Brighter Horizons: A Trial of Shadows

by Destiny Chaser

Rating: teen
Tags: Cozy Glow, Adventure, Twilight Sparkle, Violence, Princess Celestia, Death, Human, Princess Luna, Drama, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Mystery
Length: 56531

An adopted human is pushed to the limits of his loyalties.

Adopted from infancy, there are few things Flash Skies wouldn't sacrifice for Equestria and the ponies who love and raised him. But when a pony is brutally murdered and all evidence points to Equestria's adopted son, unshakeable loyalties are questioned, friendships are strained, and a mysterious enemy more deadly than anything Flash has ever faced will manifest their dark designs against Equestria itself. Can friendship truly prevail where there is uncertainty of who is truly a friend?

Friends are close, but enemies draw closer in this thrilling sequel to Brighter Horizons!

Edited by Venerable Ro.

(Cover Art: Shimmering Sunset by Kirk Crane)

Published 2024-03-25 13:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2024-10-02 17:55:46 UTC

Bad Bargains

The sleek airship cut silently through the low hanging clouds, the fading rays of the setting sun casting a dull sheen off of the craft’s black envelope containing the gas bags which kept the ship like hull of the flying machine in the air. The only sounds it made being the occasional creak from the rigging accompanied by the slow, metronomic beat of the large twin propellors at the aft of the dark ship aptly named the Nightingale.

Secret Threshold checked his vest watch for what must had been the fifth time that hour, the sapphire lens of the luxury mechanical timepiece reflecting back to him the disappointment clearly visible on his scarred visage, a reminder to the steel grey pegasus not only that they were behind schedule, but also, of the cost of being careless in his line of work. Even though it had been almost ten years, he could steel feel the phantom twinges of pain in the remnants of his right wing caused by the spiked mace that an irate diamond dog had raked across his body, marring his hide and crippling his wing in an old deal gone wrong.

That Secret Threshold had been a young, foalish stallion; overconfident in his abilities and lacking foresight. Now he was far more shrewd, more experienced, and more cautious than ever, a quality that was growing increasingly necessary in the vast underworld of creatures simply trying to make a dishonest bit in the world. It was absurd really, the Royal Guard had almost overnight become inexplicably more aggressive, more capable, and seemingly more confident than it had ever been in recent memory. They had always been a problem, but a manageable one, easy enough to predict and deal with. But now, they were completely unpredictable, and relentless in their behavior, acting more like a pack of timberwolves than a herd of ponies.

The results of this sudden change in tactics spoke for themselves. He had lost more colleagues and work associates in the past three months than he had in the last three years. It wasn’t all bad, many of his competitors in the smuggling trades had been conveniently taken off the table for him, opening up more streams of illicit revenue for him. But at the same time, that meant there were fewer fish in an ever shrinking pond to hide among, making it more than likely, sooner rather than later, that his own number would be up, and it would be his turn to sample the Equestrian penal system, or worse. And it was all thanks to that wretched creature from another world that the Princesses employed, that human.

Human… Secret grit his teeth in revulsion. One could hardly speak its name among the denizens of the underworld without evoking a cadre of reactions, ranging from vitriol and hatred to an almost superstitious kind of fear. Like he was some kind of monster who would leap out of the dark and gobble them up like frightened foals if even mentioned carelessly in conversation. That impression wasn’t helped at all by the rumors that swirled around the human like flies around carrion. He had heard them all, things such as that it drank blood, enslaved monsters, courted a changeling, and even wielded a piece of Celestia’s very sun as a weapon. He of course had scoffed at most of them, but the one rumor he didn’t dismiss, was the rumor that the human enjoyed the special protection and very affections of the Night herself, the one who could haunt a pony’s very dreams, Princess Luna. Threshold took that rumor deadly serious.

It was one of the primary reasons why somepony hadn’t gone and done everypony the favor of eliminating Celestia’s favorite pet monster. That wouldn’t do, not when cold vengeance could suddenly find you anywhere and at anytime, even in one’s sleep. And in a world where criminals were already a superstitious lot, no pony wanted to deal with a nightmare like that; a danger from which there was no protection. The other reason being the apparent monster of a mare that followed him practically everywhere like some grim, meat-eating shadow.

A hired assassin that somepony apparently had the stones to send attempted to eliminate the human a few months prior; but before he could even pull his weapon, the fanged beauty had tackled the poor fool to the ground, horribly mauling him almost to death before the human could call her off. After that, any remaining contracts, few that they were, vanished. The human was a monster, protected by other monsters, and no pony wanted to deal with that, no matter the offered bounty. After all, what good was money if you weren't around to spend it?

"Sir, I talked to the engineer, he should be able to shave some time off of our arrival by tweaking the engines."

Secret Threshold nodded to the white coated, blue maned pegasus that was his second in command,

"Very good Cold Front, and see to it that everyone is ready for the rendezvous. The last thing I want is for some surprise intervention from the Guard to catch us unawares." He said, his Trottingham accent crisp on his tongue.

Cold Front grunted in response before turning and heading back below decks. Secret Threshold watched him go before tucking his watch back into the black vest he was wearing. He had made sure to hire extra hooves for this job. The client they were meeting was a mysterious figure from outside of Equestria who had been making a name for himself in the last few months. He was very secretive, and rumored to be quite dangerous; but he paid well, and that was all that mattered to ponies like Threshold. But just to be certain of always having the upper hoof, he had hired a large squad for this run.

After all, one can't be too careful. He assured himself again, flexing his bad wing as a reminder. He felt the deck vibrate slightly under his hooves as the power increased, the ship surging forward towards their destination. Night was approaching, and with it, both the protection and uncertainty it offered.

The Nightingale hung low, only about twenty feet above the abandoned quarry on the edge of Western Equestria. The area was once very profitable and popular for both rock farmers and diamond dogs alike. But the gradual migration towards the towns and cities over the past generations and the general loss of interest in the old trade had seen this mine, like so many others, gradually abandoned over the years. Making it a perfect location to meet for less than legal activities but also, for ambushes.

Secret Threshold had ordered the floodlights to be lit as they made their final approach, lighting up the grey and red stone of the empty quarry with a mishmash of sharp angles and ghastly shadows. And there, standing in the middle of the quarry with a few ponies of his own, stood the hooded and cloaked figure of the centaur known only as Vangar.

"Well met, Secret Threshold," came the creature's gravely voice, his breath visible in the cold night air, but not else could be seen of his face from within his shadowy black hood save the gleam of eyes which shone with a blue glow in the impenetrable darkness, only adding to his already ominous appearance. He stood more than six feet tall, towering over most creatures Secret had ever met; his head and upper torso were covered by his tattered black cloak, but his lower four limbs were visible, an almost charcoal-like black in color.

"I trust you were not followed?" Vangar hissed while steepling his black gauntleted fingers before him, "The Guard has been quite the nuisance these days."

Secret Threshold wasn't a pony who could be accused of being easily intimidated, but there was something about meeting a centaur that just set his skin to crawling. He felt slightly bolstered by the over dozen mercenaries at his back armed with various weapons, which stood in stark contrast to the mere two bodyguards Vangar had brought with him: a hulking white earth pony with a black mane and sporting an eye patch, and a black pegasus with a red mane armed with both a crossbow and wingblades. But Secret wasn't fooled. He knew that the fact Vangar had only brought two associates with him meant that this centaur must feel overwhelmingly confident in his own strength, which was likely very great indeed, and mysterious, given the extreme rarity of Equestrian encounters with centaurs and their strange magicks.

Secret cleared his throat, "Ahem, well met Vangar, and you needn't worry, I was not foaled yesterday. I have taken extreme precautions to ensure that our encounter will not be rudely interrupted. I was very eager to finally meet one such as yourself; and if we can come to terms, I believe that a very lucrative future awaits us both."

The centaur's eyes momentarily flashed, a pregnant pause passing before Vangar responded, "Indeed. Now, show me, friend, what do you have to offer? I was told that you carry only the best."

Secret frowned slightly, trying to hide his unease, "Come now, you should know that a wise pony never shows his hoof without some guarantee."

Vangar remained silent, the eerie glow of his eyes unmoved. Secret knew it was a gamble to push his luck with a new client, especially one as mysterious as a centaur, but by Celestia, he wanted to establish some level of control in this deal! For too long he had been feeling hounded by events that seemed beyond his control, it was time for some semblance of normalcy.

After a few more heart pounding moments, with the sound of some of Secret's ponies beginning to shift nervously on their hooves, the centaur finally moved. Slowly raising a hand and with a sharp snap of his fingers, a decent sized chest appeared in the air in a flash of yellow magic, the aura holding it in place before slowly setting it onto the ground. Another glimmer of magic threw the lid open, revealing a stunning amount of sparkling gold.

"Guarantee enough for you, pony?" Vangar said, bemusement in his voice. Secret smiled, allowing the faux pas now that he had seen that Vangar was good for the gold he was rumored for.

"Quite," Secret replied, motioning with his head. At his direction, a pair of earth ponies brought forward a wooden crate that they quickly set down and wrenched open with a pry bar. Secret reached in and pulled out one of the black, gleaming crossbows within.

"The latest in Germane tech," he said while hefting the weapon, "Strengthening enchantments, warded against interference, and the new assist mechanism allows for rapid reloading with the new detachable box magazine. In short, you have five times the firing capacity of anything that even the Guard is presently using these days. Not easy to obtain, but exactly what any aspiring warlord or arms merchant would be willing to pay through the muzzle to have."

Secret was not normally in the realm of trafficking weapons, but the dramatic changes brought about in the smuggling routes in recent weeks meant a change of tactics if one was to stay relevant and profitable in today's market. He was about to hoof the weapon off to one of his assistants so that they might demonstrate the item's capabilities to their potential customer, when he was distracted by the clatter of hooves of somepony racing down the gangplank, clearly in a hurry.

Secret turned the ire of his glare on the small orange unicorn pushing his way through the assembled mercenaries that was the ship's wireless operator, furious at being interrupted in the midst of his presentation; he would be sure to have severe words with the upstart later, and maybe teach him a good lesson about the perils of interrupting key business moments in the future with an impromptu flying lesson once they were back at altitude.

"Pardon me my good sir, but it seems that a matter requires my urgent attention," He said to Vangar.

"Take your time," the centaur grunted in reply, clearly annoyed.

"What?" Secret hissed under his breath at his underling. The young, wirey colt named Short Wave winced under the verbal lance, but trembling, gathered his nerve, holding up a folded paper in his quivering light green magic.

"Ur-urgent tel-telegram on the wireless, s-sir, just came in!"

Secret angrily snatched the missive, causing the small unicorn to practically yelp, and quickly unfolded it:

VANGAR WITH THE GUARD *STOP* GUARD REINFORCEMENTS 20 MINUTES OUT *STOP* BE CAREFUL *STOP*
-A FRIEND

Secret Threshold remained completely calm, betraying not a single emotion, slowly reading the message through three times. He wasn't sure if he believed what he was reading. After all, it could be a trick, a competitor trying to foul up his business. But then again, thanks to the Guard, he didn't have many competitors left now did he? But no, it began to make more sense. A mysterious centaur who had been taking the underworld by storm? The sudden fall of so many prosperous ponies? It was all too convenient. This was a setup. Besides, there was the cardinal rule that Secret always followed, one that was carved into his character like the very scars on hide: Caution. It was the main reason besides his wits that had made him last as long as he had in this dangerous enterprise, and he wasn't about to throw that cardinal rule out now for the mere temptation of some gold, gold that could be as good as his anyways after eliminating this arrogant threat. Pulling out a pen from his vest, Secret hastily scribbled down a note on the paper, as if he were simply signing off on some form before shoving it back into Short Wave's chest.

"Fine! I'll deal with this later. Now get back to your post, and don't you dare ever interrupt me at a time like this again, do I make myself clear?!"

Short Wave glanced down at the paper at the hastily scribbled ink which read: 'Tell the helm to prepare the ship for immediate departure!' Looking back up at his boss, the unicorn quickly bowed his head,

"M-my apologies sir, I'll get back to my post right away!" He said before turning and scampering off. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Secret couldn't help but smile slightly in admiration at how well the young colt had taken the hint and played along.

Good lad, I'll have to see to rewarding him later if we get out of this. He thought before turning back to face his 'customer.'

"Trouble?" Vangar asked. Secret smiled, subtely tapping his rear hoof twice on the ground, the pre-established signal to his mercs of a deal gone bad.

"None that can't be swiftly dealt with, I assure you," He cooly replied, hefting the lightweight weapon in his right hoof, settling the stock against his shoulder. "Oh, pardon me, I had nearly forgotten. I was about to give you a demonstration of the product." Swiftly raising the weapon right at the centaur's head, he squeezed the trigger, and fired.

Secret Threshold stared in disbelief at the seemingly impossible before him, his iron-clad sense of manner and decorum, grilled into him by years of drill and practice being the only thing keeping him from openly gawking, and barely at that. The centaur had not been but ten feet in front of him, the metallic twang of the crossbow's immensely powerful drawstring still ringing in his ears; he had aimed right at the creature's face, a dead shot, impossible to miss. And yet, Vangar was not dead; the enchanted, magic-piercing bolt cast at the center of the creature's face faster than the eye could blink, rather than punching a hole straight through his head in an expected spray of blood and brain matter was instead somehow inexplicably, frustratingly, caught in the monster's hand, the quivering barb of the tip not an inch from his unseen nose.

For the span of about three heart beats, both groups stared at each other.

"Well," Vangar sighed, his voice no longer gravely, but clear and strong, "Buck it."

Secret Threshold quickly overcame his shock and immediately racked the crossbow for another shot with the auto-assist, only for the weapon to be blasted out of his hooves in a bright burst of blue magic caused by a mana-charged arrow fired from long distance by an unseen archer.

At the same time, the top half of the centaur's body suddenly detached from its lower four legs, the torso leaping clear to land on two long legs that emerged from the bottom of its heavy cloak; the hood was thrown back to reveal none other than Celestia's pet monster, the human known as Flash Skies.

"Evenin'," he quipped, a mischievous grin on his face. He was instantly joined by his three companions, who took fighting positions: the large white earth pony, the black pegasus, and a particularly deranged looking white unicorn that the human had apparently been sitting on whose lower half appeared to have been painted black. "On behalf of their Majesties Princesses Celestia and Luna, I graciously accept your surrender, Secret Threshold."

Two more arrows streaked out of the distant darkness in quick succession, trailing beams of light, immediately wounding two of Threshold's ponies, the only other ones who had also been holding crossbows, just as they had begun to raise them; the two equines fell to the ground with cries of pain, arrows sticking out of their shoulders. The remaining mercenaries quickly leapt into action, spreading out rapidly as they raised various weapons with cries of alarm.

"KILL THEM!" Secret Threshold screamed while falling back into the crowd as his mercenaries surged forward.

"Guess we'll add resisting arrest to the charges?" Flash sighed while whipping off his cloak. He spun in a half circle, flinging the garment at a charging griffon with yellow feathers and wielding an axe with both claws, but not before giving the garment a powerful charge of static electricity so that it clung to its hapless victim like flypaper, the unfortunate fellow falling to the ground in a tangle of muffled screams and frustration.

Flash leapt back to gain space between him and the charging mercs, his disguised teammates following suit as he drew out the spear Shadowbane from behind his back, expanding the haft to its full size with an impulse of his will before igniting the enchanted spearhead in a blaze of white light brighter than the noonday sun.

Two more of the attacking group fell to the ground, a pegasus and an earth pony, covering their eyes in cries of pain, while the nine remaining, much to Flash's surprise, seemed to only flinch but kept charging.

Well, that's certainly new, they're learning! Flash thought before shouting a warning to the others, "They got wards, spread out!" He quickly extinguished Shadowbane, realizing that it would be a pointless waste of energy at this point and instead blocked a slash from another griffon's talons with the spear's haft.

"Lumen! I need you to-"

"GAAAHHHHH!!!!"

Lumen Dawn screamed with manic fervor, charging wildly like a rabid badger at a pair of poor unicorns who immediately balked at the sight of the apparent mad pony coming at them with murder in his eyes, throwing up barriers in a desperate attempt to shield themselves from the veritable torrent of spells being launched at them by the demented battle mage.

"Shine! 死ね! SHINE!!! 死ね!!! SHINE!!!!! 死ね!!!!!"

Flash never knew that his executive officer could speak Japonese, but he made a mental note to perform a welfare check on him later...much later.

"Was this part of the plan, boss?!" Slipstream shouted as he took to the air, the pegasus loosing a bolt from his own crossbow at the other pegasus flying up to attack him; it dodged the shot and slashed with hoof blades, knocking the weapon from Slipstream's hooves. He extended his wing blades in response while moving to avoid a brown griffon with black head-feathers that was circling around to flank him.

"Plans change!" Flash shouted as he twisted away from another strike from the griffon's fast talons, "Goal's the same! Subdue these guys, catch Threshold before he gets away!"

Flash knew that was going to be easier said than done, reinforcements were still minutes out. Meanwhile, Sugar was tangling with another earth pony and a club-wielding diamond dog; and while Lumen seemed to be more than a match for his two unfortunate opponents currently scrambling to stay out his way, he was still held up. At the same time, his own opponent, a large red griffon with burnt orange plummage, wasn't exactly a pushover. He hit hard and was fast enough to keep up with him; Flash wouldn't bet on winning in a contest of pure strength with the lion bird. That, and the fact that his black talons were tipped with steel made the human suddenly feel very self-conscious of the fact that he was only wearing a light hauberk of black mail instead of his full armor which his previous disguise had not allowed.

Another long range arrow from Sharp Shot buzzed overhead and struck down one of the earth ponies he had blinded earlier as the poor sap began to stagger back to his hooves. This arrow had a blunted tip, but was charged with a stun-spell; Flash prided himself that his team was able to avoid bloodshed when possible; he hated having to hurt ponies. But at this point, bloodshed was becoming increasingly more likely if they wanted to catch Threshold before he escaped. The infamous pegasus had already reached the gang plank and was clambering to get aboard his ship as quickly as possible.

Flash hissed as one of the griffon's strikes glanced wide off of his weapon and clipped his shoulder, the harsh tug on his hauberk and the slight burning in his shoulder telling him that he'd been lightly wounded.

"Ha!" The griffon boasted, his voice holding a rough, coastal accent, "Is this the legendary human I've heard so much about? The terror of Equestria?! You're not so toug-ACK!"

Flash had feinted to his right as if stumbling, and when his opponent tried to capitalize on what he perceived to be an error, Flash had spun left with the force of a tornado, smashing Shadowbane's indestructible haft upside the bird's head and knocking him senseless. An immediate followup with a leaping knee to the underside of his chin put his opponent down for the count.

An avian shriek and the sound of tearing cloth told Flash that his earlier victim and finally freed himself from his blankety prison. Flash didn't even have to turn as the stunned squawk that followed a second later told him that another one of Sharp Shot's arrows had found its mark.

The sound of the airship's engines sputtering to life drew Flash's attention; he crouched down, preparing to sprint for it. "I'm going for the ship! Somepony go-OOOH!!!!"

His words were lost as a bright yellow envelope of magic suddenly surrounded him and yanked him backwards, right into the path of an oncoming bolt of green magic fired by one of the unicorns engaging Lumen Dawn. The glowing outline of Sunset Shimmer's cutie mark instantly flared to life on the human's forehead as the permanent protection charm placed on him by her when he was a child activated, causing the deadly bolt to deflect harmlessly off of a barrier of red magic that flickered momentarily visible at the point of impact.

"Lumen?! What the hay do you think you are doINNNG?!" Flash tried to ask before being flung back and forth as Lumen deflected more incoming bolts of magic, using the human's protected body as a shield while simultaneously firing back at his opponents. The normally prim and proper noble who would almost never so much as even break a smile out of place now cackled madly with the glee of an escaped lunatic who had been handed the keys to the asylum,

"Ah! HA! REJOICE human! I have finally discovered a USE for you!!!"

"Lumen! Put me down! I am not your personal buckler! You can't just-"

"ThehumiliationsIhavesuffered!Havingtobesomepony'sflankforoveramonth!I'llmakeyouregretthefirsttimeyoueverevensomuchasjaywalked!SHIIINEEE!!!!

Trying not to feel sick from being jerked around like a marionette, Flash looked up to see Secret Threshold's airship slowly but steadily rising away from them; it was already 60 feet off the ground and climbing. At the same time, he saw Slipstream dart through the air between him and the ship, being tailed quickly by his pair of opponents, and was struck with inspiration, one that he hoped he wouldn't regret.

"LUMEN! THE AIRSHIP! THROW ME!"

Lumen Dawn cut down one of his opponents, causing the other to lose his nerve and run only to be violently struck in the back of the head with a particularly intense stun spell. He looked up at Flash, the crazed look on his face flickering with a second of genuine surprise before being replaced with a savage, bloodthirsty grin; the yellow magic enveloping his horn flared with shocking intensity,

I may not live to regret this... Was Flash's final thought before Lumen spun on his hooves a full 360 degrees, winding the human up like he was a hammer throw at the Equestria Games.

"SHINEEEEE!!!!!!!!"

Shine?! Flash's mind questioned before he was launched with explosive force face first towards the ascending airship at an absolutely eye-watering speed, his face rippling and his limbs trailing like ribbons; he was pretty sure a mach cone was forming in front of him.

Fortunately, it seemed that his crazed battle mage was still able to quickly read his intention, aiming him right at the other pegasus chasing Slipstream; a two for one. The pony didn't even have time to be surprised as Flash tucked and flipped, smashing into the side of his head with both feet and spring-boarding off of him, launching him up towards the ever ascending airship.

Sorry cousin, Flash relented with slight remorse while rocketing up towards the starboard edge of the ship. He condensed Shadowbane down to its reduced form, reaching out with an over handed grip and stabbing the spearhead into the side of the wooden hull right as he lost his upward momentum.

"Gah!" Flash gasped as he swung back and forth, nearly losing his hold on the spear. Gritting his teeth, he pulled himself up along the hull of the ship, reaching up with his left hand and managing to grab on to the edge of the deck. He barley had time to look up before somepony stabbed a vicious looking grey trident at his face, forcing him to fling up his left arm and catch it on his vambrace in a shower of sparks.

"Well I have to admit, you're just as tenacious as your famed reputation suggests human, but don't you know when it's time to call it quits?!" Secret Threshold laughed while thrusting forward with the weapon, almost pushing the human overboard. Flash grabbed the neck of the trident and yanked it towards himself, trying to pull it out of the crippled pony's grip; Threshold growled in surprise but held firm.

"Sorry, not part of the job description!" Flash yelled over the blowing wind. He grimaced as a white pegasus with a blue mane and tail charged at him with a wicked halberd. Thinking quickly, Flash managed to uncurl his forefinger from the trident and released a small burst of lightning at the other pony, the arcing energy knocking him off of his hooves. Secret Threshold responded by thrusting the weapon forward, knocking the human over the side so that he was hanging only by his right hand which clung desperately to the collapsed haft of his magical spear still embedded in the hull.

Flash hung on for dear life, the twisting air currents preventing him from reaching back up again. Secret Threshold appeared above him, a malevolent grin on his face,

"You know my strange friend, you and I both have something in common!" The pegasus shouted over the wind, raising the trident over his head. "We both come from the same tribe, and yet neither of us can fly!"

Thrusting at his face, Flash was forced to let go of his weapon, falling backwards through the air. Reaching out with his hand, he attempted to pull himself back up towards the hilt of his weapon by using the magnetic field that he had built up within it over time, only for it to yank lose from the hull and fly instead into his hand with a smack.

"Cheerio! Happy landings!" Secret Threshold shouted after him.

Flash twisted over as he plummeted towards the hard ground roughly 200ft below, too high for him to land without serious injury. Thinking quickly, he expanded Shadowbane's haft back to its full size with a movement of his will. With only 50ft left, he focused on the air around him; reaching out with his weather and flight magic, he channeled the power through the enchanted spear and with a mighty swing towards the ground, created a blast of wind that cushioned his fall so that he landed hard, but safely.

Slipstream landed next to him, a concerned look on his face. "Flash! Are you alright?" He asked.

Flash glowered up at the escaping airship, "I will be as soon as we bring down that ship!" Slipstream looked doubtfully up at the departing craft,

"That's a long shot boss, even for you."

Flash glanced at Shadowbane, knowing that the magnifying effects that the weapon afforded would easily allow him to hit the craft with a lightning bolt, but it would likely be too much. He needed to disable the ship, not obliterate it, and that called for range more than power. Mind racing, he grinned as an idea came to mind. Looking at his friend, he said, "Alright Slips, let's try the ol' 'alley-oop.'"

Slipstream sighed, "Alright, but remember what happened last time? I don't want the backlash to fry my feathers again."

Flash waved him off, "Ah don't worry, I've gotten better control since then!" Slipstream rolled his eyes but trotted casually into position behind his friend.

"So," Flash said, planting his spear in the ground and rolling his shoulders in preparation, "Did you take Natarra to that griffon restaurant I told you about? The one with all the meat selections? I figured it would be right up her ally."

"Yeah, not yet. She seems pretty shy about going out in public when she's away from the island."

Flash locked both his hands together, pointing his fore and middle fingers up towards the airship as it sailed away, "Maybe you should take Rose with you? I mean, she seems to get along well with her, might make your marefriend feel a bit more relaxed?" Slipstream frowned,

"You really think Rose wants to casually hang out while she's grounded? Kind of an awkward situation to be in. How long are you going to leave her like that anyways?"

"I'm thinking about it," Flash said quietly after a few beats of silence. "I have to know I can trust her." Slipstream frowned at that, but let it go. The air hummed with power as the human drew deep upon his reserves, drawing the lightning his body naturally produced into one massive charge that he focused into the tips of his fingers.

Slipstream turned about, "Ready?"

"Ready!" Flash replied, "And...Now!"

Slipstream gave a gentle yet firm buck with his rear hooves into the middle of the human's back, the pegasus channeling his own weather magic through his hooves and into his friend as if he were kicking a charged thundercloud.

Flash felt the surge of power from his friend's hooves go through him, letting it hit the power he had built up in his fingertips like a billiard ball on a pool table, amplifying its current. With a brilliant flash and a crackling boom of thunder, an enormous lightning bolt erupted from his fingertips, arcing through the sky in an instant and striking the stern of the Nightingale with tremendous force. There was another burst of light as the energy blasted the ship, destroying both engines and slicing a large gash through its envelope, damaging several gas bags. The ship shuddered and lurched as it began to rapidly descend back towards the ground, trailing smoke and falling debris.

"Hah! Bullseye!" Flash shouted with a swing of his fist, "Told you I'd get it!"

"Nice shot," Slipstream agreed, "Guess I get to keep my feathers after all."

"Hey, that was one time!"

"Comin' from the guy without wings to worry about, ya dodo." Slipstream muttered under his breath.

"I heard that!" Flash said, but he couldn't help but grin. After months of work and weeks of planning, they had finally bagged one of the most infamous and long running illegal smugglers in Equestria. It had been close; taken time, effort, and lots of bodies, but a major threat to civil stability who had been active for far too long was about to face Equestrian justice.

"What do you MEAN he's not here?!" Flash shouted at Sugar Rush, his hardened staff sergeant actually wincing slightly under the verbal onslaught. The temporary glamor charm that had changed the large earth pony's mane and coat black and white had been removed, leaving him in his much more familiar brown and blue appearance. Sugar's ears splayed slightly, his dark red eyes glancing to one side,

"I'm sorry Kapitan, I will have the guard perform another sweep of the surrounding area." He said before saluting and stepping away at a brisk pace, shouting orders to some of the Royal Guard reinforcements that had arrived shortly after the Nightingale had been brought down. The ship was intact, though the hull had been badly cracked and its superstructure damaged by the impact of a relatively hard landing. Half a company's worth of ponies were now crawling all over it, searching its holds and securing any crew they discovered for questioning.

"Boss, you're bleeding!" Slipstream exclaimed, pointing to the trickle of blood dripping from under his right sleeve, but Flash ignored him, too upset to care about a scratch while months of work were crumbling before his eyes.

Flash clenched his fists in growing frustration, it didn't make any sense. "He couldn't have just vanished into thin air!" He grumbled out loud.

"Actually, he probably did," Lumen Dawn said trotting up behind him, his horn glowing with a low light, "I discovered trace elements of a teleportation spell in and around the ship's bridge." Flash turned to the white unicorn, a glimmer of hope in his eyes,

"Can you trace it?" He hurriedly asked. Lumen frowned, appearing as if he swallowed something unpleasant.

"Unfortunately...No, sir. Whoever cast it knew what they were doing, and managed to thoroughly cover their tracks." He paused, tapping a hoof to his chin in thought, "That would take some doing," he murmured in thought before glaring up at Flash, "Not just any pony can conceal their spell prints from me."

Flash knew the proud pony only said that partly to assuage his own wounded pride, but he had to agree. Lumen, for all of his more insufferable flaws, was truly a superb mage. If he was actually admitting that he couldn't trace the spell, then whoever cast it was darn good, and careful.

Flash turned about in anger, the good mood he had earlier on what had seemed a total success now completely gone. He noticed the pegasus known as Cold Front sitting on an overturned crate and being tended to by two medics. It immediately struck him as odd that a pegasus, one who would have had plenty of time to escape a slowly crashing airship, was somehow captured still on board. He stomped over towards the pony, his temper fuming.

"You!" He accused at the pony who snapped his gaze to the approaching human, his blue mane held up by the bandages wrapped around his forehead. The two medics sprang aside as Flash grabbed onto the collar of the torn vest that the white pegasus was wearing, nearly yanking him up off the crate.

"Where is your master?! WHERE IS HE?!"

The pony whimpered in reply, tucking his forelimbs to his chest, "I...I don't know! I, I can't re-remember!" Flash gave the pony a rough shake,

"Cut the bullspit!" Flash snarled, "Don't give me that amnesia act, you were up there with him! You almost carved my face off up there, don't think I don't remember you!"

