t felt anything like it since Luna had gifted him his bladed vambrace.

“I crafted this spear myself,” Celestia began, “The spearhead was forged from a meteor shard, heated at temperatures that match the surface of my sun. It can pierce most any object, be it magical or otherwise. The haft will never break, and you will find that it will respond to your input, lengthening or retracting at will. It has other useful properties, and so long as the weapon is cast with just intent, you would be hard pressed to miss your target.”

Flash slowly raised his hand to it, casting a hesitant glance at Celestia who nodded her encouragement,

“Go ahead Flash, I made this for you.”

As his hand drew near, Flash felt a kind of harmonizing within himself as his magic seemed to reach out from his fingertips towards the spear. Arcs of blue lightning leapt from his hand as he grasped hold of the weapon.

“Princess, what is this? It feels almost, alive in my hands!” Celestia smiled,

“You can thank Sunset Shimmer for that. She attuned the spear to your exact magical signature, ensuring that you could channel your abilities through it. Seems that she and I can still work together when it concerns something that we both care for.” She said with a gentle touch of her muzzle to the side of his head.

“Grow,” Flash said, and the haft responded immediately, expanding an additional four feet into a full-sized spear. While still marveling at this development, in a moment of inspiration, Flash sent a surge of current down his arm into the haft, which caused the spearhead to ignite with all the ferocious intensity of a burning strip of magnesium. The entire room was instantly consumed with a pure, white radiance; but despite its intensity, he found that he could look directly at it without any strain on his eyes.

“That light, will only harm those of ill-intent,” Celestia affirmed. Flash stared in wonder at the spear in his hand, overwhelmed that his Princess would gift him an item of such unparalleled quality and capability.

“What, what is its name?” Flash murmured.

“Well, I was hoping you could give it one, my dear.” Celestia replied.

Flash laughed incredulously, “Oh brother, I’ve never been the creative type, I wouldn’t even know where to begin!”

“Well, consider what it is you wish this weapon to represent. What is it you wish to do for your fellow Equestrians?” That was all the inspiration Flash needed, for he knew in his heart what he desired to be for his ponies, for all of Equestria.

“Let it be a light in the darkness for all who are oppressed, and the bane of all the dark forces that would threaten the peace or our land.” He said while withdrawing the energy he fed to it so that the blazing light winked out, “‘Shadowbane,’” he affirmed, ”That is her name.”

Celestia nodded approvingly, “‘Shadowbane’, how very fitting, Flash Skies. May it serve you well in the defense of Equestria.” Flash returned the spear to its case, securing the golden latch,

"Thank you Princess, " He breathed, looking up at her with grateful eyes. Celestia leaned down, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead, before looking deeply into his two-toned eyes,

"Now go, my little one, you have an important day before you tomorrow. Go with my blessing for your happiness and well-being, I look forward to welcoming you and Ella to the Gala tomorrow night." She released him from her wing, and after graciously thanking her once more, Flash gathered up his effects and departed, cradling Shadowbane as if it were a newborn foal, his heart practically skipping with gladness.

After watching him go, Celestia stepped out onto her balcony, taking a moment to admire the view of her Kingdom, grateful for its many blessings. Tilting her head to the sky and closing her eyes, she inwardly prayed, Source of all, grant all my subjects a restful night and a peaceful end. May we live each day by Your Benevolent Will, and grow always in the ways of Harmony. Opening her eyes once more, Celestia stretched out her magic to the sun, guiding it down towards its setting, eager to bring on her sister's night that would prepare them all for the dawning of a new and glorious day.

Author's Note

Achievement unlocked: Aquire legendary weapon.

Greetings my friends, and God’s blessings to you all, I pray that the new year is going well for you. Another chapter or two before we come to the happy conclusion of this story, and I cannot describe how grateful I am to all who have taken the time to read my humble work, your feedback has been a joy for me.

As always, let me know in the comments if there is anything yet you would hope to see, and message me if you have any need or there is anything I might pray about for you. God love you!

Brighter Horizons

Flash stumbled through the front door of his Canterlot apartment, his head buzzing pleasantly. He didn’t know how, but after his meeting with Celestia, the Nightguard had somehow already learned of his new promotion, because of course they had. He hadn’t made it but a few steps out of the Castle before he found himself blindsided by a bunch of thestrals who wasted no time in dragging the human to the nearest bar to celebrate his new commission, the eager bats plying him with alcohol and questions about his latest ascension in rank, trying to gain whatever insider details they could about his new position within the guard.

Looking down, he noticed that his hands and forearms were pock-marked with several small red welts caused by the sharp teeth of his furry friends from their constant grabbing and tugging at him whenever they either pulled him to the latest bar or desired to get his attention; and his shoulders felt sore from the many friendly cuffs he received from their hard hooves.

Due to his special friendship with Princess Luna, Flash had always been something of a celebrity with the night-loving ponies who had all but adopted him as one of their own, despite his official status as part of the Day Guard. He could have continued to wonder how they already knew about his promotion before the ink was even dry, but he had long since resigned himself to the fact that the ever-curious night ponies always seemed to be on top of the latest developments in Equestria. Now finally free for the evening, Flash wanted nothing more than to get a good night’s rest, as well as some quiet time to process all that Celestia had tasked him with.

Setting Shadowbane's case down on the small table at the vestibule, Flash felt his way along the wall of the dark apartment, reaching for the light switch. He had just about reached it, when the slightest creak of a floorboard reached his sensitive ears, causing him to pause where he stood, his heart racing as he now felt the presence of somepony in the darkness with him.

As fast as lightning, Flash snatched a small boot knife that he kept concealed around his ankle, immediately cocking his arm back in preparation to hurl the blade at the dark silhouette he could now make out in the center of his living room, when he discovered his arm to be suddenly frozen in place, a green aura of magic firmly gripping his wrist. The sweet scent of honey on clover finally touched his nose,

"Easy Michail, it's just me."

Another glimmer of green magic flicked on the light switch behind him, revealing the presence of Chelicerae laying on his couch, her forelimbs crossed casually one over the other; she smiled, flashing her fangs at him while releasing his wrist.

"Chel?!" Flash exclaimed, shock coloring his voice and features. "What do you think you are doing breaking in here?!" He hissed, sheathing his knife, "I could have killed you!" The changeling chuckled in amusement,

"Not with dulled reflexes like that you couldn't have, I could have had you at least three times since you opened the door, you really need to be more careful, Michail. Having a bit of fun, were we?"

Flash uttered a frustrated grunt before he instantly shot around the apartment, closing all of the blinds in the blink of an eye. He spun around as Chelicerae slowly rose to her hooves and stood to face him. She looked to be in good health, her black chitin smooth and glossy, with no trace of her previous injuries. But best of all, she looked happy, with none of the rage that drove her before anywhere to be seen in her emerald eyes. The changeling shook her head slightly to get a lock of her teal and red-highlighted mane out of her face, a movement which Flash thought made her look kind of cute.

"You know, you could have knocked Princess," Flash said.

"Oh? A strange mare that no one has ever seen before knocking on your door late at night? No one would ever think that suspicious," she replied with a smirk.

"Eh, good point, still, you could have at least given me some sort of warning, Princess."

"Please Michail, call me Chelicerae, or Chel, I think you've more than earned that with me." Flash finally allowed himself to smile and nodded as she stepped forward to examine the new rank on the collar of his uniform. "Well, well, I see that congratulations are in order, 'Captain.' I'm glad to see that Celestia has some sense." Flash sighed,

"You should really just meet her already Chel, it would make things a lot less complicated than all of this sneaking around,"

"Sneaking's half the fun," she said with a wink, before her eyes narrowed, "Besides Captain, I don't trust her yet."

"Chel, be reasonable," Flash pleaded. She stared hard at him a moment, before her gaze softened,

"In time, Michail, in time; please, be patient with me, old biases die hard, and I haven't survived for as long as I have by trusting others. You were the first exception to that for me, and frankly, it's still a very novel experience. Besides, there are still a few things that Telson and I must attend to that, as you know, might not make us so popular with your precious Princesses. Also, I cannot let the Queen see that I've been associating with her enemies, not yet."

Flash didn't like it, but he nodded in understanding, remembering all that Telson had explained to him about the pair of exiled changelings' future plans on one of the many return trips the two of them had taken to earth. Together they had begun the necessary process of dismantling his father's old criminal empire, a lot of which simply involved making sure the right evidence fell into the right laps.

Telson had at that time told him that he and Chelicerae could never accept Thorax as their leader, that they still saw Chrysalis as their queen, and that they had every intention of placing her back on the throne, but of course, only after they had helped her to reform. They had no interest in being Equestria's enemies, nor going back to their old ways, but neither could they accept the present situation, not unless Chrysalis herself gave her approval to it.

Flash for his part had agreed to keep this information to himself for the time being, as he knew the pair of exiled changeling's trust in him was still a delicate thing, and that it was this mutual trust that stood the best chance of bringing total harmony back to the hive while eliminating a dangerous enemy. He had learned enough from Celestia over the years of when to be prudent with knowledge, and that there were some things that deserved to be kept secret for the sake of future relationships; he trusted that in her wisdom, Celestia would understand why he kept this information from her at first when the time came to finally tell her; Telson had said to him that he would know when that moment arrived.

"So, why are you here Chel?" She gave him a sad smile,

"Two things, first, I came to say 'goodbye,' just in case I never get to see you again, Michail."

"Why wouldn't I get to see you again, Chel?" Flash asked, feeling a bit alarmed. The changeling sighed,

"Well, let's just say that when I find mother, she might not be so happy to see me, in which case, it will likely go very poorly for me."

Flash grimaced at the thought, but knew she was right about that possibility. He had hoped that she would let somepony go with her when she finally sought Chrysalis out, but of course, Chelicerae said that she had to do this alone.

"Won't you, at least, you know, go through the metamorphosis before you do? You'll be stronger that way, I know you have the love to do it."

Chelicerae smiled sweetly at him, a sad longing in her eyes, but she slowly shook her head, "No, not yet Michail, not until mother does first. I need for her to see that I'm still loyal to her, and that I'm willing to wait for her."

Flash shyly glanced to one side, unsure of how to feel about possibility of never seeing her again. "Well, just be careful Chel, yeah? I'd hate to find out that you'd gotten yourself killed, because then I'd have to hunt Chrysalis down myself, and I don't have time for that."

Chelicerae's eyes widened slightly at that before giving him a friendly smirk, "Thank you Michail, for everything, and may you succeed in all of your undertakings as well," she said, and after a short pause, she surprised the human with a quick hug, kissing him on the cheek before placing her lips to his ear, "And you be more careful as well little Equestrian, I mean it. Don't let your guard down ever, even for a moment," she whispered.

Flash felt himself flush a little before hesitantly returning her embrace, "Don't worry, I won't," he said with a nervous chuckle. "So, uh, what was the other thing you wanted to see me about?" He asked as they separated. The sly smile that crept across the changeling's face in response to his question sent an unexpected shiver up his spine, the hoof still resting on his shoulder tightened ever so slightly,

"I understand that you're taking Ella to the Gala tomorrow evening, yes?"

"Uh, yes, yes I am," Flash nervously replied. Chelicerae nodded, taking a step back. Her horn shone with green light, and all the furniture in the center of his living room suddenly moved to the perimeter, leaving a wide open area.

"Good, because before I go, I'm going to make certain that you know how to properly dance." Flash felt his stomach suddenly start to sink,

"That's, very kind of you Chel, but I already know how to dance!"

Chelicerae raised an eyebrow at him, "You know how to dance with ponies, my little human, but Ella," She paused as green flames burst around her, revealing her human disguise of the incredibly beautiful woman, but now wearing a long, dark and magnificent evening gown, "Is a woman, and for her sake, I will see to it that you know how to dance properly with her. Bright Skies, if you would?"

Flash gaped in astonishment as his mother stepped out of the shadows of the hallway leading to his bedroom, realizing that she had successfully concealed her presence from him; she grinned at him.

"Mom?! What are you-" His words faded as she opened her mind to his, sending a cascade of thoughts and recent memories pouring into his consciousness. In them, Flash saw how Chelicerae had visited his mother in Cloudsdale earlier that day in the afternoon, to offer an apology for all of the pain that she had caused them both. The two of them had then had a long, and meaningful conversation, with his mother not only granting her forgiveness, but also giving some kind words and motherly advice that helped ease the changeling's sorrow, giving Chelicerae some hope in approaching Chrysalis. The image of his mother then holding the changeling princess in a long, loving embrace, even going so far as to feed her, and the warm sensation of comforting compassion that his mother had given to her former enemy during that beautiful moment nearly brought a tear to his eye.

Bright Skies fluttered off of the floor, hovering in front of him as she gazed proudly at his new rank and decoration. "Oh my splendid son, I'm so proud of you!" She said, kissing him on the cheek. "Chelicerae stopped by earlier today," she said, glancing fondly back at the changeling, "We had a nice long chat."

Flash swallowed, nodding in understanding, "I...see. But, uh, what are you doing here now?" He asked, the mischievousness he could feel in her spirit and see in her eyes doing nothing to ease his nerves. His mother grinned at him,

"Like I was going to miss this!" She exclaimed, flapping over to the wall where his record player stood. "Chel told me about her little idea, and well, I wasn't going to let her do it without a chaperone being around, so, just pretend I'm not here, honey!"

Bright Skies set the record player into motion, and a sweeping, classical tune shortly began filling the room, "Take it away, Chel!" She joyfully cheered. Chelicerae gazed fondly at the pony, before locking her eyes on Flash, her countenance not unlike a winter-starved wolf that had just spotted a fat, helpless rabbit; the human involuntarily shrank back.

"Now, this first dance is called a waltz, step over here, take my hand in your right, and place your left hand on my waist."

Flash's pupils narrowed to pinpricks, his stomach going from slowly sinking, to cratering through the floor. His throat constricted fast, the objection he had attempted to form dying with a whimper on his lips,

"Meep..."

Ella set down her latest book, entitled The Virtuous Mare, taking a moment to stretch her arms over her head before reaching for her wine glass for a sip, the rich taste of the fine vintage spreading delightfully across her tongue. Soft classical music drifted through the peaceful atmosphere of Twilight's library, adding to the sensation of total comfort, enhanced by all the more by the luxurious pink-silk pajamas she was presently wearing which felt as soft as a summer cloud.

It was late, and Luna had long since raised the moon, the heavenly sphere lending its gentle light through the small, arched windows high up on the interior wall of library. Ella closed her eyes, taking a moment to savor her delightful surroundings, reflecting on how blessed her life had become in the last four months since arriving in Equestria, at complete odds with all the pain she had ever known, which was increasingly turning into an evermore distant, unpleasant memory.

Lord, if you're making up for all of that hell, you're doing a bang-up job, thank you.

Her happy thoughts were interrupted by a faint tapping that she heard coming from a window high above her. Grinning with anticipation, Ella quickly set down her wine glass on the violet crystal table, tying the belt around her nightgown as she rose from her seat, eyeing the window at least twenty feet above. Tensing her legs beneath her, Ella sprang on light feet, her enhanced strength easily arcing her through the air so that she landed on the crystal wall just below the glass, sticking to it like a bug on a wall. Still thrilling at the sensation of accomplishing the ordinarily impossible, Ella effortlessly crawled up the last few feet before reaching out to undo the latch, opening the window to the cool night air and the white dove that flew in with it.

It had happened about two months prior, Ella had been in the library one afternoon with Ocellus, when the young changeling had nonchalantly walked up the wall to reach a book up on a high shelf. She seemed befuddled at the human's flabbergasted reaction which was quickly followed by Ella blurting out loud in wonder, "Can I do that?"

Apparently, changelings could stick to walls and ceilings. Did you know they could do that? Ella certainly didn't, and after some brief experimentation, the young woman discovered, to her utter delight, that she could as well. The experience could almost be compared to her first cloudwalk all over again, except unlike the cloudwalk, this event had ended with a concerned Twilight trying to gently coax a hysterical Ella down from the tallest spire of her castle, all while the delirious human joyfully screamed something about her being 'friggin' Spiderwoman' for all of Ponyville to hear, much to the perplextion of the many pastel residents who had all gathered to stare at the strange sight.

The white dove landed on the library floor far below, a burst of golden flame revealing Telson's true form. Ella smiled over her shoulder at him before kicking off of the wall with thrilling sense of exhilaration, flipping over backwards with ease before landing gracefully on the balls of her feet in front of him.

"Haha! Oh, I am never going to get tired of being able to do that!" Ella exclaimed while giving Telson a quick, tight hug, the tall changeling embracing her as well,

"You certainly are getting good at that my dear, and I must say, it gives me great relief to see how well you have taken to your new nature, Ella." Telson said, causing Ella to frown slightly as they separated. Even though he was not showing his aura to her, she sensed some trepidation, some worry in his voice. Her eyes narrowed as she looked into his,

"Why wouldn't I Telson? What, were you worried that somethin' might go wrong?" Telson turned his head slightly, avoiding her gaze for a moment, before turning back to her with a sigh, a slightly sorrowful look in his golden eyes.

"I was worried, that you might resent it, this unforeseen change which I have wrought upon you. That I burdened you with my former curse, that curse of hunger," he bitterly grumbled, "And the likelihood that you must now feed on love for the rest of your days."

It was true, that Ella and Twilight had both noted that unlike other changelings, because of the human part of her nature, that Ella would probably never undergo any kind of metamorphosis, and that she couldn't go much longer than a week without feeding before things started to become very uncomfortable for her. Not that this was really much of a problem as the love that Ella received from all of her new friends almost always kept her sated, so much so, that she could actually forgo physical food if she wanted to. Nevertheless, Telson was still surprised when Ella suddenly began to laugh,

"Burdened?!" She exclaimed with another joyful giggle, "Telson, I was starving for love long before I ever met you, I've been starving for it ever since my mother died! And now? Now that I actually get to enjoy it as the very food that sustains me? That I can literally see, smell, taste, and experience all of the love my new family and friends' have for me?" Ella reached up and softly cupped the side of his face with her hand, touching her forehead against his and gazing into his eyes, "It's not a burden, Telson, it's a blessing! I couldn't be happier for the way that I am now; I wouldn't trade it for anything, and I thank you for it."

Telson stared at her, at a complete loss for words, his mouth slightly ajar as he couldn't believe what he was hearing. A blessing? He thought, She's...thanking me for it? But it was impossible to deny what he had heard, as he could clearly see that she wasn't simply saying empty words to make him feel better. Fragrant waves of joy, gratitude, excitement, and love radiated through her aura, tingling his senses; Telson dropped hard on his haunches, the strong changeling feeling suddenly lightheaded.

"Hey, hey!" Ella said, cradling his large head against her shoulder, "It's fine Telson, everything's going to be alright, you'll see! My life has only gotten better since meeting you, really." She gently gripped one of his leathery ears for a few gentle scratches, feeling him tremble with emotion against her.

A purring chitter escaped Telson's throat as he savored her touch, the burden of anxiety on his heart slowly easing into a sense of peace.

"I...don't deserve you, small one," he whispered after a few pleasant moments. Ella smiled as she continued to hold his head against her, scratching his ear,

"Well, ya got me, so you might as well accept it big guy." She replied in a teasing tone. After a few more moments, she decided to ask him, "So, tell me, why did you want to meet me here tonight?"

Telson reluctantly lifted his head away from her shoulder, his expression serious, "Because the time has come, Ella. The time for me to go to my hive-mates and announce my intention to them, it is my duty."

"Chrysalis?" Ella asked, remembering what Telson had confided to her and Flash before. He nodded,

"Yes, and I know that many will not understand nor accept this, and this means that I will likely have to remain hidden for some time. It may be a good while before we ever get to see each other again, so I have come to say 'goodbye' for now, small one."

Ella glanced down nervously, her hands opening and closing in anxious tension, before looking back up at him, "Could you please wait? Just for a bit longer?" She whispered.

Telson cocked his head to one side, "Why do you want me to wait, Ella?"

She glanced to one side in hesitation, before saying, "Because then you wouldn't be able to walk me down the aisle at my wedding." The changeling's golden eyes went alarmingly wide with shock,

"...What?" He murmured, Ella smiled,

"It doesn't take a genius to see where my relationship with Flash is heading. He's going to ask me soon, I just know it, I can see it in his spirit. And, I want you there, Telson. I want you to be the one who walks me down the aisle. You're the closest thing to a father I've ever had, and frankly, I wouldn't want it to be anyone other than you."

Telson was glad that he was already sitting down, feeling like he might topple over if he wasn't; his heart was practically bursting with emotion. "It...means that much to you?" He said, almost unable to hear his own words.

"Yes, it really does Telson...will you? Please?"

If she had been the Mistress herself, he could not have felt more honored. Telson swallowed, trying to loosen his constricting throat while his eyes threatened to betray his true feelings with tears; but with an almighty force of will, he managed to hold them back. "Y-yes," he began, clearing his throat, "Yes dear Ella, yes, I will wait. I will inform my Mistress, I am certain that she will understand. It would be my supreme honor to do this for you...thank you."

Ella smiled broadly, relief coloring her aura as she wrapped her arms around him, practically melting into his chest. "Thank you, so much Telson, you don't know how much that means to me..."

Telson smiled as he embraced her in turn, marveling at the luminous spectrum of joy and relief in her spirit that made her appear as a star in the heavens, "No, but I think I might have an idea at the very least," he replied, causing the human to laugh against him.

"Yeah, I guess you do," she said. The record player which had continuously been playing softly in the background all the while suddenly switched to a new song. It was a soothing melody led by the slow, easing buzz of a muted jazz trumpet accompanied by the steady beat of a large base. The happy pair both glanced over at the source of the music, before looking back at each other, a knowing grin on both of their faces.

Telson stepped back, a swirl of golden flame revealing the appearance of the large, powerful man that was his human disguise, though now clad in a handsome tuxedo. He offered his hand out to her, "May I?"

Ella beamed at him, "You may," she said, taking his hand and settling into a slow dance with him, his powerful hand gently holding her slender waist. Ella knew a little about dancing, but was happy to learn more from Telson who had offered to teach her a while back as the date of the Gala drew nearer. After a few pleasant minutes of gently swaying to the beat, she allowed her head to rest on his large chest, a shuddering sigh escaping from her lips as powerful emotions nearly overcame her.

Telson glanced down in concern, "Ella?"

"I'm fine," she whispered back, "It's just, this...this is what I've always wanted..."

Ella and Flash sat together on a small cloud overhanging a part of the city of Cloudsdale, the sun dipping low on the horizon, casting a radiant display of colors into the atmosphere. The young woman could see Bright Skies at a distance, sitting on another cloud, the kind mare having answered her request to act the part of chaperone for her and Flash every time they were together. The two humans sat back to back, leaning their heads against the other; they had been chatting over various topics for what felt like hours. Their talk had fallen silent for some time now, and they had passed the last several minutes simply enjoying the other's presence. Ella finally broke the silence with another question,

"Flash?"

"Hmm?"

"This world of yours is so beautiful, but, what is the one thing that it lacked for you? Somethin' that you've always wanted?" She could sense him smile, as she smelled his fragrant love for her filling the air; she scented, but would not taste it,

"That's easy," he said, "I've always wanted somepony else to share it with, to know that I wasn't alone, another human to be here with me." A few more beats of silence passed between them before he asked his own question, "And what about you, Ella? What is it that you have always wanted?"

Ella smiled, twisting her neck so that the side of her head rested against his, "Well..."

Telson cocked his head in curiosity, "You wanted a dance?" He queried; Ella shook her head against him,

"No...I wanted a family..." She said, "And now, I have one."

Telson said nothing to this, but only smiled, tenderly holding her small form against him, a tear finally escaping one of his eyes as they continued to turn and sway with the tune, surrounded by a glowing halo of love, lost to everything but each other.

Flash paced nervously in the foyer of Twilght's castle, trying but failing to calm his growing sense of anxiety as he waited for Ella to appear. He was clothed in his finest officer's dress, a red double-breasted jacket with golden buttons and shoulder epaulettes with matching red slacks and black shoes polished to a mirror finish. The collars of his jacket had been updated with his new rank and his left breast was affixed with his latest ribbons, including the Bronze Heart of Valor Celestia had awarded him the evening prior.

A luxurious carriage pulled by a team of four white ponies awaited him and Ella outside the castle, an unexpected gift made available to him by Gold Fleece, a high-ranking noble whom he had met while still in the academy who had taken a great liking to him and had been to him both a mentor and friend as well as an advocate for him against some of the more noisy Canterlot nobility who were still affronted by his very presence within the Royal Guard.

His good friend and fellow officer Slipstream stood next to him, the yellow-maned grey pegasus grinning in amusement at his human friend's anxious demeanor.

"Wow, I still can't believe it, a Captain already. What are you now, twelve?"

"I'll be eighteen next month thank you very much!" Flash blurted back in frustration.

The pony laughed in jest, "You know, you really shouldn't be so nervous, everything's going to be fine!" Slipstream said while brushing the red jacket of his own officer dress uniform.

"Easy for you to say, you don't even have a date tonight!" Flash countered in a fluster. Slipstream had tagged along with him as a kind of moral support, volunteering to be his wingpony, though Flash suspected the jokester also wanted to be there to enjoy watching him emotionally disintegrate.

"That was so I could be here to help you!" Slipstream retorted, "Here, the way to calm down is to just think of every little thing that could possibly go wrong, and then just imagine something much worse does!"

Flash paused in his pacing, the color draining from his face, "That doesn't help at ALL you boob!" Slipstream adopted a trollish grin,

"Alright, well, just think of all the wonderful dancing then-"

"AHH, ah...Let's not think about dancing," Flash said with a cringe, holding up his hands, his face turning as red as his uniform. "Don't think about dancing...We must never again think about dancing..." He said, his eyes slowly fading into the thousand-yard stare that told the terrible tale of some indescribable trauma.

Slipstream raised a curious eyebrow, "Ooookay, since when do you have anything against dancing?"

Flash's hand absentmindedly slipped into his pocket, his fingers touching and grasping the gold rope and Crucifix that Chelicerae had given him the previous night; she had told him that it had belonged to his father, and that it was only right that he should have it. He vaguely understood what it represented, as Ella had talked to him on several occasions about her own religious beliefs in their time together. He didn't yet fully understand it, but he found the object strangely comforting for some reason. He intended to ask her about it more later.

Flash shook his head as if slapped, "Huh, what? Oh, nothing, no, you're right, everything's going to be fine."

"Famous last words," Slipstream quipped with an antagonizing grin, causing Flash to glare daggers at him,

"Will you just stop that already?! You wisecracking-"

"AHem..." Came a clear voice from above. Both officers looked up the main, central staircase, only to snap to attention at the presence of Princess Twilight Sparkle standing at the top, smiling down at both them. She was wearing a beautiful dark blue gown with a white collar and a silver star broach. Her violet and pink-highlighted mane was styled in a fashionable updo with her bangs gently swept to one side.

"At ease, gentlecolts," She said with a nod, "Ella is ready." Twilight stepped to one side to reveal the young woman walking up behind her with Rarity at her side, the pony beaming with pride; the fashionista continuing to make a few last adjustments to the human's incredible ballroom gown. The gown was composed of a white silk, toned in a brilliant, sparkling white gold, like the color of a new day. At the same time, the edges of the material seemed to fade with a shimmer into a deeper, almost midnight blue color that constantly shifted in tone as the material moved, giving the wearer the appearance of one stepping out of the night and into the rising sun.

The upper part of the dress modestly covered Ella's shoulders while lose, petal-like sleeves gracefully swept down her upper arms. The most eye-catching part of the beautiful ensemble however, were the pair of delicate, gossamer wings attached to the back of the dressed that stretched just above her head. They were styled with pointed, curved tips and colored in a see-through light blue, like those of a pre-metamorphosis changeling. Ella's normally wavy golden hair was styled up in a half-bun while a thin circlet of braided gold adorned with a small glittering emerald encircling her brow; a single lock of her wavy, golden hair cascaded elegantly down along the side of her shapely face.

Flash felt himself at a loss for words as Ella slowly descended the crystal staircase, smiling brilliantly at him, her small fangs catching the light. Flash had beheld many a fair sight during his life in Equestria, but nothing, neither in flower, star, nor pony, had he ever seen anything quite so lovely as the woman now standing there before him; she was once again the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

"Well, uh..." He began, still struggling to take it all in. Slipstream smirked, and putting a wing against his friend's back, gave him a gentle shove forward so that he stood at the bottom to meet her.

Ella gave a graceful twirl of herself, her dress and wings sparkling in the light, "So, what do you think?" Flash stared at her, his face a mix of overwhelming joy and wonder,

"You look, amazing," he finally said, his eyes wide with delight. Ella smiled and dipped her head, blushing ever so slightly; Flash noticed that her rosy cheeks had been lightly dusted with a glittering of extremely fine gold flakes, making her appear all the more wondrous. Flash stared a moment longer before filling his lungs with air, an electrifying surge of confidence that easily matched the warmth in his cheeks quickly rose within his chest as he boldly offered out his arm to her, "Shall we?" Ella smiled and took his arm,

"Let's!" She eagerly replied. Together, the two of them stepped out into the evening twilight, eagerly awaiting the shared joys that the evening would bring.

Ella had had high hopes for the Gala, and had been looking forward to it ever since Flash had first told her about it, even though she really didn't know what to expect. She had never been to a formal dance before, let alone a State Event in the National Capital of an alien world with a species not her own. Her many pony friends had told her, based on their own past experiences, to moderate her expectations, reminding her that all that glitters is not necessarily gold, but none of their cautions seemed prophetic, because for Ella, the Gala was everything the young woman imagined it would be and more.

Nothing said by Flash, Twilight, or even her many conversations with Rarity could have fully prepared her for the sheer grandeur and spectacle of the night that seemed wrap the already magical City of Canterlot within an ever greater air of charm and enchantment, to the point that it seemed as if the very stones of the streets themselves took on a joy all their own, urging the pastel denizens on in a spirit of gaiety and bliss; and from the moment she and Flash were announced with great pomp by Celestia's Majordomo at the entrance of the Castle, Ella allowed herself to be swept up into the full experience that in her opinion, surpassed the imagination of every little girl who's ever dreamed of one day being a princess.