The pony seemed to be on the verge of tears, his mouth gaping open and closed like a fish out of water; something wasn't right. The confused, fearful look in the pony's ice-blue eyes were not the cold hard eyes of a hardened professional that Flash recalled seeing not twenty minutes earlier when this same pony was trying his utmost to put a halberd though his head. He seemed genuinely traumatized by something. Flash noticed the bloodstain on the pony's head dressing,

"Please sir! We're not done yet, he took a pretty serious knock to the head!" Said one of the medics, a light green mare with pleading brown eyes.

Why didn't he just fly away?! Flash thought angrily as he relented to the mare with an apologetic nod, the thought adding to his immediate frustration.

"Sir, we found the ship's wireless operator, he had this on him!"

Flash spun around as a pair of guards in gray steel armor approached him, a quivering young orange unicorn held between them. One of the guards held out a slip of paper which Flash immediately recognized to be a wireless printout. The technology was relatively new in Equestria, and by relatively new, bleeding edge. Only the wealthiest of ponies could afford this latest luxury of instant communication that didn't rely on magic, instead, transmitting messages by horse code using invisible electromagnetic waves. Operators for this technology were rare, and those with the knowledge to maintain such a set at peak performance, even rarer. Which meant this little unicorn who looked barely old enough to be out of primary school was probably not a hardened criminal, but an enthusiast who had likely just received his first big break in a field where few were hiring his types.

Flash's eyes widened as he saw the contents of the message, a cold pit forming in his gut. He glared at the unicorn who flinched under his gaze, "Where did you get this?! Who sent it to you?!" He demanded. The pony's lower lip trembled and for a second, Flash thought he would answer until he noticed the defiant glint mixed in with the fear clearly visible in the pony's light green eyes.

Dang, that's some loyalty little guy, Flash thought with begrudging admiration, About to wet himself in fear of the scary hooman, and yet won't sell out his boss. Threshold must have given the kid his first real job in something he loved, he mused, noticing the colt's yellow lightning bolt cutie mark. Despite his great alarm at the message's disturbing content and the mounting pressure of his growing frustration with the entire situation, Flash forced himself to smile,

"What's your name, my little pony?" He sighed while rubbing the bridge of his nose, trying to sound more gentle. The pony swallowed nervously,

"Sh-Short Wave, sir," he stuttered. Flash gave friendly smirk,

"Nice to meet you Short Wave, my name's Flash Skies. You must be a pretty smart colt to know how to operate a wireless set at such a young age."

The pony gave a small, bashful nod and seemed to stop shaking as much. Flash waved the slip of paper,

"Personally, I don't know a whole lot about this fancy new tech, but tell me, in your professional opinion, is it even possible to know where a transmission originates from?"

Short Wave was silent for a moment his eyes flicking back and for in indecision before looking up and meeting Flash's eyes. "M-maybe, with the right equipment, yeah. I actually had a theory on how to do it that I've been working on, but I haven't been able to test it because no pony was really interested in helping with it."

Flash smiled as the watched the pony become a little more bold when speaking about his passion, "Dang, you really are a smart one if you're thinking up stuff like that on your own!" He said, actually getting a small smile from Short Wave in response. "Well," Flash began, standing up straight and waving the telegram at the two guards, "These big tough guards will probably just want to throw you in a cold cell with the rest of those scary looking mercs we just bagged." The color drained from Short Wave's face.

"But personally, I think that'd just be a waste of some great talent. You see, I have all this new fancy tech back at my headquarters that we're trying to get up and running for the longest time, best that money can buy! But we just can't seem to get it to work right all the time. In fact, I've been searching all over for somepony who might just be smart and skilled enough to help us with that, I think you might just be that pony. Whaddya say, can you help us out?"

Short Wave's mouth hung open, clearly shocked at his sudden turn of fortune. It was obvious that he found the idea of having a job where he could work to his heart's content on all of his dreams far more appealing than going to prison. He hung his head in shame,

"I, I never wanted to be a bad pony, mister. I, I just wanted to be able to work, that's all. But nopony would ever hire me, except Mr. Threshold that is. I didn't realize what he did until it was too late to say no. I'm, I'm sorry..."

Flash noticed his team mate Sharp Shot come up next to him out of the corner of his eye, the little tan unicorn's blue eyes scrutinizing the scene before him. Flash nodded to the two guards who took a step back, giving the Short Wave some space; he then reached down to playfully ruffle the little pony's brown mane, "I don't think you're a bad pony Short Wave, and sometimes we can get caught up with the wrong crowd." He said while getting down on one knee. Short Wave looked up at him, a mix of fear and gratitude in his shimmering eyes. Flash held up the telegram, "But please, these are bad ponies, and if we don't stop them, they're going to hurt a lot of good folk. Please, can you help me to stop that from happening?"

Short Wave glanced at the message and shook his head, "I don't know where Mister Threshold went, and I don't who sent that message sir, honest I don't! It came in as soon as we landed on a broadband frequency, meaning any pony listening would have gotten it too."

So we're back to square one, Flash groaned internally.

"But, if you give me time, and if I can bring back some of my equipment from the ship, then, then I might be able to help figure out where the transmission originated from!" Flash raised an eyebrow,

"How close, can you give me a number?" He asked, praying that it would at least be a general direction of some sort. Short Wave frowned in thought, clearly running through some mental calculations that Flash knew he could never understand,

"I dunno, maybe the building it originated from? Sorry, I wish I could do better, but all I would have for now is the wave length to work with. It would be a lot easier if I could get access to the serial number records at the Hall of Inventions, all the new wireless sets produced have to have them, and there aren't that many. Then I could probably find not only the machine, but who it was that even sent it!"

Flash had to make a serious effort to not bear hug the little guy in gratitude right then and there. "Sharps?" He asked, the unicorn snapping his gaze up to him, "Take our new friend here back to headquarters and show him the ropes, make sure he has everything he needs to do his work. And keep him safe, he's a good pony."

Sharp Shot saluted sharply before looking at Short Wave, the mute pony tapping a quick, 'Let's go,' in horse code on his black breast plate with his hoof. Short Wave looked practically in awe at the revelation that he had just happened to meet another pony who actually spoke his language. He hurriedly followed after Sharps, almost prancing with joy, his previous fear gone; jabbering energetically to Sharp Shot about how excited he was to meet him and all the ideas he had, but not before casting a look of deep gratitude over his shoulder at Flash as they walked away. Flash smiled back and gave him nod,

I think Sharps just made a new friend, he smirked to himself; few ever really felt comfortable around the enigmatic little specialist save him and his teammates. He sighed with some relief, Well, thank God this whole night won't be a-

"Total loss? Is that what I'm hearing Captain Skies?" Came the haughty, billowing tone of the one pony he had been hoping not to see tonight. Flash sighed inwardly,

"General Iron Shod," He said while turning and rendering a salute to the beechwood colored earth pony with a proud salt and pepper handlebar moustache. The old general was sporting a long, dark green greatcoat and field cap, a corncob pipe was clenched between his teeth. The pony returned his salute, a disappointed look in his grey eyes.

"You told me this was going to be a breakthrough operation my young friend," he said looking dismissively as his soldiers escorted away Secret Threshold's hired thugs, "If I merely wanted to incarcerate a group of no-good scraggly mercenaries, I could have raided Kludgetown again." He said, taking a draw on his pipe, puffing a small cloud of sweet smelling smoke. "I backed this operation as a favor to the Princesses, one last investment of political capital spent on my peers before retiring. I expected something better than," he paused, taking another disappointed look at the wrecked airship, smirking, "Whatever this was." He said with a waving gesture of his pipe. "Maybe if you'd attended a few more of my lectures while in the academy and spent less time haunting Carillion Lance's salle, you'd have had more appreciation for the finer points of a properly executed encirclement? Care to explain why you jumped the fence early and didn't wait for my reinforcements?"

Flash grit his teeth, biting back the retort he wanted to snap back at the pompous pony. True, he was technically not under Iron Shod's chain of command, answering only to the Princesses themselves and could right properly tell the old general to stick it where Celestia's sun didn't shine if he wanted to. But at the same time, he knew that it would reflect poorly on himself and his teammates. After all, Celestia was trying to get him to play nice with others, even if old schoolers like Iron Shod were so set in their ways that a petrified tree seemed more modern. Ponies in the officer corps like Iron Shod had long been opposed to Flash's team of specialists from the very start and never wasted an opportunity to loudly voice that disapproval and in some cases, even go so far as to thwart his efforts within the rest of the Royal Guard.

By taking Celestia's suggestion to incorporate some of the more traditional elements of the Guard into the final phase of this particular mission, he had hoped that they would see the merits of working together for future operations; and perhaps even salve some of the bruised egos that had resulted from the meteoric rise in fame and success that Flash's team had until now enjoyed.

Flash cleared his throat, "Respectfully, sir, I didn't go early in an attempt to cut you or your brave ponies out of the operation. Our cover was somehow blown right when we made contact with the target," he said, allowing the general to see the telegram in his hand.

"Hmph," Iron Shod scoffed after looking at the message. "Well then, it seems the answer is obvious. You have a leak in your house, Captain Skies."

Flash felt his temper spike again, a vein throbbing on his temple. Lumen Dawn and Slipstream, who had moments ago stepped up next to Flash as he and the general spoke, also bristled at the insinuation. Flash nearly threw the accusation right back at the smug officer, but held back because in reality, that same dreaded suspicion had been steadily growing in the back of his mind ever since he first saw the telegram.

Absolutely no pony outside of his own teammates and the Princesses themselves knew about the nature of this mission, so vital was the secrecy of his false persona; the only exception being Iron Shod himself. Even his own mother didn't know and they were able to read each other's minds! And as much as Flash disliked the old steam engine and his prehistoric methods, he knew that Iron Shod was unquestionably loyal to Equestria and would never compromise a mission or the safety of good soldiers just to make the human look bad. This pony would bleed to keep the sun rising in the morning. Flash knew it, and so did Iron Shod. So who could it be?

Flash knew Lumen Dawn personally hated him, but he would never compromise the team, even if only for the sake of his own code of honor as a noble as well as his own personal success. Slipstream was one of his oldest friends, and Sharp Shot and Sugar Rush were some of the most trustworthy ponies he had ever met. That left only one pony who could have possibly leaked the info. The one, very unhappy bat whom he had grounded and left riding a desk back at headquarters. And she was the only one who had, in fact, already deceived him once.

Rose Dust, Flash thought with a grimace. He didn't want to suspect the thestral, but logic and prudence demanded that he list her as a prime suspect for the time being until they figured out what actually happened.

Iron Shod removed the pipe from his mouth, "Perhaps you and your team of 'specialists' should withdraw for now, Captain Skies; leave it to me. I'll assume command of the continuing investigation into Secret Threshold's whereabouts through the more, traditional channels of operations. It seems your unconventional methods have proved inadequate for now, I suggest you return to base to regroup and reassess your strategy. I'll be sure to send you updates on our progress."

An audible crack was heard as Flash clenched his fist. He took a deep breath and slowly released it, remembering the techniques Princess Cadance had taught him for controlling his temper ever since he was a foal. "That's a generous offer, sir. But this is still my operation, my mission, not yours, and I will continue to run it as I see fit."

Iron Shod let out a disappointed sigh, but instead of getting indignant as Flash expected him to, he simply smiled as only an officer watching a rival's command blow an inspection could. "You're absolutely right son, this isn't my operation. This isn't my command, this isn't my mission, and this most certainly isn't my leak.

"I am here, by request of the princesses, to offer my experience in an advisory position as a senior officer. I have done so, and as it seems, am firmly rebuffed. Therefore by your own insistence this is entirely your engagement, your mission, and your very great honor to present the results to the Princesses and Attorney General Ivory Scales. He really was looking forward to meeting Mr. Threshold..."

Flash wasn't sure which was worse, the fact that he was being made to feel like a scolded school-colt, or, as much as he hated to admit it, that he knew, deep down, that the General was right. This was his mess, whether it was his fault or not. For now, maybe the best thing to do was to return to headquarters, lick their wounds, and figure out what in Tartarus was going on. Swallowing his pride, he met the General's eyes,

"Perhaps you're right, sir. I'm going to return to Canterlot for now, please inform me of any new developments," he said while rendering a salute; his shoulder twinged.

A twinkle of delight seemed to go through Iron Shod's eyes, "There's a good lad," he said while returning his salute. "I'll be sure to do my best to see that not all of your hard work goes to waste, son. And see to that shoulder Captain! I'd hate to see one of our best and brightest sidelined by youthful stubbornness."

Flash nodded and turned, forcing himself not to scowl at the impressive amount of criticism and backhoofed praise that the old stallion had managed to cram into one sentence. Lumen Dawn and Slipstream followed him.

"Boss, you don't really think Rose, I mean, she would never..."

"I don't know Slips," Flash darkly admitted, "But I'm sure as hell going to find out." He idly wondered how a word from earth had randomly slipped into his lexicon, but pushed the thought aside as he focused on the much more important and unpleasant business ahead of him. The night was deepening, and the way forward, dark.

Author's Note

Greetings and salutations!

I am so happy to finally be able to bring you the true full-length sequel to Brighter Horizons and I am looking forward to your thoughts and to having you along for the ride!

A big shoutout to my dear friend and faithful editor, Venerable Ro. He was a big help in helping me finally get this story off the ground with his encouragement and wonderful insights. He was the one who in fact wrote all the dialogue for Iron Shod with his marvelous mind for word-smithing and I couldn't be more pleased with the results, cheers mate!

As always, I am grateful for your presence and pray that you all may be happy and blessed this day and always, God bless!

Update, people have been asking to know what the Japonese reference is from, I give you Bakugo from My Hero Academia haha.

More Questions than Answers

One Month Earlier.

The piercing shriek of the monstrous Tatzlwurm echoed off the canyon walls, its enraged thrashing causing enormous boulders and pieces of shale to break off the sides of the cliffs and crash into the gorge below. Flash leapt clear of one crashing rock with a burst of speed, jumping with light feet from rock to rock as he continued to draw the creature's attention to him and away from the village.

"Hey! Ugly! Over here! What's the matter, lose your appetite?!"

The beast roared in reply, surging it's enormous snake-like body forward, it's gruesome, petal like jaws yawning open to reveal the dark pit of insatiable hunger that was its gaping throat from which lashing tentacles reached forth, searching and grasping like writhing snakes as it attempted to pursue it's nimble quarry through the narrow canyon. Flash had hoped that the confining space of the gorge would help them to trap the monster, allowing him to finish it off with Shadowbane. But much to his surprise, not even the Alicorn forged spear could fully pierce its magic-proof scales, leaving only a few shallow marks at best. From then on, he continued to lead it away from the pony village while he and his team devised a way to destroy it.

A surge of momentary panic raced through Flash's chest as he felt one of the creature's mouth-tentacles wrap around his calf like a whip. Not losing a second, he turned to slice off the appendage with a swing of his spear, only to be beaten to the punch by Rose Dust, the whitish gray thestral shooting by in a blur of wings and black armor. The monster screamed in renewed pain and anger.

"Hey, I had it!" Flash shouted to her, "But thanks!" Leaping away a good fifty feet through the air backwards, he pointed the tip of Shadowbane at the great beast and focusing hard, unleashed a powerful bolt of lightning, the enchanted spear amplifying his power multiple times over. The blast caught the worm under its head, violently knocking it back with a shriek as if struck by a gigantic club. It fell to the ground with a rock splitting crash and began to rise again only for it to be driven back down under a cascade of rocks and boulders kicked loose by Sugar Rush, the powerful earth pony looking down at Flash from above; he looked worried.

"That won't hold him for long!" Slipstream shouted to his friend as he landed next to him on the small platform of rock where the human had paused to rest. "Got any more bright ideas boss?"

Flash panted, leaning on his spear, "I don't know how many more of those I got left!" He said, referring to his lightning, but smirked when he realized the double meaning he unintentionally created. He had hit the monster several times with lightning blasts in the course of the last twenty minutes, leaving scorch marks on its building-sized body, but nothing more. 'Only two shots left at best...' He thought inwardly, mind racing.

A bright burst of yellow magic deposited Lumen Dawn at the human's side, "We can't stop this thing Flash! We've hit it with everything we've got!" the unicorn angrily shouted, casting a frustrated look at the pile of rocks that was already beginning to shift and move, the worm roaring with increasing rage. Rose Dust landed a second later,

"Well, we've certainly made it mad, maybe it would just stop and go away if we said we were sorry?" She sheepishly suggested; Flash couldn't tell if she was joking or not.

"To Tartarus with that!" Flash angrily shouted, "That thing's killed five ponies in the past two months, it's a dead worm!"

"And how would you like to do that?" Lumen practically spat. Flash's mind raced for a moment, he looked at his spear and was suddenly struck with inspiration. He took a breath,

"SHARPS! I NEED YOU TO MAKE IT MAD AT ME!" He screamed, his voice echoing down the canyon walls. A blue flicker of light appeared about a hundred feet above and behind him on a ledge, the small unicorn nodded to him, notching an arrow at the ready in his ethereal bow of blue mana.

"Wait, what do you mean make it mad?!" Slipstream shouted over the sounds of crashing rocks as the worm continued to free itself, "That thing's already peeved to Tartarus and back!"

"Just what are you planning, sir?" Rose Dust added in alarm.

"I'm gonna get it to charge me," Flash replied. "Look, we can't kill it from without, so I'm going to let it come right at me, and when it opens its idiot mouth to get me, I'm gonna lob Shadowbane right down it's throat as hard as I can! If I hit just behind the roof of its throat, it'll pierce its puny brain and finish it!"

"That's insane sir! If you miss you'll be worm food!" Rose Dust shouted.

"I won't miss," Flash said, his eyes narrowing, confident in Celestia's words that if the weapon was cast with just intent, it would be difficult to miss his intended target. Rose Dust sprang in front of him, crouched low with her wings spread,

"I won't allow that!" Flash looked at her with surprise,

"Excuse you?" He asked before feeling his jaw drop as she stood up and pulled something out from behind her breastplate. There dangling from a thin metal chain in the thestral's hoof hung a silver lunar crest. It was a medal of power that he and the others instantly recognized as a symbol of supreme authority given only to ponies of the night guard when tasked with personal missions of the upmost importance; in short, she was speaking with the authority of Princess Luna herself.

"Captain Flash Skies, I order you and the rest of the team to fall back! You will not go through with this reckless plan!" Flash could see a combination of fear, sadness, and anxiety in her pink eyes, but all wreathed in an aura of unwavering determination. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, the rest of the team uttering audible gasps at the revelation showing that they shared his surprise.

"Rose, I, when did you, WHAT are yo-Get out of my way!"

"I can't do that sir!"

"Hey, get off me!"

"Just fall back for now, I'll explain everything later!"

"You're jeopardizing the mission Rose!"

"You are my mission sir!"

"LOOK OUT!" Slipstream suddenly screamed as the tatzlwurm burst free in an explosive shower of rocks and debris, most of which came shooting towards them. Lumen immediately sent out a powerful shockwave of yellow magic, diverting the worst of it away from the group, the unicorn staggering at the enormous cost of the sudden spell.

The beast roared, turning the ire of its gaze on the tiny team, only for a speeding arrow to embed itself in one of the beady black eyes that sat atop its towering head. Pony ears folded flat to their owners' heads as the subsequent shriek of agony uttered by the behemoth split the very rocks asunder.

The enraged worm struck like a snake, its gaping maw blotting out the entire sky from Flash's vision.

"MOVE!" He screamed, shoving Rose Dust into Lumen Dawn, knocking them both clear while Slipstream instinctively shot straight up and out of the way of the rampaging monster's attack.

There was a deafening crash, and Rose Dust found herself tumbling through the air, feeling the sting from dozens of small sharp pieces of flying shale as they struck her wings. She saw the tatzlwurm rear up out of the explosion of rock and dust, its head thrashing from side to side as it wailed in agony. It slammed itself into one side of the canyon, headbutting the cliff face several times with crazed energy. It lifted its head up with a final howl towards the evening sky before collapsing to one side like a felled tree, crushing the very ground beneath it in its ruin. It twitched once, and all was still.

Rose Dust sprang to her hooves, coughing all the while on the cloud of dust kicked up by the impact. Other than the odd noise of a few stones still falling to rest, everything was still; a stark contrast to the noise and chaos that had punctuated the air only moments ago. She took to the air, her eyes frantically searching the area around the fallen tatzlwurm.

"Flash! Flash! Where are you! Can anypony see him?!" She heard angry muttering as Lumen Dawn shoved aside a huge bolder that had nearly flattened him. Slipstream flew up next to her, and all three ponies' eyes met for a second before they turned as one and raced for the tatzlwurm's head. Sugar Rush slid down the side of the canyon and galloped to join them while Sharp Shot appeared in a burst of blue magic at the spot they were all heading to.

Rose Dust gasped as they rounded the bend of the creature's neck, sliding to a stop and pointing to the spear tip that was sprouting from the top of the worm's head, a pool of blood forming on the ground beneath it.

"Look, there!" She shouted.

"Flash?!" Slipstream called.

"Kapitan!"

"Stop gawping and get its stinking mouth open you morons!" Lumen Dawn shouted angrily. As one, the five ponies pulled open the three massive jaws of the slain beast, ignoring the stench as they desperately searched for any sign of their leader, of which they found none. Rose Dust felt her heart sink into her stomach,

"Where, where is he?" She quietly gasped, feeling like she couldn't breathe.

"You don't think he-" Slipstream gulped nervously, unable to finish his sentence. Sharp Shot snorted in irritation, lighting his horn and stepping up towards the massive throat as if to jump in,

"Ah! Hold on malen'kiy!" Sugar Rush exclaimed, grabbing hold of the small unicorn with a massive hoof, "We don't even know if-"

A sudden commotion of noise caught the ponies' attention. They looked at each other before racing down the length of the tatzlwurm's body, skidding to a halt at what they saw. There on his hands and knees, covered in a slimy mixture of blood, bile, and Celestia only knew what else, sat their leader. The side of the monster had been sliced open from the inside, its scales parting like some gruesome zipper which had allowed the contents of its guts to spill out. A bone-white dagger shaped from an elder dragon's fang that he had received as a gift from Queen Diomedia, was desperately clutched in one of the human's trembling hands.

Rose Dust felt her heart soar with relief at the unpleasant sight, "Flash! Sir! Are you alright?! Are you-" Her words caught in her throat at the look of pure rage the human gave her as he lifted his head, breathing hard through clenched teeth. He slowly rose to his feet.

"Corporal Rose Marie Dust," he calmly said, wiping his face with his free hand and spitting to one side. Rose Dust's ears slowly wilted as every pony took a slow step back from the pair,

"I believe you have some explaining to do..."

Flash stumbled slightly as the elevator jolted to a halt, the doors parting with a chime allowing him and Slipstream to step off into their subterranean headquarters beneath Canterhorn Castle. Construction on the new base of operations for the Black Guard had finally been finished only weeks earlier, and the smell of fresh paint, drywall and wood still clung to the air, mixing with the cool earthy smell of the underground tunnels into which a the bustling network of rooms, offices, and other facilities had been built.

It was still relatively early in the morning, and various staff ponies were still arriving for the day, some of then pausing to greet the pair of soldiers as they made their way down the hall. Flash nodded and smiled at them curtly, even though he felt utterly exhausted. The train ride back to Canterlot had taken all night, and during the trip he had only managed to catch a few winks of very restless sleep. He had dismissed the rest of the team to go get some rest, with plans to reconvene later that afternoon for a full debrief and assessment of the situation. Slipstream had chosen to remain at his side for the moment, the pegasus casting a worried look to his longtime friend.

"You feeling alright Flash? You look terrible, I mean, more so than you usually do," He lightheartedly joked.

Flash smirked in appreciation at the attempt to lift his spirits, but truth be told, he felt terrible, and not just emotionally. His shoulder was burning something fierce, their portable medkit being fresh out of any healing crystals of which they had been unable to resupply before setting out. It seemed that even a special department with the favor of the Crown itself was not immune from the joys of dealing with the Military Supply Office and their tedious bureaucracy; he had had to settle for a standard field dressing and ointment, of which he was fairly sure he'd done a poor job with. He knew he could have asked Lumen for a tertiary healing spell, but wanted to leave the poor unicorn be for now; the pony looked completely drained after they boarded the train, though he did a good job of hiding it.

"Yeah Slips, I'll be alright. Just not looking forward to what comes next is all."

"I hear ya boss, you want me to stand by? You know, emotional support?" He shyly suggested.

Flash gave him a tired smile, "No, I want you to go get some rest. We got a long day yet."

"Yeah? What about you? When do you get some rest? Or do big scary humans not need as much sleep as us little ponies?"

"Hey, I'm half pony."

"Clearly your better half."

"Yeah, love you too bud."

Slipstream chuckled and paused walking to look up at his friend, "All I'm saying is to take care of yourself, yeah? You're not invincible, and we only got one of ya." Flash stopped walking as well, sighing,

"Yeah I know, I got it. Thanks Slips." He said with genuine gratitude. Slipstream gave him a sad smile,

"Just go easy on her, yeah? We don't know what's going on yet, and I'd bet my left wing that she'd never betray us." He said with a yawn, covering his mouth with a wing. "Alright boss, go earn your boss pay. Imma go catch a few winks, see ya this afternoon."

Flash watched him go while pondering the message he could sense behind his friend's words, it was the same message that Celestia, Ella, his mother, and all others who cared about him had been gently reminding him of for some time. He knew they were right, but he still didn't know how to accept it.

Rose Dust looked up from the paperwork on her desk at the noise at her door, gasping softly as she caught sight of Flash. Her heart ached at his somewhat haggard appearance, but not so much as the ache she still felt from deceiving him. He motioned with his head towards his office further down the hall and kept walking. Pushing back from her desk with a sigh, she resigned herself to whatever new questions he had for her, or worse, that he might finally dismiss her after all. As much as it hurt to be sidelined from the team she loved, she held a glimmer of hope when Flash had not fired her outright after learning of her true mission. A hope that he might soon come to an understanding of why she did what she did and put all of this behind them.

Flash was already sitting behind his desk, fiddling with a new medkit when Rose stepped into the room, closed the door, and stood at attention, waiting for him to acknowledge her. Flash looked up for a moment to consider her, the cluttered mix of emotions in his heart he felt towards her: anger, sadness, sympathy, frustration, and the lingering affection he still held for her was making it difficult for him to even know how to begin. He took stock of her appearance; she was wearing their unique black uniform, her indigo mane was tied back in a tight, military regulation bun, and her whitish-grey coat was immaculately groomed and glossy. But he also noticed the dark circles that had begun to form under her glittering pink eyes, a rarity among thestrals, showing that she had still not fully committed to the option he had given her to work nights or days in consideration of her nocturnal nature. In the end, he decided to go casual, in acknowledgement of happier times with her.

"At ease, soldier," he said, still fumbling with the wax seal on the fresh kit. "I'm guessing without me saying that it's pretty easy for you to tell how this operation went?" Rose Dust smiled sadly,

"Well, seeing as I didn't hear Slipstream's usual victory chant when you two came in, I'm guessing, not good, sir."

Flash shook his head, "No, not good at all." He looked up at her, looking hard at her eyes while subtly reaching out his magnetic field; feeling, searching. "Do you know why that is Rose?" Her heartbeat was steady, and her eyes never wavered. She shook her head,

"Tell me."

Without answering, Flash reached into the breast pocket of his now tattered black uniform blouse, pulling out the slightly worn telegram and sliding it across the desk to her. Curious, she opened the telegram, her eyes widening in horrified comprehension at the message's obvious implication, one that said: 'Who else knew, but her?'

"Sir, I know how this must look,"

"And how does it look?"

"Terrible, I know, but, you've got to believe me when I tell you that I had nothing to do with this!"

Flash frowned, "You want me to believe you now? Sort of like how I believed you before?"

"Don't go there, sir, please, I was just doing my job." She huffed, her voice breaking slightly. Flash felt his jaw clench at her pain, but kept pushing, he needed to know.

"And I'm doing mine. Be logical Rose, what choice do I have? What would you do if you were in my position and I in yours? This isn't personal."

She slammed both hooves down on his desk, "Do you really believe that I would betray you and the boys?!" She shouted, before recoiling in shock at her outburst and backing down, "I'm, I'm sorry, sir."

Flash looked at her hard for another moment before relenting with a sigh, "No, Rose. Despite my personal disappointment with you, no. I never thought you would actually betray us, especially not to some scum like Threshold." He said, noticing her visibly relax, but the hurt was still present in her eyes. "But understand how this looks. I'm not the only one who noticed, I'm sure internal affairs will be looking into this soon, and I can't guarantee that I will be able protect you completely. All I'm saying is to be ready for whatever comes."

She nodded sadly, "I understand, sir." She said, staring down at the floor in silence.

Flash leaned forward, resting his forehead on one hand. He hated seeing her this way, but hated even more the fact that he couldn't completely trust her. Why would you do this to me Luna? He thought for the millionth time before wiping his eyes, "That's all I wanted to say to you Rose, you're dismissed."

She nodded and turned to leave but stopped mid-step. She turned to look at him, her nostrils flaring, "Your blood smells wrong sir, mind if I take a look?" Flash sighed and gave a weary gesture, telling her to approach. He leaned back in his chair, looking away as she swiped the medkit from him and reared up on her hind legs, propping herself up on his shoulder.

"Looks like you did a typical job sir, you were never good at patching yourself up," she said, setting the kit to one side with her mouth.

"Details," he muttered. She paused for a moment, her muzzle scrunched in thought.

"Permission to speak freely, sir?"

"Have you ever needed that in the past, Rose?" He said with a tired chuckle. She smirked at that,

"It wasn't all a lie, Flash. I really did enjoy working under you, I believed in what you were trying to do, and still do. I can't think of anypony better qualified, you really are gifted."