As the evening progressed, Ella found herself going from one joy to another. She marveled at the complex, elegant dress of the normally cloth-less equines, delighted in the stunning performances of the many skilled patrons like the Wonderbolts, and savored the various exotic dishes composed by both skill and magic, outdone only by the flavor of all of the love and excitement permeating the enchanting atmosphere of the Gala; and the best part of all, was the young man attentively at her side.

Flash for his part, seemed to be an entirely new person to her, exuding much of the confidence and free-spirited nature that had punctuated his behavior when she had first met him. No longer did he seem intimidated by her feminine nature or shy to her presence, but delighted in seeing to her every need and exhibiting to her with joyful enthusiasm all of the wonders the night had to offer. Ponies of every occupation and stature took time to introduce themselves to the alien couple, with the vast majority of them wishing them a heartfelt welcome with generous affection.

In a few instances though, Flash noticed that a select few ponies among the nobles were not as forthcoming as they appeared, showing a certain hostility towards them, to Ella in particular, all concealed beneath a thin veneer of courteous manners and propriety. Unknown to these nobles, was the fact that Ella could easily see right through these duplicitous ponies, few that they were, her senses allowing her to instantly pierce through their facades of politeness. What Flash marveled at though, was that no matter the contempt or backhanded compliments that she received, Ella remained ever gentle and kind, returning only sweetness to their veiled disdain; her humble patience leaving him speechless.

Fortunately, these moments remained few and far between, as the majority of ponies Flash had known since his infancy, had never borne any ill-will towards him or his alien nature, and largely persevered in the generous nature of charity that the majority of Equestrians were known for. There were of course, always exceptions, such as the one who had presently been berating them at their table for the last half-hour,

"I'm just saying, I wish you could have experienced the Gala as it was in my day dear child, only the most noteworthy individuals were allowed to grace its presence! It was truly a display of only the best Equestria had to offer. Ah, how sad that those days are now long past, as today, even the most common or absurd are invited to cavort among their betters, truly a loss of happier times..." The white unicorn with a glossy black mane gave the couple an uncomfortably smug grin over the rim of his wine-glass, which had already been refilled twice since he had stopped at their table.

Ella continued to keep her hand firmly gripped on Flash's forearm beneath the table, her reassuring touch the only thing preventing her beloved from angrily dunking the insufferable unicorn named Top Shelf face-first into the punch bowl.

"Well, I for one feel very fortunate to be here," Ella said with a smile, "The kindness of the Princesses and of all ponies I've met here in Equestria has been one of the best experiences of my life."

"Hmmph, how often propriety is pushed aside for the sake of so-called, 'kindness,'" Top Shelf dismissively remarked. "But tell me my dear, what was it again that you were up to in your world before our resident alien brought you here?"

Ella again tightened her grip on Flash's arm, pleading with him through her touch; she could feel his muscles tensing, "Well, I was in some...difficulties when Flash found me, but he was kind enough to help me."

Top Shelf gave a knowing smirk, taking another swig from his half-empty wine glass, "Difficulties you say? Rumor has it that you were the difficulty, child. Unable to keep a modest station was it? Though I suppose I can't fault that which is inherently troublesome. I must say, you do a remarkable job putting up such a pretty façade for us despite your less than reputable nature..."

Flash's brow furrowed into a scowl of such righteous indignation that it could have split stone, his temper reaching a boiling point as he prepared to eject the pompous noble from their presence, regardless of Ella's objections; but not before seizing him by the mane and rattling his very brains, demanding the arrogant pony apologize to her. He had always been able to deal with insults to himself, but not to Ella. He had tolerated this charade of polite conversation for as long as he was able, but now felt so enraged that he wanted to boot the arrogant pony so high up into the atmosphere that he would burn up on re-entry. But before he could make a move, a wonderfully familiar pony barged into the scene,

"Top Shelf you old rapscallion, what in Luna's name have you been up to old chap?!" Said the delightfully boisterous unicorn Flash knew to be his good friend Gold Fleece. The forest-green pony with a swept back golden mane wearing a simple white collar and red necktie threw a forelimb around Top Shelf's withers, giving the pony an almost violent shake,

"I hope my silly friend here hasn't been giving you and your lady-friend too much trouble tonight my boy, he can get so wordy when he's lost count of his drinks," Gold Fleece bombastically announced with enough volume for half of the planet to hear, delivering a hearty slap on Top Shelf's back.

"Goldie! I, uh, what are you doing here?" Top Shelf stuttered, his face blushing to match the wine in his glass.

Flash smiled, feeling his temper evaporate in the presence of his jovial friend, "Oh not too much trouble Goldie," he said, "Top Shelf here was just giving Ella and I a riveting history lesson of what the Gala used to be like before it's splendor was dampened by, well, certain 'troublesome' creatures lacking in culture and all." Gold Fleece's blue eyes twinkled with amused comprehension,

"'Troublesome' you say? Haha! Oh I don't know who you could mean Topster! I think the old Gala has only gotten more lively ever since dear old Celestia opened the doors to a wider, more interesting audience! Speaking of interesting, have you noticed the new rank on our honorable young officer's uniform?! Why he must be the youngest Captain in memory! Good on you my boy! And a Bronze Heart?! Dear Celestia, when did this happen?!"

Top Shelf's already white face seemed to grow even paler as he seemed to take notice of Flash's uniform for the first time; but Golden Fleece didn't let up, "Topster, weren't you the one going on last time about how society was crumbling due to a lack of proper recognition of honor and station? That ponies should recognize their betters and whatnot? I can't quite remember how you put it, but then again, the only thing I remember 'crumbling' was you as you stumbled out the front door at the end of the evening wearing your hat on your flank! HAHA! Oh you never fail to entertain my friend!"

Top Shelf immediately ducked out from beneath Gold Fleece's forelimb, taking a few shaky steps back, "Haha, oh, uh, yes, I just remembered Goldie, I, uh, promised my wife that I'd take her dancing, and the music is about to start! Please excuse me and uh, nice meeting you!" He shouted over his shoulder before scampering off into the crowd.

Flash breathed a sigh of relief, "Thanks for the save Goldie, any longer and I probably would have attempted to banish him to the moon with my foot." The shameless pony turned about and grinned,

"Think nothing of it my boy, but my word! I ought to banish you for the utter crime of not yet introducing me to this, enchanting creature at your side!"

Flash grinned as he rose from his seat and stepped out from behind the table, beaming with pride at Ella at his side, "Ella, this is my good friend Gold Fleece, the pony responsible for spoiling us with that luxury carriage tonight."

Ella smiled as she also rose to her feet, giving a small inclination of her head, "It's a pleasure to meet ya Gold Fleece," she said.

"Please dear, call me 'Goldie'," he said with a deep bow of his head, crossing a forelimb across his chest, "All of my friends do, and any friend of Flash's is a friend of mine!" He gently took one of Ella's hands and politely kissed it, "Consider my hearth and home always open to you my dear, and don't hesitate to call on me for anything I might be able to do for you!"

Ella couldn't help but focus her vision for a curious second in order to catch a quick glimpse of this pony's aura. It appeared perfectly well-rounded and healthy with warm hue of genuine kindness, curiosity, cheer, but tinged with a strange underlying tone of what appeared to be...grief? She couldn't quite tell...

Ella blinked, feeling as if she had zoned out for a moment, "Oh, uh, thank you Goldie, that is so very kind of you! It's so nice to finally meet you!"

"Ah, the pleasure is all mine, dear lady," he said with a warm smile. His ears perked up and the three of them looked across the ballroom at the sound of the musicians warming up their instruments.

"Ah-ha! The first dance!" Gold Fleece exclaimed, "Off you two go now, you shouldn't miss this!" The pony stepped aside, eagerly ushering the couple past him towards the dance floor.

A slow, rising tune, but one filled with passion and subtle energy began to fill the air, and as if beckoned by the music, dancers began to file out onto the black and white marbled ballroom floor. Ella gave a few curious glances to the various couples around her, fascinated to see how ponies actually danced with each other. The mares and stallions each circled the other, their barrels touching while they locked gazes with each other over their shoulders. At a predetermined step, they would separate, turn and resume the dances step in the opposite direction. Still others simply rested their necks against their partner, leaning into them in a kind of gentle, touching embrace.

Ella immediately withdrew her focus so as not to be overwhelmed by the strong emotions that were quickly filling the air with redoubled intensity, instead turning to focus on Flash offering his hand out to her, a placid smile on his lips while the barest hint of pink colored his cheeks.

"May I have this dance, my lady?" He asked. Ella smiled, once more catching the rich, smoky scent of his bold confidence, like fresh bourbon, that had been building around him all evening.

"You may," she said, taking his hand and allowing him to lead her around the floor. For the first few moments, they said nothing, though their eyes communicated an entire conversation's worth of words: joy, understanding, and a mutual gratitude of having the other there in that moment after all that they had both gone through together.

"Well," Flash began, "I did promise to take you dancing, didn't I?"

"Yes, yes you did, and I must say, you're actually pretty good at this." Ella replied; she saw a brief flicker go through his aura, almost like a shudder.

"Haha, yeah, well, I had a rather, insisitent instructor," he said. This made Ella a little curious about whom he meant, but she decided not to press it. After all, she could tell that there was something else he wished to talk to her about.

Flash gave an apologetic frown, "I'm so sorry you had to put up with all of those nasty things that pony said to you, Ella. He was way out of line, and I just wanted to thrash him for it." Ella chuckled softly,

"I could tell, felt like I was holdin' back a storm; but don't worry about it, Flash. That's not the first time I've ever had to deal with deprecatin' commentary comin' at me from a guy, and believe me when I say that Top Shelf was practically polite in comparison, real 'PG'," she said with a small laugh. "I think that mighta've been the first rude pony that I've actually met since comin' into your world; I knew it couldn't be all rainbows n' unicorns, even if that's what it literally is."

Flash sighed a bit in relief but still shook his head slightly, "Still, I don't know how you put up with it. I mean, my mom and Celestia always taught me to be kind, to give the benefit of the doubt and forgive. But you! You can actually see a pony's true intentions, what they actually feel about you! So, how do you still manage to be so sweet and patient when you can literally see and smell all of that hostility and condescension?"

Ella shifted her hands, placing them both on the base of his neck, the tips of her fingers lacing together behind him. "It's called 'turning the other cheek,' Flash. I can't control what others do, but I can control what I choose to do." She smiled as she sensed him overcome his hesitancy before joining his now free hand on her waist with his other one. "So I choose not to focus or dwell on the unpleasant stuff I can't control, I'd rather keep my eyes on the really good stuff that I already have right here with me." She said with a slow wink.

Flash swallowed, a thrill passing through him, but he managed to brush aside any nervous feelings as he stared into her beautiful eyes, "Yeah, me too." He whispered. Their steps had slowed, and now the young couple simply spun in a slow circle, oblivious to the world around them; but if they could have noticed, they would have seen that almost all of the other ponies had slowly stopped dancing, choosing instead to openly stare in awe at the two humans dancing in their midst.

The ponies murmured in wonder as the wings on Ella's dress began to shimmer and glow, projecting a bright spectrum of dazzling color that seemed to encircle her and Flash in an aurora of breathtaking lights. Twilight Sparkle gaped in wonder as she stood next to Rarity and Bright Skies, the former almost smug with satisfaction.

"How, how did you do that Rarity?" Twilight whispered, unable to take her eyes off of the glittering display of magical color.

Rarity casually flicked her mane behind her, "Do you remember Time Turner's flameless fireworks from Cranky and Matilda's wedding, and what it was that set them off?" Twilight's eyes widened in comprehension; Rarity smiled, "Well, let's just say that the good doctor was kind enough to share the trick with me." She said with a sly wink.

Rarity wiped a tear from her eye, recovering from another hysterical bout of laughter that had made her sides ache with glee, "Seriously? Bubble-gum and lollipops?!"

"With just a touch of wild-berry crazy, but yeah, that's Pinkie Pie's love to a 'T'." Ella said, unable to stop grinning at Rarity's giddy reactions. Ella was sitting on a low chair, gazing into a mirror as her pony-friend skillfully arranged her hair for her. Their conversation had turned to love, with Rarity discovering much to her delight, a facet of the subject that she had never before considered, the unique 'taste' of love from a changeling's perspective.

"Oh, do go on darling! Tell me mine, what does my love taste like?" She said with another giddy bout of giggles,

"Rich and refined, sorta like mint-chocolate chip ice-cream, but with a guilty dose of sprinkles."

Rarity rolled onto her back, clutching her sides, "Oh, I'm ice-cream?! HAHA-I get to be ice-cream?!" She exclaimed through another laughing fit.

Ella smiled, "Well, all love is sweet, but also, unique, different kinds of sweet, I don't know, it's kinda difficult to describe with words because there's a taste and a sort of, uh, I don't know, a sensation...a texture to it? Yeah."

Rarity rolled onto her belly, resting her cheeks on her hooves, her eyes sparkling, "Twilight's?"

"Freshly baked cookies and a hug,"

"Celestia's?"

"Like hot-chocolate with marshmallows and a warm blanket on a cold day."

"Luna?"

"Dark chocolate and wine but with a cool, soft pillow playfully thrown into your face."

"Oh my, this is just too good!" Rarity said with another laugh before stopping abruptly as if slapped, she slowly caught her breath as a serious look came to her glittering blue eyes, like she was struck by some profound realization. When she finally spoke, it came as a reverent whisper, "Flash...what does his love for you taste like, if I may ask?"

Ella blushed slightly, but shook her head, "I don't know."

Rarity's mouth dropped open, her head popping up in surprise, "What?! But-you mean you've never...?"

Ella shook her head again, "I've never fed from him Rarity, not once." She leaned in closer to her friend, lowering her voice, "And I'll tell you something else Rarity, since we've been together, Flash hasn't even so much as kissed me yet," Rarity uttered a small gasp, one more of wonder than shock, covering her mouth with her hoof, her eyes wide with surprise; Ella continued, "And its not because he's too shy, believe me; no, I'm telling you Rares, it's because he simply respects me that freakin' much!"

Rarity lowered her hoof, staring in awe at the revelation, "Sweet Celestia darling, it's like he's the very definition of a knight in shining armor!"

Ella nodded, "No man, no creature has ever looked at me the way that boy does, Rarity; he treats me as if I'm somethin' sacred...I want to treasure that. That kind of love is too special, too intimate to just treat like a casual snack. I want the first time to be something truly special, something fitting, something that I'll remember and honor for the rest of my life."

Ella tilted her head to one side, a teasing look in her eyes, "You know Flash, Top Shelf had a point, I was a woman of, how did he put it, ill-repute? And that's putting it politely," she said. Flash raised an eyebrow, knowing her well enough by now to catch onto her humor, but he could also see and feel something else as she looked right into his eyes,

"Yeah?" He said, "And what of it?"