Flash smiled at her, "Gee thanks, but now I'm waiting for the other hoof to drop." She leveled a bemused glare at him, a hint of annoyance and mischief in her eyes. She suddenly gripped the short sleeve of his dress blouse,

"But you're also hot-headed," she roughly tore his sleeve.

"Hey!"

"And impulsive," she tied a fast knot behind his shoulder with the two halves.

"What are you...that was my favorite blouse!"

"Think you're invincible," she said while tearing off the old dressing with her teeth.

"OW!" He shouted, involuntarily moving to stand only to be shoved back down into his seat by the strong bat pony.

"And can't seem to accept when others genuinely worry about you," she finished, drawing his gaze with her eyes to the front of his shoulder where the griffon's iron-tipped claws had ripped through his mail, leaving a short, but nasty looking tear in his flesh. The area around the wound was now inflamed, and the blood appeared unnaturally dark, a clear indication of poisoning of some kind.

"Ah horsefeathers," Flash groaned, "I thought that griffon might have-OW!" He shouted as Rose Dust suddenly sank her sharp fangs into his shoulder.

"WHOA! SONNOFA-" She growled at him when he attempted to move, tightening her grip around his neck and shoulder, so he held still. "Rose! What do you think you're...oh...ahh..." He relaxed in her embrace as a cooling numbness spread through his shoulder, bringing with it blessed relief. After a few more moments, she detached from him and spat a mouthful of blackened blood into the metal wastebasket at the side of his desk.

"Bleh, 'cursed nightshade,'" she said while shaking her head in distaste. "Nasty stuff, that guy must have really wanted you dead. You're lucky to be still breathing after having it in you for so long, guess you can thank Sunset for that." Rose remarked with a frown.

Flash felt as if a heavy weight had suddenly been lifted off of his shoulders, realizing that the fatigue that had been feeling for the last several hours was not simply due to a lack of sleep, but from Sunset Shimmer's protection charm actively pulling hard on his energy, keeping the cursed poison isolated to his shoulder and thus, keeping him alive. The inflammation around his shoulder had disappeared, and the flesh appeared pink and healthy once more.

Rose Dust finished by pulling a healing crystal from the now opened med kit and applying it to the wound, the glowing violet gem flaring brightly as the prearranged spell worked its magic, the flesh knitting together until it was whole once more, though a dull scar remained, adding to the tapestry of scars that already covered his body. Flash moved his arm experimentally, it felt as good as new, though still a bit sore. Rose Dust tossed the used gem into the kit and threw the old bandages into the can before looking up at him with an expectant look.

"Alright, alright, I hear you Rose, thank you for your honest assessment." He grumbled.

"And?"

"And for patching me up."

"And?"

"And, don't push it, okay?!" He said in annoyance, scowling at her which she returned, though a small smirk curled one side of her mouth. After a tense moment, he gave her a small nod, telling her, if begrudgingly, that he could see her point. She gave a small, satisfied smile,

"Good," she said with a nod. "Will that be all, sir?"

"Yes Rose, thanks again."

She turned and opened the door to leave but paused a moment, "One last thing, sir."

"Mmm?" She looked back at him,

"I can understand if you think you need to punish me, but please, don't punish her, not any more. She's lived with punishment enough." And without waiting for his response, she exited his office, closing the door behind her.

Flash sat quietly for several minutes, pondering what she said, weighing the valid points she made against his own thoughts on the matter, but still unable to overcome the feelings of hurt and betrayal, even if they came from good intentions. With no one else around, he reached out to the one person he knew he could always talk to, one he sensed had been quietly observing everything that just happened as well as all other recent events.

Are you there, mom? He thought, and felt her instantly broadening their connection, her presence feeling like a warm hug after coming in from the cold.

For you my love, always. Bright Skies replied. Flash could feel her own concerns fluttering about in the background, but she purposely kept them there out of a desire to see to his first.

Did you get all that? He asked. She was silent for a few moments as he allowed her to examine everything in his mind and heart at the speed of thought, grateful for the unique gift of having someone who could instantly know his true thoughts and feelings with no chance of being misrepresented or taken out of context.

What do you think, could I have handled that better? He could feel her face scrunch slightly as she mulled everything over before responding.

I think...that you're doing the best you can my dear.

He chuckled mentally, A typical 'mom' answer, but you didn't answer my question. There was a flicker of amusement and affection,

There are many ways you could have gone with her Flash, but in the end, I think you were fair. But I must say, she did make some valid points. You are still very reluctant to let others care at times, my love. Flash frowned,

I know, I know! But, caring still doesn't justify going behind somepony's back! I'm tired of being treated like I'm still a foal! He flared mentally, driving to the point that had been dividing his heart for the last month. She flinched slightly at his pain, but came back in a wave of soothing sympathy.

I know Flash. I think it was a mistake for Luna to go behind your back like that with something as close to you as your team, but friends sometimes make mistakes, and when they do, we should forgive them.

She's not exactly sorry for what she did, Flash harrumphed, crossing his arms, Seemed to make it very clear to me that she would do it again in a heartbeat.

She loves you lots.

Yeah, I know. I love her too. He frowned, Why do mares always have to be so clingy?" He felt her mind light up with laughter,

Well, maybe because we think you're just so irresistibly cute, she quipped; he could sense her sticking her tongue out at him.

Ew, gross mom. She giggled,

But maybe it's because you are somewhat special, Flash. You've made a huge impact on Equestria and on a lot of ponies who just happen to be very important. Just try to understand how Luna, how all of us feel about you.

Flash nodded, pausing for a beat before summoning the courage to ask, Speaking of said princess, how is she?

Miserable, but otherwise fine. She really misses you, you know?

Yeah...but she seems to like you a lot. How's the whole dream thing going? He sensed her looking at the lunar locket hanging around her neck, the artifact that allowed her the same power as the Princess, to enter another pony's dreams.

It's actually quite thrilling. Princess Luna told me that she thinks I'm one of the best dream walkers she's ever trained, even though it's been, you know, over a thousand years. Though I must say, the nocturnal schedule took some getting used to.

Great grandpa Night Wing would be proud, Flash grinned, referring to the thestral in their family tree.

Mmm, speaking of family, Ella wonders if your'e coming home tonight, she misses you.

Flash lit up at the mention of his wife, Yes! Please tell her I'll be home as soon as I can. You know, right after I figure out who's trying to kill us and destroy all of Equestria? No biggie. He felt his mother embrace him mentally, a phantom kiss tickling his cheek.

I'll tell her, just don't take too long. I'm very proud of you, Flash. Remember that.

Thanks mom, I love you too. He replied, embracing her back. With that, he felt their connection narrow as she left him alone in his own mind once again; the feeling of her departing always left him feeling a little cold and empty.

Flash shuddered, glancing up at the clock on his wall, it was just past eight in the morning. He looked at the mountain of reports in his inbox and groaned. Gritting his teeth he reached over to the intercom on his desk and flicked the switch,

"Rose, tell the rest of the team that we're meeting in the conference room at 1300 hours. We're going to figure out who the stinking rat is who's trying to sink us, and we're going to bury the lousy bum under the jail we throw him in!"

"You got it boss," Her voice crackled through a moment later; he could hear the feral grin on her face.

"And would you be a saint and bring me some coffee? I'm dying here."

"I'll send the whole cafe."

Flash smiled, flicking off the speaker. I just hope Ella is having a better day than I am, he mused before getting back to work.

Ella replaced the quill she had been writing with in its stand, leaning back in her chair and stretching both hands together high above her head. A glance out of her office window on the first floor of Ponyville General told her, based on the position of the sun, that it was nearly noon. A pile of medical records still remained to be sorted, the latest batch evalutations from the many young children still actively applying to attend the new School of Friendship that Twilight and her friends were opening next fall. It still struck her as an almost silly idea, that an entire school could be devoted to the concept of friendship. But in a world where there existed multiple species of magical creatures and where friendship was more than just a relationship, but an actual force of the very nature of reality, she guessed it made total sense.

She caught sight of her reflection in the picture frame on her desk which held a picture of her and Flash on their wedding day surrounded by her new friends. The glass reflected her old, pre-transformed reflection back at her thanks to the red-framed rectangular glasses she was wearing that Twilight had worked a glamor charm on for her. So long as she wore them, they would conceal her slitted eyes and small fangs, making her look just like she did when she was back on earth, which was a handy thing to have whenever she would occasionally make a return trip there. She had taken to wearing them lately so as not to frighten all the new out of town creatures visiting Ponyville who were not so accustomed to seeing her.

Ella pulled out the hairband that had been holding her hair back and gently shook her head, allowing her wavy golden locks to tumble free. "I'm still me," she murmured, studying her reflection a for a few more seconds, before looking down at her belly with a smile as she felt the twins stir, eager to be fed. She was just over seven months along now, and everything was going smoothly. Even Redheart complimented how well her pregnancy was going, despite its completely unique nature.

I'm a nurse in a hospital for magical ponies with a belly full of magic babies, how did I get here again, God? Ella chuckled to herself, reflecting on her present life never failing to amuse her. She suddenly felt a hunger pain which immediately caused her extrasensory senses to involuntarily expand, the predatory instincts of her changeling nature loudly reminding her that there was food wandering obliviously about in the hall just outside her door in the form of the many ponies present there. She clenched her teeth, quickly reining them in, something that was becoming increasingly more difficult as of late as her pregnancy reached its advanced stages and the hunger spikes came more frequently.

She had withdrawn her senses, but not before she detected the unique aura of one very peculiar little pony. "Oh, look who's coming for a visit..." Ella sighed to herself with some exasperation. She reached into the stack of files and drew out one in particular, opening it to review it for the hundredth time; her sharpened hearing could already hear the little filly chatting away with someone with a tone of amiability so convincingly sweet that it made Ella feel almost sick whenever she saw that nothing of the sort existed in her heart; the little demon child being like a hole in reality, a paradox of existence.

Height: 0.52 Meters

"Thanks mister, I think I'm supposed to go right over here!"

Weight: 13 Kg, Eye Color: Auburn

"Golly, that sounds like a whole lotta work. I hope it'll be alright."

Age: 12, Intellectual Aptitude Test Score: Exceptional. Subject displays cognitive ability far above those of her age group. Highest possible recommendation.

Ella heard a knock at her door before it opened; she didn't even bother to look up from her reading, knowing full well who it already was.

"Thanks again mister, I hope to see you again soon!"

Name: Cozy Glow

The door closed, and Ella looked up from her file to see her tiny guest. The little filly's salmon pink coat was practically glowing, and her sky blue mane and tail were arranged in perfect curls with their trademark light-yellow ribbons. Her adorable little face wore a picture perfect smile for a second longer, before immediately fading into an ugly scowl.

"Ugh," she groaned with a hoof against her face, "I swear...Every. Pony. Else...Is an IDIOT!" She exclaimed, her little wings snapping open as she did.

"Mmm?" Ella asked noncommittally while looking back down at Cozy's file. The pegasus took to the air, buzzing back and forth like an agitated hornet.

"You wouldn't believe it Ella, here I am, taking the precaution to build a completely believable background story that I'm here with my uncle's permission, months spent on false documentation, making sure my alias was airtight, and nopony even bothers to look at it?!" Cozy landed hard on the top of Ella's desk, scattering papers with her downdraft, pacing back and forth before sitting with a snarl, "Seriously, why is everypony in this town so completely stupid?! Hey, are you even listening to me you big alien weirdo?!"

Ella slowly looked up, trying to suppress the grin she was hiding at the sight of something so adorable being so angry. "I'm sorry, are you lost little girl? Do you know where your parents are?"

One of Cozy Glow's eyes twitched, and the sheer level of malice she exuded caused her aura to immediately flow blood red; it smelled and tasted like burning hair and copper.

Ella almost coughed at the sensation, "Okay! Okay! I was kiddin', geez." She said with a playful laugh, causing Cozy's emotions to simmer down to a more neutral open hostility, though a flicker of annoyance remained.

"So," Ella began, closing the file and slowly removing her glasses, her eyes snapped open, revealing her slitted pupils, "Where are you coming from today, Cozy Glow?"

Cozy rolled her eyes, "Oh, you know, from roaming and patrolling Ponyville, looking for useful idiots, plotting my inevitable dominion of Equestria, an average Monday. You?"

"Oh just gettin' through another day, working on medical files, trying to resist the urge to go drain somepony's soul, nothin' big."

Cozy grinned wickedly, "If you're looking for somepony to eat, I'd be happy to suggest a few. I'll even help you hide the body."

"Mmm, tempting, but what about you? You're already here after all," Ella said with a smile that showed just the tips of her small fangs, a flicker of green light passing through her eyes. Cozy smirked at the display, completely unintimidated.

"Please, we both know that I'm inedible for a changeling."

"True, but we could change that, don't you have any room in that cold little heart of yours for any kind of love?" Ella asked, allowing a hint of her serious concern for the little pony to enter their semi-playful banter.

Cozy shot her a vicious scowl, "Not on your life," she growled before stepping off the desk and flopping down in Ella's lap with a sigh, "And you'll keep that to yourself if you know what's good for you."

"As I told you on the day we met Cozy, I won't tell anyone. I'm just holding out hope for you, that's all."

"Shut up and scratch my ears."

Ella relented with a sigh, drawing her close with one arm, gently scratching one of the pegasus filly's velvety soft ears with one hand while slowly stroking her soft fur with the other. She could feel how tense Cozy was in her grip, her little muscles tied up in tight bundles. But after a few minutes under Ella's ministrations, she slowly relaxed, snuggling into the human's grip. Ella reached out with her senses, trying for the umpteenth time to make sense of the myriad of colors and emotions that made up the little pony's dark spirit, but gave up after a moment, unable to see anything past the cold purple wall of constant calculations that remained the dominant force of her being. Cozy stirred slightly, bumping into Ella's swollen belly,

"Mmmmnnn...You need to hurry up and have these," she sleepily complained, "They're taking up my favorite spot."

Ella smiled, "Well, then you'd just have to compete with them for lap space while they're on the outside."

"Yeah, but just think of how much me cuddling with your foals will add to my cuteness factor?" She asked while propping up her face on her hooves and elbows, squeezing her cheeks so that her dimples were ridiculously pronounced, her eyes glittering.

Ella could only laugh at that and shake her head, "You never miss an opportunity, do you?"

"Nope," Cozy replied, letting her head drop. Ella continued to pet her for a few minutes before asking,

"So, still planning my murder?"

"Oh yes, dreadful, horrible murder, you'll never see it coming."

"I'm tremblin' in fear. Will I at least be granted the time to finish scratching your ears?"

"....Sure, might as well. I really should kill you and cover my tracks, but eh, I can probably do that tomorrow."

"Tomorrow then," Ella said with a smile. Cozy had been telling her that for three weeks now, the filly truly was a gifted procrastinator.

Author's Note

Had a lot of fun with My Little Murder Pony, looking forward to more.

Thanks to Venerable Ro for the suggestions with her dialogue.

God bless!

No Rest for the Weary

"Isn't it obvious?" Lumen Dawn asked, the white unicorn looking at each member of the team around the conference table. "Rose clearly wasn't the leaker, no pony in this room is. Therefore, that leaves only one possibility."

"You couldn't possibly mean the princesses?!" Slipstream asked with an edge of outrage in his voice.

"Of course not you foal," Lumen replied, his voice remaining calm and level. "However, the princesses do not live in a bubble. And our fearless leader spends no small amount of time with both of them, for reasons both official and personal. Am I wrong Flash?"

The human peered over his folded hands, his gaze locked on Lumen's golden eyes. "No." He said with a shake of his head.

"The Captain would never discuss classified plans in front of civilians." Sugar Rush protested.

"Yeah, and their personal areas are warded against eavesdropping!" Rose Dust added, "Shouldn't that be enough?"

"Enough for most, but not for a clever pony, especially one determined to gain access to information that could harm us." Lumen replied, holding the human's gaze without blinking.

"For now, I suggest we perform a sweep of the castle, looking for any suspicious items that might be overlooked in a normal security check. Next, we take a look at all the background files of Castle staff, especially all new hires within the last three months."

"That'll take forever!" Slipstream moaned, covering his face with his hooves. Sharp Shot gave him a small cuff on his shoulder that said, 'Stop whining.'

"Finally," Lumen continued, "We also take a look at the guest list for the castle for the last three months, especially those who were there on any business other than meeting with the princesses. We start from there and narrow it down. Any objections?"

Everypony looked at each other before all eyes settled on Flash. His eyes flicked to Lumen Dawn's cutie mark, a scroll and a sword crossing each other and encircled by a golden crown. He nodded to the unicorn,

"Well, what's everypony waiting for? You heard your XO, so let's get to it. Dismissed!"

You really are the pony to lead the team if something should happen to me, Lumen Dawn. Flash mused to himself, once more impressed at how a pony like Lumen could put aside his intense personal hatred for him in order to be a true asset and reliable teammate.

He stifled a yawn as he made his way up the front steps to his and Ella's house. It was a handsome, two-story affair on the edge of Ponyville that Flash had purchased right before their marriage; right now, it looked like a slice of heaven. After more than a week away on the road, dodging mayhem and murder, he wanted nothing more than some peace, quiet, and the company of his wife. He knew she was probably very hungry, even with the help of their friends. And though exhausted himself, he was resolved to give her whatever of his energy she needed through his love. His hand touched the door handle,

"I'm hom-OOOAAAFFFF!!!!"

No sooner had the door cracked open than Flash found himself tackled around the middle by a pony-shaped cannon ball of tiger-orange fur and teeth, hitting him so hard that that he was launched clear off of the front porch and nearly fifty feet into his front yard, banging and rolling until finally coming to a rest face first in the dirt. A certain carnivorous pony sat on his back, gleefully announcing for all the world to hear,

"Master's home!!!!" A muffled groan was the only reply Flash could manage. Ferra hopped off his back, energetically trotting all around him while rattling off questions in her usual energetic manner,

"Did you see me master? Did you see me waiting for you? How come you didn't dodge? Did I finally slip past your 'field sense' thing? Oh, I'm so happy you're home! Can I please come with you next time? I get so worried whenever you leave and I can't watch you!"

Flash slowly rolled over onto his back out of the indent his body had made in the ground, spitting out a few blades of grass. "Hi Ferra, missed you too." He managed to wheeze as he waited for air to return to his collapsed lungs. She suddenly pounced back on him, sniffing him all over and giving his face a few playful licks with her rough, cat-like tongue before seizing his shirt collar in her sharp teeth and pulling him into a sitting position. Her muzzle pressed against his left shoulder,

"Hey, you got hurt! Who hurt you?! And, I smell Rose, she, she bit you? Wha-You let Rose bite you?!" She said with a gasp, "Hey no fair! Can I have a bite too?! Just a little one? Please???" She begged with a sharp-toothed grin, hope glittering in her slitted yellow eyes.

Ferra yelped as Flash suddenly grabbed her in a surprise headlock, aggressively scratching behind one of her ears as she squirmed, growled, and playfully bit at his arm and hand in the play fighting that Flash had learned was so much a part of her tribe's means of showing affection.

"Tackle me like that again furball, and I swear, one of these days, I'm gonna sell you to the circus!" She managed to finally wriggle free from him, leaping away with an innocent giggle as Flash rolled to his feet. "That, or make a rug out of you, you sneaky tiger of a pony!"

"You'd have to catch me first!" She challenged, crouching low as if to pounce again and baring her fangs with a playful snarl. Flash shook his head with a small laugh, ruffling her jet black mane as he walked past her; Ferra shook her head and nipped at his fingers as she fell into step beside him, following him back towards the house.

Ella stood there waiting for him, leaning against the doorframe, wearing a black sweater and a dark violet skirt, her face illuminating with joy as their eyes met.

"Hey ponyboy, I'm looking for something for dinner, think you can help a girl out?" Flash grinned,

"Hey vampire bug lady person, I think I can." He said as he whipped her off her feet in his strong embrace. Ella giggled, curling her feet up behind her as he spun her around before setting her back down, the two of them holding each other tight.

"Missed you Flash," Ella whispered, wrapping her arms around him and keeping her face buried in his neck.

"I missed you too Ella," Flash replied, his heart overflowing with love for her. He stood there for several moments, allowing her to feed, letting her take as much from him as she needed. It didn't take long before he felt the need to stifle another yawn as a warm fatigue swept over him, it felt almost pleasant, except that he needed to lock his knees in order to avoid swaying over. Ella leaned back, holding a hand to her mouth and clearing her throat,

"Mmm, sorry, I didn't mean to go overboard there."

Flash shook his head, placing his forehead against hers, "Nah, I always have plenty for you," he placed a hand on her belly, "All three of you." Ella's smile faded into a small frown as she glanced down at his left shoulder, placing a hand on it.

"It's just a scratch," Flash assured her, trying to play it off.

"And another scar," Ella lamented, her eyes flickering with green light as she caught sight of the displacement of color in the aura surrounding his shoulder. She met his eyes, "If you keep picking up nicks and scratches at this rate, there's not going to be much of you left, Flash."

"Comes with the territory I'm afraid," Flash sighed, "But don't worry, we got the new armor coming up soon, strong enough to stop a train. When that's ready, I'll feel sorry for the bad guys." He said confidently, trying to assuage her worry.

Ella didn't answer, reaching up instead to lightly trace the scar over his right eye with her thumb. Flash took her hand, kissed and gently squeezed it,

"Hey, it'll be alright," he said reassuringly, "I'm not going to be taking any stupid risks." Flash looked to his left and noticed Ferra sitting on her haunches next to them, looking up at the couple while her glossy black tail slowly flicked back and forth. He reached down and affectionally scratched one of her cheeks, eliciting a pleased purr from her.

"And if it'll make you worry less, I've decided that I'm going to be letting Ferra come along with me on any future missions where I don't have to be undercover. I'll be much safer with her watching my back."

Ferra gave a joyful gasp, "Really?"

Flash smiled at her, "Yes, really. And that means watch my back Ferra, not pounce on it."

Ella giggled as Ferra reared up on her hind legs, wrapping a forelimb around both her and Flash, giving them each a lick on the cheek and nuzzling them both.

"Don't worry Ella, I'll always bring Flash home safe, even if I have to carry him!" Ella laughed, giving her a grateful smile, and a scratch behind one ear,

"Well, just so long as you're not carrying him in your belly," she teased, well aware of the running joke Ferra had with Flash of always wanting to eat him. At least, she hoped it was a joke.

"Aww, no fair," She said with a pout, causing them all to laugh together.

Flash let the two ladies enter the house before him but paused as he felt the slightest tingle in his forehead, so slight that he wondered if he only imagined it. He slowly turned, eyeing his front yard, the road, and the edge of the forest roughly 200 meters away. His hawklike gaze narrowed and he stretched out his magnetic field, sensing the bioelectric field of every living thing within a three-hundred meter radius. But other than birds, critters, and about a billion bugs, nothing stood out to him. He kept his eyes fixed on the forest for a few moments longer, as if daring whatever might be there to even think of trying something.

"Hey Flash, something wrong?" He heard Ella call from inside.

"No, nothing wrong." He replied before stepping inside, closing the door behind him. "Nothing at all."

Cold Trail spasmed wildly, his world spinning around him as the strong earth pony tried desperately to reach the snare wrapped around his hind leg that held him suspended over the forest floor. His grey steel helmet slipped off his head, falling with a clang to the ground below.

It had been going so well, even though this had been the most fiendishly difficult quarry he had ever tracked, he and his four pony team had finally caught up to the suspect that Celestia herself had tasked him apprehended. King Thorax of the new and reformed Changeling Hive had even sent them one of his own hunters, a changeling named Refract to assist them in the hunt, so serious did he take the threat of this Chrysalis loyalist who had so brazenly marched into their home months earlier, announcing his intention to return the former Queen to the throne.

But suddenly, almost all at once, everything went wrong. Refract had suddenly vanished along the trail, and before anypony could figure out what was going on, the cleverly laid trap had been sprung, each member of the team taken down by magic, or by a trap such as the one Cold Trail currently found himself in. Mercifully, it seemed that everypony was only stunned or disabled, as nonlethal means seemed to be deliberately employed.

But why? Why spare them? It was plainly obvious that they knew who he was, why would a Chrysalis loyalist not kill them outright? Cold Trail gasped with shock as a set of four, glossy black legs entered his inverted field of vision. In a panic, he drew his combat knife, preparing to slash at his attacker, only for the blade to be knocked out of his hoof by a burst of golden magic.

He hissed in pain, holding his stinging hoof as he suddenly stopped spinning, another hoof arresting his momentum. Cold Trail breathed hard through his nostrils as a face slowly lowered into his field of view, the changeling's fearsome golden eyes casting a slight glow.

"This is your final warning, pony." Telson said, "Stop following me."

Flash slowly opened his eyes, staring up at the bedroom ceiling. The sun had risen not too long ago, its warming rays already peaking through the curtains, though he felt no desire to move, supremely comfortable as he was on his cloud mattress. Ella did not seem to be awake yet, her breathing remained slow and steady. He glanced at her for a moment, smiling at how peaceful she looked, her beautiful blond hair shimmering in the stream of morning sunlight that had fallen upon it.

Luna had not visited during the night. It was his fear that she would confront him in his dreams to guilt trip him by her very presence, but she had stayed away; either because she wanted that confrontation to be in person or because she knew he needed rest, as little as he had been getting lately. His mind immediately set to racing, wondering how he should approach this new day. A big part of him just wanted to stay home. After all, he had already been gone for a week, no pony would blame him for taking 24 hours for some r&r, and spending the day with Ella sounded immensely appealing. But he immediately dismissed it. Threshold was still out there, and somepony was spying on his organization. He needed to find answers before the trail ran cold, or before whoever was trying to harm him and his team succeeded in their goals. He needed to stay focused. The sooner he tied up these loose ends, the sooner he could truly relax.

Flash slowly looked to his right, and right into the large pair of yellow orbs peering hungrily at him from over the edge of his bed.

"Good morning master!"

"GAH!!!"

Flash looked down from the ceiling he was now sticking to via a powerful static charge through his back, hands, and feet, his beating heart trying to hammer its way out of his bare chest.

"Whatcha doing up there master?" Ferra asked with a tilt of her head, "You look silly!" She said with a playful laugh.

"HaA! HEee! HoOOoO!"

Ferra hopped up onto the bed with a friendly snarl, nuzzling Ella's shoulder. The woman hummed sleepily, reaching over to blindly scratch at one of the pony's ears without opening her eyes.

"Good morning Ferra, good morning Flash, did you sleep well babe?" She sleepily asked.

"Sleep?! Yes! Got sleep! I don't think I'll ever sleep again..." Flash mumbled in reply.

Ferra rolled over onto her back to look up at him with a toothy grin, tucking her forelimbs to her chest, "By the way master, I think you got a letter from your special lantern thing!"

Flash blinked, immediately serious as he swung his legs out and dropped from the ceiling, landing on light feet; he was grateful that he hadn't jumped out of his pajama bottoms, let alone his skin.

Running into the small office adjacent to his bedroom, Flash saw that a sealed scroll had appeared before the small enchanted brass oil lantern on his desk that Celestia had given him as a means of staying in quick contact with her and Luna. A small arrow could be turned on it to an engraved symbol of either the sun or moon, and any paper burned in its flame would be instantly transported to the indicated recipient.

Flash snatched up the scroll and broke open its seal, reading the contents:

My dearest Flash,

I'm so sorry to disturb you so soon after arriving home, but I need you to please come to the castle this morning, there are some urgent matters we need to discuss. Give my kindest regards to Ella and Princess Ferra.

With Love,

Princess Celestia

Ella came up behind Flash as he starred at the letter, tying her nightgown before kissing him on the cheek, placing her hands on his shoulders and resting her chin on his shoulder, peering over to see.

"What do ya think she wants, Flash?"

Flash shook his head, knowing that with all that had happened, it could be anything. He reached up and brushed the side of Ella's cheek, "Not sure love, but I'm betting it ain't good."

Ella smiled as she watched Flash blur around the kitchen, cleaning up after breakfast, accomplishing what would take five normal people 10 minutes in as many seconds. She was lounging back on the living room sofa at his insistance, her feet resting on the low wooden coffee table before her. Ferra lay on the floor just beside her, eagerly gnawing at the remnants of a ham bone from the full leg she had devoured for breakfast. Ella and Flash had tried time and again to convince her that she was welcomed to eat at the table with them like any other pony, but she rarely did, choosing instead to take her meals lying down.

You can take the pony out of the jungle, but you can't take the jungle out of the pony I guess, Ella thought with an amused smirk.

"Second drawer to the right," She called out without looking when she heard Flash trying to remember where to put the whisk away.

"I left your coffee mug on the table," Flash zoomed to the table, blowing a frosty breath on its hot contents before downing it in one go. Ella rose to her feet, brushing a few pieces of lint off of the black beret she was holding that had Flash's rank insignia on its upturned lip.

"Hey Cap'n, don't forget your cover!" She said, tossing it to him like a frisbee. Flash spun around from where he had been looking for it and snatched it out of the air, affixing it to his head in one quick motion. He quickly checked his black uniform fatigues over, making sure it was in order.

Ella stepped forward, adjusting his collar for him. He was shaven, sharp, glorious; and most importantly, hers.

"Thanks Ella," Flash sighed, "What would I do without you?" She wrapped her arms around his neck,

"Hmm, dunno. Let your ma' dress you?" She teased, giving him a peck on the lips.

Flash laughed, touching his forehead to hers, "Nah, she's done her time. Ready to go, Ferra?"

Ferra glanced up from her place, the thick ham bone gripped between her fangs. With a loud crunch, she bit the bone in two like it was a pretzel, chewing and swallowing the pieces as if they were nothing more than shelled peanuts. She quickly groomed one of her fetlocks with a few licks before leaping to his side with an eager grin, "Ready!"

Flash stared at her for a second, his jaw slack, "Uhh..."

Ella laughed and wrapped him in a hug, "Have fun with your pet land-shark," she whispered in his ear, kissing him on the cheek.

"Right," Flash murmured, turning about and heading for the front door. "Alright, see you soon Ella!" He called behind him while opening the door, and right into an explosion of confetti and party horns.

"SURPRISE!!!"

"GAAAH!"

Flash screamed as he stumbled backwards, almost falling over until Ella effortlessly caught him with her incredible strength, steadying him on his feet. Standing at the door in all her pink glory with a huge grin on her face was Pinkie Pie, her party cart next to her. Ella's eyes widened with some alarm as she saw Cozy Glow standing on top of the cart, looking right at her with a smug smirk.

"Pinkie!" Flash gasped while holding his chest with one hand, trying to stave off the ill effects of two major cardiac events in a single morning. "What are you-Why are you?!"

Pinkie giggled, "Why, it's the one year anniversary of Ella coming to Equestria, silly! Aaaannnd I just happened to meet Cozy Glow while on the way here and remembered that she never got a 'Welcome to Ponyville' party and thought that we could combine her party with Ella's anniversary party, double party power!" She joyfully shouted, flinging her forelimbs over her head with another shower of confetti and burst of horns from her cart.

Ferra tackled Pinkie off the porch with a happy shout, the two mares tumbling and rolling into the front yard in a bundle of laughter.

"Hi Pinkie!"

"Hi Ferra!"

"Missed you!"

"Missed you too!"

"I love parties!"

"Hey, me too! But you know what's even better than parties?"

"SURPRISES!" Both mares shouted together before descending into a gaggle of giggles.

Flash stepped up and hauled Ferra off of Pinkie, "Alright, c'mon Ferra, we got to go before we miss our train, and before you and Pinkie cause a quantum event..." He said, muttering that last part under his breath. He looked and noticed Cozy Glow had approached him, hovering in the air at eye level.

"Hi there, uh, Cozy Glow, right?" Flash asked, extending his hand in greeting. He had seen the filly before a few times in passing recently, usually chatting with Ella in town. In fact, now that he thought of it, he had meant to ask Ella who she was and why he had always seen the two of them together. Cozy Glow smiled sweetly at him, taking the offered hand and shaking it,

"That's right! Golly Mister Flash, I'm so glad to finally meet you, Ella's told me all about you! She's been super helpful in getting me all ready for Princess Twilight's new school! She's really nice."

"Ah," Flash said, suddenly making sense of things. He glanced at Ella and she smiled at him, though he thought he noticed a hint of worry in her eyes that quickly passed. "Well Cozy," he said looking back at her, releasing her hoof, "I'm sorry that I can't stay, but it was really nice meeting you, I hope I get to see you again soon!"

Cozy smiled back, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly, "I'm sure we will, have a great day mister!"

Flash suddenly noticed with alarm Ferra creeping up slowly behind Cozy Glow in the same way a cat might stalk a canary, her head low, ears splayed, and eyes locked on the little filly's back,

"Ferra!" He said sternly, snapping her out of her almost trance like demeanor, "We uh, we need to go now." He turned and looked at Ella who was now chatting with Pinkie, feeling a hint of sadness that he couldn't stay, and for not remembering such a significant date.

Has it really been a year already? He wondered. Ella immediately noticed how he felt, and gave him a reassuring smile from where she stood.

"Hey, don't worry about it Flash, get goin'!" She shouted.

"Thanks," he said, flushing with gratitude. "Take care, give my best to Twilight and the girls, love you all!"

"We'll save you some cake!" Pinkie shouted after him as he turned and hurried down the road towards town. Ferra immediately fell into step next to him, keeping up with a brisk trot.

"What the heck was that all about, Ferra?!" He sharply hissed once he was sure they were out of ear shot, "Were you stalking that filly?!"

Ferra frowned, looking a little ashamed but also, confused, "Sorry master, I, I don't know. She felt...strange."

"Strange? What do you mean, dangerous? She's a sweet little pony! She's about as dangerous as a snowflake! You sure you weren't just seeing her as a prey item? I told you before, you need to control your instincts! This isn't the jungle!"

Ferra shook her head, "No, it wasn't that. I don't know, something about her just felt, off. And I kinda got lost in thought. Sorry master, it won't happen again, I promise."

Flash softened at that, feeling that he may have been a little too harsh on her, "Hey, it's alright Ferra. You just worried me there for a second, that's all. I didn't mean to upset you." He gently said, which seemed to hearten her as she gave him a small, if sad smile.

"Hey, what have I always told you to do if you see a threat to Ella?" She gave him a feral grin,

"To eat it."

"That's my girl."

They walked along in amiable silence for a few more moments, but Flash had a feeling of what was coming next.

"So, if you and Ella get into a fight, does that make you a threat, master?" Ferra asked with a sly grin, raising an eyebrow at him.

Flash laughed, shaking his head, "Nice try, but you're not going to get me that way, homicidal psycho jungle mare." She giggled, pushing her head under his hand for a scratch.

Together, the two of them made it to Ponyville, catching the train just in time.

Author's Note

Totally forgot to leave an author's note, oops.

Nothing much to say, this was a shorter chapter, I got a bit behind.

As always, thank you for your presence!

Difficult Discoveries

The bright streets of Canterlot bustled with activity, with ponies of every color and tribe going about their day without a worry or care in the world. Even so, ponies did take notice and give a wide berth to the strange pair walking together towards the castle gates as they passed by, exchanging concerned whispers.

Flash took notice how the ponies seemed to be keeping their distance a bit more, and even those who waved at him did so with what appeared to be a hint of nervousness. It didn't surprise him too much though, seeing that he and Ferra were both technically predators in a crowd of mostly herbivores. Though he suspected that it was Ferra's presence which was the most unnerving for them as he was a relatively familiar face. It was then he noticed Ferra was wearing a disapproving scowl on her face as her eyes slowly scanned the crowds, a far departure from her normally endless cheer and energy.

"Speak your mind Ferra, what's bothering you?" Flash asked, keeping his gaze forward as they walked. Ferra glanced at him, and then back to the streets,

"It's these ponies master, they are far too careless, and they allow their fear to show too easily. They wouldn't last a minute in the jungle."

Flash smiled, "But we're not in the jungle, Ferra. This is their home, and it has none of the dangers that you've had to dodge since the moment you were foaled." He noticed her lip quiver as she fought to suppress a snarl,

"Even so, they shouldn't be so helpless. Maybe if they learned to look after themselves, even a little, you wouldn't have to place yourself in danger for them all of the time!"

"I love you too."

Ferra's frown faltered for a moment, but she continued, "My point is, one should meet danger with danger, but all I smell from them is fear...It's pathetic! They're so soft, I could destroy ten of them before they even realized I was among them!" She hissed, saying the last part with an irritated clack of her fangs. She fumed for a few more seconds before deflating slightly, appearing sad. "I just, I just wish they would take their lives more seriously, master, that's all." She finished with a sigh.

Flash considered her words for a quiet moment. He had to admit, it stung a bit to hear such a brutally honest assessment from a perspective outside of Equestria, one that was even more harsh than his own. At the same time, it was rare for Ferra to adopt such a critical demeanor, and when she did, he had learned that it would be foalish not to pay attention to her. This had obviously been bothering her for a while, which gave him an even deeper appreciation of just how profound her devotion to him and his loved ones was. Still, it wouldn't do well for her to brood on such things, she needed some assurance that her worries were not being ignored.

"Hey, don't be like that, where'd my happy-go-lucky killer go?" Flash said running a hand briefly through her silky mane; she turned her face away, before looking up at him with a faint smile. Flash smiled back,

"Yeah, I get it Ferra. Almost a thousand years of peace has made ponies around here pretty soft, and we could stand to toughen up a little, believe me. But don't begrudge them too much, they're starting to learn; and I've seen just a handful of them turn back world ending events more than a few times. Though I'm thankful to have strong ponies like you here who see things as they are, you are a great aid in helping us to grow."

Ferra blushed slightly at his praise, "Thank you, Flash." She said quietly before immediately perking up, her spark of joy reigniting with a small bounce in her step. As they continued towards the castle, Flash heard in the distance the sound of somepony yelling through a megaphone, their echoing voice becoming clearer as they passed the next street.

"...And I say this, Equestria needs to be for ponies! Run by ponies! And protected by ponies! Not outsourced to some alien creature who might turn on us at any time!"

"Master, who is that?" Ferra asked, looking towards the direction of the noise.

"Tell me, how can we trust some creature to protect us when they aren't even from our world?! There's no guarantee of true loyalty from such a one, it only guards us because of what it gains from us! Who's to say it won't turn on us the moment our enemies make him a better offer?!"

Flash sighed, "Eh, just my fan club, that's all." He jested, now recognizing the voice of Town Caller, the head of the small but very vocal 'Equestria for Ponies League'. They had first cropped up seven years ago, when he had joined the Junior Academy and started being a much more regular presence in Canterlot. They of course, protested the welcoming of any creatures other than ponies, from griffons and dragons to changelings as of late; but Flash always knew that he was their real reason for existing. He had never paid them much mind, and their disdain for him had never gained much traction as ponies for the most part had always been kind and welcoming to him.

As the next street came into view, Flash had expected to see Town Caller with his usual two or three demonstrators, but was shocked to see instead that a crowd of more than a hundred ponies had gathered round the pale green unicorn. He was standing on an elevated platform, surrounded by more than a dozen well-organized looking presenters. He was surprised to see even a few of the Canterlot nobility among them. While it was no secret that he had enemies among the elite, they had never before associated with riffraff like Town Caller, obviously considering his kind of community organizing beneath them.

"Looks like somepony got a boost in funding," Flash remarked as he stopped walking to take a look. Ferra stood stock still, one of her tufted ears twitching. Town Caller raised his megaphone to continue talking when he caught sight of Flash staring,

"Ah ha! Look there my fellow ponies! Here he is now, trying to intimidate us while we are merely practicing our right to freely demonstrate!" He shouted, causing most of the crowd to turn around, many of them beginning to murmur nervously to each other. "Do not be intimidated my friends, such tactics are powerless against the courage of ponies who stand together!"

Flash gave the friendliest smile he could, "Hey there Town Caller, good to see you again! Nice to see that you've managed to keep my fan club together after all these years, I appreciate your dedication!"

Town Caller's smug grin faltered for a second, and more than a few ponies in the crowd chuckled at the quip which seemed to break the tension as many in the crowd began to visibly relax. He scowled for a second, before regaining a proud look, his eye falling on Ferra,

"Don't be fooled by his niceties my fellow ponies, after all, how can you trust a creature who so frivolously associates with dangerous monsters who are proven to viciously attack other ponies! Look there! That is the same ferocious beast who put a pony in the hospital not two months ago!"

Nevermind that he was an assassin. Flash growled inwardly, resisting the temptation to openly glower. Many of the ponies gasped in alarm as they took notice of Ferra, some even backing away slowly. Ferra for her part remained completely impassive, maintaining a neutral expression on her face despite the callous insult that had been directed towards her. Flash was grateful for her patience, though he noticed her unwavering yellow eyes were locked on Town Caller with the sort of calculating look that he was by now very familiar with; he placed a comforting hand gently on her withers. He wanted to respond, to angrily demand that the upstart publicly apologize to the princess he had just calumniated, but he knew a bait when he saw one. Such an outburst would only play in to Town Caller's hooves, and Flash didn't plan on giving him any additional fuel for his fire.

"C'mon Ferra, let's leave silly ponies to their games," he said, turning to walk away, not even bothering to listen as Town Caller crowed to the audience about witnessing the power of ponies standing together. He waited until they were far enough away to be out of anypony's ear shot before speaking.

"I'm so sorry you had to hear that Ferra, I have half a mind to go back there feed him his own megaphone for saying that to you."

Ferra shook her head, "It's alright, master. He's just a small-minded pony who wants to be something bigger, it's kind of sad actually."

Flash smiled at that, once more enjoying the rare occasion where she would show that wise, regal side of herself; revealing that deep down, she really was her mother's daughter, she truly was a princess. Though at the same time,

"Tell me the truth though, you were thinking about biting him, weren't you?" He said, grinning. She looked away, tossing her head in mock indignation,

"Master, how could you say such a thing? No, I was actually trying to decide whether or not I could reach the stage in a single leap, that's all!" She humphed, before quietly adding. "And then I would bite him."

"You're a good pony, Ferra."

"Rise my little one, thank you for coming on such short notice." Celestia said, her warm greeting doing a good deal to ease the apprehension Flash felt from her letter earlier that morning. He stood and accepted her embrace, the sun princess brushing his cheek with her soft muzzle before parting. As per her usual summons, Celestia had asked him to meet with her in her study. Flash had asked Ferra to wait outside, sensing that Celestia wished to see him in private, and now waited with baited breath to see why she had called him.

"It's what I'm here for. What can I do for Equestria, your highness?" He asked, standing at ease with his hands behind his back. The alicorn looked at him with a look that seemed both sympathetic and sad.

"I heard what happened with your ill-fated raid the night before last, it seems that your hard work was undone by an enemy from within, I'm sorry. How are you holding up?"

Flash smiled, "A minor setback your highness, and the way I see it, an opportunity to root out a previously unknown threat. My team is already working on narrowing down a list of suspects."

"I was told that you were injured though, poisoned even. Are you sure that you are alright, my little one?"

Flash shook his head, "More than alright Princess, I'm as fit as ever; but I must say, I owe Sunset Shimmer for that. Her spell once more saved me from what could have been a very close call, you really taught her well." A wistful look flickered across Celestia's face, and she appeared at once both weary and grateful at the same time, as if a burden was suddenly lightened, though not entirely dismissed.

"She was always a skilled pony," Celestia agreed before stepping past him and standing at the large bay window, staring out at the city square. She remained silent for a good while, and when she finally did speak, her voice was soft, but held a serious edge.

"Flash,"

"Yes princess?"

"What do you consider to be the greatest threat to Equestria?"

Flash thought hard for a moment, there were many things he wanted to say: complacency, disharmony, a lack of trust between friends, but instead, he stated the one that he truly felt covered the most ground.

"The unknown, your highness. What we can't predict because we do not see it coming." Celestia turned and smiled at him.

"You truly are more Sunset's pupil than mine, Flash Skies. She once told me the same thing. Yes, the unknown. And what, or rather, who, do you consider to be the greatest unknown factor at the present moment?"

Flash did not even need time to think to answer that question, "Chrysalis." He said without hesitation. Celestia nodded,

"I'm glad we are in agreement, Flash. For I must ask something of you, something that you might find very distasteful."

"And what is that, my princess?"

"I know this will be difficult for you to hear, and I hate to ask this of you, but I need to find and to capture the changeling known as Telson."

Flash remained silent at first, and Celestia seemed a bit surprised by his lack of a reaction.

"Why so, your highness?" Flash finally said, though he already knew why she was asking him.

Celestia sighed, glancing off to one side, "Several months ago, shortly after you and Ella were wed, Telson walked right into the newly reformed changeling hive, bold as brass. And there, he announced his intention to place Chrysalis back on the throne. I'm sure you can imagine the concern and consternation this has caused Equestria's newest ally. At first, I thought I could bring him in without having to involve you, to question him about his intentions; but he has proved far too clever for even the most skilled of my ranger teams."

Celestia looked back at him, "I know you consider him to be a friend Flash, and that he has become something of a father figure to Ella. But it is precisely because of your friendship with him, the fact that he trusts you, that it is my hope that he may listen to you if you ask him to turn himself in willingly."

Flash shook his head, "Trust me your highness, Telson won't let something like our friendship come between him and the sense of duty he has towards Chrysalis."

"Perhaps you could subdue him then? Is there a way you could defeat him without bringing him to harm?"

"Even if I did defeat him, and I'm not so certain that I could," Flash said with a wary glance to one side, "All that would cause is a worse situation, because Telson would never trust me again after that, and such an act just might actually turn him into our enemy, and a dangerous one at that. But allow me to allay your fears, my princess. I can assure you, Telson is no threat to Equestria, and he has no intention of bringing Chrysalis back like she was before. He won't bring her back to the hive until he can convince her to reform."

Celestia's eyes widened with genuine surprise, "How can you know this?"

"I know, because he told me" Celestia's jaw dropped,

"What? When?!"

And here comes the hurricane, Flash swallowed nervously, "About a month before my marriage."

The air was still, so still that Flash swore he could hear her heartbeat. She stared at him in utter shock, with a bewildered expression that he had never seen on her before. It was as if she were seeing him for the very first time, an alien in her world, like she could not believe nor comprehend what was presently before her. And all of the sudden, he found himself feeling extremely vulnerable in her presence, like a moth before an inferno. The temperature in the room rose noticeably,

"...What?" Celestia said, her word carrying more like an accusation than a question.

Flash tightened his grip on the beret in his hand, coming to attention as he prepared to tell what he had been keeping a secret for more than half a year.

Laughter rang across the room as Rainbow Dash blushed furiously, the latest victim to an impromptu round of 'Love or Shot', a game that Rarity had come up with months earlier where she and the other girls would name certain suitable stallions that they each knew to see who had a crush, with Ella's eyes being the ultimate truth detector; fibbers had to take a shot of sour cider. Ella sat on a cushion on the living room floor, sitting in a circle with Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash. Pinkie had vanished somewhere earlier, no doubt attending to other guests as several children from Ponyville had turned up as well.

"No! I just think Soarin's kinda, ya know, a great flier, that's all! It's not like I'm planning to marry the guy!" Rainbow Dash protested, downing a shot and shaking her head. "Dang, that stuff's tart!"

Rarity laughed, "Come now Dashie, the eyes never lie!" She said, grinning from over Ella's shoulder from where she had been braiding the woman's hair, "You might as well fess up!"

"I think ah' can see it even without a changeling's eyes, no offense Ella," Applejack quipped with a smug grin, eliciting another session of laughter from the gathered ponies.

"None taken," Ella chuckled with a slow shake of her head. She glanced across the living room to the kitchen, trying to see where Cozy Glow had gone. Last she saw her, she had been talking to another group of foals next to the music player Pinkie had brought along. It set her scalp to itching whenever she lost sight of that filly.

"Um, can we play a different game for now? I mean, if that's alright with all of you," Fluttershy said, a nervous look in her eyes.

"Oh come on, you want to quit now? Right after I get roasted?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"Well, we shouldn't force somepony to participate if they don't want to," Twilight said in Futtershy's defense.

"Oh, gettin' nervous Twi?" Rainbow teased, "Afraid we'll find out if you love something more than books?"

"Hey!" Twilight said, a touch of red coming to her cheeks, "I have more interests than just books!" She insisted over another round of laughter.

"Yeah, you're right," Rainbow said, looking up and tapping her chin in thought. "Who was that one guy you met in Sunset's world? Those other kind of humans?" Rainbow Dash grinned devilishly as she seemed to remember, "Oh yeah, wasn't it Flash Sentry?"

Ella honestly couldn't tell if the pink she was seeing was coming from Twilight's spirit or her face as the mortified young alicorn ducked her face behind her wings with an adorable squeak while Rainbow Dash and Applejack rolled on the floor in a fit of laughter at her reaction.

"Speaking of Flash," Rainbow eventually asked, wiping an eye after they had finally calmed down, "Where's our Flash at, Ella?"

"Indeed, it seems to have been ages since we last saw him at a social event," Rarity added.

"Did Celestia send him on another mission?" Fluttershy asked.

Ella suddenly felt a surge of emotions, not sure if it was caused by worry, hormones, or the lingering anxiety caused by the thought of the little sociopath lurking somewhere in her house, but it caused her voice to catch in her throat for a moment. She coughed, trying to regain her composure.

"Uh, sorry girls," Ella laughed wiping a random tear from her eye, "Crazy pregnant changeling feels again, that's all." Every pony around her immediately appeared concerned, leaning forward and asking if she were alright; the collective force of their concern and empathy nearly bowling her over so that she had to narrow her senses.

"Are you alright darling?"

"Are the babies okay?"

"Do ya need anything sugar?"

Ella raised a placating hands, "Girls, girls! I'm fine, no need ta panic, seriously." She said, which seemed to calm them, though some anxiety remained in their eyes.

"No, Flash is fine. Celestia called him to the Castle early this morning, but he's good, just real busy, that's all. And yeah, I kind of miss him too," she admitted.

"Honestly," Rarity said, "One would think that Celestia would give him a bit more time with you, especially given your current condition!" Twilight appeared to be about to say something in Celestia's defense, but Ella beat her to it,

"Trust me Rares, Celestia isn't just usin' him as an errand boy for every little thing. She's well aware of how I feel, and I know she wouldn't call him unless it were absolutely necessary. Besides, as much as I'd like to have him here, having all of you here with me more than makes up for his absence." She said, smiling at them all.

"Wow, we really mean that much to you Ella?" Fluttershy asked, speaking for the group. Ella smirked,

"You kiddin' Flutters? A year ago I was homeless and on the run from a bunch of sickos in a nightmare that wouldn't end. Now I'm somehow married to a magic man in a fairy tale land of magic talkin' ponies who make everyday like another dream come true. So yeah, trust me when I say that you girls make all the difference."

Fluttershy and a few of the others blushed at the praise, with Applejack even pulling her stetson low over her face to hide it. Before any of them could respond, Pinkie suddenly leapt into the middle of the circle, a pointed party hat on her fluffy head.

"Time for cake!" She exclaimed with a huge grin, throwing her forelimbs up over her head.

Ella laughed, "Oh man, Pinkie. I don't think I could eat another bite of cake, I'm already stuffed!" Pinkie giggled sweetly,

"Not that kind of cake, silly," she said, spinning about, "A changeling cake!" She shouted with glee. Ella blinked as she saw an incredible amount of love radiating brightly off of Pinkie's form, practically filling the room. At the same time, she noticed that the lovable mare was wearing a frosted cookie around her neck on a red string; and written in decorative cursive red icing like something straight out of Alice in Wonderland, stood the words 'Eat me.' For a second, Ella was caught between wanting to burst out laughing and almost crying. Instead, she just held her arms out to Pinkie,

"Oh, c'mere ya sweetheart. I'm gonna eat ya!" She said, shaking her head with a small laugh.

Pinkie Pie immediately flew into her arms, tucking her soft, velvety muzzle up underneath the young woman's neck and snuggling close. Ella wrapped her arms around the beautiful creature, soaking up the sweet comfort and love that flowed from her like an endless flood, filling her with warmth and light.

"Ya really know how to make a girl happy, Pinkie," Ella said while burying her face deep into the mare's soft curly mane; it smelled like cotton candy.

"It's what I live for, Ella," Pinkie softly whispered back, only loud enough for the girl holding her to hear. Ella didn't bother to look up as she suddenly felt the other five girls surround her, holding her in a warm embrace. Their collective love, each distinct in its own unique flavor and sensation, like so many layers of a luxurious cake, smothered her in a taste so otherworldly and wonderful that it made physical food seem like dust and ashes in comparison. She wished this moment would never end, and for just a second, was able to completely let go of all her worries. Dangers, magic, the little psycho in her home planning to take over the world? Posh. What worries could possibly compete when there was love like this?

Ella cracked an eye open, and caught Cozy Glow staring at her from across the room, a pensive look on the small filly's face. It was hard to tell, she couldn't be sure, but for just fraction of a second, Ella thought she saw a hint of envy shimmer like an emerald ripple through the little pony's aura.

The proud and noble walls of Canterlot Castle were one of the most well-designed pieces of architecture in all of Equestria, constructed with great skill and at great expense using the finest of masonry and material, and layered with ward upon ward against damage and decay. And at that moment, Flash Skies felt certain that all of that was being put to the ultimate stress test as Princess Celestia laid into him with a level of outrage that would cower a full-grown dragon. He prayed that the sound insulation wards surrounding her study were holding up.

"DON'T YOU REALIZE HOW PERTINENT THIS INFORMATION COULD HAVE BEEN IN MY DECISIONS WITH OUR ALLIES?! HOW MANY FEARS MIGHT HAVE BEEN ALLAYED IF YOU HAD BEEN MORE FORTHRIGHT IN TELLING ME THIS?! HOW COULD YOU BE SO FOALISH FLASH?!!"

She had raised her voice at him a few times in his life, like that time he had lost his temper and attacked a fellow cadet who had taunted him by insulting Princess Luna to his face in the dark days following Tirek's attack on Equestria. He had been in a bad place at the time, and Celestia was sympathetic, but she had to make it abundantly clear to him that such behavior would not be tolerated and that it could never happen ever again if he wished to remain a candidate for the Royal Guard; it was the first time in his life that he had actually felt afraid of her. But this was different. It wasn't just the rare sight of her being upset with him, or the fact that she had been perhaps just one decibel away from the Royal Canterlot Voice for the last twenty minutes, but the detectable tone of hurt that came through in her voice and was visible in her features. That alone made it more painful than anything. He'd rather receive actual lashes.

"I told you, your highness, I gave Chelicerae and Telson my word. I wasn't at liberty to tell you until you asked me about it. If I broke my promise, I would have lost all the trust that I have built up with them, and at a great cost too." He said while absentmindedly rubbing the scar over his eye. The heat in the room was making him itch and sweat.

"They're my friends, Princess, I trust them, and they trust me. I was trying to build a bridge between them and Equestria. Haven't you always taught me that friends keep each other's secrets?"

Celestia twisted about from her pacing, facing him directly, her eyes sharp and ethereal mane billowing like the flames of a wildfire, "Your personal promises to them do not outweigh your larger responsibilities to both me and to Equestria, Captain." She said with particular emphasis on the last word, making her words cut even deeper despite the fact that she had finally lowered her voice to a more tolerable level. "It was unwise, Flash. You should have considered your greater obligations before making such a promise. You may trust their goodwill to try and reform Chrysalis, and perhaps I do as well, but what if they can't? How do you know if they will resist her ill-wishes and not follow her in their clearly evident iron-clad sense of duty towards her regardless of their own personal feelings on the matter?"

Flash wilted slightly at that, now seeing her point; he hadn't considered at the time that there could be a hierarchy to loyalty and promises. And did he really know how far Telson and Chelicerae would go for their queen? Celestia seemed to notice his inner realization of his blunder as her face immediately softened and the temperature in the room began to lower back to a more comfortable temperature.

"I, I just wanted them to trust us, your highness, that's all, to trust you. I'm sorry." Flash said, looking down, unable to meet her eyes. A smaller, angrier part of him wanted to challenge her about how she and Luna had kept secrets from him regarding Rose Dust, as Celestia had known about what her sister was up to and didn't tell him. It still made him feel angry that they still treated him like a foal in some ways; but now, he realized that accusing her of hypocrisy to satisfy his own personal angst would be both petty and immature. After all, she and Luna had millennia of wisdom on him, what was he compared to them and the responsibilities that they bore? Nothing.

Maybe I really am just a foal who needs to be watched. He thought despondently, seeing now that his decision to not tell Celestia about Chelicerae and Telson's plans may have been short-sighted sentimentalism on his part after all.

Celestia sighed, and to Flash's surprise, sat on her haunches instead of maintaining a more regal bearing. She bowed her head, closing her eyes in thought, "Oh Flash, my little one, whatever am I going to do with you?" She said shaking her head, the weariness of her centuries weighing on her voice.

Flash grimaced, "Whatever you want to, my princess." He replied in a soft voice. Celestia looked up at him, her face at once both affectionate though still slightly aggrieved.

You're lucky you're cute, Flash. Celestia thought to herself before rising to her hooves once more. "Get out of my sight, Flash. I can't look at you right now. I need some time to think, to think and reconsider if sending you after Telson is still a good idea."

Flash just managed to resist wincing a the harshness of her words, maintaining his military bearing as he snapped briefly to attention and saluted her.

"Your highness," he said before bowing, turning and walking out of the study, closing the door behind him.

The room was silent as Celestia stared at the door, lost in thought about all she had been told, her heart aching from having to have disciplined Flash so harshly, especially with the knowledge of all that he had already done and sacrificed for Equestria, and at such a young age.

"What do you think my sister, was I too harsh on him?"

Luna stepped into the room from a shadow she had warped out of, sympathy coloring her features.

"Perhaps a little, but it was understandable considering the shocking nature of his revelations to you. I too am surprised that he kept such a secret."

Luna stepped forward and embraced her sister. Celestia immediately felt grateful for the solace her presence provided. Having her there with her made it feel as if a centuries worth of worries had just dissolved in an instance.

Luna brushed Celestia's cheek with one hoof as they separated, "Do not doubt his loyalty dear sister, this was simply a case of youthful indiscretion. I believe his impressive ability and maturity for one of his tender age often makes us forget at times that he is still but a child of 18, only just a man by his own species standards. He still has much to learn."

Celestia gave a tired laugh, "Yes, I know. There are times where I'm not sure if I want to snuggle him under my wing or strangle him."

"A skilled mare could do both at once," Luna quipped, a sly look on her face. They both shared a laugh at that, briefly touching horns together.

"What do you think sister," Celestia asked, "Should I still send him to apprehend Telson?"

Luna glanced to one side, tapping her chin in thought for a moment, "I have an alternative sister," she said before looking back up. "Perhaps I might have better luck in this endeavor. I struck up a good acquaintance with Telson at Flash and Ella's wedding, he may yet be persuaded to discuss his intentions with me if I approach him in a respectful manner."

Celestia smiled, "And if he isn't?"

Luna smiled back, "Then I shall persuade him further, sister."

Celestia laughed softly, "Of course you will. Yes Luna, I think this is wise. Go with my blessing, but be cautious. We do not know for certain if he has already found Chrysalis yet and received new instructions from her."

"Of course," Luna replied, giving her a quick embrace.