"There's so many proud ponies who know you, that are suspicious of you, what would you have them say? That this was the best their adopted son could do? That he went off to his home-world only to choose some wild, low-class woman to be at his side?" Flash smiled, his eyes narrowing as a brilliant energy shone briefly through them,

"I would," said Flash. And taking her in his arms, he kissed her, he kissed her beneath the moonlit sky shining brilliantly above them through the glass ceiling of the hall, not caring that they stood in the very center of the ballroom, and in the sight of all who knew him. And the many ponies indeed saw them and the light that shone about them as the two humans separated, embraced, and then walked hand in hand towards their many friends and family who cheered loudly their approval for all to hear.

The rest of the night was formed by one splendid memory after another, but for Ella, none of them would ever equal that one singular moment on the ballroom floor that opened her eyes completely to the gift that she was being freely offered, the holy gift of pure, unconditional love.

Flash and Ella walked hand in hand down back the road towards Ponyville, the city of Canterlot silhouetted in the distance behind them, backlit by the rapidly approaching dawn. In her other hand, Ella held her white shoes over her shoulder, not worrying about the hem of her dress as it dragged along the street below, for like most pony-made clothing, it was enchanted to repel any staining or dirt as it touched the ground beneath her bare feet.

"Thank you, Flash. That was easily the best night of my life, I'll never forget it," Ella said, finally breaking the pleasant silence that had followed them for the last mile.

Flash gently squeezed her hand, "You're welcome Ella, it was the best experience I've ever had as well," he quietly replied.

Ella smiled, "But it's not over yet, is it?" She asked, casting a knowing look towards him.

Flash then paused in his step, and turned to face her, knowing that the moment he had been planning for weeks had finally arrived. "I guess, there was no hiding it from you after that kiss, huh?"

Ella giggled, a flicker of green light passing through her eyes, "Believe me Flash, I could see it coming way before then, you might as well of tried hiding Celestia's sun."

Flash smiled back, raising an eyebrow, "That's called cheating, you know?" He teased.

"All's fair in love and war, pony boy," she teased right back, causing him to laugh before adopting a more serious demeanor as he looked right into her sapphire, cat-like eyes,

"Ella, what is it that you truly want? What can I do for you that would make you happy?"

The young woman looked into his earnest spirit, still so full of shimmering, guileless purity; and loving him, said, "I want...the same thing that I know you want to do for me, Flash, what you've always done for me...I want to make you happy, would my hand really do that?"

Dropping to one knee, Flash pulled out a small, black velvet case from his pocket, "It would," he said, before opening it to reveal the magnificent diamond ring contained within.

Knowing that it was coming was still not enough to prepare her; Ella's eyes widened as she beheld the simple gold band, though adorned with a pure, white diamond the size of a small marble. The flawless stone was as clear as glass, but within its depths pulsed a ruby-colored flame of light that seemed like fire and yet was as cold as ice. She looked from the otherworldly ring and back into the face of the young man kneeling before her, his eyes those of a man who had finally discovered the treasure he had been searching for his entire life.

"Ella, will you marry me?"

Holding back tears of joy, Ella nodded, "Yes..." was all she could manage to say, holding out her hand so that her young man could place the ring upon her finger.

Then rising from where he stood, Flash once more took her in his arms, and kissed her, but now beneath the light of the rising sun, one that heralded the dawn of a new and ever brighter horizon.

~Fin~

Author's Note

Greetings and God's blessings to you all!

Wow, the story that I began nearly three years ago has finally reached it's conclusion (though an epilogue is still on the way!).

When I first began this story, I did it not only as a hobby, but with a desire to see all that the good parts of this fandom had inspired in me, the beauty and creative potential of the God-given human spirit.

To answer the question some of you are now asking, do I plan to continue this storyline? Sequels? The short answer, is 'Yes'* I do indeed have some sequels already in mind, but it will only be by the Grace of God if I ever get to them, pray that God's will be done, whatever that may be!

Whether you have been reading this little project of mine since the beginning, or have just joined us, I thank you for your presence here which has meant a great deal to me, as do all of you. I never imagined that my little scribblings would reach such a relatively wide audience.

A special thanks to RushyFiction, the friend who first encouraged me to write this story, as well as to Antiquarian, for inspiring me with his own stories and whose wisdom at times I called upon to guide me in good decisions. Lastly, though certainly not least, to my good friend, the ever patient, ever creative Venerable Ro who's inspiration and enthusiasm helped me to write a far more developed, focused, (and timely delivered) story. Thank you for everything my friends, truly.

Finally, in a special way, I would like to dedicate this story to the Woman who has always watched over me and aided me (with endless love and patience) ever since our Blessed Lord gave Her to us as a Mother from His Holy Cross, the Blessed Ever Virgin Mary, under her title of Our Lady, Help of Christians. You're the best mom, pray for me!

As always, please let me know if there's ever anything I can help you with or pray about for you. Thank you all, and God love you!

Epilogue

The experienced priest checked his small ritual book for what must have been the tenth time, even though his hands had traveled the familiar rites countless times throughout his lengthy career; he probably had them memorized. Even so, the familiarity of the somewhat weathered pages awarded him a sense of peace and reassurance, as did his interior recollection with the Good God, in the otherwise unfamiliar and perhaps never to be familiar world called Equestria that he presently found himself standing in.

The mid-morning sun shone brilliantly above them in the blue sky, with every cloud having been 'moved' by the sky-dwelling residents of this dream-like plane of existence. He and the countless colorful guests were all gathered in the courtyard of the Castle of the Capital, the anxious equines milling about in eager anticipation as they awaited the arrival of the wedding party and so begin the ceremony.

The ponies had arranged everything in thoughtful detail with exactness to the cleric's requests. The two groups of patrons were divided by a center aisle created by an elaborate red carpet which led up to the steps of an elevated stage upon which was arranged a make-shift altar with all the proper adornments that he had brought along with him; a pair of kneelers, having been beautifully adorned with white linens and flowers, awaited the happy couple before the foot of the altar.

He was older, but not too old, though aged enough that his hair had lost all of its dark color and lines creased his kind face; however, his strong shoulders were still squared and his back remained unbowed, there was still some vitality left in him yet. But no matter how long he may yet live, he would never forget the day that the young couple, whose nuptial sacrament he would today bear witness to, first graced the foyer of his rectory, asking, as many had before them, for preparation for the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony.

The lessons had begun ordinarily enough, with the young man still needing further catechesis, of which he was a most willing student, before he could fully enter into the Church; the young woman at his side being one who had recently returned to the practice of her faith after many years away from the House of the Lord. It was then, after the young couple had gained good familiarity and trust with him, that they had confided to him their secret of unimaginable proportions, a secret that he promised to keep for them, a secret that once more proved to the veteran cleric that there were yet wonders in this vast universe known but to God alone, and to those whom He chose to reveal them.

What had begun from there was an incredible journey of revelation that was still ever unfolding before him, with greater wonder and beauty than he ever imagined he might experience in the later part of his life

"I take it that there is still much to take in, Monsignor?" Said the motherly voice of the seemingly heavenly creature beside him. Fr. Louis Gerard chuckled, casting a weary but humorous glance to the Princess of the Sun standing at his side,

"Even if I lived to be as old as you your highness, I do not think that I could begin to take all of this in." He replied.

Celestia: even though Gerard had only known of this world for but a brief two months, he had been blessed during that relatively short period to have struck up a marvelous acquaintance in the gracious ruler of this land, with whom he had enjoyed many delightful encounters and commonality with. Her appreciation of tea, conversation, and the finer points of gardening had helped to form a fast bond between them. Her gracious and gentle demeanor, so obviously honed by countless years of practiced virtue, was a source of great comfort and stability in the otherwise completely overwhelming experience of coming to knowledge of an entirely new world filled with beings, that until recently, had only existed as creatures of fiction in his mind.

Celestia smiled warmly at him, "Well, that makes two of us then," she said with a wink, earning a hearty chuckle from the man,

"Glad I'm not alone then," he whispered back before quickly turning to quiet himself, returning to his interior recollection in preparation for the Holy Rites and Sacred Mysteries which would soon commence.

Flash sighed, though not impatiently, as his mother looked him over for the countless time, checking his red officer's dress uniform and his hair for any flaws or defects. It was the same uniform he had worn to the Gala, though now adorned with the optional ceremonial officer's saber placed in a golden scabbard attached to his waist. Bright Skies for her part was wearing a simple light blue dress with a white collar, a silver chain holding the enchanted medallion of a silver waxing moon, a symbol of her recent apprenticeship as a dream warden under Princess Luna, hung about her neck.

"It's fine mom, nothing's changed in the last five minutes," he said.

Oh hush! A mother has a right to make sure her son looks his best on his wedding day! She replied with her mind. Flash blinked in surprise, realizing that she was so nervous that she hadn't even realized she had responded to such a casual statement with such an intimate form of contact.

Flash smiled, and gently grabbed onto Bright Skies' hoof, "Mom, it's okay, everything's going to be fine, you'll see." The pink pegasus flinched, looking up at him with her bright violet eyes,

"Oh my little guy, why did you have to go and grow up so fast?" She whispered, appearing almost on the verge of tears. "I used to be able to tuck you under my wing, and now look at you!" Flash chuckled,

"Did you ever imagine you would ever see something like this? You know, when you chose to adopt an alien?"

Bright Skies stared at him for a second, shaking her head, "No, I never thought that far ahead. I just thought that...that you needed love, that I needed to love you."

Flash dropped down to one knee so that he could be eye-level with her, "Well, you did a great job at that, you know that mother?" He softly replied, cupping her cheek with his hand.

She pressed his hand against her face, rubbing her cheek against it so fiercely as if she thought he might otherwise disappear.

"I'm just so happy for you, my Flash, you've made me so, so happy, I just want you to know that..." Bright Skies trailed off, feeling as if her heart would burst for joy and break with sadness at the same time. Flash smiled,

"I'm happy too, mom. I wouldn't be the person I am today if it weren't for you, thank you for everything, I love you so much."

The pony jumped up, flinging her forelimbs around his neck in a fierce hug which he returned, "I love you too, my heart." She whispered in his ear.

They stayed that way for a few tender moments, before Bright Skies leaned back, wiping a tear from her eye while leaving her hooves on his shoulders. Her eyes narrowed as a sly, serious look suddenly appeared on her face,

"Just one thing though, my son,"

"Anything for you, mom." Flash said.

Gripping his shoulders, Bright Skies pushed her forehead against his, her velvety muzzle touching his nose while her dead-serious gaze looked straight into his eyes, "I want grandfoals," she practically commanded.

Flash blinked again as heat suddenly suffused his face, "Uh, yeah, sure mom! Coming right up..." He said with a nervous laugh.

Bright Skies held her serious gaze for another moment before she laughed as well, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before dropping to her hooves so that he could stand. He offered his arm out to her, "Shall we?"

"Let's!" She exclaimed, placing her hoof on his arm as they took their place to walk down the aisle.

Ella paced nervously behind the divider at the back of the courtyard, trying to calm her nerves as she awaited Telson's arrival. She knew he was close, she could just sense it; no doubt scouting out the area first, caution was his most ingrained habit. She took a moment to check her wedding gown. It was a fairly simple white ensemble and veil, as she had asked Rarity to keep it so, no matter how much the mare begged her to enhance it.

"It seems that you have finally found the answers to those questions your heart asked when you first arrived," came a familiar voice from behind her. Ella spun around and was shocked to discover that Luna had appeared behind her without so much as a sound.

"Whoa! You startled me there, princess," Ella said, managing a curtsey as she bowed her head. Luna smiled,

"Please my dear, you do not need to be so formal with me, I just wanted to say 'thank you' before this happy occasion began."

"Thanks for what, princess?" Ella asked. The ageless alicorn took a step closer, lowering her voice,

"Thank you for making Flash happy, for being the answer to his prayers and dreams that I have for so long watched over, you don't know how grateful I am to see him so full of joy."

Ella smiled, "You're welcome, but believe me when I say that the pleasure is all mine."

Luna continued to smile, "I believe you my child, but please, do take care of him, he loves you so,"

Ella nodded, her eyes narrowing with determination, "You have my word," she replied with all the solemnness she could muster.

Luna dipped her head, "I will hold you to that my dear, but one other thing, at your reception, please accept my humble gift for you,"

Ella cocked her head, "Gift?"

"You came into our world with naught but the meager clothing on your back my dear, and that I could not stand. So I have taken the liberty to furnish you with a proper dowry for your future marriage, I do hope you will forgive my presumption."

Ella felt her eyes go wide, not knowing how to react at first to such an unexpected, and knowing Luna, exceedingly generous gift.

"Wow, uh, wow," Ella said with an incredulous laugh, "I, uh, wow, thank you princess, I really don't know what to say!"

Luna shook her head, "There's nothing more to say, Ella. Please accept this gift as a small token of my friendship to you, and a sign of all the blessings I wish upon you and Flash." She said.

Ella gave a bow of her head, feeling truly touched by the princess's kind and thoughtful gesture, "Thank you princess, I'm really grateful to have you as a friend."

As they spoke, a familiar white dove suddenly flew from a nearby tree and landed beside them; a swirl of golden flame revealing Telson in all of his imposing splendor.

His chitin appeared especially dark and polished, as if he had groomed himself for the occasion; and for the first time, now that they were standing together, Ella noticed that he was just as tall as Princess Luna.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, small one. I didn't want to interrupt," he said before turning to Luna who was slowly looking him over with a scrutinizing gaze. He for his part, returned her gaze without flinching, which seemed to impress her. At the same time, Ella could tell that there was a gleam of excitement and wonder in his eyes, as if he were meeting a legend come to life. After a few tense moments, Telson surprised them both with a respectful bow of his head,

"Mistress of the Night, it is an honor to finally meet you," he kindly remarked.

Ella bit her lower lip to keep from smiling too broadly at the surprise and delight, along with bit of flattered curiosity, that instantly colored Luna's spirit, despite the princess's stoic outer demeanor.

"Well met Telson, son of Chrysalis," Luna coolly replied, "I thank you for the aid rendered to Ella, and for being here for her today."

Telson gave another inclination of his head, "It is my honor, your highness."

After a few more pleasant exchanges, the Lunar Princess kindly excused herself in order to join her sister at the front of the gathering. Telson looked fondly at Ella before transforming into his human disguise, clothed in a fine tuxedo.

"Ready, Ella?" He asked, offering her his arm. Ella frowned,

"What do you think you're doing Telson? I said that I wanted you to walk me down the aisle, not a disguise."

Telson's eyes widened in surprise, "You want me to..."

Ella looked at him pleadingly, "I want the real you, Telson. I'm not ashamed to be seen with a changeling."

Words could not describe how touched Telson felt by her request, and it took a great deal of effort for him to maintain his composure.

"As you wish, small one," he whispered before reverting to his natural form. Ella smiled, resting her hand on his offered forelimb. They stepped out from behind the divider, and as the entrance antiphon began, accompanied by a group of songbirds at Fluttershy's signal, the happy pair began to walk together towards the front of the sanctuary to the admiration off all gathered.

Waiting for them at the front, stood Celestia, Luna, and the six Bearers of the Elements as well as Sunset Shimmer who all made up the bridal party, with Rarity herself standing in as her mare of honor. Flash gazed on Ella with a look of such love and gratitude, his own party made up of Burnt Oak, Spike, Big Mac, several members of the guard, and even Discord who appeared clothed in an outrageously gaudy tuxedo, matched only by the obvious glee in his mismatched eyes; Slipstream stood in as best stallion.