"Have I ever told you how glad I am that you're my sister?" Celestia called to her as she turned to leave. Luna looked back and smiled warmly,

"Yes, but I welcome hearing it more often."

"Come Ferra," Flash said as he stormed out of the room, making for the nearest exit. The orange pony immediately jumped to her hooves from where she had been dozing, stretching quickly before falling into step beside him. She said nothing, as she could tell both by sight and by his scent that things had not gone well.

Flash kept a brisk pace, eager to put as much distance between himself and Celestia as possible. His mind raced, examining and reexamining all of his choices regarding Telson and Chelicerae for the last several months. And the more he thought of it, the more he felt ashamed of himself.

Of course Celestia is right, how could I have been such a naive foal?! Trust the magic of friendship Flash! It'll all be alright Flash! Don't worry that they are still loyal to a homicidal egomaniac Flash!

He slammed his fist down on the stone guardrail of the outdoor walkway he had paused on. It was one of the many connecting walkways of the Castle, and this one was thankfully in the shadow of one of the towers which presently blocked out the sun, allowing him a moment for him to feel like he was out of Celestia's sight. Nopony else was around, so he stayed, taking a few slow breaths to calm his thoughts. But as much as he tried, he couldn't stop the singular realization that he could no longer excuse, he'd royally bucked up.

A gentle lick to one of his hands caused Flash to open his eyes and glance down at Ferra who had seated herself next to him, looking up at him in earnest, her faced etched with concern. Flash gave a humorless smirk,

"Heh, you can go ahead and eat me now Ferra, it's about all I'd be good for at this point." A glimmer of excitement seemed to pass through her yellow eyes for just a second, but she shook her head.

"Nah, your stress would make you all tough and gamey right now, master. Let me know when you're calm and happy, then you'll be tender and perfect."

Flash gave a tired chuckle at that as he turned around and slid down into a seated position, his back against the guardrail. Ferra sidled up next to him, resting her head against his shoulder and lending him her comfort. Flash put an arm around her withers, slowly scratched one of her shoulders with his hand. For a while he just stared off at the beautiful green countryside, allowing the sound of Ferra's soft purring to calm him.

"I messed up, Ferra. Real badly." He finally said after a few minutes.

Ferra sighed, nuzzling her cheek against his shoulder, "It happens, master. Even to the best hunters."

"Yeah, but I'm supposed to be better than this. How can I be trusted to do my job well when I don't even see what is so obvious to everypony else?"

Ferra didn't respond at first, but eventually, began to speak in a quiet voice, "When I was a filly master, one of our greatest and strongest warriors was chosen to lead a pack of novices on a hunt, to teach them the basics. Everypony looked up to him, he was so skilled and confident that even the most timid of foals felt braver whenever he was around. Yet when the hunt started, he forgot to check if they were downwind, something that even the most inexperienced amateur would remember to do. He ended up losing a forelimb to boar, and had to be rescued by the very novices he was trying to teach, it was a great embarrassment for us all."

Flash winced in sympathy, "Ouch. So what happened after that? Did he have to give up hunting?"

Ferra shook her head against him, "No. In fact, he went on to become an even greater hunter than he ever was before, even with his hooficap, and brought great honor to his family. He would even proudly show off his injury when teaching new hunters, as a visible reminder to stay humble, stay focused, and to always, always learn from your mistakes. The hunter who accepts that he is not perfect and has the humility to learn from his mistakes gains far greater wisdom and ability than the hunter who never knows failure."

Flash slowly traced small circles on her shoulder with his thumb as he once more found himself in awe of this extraordinary pony who was pleased to call him of all people, 'master.' Her wisdom reminded him of a lesson he had heard from the Scriptures the last time he had been able to go to Church with Ella back on earth, Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.

Flash took a deep breath and slowly let it out, allowing his stress to dissipate, "Heh, I guess moping about messing up doesn't really do much good for anypony, huh Ferra?" He felt her smile against his shoulder,

"Nope! If you know you're not perfect, why should you be surprised when you're not? Just accept it and do better!"

This mare... He roughly grabbed the side of her head and placed a quick kiss on top of her fuzzy head.

"Thanks Ferra, that actually helps a lot. You really are a princess, aren't you?"

She giggled and gave him a playful headbutt that bonked the side of his head, "Yup! And you really are delicious! So, can I eat you now?"

"Ow," Flash said, squinting and rubbing the side of his head, "No. Maybe later."

"Aww, shucks. You're no fun." She whined. As the two of them rose to their feet, Flash caught site of a lone courier pegasus scanning the area from the air. Spotting Flash, he quickly flew down and landed in front of him, rendering a hasty salute. Flash recognized the patch on the yellow pony's green fatigues of a boulder being cracked underneath a stamping hoof as belonging to that of the 2nd Division Guard Expeditionary Unit, affectionately known as the 'Ground Pounders', one of General Iron Shod's ponies.

Flash saluted him back, "At ease private, what's the word?" The pony reached into his satchel and handed Flash a small sealed scroll.

"Urgent missive from the general, sir. He's asked if you can meet him at Building One Headquarters right away!"

Flash opened the scroll and read the message:

"Good afternoon Capt. Skies,

Please report to my office at Building One at your earliest convenience, I have made a startling discovery that I think requires your, unique attention.

Respectfully,

Maj Gen. Iron Shod
CO 2nd Div, GEU"

Flash looked up, "Yes, tell the General I will be right over, thank you private." The pony nodded, saluted, and took off, winging his way back towards the the northwest corner of Canterlot.

Flash stretched his arms over his head and started walking towards the castle gates, "C'mon Ferra, lets go bother the general."

Ferra gasped excitedly, "I'll get to come into headquarters? Is that allowed?"

Flash grinned, "Allowed? It'd be amusing to see anypony try and stop you."

"Take your time Ella, you almost got it."

Twilight Sparkle watched as the young woman's brow furrowed in concentration, her eyes fixed on the apple sitting on the small coffee table in front of her. The other girls and most of the partygoers had left a while ago, but Twilight had chosen to stay behind, taking the opportunity to continue the magic tutoring lessons that she had been giving off and on to Ella. They had become less frequent in the last few months as both of them had growing responsibilities, but Twilight was still certain that Ella had barely scratched the surface of her potential abilities and wanted to make sure that she could still make progress with them.

The alicorn held her breath with anticipation, watching as a green glow slowly began to envelop the small piece of fruit. The magic began to flicker and fade before with a snarl of effort on Ella's part, the signature buzzing hum of changeling magic filled the air, and the apple shot up into the air, floating in a green aura of magic in front of her face.

Twilight clapped her hooves together, "Congratulations Ella! You managed to close the loop!"

Ella let out the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding, breathing hard as she stared with a mixture of frustration and wonder at the apple she could now feel clearly linked to her mind and will. She looked down at her right hand which was also enveloped in the same green glow of magic, pulsing with greater intensity around the large diamond of her engagement ring which she had chosen to use for her focal point.

"Argh, now why was that so dang difficult?!" Ella glowered as she waved her hand back and forth, causing the apple to do the same. She cut the flow of magic, causing the apple to drop before immediately catching it again in a telekinetic grip as easily as she could do it with her hands. "It feels as easy as blinking now that I know what it actually feels like!"

Twilight gave a playful laugh, "Don't be so hard on yourself Ella, you've lived most of your life without magic, and you don't even have a horn to focus yours with! Somepony with those liabilities attempting to grasp and harness the simple basic principles of creating a Gryt loop is like a blind pony trying to learn about color! I'm actually impressed that you've come this far with only three weeks of training."

Ella flushed slightly at the praise. "Heh, I guess you're right." She agreed, her sense of frustration quickly being replaced by a kind of giddiness of being able to do something that most people could only fantasize about. "Wow, look at me! I'm a friggin' Jedi!" She exclaimed with a laugh as she caused the apple to flick through the air at her whim.

"Jedi?" Twilight inquired, tilting her head to one side.

Ella laughed, "Oh man Twi, you and I just gotta watch some movies together from my world!"

Curious about how far she could take this, Ella squinted in concentration, picturing in her mind what she wanted to do. Her magic responded to her input, and the apple split into two perfect halves, one of which she floated over to Twilight and the other to herself which she took into her hand.

Twilight smiled and took a bite of the offered snack, "Mmm, not bad Ella! You're a real natural! Most unicorns take weeks after their first experience with telekinesis to gain finer control like that! Ooh, I can't wait to see how far we can take your abilities!"

Ella sighed and leaned back in the sofa she was sitting on as she released the magic, feeling a little tired from so much concentration. "Yeah, me too. I really appreciate you continuin' lessons with me with everything else you got going on, Twi."

Twilight shook her head, "Oh, it's no trouble at all Ella, I'll always have time for a friend. And this is a lot of fun for me as well!"

"So, friends make time for each other?" Said a curious voice. Ella and Twilight both looked up to see Cozy Glow hovering in the air, her hooves clasped innocently under her chin, her scarlet eyes glittering with interest.

"That's right, uh, Cozy Glow is it? Yes, friends will always try to make time to help one another, it's part of a healthy relationship." Twilight replied.

Cozy Glow's eyes widened with what Ella could easily see was feigned wonder, "Wow, golly Miss Twilight, there's sure a lot to learn about friendship. I sure hope that I'll be able remember it all when your new school starts!"

Ella squinted suspiciously, Alright Cozy, just what are you up to?

Twilight smiled and nodded, "Yes, friendship does take a lot of effort Cozy, but don't worry. When the school opens, you'll have lots of opportunities to learn and many good ponies who just can't wait to teach you all about growing good and healthy friendships!"

Cozy Glow looked at Ella and gave what appeared to be a sweet smile, but to Ella, it appeared downright sinister thanks to the thick cloak of violet duplicity she could see practically dripping from her spirit; it smelled like engine grease.

"Well, it seems then that I already have a very good friend in Ella, because she has been making lots of time for me!"

"She has?" Twilight asked, looking appreciatively at Ella, who fought to not appear nervous.

"Uh, yeah, it's no big deal, just tryin' to help all the kids get ready for school haha," she said, forcing a smile. Where are you going with this Cozy?! She thought with alarm, sensing that something was already moving past the point that she could control.

"Yup, she's been teaching me all about what it means to be a good friend. In fact, Ella has even agreed to let me stay with her here in Ponyville to help me get ready for the school year! She's so nice."

Ella felt like the air was pulled from her lungs as she struggled to not to let the outrage presently exploding within her to break her decorum. Why you audacious, little, MONSTER!

Twilight looked at Ella in amazement, "Ella, that's so generous of you! You're already dealing with so much, and yet you're still trying to do more to help everypony!"

Cozy made a mocking face at Twilight while her back was turned, pushing her hooves into her cheeks and wagging her tongue back and forth while looking directly at Ella; the young woman actually wondered for a second if magic could make literal daggers fly out of her eyes.

"Oh, it's nothing, really!" Ella said through clenched teeth, barely maintaining a forced smile. "It's just that Cozy looks like she might need more help than all the others, and I simply can't stand to see such a slow learner fall behind, that's all."

Cozy's smug grin immediately morphed into an angry scowl, one of her eyes twitching as she silently mouthed murderous threats at Ella while making violent gestures, drawing a hoof across her throat in a slashing motion.

Twilight smiled, "Wow, that's very considerate of you Ella. If you didn't already have a job, I'd ask you to be a teacher at the school!" She said while turning to Cozy Glow who instantaneously switched to the very image of sweet innocence, holding her hooves shyly behind her back.

"Well Cozy, I hope you can fully appreciate what Ella is doing for you. This really is a rare opportunity for you to learn about friendship from someone who is truly special! Make sure you make the most of it while you can before the semester." Twilight said.

A smile slowly creeped across Cozy's face, "Oh, you can count on it Miss Twilight!" She said, shifting her devious gaze to Ella, "I promise, that I won't waste a single second of it." Ella for her part, held her gaze, doing her best to not glare, but said nothing.

Shortly after that, Twilight said her goodbyes, assuring Ella that she would be back again soon to pick up where they had left off. Ella and Cozy watched together from the front door as Twilight walked out into the front yard, turning to wave before disappearing in a violet burst of magic.

Cozy kept smiling and waving until she was sure the Princess was gone before fluttering back inside and slamming the door shut. "Ugh, I thought she'd never leave! Can you believe just how gullib-"

She never managed to finish her sentence as a green glow suddenly enveloped her small form with an angry sounding buzz, yanking her down with a startled yelp towards Ella who snatched her by the scruff of her neck, holding her like a kitten at arm's length before her face.

Ella was beyond furious, and it wasn't simply because of the little stunt Cozy had just pulled with her and Twilight. No, it was for what she had done before when she was talking to Flash earlier that morning. She had seen it, as clear as the day, the full-blown murderous intent glowing red behind her sweet words to him; she knew a deliberate threat when she saw one. Ella suspected her blue eyes were probably glowing with their signature green light as she bared her fangs at the little pony and for just a second, saw a flicker of genuine fear pass through Cozy's spirit. Good. She wanted her to be afraid.

Cozy Glow gave her a shy smile, "I see you've mastered telekinesis." She softly observed.

"Let's get one thing straight you little devil," Ella hissed while giving her a rough shake, "I don't care if you mess with me, but if you ever threaten my husband like that again, then so help me, I'll-"

"You'll what?" Cozy quietly interjected, "Kill me?"

Ella's jaw dropped slightly, the words caught in her throat. To be honest, she wasn't sure how she was going to finish that sentence. But the revulsion she now felt at the realization that she was presently threatening a child rattled her to very her core. A smile slowly spread across Cozy Glow's face as Ella saw her momentary fear being replaced by the golden glow of growing satisfaction and even a little pride now radiating brightly through the pony's spirit. It smelled tempting, like a savory broth. And then it hit her.

She, she did that on purpose! She threatened Flash, on purpose! She knew that I would see it and, and...

"There you go, there she is," Cozy said, her eyes sparkling with morbid delight as she watched the horrified realization of what she did dawn on the human's face. Ella let go of her, stumbling back and almost falling over, catching herself on the back of a chair. Cozy Glow held herself aloft in the air with soft beats of her wings at the same level Ella had been holding her, continuing to smile proudly at Ella who stared fearfully back at the little pony who had so easily manipulated her, breathing hard.

"I always knew you were smart, Ella. It's why I like you, you're not like all the other insufferable little nitwits I've been surrounded by since the day I was foaled. You saw through me the day we met, and it wasn't because of your powers, but because you can spot a fake a mile away. I like that, you're the first to ever do so. I just had to know if you were real, to know if you had limits like anypony else. And now, I know!"

Cozy floated over to her and Ella flinched as the filly gently took the sides of her face in her tiny hooves. The pony smiled at her, and for once, and to her immense surprise, Ella could see that her smile was genuine, and not at all like the fake saccharine grins that she always gave to everyone else. There was even a small glint of affection and appreciation in her spirit. And though the motivations behind those kind emotions were utterly twisted and depraved, they were shockingly genuine.

Cozy Glow slowly shook her head while maintaining eye contact, "Don't hate me Ella, you know what I am." She whispered before placing a small, sweet kiss on the woman's forehead.

Ella shivered, collapsing back into the chair that she had been holding onto for support, her swirling emotions making her feel lightheaded while her heart continued to pound away in her chest. She was vaguely aware of a warm sensation settling into her lap as Cozy gently set down and snuggled close to her. Without thinking, she placed a hand on Cozy's back and began to scratch her soft fur. Oddly, in spite of every horrible thing that had just happened, she found the act very soothing, allowing her to begin gathering her thoughts.

God, what am I doing? She asked Him. She still felt sick with remorse that she had actually threatened Cozy. Even if she was a little monster, she was still a child, and the thought of almost losing her temper like that, even if it was the result of deliberate manipulation on the part of the little beastie, made her feel ashamed.

Ella began to consider for a moment that she was in over her head, that perhaps she should tell Flash and the others of the danger present in their midst, a wolf in filly's clothing, but she immediately dismissed it. She remembered how she had promised herself, when she had first gained Cozy's trust by not exposing her, that she would do whatever she could to help this poor, sick child. She knew that deep down, somewhere in that cold little Machiavellian heart of hers, was a poor little girl just looking for love, even if that little girl didn't know it herself.

Ella knew it, she had seen it in her envy earlier. No, exposing her now would just ensure that that part of her would never see the light of day. She would learn from this mistake. After all, there was still time. Time enough to love this little pony, as difficult as she was, and help her to see that what she really wanted was already right in front of her.

Ella took a slow breath and let it out, giving a small smirk at the sight of the little pony curled up in her lap, enjoying her scritching like she hadn't a care in the world.

"You're a real piece of work Cozy, ya know that?" Cozy Glow rolled over onto her back and smirked back,

"Flattery will get you nowhere, but it's nice of you to notice."

Ella reached down and gently cupped one of her soft cheeks with her hand, "Sorry." She whispered to her to which Cozy simply gave a small smile, nodding in acknowledgment.

"So," she began, sitting up and resting her chin on top of Ella's protruding belly, hugging it with her forelimbs and looking up at her with doe eyes, "How are you going to explain our new little arrangement to your precious handsome hubby?" She asked, giving Ella a small squeeze.

Ella rolled her eyes with a humorless laugh, "I suppose I'll just tell him the truth," she paused, looking down at Cozy slyly, "That I'm taking the time to help a slow learner get ready for school." She said with a wink.

Cozy scowled, "Witch."

"Devil."

Author's Note

Often, actually, very often, God allows his greatest servants, those who are far advanced in grace, to make the most humiliating mistakes. This humbles them in their own eyes and in the eyes of their fellow men.
-St. Louis-Marie de Montfort

Ah, good to be back. Whoever knew that writing the mind of a villain could be such a challenge? And fun!

Special thanks to Venerable Ro for his wonderful assistance and as always, may God bless you all!

Difficult Choices

Building One was an old, handsome affair. Located in the northwest sector of Canterlot, the large square building constructed from white cut stone was a constant hive of activity, with everything from individual ponies to battle carriages steadily streaming through its front gates, while courier pegasi flew about like bees around its four corner battlement towers. It had served as the main headquarters for the Royal Guard for the last 250 years and had a storied history of training some of the finest soldiers in Equestria.

Flash was entitled to have an office there when Celestia had made him the head of his own new department, but he had opted, with Celestia's blessing, for constructing an entirely new location in the caves beneath Canterhorn Castle. In his judgment, it was a far more secure location for clandestine operations and at the same time, took care of the glaring security oversight which the caves represented, as was made appallingly apparent at Princess Cadance's wedding. The way Flash saw it, it was taking care of a lot of birds with one really big stone.

Getting through the main gate with guests in tow was usually not a problem for Flash, as the gate sentries usually let him escort them through on his own recognizance. He had done so on many occasions with Ella when she had first arrived in Equestria. But today, a security admin named Stickler insisted on making Ferra wait for an official ID check with the main office before letting her through, even after Flash had reminded the pony that she was technically a foreign dignitary and was therefore afforded VIP status. Stickler did not care.

Flash then made it seem that he could not wait around any longer and offered to let Ferra, who gave Stickler her most winningest of smiles, hang out at the checkpoint with them, all by her lonesome, while he went on ahead. Stickler suddenly cared. Flash had never seen a verification come through from the main office more quickly.

Ferra hummed a merry tune to herself as she happily trotted alongside Flash, everypony they passed through the courtyard giving them a generously wide berth.

"I think you enjoyed yourself just a little too much back there, Miss Teeth." Flash commented, struggling to suppress his grin.

"What's life if not to enjoy it?" Ferra replied with a happy bounce in her step. Flash just smiled and shook his head as they walked through a set of double doors that two golden armored guards with spears opened for them with a salute. The floor of the interior corridor was covered in a royal blue carpet and its walls were lined with the most beautiful white wooden paneling. They were also adorned with brass candelabras and various oil paintings, depicting everything from great military leaders of old to historic battles. There was even one of Celestia herself arrayed in stunning battle armor of the most radiant gold, the sun rising behind her; that one was easily his favorite. But being that he was in the proverbial doghouse at the moment with his favorite mom boss princess pony person, he averted his gaze from her image and kept walking.

General Iron Shod's main office was in the west corner of the building up on the second floor. Flash greeted the staff sergeant secretary at the front desk, a pretty, light yellow pegasus mare with a brown mane and blue eyes named Daisy Cutter, who let him into the main operation center of the 2nd Division GEU. The room was a clatter of organized chaos, the uniformed ponies occupying a dozen different desks were set up in two rows, all placed under a massive map of Equestria that covered one of the side walls. Ferra's ears twitched and her nostrils flared as she took in the new collection of curious sights and smells from the ponies who were busy working away at their various tasks. The layered sound of multiple conversations happening at once punctuated by the chattering sound of typewriters and the tic-tac beeping of a wireless set operating in one corner of the wide room created quite the alien symphony of sound for the exotic mare.

Flash was about to ask her if she wished to wait outside when a fluctuation in the magnetic field around him accompanied by the high pitch buzzing of a projectile flying towards the back of his head caused him to throw a hand up in reflex to catch it, only for Ferra to beat him to it, snatching it out of the air with her teeth.

Ferra grinned while holding the small pencil in her fangs, her eyes sparkling with intrigue at the mare who had thrown it.

"Well, well, look who decided to finally show his furless face. How long has it been Skies, two, maybe three months? I was beginning to think you didn't miss me."

Flash sighed and turned towards the sound of the voice, only to see the bright, cocky smile of the light pink pegasus mare with a blood red mane and tail, fiery orange eyes, and a personality to match.

"Major Rosen Riposte, so nice of you to greet me today with your standard welcome of a potentially life-threatening injury. What, no innocent recruits for you to terrorize today?" The spirited mare was wearing a standard light khaki officer's blouse and beret, and was leaning back up against a desk on her forelimbs with her hind legs crossed; she was skillfully twirling another sharpened pencil in the primary feathers of her right wing. Her cutie mark was a set of white wings interspersed by a silver sword.

Rosen's grin broadened, "Nah, that just get's boring after a while." She said while dropping to all four hooves and trotting up to him, only for Ferra to casually step into her path and passively block her, bumping chests with her while still gripping the pencil lightly in her lethal smile.

"I see you still have eyes in the back of your head Skies, never get tired of seeing that; but who's your really fast friend?" Rosen asked while giving a cautious but curious glance to the fanged beauty before her.

Flash stepped forward and gently stroked Ferra's head, earning a pleased purr from her, "Rosen, this is Ferra, Princess Ferra of Diomedia. Ferra this is Rosen Riposte, Executive Officer for the 2nd GEU, air combat director and full-time pain in my flank. And no, you may not eat her...yet."

Rosen chuckled, "Aww, such promises," she said before giving a small salute to Ferra. "It's a pleasure to meet you your highness. Sorry if I upset you with the casual assassination attempt, but I gotta keep our forces sharp if you catch my drift."

Ferra cruched the pencil into splinters and swallowed the pieces, licking her chops and shaking her head. "Nope, I think that's a great idea! After all, if master doesn't stay alert, it'll be no challenge to eat him someday!"

Rosen raised an eyebrow in confusion, looking to Flash for an explanation.

"I'll tell you later." He said with a resigned roll of his eyes, "So, where's your boss?"

Rosen motioned with her head towards the back of the room, "In his office, waiting for you. I hope you brought your 'A game' Skies, seems like he's all excited about something."

Flash smiled, "Hey, when do I not?" He said while turning to walk towards the door at the back of room.

"Every time you see me," she retorted, "When are you going to finally give me that sparing match I've been asking for since, I don't know, you were a colt in the junior academy, eh feather flank? What's the matter, still can't stand to fight a mare?"

Flash spun on his heel to face her, "Maybe it's more like I enjoy having all four limbs intact, you lunatic of a mare. Is there anypony you haven't sparred with that hasn't ended up in the infirmary?"

Rosen held a hoof to her chest as one wounded, "Oh, come now. I promised to leave you at least one limb intact to salute me with, didn't I?" She said before flicking the pencil she had been holding in her wing at an alarming speed towards his chest. Flash caught it between his forefinger and thumb without flinching,

"Yeah, I bet you would, you slipshod." He said with a sly grin.

"Featherweight." She scoffed in retaliation.

"Brute."

"Prude!"

"Loose cannon!"

"Hothead!"

"Amateur!" They both concluded at the same time with Rosen still grinning, looking with hopeful eyes that she might have finally antagonized him enough for a fight. Flash noticed with some annoyance Ferra sitting to one side in between them, her glossy black tail flicking back and forth with barely contained energy while grinning in open admiration at Rosen. She looked at Flash,

"I like her! Can we-"

"Don't!" Flash exclaimed, holding a finger up, "Even start."

Rosen chuckled, "Aww, don't worry sister, he's just a little shy around mares, that's all. He warms up to us after a while." She said with an antagonizing wink at Flash who glowered at her in return. He was about to retort when his eyes widened for a second, a sinister grin slowly spreading across his face,

"Hey Ferra, why don't you go play with Rosen? I'm sure she'd just love to have a sparring match with you while I'm busy talking with the General."

Rosen's eyes narrowed suspiciously, but she still smiled warmly as she looked at Ferra who was beaming from ear to ear and practically shaking with excitement.

"Wow, can't say that I've ever fought a princess before. What do you say sister, you wanna have a go?"

"Yes!" Ferra shouted with a happy prance. She quickly gave Flash a grateful head bash to his hip and a quick, crushing hug and lick to his cheek with her rough tongue before hopping to Rosen's side, "Thank you thank you master! Yeah, let's do this!"

Flash staggered a step, rubbing his bruised thigh, "Yeah, no problem Ferra." He said while popping his abused spine back into place, "Just make sure you give her your very best!"

Rosen gave Flash another wink as she turned with Ferra and headed towards the exit, "Until next time, Skies. You can't avoid me forever."

Flash smiled, "We'll see. Watch your six, Riposte."

"Ah, welcome Captain! So glad you could join us!" General Iron Shod's voice boomed from across the richly appointed office as he returned the human's salute. The room was wide and spacious, with plush chairs and sofas around a polished wood table and a large, mahogany desk occupying the far side; the air smelled of parchment and sweet pipe tobacco. Flash made sure the ornate wooden door behind him was closed before walking towards the proud old stallion. The general was wearing the same style khaki battle blouse that Rosen had been wearing, though his bore golden buttons on the front, distinguishing his status as a flag officer.

What really caught Flash's attention though, was the tall, white unicorn with a golden mane and matching eyes wearing a fancy, expensive looking crimson vest with black buttons standing next to the general; a small golden crest of a shield and two crossed swords adorned his left breast, the Dawn Family Crest.

"I'm sure you remember Noble Dawn," Iron Shod said, gesturing to the pony, "After all, his son Lumen is currently your XO as I recall, is he not?"

"That he is!" Flash said with a warm smile as he accepted a firm hoof shake from the unicorn.

"A pleasure as always, Captain Skies," Noble Dawn said in a reserved tone, though a small, friendly smile brightened his face. "I do hope my son is proving himself useful to you?"

"Endlessly so, your grace. He is a consummate professional and one of the best officers I've ever worked with." Flash said truthfully, suppressing a temptation to be sarcastic. "So, to what do we owe the pleasure of the Royal Guard's most senior defense contractor paying us a visit?"

General Iron Shod smiled, "Ah, astute as always Captain! Yes, as you well know, Noble Dawn's family has been supplying the very best in armor and armaments to the Crown for the last 600 years, their quality and craftstallionship are second to none. Which is why I have asked Mr. Dawn to be with us today to give us any insights he might have on an alarming discovery we have made aboard Secret Threshold's ship. A discovery that could potentially change the very future of combat for the Royal Guard!"

Flash blinked in mild astonishment, he had never known the reserved stallion to make such grandiose statements, "That's quite the claim General, to what discovery are you referring to?"

General Shod stepped up to the edge of his desk, taking hold of a red velvet cloth that was covering something about the size of an egg carton, "What I'm about to show you Captain Skies, must remain top secret for the time being," he said solemnly before pulling the cloth away. Flash felt his breath catch in his throat.

No...There's, no way. It's....IMPOSSIBLE!

It was primitive looking, like some of the pieces that Flash saw in museums back on earth, yet its design and function were unmistakeable. Flash glanced towards the General who nodded his permission,

"I take it by the look on your face lad, that you can tell us what this is?"

Flash slowly reached out and picked the item up. It had a curved wooden grip with a brass trigger guard that looked like it would fit a pony's hoof pretty comfortably, and it seemed to even fit well enough in his own hand. The barrel was about eight inches of hexagonal cut blued steel with a crude, single post sight on the end. A ramrod was tucked under the barrel, and it appeared to be of a single-shot, percussion cap variety. Not exactly as sophisticated as the modern firearms he had encountered on earth, but it was still, unmistakably,

"A gun, sir.”

"What do you mean that you can control other ponies' minds?!"

"Shh! Not so loud Cozy Glow!" Ella hissed, glancing furtively around as she walked down Ponyville main street, making sure no one had overheard them. Cozy Glow herself had found a new favorite perch, hooking her forelimbs over Ella's left shoulder and hanging on to get a free ride. Ella didn't mind, but she couldn't help but be slightly amused at the idea that she now quite literally had a little devil on her left shoulder, whispering sweet temptations into her ear; her velvety muzzle tickled.

Guardian angels, pray for us. Ella inwardly prayed, trying not to laugh.

After the party had ended, Ella had suggested going into town to shop for a few items to add to the decor of the guest room she was going to put Cozy Glow up in, something to make it more personal for her. It was an idea that seemed to genuinely surprise the little filly, though she quickly hid it.

Ella heard Cozy's wings buzz with excitement, "Sorry," she said in a lower voice, "But come on, you can seriously hypnotize ponies?"

Ella sighed, "It's called a 'mesmerizing gaze' Cozy, every changeling has it, though it varies in degrees of strength and ability, at least according to what Telson told me about it. It's supposed to help them subdue their food, if you catch my drift. And according to him, well," Ella paused, not even sure how they had gotten on this line of conversation, "Mine's pretty strong."

Cozy giggled gleefully, kicking her tiny hooves so that they lightly drummed against Ella's lower back through her signature white cloak that she was wearing, "Oh, that is so wicked! When did you realize you had it?" Ella reached back and gently scratched the side of Cozy's head, calming the filly down.

"One day when we had a little colt at the doctor's office who wouldn't sit still for anyone. No one could get him to behave himself, so I looked him right in the eye and told him to be still, and the kid practically turned into a statue. After that, I noticed that so long as I made eye contact with anyone and concentrated, they would pretty much do whatever I say. Kinda freaked me out if I'm honest."

Cozy Glow sighed wistfully, "Oh Celestia, my life would be so much easier if I could do something like that. Seriously Ella, we should talk possibilities! I mean, can you just imagine what you could do with an ability like this? I certainly can!"

Ella glanced at her, frowning, "Yeah, I bet you can. Sorry to dash your twisted hopes though my little devil, I already told Celestia about it, just to make sure I or any other psychotic little maniacs I might know won't be tempted to take advantage of it."

"Hmph, killjoy." Cozy grumbled dejectedly, resting her chin on her hooves, "You really don't know how to have any sort of fun, do you?"

"I don't consider manipulating people 'fun', Cozy, and neither should you. Every time you try to manipulate another to get what you want, someone gets hurt, every time."

Cozy Glow mumbled something angrily under her breath at that, but said nothing more. The two of them walked on in silence for a few moments, but Ella could practically hear the wheels in the little pony's head turning, and braced herself for the barb that was no doubt coming.

"So," Cozy began, her muzzle brushing delicately against Ella's ear, "Have you tried it out on Flash?" She said in barely a whisper.

Ella stopped walking, and had to remind herself that they were in public to resist shouting at her, "Don't even joke like that, Cozy." She said in a warning tone.

"Okay, okay," Cozy said in a placating tone, "Don't lose your head. I was just having a little fun. But seriously, why so sensitive?"

"You mean besides the fact that it would be horribly sinful for a woman to do somethin' like that to her husband?!" Ella quietly exclaimed, before calming herself with a deep breath. She remained silent a few moments, trying to decide if she wanted to reveal another dark part of her life to someone who might one day try to use it against her. Cozy waited patiently, her small wings slowly flexing like a resting butterfly's.

"When I first met Flash," Ella began in a quite voice, "I tried to manipulate him, to twist him into doing what I wanted him to do, even though he was only trying to help me. I was acting just like the monsters who ruined my life."

Cozy Glow said nothing to that, but Ella could tell that she was listening with great interest, so she continued,

"On top of that, Flash has already been mesmerized once by a changeling. She was strong, like, really strong, and he was hurt and exhausted at the time, so he wasn't able to resist her when it happened," She said, pausing to swallow, "And because of that, while under her spell, he almost killed some of his loved ones; friends, family, even his own mother."

"Tartarus." Ella heard Cozy swear under her breath; she nodded in agreement,

"Yeah, pretty much. So yeah," She said, giving Cozy Glow a sarcastic glance, "Now you see why I'm a little, how'd you put it, 'sensitive' about that subject?" Ella concluded before she resumed walking. "Besides," She added in a lighter tone, feeling like the conversation had become too grim, "It probably wouldn't work on him anyways."

Cozy Glow raised an eyebrow, "Why not?"

"You may not think much of him Cozy, but he's pretty sharp, and strong minds can resist manipulation." She reached up and ruffled Cozy's mane, "Even the magic kinds."

"I don't understand, this shouldn't be here, it can't be from Equestria!" Flash exclaimed, running a hand frustratingly through his platinum hair.

"Actually, it can." Noble Dawn commented. He was holding the pistol in his yellow magic, examining it with a small pocket lens. "The metallurgy matches that from the deposits which are normally taken from the northern mines, though the tempering is certainly unique, much harder than even what we use in our cannon barrels, quite fascinating."

Flash shook his head, "You don't understand, this is technology from my home world, from earth! It shouldn't be here!"

"What does it matter where it came from!" Iron Shod said excitedly, "The point is we now have it, a crate of 200 examples to be exact, and can put them to good use! Why didn't you tell us you knew about such weapons, captain?"

Flash had to resist glaring at the pony, "Because some things are better left undiscovered, general. You can't be serious about making use of these things! They're too dangerous!"

Iron Shod gave him a surprised look, "But of course! All weapons are inherently dangerous Captain Skies, what's more important is who is allowed to wield them."

"Not dangerous like this sir, it makes killing far too convenient. If we let something like this proliferate, ponies are going to die!"

"If we let them? My dear officer, this discovery proves they are already out there! What would you have us do, sit on it and pretend we never saw it?"

"Better than the alternative!" Flash snapped, fighting the growing urge to raise his voice.

Iron Shod frowned, "And what would you do about the weapons that are, no doubt, already out there in Equestria?"

"Find them and destroy them!" Flash responded angrily.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing," Iron Shod said with an exasperated shake of his head, "Were not you the one always pointing out to us that we are too set in our ways? Isn't this weapon the exact kind of advancement that, in your mind, the Guard should adopt?"

Flash grit his teeth at that. It was true, he did believe that the Guard needed to get with the times in order to more effectively respond to growing threats, but not like this. The technology he had seen while on earth genuinely frightened him, and the thought of it being introduced here, in his beloved Equestria of all places, made him feel sick with worry; the scar on his back from where he had been shot seemed to burn and itch as well at the idea. For once, he was actually hoping that the old General would stick to his philosophy that the old ways were the best and dismiss this dangerous tool as yet another frivolous novelty.

"General, please," he pleaded, "I've seen what these sorts of weapons can do, I've been on the receiving end of one of them for Celestia's sake! And the last thing I want is for anypony here to ever have to experience it. Please, we need to figure out how it got here and stop it before it ever gains momentum!"

"If I may Captain Skies," Noble Dawn gently interrupted, "Might I ask if you know what these spiral carvings are lining the interior of this device's barrel?"

"They're called 'riflings'," Flash said after a long pause, not breaking his defiant eye contact with Iron Shod, "They put a spin on the projectile as it travels down the barrel, the resulting centrifugal force yields greater range and accuracy."

Noble Dawn nodded, "I see, incredible. It's such a simple concept and yet it never even occurred to us ponies to apply the same principle to our own cannons, let alone to miniaturize the design. You humans truly are a capable species."

"Yeah, real capable at finding great ways of killing each other," Flash grumbled in a low voice. "Argh, what am I saying," he said while turning away and taking a few steps, "I've already told you more than I should have!"

"Perhaps," Noble Dawn said, "But I can already say that as amazing as this device is, it is a rather crude design. I have already thought of more than a few ways that we might be able to improve on this, and I am fairly certain we could make many more with your gracious assistance, Captain Skies." The unicorn turned his attention back to the pistol in his magical aura, his eyes narrowing at a new detail.

"Hmm, I seem to have found a crest of some kind," he said, squinting through his lens at a small mark on the underside of the barrel. "An, 'F'." He said, pointing to the small letter that was engraved in a cursive styling within a small circle. "I'm not familiar with this seal, but I'll have some of my ponies look into it."

"Captain Skies," Iron Shod said, before Flash could ask Noble Dawn what he thought the symbol meant. He turned and looked at the old pony and noted, with some surprise, the sympathetic look on the general's face.

"I think I can understand your reservations son, and I have always admired your selfless desire to keep us ponies safe. But be reasonable, we cannot undo what has already been done. The genie's out of the bottle, as the old saying goes. The best response that can be had now is to get ahead of it. And with your evident knowledge of this new device's workings and designs, you can help to ensure that the Guard will always have an edge over whoever might try to use this technology against us some day."

"But general-"

"And I would appreciate it if you toned down your patronizing demeanor, captain." Iron Shod said, his voice becoming more stern. "We ponies may not be as advanced or as aggressive as you humans, but don't underestimate us. We are more than capable of taking care of ourselves and have been doing so long before we were blessed with your noteworthy presence in Equestria. So please, let us and the Princesses decide what is best for Equestria, if you don't mind. I only ask that you aid us in this endeavor if you are so inclined, you have great potential in that."

Flash clenched his fists at his stung pride, he wanted to retort with a dozen different examples of the Guard's lackluster performance in the last decade alone as evidence to the contrary, never mind that he had always identified more with the pony part of his nature than his human side, but he kept his peace. Deep down, he knew that the old general had a point. In all likelihood, they would not be able to stop this technology from spreading now that it was here. Even if he had Secret Threshold or whoever was responsible for this debacle in chains right now, there was no going back. But whether it was his pride, anger, or the nightmarish fear he felt at the idea of ponies getting shot, Flash couldn't agree to help with this endeavor, at least not for now.

"Give it some thought, captain, that's all I ask." Iron Shod said, seeming to guess his thought process.

For a second, Flash thought of pulling rank on the general with the unique authority that his special department gave him for the protection of Equestria. After all, Secret Threshold's ship and all that was found aboard it was still technically under his jurisdiction; it was his operation still. But in the long run, he knew that it would be a losing battle, and he doubted that Celestia would be so inclined to side with him at the present moment.

"Fine, general." Flash said as politely as he could, "I'll think about it. But mark my words, somepony is going to get seriously hurt because of this."

Ferra took a deep breath of the sweet afternoon air, the delightful feeling of having grass beneath her hooves again felt almost as good as the anticipation of having a good scrap with somepony. The outdoor training field where Rosen and led them was wide and expansive, with various groups of ponies training alone or in small groups together. Some of them had even taken notice of her and Rosen, her sensitive ears twitching as she caught wind of some of what they were saying. That Rosen was apparently something of a terror in combat, and that they were wondering if the pegasus was actually going to fight the scary monster mare they had all heard about.

Ferra couldn't help but smirk at that, but she had to agree with their assessment of Rosen. She could tell, just by her scent alone, that this pony was not like all the others she had been encountering all day. She smelled no fear from this mare, no anxiety, but rather, a confident, aggressive spirit. One that itched for a challenge, loved the thrill of danger, but was also tempered by a rich empathy for others and a zeal of life that set Ferra's blood on fire with excitement.

I like her! Was all she could think as she watched the dauntless mare pull tight a strap across her chest with her teeth, closing up the harness that supported a bright pair of retractable wing blades strapped to her wings and primary feathers.

"So," Rosen began as she stretched and flexed her wings, checking the fitment of her weapons, "If I may ask, how did you meet Flash?"

Ferra smiled, "I tried to kill him."

Rosen paused in her preparations, a surprised but amused look on her face. "Well, that's one heck of a memorable way to meet somepony. Wow, he, uh, never told me about that. But seriously, that's quite an introduction. What were you even planning on doing if you succeeded?"

"Eat him. Hang his skull in a place of honor," Ferra said matter-of-factly with a fanciful lick of her chops.

Rosen's jaw dropped slightly, "Eat him?! Why in Equestria would you do something like that?!"

Ferra tilted her head slightly, an adorable look of genuine, childlike confusion on her face, "Because he tastes delicious?"

Rosen stared for a second in disbelief before she burst out laughing at that, honestly unable to tell if the pony before her was actually being serious or not, which was honestly kind of terrifying; she liked that.

"Oh sweetheart, you're really something haha!" She said, wiping one eye. "But say, why do you call him master?"

Ferra grinned mischievously, her tail whipping back and forth, "Well, because he saved my life, and because he just hates it when I do."

"Oh girl," Rosen grinned, snapping her wings outward so that a pulse of energy rippled through the air, "Where have you been all my life?"

"Hunting," Ferra said, dipping into a low stance, "And being hunted."

Rosen gave her a predatory grin, "Wanna make things interesting?"

"Shoot." Ferra said, grinning back.

"First to draw blood?"

"Now you're talking," Ferra said with a subtle purr in the back of her throat, her slitted eyes narrowing viciously.

For a moment, the two combatants stared each other down, an intense energy of such force building between them that a distortion began to form in the air separating them. Rosen focused on gathering the atmospheric energy around her, mustering power for a full on attack. At the same time, could feel Ferra's ferocity, the bloodlust and sheer focus in her yellow eyes was enough to send a slight shiver down her spine. She dared not take her eyes off the mare, but out of her peripheral vision, she could see one by one all of the other ponies on the field slowly pause in their training as they gathered along the edge of the field to watch. She thought she even saw a few coins pass between hooves.

A low growl sounded in Ferra's throat, which was the only warning she got before the mare exploded forward in a blur of movement, faster than anything Rosen expected.

She's quick! Rosen thought before she herself launched forward without hesitation to meet her opponent head on. The two ponies closed on each other in the blink of an eye, Ferra sprinting while Rosen flew at eye level just above the ground. At the last half-second, the agile pegasus spun in a tight barrel roll, dodging over Ferra while simultaneously whipping her now extended wing blade into the pony's barrel with a loud smack. The blades were blunted of course, as they were only training blades, but they could still leave nasty bruises and even break bones if swung hard enough.

Rosen heard Ferra yelp, more in surprise than pain, only to herself feel an immediate sharp, painful tug on the very end of her blood-red tail as Ferra whipped her head around at unbelievable speeds, actually using the the momentum from being struck to aid in her spin and snap at the pegasus' passing tail, trimming the last half-inch off with her razor sharp fangs.

Bloody thunder! She's got good reflexes! Rosen thought, thrilled at the thought finally having a decent opponent to play with.

Ferra immediately sprang at Rosen before she could turn around, only for the pegasus to gracefully backflip over her, crossing her blades beneath her as she did to strike down at her savage opponent. Rosen's eyes widened with delight as she watched in slow motion how Ferra instantly changed directions while she was at the arch of her flip, turning and springing up to snap at her with flashing white fangs while simultaneously blocking both blades with her front hooves in a shower of sparks. Her teeth snapped shut an inch from Rosen's muzzle.

The observing guard ponies were now openly cheering and whistling, shouting their astonishment and stomping their approval at the brief but dazzling display of skill and strength put on by the two mares. Ferra and Rosen both pause a second to glance at them and then each other,

"Seems like we got an audience, sister," Rosen said with a laugh.

"Well, let's give em' a show!" Ferra exclaimed with joy before lunging at the pegasus, zigzagging towards her so quickly that she appeared to be ricocheting off of invisible walls.

Rosen immediately leapt backwards with a powerful flap of her wings, bringing her blades to bear and knocking away the brutal strikes that Ferra threw at her with her front hooves; it felt like blocking sledgehammers.

Rosen felt her teeth rattle as she rapidly deflected with her blades the absolute blizzard of kicks and strikes that landed at a rate of over five a second.

Horsefeathers! Rosen thought after several seconds beneath the onslaught, What kind of a mare is she?! Did Flash really defeat this monster?! She ducked underneath another bite, flinging her head back hard to skullbash Ferra under her jaw, snapping her head back only for the pony to instantly go back on the attack again, seemingly unfazed.

She's so tough! She spun out of the way, aiming to clock Ferra on the back of the head with a wing blade only for her to twist with appalling speed and bite the blade, spinning and flinging the pegasus by her wing across the dirt.

She's so strong! Rosen managed to break her tumble and land on her rear hooves, sliding backwards as she fanned her wings.

So tenacious! She punched the pony who was already on top of her square in the muzzle who simply took it as she barreled into her.

She's so powerful! Rosen twisted her body and used Ferra's own momentum to throw her before the mare could get her crushing grip around her. And...

"I absolutely love it!" Rosen roared with laughter as Ferra picked herself up from where she had landed over thirty feet away, shaking dust from her coat.

"You good Princess?"

"Never better!" Ferra called back with a bright smile, a wild look in her yellow eyes.

"Alright then, get ready sister," Rosen said, crouching low. A low humming began to thrum through the air as an enormous amount of energy pulsed off of her form, her eyes flashing momentarily with a white light, "Because it's my turn, now."

Ferra gasped as with a loud crack of displaced air, Rosen moved so quickly that she actually vanished from her sight for a fraction of a second. She felt a sudden change in air pressure in front of her, indicated by a quivering in her sensitive ears. She looked down to see a fly buzzing by, its movements glacier, and its wings slow and lethargic, at least, compared to the lighting fast pony presently swiping up at her with a glittering wing blade so quickly that it seemed to bend the very light around it.

Wow, she's much faster than master. Was the only thought that passed through her mind before her world went spinning. The blow to her cheekbone was only a glancing one thanks to her instincts and quick reflexes, but it still stung, and it still connected with enough force to flip her head over hooves. Ferra tucked into the spin, turning it into a controlled, double backflip so that she landed on her hooves. She didn't even have a second to recover though as the storm of a pegasus was already on top of her, unleashing a hail of coordinated blows with her blades and hooves.

Ferra leapt back, holding her diamond-hard hooves in front of her face to deflect strikes while twisting and dodging as best she could around those she couldn't block, though she couldn't stop them all. The two mares moved over the ground like an arc of lightning that sparked and disappeared at some angles, only to reappear in bursts at others. Small indents of dirt exploded out from the field from the forceful impact of hard hooves, kicking up clouds of dust into the air which were quickly caught up in the swirling gusts left in the wake of their rapid movement, casting darkening shadows over the field like a small storm. This was only amplified further by the growing effects Rosen's flight and weather magic were beginning to have on the surrounding atmosphere.

No longer caring if she took some hits, Ferra sprang straight at Rosen, mouth agape, fangs reaching. The pegasus blinked in surprise at the bold maneuver, and for a moment, felt a spark of primal terror from deep within her mind in reaction to her instincts screaming at her that a predator was attempting to eat her. Rosen pulled back fast, but not quite fast enough as Ferra's jaws closed on one side of the harness across her chest. Rosen's head snapped back and forth as the monstrously strong pony violently shook her back and forth in the same manner a terrier killed rats. There was a terrific ripping sound as half of her harness and one of her wing blades was torn right off of her body and she was sent tumbling through the air.

Righting herself midair was difficult now that her wings were imbalanced, so instead, Rosen used the centrifugal forced cause by the lopsided weight on her body to pull herself into a tight spin, pouring all of her strength and magic into it so that the air and dust around her was whipped up into a howling, gale force blast. She could feel enormous charges of energy build up in the atmosphere around her, caused by the swirling dust and resulting ionizing friction; loud cracks of static electricity snapped and flashed around her. Shouting with the effort, Rosen kicked out with one hoof at a point where she felt a building charge, and literally booted a lightning bolt right towards her opponent.

Ferra didn't have time to dodge as the discharge of energy exploded on the ground right in front of her face with a deafening crash of thunder, the intense energy partially surging into her legs, stunning her.

Tucking her wings to her sides, Rosen Riposte dove fast towards Ferra, screaming a war cry as she lashed out with her remaining blade with all her strength. There was a loud, clanging crash and an explosion of dust and air from the impact. Rosen coughed and looked up through the clearing air, expecting to see the Princess laid out before her, only to feel her stomach sink in momentary horror. Ferra had caught her blade, in her teeth; and, she was smiling.

Rosen immediately tried to yank her weapon free, but Ferra held firm, snarling with effort. The two tugged back and forth for a moment, and knowing that her opponent had far greater physical strength than her, Rosen quickly cartwheeled over Ferra and landed on her back, hooking her forelimbs around the two sides of the blade and yanking backwards. Ferra growled and tried to throw her off, but the blade Rosen held between her teeth gave her the leverage she needed to hang on.

"C'mon Princess, uhn! Do you, urgh, give?!"

Rosen twisted the metal, attempting to throw Ferra to the ground. It seemed to work at first, until she heard a sharp metallic ping, like a metal bar being snapped in two. She looked with astonishment to see Ferra's fangs seeming to glow slightly with a faint light as glowing cracks began to spider web in the tempered steel around the tips of her sharp teeth. A second later, and with a loud snapping sound, the blade shattered in an explosion of fragments that stung the side of Rosen's face.

Before she knew what was happening, Rosen felt herself being flung over Ferra's shoulder and slammed into the ground so hard that the air whooshed from her lungs. Gasping, and nearly panicking, Rosen rolled over and thrust out with what remained of her broken blade just as Ferra pounced on top of her with a roar, her jaws closing on the pegasus' throat.

Rosen didn't flinch even as she felt the needle-like tips of Ferra's fangs just barely breaking the skin beneath her light pink fur as well as the heat of the mare's mouth as she panted against her neck. For a few moments, the two of them stayed completely still, the only movement being the shuddering of their bodies as they each struggled to catch their breath.

"Huh, hey, huh, Princess," Rosen finally managed to gasp, "How about we just call this one, huh, a draw?" She felt Ferra gently release her throat, pausing to give her cheek an apologetic lick and a friendly nuzzle before she fell back on her haunches.

"Yeah, huh, that seems fair to me!" Ferra said while looking down at the small spot of blood staining her fluffy orange chest. Rosen slowly withdrew the jagged end of her shattered blade that had just broken the skin. Ferra immediately started licking at the spot to clean the wound and groom her very ruffled fur.

Rosen gave a tired chuckle as she glanced at their surroundings. The field looked like a moonscape, pockmarked with small craters and torn grass. Training equipment was scattered everywhere, a wooden climbing tower was leaning precariously to one side, and a pair of earth pony guards were clinging to the topmost branches of one of the trees on the far side of the field, cheering their approval.

"WHOO! DO IT AGAIN!" One of them shouted, laughing as he almost slipped from the swaying limb he had been blown into. Other ponies were cheering and whooping their approval as well. The only pony not cheering appeared to be the very angry Sergeant Major currently shouting something about destroying his training field at the pair of mares as he stalked his way towards them.

Ferra grinned sheepishly as she held a hoof out to Rosen, helping her to her feet.

"Again?"

Ella sighed as she set down her shopping bag in the vestibule of her home. She pulled back her hood and went to undo the broach of her white cloak. Cozy Glow had remained silent for the remainder of their walk home, and Ella knew from experience that it meant the little pony had been deep in thought about something.

The little pegasus fluttered off of her shoulder and landed with a small clatter of hooves on the kitchen table. She stood there for a moment, facing away from Ella before turning and frowning at her.

"Try to mesmerize me." Ella blinked in astonishment, she honestly hadn't been expecting that of all things.

"What? Why?!"

"You said that it yourself that it didn't work on strong minds, I want to see if I can resist it!"

Ella scoffed, "Trust me Cozy Glow, if I wanted to control you, I would have tried it a long time ago."

Cozy Glow glared at her, "How do I know if you haven't done so already? What if this whole, pretending to be friendly to me is all just some kind of trick?!" She said in an accusing tone.

"Glad to hear you think so highly of me," Ella replied with a sarcastic roll of her eyes.

"I'm serious!" Cozy shouted with a stomp of her front hoof. "That's it! I've caught you, haven't I?! You're just a big fake who's been tricking me this whole time, haven't you?!"

"Cozy!" Ella snapped, feeling genuinely hurt at that. "I haven't, nor will I, ever try to manipulate you! I thought I made that pretty clear a little while ago!"

"Prove it." Cozy Glow replied, glaring almost hatefully at her, "Tell me to do something right now using your powers, otherwise I'll never believe another word you say, changeling!"

Ella clenched her teeth, now feeling more than a little angry. "Why you little..." She growled, but held her temper. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that the little pony was probably playing another one of her little mind games with her, but she didn't care. The larger part of her wanted to prove her wrong.

"Get off my table, Cozy."

Cozy Glow smiled sinisterly, "Make me." She said, plopping down on her rear. Ella sighed and reached out to grab her, only for the pint sized pegasus to quickly scoot to one side and dodge her, smirking at her failed attempt.

"Cozy! Get off the table, you're going to scratch it!" Ella exclaimed with growing frustration as she made another attempt to snatch her.

Cozy laughed as she dodged again, continually evading Ella's repeated attempts.

"Nope!"

"Too slow!"

"Last chance or you're a rotten apple!" She singsonged in a cutesy voice.

Ella made a frustrated noise as she reached out with her telekinesis, a green aura surrounded Cozy Glow only for it to disappear when she kicked at Ella's ring hand, disrupting the flow of magic.

"Ow!" Ella shouted, grabbing her stinging hand.

Oh, that does it! She thought, glaring at the little pony, looking her right into her scarlet eyes and focusing hard.

"Cozy Glow, get off of my kitchen table. Now."

Cozy Glow suddenly flinched, and without realizing it, she began raising a hoof before snapping back to reality and forcefully putting it back down. She wanted to look away from Ella, to get away from those alluring eyes, but at the same time, she didn't, or rather, couldn't; she honestly couldn't tell. Ella's eyes suddenly seemed so captivating, so beautiful, even with the slight glow of green magic she could now clearly see in them. Cozy's body shook slightly, with every part of her now suddenly wanting to obey the human, like it was the most reasonable, desirable thing she could ever think of doing, but she refused to do so. Even though at this point, resisting her was beginning to feel like an agony, like she was the most horrible pony in all of Equestria for not listening to this wondrous being.

No...I...Won't! I know who...I am...

Ella watched as green light flickered in the little pony's eyes for a second. She wanted to stop, feeling a little sick at what she was attempting to do, but she kept on. Pouring on the magic that she could now feel, frighteningly, burning through her reserves at an alarming rate. This spell was a costly one,

No, if this is what it takes for her to trust me a little more, than so be it! Ella thought, hitting her with everything she had.

"I'm...Not..." Cozy slowly said through gritted teeth, squeezing her eyes shut from the effort, "Having it!" She finally shouted, her wings popping open in exertion. A pulse of green light shot off of her body as she successfully rejected the spell.

Ella let out a breath as she released the magic, grabbing onto a chair at the minor backlash she felt.

"Hah!" Cozy laughed, swaying slightly on her hooves. "Y-you see? I kn-knew I couldn't be controlled." She said before toppling over onto her side, feeling completely drained. Even though she had successfully resisted Ella's spell, she saw that it couldn't be done easily, something to remember for later. Still, she couldn't help but feel a kind of elation at the fact that she had done it; that she had proven to herself once and for all what she had always known.

I'm not weak. She thought while struggling to catch her breath. Her elation suddenly turned into a kind of fear as she saw the human slowly approaching her out of her peripheral vision, towering over her like a dark shadow. She tried to rise, but was unable to do so. Panic began to set in as she realized that her little experiment had left her completely helpless and at the mercy of what was, in all reality, a very hungry predator that she had deliberately antagonized.

"N-no! Don't-" She said with some weak flailing, but her words died in her throat as she felt Ella's hands gently pick her up, cradling her to her warm chest.

"So," Ella sarcastically remarked, "Still think I've been trying to control you?" She asked while tenderly petting her back.

"Mnnmm...Shut up." Cozy groaned in reply; she could feel a massive headache coming on.

Ella chuckled softly before turning towards the wooden staircase, taking the worn out filly upstairs. She took her into one of the four bedrooms in her house that she had picked out for her. It was modest, with lavender curtains, a wooden dresser, and a small twin bed. Well, small for a human, but queen sized for a little pony like Cozy Glow. Ella pulled back the blankets and gently set her down, carefully resting her head on the pink pillow. Cozy Glow curled up, hugging the pillow to herself with her eyes still squeezed shut. Ella couldn't help but smile at the adorable sight, and for a moment, could pretend that the little pony wasn't a little sociopath, just a sweet little girl.

"Mmmm...Could you please turn off the light, Ella?" Cozy asked, her voice sleepy.

Ella looked over at the light switch and flicked it off with a small touch of telekinesis, the effort making her feel even more drowsy than she already was. The curtains were already drawn, blocking out most of the midafternoon sun and creating a comfortable near-darkness. She reached down to pull the blanket up over Cozy Glow, but paused, a smile coming to her face.

Crawling into bed and laying down beside her, Ella wrapped her arms around the little pony's soft barrel from behind and drew her close, pulling the blanket up over them both. Cozy Glow didn't seem to object, hooking her forelimbs over Ella's arms and snuggling back into her grip.

"So," Cozy began, giving a small, adorable yawn, "Still think I'm a 'slow learner' ya big galoot?"

Ella smiled and hugged her, "Yup. Just one with a big brain, still slow though."

"I hate you."

Author's Note

“Resist your impatience faithfully, practicing, not only with reason, but even against reason, holy courtesy and sweetness to all, but especially to those who weary you most.”
-St. Francis de Sales

Greetings, and thank you for your patience with me for those who were waiting for an update.:twilightsheepish:

A big thanks to my editor Venerable Ro for his help and for allowing me to use his OC Rosen Riposte! Yup, that character is entirely his and I must say, is a whole lot of fun to write! A good competitive foil for our hero and a new friend for Ferra!

As always, God bless you all and thanks for reading!

Searching for Answers

Luna stood on a vast plane of endless cloudscape, the dazzling night sky above her holding a such dense collection of stars that their combined light cast various hues on the clouds, painting them multiple shades of light violet, blue, and teal. Bright Skies stood before her, the pink pegasus bowing low before her. The time had finally come. After nearly a year of instruction under her careful tutelage, the time had come for the final test. If she passed, Luna would see her commissioned as a fully fledged dream walker, the first in a millennia. In ancient times, it was their duty to aid the Princess of the Night in watching over ponies in their dreams, counseling them in their troubles, and protecting them from nightmares. All while keeping vigilant for hidden patterns that might indicate a larger concern or threat to pony society in the waking world.

"Rise Bright Skies, I trust you are well?"

Bright Skies raised her head and smiled, "Yes your highness! Just a little anxious if I'm honest." She said with a nervous chuckle.

Luna smiled warmly back at her, "I imagine so, the path to dream walking is always a challenging one."

Bright Skies gave a wistful roll of her violet eyes, "If by 'challenging' you mean the countless sleepless nights, mind games, nightmares, and the ever colorful delights of dealing with all the wonderful insecurities a pony's subconsciousness can offer? Then yes, challenging. I'd hate to see your definition of difficult, your highness."