Telson turned and lifted Ella's veil with his magic as they reached the front. Ella for her part embraced him, tenderly kissing his cheek before taking Flash's offered hand as together, they both knelt before the altar. The priest raised his hand in benediction over them as he began the sacred rite.

Two souls were united that day under the witnesses of two different worlds, but all united in the common and undeniable reality of love.

One week later.

It had started off as any other day at the hive, the weather had been beautiful, springtime in Equestria, with beautiful fauna blooming in all of it's unmatched glory while abundant songbirds sang sweetly in the many trees. It was a setting still so wonderfully new to the reformed changelings, after countless generations of knowing only a barren wasteland. Everything was well, until all at once, when it wasn't.

It had approached from the wilderness, a presence so baleful that the birds fell silent, and so sorrowful that the very sun's warm glow seemed to grow dimmer; the temperature suddenly felt more frigid as creatures hid themselves from the sight of whatever it was that came.

Into the hive, stalked a changeling stag, tall and dark, his size and strength easily matching that of their King, Thorax; perhaps even surpassing him. He greeted noling, though few offered welcome, choosing instead to remain silent, struck dumb by the cold rage and grief so strong, so utterly vast and incomprehensible, that it seemed to extinguish every emotion but it's own. Nymphs ran to their parents, huddling in fear behind their legs while stealing curious glances at their mysterious guest who was one of them, and yet was not.

Changelings generally kept the habit of not broadcasting their spirit to others, as auras were a most intimate side to reveal, and made a changeling unnecessarily vulnerable to all but the most trusted companions; but this one seemed to hold nothing back, allowing his spirit to announce his displeasure for all to feel its abrasive touch, smell its stinging ire, and taste its mournful bitterness.

Once he reached the center spire of the hive, where stood Chrysalis' former, broken throne, the changeling known as Telson stood like a statue in stoic silence, patiently waiting for all the hive to approach him until a large multitude of his brethren clamored about, whispering amongst themselves, but daring not to address the stranger.

Word had reached them several months ago that a pair of changelings, one long lost to one of Chrysalis' many schemes, had found their way back to Equestria. There was little detail beyond that, but from what little information they had heard, told them that these changelings were of an older, stronger blood, one that had known the dark days of the great hunger which had eventually driven Chrysalis to assail Equestria itself.

Thorax for his own part, could not be certain of what their intentions were, but the knowledge that one of the pair had already undergone the metamorphosis had bolstered his hope that these lost changelings would eventually join them in the reformed hive, one that no longer knew hunger, but only the blessings of full hearts and friendship.

The young king rose from his throne, apprehensive, but confident, confident in the power of love and friendship that had carried him to the heights of leadership; his confidence was all the more bolstered by the presence of his fierce brother Pharynx who joined him in approaching the stranger whose ominous air was like that of the calm before some great and terrible storm.

Thorax eyed his lost hivemate up and down, and saw that he was truly a most impressive specimen. His chitin was of the deepest black, like oiled ebony. His blazing eyes were the brighter than polished gold, his wings and tail a flaming, burnt orange, and his shell like the deepest blue of the sea; a single, double-pronged curved horn, long and sharp, fading into a violent red as bright as fresh blood, adorned the crown of his head.

It was so long ago, a year before his brother had even hatched; Pharynx had been but a year-old nymph, but even now, he remembered the revered awe he had held for the Queen's Sword: Telson, the strongest warrior of the entire swarm. He was everything that Pharynx ever wanted to be, and now that he was back, felt a nostalgic respect that caused him a bit of unease, torn as he was between his loyalty to his brother and his respect for this living legend who was obviously not here on a mission of good-will.

"Welcome friend," Thorax said, finding his voice, "I'm told that your name is Telson, and let me just be the first to-"

"Quiet, seat warmer," Telson growled, though low enough so that only the pair of changelings before him would hear.

"Hey!" Pharynx bristled, "No one talks to my brother like-" Pharynx felt his voice catch in his throat as he nearly choked on the suffocating wave of emotion that suddenly erupted off of Telson with the sudden violence of water bursting through an exploding dam. Apparently, the powerful vibes they had all felt up to this point, as intense as they were, were but the preamble to the true immeasurable tempest contained within this creature's powerful soul whose unleashed fury delivered a harsh message more clearly than a hundred speeches ever could.

The message was one of grief and anguish, a bitterness of soul that told of the tale of the heartrending loss of every soldier who had ever failed his country, every son who had lost their mother, and every devout acolyte forced to witness the desecration of all that they held sacred. And within this tempest, more powerful than all the other powers of the soul combined, was a burning love and devotion of such ferocity and depth, that the very sea in a raging storm appeared tame and placid by comparison. And from deep within all of this tumultuous pain, came a cry, a simple, piercing question, one that simply asked with all the grief of a parent holding the body of their deceased child, 'Why? Why would you let this happen?'

Everyling involuntarily flinched and shrank back, with some covering their muzzles with their hooves while others huddled to the ground, holding their hooves over their head in terror and shame, while nymphs everywhere whimpered in baffled confusion, cowering pitifully behind their parents for protection.

Telson glared, his baleful eyes slowly traversing his cowering brethren. When he finally spoke, his voice was calm, yet as unyielding as a mountain made of solid iron,

"Chrysalis, is your queen. And once she reforms, she will be your queen once again. If anyling has a problem with that, they can take it up with me."

Turning to walk away, he paused, noticing Pharynx, who alone held his gaze; and though trembling slightly under the power of Telson's aura, the proud changeling refused to look away. Anger, guilt, and a glimmer of wondrous admiration shone through his strong, amethyst eyes.

Telson favored him with a slight smile, "Young Pharynx," he said, "I am pleased to see the strong stag you have grown to become. Please, continue to keep our family safe with your strength, especially your brother, he will need it."

Then, without waiting for any kind of response, Telson turned and walked back towards the forest as his brethren parted before him. He waited until he was more than a mile away from the hive before he permitted the first of his tears to fall.

Ella slowly descended the polished wooden stairs that led from the second level of her and Flash's home to the first floor, covering her mouth to stifle a yawn while tying the belt around her nightgown. It was still early, but as groggy as she felt, she wanted to get an early start on the day.

Even though it had already been a few months since the wedding, Ella still had a hard time accepting that everything around her was hers. For it was at their wedding reception, that Ella realized how in a single day, she went from being a poor girl with nothing to her name, to a woman who, by earth's standards at least, was quite well off, wealthy even, especially once she beheld Princess' Luna's incredible gift to her.

The Princess of the Night had indeed been exceedingly generous, bestowing on her a large chest of gold, a full wardrobe, and enough household goods to furnish a small castle as a dowry. It was well that she did, as Flash had already obtained for them on a new plot of land, a beautiful large house on the edge of Ponyville, close to Fluttershy's cottage.

It was newly constructed, with two stories, five bedrooms, and a large yard both front and back. The dwelling was far beyond what Flash could normally afford, even by a Captain's salary, but he had gotten it practically for a song; Ella suspected Gold Fleece's hoof somewhere in the matter.

Ella was surprised at first that Flash didn't choose his hometown of Cloudsdale, explaining to her that he wanted whatever future family Providence might grant them a certain closeness to the friends he had known growing up.

Walking into the spacious kitchen, Ella set the coffeemaker to work before taking a moment to look at some of the many photographs posted on the front of their fridge. There were pictures of their wedding, and several others of them caught on various get-togethers with their many friends. The one that drew a particular smile to Ella's lips however, was the one Spike had managed to catch of Flash as Ella handed him small, black and white photo image. His eyes were as wide as saucers and his mouth formed an adorable, small 'o'. Rainbow Dash was hovering at his side, nudging him in the ribs with an elbow, a smug smile on her fuzzy face; Bright Skies hugged him from the other side.

Ella smiled, taking a deep breath as she felt Flash's strong arms suddenly wrap around her waist from behind and gently pull her in for a hug as he kissed her neck. She reached a hand back to hold the side of his face,

"Good morning," she whispered.

"Good morning back, did they wake you again?" Flash asked, dropping his hands to rest on her growing belly.

"Like little roosters," Ella said with a small chuckle. They stayed quiet for a few tender moments, simply enjoying the calmness of the morning.

"Do you have to go to Canterlot today?" She finally asked.

"Yeah, Celestia wants me to listen in on her audience with some business pony's urgent request, something about a danger to his merchant fleet or something, no biggie. What about you?"

"I have another checkup with Redheart today, she wants to check their growth, pretty standard. Will I see you again tonight?" She asked, turning around to face him.

Flash brushed her face lovingly with the back of his fingers, "Yeah, I'll make sure of it."

Ella smiled and embraced her young husband, grateful in her heart for the many blessings to be found in the beginning of another ordinary day, one filled with the promise of an extraordinary future in a truly, extraordinary world.

Author's Note

Nothing much to say that I didn't say in my author's note from the last chapter.

What do you think the future holds for our heroes? Is there anything you would hope to see in possible sequels? Just let me know in the comments.

Thank you all again for being here, for your many thoughtful comments and words.
May God bless you all, and I'll be seeing you around, take care!

-Destiny Chaser

A Dramatic Entrance

Sixteen years earlier.

The skies over Canterlot darkened as multiple weather teams scrambled to assemble the final parts of the rainstorm that was now weeks overdue. A blue pegasus stallion with a clipboard hovered amidst the bluster of activity making notes as he directed the placement of dark storm clouds, heavily laden with rain.

“Bright Skies!” He yelled as he checked his clipboard, “You and your team need to get those cumulonimbus into position pronto, we’re running out of time!” A pink pegasus mare with a curly violet mane and matching colored eyes struggled with two other pegasi to maneuver said clouds into position

“We’re trying Straight Shot!” She shouted in order to be heard over the wind, “But this storm is beginning to get out of hoof!”

“Plus it doesn’t help that these clouds are charged with enough energy to fry our feathers!” Added the yellow stallion to her left, “What was the weather factory thinking?!” The manager sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his muzzle with one hoof.

“I know, I know,” came the exasperated response. “I warned the city council that it was a bad idea to delay the system for so long. But nooo, every stinking noble had to have back to back garden parties for the start of Spring.” A collection of commiserate groans and utterances came from the gathered pegasi before they pressed on in their assigned tasks until it was finally complete, after which the two-dozen or so members gathered around Straight Shot for the final check-in.

“Alright, good job everypony!” He shouted to his teams. “Let’s make sure we clear out befor-” He was cut off by a loud, booming noise in the dark skies above them. Everypony looked up to stare in confusion as a sphere of multicolored lights suddenly appeared among the storm clouds. With a sudden contraction and a loud ‘bang’, the sphere vanished in a flash as quickly as it had appeared, the resulting concussion of energy it emitted triggered all of the storm clouds into venting their contents all at once. At the same time, in the area where the mysterious sphere had appeared, a small figure had been left in its place. It remained suspended in the air for only a second before beginning to plummet to the city far below. The weather teams scattered as wind, lighting, and torrential rain began to fly in all directions in an explosion of chaotic energy.

“HEY!” Bright Skies shielded her eyes before diving after the falling figure. She wasn’t even sure what it was but from the looks of things, she may have been the only one to have seen it. That, and she could have sworn she heard a faint cry emanate from it over the noise of the storm. The wind tore at her mane and wings as she powered into her dive after the falling creature, the blowing rain stinging her eyes and soaking her coat. Her efforts paid off, however, as she rushed upon what she could now see was indeed a small creature flailing its tiny limbs and crying out as it tumbled through the air.

What in Equestria?! Bright Skies put the questions racing through her mind aside as she put on another burst of speed, catching the tiny thing in her forelimbs. She could now hear its shuddering sobs as it wrapped its tiny limbs around her neck, small appendages gripping desperately at her mane.

No sooner had Bright Skies made the catch, when her whole world went white with pain and a clap of deafening noise. A tremendous bolt of lighting had arced from one of the clouds as she raced past it, striking her square in the back between her wings, stunning her. Pegasi of course have a natural, magical resistance to lightning and, like all ponies, are fairly durable in general thanks to the magic coursing through them. But even they were not completely immune to injury from particularly powerful blasts of it, especially when it’s a direct hit. Bright Skies fell limply through the air, trailing some smoke as she fell. The creature’s cries had gone silent. She coughed once while she blearily opened her eyes, only to see the streets of Canterlot rushing up to greet her.

Her eyes snapped open and she immediately tried to do the same with her wings. She winced in agony as her left wing, badly burnt from the intense lighting strike, refused to cooperate. With only her right wing opening, she spiraled to the ground like a sparrow with a broken wing. Bright Skies tightened her grip around the creature in her forelimbs, “C’mon wings, work with me here…” She grit her teeth as she tried to force her injured wing open, only 100 feet remained between her and a big mess for Canterlot’s street cleaners. “C’mon…” 50 feet…“COME ON!!!” With herculean effort, her left wing finally snapped open; she forced as much of her flight magic as she could down the ruined feathers, clawing at the air for support as she veered up from the pavement, zigzagging in a chaotic pattern down the street in a desperate attempt to bleed off some speed.

Ponies who were still moving along the streets to get out of the sudden downpour now scrambled to move out of the speeding pegasus’ way. A lone fruit vendor was too late in pushing his wooden cart clear. Oh, horsefeathers…Bright Skies tucked her body protectively around the small figure she was carrying as her body collided at high speed with the obstruction, reducing it in an instant to splinters and fruit salad. A world of pain greeted her as she bounced several times along the pavement before grinding to a halt, her body aching from every direction as steam rose from her coat. Oh Celestia… She groaned as she attempted to shake the stars from her vision. Ignoring her many scrapes and bruises, she instead looked down to the small creature she was holding. What in Equestria are you, little one? It was alien, a quadruped that looked like a miniature, hairless chimp save for a small tuft of black hair on its tiny head. It was so odd in appearance, and yet, had a certain cuteness to it. It was also wearing some type of clothing which was now smoking and full of holes from the lightning strike, it lay completely still in her hooves.

“Oh no,” she murmured, “Oh please don’t be dead.” Bright Skies leaned her cheek close to the creature’s nostrils and was relieved to feel the slightest breathing. “Oh, thank Celestia.” She looked up to see many of the citizens of Canterlot staring at her through the rain from the shop awnings they had taken shelter under. “Somepony call a doctor!” She screamed. She looked back down at the small creature and whispered, “It’s okay, I’ve got you.”

The normally quiet ER of Canterlot General was presently doing its best imitation of an overturned anthill as nurses and orderlies scrambled to tend to their two newest admissions. Not that all of them were needed mind you, with most of them crowding outside of the closer of the two rooms, straining to catch a glimpse of the strange creature now being tended to by an entire team of doctors and nurses. Bright Skies was in the adjacent room, doing her best to ignore the chaos outside as a nurse bandaged her wing and tended to her numerous other scrapes and bruises. There was a Canterlot guard, a slate grey unicorn in silver armor, in the room with her, busily scribbling on a notepad as he took her statement on what had happened. She now stared off into the distance as she sat on the edge of the hospital bed, her thoughts wrapped up in what had happened along with a growing desperation of wanting to know if the creature she had saved was going to be alright.