Princess Luna laughed, "Yes, well, those are the sort things, I can assure you, are instances that I shall attend to personally. Though I must say, having you at my side these last several months has been a great boon for me, my dear. Your gift of being able to lift others up, to relate and emphasize with them despite the variance in their struggles is truly what is needed most in this realm."

"You think too highly of me, your highness," Bright Skies said, looking to one side shyly.

Luna shook her head, "Nay, do not think so little of yourself my dear. But, do tell me, why did you choose to accept my invitation? I knew that there were times you seriously considered withdrawing, so what made you choose to stay?"

Bright Skies glanced down in thought for a moment. It was true, early on, Bright Skies had not been entirely sure why she had accepted Princess Luna's invitation to take instructions. It was an intriguing offer to say the least, a thrilling prospect; after all, how many ponies got the chance to aid their leaders in such a unique and privileged service? However, once the initial novelty of experiencing dream walking had worn off, and she had been exposed to the more brutal side of the job and the mental toll seeing so many nightmare's could have, she had been sorely tempted to quit. After all, what could one little pony like herself, armed with nothing more than a bit of borrowed magic, do against so much anxiety and fear? She looked back up at the Princess,

"I guess, in a way, I chose to stay for the same reason I wanted Flash when I first saw him. Somepony who needed help, and that I could help them," she said with a quick glance back at her cutie mark, a yellow sun peeking out from behind a fluffy white cloud. "I can't just stand by when somepony is in need, not when I can do something to help them."

Luna nodded approvingly, "Well said, my dear. That is precisely why I offered you this role. Well, that, and the fact that you managed a dream walk all on your own with Flash."

Bright Skies laughed, "Well, I guess you have to look for some practical reasons as well."

"Indeed." Luna replied, laughing softly herself. Her face then became more stern, "Now then, my dear. We come to the final test, the same test that every dream walker must face if they are to conquer the world of dreams. You must face your greatest fear and overcome it."

Bright Skies nodded, "I understand your highness, I think I'm ready."

Luna stepped forward, her horn igniting with white light, "Very well. Remember, this spell will reach into your soul and manifest to us what that fear truly is. Be prepared, for what it will show you may be quite different than what you are expecting. It will be most vivid, and seem more real to you than any other kind of dream that you have ever experienced. But do not worry, I shall be with you the entire time."

Bright Skies gave her a determined smile, "I trust you Princess Luna, let's do this!"

"Bright Skies! Don't look at it! It's not real! None of this is real!" Oh my stars, stop! How is this happening?! This can't be happening! Something is wrong, something is very very wrong!"

Luna eyes sprang open as she sat up on her bed, the echo of Bright Skies agonizing screams still haunting her memory of that fateful night. She could still remember how her blood had run cold when she realized that the pony was screaming not from fear, but from pain. Excruciating, soul rending pain that began to tear at the very fabric of her being, nearly driving her insane. It was beyond anything Luna had ever experienced or was even expecting. And that's when she saw it. A fear that was hers also, a fear she shared; and with horror, she understood, though too late, the gravity of the error she had just committed.

Luna looked down at her hooves and shuddered, "I was such a foal, how could I have forgotten?" She whispered to herself, remembering how helpless she had felt when she realized that she had been unable at first to stop what she had started. Mercifully, Bright Skies had been able to overcome it all on her own. She had succeeded, she had shown her true strength, and had brought that unbearable experience to an end for them both. Of course, afterwards, she had told Luna that she was fine, and that she was not upset with her in the least for what had happened. But that wasn't good enough for Luna. She had lost control of the situation, traumatized her student, and showed them both a nightmare that, with each passing week, seemed more terrifyingly close to becoming a reality.

"I shall never let that come to pass," she murmured to herself. Luna glanced up at the stately clock on the wall: 3PM. The late afternoon sun was still peaking through her drawn curtains. She rose from her bed, stretching briefly. It was time to begin her hunt. And since it was likely that her quarry slept during the day and was active at night, she knew that if she was to have the best chance of getting a trace of his dreams and through them, a sense of his whereabouts, she had to begin looking for them now.

Walking over to her desk, Luna opened the top drawer and pulled out a small photograph. It was a picture from Flash's wedding, with herself standing next to Flash, and the changeling known as Telson standing next to Ella. She stared hard at the unflappable changeling's stern demeanor, his features hard, though warmed by a smile of obvious affection for the human he was standing next to. Luna closed her eyes, drawing herself back to that day, to that moment, trying to remember everything she could about Telson in the short time they spent together.

"Alright, my crafty friend," she said as her horn ignited with white tendrils of magic, "Let us see if we can find where you lay thy head."

"Please tell me we have something." Flash said to Lumen Dawn as he stalked down the corridor of their underground headquarters, heading for the communications center. He had asked Ferra to wait for him in the main lobby after he had gone to collect her, and only after getting an earful from the Sergeant Major about the damage caused to the outdoor training facility by Ferra and Rosen’s little playdate. Lumen Dawn matched pace with him, a slight frown adorning the white unicorn’s pessimistic mood.

"Not yet, sir. We performed a sweep of the castle this morning, searching for any spells or artifacts that could be used for eavesdropping, haven't found anything yet. Rose Dust and Sugar Rush have been reviewing the visitor logs covering the last 8 weeks to seeing if anything looks suspicious. As of now, nothing has stood out."

"And what of our little wireless expert, what's he been up to?"

Lumen rolled his eyes, "He and Sharps have been hold up in the communication center since yesterday, working on Celestia knows what. Don't expect me to understand all that wireless sorcery nonsense."

Flash nodded, "Fine, we'll start in there. As of now, finding Secret Threshold takes priority over finding the leak in security."

Lumen stopped walking, raising an eyebrow at that, "What?! You want to fill me in on why?"

Flash stopped walking too, considering what he should tell him from his meeting with the General. He turned around to face him, "I just got out of a meeting with General Iron Shod and your father, Lumen."

“Is that right?” Lumen asked, his annoyance clearly increasing for some reason.

Flash nodded, "They showed me a pretty unsettling development that was discovered aboard Secret Threshold's ship, and it's not good." He then gave Lumen a brief summary of the meeting, what it was they had discovered, and his own reservations about the whole situation.

Lumen Dawn's eyes twitched back and forth for a moment in thought after Flash had finished, his mind obviously racing to absorb the new information. He glared up at the human,

"You know, I could probably be a bit more helpful to you and the team if you actually included me in these meetings once in a while, sir."

"It was invite only, Lumen."

"Bullspit. You're a department head and as such are allowed to include your own adjuncts in any meeting that you are cleared for."

Flash rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. "You're right, I'm sorry Lumen. I just didn't think that the meeting would end up being as Equus-shattering as it turned out to be and thought at the time that your efforts would be better spent here."

"And there it is!" Lumen Dawn drawled with a sarcastic wave of his hoof. "Once more our fearless leader thinking that he has to handle everything by himself."

Flash felt his temper begin to build, but let it go. He had noticed that the tension between him and Lumen Dawn had been building over the last several weeks, and that it seemed to be more than just the usual mutual dislike the two held for the other. He guessed that it was time to bring it to the surface before it caused any real problems.

It's like trying to get a mare to tell you what's really bothering her. Flash thought with a mental smirk.

“What, Lumen, tell me what it is that is that's got your bridle in such a bunch? Is this the same old ‘you and me’ or is it something else? I get it, I should keep you in the loop more, I'm sorry. But if you never tell me when something’s wrong, how am I supposed to know? That’s one of the main reasons I wanted you for this team, Lumen. Because, despite our differences, you’re not a suck up, and you’re never afraid to tell me like it is.”

The unicorn gave an incredulous shake of his head, "You really are incredible, you know that? Here you are, trying to apologize to me when you don't even realize how you've insulted me! That you think so little of me that you'll tell me potentially world-altering intel in a random hallway rather than respect my station and let me hear it in proper order!"

"It's not always about you, Lumen," Flash sighed, "I thought you knew that by now!"

"But it is about me!" Lumen exclaimed with a stomp of his hoof. "I mean, no, not so much about me personally, but what I represent!"

"And that is?"

Lumen Dawn's white horn flickered with golden magic, a translucent orb, one that Flash recognized as a bubble of silence, immediately enveloped the two of them.

"SOCIAL COHESION YOU DAFT! INSUFFERABLE! BRUTE!” The unicorn screamed in a fit of rage. Flash didn't respond immediately, surprised, though not entirely, by Lumen Dawn's sudden and uncharacteristic outburst. The pony breathed hard through clenched teeth,

"With you, it's about the mission. Always about the mission, completing the objective and nothing more! But what you're too dense to realize is that the officer corps of the guard is supposed to be more than just simple soldiers keeping the peace. No, we're supposed to set an example! Deference, manners, cooperation, a standard of order and harmony that ponies can look up to and imitate! Something to give ponies confidence that their leaders actually give a buck! So that they can rest easy feeling as if everything is under control, even when it's not! But you never think of that, do you?! NO! It'd never occur to you in your infantile way of thinking that there's a bigger picture at play here! You never could comprehend that! Not in the academy, and not now! And it's because you're such a, a-"

Flash frowned, "Go on, say it!"

Lumen grit his teeth, "Because you’re such a PEASANT!" He spat, disdain dripping from his mouth.

"The officer corps used to be exclusively made up of the noble class! Because we alone had the background, the education, and the generations of proper culture embedded into us necessary to uphold the highest standards for the ponies we would lead, the greatest honor that any pony could ask for! True, most nobles today are not worthy of their name. They can't even find their way out of their own homes without assistance let alone set a good example! But there are still some of us who keep to the old ways, who strive to maintain the standard! And what do we get for trying to check the rot in our society? Ponies like you! Privileged! Clueless! Tearing up generations of tradition and standards that were built upon the sacrifices of countless ponies before you! And in the meantime, you get to be here for no other reason than because you fell from the stars and are beloved of the Crown!”

"I earned my place in the guard, Lumen, I didn't ask for any favors!" Flash countered, keeping his temper in check.

"Oh, you're a fine warrior Flash, and an exemplary tactician, nopony would disagree with that, as much as I might hate to admit it. But at the end of the day, that’s all you are! As far as I'm concerned, you're a failure at everything else that it means to be an officer. And the very fact that you're not even aware of it, or worse, disregard that greater purpose is the primary reason why I've always hated you! Why I could never stand your very existence! So, if you're going to at least pretend to play the part of an officer and our leader, then the very least you could do is make an attempt to maintain at least the appearance of proper order and decorum instead of treating me and everypony else around you like some helpless foals who needs to be coddled all the time…Sir!"

Flash stared in open astonishment at the panting unicorn now that he had finished his breathtaking rant. Instead of feeling upset at the pony’s accusations, he found himself feeling rather deflated. The words stung, not only because of the truth Flash could perceive in them, but because of all ponies, Lumen Dawn was the one to throw back in his face the very same complaint that he had said to Luna, Celestia, Cadance, and even his own mother at times: I’m not a foal anymore, stop treating me like one!

Have I really been treating everypony that way and never realized it? Flash wondered, not sure what to think now that his childhood rival had finally revealed to him, after all of these years, the real reason why he had never liked the him. Flash had always assumed that it was because he wasn’t a pony or of the noble class, and that Lumen was just your typical arrogant rich-colt who was full of himself and thought of others as inferior to him. But now, it seemed that was not the case, at least, not entirely.

Perhaps I misjudged him.

Flash cleared his throat, finding his voice again, “Yes, well, thank you Lumen, for your most, elucidating explanation of the situation. I was not aware of how strongly you felt about this, or of my shortcomings in this regard. I will certainly take it to heart and evaluate my future decisions, thank you.”

Lumen Dawn glared at him with a critical eye for a moment longer, looking hard into his eyes, something that Flash noticed few ponies other than thestrals, alicorns, and Ferra could ever seem to do. He gave Flash an almost imperceptible nod before clearing his own throat,

“Apologies for my outburst, Captain. Yes, I’ll see to it that the team makes finding Threshold their top priority.” He said, saluting and turning to walk away, the bubble of silence dissipating with a small pop.

Flash sighed wearily, just wanting this buck-to-the-teeth of a day to be over with already.

No, not yet. Not until I figure out where we are with-

“Ah, there you are Captain Skies! I’ve been looking all over for you!”

Flash spun around to see a light grey unicorn with a scraggly silver mane and matching mustache wearing a white lab coat and large round glasses practically galloping towards him down the corridor, sliding to a stop before him with an all too familiar, excited grin.

“Professor Silver Stream, what seems to be the-”

“You simply must come with me Captain! Something marvelous has just arrived!”

“But I-”

Flash was not able to finish his sentence before the ecstatic unicorn teleported them both away in a burst of silver magic.

“-was on my way, oh, never mind.” Flash said, resigning himself to whatever new demonstration his half-mad quartermaster had in store for him.

They had appeared in the lab section of the Black Guard’s R&D Department which was located on the 5th lower level of their headquarters. The walls, floors, and ceilings of the lab were colored a stark white, providing maximum illumination for the handful of technicians and lab assistants who worked there under the direction of Silver Stream.

The lab was subdivided into various sections: cubicles, work and chemistry stations, a display area with a long metal table, and a large empty room with thick, magically reinforced glass windows that stretched from floor to ceiling.

Silver Stream immediately trotted over to the metal table on which were several items and pieces of equipment, some of which Flash was familiar with, others were new.

Flash took note of three different small racks, one holding the already familiar magic concussion grenades while another held the all-new shield grenades, distinguished by the small grey shield painted on the black spheres. He really liked those, able to instantly deploy a small magical barrier spell for temporary protection from danger, magical or physical. What really caught his eye though, were the new type of grenades on the third display rack. They were black like the others, but with small grey question marks emblazoned all over the casing.

“As you’re well aware, we are constantly at work down here trying to develop new equipment for field use! Some experimental, some theoretical, those Tatzulwurm scales you brought us for example? Very tricky to work with, but we are confident that we will be able to adapt their qualities for that new armor you requested. But this!”

Slipstream immediately removed one of the new grenades from from the rack with his magic and hefted it to Flash.

“Chaos grenades!” Silver Stream proudly proclaimed, “Straight from the Lord of Chaos himself!”

“Come again?” Flash asked in surprise.

Silver Stream nodded eagerly, “Yes! Chaos grenades! Discord himself came to the lab last week, gave me quite a shock in my office, nearly dropped my lunch when he popped out of my tea mug haha! Did you know that they are serving a new brand of daisy sandwiches in the commissary? Very tasty, much better than-”

“Stay on task, Professor.” Flash said with a bemused smile.

“Ah, yes, yes, apologies. Yes, well, after poking around, Discord said that he wanted to offer his assistance to our team, said that he thought you could use a little unorthodoxy in your methods, something to keep our opponents guessing! I wasn’t sure what he had in mind, but the next day, an entire crate of these little beauties appeared over my desk, smashed it flat haha! Came with a note!” He said, hading a small folded piece of paper to Flash.

Flash opened the letter which looked like it was pieced together from cut up newspapers and magazines:

A LiTtLe sOMeThinG to kEep yOuR OpPoNeTS GUesSiNg!

Best wishes, your Friend,

-Discord

Flash looked up from the the note, “So, what do they do?”

“What do they do Captain? More like, what won’t they do!” Silver Stream exclaimed with a hearty laugh.

“But here, let me show you! Oi! Mortar! Pestel! Get your flanks over here and make yourselves useful!”

Flash watched as two lab assistants in white coats, a pair of earth ponies, one brown and one a light gold, hesitantly approached. He thought they appeared very nervous, traumatized even. He was pretty sure Pestel just whimpered.

Silver Stream ushered them into the large empty containment room with the reinforced windows, shoving a grenade into each of their hooves and walking out, sealing the heavy door behind him.

“Uh, professor, are you sure this is safe?” Flash asked.

“Perfectly! Already done it a dozen times!” He said while picking up a microphone connected to a speaker in the chamber.

“Now, both of you, activate your grenades!” Silverstream shouted.

Mortar and Pestel each glanced at each other with a kind of fatalistic resignation. One after the other, they each pulled the pins and slapped the round primer on top of the grenade.

Mortar’s grenade went off first after a delay of about four seconds. There was a bright flash of white magic and the earth pony suddenly lifted off the ground, his legs flailing wildly as he floated up towards the ceiling like a balloon and bumped into it, unable to get down.

Pestel’s grenade went off a second later. Another pop, another white flash of light. The golden pony covered his head with both hooves, eyes squeezed shut and shaking in fear as he waited for the worst. A few seconds ticked by, and when nothing seemed to happen, he dared to peek his eyes open. Glancing left, glancing right. Nothing. He breathed a sigh of relief, only to be creamed by a three foot wide mulberry pie that hit him like an express train from the side with a loud SPLUT.

“And there you have it!” Silver Stream crowed triumphantly, “Non-lethal, unpredictable, and completely unblockable! Not unless you know somepony who can stop Discord’s magic haha!”

Flash looked in awe at the grenade still in his hand, “Incredible,” he agreed. “How long do the effects last?”

Silver Stream glanced at the ceiling a second in thought, “Oh, roughly thirty seconds, give or take.”

As if on cue, Mortar dropped from the ceiling as gravity suddenly resumed working on him, screaming as he landed with a loud splat on top of Pestel who was still pulling himself out of pie.

Flash winced at the sound, “Are they, uh, going to be okay?”

Silver Stream waved a hoof dismissively, “Oh, don’t worry about them, they love it Captain! Don’t you boys?!” He said over the intercom. All Flash heard in reply was some groaning and somepony crying that he wanted to go home.

Silver Stream rubbed the back of his head, “Ahh, on second thought, perhaps I’ll let them go home early today. For being such good sports.”

Flash nodded in agreement, “Yeah, I’d say they’ve earned it.” He said. He suddenly felt something warm and squishy in his hand, the one that was still holding the grenade. He looked down and saw that he was no longer holding a grenade, but a large yellow eyeball with a red iris that was currently blinking up at him.

“GAH!” Flash shouted while flinging the eye away from him and scrabbling backwards.

The eyeball bounced a few times on the tile floor before bursting into a cloud of steam that blocked everyone’s view for a moment. As it slowly cleared, Flash saw Discord himself standing there, wearing a sharp tuxedo and dark sunglasses. An unseen guitar was strumming a frantic chord in the background, which Flash vaguely remembered hearing at some point in a movie from earth he watched with Ella about a human secret agent working for some sort of foreign government.

The draconiquis lowered his shades, “The name’s Chaos. Lord of Chaos of their Majesties’ Secret Service.”

Everypony in the lab stopped working, turning instead to gape at their sudden guest.

“Uh, Discord?” Flash asked. “What are you-”

“Vodka martini my dear. Shaken, not stirred.” Discord said to a blue mare with a red and white striped mane holding a clipboard behind him. He snapped his claws and she was suddenly wearing a red server suit and standing behind a well appointed bar, shaking a bright silver mixer in her hooves.

Flash cleared his throat, “Discord! What-”

“Am I doing here?” Discord finished for him while taking the drink that his new bar mare poured for him in a crystal martini glass. He took a sip and leaned back against the bar, “Why I’m having a drink, I thought that was obvious. And, coincidentally, I came to see how you liked the new tech I’ve added to your arsenal! My own design of course.”

Discord vanished in a burst of magic and reappeared behind Flash, resting his mismatched limbs on his shoulders, “What do you think? Got room for a little chaos in the defense of Equestria? I thought you might find it helpful in the little endeavors you run for Celly.”

Flash nodded as he turned to face the spirit, “Well, as a matter of fact, yeah.” Flash admitted, which seemed to take Discord by surprise. “In fact, I think this is one of the craziest, most useful concepts I’ve ever seen you come up with Discord, I really wish I had thought of something like this sooner. So yeah, thank you!”

Discord’s mismatched eyes blinked at different intervals. For a second, he looked as if he were uncertain on how to accept the compliment, like he wasn’t expecting it before settling for a smug grin.

“But of course! You know, that’s just me! Always looking out for the little guy, especially my friends! Hey, and speaking of little guys,” Discord vanished and reappeared at Flash’s side, nudging him with his elbow, “Looks like you’ll probably be a proud papa by the time I get back.” He said while snapping his claws so that a large cigar appeared in Flash’s mouth.

Flash removed the sudden stogie from his mouth, smacking his lips; it actually tasted like a fairly high quality tobacco. But he was confused, asking, “Uh, get back? From where?”

“Why, from my trip with Fluttershy, of course!” He exclaimed with an exuberant spread of his arms. “She won a drawing for a pair of tickets to an all expense paid trip to see the mirror butterfly migration! Oh ho! The poor dear, you should have just seen the look on her precious face when she found out! She didn’t even recall ever entering such a drawing but hey, not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, am I right? You know, she’s always wanted to see them, and now she will, but with me by her side! Of course, she could have asked any of her friends to go with her, but hey, not all of us can be me now can we? Haha!”

Flash’s mind raced for a second, sensing an opportunity. Perhaps this was a chance where he could just flip the script. He could ask Discord to help him find Secret Threshold before he left. Maybe even turn all the guns that might be in Equestria into bubbles for him or something! After all, who could stop Discord into doing whatever he felt like doing? Not even Celestia, and certainly not Iron Shod.

Discord grinned a knowing grin, “Ah, ah, ahh!” He said, wagging a digit of his lion’s paw at Flash, “I can just see the wheels turning in that little head of yours my friend, and I’m afraid the answer, is ‘no’.”

Flash looked away despondently, “Was it really that obvious?”

“Quite.”

“Yeah, thought it might’ve been worth a shot.”

Discord smiled sympathetically, “As I’ve told you and the and girls many times before, ‘How will you ever learn if I’m always solving your problems for you?’ But fear not!” He said, pouring the contents of his martini glass into his lion’s paw which formed another chaos grenade which he tossed to Flash. “You already have everything you need to succeed, young man.” He said with a friendly wink.

Flash smiled and nodded, “I understand. Thanks, Discord.”

Discord put on his secret agent sunglasses, “Well then, I do believe that is my signal to exit!” He said with a snap of his claws causing the music started up again. A random hole opened up in the floor that showed the blue sky and clouds rushing by, a parachute appeared on his back. “Till we meet again, ta-ta!” He shouted before jumping into the hole with a blare of unseen trumpets and horns, the hole disappearing with the fading strum of the unseen guitar.

With a burst of light, the lab returned to its normal state. No bar, no fancy suits. Just a young man with his ponies, and a bunch of unanswered questions.

“Sitrep! Tell me what you got, whatever it is!” Flash said as he stepped into the communications center.

“Stagecoach!” Slipstream blurted as his head shot up off the table, an empty paper coffee cup was covering one ear, one of many scattered about the table and floor. He looked back and forth and flushed slightly, “Oh, hi boss. What brings you here?”

Flash didn’t answer right away, instead turning his attention towards Short Wave who was standing in front of a map of Equestria with a subsection of the Canterlot district pined up next to it. Sharp Shot was leaning against the wall next to his fellow unicorn. There were dark circles under his pale blue eyes, though still focused and flinty with determination.

The communication center was on the second level. It was a large gray rectangular room lined on both sides with wireless sets, wired telegraphs, and printing machines that whirred and beeped. There were normally at least a few ponies in here taking and passing important messages, but given the time, Flash knew that they were out for lunch, with Slipstream no doubt telling them that he would keep the watch for them.

Flash wondered how long the three ponies had been in here. By the looks of things, for quite a while.

Short Wave didn’t even turn to acknowledge the human’s presence, engrossed as he was staring at the dozens of pins and lines of red string spider-webbing across the map before him. His brown mane was frazzled, and his jaw was slack. There were piles of loose printer paper covered in various scribbles and numbers piled around his hooves. Like Sharp Shot, there were heavy bags under his eyes. The little pony blinked his light green eyes and refocused at the wall, like somepony who had something on the tip of their tongue but for the life of them, couldn’t recall it.

“I know it’s here…somewhere…” He mumbled softly under his breath while staring blankly at the wall, as if willing it to give up it’s secrets.

Flash walked up behind him and gently patted him on the top of his head, “Hey, Short Wave, you good?”

The small unicorn jumped with a startled cry, nearly toppling over as he scrambled on his hooves for balance.

“Oh! M-Mister Skies, sir! I mean, uh, Captain! Sir! S-Sorry, I, uh-”

“Hey, hey!” Flash said softly, holding his hands up in a placating gesture. “Easy there bud, don’t worry. I’m not here to banish you to the moon or nothing.”

Short Wave visibly relaxed, but he still appeared as if he could topple over from nervousness at any moment.

“Y-Yes sir, thank you.”

Flash smiled and shook his head, partly sympathetic, partly incredulous.

“Have you even gotten any sleep at all since you’ve gotten here? Sharps?”

Sharps shook his head slowly in response.

Flash nodded, “I see, that’s some dedication, Short Wave.”

Short Wave looked away sheepishly, “I just wanted to prove my dedication sir, that’s all. To show you that I’m really not a bad pony. Please don’t put me in jail.”

Flash chuckled, “Don’t worry about that Short Wave, just show me what you’ve been working on here.”

The pony nodded eagerly, a burst of enthusiasm running though his tired body.

“Well you see sir, all wireless signals run on different wavelengths that all systems can see. When one goes out, any system that is on at the time will hear it if it’s in range. Using the records Mr. Sharp Shot got me of all the wireless sets licensed in the greater metropolitan area, where most wireless sets are, I was able to check their message logs one by one and found out which ones also heard the message sent to Mr. Threshold that night.”

Short Wave gestured to his pair of maps with a few dozen pins set in it, showing the locations of various wireless sets. Some of the pins were orange, some red. He pointed to a blue pin set way down on the southern edge of the map.

“Here’s where Mr. Threshold’s ship was when we got the message. According to the logs we studied, the signal was also picked up strongest coming from this direction: here, here, and here.” He said, pointing to different red pins closer to Canterlot.

Red strings were tied to these pins, creating a definite pattern that Flash could see leading to a smaller area of Canterlot in the eastern sector of the city, about twenty square blocks. Far too large to search easily, but definitely narrowed down.

“Not bad,” Flash said, “But if the signal came from this part of the city, how come there’s no pins in this search area? Isn't there a transmitter somewhere in there?”

Short Wave shook his head, “That’s the best part sir, there isn’t! Not officially anyways! There are no registered wireless sets in this part of the city! That means whoever sent the message is using an unlicensed set!”

“Naughty ponies.” Flash said with a disapproving shake of his head.

“Yes sir!” Short Wave agreed. “So I contacted the users of two other sets here, and here,” he said, pointing to two pins set at just outside the search area. “I told them to pay attention to any signals that come out of this area, we’ll be listening too!”

Flash saw a pair of strings attached to the two registered stations, connecting them to each other and a gold pin right on the castle which represented their own wireless set, forming a triangle of sorts around the search area.

Short Wave grinned, “Whoever sent the message, the next time they turn on their wireless set and send something, based on the timing from ours and the other two stations, I’ll be able to tell exactly where they are in that area. I call it, triangulation!” He said triumphantly, planting a pin right in the center of the triangle for emphasis.

Flash felt like he could kiss the little guy. Here he was, feeling like he was losing his mind with dead ends, and with a technology that barely anypony understood, this little pony had created an invisible net for him. More importantly, he had given him hope in a day that desperately needed some.

Flash looked down at Short Wave, the pony still brimming with enthusiasm from his presentation; he noticed his cutie mark, three yellow sparks of electricity. It suddenly occurred to Flash that Short Wave was still young, very young. Not yet 16 years old, maybe less than 15. He was still slight in stature, with the gangle of youth not yet come to full maturity.

Flash got down on one knee so that he could look the short unicorn in the eye.

“Where are your parents, Short Wave?”

Short Wave’s smile faded as he shook his head, “Don’t got any, sir. I was raised in the Baltimare Orphanage. I didn’t have many friends, so I read books, lots of em, at the Baltimare Library. It’s how I learned about electricity n’ stuff, it’s how I got my cutie mark.” He said, looking back at the sparking lightning bolts on his flank.

Flash felt his heart swell with emotion at that. Being an orphan himself, he couldn’t help but empathize.

“How’d you get caught up with a pony like Secret Threshold?”

“At a local science fair I won, I built my own wireless set from scrap and other odds and ends that I had begged, borrowed, or collected from others over the years. A blue unicorn came up to me after the fair was over, offered me a job, said it would pay a lot, let me live my dreams.”

“Cold Front,” Flash said.

Short Wave nodded, “Yes sir. He didn’t tell me the job would be working for Mr. Threshold. Once I found out, I wanted to leave, but they wouldn’t let me. Said they would hurt me real bad if I didn’t do the job. I was scared, so I did it. I know that doesn’t make it right but…I’m, I’m sorry.”

Flash didn’t respond immediately, instead, taking a moment to evaluate the electrical impulses produced by the young colt’s heart that he could feel coming through his bioelectric field. Steady as a calm river, he wasn’t lying. Flash flicked a glance at Sharp Shot who nodded in confirmation.

Flash smiled, slowly reaching out a hand to Short Wave to pet the side of his head. The pony flinched fearfully at first, but then tentatively leaned into the touch, especially when Flash started scratching behind one of his ears.

“Well Short Wave, I must say that you have done a great service for Equestria here today. You are a very smart, very good little pony, and I’m so proud of you. Thank you so much for your help.”

Short Wave’s eyes became glassy with tears and his bottom lip trembled as he stared in wonder at Flash before suddenly flinging himself around Flash’s chest, hugging him as if his life depended on it.

Flash stiffened at first, eyes opening wide for a second in surprise before he smiled and relaxed, wrapping his arms around the little guy in a warm embrace.

The pony was trembling and panting, his face pressed hard into Flash’s shoulder like a frightened foal who had just woken up from a nightmare.

Flash gently rubbed the back of his neck, speaking soft reassurances to him.

“There, there, it’s all right little guy. Don’t worry anymore, you’re safe now. I won’t let anypony hurt you, I promise.”