“Okay, that should be about all I need for now,” The guard said looking up from his notepad. “Are you sure you didn’t see anything before this,” he glanced at his notes, “’Sphere of light’ appeared in the sky?” Bright Skies shook her head, her curls bouncing slightly.

“Only the storm clouds…” she responded in a distracted tone. The creature had clung to her, it had been crying. It was afraid, so scared…The nurse, a yellow earth pony with a brown mane and tail, finished applying the final plaster to a small cut on her shoulder.

“Be sure to change that wing wrap in a few days, and try not fly for at least a week and even then, take it easy.” She said as she gathered up her equipment on a medical tray.

“Mm-hmm, thanks.” Bright responded absentmindedly. The nurse nodded and took her leave from the room. I wonder what will happen to it? It seemed only a foal... A flood of unbidden memories from just over a year prior were now dancing through her mind. The preparations she had made as an expectant mother, the joy and excitement that she and her coltfriend had shared together, only for it to be crushed when she had tragically lost the pregnancy. His outrage, the pain of not only losing the foal, but also discovering that she would never be able to conceive again. In their combined grief, rash words were exchanged and it wasn’t long before he had left her. It was one of the most painful moment of her life. But with the help of family and friends, she had persevered through it. Life went on, and the pain had begun to heal. But what had never left, like an itch that couldn’t be scratched, was the longing to be a mother.

That longing had awakened anew as Bright Skies ran the memory of the small creature desperately clinging to her through her head over and over again. To say that the experience had not triggered her maternal instincts, would be like saying the intense storm, presently pounding the windows of her hospital room, was a just little rain. She had considered adoption many times before, but had always lost her nerve when giving it serious thought. Now, for a reason she could not explain, she was feeling a growing connection to this little one. Her hooves sank to her lower belly as she hugged herself. Could it be done? Would they even let me? I still have the nursery after all. We never took it down after…She shook her head as the idea began to gain traction. She was interrupted from her thoughts by a flash of lighting followed by a crash of thunder that rattled the windows. It was followed by a piercing cry from the neighboring room; wailing, that sounded exactly like a newborn foal.

Bright Skies sprang off the bed, ignoring the immediate discomfort of her injuries caused by the sudden movement as she moved quickly past the startled guard and out of the room. The crying grew in intensity as she pushed past some of the lingering hospital staff and into the next room. There, sitting on a gurney, the little creature was pitifully clinging to the sheets, its tiny face bright red with the strain of its cries as tears poured down its cheeks. A doctor was there with a nurse at his side, their ears flat against their heads as the latter attempted unsuccessfully to calm the crying infant down with gentle ‘shushes’. Without hesitating, Bright Skies trotted right over to the bed between the two medical professionals and propped her forelimbs up on the bed in front of the baby.

Better to ask for forgiveness than permission…“Hey,” She whispered softly, smiling gently with sad eyes. The creature hiccupped and blinked at her before reaching out and clinging to her, burying its tiny face into her chest fluff as it resumed its muffled wailing. Before anypony could object, she hopped up onto the mattress and pulled the child close to her, gently stroking its back as she whispered soft reassurances to it. The doctor and nurse gaped as her ministrations had an immediate effect, the creature began to calm down as its cries were reduced to soft whimpers. The creature’s ruined clothing had been removed, but a fresh diaper had been placed on it. Bright Skies marveled at how remarkably smooth its skin was as she continued stroking its back. She looked at the doctor, a light-green unicorn with a brown mane.

“Have you given it anything to eat?” The doctor cleared his throat, “Uh, well, no, not yet.” He replied. “It just now woke up because of that thunder.” The nurse, a purple unicorn with a blue and red-striped mane held up a bottle in her magic.

“We were going to try this, its just milk because, well, as far as we can tell, this creature is still a baby.” Bright Skies reached out and took the offered bottle from the nurse who added, “And, we’re pretty sure it’s a ‘he.’”

“I see,” She said as she coaxed the child to turn its face away from her chest. “Come on, look! I’ve got something for you.” It immediately seemed to recognize what the bottle was and desperately reached out to it with both limbs, latching onto the nipple as it hungrily gulped down the liquid with little grunts. Bright Skies shifted to a sitting position, cradling the infant as it fed, staring up at her with large, curious eyes. “Well,” She chuckled, “It seems its not the first time he’s seen one of these.” She looked back to the doctor, “Have you been able to figure out what he is?” The doctor shook his head.

“Not a clue, I’ve never read of or heard of such a creature in my entire life.” He said. “But there’s good news! We’ve been informed that an expert of sorts has been dispatched from the castle and is currently on their way here.” Bright Skies frowned slightly in confusion.

“How did they know to send somepony?” She asked, “Did you call them?” Both unicorns looked at each other for a second before looking back at her.

“Well, we were going to,” the nurse replied. “But they called us. They seemed to already be aware of the situation, probably because they felt it like we did.” The nurse said.

“Right before you were both brought here, every unicorn felt a powerful surge of magic go through the air.” The doctor said as he tapped his horn for emphasis. “We think that it had something to do with this creature’s arrival, that and we found something on it.”

“Which was?” Bright Skies inquired. The doctor paused for a beat.

“Best we wait until the expert gets here.” He finally said.

“That would be me,” Came a haughty, feminine voice from the doorway. They all turned and looked to see a bright orange unicorn with an intense, fire-burst mane and tail with teal-colored eyes; her cutie mark was that of a two-toned yellow and red sun. “Name’s Sunset Shimmer, now that introductions are over let’s see what we have here!” She said as she confidently trotted right up to Bright Skies with an excited look on her face. The baby stopped sucking on the bottle, turning with wide eyes to gape at the vibrantly colored pony. “Thanks, I’ll take it from here.” Bright Skies frowned, annoyed by the mare’s forwardness and obvious, smug attitude.

“I beg your pardon?”

“You may.” Bright Skies glared in outrage,

Oh sister, it is on…She opened her mouth to retort when a sudden commotion springing up once more at the entrance to the room caught her attention. Ponies were gasping and scrambling to get out of somepony’s way, many of them bowing as two Royal Guards in their signature golden armor, both pegasi, stepped into the room followed shortly by the Solar Princess and Ruler of Equestria herself.

“Princess Celestia!” Said the doctor, nurse, and Bright Skies in unison; the two former immediately bowing to the floor. The Alicorn smiled warmly,

“Rise my little ponies, no need for that now.” She said. “And Sunset, I would ask again that you remember your manners,” She added gently, causing said pony to flush slightly in embarrassment. The Princess seemed to have sensed the tension in the room and instinctively understood what had transpired before stepping inside.

“Of-of course, your highness.” She stammered with a nervous smile, “I was just eager to begin the examination is all.” Bright Skies stared at Princess Celestia, this was the first time she had ever seen the ageless Alicorn up close, and she truly was a sight to behold with her immaculate white coat and her multicolored mane flowing with seemingly otherworldly power. The very air itself seemed to hum with energy around her. She gulped nervously as the princess approached, unable to find her voice at first.

“Your Highness,” She managed to squeak as she coughed to clear her throat. Celestia smiled as she looked down upon her and the baby who, with a burble of glee, reached out with one limb in an attempt to grasp at the princess’s flowing mane.

“You must be the one who rescued our mysterious little visitor here,” She said as she leaned down to examine the creature more closely, remaining just out of reach of its grasping appendages. “What is your name dear?”

“Bright Skies, your Highness.” She said quickly.

“That was very brave of you Bright Skies, thank you for your quick thinking.”

“Th-thank you!”

“And thank you all,” Celestia continued as she looked back around the room, “For your good work in such an, unusual situation.” Turning back to the pair of patients, she said, “Now, as my assistant may have informed you, she is here to help us better understand what this creature is and where it came from. I promise you, no harm will come to him.” Bright Skies nodded before gently lifting the infant creature and setting him down gently next to her in a sitting position; thankfully he remained calm. She scooted a few inches away to give the princess’ protege some room.

“Finally,” she said as she propped her forelimbs up on the bed to get a closer look. The creature responded with a ‘geh!’ of excitement and immediately grasped onto Sunset’s muzzle, causing her to go cross-eyed at the surprise boop; Bright Skies chuckled into her foreleg. Sunset shook her head slightly, wrinkling her muzzle as she pulled away. “Well, he’s certainly not a shy one.” She said, trying to regain some of her dignity. Her horn lit up with crimson magic as an aura of the same color began to surround the creature. The next few moments were silent except for the scratch of Sunset’s quill as she took notes and the occasional ‘coo’ from the baby as he stared in fascination at the light surrounding his limbs. “Fascinating…” she murmured before looking up, the light from her horn going out.

“Well Sunset,” Celestia said stepping next to her, “What have you learned? The unicorn was silent for a few more moments before looking up from her notes.

“Well, I ran several types of analytical scans.” She stated. “First off, an age analysis. This creature is indeed a baby, only about ten months old by my estimate. Second, I discovered that its brain, while underdeveloped, has very similar patterns to our own. There is no doubt that it comes from an intelligent species.” Celestia nodded,

“And magical abilities, did you discover any?”

“That’s the strangest part,” Sunset replied, “It is indeed giving off a magical signature, but the magic is that of a pegasus!” The gathered ponies in the room murmured in collective surprise. Sunset turned her gaze to Bright Skies, “I wonder…do you mind?” Bright Skies shook her head before the unicorn lit up her horn once more, scanning the pink pegasus.

“What did you learn?” She asked as Sunset Shimmer finished, her eyes widened in surprise.

“There’s no doubt about it, not only is it reading as a pegasus, but more specifically, with your exact magical signature!” Bright Skies mouth dropped open, she looked down in wonder at the baby who was now crawling to be in between her forelimbs. Sunset continued, “Could you please recount for me exactly what happened when he appeared?”

So Bright Skies quickly explained, in detail, what had occurred from the moment the mysterious light flashed in the sky to when the bolt of lighting had struck her after making the catch. Sunset scribbled furiously on her notepad while she spoke, occasionally interjecting with a question about one detail or another.

“Princess Celestia,” Sunset Shimmer said after Bright Skies had finished, “I don’t know if this creature possessed any kind of magic prior to the incident, but as of now, it seems to have taken on this particular mare’s inherent magic. I can only surmise that it had something to do with the lightning strike.” She looked at the child with an all-too excited grin, “Oh, I can’t wait to run more tests!” Celestia smiled and rested a hoof on her student’s shoulder.

“I’m sure there will be time for that later, Sunset.” She said gently, “But these ponies have had a long day, is there anything else we should know?” The unicorn nodded.

“There is one more thing, a faint magical energy, like the kind we all felt is still lingering on him.” She said.

“I may have an explanation for that,” the doctor said as he stepped forward. The eyes of all turned now to focus on him. With his magic, the doctor removed from the inside of his white coat a silver chain with some sort of stone, about the size of an acorn, attached to it. It looked like a round gem, held within a silver fitting, but it possessed no definite color. Instead it shimmered and swirled in a constantly changing constellation of them. “I found this around the child’s neck when we were examining him.” He said as Celestia took the item from him in her own golden magic.

She scrutinized it closely, her eyes narrowed before widening slightly in seeming recognition. “Princess Celestia,” said Sunset, “What is that thing?” The said item vanished from sight as Celestia teleported it away.

“I’ll explain it to you later,” she replied to which Sunset seemed about to object to but, thinking better of it, simply nodded. “For now, we need to decide what to do with our little visitor.” She said while gesturing to the baby who had now snuggled up to Bright Skies’ chest, looking at them all with large eyes. This sparked a small debate between Sunset Shimmer, the doctor, and the princess on what available options there might be and how best to proceed.

Bright Skies shut out the drone of the conversation as she nuzzled the top of the child’s head. She noticed that his hair, which had been dark, was beginning to gain silver-colored highlights. Looking into his blue eyes, she saw that streaks of violet had begun to appear, the same color as her own eyes. Intentionally or not, she had left her mark on this child; she was a part of him, and he a part of her. At that moment, in her heart, she knew what she had to do, what she wanted to do.

“Princess Celestia,” a voice rang out bringing the conversation in the room to a complete standstill, all eyes looked towards Bright Skies. “If I may, your highness, I would like to be placed in charge of this child’s care.” Sunset Shimmer immediately frowned.

“Don’t be ridiculous, you can’t possibly expect to-” Celestia extended a hoof in front of her, cutting her off.

“Please, Bright Skies, do continue.” Celestia said with an unreadable expression. Bright Skies swallowed before continuing.

“For good or ill, I have now directly affected the future of this child. I feel responsible for it, and I want to help to ensure that his future will be a bright one. I already have everything I need at my home in Cloudsdale to begin caring for him. I have no doubt that you could provide all the care he needs, but what this child needs now most of all is a mother. Please, with your permission, can I be that for him? At least until we find his real parents? I would be happy to provide you with regular updates on his growth and development,” she looked at Sunset, “And I would even welcome regular visits and inquiries from your student.”

Celestia’s face broke into a warm smile, “I think,” She said as she stepped forward, gently brushing the infant’s cheek with her hoof. “That this is a very wise and selfless decision my little pony.” Bright Skies blushed at the praise and dipped her head. “I will see to it that you have full and lawful custody of this little one, until that time should come that we do locate his true family. Until then, consider him your own.” Tears brimmed in Bright’s eyes as gratitude flooded her heart.

“Th-thank you, your highness.” She sniffed before looking down at the child, her child, giving him a tender squeeze. Sunset Shimmer let out an audible huff as she turned and trotted out of the room.

“Is there anything at this time that you need?” Celestia asked. Bright skies looked over her shoulder, lifting her injured wing slightly.

“Um, I could use some help getting home, seeing that I can’t really fly at the moment.” Celestia smiled in response as a golden glow enveloped her elegant horn. Bright Skies felt warmth suffuse her entire being, a sense of euphoria coming over her as all of her injuries began to rapidly heal until she was made whole once more. She gaped as the bandages fell from her wing; she gave it a few tentative flexes, it looked and felt even better than new. She looked back at Celestia, “Thank you Princess, so much! Thank you for everything!” She said as she bowed her head. Celestia smiled and nodded in response.

“Now get some rest my dear, I look forward to hearing more about how our special guest does under your loving care.” With that, the Solar Princess gave her farewells and departed with her entourage in tow. After exchanging a few more words with the doctor about being kept overnight for observation, the rest of the room cleared out to give the newly adoptive mother and her child some privacy, the lights being shut off as they left. Bright Skies lay on her back, having drawn the blanket up over them. The baby lying on her chest snuggled into her warm fluff, his little arms tightly gripping her as he gave a big yawn, his eyes slowly drifting lower. She continued to stroke his back softly as she tenderly nuzzled the top of his soft head.

My baby…Her mind felt tired and a bit stunned as she tried to absorb all that had happened in the last several hours. It was utterly amazing how unpredictable life could be at times. It reminded her of what her mother had always told her growing up, “No matter what life throws at you, good or bad, let it only change you for the better!” Bright Skies smiled at the memory, and at the thought that her mother would be proud if she could see her now. Her cutie mark, a bright sun peaking out from behind a white cloud, symbolized her special talent of always being able to brighten ponies’ spirits. She exhaled slowly as she felt sleep creeping up on her.

“Wow, little guy.” She whispered to him, “You just came into my life in a flash.” Her eyes snapped back open as a chime seemed to sound in her heart and mind. “And you know what? I think that’s what I’m going to call you, Flash. Flash Skies.” Little Flash gave a faint smile in his sleep as the two hearts, beating as one, drifted off in peace, completely ignoring the storm which raged outside.

Hidden Costs

Rainbow Dash banked through a series of air currents, the tips of her primary feathers tingling as she felt the many minute changes in atmospheric pressure, which allowed her to actively modify her flight path to the most efficient path with unconscious ease. Her eyes, with their hawk-like vision, continually flicked around her surroundings, feeding her a constant stream of information that she retained and processed with a level of passive ability that even the most astute veteran fliers would envy.

She loved flying, so much so that she imagined she spent twice as much time in the air as she ever did on the ground, even when accounting for her sleep schedule, which was generous to say the least. She always felt better when flying, the singular experience of leaving everything behind and soaring freely through the skies lifted her spirits as quickly as her wings lifted her body from the terrain.

Even so, as high and as fast as she flew, she could not escape the feelings of guilt that continued to hang like a millstone around her neck as they had for the past month. Flash still had not come to see her since his return to Equestria; but she wasn't surprised. After all, why would he want to see her? The friend who could think of no better solution to help him in his moment of need other than beating him bloody? Element of Loyalty? What a laugh. How could she continue to be a bearer of an Element of Harmony when she could not even protect her friends from her own incompetence?

A glint of pink flashed through her rear peripheral vision, it was the second time she had seen it. Somepony was following her. Let's see them follow this, She thought while gritting her teeth in angry determination. Sharply angling her wings, Rainbow Dash suddenly banked a hard left faster than even a sparrow would be able to follow. Twisting her body low and around in a split-s, she immediately went vertical, accelerating straight up into the sky like a bolt out of the blue. Effortlessly punching through the sound barrier, Rainbow Dash poured on speed before performing a complex series of maneuvers that even her legendary Captain, Spitfire, would have trouble keeping up with.

Checking the clear blue sky around her one more time, she found herself in the clear and began to ease off on her airspeed. Spotting a clump of clouds, she dove for them, flaring her wings as she approached them, and set down. This would be as good a place for an afternoon nap as any. As the mare stretched in anticipation of bedding down, she suddenly heard the sound of somepony gasping and panting behind her as if trying to catch their breath.

There's no way! Rainbow Dash thought as she wheeled around, ready to give whoever it was a hard piece of her mind, only to blink in surprise at the identity of her mysterious pursuer.

"Bright Skies?! What the hay?! Why are you-"

The other mare cut her off, holding up a hoof as she kept her head down while continuing to catch her breath. It was then that Rainbow Dash took notice of Bright Skies unusual appearance. Her left forelimb was noticeably duller in color compared to the rest of her vibrant pink coat, and the patch of fur on her left shoulder had faded to a similar degree.

Bright Skies finally straightened up, neatly folding her wings but curiously, not letting her left hoof touch the cloud.

"Dang girl, you really are a hard one to follow. Fastest thing I've ever seen in the skies!" Bright Skies said with a small huff and smile.

I could say the same thing about you, Rainbow Dash thought, genuinely impressed that the older mare had still managed to catch up with her. Guess the stories I've heard about you being a first class flier are true after all. She then found her eyes once again lingering on the mare's discolored limb and shoulder, wondering what was happening to her. Those thoughts were quickly pushed aside by the alarm of why Flash's mother was even here. Did she have a message from him? Was she here to finally tell her what a worthless friend she had been? Well, if that's the case, it's no less than what I deserve...

"Bright Skies, why are you here?" Rainbow Dash quickly began, "Did Flash send you?! Because if he did, please tell him that I'm so sor-"

"Flash," Bright Skies interrupted, "Does not know that I'm here." She said while tapping one temple with her hoof before holding it to her lips. Lowering the volume of her voice, she continued, "And please, if it's alright with you, I'd like to keep it that way."

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened in understanding as she took her meaning, slowly nodding her head. Bright Skies sat down, keeping her left limb tucked against her chest.

"Rainbow Dash, dear, we need to talk."

Flash didn't bother to turn around as he heard the front door open, continuing to put away the dishes he had just finished washing. He knew who it was. What he didn't know, was what was causing the strange mix of emotions that he could sense twisting on the surface of her heart, even through the mental barriers he continued to keep firmly in place. What he could easily feel though, were the eyes of his mother boring into the back of his head as she waited for him to acknowledge her presence.

"How was your flight?" He asked, attempting to make small talk. "Are the skies today as good as they look? I was afraid that new pressure system they were preparing would-"

"Flash," Bright Skies said, causing him to grimace. He knew that tone of voice, it was the same tone every child dreads to hear from their mother, the tone that said more clearly than what a book of words could describe, the pronouncement of, 'You're in big trouble, mister.' Flash sighed in resignation as he turned to face her.

Bright Skies hobbled over to him on three legs, taking care to not let her left hoof touch the floor as lately, it would unpredictably fall through the clouds on occasion, leaving her on her face. She stopped in front of him, the look on her face one of anger, pain, and concern. She cut right to the chase.

"How long are you going to keep this charade up? How long will you continue to shut me out? Why do you still insist on not talking to me, or to anypony for that matter?"

"We've talked about this, mom. I'm going to be fine, why can't anypony seem to get that?! I'm not a foal anymore! I don't need to be coddled or pitied by every well-meaning friend and neighbor, I'm sick of it!" He said, feeling his temper rise, upset that she was upset.

Bright Skies eyes pleaded, "No, you're not a foal anymore Flash. But that doesn't mean you can't still talk to me, son!"

Flash shook his head, "It's not that simple, you wouldn't understand, mom."

"Wouldn't I?!" Bright Skies exclaimed, taking to the air so she could look him in the eye. "If there's anypony who could understand, wouldn't it be me?! A piece of my very soul is within you for Celestia's sake! How could you say such a thing?!" Flash winced at her outrage and the hurt that his words had caused her.

He moved to walk past her, heading towards the door. "I'm not gonna do this with you right now, mom. You're just going to have to trust me on this one." Bright Skies grit her teeth in frustration, turning in the air to follow him.

"I spoke with Rainbow Dash today, Flash."

The young man froze mid-step, "You what?!" He exclaimed as he spun around, eyes wide with shock and anger.

"Yes, and the poor girl cried on my shoulder for nearly an hour! Telling me all about how she believed she had failed you as a friend! And you not going to see her for more than a month only cemented her in that false belief!" Bright Skies shouted, her tone making it clear that she was ashamed of him. She saw the color practically drain out of his face as he realized his error in judgment.

"But, she...I mean, I thought-"

"You thought that she was the one angry at you, yes I know. It's one of the few things that I've managed to pry out of you these past weeks. And you would have realized your mistake weeks ago if you hadn't gone and shut everypony out! Like you're still doing right now! Why?!"

Flash suddenly felt her mind slam like a battering ram against his mental barriers, pushing and prying it's way in. "Hey, stop that! STOP IT!" He shouted, trying to resist her.

Bright Skies' eyes narrowed in concentration as she redoubled her efforts, "Give me one good reason why I should!"

"I don't want you to, that's why!" Flash hissed, straining to hold her out.

"Why? What are you afraid that I'll see Flash?! What is so terrible that you would rather continue to destroy yourself than show me?!"

"I don't want you to see it!"

"Why Flash, TELL ME WHY?!"

"BECAUSE YOU'VE SUFFERED ENOUGH!!!" He exploded, finally flinging the doors to his mind open. Bright Skies faltered, almost falling to the floor in shock at the poisonous torrent of grief, anger, guilt, and self-hatred that flooded into her heart from his. Tears of grief and anger immediately came to her eyes as his dark thoughts finally became clear to her. There was pain, so much pain over all he had experienced while on earth: pain from his scars, pain from so much of the ugliness of his race that he was exposed to, and still more from his falling out with Rainbow Dash, and a failed pursuit of Ella. But as bad as these were, they were all dwarfed in comparison to the one, all encompassing sorrow that was presently ravaging his heart with soul-destroying guilt and bitter self-loathing.

"So that's it then?" Bright Skies said, her voice breaking slightly. "You blame yourself for what happened to me, for this?" She said, holding up her crippled limb. "You've been torturing yourself for weeks, because of this?!" She exclaimed, her anger rising.

Flash scowled darkly, angrily holding back his own tears. "You would've never been hurt if I hadn't gone to earth, mom! I don't care what I learned or accomplished, it's not worth your life! I was selfish, and you paid the price!"

Bright Skies flapped forward so that she was in his face. "Flash, you're not selfish just for wanting to learn what you are and where you came from, what sort of nonsense is that?! Would you really have been alright with never opening that door? With never knowing another of your kind? Or never having the possibility of a female in your life?"

Flash grimaced at that sensitive topic, the pain of Ella's rejection still too fresh. "I'd rather be a celibate for life than ever risk your safety, mom." He growled.

"That's stupid Flash, you know that! What? Are we supposed to live in a bubble our whole lives? Never taking any chances or risks? Yes, it was a risk for you to go into the unknown, and you did get into trouble, and I did get hurt when I came to help you. But do you think I care about that?!" She said, holding up her limb. "No! All that matters is that I have you back safe and sound! It was a sacrifice I willingly made and if you ask me, well worth it! How dare you torture yourself for that and try and take that away from me?!"

With nothing now concealing their heart from the other, there was no longer anything to hold back their tumultuous and wounded emotions from inflaming the other's. The twin tempests that were their hearts continued to crash into each other, growing into a violent maelstrom of ever-increasing pain and darkness, fed and intensified all the more by their shared grief and anger.

"You shouldn't have come, mom!" Flash shouted, a tear finally breaking lose. "You should have just let me figure it out, the trip alone almost killed you!"

"I'm a grown mare Flash, I can make my own choices and have been doing so since you were still in diapers!" She retorted, shouting over him.

"Then let me live with the consequences of my own choices, not you! I don't want you suffering because of me!"

"It's called parenting, Flash! A parent will always suffer for their child!"

"Don't you think you've suffered enough in your life because of your childre-"

There was a loud smack, and Flash suddenly found himself flat on his back, blinking stars out his eyes; the taste of blood from a split lip coating his tongue. He immediately sat back up and saw his mother glaring down at him, her mouth set in a snarl while tears flowed down her cheeks; her hoof was still extended from the punch she had just thrown.

Bright Skies panted hard through her nostrils, "You...you dare..." She gasped through whimpering sobs.

Flash stared at her a moment longer, abject horror filling his eyes at what he had caused; and with a sound like rushing wind, he fled, vanishing in an instant.

The pink mare fell to the floor hard, burying her face in her hooves. Bitter wailing echoed through the now empty house as Bright Skies sobbed harder than she had ever cried since losing her foal. The sun slowly dipped below the horizon; it was dark now, and she was alone.

Ella caressed the soft bell of the beautiful white calla lily in her hand, admiring its flawless appearance which was made all the more glorious by the light of the bright moon shining high above them over Ponyville. It was obvious that a great deal of care was taken by the one who had picked it out. In fact, she could not recall ever seeing a more perfect flower in her entire life. Its sweet fragrance, its splendid appearance and unmatched purity was a clear reflection of the powerful feelings of the young man who had given it to her, specifically, his feelings towards her.

Ella looked up at Flash, her heart shattering at the hopeful look in his innocent eyes. 'A boy giving a girl a flower...' She thought as she shook her head, tears running down her cheeks.

"Flash, you are the best person I have ever met in my life...and I owe you my life for all that you have done, that you have suffered for me. But..." Ella swallowed back the lump that was building in her throat. "But, I'm not the right girl for you. There is someone, some girl out there waiting for you who is better than me, better for you...who will love you as you deserve to be loved."

She watched as his aura darkened with despair, the emotion's putrid scent, like that of rotting flesh, made her want to be sick. She could easily see him holding back his tears as his eyes turned glassy.

"But...I don't want another girl, Ella..." He quietly replied.

It was too much. Ella had seen this coming, knew that Flash would eventually ask her if they were more than just friends, but as much as she had prepared herself for the inevitable, it was not enough. Her own heart felt crushed by what she said next.

I'm...sorry Flash, but...no. For now, I think it's best that we just stay friends...

Ella stared up at the ceiling of her bedroom in Twilight's castle, unable to sleep. Two more weeks had passed, and in that time things had gone from bad to unbearable. She had seen Flash only three times during that period, and each time she had seen him, he had only gotten worse. Oh he looked fine, by all outward appearances. He smiled, he talked, he laughed with his friends. But she knew it was all fake, just a façade. If others could see what she could, he looked like a dead man walking, a lifeless puppet merely mimicking the motions of the living. She wanted to scream, to tell him to forget her, to talk with someone about his pain and move on with his life. But it wasn't like he was the only one hiding things.

In the two weeks that had passed, her hunger had gone from being merely an uncomfortable presence, to a force of nature within her that practically obliterated almost every other sensation. She had refused to give into it though, refused to take any love, even the ambient love that floated freely around her wherever she went; she refused to indulge her hunger. And for that, the hunger had responded by punishing her. Twisting her thoughts, and even warping her body as it sought dominance over her, a position that she still refused surrender.

Ella ran her tongue again over one of the small, elegant, razor sharp fangs that her canines had recently morphed into. It had become a habit of sorts. I'm not letting you win, you monster... She randomly thought.

I am not a monster, I'm hungry. Her mind answered back on it's own. It then wandered to the countless sleeping ponies who's love she could practically taste, even through the walls. Driven by hunger, her senses were amplified to an even more profound degree. Even here, she could smell their love, hear their soft breathing, and listen to the steady beating of a hundred hearts that were within the range of her increasingly predatory senses. Worse still, she could feel the dark temptation to actively feed prowling at the edge of her mind once more.

It would be so easy you know, to go out there...to take what you need, what you crave...

"Quiet." Ella murmured.

Exactly. We could be so quiet, you're so much more powerful now. Silent as a shadow, no one would ever know...

"Leave me alone..."

Alone? Yes, we are alone, aren't we? And who's fault is that, you fool?! You won't even take what these ponies freely offer you! And why?! Because you think yourself unworthy? Pathetic! You really are just a dirty, useless slut, aren't you?!

"SHUT UP!" Ella screamed, sitting straight up. "Just...stop..." She whimpered, holding her head in her hands, her eyes squeezed shut. She could feel her blood pounding in her temples as she struggled to calm her breathing.

Oh God, please help me. I don't want to be a monster... Ella opened her eyes after a few moments and was immediately surprised by what she saw. The room was dark, with only the faintest gleams of moonlight making it through the drawn curtains; and yet, she could see. She could see everything as clear as day for some reason. The furniture and various fixtures in her bedroom stood out in sharp relief to the shadows surrounding them, as if someone had sharply adjusted the contrast on an old television set.

Rising from her bed, Ella walked across the soft carpet towards the vanity on the other side of the room and peered into its mirror, before recoiling in shock at what she saw. Blinking rapidly, she failed to recognize her own reflection at first. Leaning in closely, she gently pulled at one of her lower eyelids to get a closer look, and saw the reason behind her sudden, inexplicable night vision.

Her eyes had changed. The once round pupils in her sapphire eyes had now been replaced by vertical slits, like those of a cat. Or, a changeling, Chelicerae... Ella thought as she recalled the changeling princess's eyes. She bowed her head, leaning on her palms against the top of the vanity as worried thoughts raced through her mind about how she might conceal this latest transformation from Flash and her friends. What is happening to me?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a small, yet noticeable tap on the sliding crystal door that led to her small balcony. Ella narrowed her eyes as she projected her senses outward, searching, but sensing nothing. Slowly grabbing her nightgown off of one of the bed posters, she pulled it on over the simple shift she was wearing, tying the belt before cautiously approaching the door. Ella felt her heart rate increase in anticipation as she put a hand to the curtain, pausing a moment before flinging it back.

Seeing nothing on the small, semi-circle platform of violet crystal, Ella undid the latch and stepped out into the cool, but pleasant evening, the soft chirping of the crickets greeting her ears. Somewhat relieved, Ella stepped forward and leaned against the crystal railing of the balcony, sighing as she did before looking up at the glittering night sky. Even now, she could hardly accept the fact that she was not on earth. The thought still seemed too surreal. She thought that she would find answers here, a new beginning. Instead, Ella found that she could not escape her past, her insecurities, even while in another world. She didn't care if she had to suffer because of them, suffering had been her lot in life. But what she couldn't stand though, was that her suffering was beginning to hurt those she had come to care about.

Flash, Ella thought, bowing her head. The tears were still there, the ones she had wanted to release when Rarity had confronted her. But she couldn't let them go. After all, why should she waste tears on herself? Oh God, what am I doing here? What is wrong with me? I don't know what to do anymore... A soft cooing off to her left interrupted her little prayer, and Ella looked to see a white dove perched on the left railing of the balcony. Ella thought it unusual to see such a bird awake at night when most birds usually bedded down for the evening. Then again, the even the animals here are a bit different than from those on earth, so what do I know?

"Heh, you the answer to my prayer or somthin'?" Ella said with a humorless smirk. The bird cocked it's head from side to side as it regarded her, cooing again before hopping down from the railing and onto the floor. Ella jumped in alarm as a burst of golden, flame-like magic erupted around the bird the moment it reached the floor. The magic vanished as quickly as it had appeared, and where there was once a dove, now stood a changeling.

"Hello, small one." Telson said with a small smile, a sad gaze in his golden eyes.

Ella gaped in disbelief, unable to speak at first before crying out his name and flinging her arms around the tall, powerful changeling. Telson gently embraced her in return, slowly lowering himself into a seated position with the human as she collapsed to her knees. Ella felt tears beginning to leak unbidden from her eyes as she huddled against Telson's warm chest, the dam of her heart finally beginning to break as she began to cry softly against him. The changeling gently shushed her as he comfortingly brushed his lower jaw against the top of her head, holding her as if she were his own child.

"Telson...what is happening to me?" She whimpered after few moments. "Why am I-" Her words caught in her throat as she suddenly felt waves of warm, comforting love radiating off of him. Ella remembered how Ocellus had explained to her that a changeling could not see nor sense another changeling's aura unless they deliberately revealed it, which answered her question as to why she hadn't detected his approach earlier.

"Words can wait, small one. First, sate your hunger." He calmly instructed.

Ella hesitated, "But, I-"

Telson gave her a small squeeze, "No more words Ella, feed."

Slowly at first, but gradually increasing, Ella began to inhale the enormous quantity of love her friend was directing towards her; and it was the most marvelous thing she had ever tasted. It was sweeter than honey, more satisfying than a steak dinner, and as comforting as a hot drink given to someone caught outside on a freezing day. She drank greedily, hardly even considering at first the possibility that she might be taking too much; but the amount of love did not seem to diminish no matter how much she consumed, nor did Telson seem to tire of giving. Ella finally tapered off her intake after a few minutes, the pain of her hunger finally subsiding, though not vanishing entirely.

"Foalish, foalish..." Telson gently chided as she finished. "How could you ever allow yourself to get to such a sorry state, dear child? Look at what it is doing to you!" He said, raising her face towards his.

Ella swallowed nervously, the love she had just consumed from him informed her more of his feelings of disapproval and sorrow for her actions than words ever could. At the same time, she was reminded of what she had experienced when Telson had first given her his love. That feeling of utter peace and contentment that came with the knowledge that she was truly, without any doubt, loved.

Ella sniffed, wiping her eyes before she looked up at him. "I, I don't really know. I guess, well..."

"Because you didn't want to be a monster?" Telson said for her, his gaze sympathetic. "Because you still, despite all evidence to the contrary, think yourself unworthy of love? Unworthy of Michail?"

Ella gave a small nod before whispering, "Yeah, I guess so..."

Telson slowly shook his head, "Oh small one, have you already forgotten that it was you who showed me that even a changeling was deserving of love? That it was your decision to love that saved Michail, that saved my mistress? How could you give love so willingly to others and yet think yourself the exception to receiving it?"

The words stung, Ella knew he was right; but even so, she still could not shake the feeling that she was wretched, that she was undeserving of love, however much she craved it.

Telson sighed at her lack of response, but understood why. He could see the uncertainty and self-doubt coloring her spirit. Tenderly nuzzling the top of her head, he decided to try a different approach. "Do you remember small one, what I said to you when you first told me your name?"

Ella nodded against his chest, squeezing out a few more silent tears. "Yes...you told me...what it means. That it means 'beautiful.'"

Telson smiled warmly, "That's right; and it's a most befitting name because it is true. You are something beautiful, dear child. I know it, I have seen your heart. And while it is true that you have suffered countless evils, you must remember my dear, that there is no evil that can befall us, however much it may obscure it, that can ever change what something is. And the reality remains, is that you are something beautiful, Ella. And beautiful things deserve to be loved."

Ella's eyes widened at profundity of his words, which struck a chord deep within her. She looked up at him only to feel her heart melt at the depths of compassion she could see contained within her friend's eyes for her.

Telson gently brushed a tear off of her cheek with his hoof before whispering, "You can cover a diamond with all the filth there is, but it will never change the fact that that diamond is still a diamond, and as precious as it ever was. Yes, we can become lost; but just because a treasure is lost, does not take away a fragment of it's value. All it needs, is for someone to find it. And you small one, have been found."

Ella felt the last of the inner resistance in her heart crumbling as the darkness of the lies she had surrounded herself with was slowly burned away by the light of truth and charity contained within Telson's words to her. He was right, she had been found! And who was the one who had gone to such great lengths to find her? The same young man who's heart she had broken, all because she had been too blinded by her preoccupation with her own insecurities to see.

"Oh, damn." Ella half sobbed and chuckled, wiping her eyes with her palm. "I really have been a foal, haven't I?"

Telson smiled, "It happens to even the best, small one."

Ella bowed her head taking a moment to reflect, weighing his words against her experiences. The pain was still there, and maybe it would always be there in some form. But still, it was worthless to allow it to define her. He's right...Rarity was right too. I can't let my past...rule my present, my future. What has that gotten me anyways? She sighed before flinging her arms around Telson's neck, hugging him with all her might. "Thank you Telson, thank you so much..."

"You are very welcome, my dear." He replied. They stayed that way for a moment longer before Telson gave a small cough, "Unless it is your desire to choke me small one, I must ask that you loosen your grip."

Ella quickly released him and leaned back. "Sorry!"

Telson chuckled while rubbing his neck, "You have grown strong, little Ella. Perhaps you are not so small anymore after all?"

Ella wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her nightgown, "Telson I've, really messed things up with Flash, and I'm not sure how to fix that."

The changeling nodded, "Perhaps, but his pain is not caused by you alone, is it? What?" He asked in response to her surprised expression, "You didn't think I wouldn't be keeping an eye on you two? The Mistress asked me to, and I would have done so anyways even if she hadn't."

Ella laughed a little at that. "Well I'm glad you have," She said. "Do you think that you could talk to him?"

Telson glanced to one side in consideration before shaking his head, "No, I am not the one best suited to help him in this matter. He is the unfortunate soldier who is still determined to stay at his post long after his duty is served. He blames himself for the painful consequences which are a fruit of the chaos on the battlefield which can neither be predicted nor controlled."

"So, what should we do?"

Telson looked her right in the eyes, "Do you love him?"

Ella blinked in surprised, astonished at his bluntness. "Well, yeah, I mean, he's such a good friend and-"

"Ella," Telson interrupted her, "Do. You. Love him? Do you feel the same way for him as he so obviously feels for you?" His eyes narrowed as his vision bored into hers.

Ella swallowed, her mind racing. After all, there was some truth to her earlier thoughts that there were better women for Flash, and that as mature as he was, it was still very likely that a big part of the reason he had fallen so hard for her was because she was still the first female of his species he had ever laid eyes on. Even so, she could not deny what she herself had come to feel.

"Yes." She finally admitted, "I do love him."

Telson nodded approvingly. "Good. Then use that love to help him. For just as love was the only thing that could have saved my Mistress from herself, so love is the only thing that will save Michail from his own present darkness."

Ella sighed, looking down in uncertainty. "But, how Telson? He's not even listening to those who have known him his whole life! And how well do I really know him? True, we bonded over our shared experience but, he's still a guy who grew up in, this!" She exclaimed, gesturing all around her.

"And I barely understand any of it! The kid literally walks on clouds for Pete's sake!" She said, before letting out a dejected sigh, "It's just, I have so little in common with him..."

Telson tapped his lower jaw in thought for a moment before an idea seemed to spring to his mind. "Perhaps you have more in common with him than you think."

Ella glanced up at him with a confused expression, "What do you mean?"

Telson smiled, "Come with me, I want to show you something."

"Telson this is stupid." Ella declared, keeping her hands firmly on the base of his neck while seated side-saddle on his back. They were high up in the sky, with Telson standing on a fluffy white cloud that overlooked the darkened Equestrian countryside.

"No it's not, trust me!" He cheerfully replied.

"I trust you, not this piece of fluff!"

"Every changeling possesses the ability to cloudwalk. With your magic, you should be no different!" He assured her.

"I'm not a changeling ya big lug!"

"Well, nobody's perfect." Telson said, glancing back at her with a smug smirk. Ella gave him a half-lidded glare.

"Alright, alright," he relented. "Look, even if this doesn't work, I promise I'm going to catch you, okay?"

"Fine," Ella huffed, "But that promise may need to include a change of undies." She grumbled as she looked down at her feet, taking a moment to gather her nerve. Her mind screamed at her that this was impossible, the slowly shifting vapors beneath her appearing no more substantial than the clouds or fog back on earth. And yet somehow, Telson, Flash, and other pegasi could stand on them as if they were pavement.

Ella slowly inched her feet down, stretching out with her toes as she tried to touch the surface of the cumulous while not leaving the relative safety of Telson's back. The changeling rolled his eyes before giving a small shrug of his shoulders. Ella screamed for the heavens as her silk-clad posterior suddenly slid off of Telson's smooth chitin.

"WHOA HOLY SH-" Ella began, but immediately stopped as the softest sensation she had ever felt in her life sweetly kissed the soles of her bare feet.

"Wha- WHAT?! HAHA WHAT?!" Ella shouted, incredulous with joy while falling to her knees, feeling the cloud all over with her hands. "THIS, THIS IS AMAZING! HOLY MAMA, WOW! IT'S, IT'S SO SOFT! IT'S LIKE IT'S MADE OF FRIGGIN BABY CHEEKS! WHAT HAVE I BEEN MISSIN' ALL MY LIFE?! HAHA!"

Telson chuckled softly to himself as he watch the young woman experience what all nymphs did the first time their parents took them up. Though he had to admit, her reaction was far more entertaining.

"There, you see? I told you there was nothing to fear."

"Yeah, you did! I guess-" Her eyes widened, "You colossal JERK!" She screamed, giving him a two-handed shove that sat him on his plot. "You scared the ever livin' sh-stuff outta me!" She exclaimed, remembering to watch her language as she had been trying do since she came to Equestria.

Telson nonchalantly brushed his chest off with one hoof, "I was just trying to help you along is all, a little encouragement if you will."

"ENCOURAGEMENT?! GOOD FREAKING GREIF! If I were a dude, that little stunt woulda had my friggin' balls in my throat!" Ella exclaimed while beginning to laugh again as she ran her hands over the cloud around her. It took her a few more moments before she could begin to finally catch her breath and calm down from the excitement of doing something that to her, was truly magical; one of those things that almost every human dreams of doing at some point in their life.

I'm actually sitting on a cloud...Oh God thank you, it's like a little piece of heaven!

No sooner had she finished her little prayer when the bright light of dawn began to spread on the horizon as Celestia raised the sun. Ella felt her jaw literally drop at the beauty of it, its utter magnificence even greater than that of the first sunrise she had seen in Equestria. It wasn't lost on her that she was probably only the second human in all of history to witness a sunrise while seated in the heavens; a tear of pure joy slid down her face.

Telson scooted closer to her so that she could lean into his side. "You see that sunrise, small one? It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Ella murmured, still amazed.

"Tell me, what had to come before the beauty of that light?"

"...a dark night."

"Exactly," Telson replied. "It happens in life, that you will often find yourself suffering, sometimes in a very dark place. There seems to be no end to it. But if you do not give up hope, if you persevere through that trial, eventually, you will find the joy you seek; you will come to that brighter horizon."

Ella sighed, a sense of peace coming over her as she took in her friend's wisdom. He was right. All of the pain, all of the suffering she had endured in her life had led her to this moment. This glorious, downright miraculous moment. And in that realization, she suddenly found another piece of the joy that she had been searching for, and with it, the desire to share that joy, that love with others. With Flash, She thought.

"Telson?"

"Yes child?"

She wrapped her arm around his middle, squeezing herself closer to him. "Thank you."

The changeling twisted his neck to gently nuzzle the top of her head, "You are most welcome, my dear."

"You know that I love you, right?"

"Yes, and I love you as well."

"Will I get to see you more in the future?"

Telson smiled, "Yes, I will always be watching over you, for as long as I live. This I promise you."

Ella smiled, hugging him tightly. The rising sun warmed their bodies, while the love shared between them, warmed their hearts.

Flash, wait for me. I'll be there for you soon!

Author's Note

The endurance of darkness is the preparation for great light.

-St. John of the Cross

Hello my friends! Yes, back so soon? Surprised? Well so am I!:rainbowlaugh:
Yes, I did not expect to be able to complete another chapter so soon, especially as I am heading out to sea again shortly.
And for that, I would like to thank my good friend Venerable Ro, who's creative input inspired me to write this chapter so quickly. Among other wonderful tidbits sprinkled throughout the chapter, he was the one who gave me the idea for Ella's little cloudwalking experience which I thought was a wonderful way to end things for now. Thanks a bunch mate!
Now for the bad news. As I am deploying again soon and internet access will be limited, the next chapter might be a bit, sorry.:fluttershyouch: But do not fret! Short of war breaking out, the ship sinking, or a giant octopus dragging me screaming beneath the waves, I am in no means abandoning this story. So please, be patient with me. As always, thank you for being here, let me know if you have any prayer requests, and remember to be happy!
Peace and God's blessings to you!