Flash glanced up and saw Sharp Shot looking down and away, as if he had found something very interesting on the floor, though Flash could see the smallest of smiles curling one side of the pony's mouth. Slipstream, however, was less subtle, resting his chin on his hooves, a smug grin on his face.

Flash rolled his eyes at him, but smiled back.

“Slipstream, get our guest here a rack where he can rest and recuperate. Get him something to eat as well, he’s certainly earned it.”

The pegasus slid out of his chair onto his hooves, “You got it boss.”

“And that goes for you two as well, get some rest. We’ve had a long couple of weeks and we need to get ready for whatever comes next. Pass the word on to Rose Dust and Sugar as well, thanks.”

Three miles away, in the eastern district of Canterlot, a black earth pony stallion named Long Shadow was working in the ground floor of an old, abandoned workshop. It used to be a textile mill, way back in the day. Before his grandfather’s father’s time. Back when labor laws were still thin, when foals still in grade school could work the mills after class was over at the end of the day. Being paid fractions of a bit for hours of backbreaking work. All the real profits going to the robber barons in the merchant guilds. Celestia, of course, had eventually clamped down on that real hard. The guilds fought her every step of the way of course, kicking and screaming through all the courts. But try as they did, they learned what many before them and after had discovered the hard way: it was impossible to hold back the sun.

Now the shop lay empty and abandoned, save for the occasional rat Long Shadow saw scurrying along the ancient base boards lining the bottom of the yellow, stained walls. The only illumination coming from a few dingy lightbulbs dangling from ancient, broken fixtures in the ceiling. From the outside, the building appeared as almost every building did in Canterlot: white, pristine, perfect. Local zoning laws saw to that, couldn’t afford for the property values to dip because of any local eyesores.

That was fine for Long Shadow. It provided the perfect place to carry out his master’s work undisturbed. And it was fitting too, a suitable representation of Equestria in his eyes. Beautiful on the outside, empty and rotten on the inside. A stark reminder to him of why he needed to work, and work quickly. His master’s deadline was only three days away, and everything needed to go perfectly.

Grabbing a screwdriver in his mouth, he made another adjustment to the mechanical timer. The timer was attached to a large cask, the size of a small carriage. Inside the cask was a volatile mixture, prepared with the greatest caution and precision. Layer upon layer of black powder, incendiaries, roofing nails, and ball bearings. A perfect spark which would ignite the cleansing fire necessary to eventually rid Equestria of all that was rotten, all that was weak.

Long Shadow stepped back and removed the tool from his mouth, wiping his brow with the back of his hoof. He smiled as he looked up at the embossed, black ‘F’ painted onto the side of the brown wooden cask.

“For a stronger Equestria!” He whispered.

Flash awoke with a small start, not realizing he had drifted off after closing his eyes to rest them. His leg felt warm. He looked down to see Ferra resting her head on his thigh, her eyes closed and her side slowly rising and falling with her gentle breathing. For once, he thought that she might actually be asleep this time and not simply taking one of her surveillance cat-naps.

He was sitting on the small red couch in his office set to the side of his desk. He had sat down to rest a moment after coming up from the communications center where he had discovered Ferra already lounging on one side of the couch with her eyes closed. He checked the clock on the opposite wall. Thirty minutes had gone by.

Must have been more tired than I realized. He thought. He considered getting up for a second, but then decided against it, just in case Ferra was well and truly asleep. Better to let her rest.

Instead, Flash began to consider all that he knew so far, all the various pieces of information, events, and interactions of the last 48 hours. He could see it all in his mind, like the pieces on a chess board. He loved chess. It was his favorite game growing up and one of the few that Sunset Shimmer would regularly play with him. Thanks to her, he had gotten pretty good at it, able to hold his own even against the likes of Luna and could regularly beat even Twilight in a match.

He loved it because it was all so linear, and yet so challenging, always having to think multiple steps ahead if you wanted to win against a clever opponent. Strategy and deception, feints and sacrifices. Getting inside the other pony’s head, trying to think as they might think so that you could outmaneuver and trap them.

Why would Threshold show me a bunch of crossbows as his best merchandise when he had a crate of firearms in his possession? Flash wondered.

It was the thought that had been bothering him ever since Iron Shod had showed him the gun earlier that day. It didn’t make any sense. Secret Threshold was a pony that had made a name for himself in the underworld by only carrying the very best and being able to get the latest tech on the market into the hooves of whoever was willing to pay for it. He wasn’t the shy type. Even if those items had been for another customer, from what he knew about the pony, he would have at least shown Flash a glimpse of them. Maybe as a way of tempting him for future business, or to see if he might outbid the other customer for the product.

It’s like he didn’t even know they were on his ship! Flash speculated, and from what Iron Shod had told him, none of the other crew they had captured and interrogated knew anything about them either. Or if they did, they were doing an admirable job of playing dumb about the whole thing.

He couldn’t help but get the feeling that there was something else in play here, something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. Like there was another hoof on the board moving the pieces that he was unable to see.

Flash aimlessly dropped a hand gently onto Ferra’s soft side, slowly stroking her neck and shoulder. She remained still and quiet, not purring like she usually did whenever he showed her affection.

Definitely asleep.

Flash’s thoughts then turned to Lumen Dawn’s earlier outburst, where he had basically dropped a train on him. With you it’s about the mission, always about the mission…As far as I'm concerned, you're a failure at everything else that it means to be an officer!

Flash wasn’t sure if he agreed with Lumen’s assessment of him, he thought he had always tried to be a fine officer, at least according to rules, right order, and discipline. But perhaps there really was a deeper component to it that he wasn’t seeing? Lumen Dawn certainly seemed to think so. At the very least, he could strive to be more sensitive to his XO’s worldview, even if he wasn’t quite sure he understood it himself. But he was certain of one thing, if it mattered to his teammate, it should in some way matter to him. Good leaders care about those they lead.

Social cohesion, huh? Well, I’ll definitely make sure to include him in ongoing developments as they happen in the future. Maybe I can even make sure he’s with me the next time one of the Princesses brief me on something, that’ll certainly make his day.

He looked back down at Ferra as he continued petting her, feeling the strong muscles beneath her shiny orange coat. It seemed that she had managed to groom herself since her fight earlier.

She really is a beautiful mare. Flash thought to himself, and he found himself wondering what would happen if a stallion managed to catch her eye someday. One that, you know, managed to not run away screaming.

That’d be one heck of a stallion. Flash thought with no small amount of amusement.

He wondered that if it were to happen, would she ever want to get married? To settle down? To have foals of her own? Or was she really just planning on sticking with him for the rest of her life? He still wasn’t sure how he felt about that. But one thing that he did know, was that in the relatively short time she had been with him, he had grown quite fond of her, as had Ella. In fact, it was becoming hard to imagine life without Ferra as part of their burgeoning little family.

Flash gave her cheek a gentle poke.

Ferra stirred slightly, humming in her sleep, a content smile on her face as she gave his thigh a loving nuzzle.

“…Mmmm…Flash? Oh yes, I’m quite fond of Flash. Pass the gravy please…”

Flash shoved her off the couch.

Ferra rolled once as she limply fell to the low-carpeted floor, giving an almost cackle-like giggle.

“You’re crazy, you know that?” Flash said, shaking his head.

Ferra looked up at him with laughing yellow eyes, her chin resting on the floor.

“Mmm-hmmm….Hmm-Hmm-Hmm-Hmmmm!” She giggled in a slightly demented tone.

Flash rose to his feet only for Ferra to instantly latch onto his left ankle with her teeth and yank his foot out from under him, causing him to stumble backwards with a frustrated shout and fall to his rear on the floor next to her, his back against the couch.

Flash groaned as he wiped a hand over his face, “Ugh, you’re going to be the death of me, aren’t you?”

“Most likely!” Ferra cheerfully agreed with a toothy grin, slowly licking her sharp incisors. She stood and stretched like a cat, opening her mouth in a wide, fang-filled yawn that peaked with a tiny adorable squeak. Finished stretching, she stepped forward and gave Flash a gentle bump with her head to his, nuzzling the side of her fuzzy face into his cheek with an affectionate purr.

Flash smiled and put a hand on her face, playfully shoving her away. “Yeah, yeah, I love you too, ya fanged fur ball.” He said while rising to his feet and stretching. She nipped at his fingers, following him to the front of his desk.

Flash looked down and saw a few letters on his desk. “Looks like the mail came,” he said as he grabbed the small stack of envelopes. Most of them looked to be usual business correspondents, but one envelope had on it a golden seal, embossed with the imprint of a golden fleece.

Flash smiled as he cracked open the seal and unfolded the letter contained within:

Flash my boy! Wherever have you been? How is that lovely wife of yours doing? I’m feeling cheated lately that you keep her charming presence all to yourself haha! Just thinking about you, feel free to drop by and pay me a visit anytime, I’d love to catch up!

Your friend,

-Gold Fleece

Flash closed his eyes and took a deep breath, leaning his head back in thought.

Maybe talking to somepony like him is just what I need after a day like today.

Flash grabbed his cover, turning and walking towards the office door.

“C’mon Ferra, let’s go.”

“Master? Where are we going?”

Flash smiled, “To see an old friend.”

Author's Note

Let us practice many acts of kindness and gentle charity toward those we like the least.

-St. Francis de Sales

Hello and welcome back!

No, I am not back from deployment at sea yet, but I still managed to get a glimpse of internet service out here and so took the opportunity to post this chapter, I look forward to your thoughts!

Special thanks as always to my editor Venerable Ro for helping me flesh out Flash's confrontation with Lumen Dawn, adding great depth to a character I'm going to enjoy writing more in the future.

As always, thanks for being here, and may God bless you always!

-Destiny Chaser

Meetings by Night

Gold Fleece’s estate was truly massive. An enormous, five story mansion with over one hundred rooms made of the finest polished white stone with an elegant copper roof turned green with age. The home was set in the southern Equestrian countryside, surrounded by magnificent rolling plains, green hills, and perfectly manicured lawns that framed the manor in a prime presentation of some of the best that Equestria had to offer. Canterlot was just barely visible in the distance, but still a relatively quick trip by sky chariot. Fragrant vineyards lined the long, white gravel driveway that stretched for more than half a mile to the gilded brass gates leading to the entrance.

A large marble fountain, featuring the figure of a beautiful mare gracefully balancing on one hind leg while pouring water from a vase held in her front hooves endlessly into the basin below adorned the wide, semicircle drive set right before the expansive staircase leading up to the twin gold trimmed doors of the main entrance. The late afternoon sun hanging in the clear blue sky cast the perfect mixture of light and growing shadows that made the entire affair appear completely inviting, like a warm scene from a old oil painting that invited the viewer to step inside and bask in its comforts.

“Welcome back, Master Skies. And Princess Ferra, it is an honor to have you with us.” Said the tall, red unicorn stallion wearing a dark tuxedo vest with a violet bow tie. He had a glossy black mane and tail with matching colored emotionless eyes, though a small, neutral smile adorned his lips.

“Thank you Right Fix,” Flash said as the unicorn closed the doors behind them, “It’s good to see you again.”

The large doors closed with a dull boom that echoed inside the cavernous foyer. Flash always felt poorer just by looking at the place, his entire house could fit in the vestibule alone with room to spare. Twin arching staircases made of obsidian black marble with contrasting white marble bannisters swept upwards to the second floor and beyond. Priceless artwork and statues were placed tastefully at various intervals while dark oaken doors lined the walls leading to only Celestia knew where.

Ferra’s muzzle and ears twitched excitedly as she took in all the new sights and sounds. Flash could tell that she was both amazed and bewildered by the sheer scale of the place.

“Stay close Ferra, a pony could get lost in here.” He said from one side of his mouth.

“Flash my boy!” Boomed a warm voice.

Flash turned to his left to see his friend Gold Fleece stepping through one of the doors along the wall, a huge grin on his face. The green unicorn looked to be wearing a white, sporting vest of some kind, like he had just come in from playing a game. His golden mane was slicked back as well, adding to the look.

“And Princess Ferra!” He added with a slight bow, “What an honor to have you in my humble abode.”

“Hiya!” She responded with her usual bright cheer.

Gold Fleece turned his gaze back on Flash, his glowing grin slowly morphing into a frown as he tilted his head to glance behind the human, “What? No Ella? You dare to show your face in here without bringing the singular delight of my eyes?! I should set the dogs on you!” He exclaimed in feigned anger, though his eyes still sparkled with mirth.

“Hey, that’s my wife you’re talking about.” Flash said, crossing his arms, suppressing a grin.

“Yes, and such a pity,” Gold Fleece said mournfully, throwing his head back with a hoof against his forehead. “I really don’t see what she sees in you besides looks, charisma, and your heroic escapades. She really could do so much better.”

“Can’t say,” Flash said with a grin, “Guess I’m just a lucky dork.”

“Ah yes, well, we all can’t be so lucky I suppose. I guess I’ll just have to mourn my loss as I wander alone in my vast mansion amidst giant piles of money.” Gold Fleece said with a sad shake of his head.

They both managed to keep a straight face for roughly three seconds more before crumbling into a hearty bout of shared laughter.

Gold Fleece held up a hoof which Flash clasped with his hand, pulling the stallion into a rough half embrace before separating.

“Flash.”

“Goldie.”

“Hungry?”

“Famished.”

Gold Fleece nodded, “Well, I’m sure Mr. Fix can help us with a late afternoonsees?” He said with a sharp tap of his hoof on the grey marble floor. The slender unicorn bowed solemnly before turning and exiting in a dignified stride though one of the other side doors.

“And as for you my dear,” Gold Fleece said, turning back to Ferra. “I’m sure you would be happy joining us, but I thought you might like to know that the aft of the manor has a meadow whose residents have for far too long been left undisturbed. I swear, they act as if they own the place. I’m certain that if you wished, you—”

Ferra gasped so deeply that Flash could swear he felt his ears pop. A look of pure, savage joy animated her entire face before she instantly vanished from sight in a blur of motion.

Gold Fleece blinked, “—could…” He trailed off and gave Flash a slightly disturbed, questioning look.

Flash rolled his eyes with a tired smile, “She does that. Welcome to my life.”

“…Indeed.” Gold Fleece said with no small amount of concern. “She, uh, wouldn’t happen to be related to the Element of Laughter would she? What was her name, Pinkie—”

“Ah! Ah…Let’s not go there.” Flash cautioned with raised hands.

Gold Fleece paused for a moment, a shudder seeming to pass through him. “Ah yes, I see what you mean. The implications are…”

“Terrifying.” Flash confirmed.

“Quite. Well, let’s not tarry then, shall we?” He said, gesturing Flash to walk with him.

“So, how have you been my boy?”

“Oh stars, I don’t even know where to begin.” Flash said with a sigh.

“Well, perhaps a little port would help to loosen your tongue?”

“It might.” Flash agreed with a wolfish grin. He glanced over and smiled at the pony as they walked, “Thanks Goldie, sorry to drop in on you unannounced like this. I just really needed to get away for a bit.”

Gold Fleece waved a hoof dismissively, “Bah! Think nothing of if lad. I’ve told you before, you’re always welcome to seek refuge here, even if I’m not at home!”

Flash nodded gratefully, “You’re the best Goldie. By the way, what’s with the getup?”

“Ack!” Gold Fleece exclaimed with a grimace. “Trying to keep up with the local golf country club. I swear, they should make prisoners play that wretched game!”

Flash grinned, “Sorry, but Equestrian law forbids cruel and unusual punishment.” He said, which earned a hearty laugh from the unicorn.

“Does it now? Well, perhaps you should conduct a raid the next time they host a tournament? You’d set me free. Charge the lot of them on grounds of torture you could!”

“Mmm, tempting. But I promised Ella that I would stop taking unnecessary risks. You’re on your own with that crowd, Goldie.”

“Bah! My tax dollars at work indeed, why do I even keep you around?”

“Maybe because I’m one of the few beings alive that can tolerate your planet-sized ego?” Flash suggested.

“Ah! You wound me Captain!” Gold Fleece said with feigned lament, holding a hoof to his heart.

“Not as deeply as I’m about to wound your liquor cabinet.”

Gold Fleece laughed again, and Flash joined in. Together, the two of them walked deeper into the manor. The sound of their shared happiness filling the vast space.

Ella awoke with a small start, feeling the rapid kicks of tiny feet coming from deep within her belly. The room was darker than before, and for a moment, she forgot where she was. It slowly came back to her. Cozy Glow’s accusations, the demand that Ella use her mind-altering powers on her, and then tucking her in for a nap after it was all said and done, only to join the little pony in the nap herself.

Cozy Glow had turned around in her sleep, and the warm little bundle of velvety fur and fluffy wings had snuggled up into her chest; her small, soft muzzle tucked up within the nape of Ella’s neck. She smiled as she could feel the tiny breaths coming from the filly’s nostrils against her skin as the pony continued to sleep. The smell of her curled mane reminded Ella of how sweet tart candies tasted.

Is this what it will be like to be a new mom? Ella wondered as she placed a hand on Cozy Glow’s soft head and another hand over her belly where the kicks were coming, they seemed to calm down at her touch. She allowed herself to imagine snuggling with her babies once they were born, similar to how this filly was currently doing, and the thought warmed her to the heart.

A sudden surge of hunger came, and Ella’s instincts immediately told her that the pony before her was food. That she should dive into her vulnerable subconscious while she dreamt and consume whatever love she could find.

Ella clenched her jaw shut just as she started to bare her small fangs without even realizing it. She took several deep breaths to calm her racing heart, slowly counting to ten until she put that feral part of her changeling nature back in its place.

That’s enough out of you. Ella inwardly grumbled at herself. Honestly, she couldn’t believe that she was already hungry again, especially given how much Pinkie and the other girls had fed her that morning.

I must have used more power than I thought with Cozy, Ella realized. That, or the babies are really growing an appetite. I don’t know how I’m going to make it another six weeks. She thought with a sigh.

Ella slowly got out of bed, being ever so careful to not wake Cozy Glow as she did. The little pony squirmed slightly, reaching out a little with her small hooves, pitifully grasping out for what was no longer there.

Ella quickly pulled the blanket back up over her so that she went still, continuing to slumber. She stared at the filly for a moment, a curious thought crossing her mind. One of the things Ocellus had told her in their many conversations, was that changelings could peer into another person’s dreams while they slept. It was how they fed on them when they placed captured victims into pods in the days before the metamorphisis. With his permission, Ella had tried it out a few times on Flash while he slept with mixed results. She never really saw much other than a few fleeting images in her own mind. Now, however, she wondered if she might have more luck with Cozy Glow. After all, this was a rather rare opportunity to have a peek, to maybe gain some particular insight into why the little pony was the way she was.

It’s just a peek, right? Ella thought, feeling a little guilty at the thought of trying to enter Cozy’s dreams without her permission.

I’m not gonna eat her, I just, I just wanna help her, yeah. Just a little peek…

Ella slowly placed her hand on Cozy’s forehead, closing her eyes and focusing as she reached out with her senses. She felt her mind touch Cozy Glow’s aura. It was a deep blue, with little flashes of light occasionally lighting up the darker parts. It reminded Ella of seeing a storm at night from above while flying over it in a jetliner.

Pushing past the initial layer of the pony’s dormant mind, Ella dove deeper, concentrating, listening, feeling. At first, she couldn’t really see anything. She wasn’t sure if that’s because she was still an amateur at this kind of thing, or was because Cozy Glow simply wasn’t dreaming. She was about to give up, when suddenly, she saw something in her mind’s eye.

A small burst of joy, like an ember popping on a campfire lighting up the darkness. Warmth. Love. Coming from…A stallion? A…Father? He makes her feel special. Then something muddled. Impatience? Waiting. Disappointment. Followed by…Frustration? A crushing sadness, smothered by…Rage? Burning hate…And a cold, cruel judgment on the entire world that sent chills up Ella’s spine.

Ella clenched her eyes tighter as the image got away from her, vanishing like a puff of smoke. No, not yet! What was that? She thought frantically, trying to regain her focus.

She really wasn’t even sure what she saw, but it was something! She felt like she was finally getting somewhere after months of trying to pierce the enigma that was Cozy Glow’s aura in the waking world. And just when she was about to get a breakthrough, it simply vanished?

“Did you get all that?” A voice inquired.

Ella’s eyes shot open. Cozy Glow was looking up at her from the bed with a smug grin, her aura glowing with a tangy mix of amusement, intrigue, and mischief that both smelled and tasted like a hot stir-fry.

Ella quickly yanked away her hand, her face flushing hard, feeling just like a child who had been caught red-handed with her hand in the cookie jar.

“Cozy Glow! I, uh, well you see…I was—”

“Peeking on another pony’s dreams?” Cozy said with a raised eyebrow. She rested her cheek on one hoof with a bemused look, “Naughty.” She said, her eyes narrowing slyly.

Ella blinked, “Wha—how did you—”

Cozy Glow giggled at Ella’s embarrassment, “You think you’re the only one who talks to Ocellus? She’s a great source for information on changelings.”

Ella sighed, “I’m, sorry. That was wrong.”

Cozy Glow shook her head, “Don’t be!" She said with a perky smile, "I’m proud of you, Ella! I would have done the same thing in your position.”

Ella frowned, “And you’re a model citizen, yeah?”

Cozy Glow scowled, “Oh, buck you Ella. All I’m saying is that it was the smart thing to do. After all, I’m going to be staying in your home. You gotta learn everything you can about me, right? Gotta make sure you’re not going to wake up in the middle of the night and see me standing over your bed with a big butcher knife or something, yeah?” She said sarcastically, winking when Ella's face paled at the horrifying thought.

“That wasn’t why I was…Oh, never mind.” Ella sighed, “I’m sorry I did that without asking.”

Cozy Glow waved a hoof, “Meh, we’ll call it even if you can convince Flashy Poo to let me stay with you guys.” She said, getting up and stretching.

“So! What did you see in there?” Cozy Glow asked.

Ella tilted her head, “You don’t know?”

Cozy shrugged, “Nah, I almost never remember my dreams. I don’t really care to anyways. Still, were you able to see anything?”

Ella paused, considering what to say next. She really wasn’t all that sure what she ‘saw’. It was more like a jumble of emotions attached to a vague image.

“Can’t really say for sure,” Ella said with a shake of her head. “It was all kind of muddled, and I’m not entirely sure what I’m doing yet with this sorta thing.”

“Hmph.” Cozy said with another shrug. She buzzed over to the mirror on the vanity, checking her appearance and fixing her curls.

“Well, if you figure it out, let me know. Or, keep it to yourself. I don’t really care either way.” She said while running through a few cute poses before the mirror in obvious practice. “See, I don’t really have any kind of deep dark secrets or fears, Ella. No skeletons in the closet, no regrets. I only have my desires.” She said, a truly sinister look momentarily overtaking her normally adorable face.

Cozy Glow spun around to face Ella, still floating in midair, “Got no time for the past, only the future!” She said with her forelimbs spread wide, a sweet look on her face. She floated over to Ella, sweeping around behind her and dropping to her favorite perch on Ella’s left shoulder, hooking her forelimbs over it.

“A future I’m beginning to think I’d very much like to see you a part of.” Cozy Glow said, placing a small peck on Ella’s cheek. “So, what do you say, friends?”

Ella glanced at her, “More like, your partner in crime?”

“Wellll, I wasn’t going to go that far,” Cozy Glow said, looking up innocently, “But if that’s what you’re suggesting, I would graciously accept it!”

“I wasn’t the one suggesting it, Cozy.” Ella said sarcastically.

Cozy Glow giggled, “Oh, you know me so well. That’s what makes this so much fun.” She said with an excited buzz of her wings.

“Uh huh,” Ella said while heading for the door. “Well, I got to get dinner going. You can tell me all about your plans for world domination or whateva it is your planning while I’m preparing it.”

“Please, everypony knows you don’t talk about such things over dinner. You always wait for dessert.” Cozy Glow said matter-of-factly.

“Not unless you end up being the dessert sweetie. You’d make the cutest pie-filling.” Ella said, reaching back to scratch the pony’s cheek.

Cozy Glow frowned, “You wouldn’t.”

Ella smiled, “I’d serve you with strawberries. Ow! Hey, no biting!”

Gold Fleece’s raucous laughter echoed off the walls.

“She yelled at you! You actually got old Celly angry enough to yell at you?!” Gold Fleece exclaimed while dissolving into another fit of laughter.

“It’s not that funny.” Flash grumbled into his cup as he took another swig from the silver goblet. The wine was exquisite.

They were inside one of the main rooms of the manor, where the central hearth of the building was. Like everything else in Gold Fleece’s home, the scale was absolutely massive. The ceiling of the room was easily fifty feet up, and the walls stretched far enough apart that a buck ball pitch could fit comfortably within the space along with the bleachers, with room to spare. A golden grand chandelier hung from the molded plaster ceiling while graceful marble columns and dark wood paneling lined the walls.

The centerpiece of the room, however, and easily the most impressive part, was the imposing stone fireplace which stretched more than fifty feet long and ten feet tall. The wrought iron grating in front of it was styled in the likeness of ponies from all three tribes garbed in ancient armor while fighting one another, a telling tribute to the violent times before the unification of Equestria. Flash imagined that when a fire was actually lit behind it, that the flames would create the illusion of motion as they danced behind the solid figures, shining light through their fixed eyes and open mouths. He and Gold Fleece were currently sitting in large, comfortable chairs facing each other at an angle. A fine wooden table laden with a variety of tasty delicacies sat before them.

“Let me guess,” Gold Fleece said, still laughing, “You were starting to get a little hot under the collar? What, fly a little too close to the sun there Skies? Eh? EH?”

“Oh, go soak your head!” Flash shouted, flinging a couch cushion at the laughing pony. It missed by a considerable margin.

“Seriously! It’s like standing in front of a blast-furnace when she gets like that!” Flash exclaimed as Right Fix refilled the goblet in his hand from behind. “I swear, the whole room felt like it was about to burst into flames.”

“Oh ho, there’s a reason why Celestia is the best closer in Equestrian history. No foreign delegation wants to sit in a room where the ambient temperature has been slowly rising hour after hour.” Gold Fleece said, gesturing wildly with his goblet. “If they take too long with negotiations, they’ll end up being reduced to a puddle of sweat while she remains the very picture of serenity and grace haha!”

Flash took another drink, “Mmm, I bet. I'm beginning to think she could take a stroll through an active volcano without so much as breaking a sweat.” He said, rubbing a hand over his face in frustration. He paused, holding his hand partially over his mouth, eyes cast down in thought.

“I guess what I’m trying to say Goldie, is that I had it coming. I screwed up. I know everypony makes mistakes, but dang it if I hate disappointing her.”

“Ah, don’t be too hard on yourself lad, I doubt she will be mad at you for too long!”

Flash shook his head, “Yeah, I don’t need to be too hard on myself, I guess. After all, I got the great General Iron Shod for that!” Flash said, holding an exaggerated salute. “I swear, nothing is ever good enough for that old battle wagon!”

“Old Irons?” Gold Fleece asked, “Yeah, he’s a tough old bird. Those ones are always hard to please, Flash. I think they simply can’t stand to see fresh blood and their new ideas, so they’ll always find something to critique.”

Flash drained his glass and set it down hard on the table, “Sometimes it's the new ideas that are the worst, Goldie.” He said, feeling more than a little buzzed. He had lost track of how long they’d been talking, but he knew it had to be at least a couple hours. There were no windows to see where the sun was presently at.

Gold Fleece raised an eyebrow, “Oh? What do you mean by that my boy? Did he propose something that makes you feel a little trapped?”

Flash turned his head, a lazy half smile on his tired face as he considered his friend. Gold Fleece had a bit of a blush on his muzzle at this point from the wine. Flash imagined his cheeks were probably a little rosy by now as well. He wanted to tell his friend more, to tell him all about the horrid weapons they had discovered on Secret Threshold's ship, and the insane plan to adopt them into general use within the guard. The alcohol was certainly doing its part in urging him onwards in that regard. But in the end, abiding by the rules was almost always going to win the day for him.

“Yeah, you might say that.” Flash finally admitted. “You remember when I told you about that time I got shot by that strange weapon while on earth?”

“Yes?” Gold Fleece said, his earlier mirth beginning to fade at the somber turn the conversation had taken.

Flash nodded, “Well, let’s just say that I think dangerous times are coming for Equestria, Goldie.” He said.

Gold Fleece frowned, looking confused.

“What does that mean, Flash?”

Flash shook his head, “Sorry Goldie, I probably said too much with that.

Gold Fleece nodded solemnly, “I see, well, whatever it is, I just hope it has nothing to do with whatever that boorish Equestria for Ponies League is planning. They’ll be trouble later, mark my words.”

“My fan club?” Flash asked, snatching a fat olive off one of the trays on the table and popping it into his mouth. “Yeah, I saw them out earlier today. Looked like Town Caller has actually made a name for himself!” He said with a chuckle.

“I wouldn’t take them so lightly, my boy.”

Flash rolled his eyes, “Oh, what are they gonna do, burn me in effigy? I’ll bring marshmallows.”

“I’m serious, Flash!” Gold Fleece said in earnest, looking concerned. “They’re starting to gain some real political power and influence among the noble class, lot’s of funding too. Notable new members include Top Shelf and Post Haste, and I’m sure you know that those two certainly aren’t your biggest fans.

Gold Fleece set his goblet down and grabbed a newspaper in his green magic, holding it up for Flash to see.

“See here? They bought a full page ad in the Canterlot Times for their upcoming rally in three days.”

Flash squinted as he took the paper to have a closer look. There was a stenciling of a unicorn, pegasus, and earth pony standing in a courageous looking pose together while holding an Equestrian flag above them. The text read:

“Ponies of Equestria, gather with us next week and let your voices be heard! Be proud of your heritage and let our leaders know that we will not be ruled or replaced by alien monsters! The future is yours!”

“Replaced?” Flash questioned, setting the paper down. “What the hay do they mean by that?”

Gold Fleece glanced away, nervously tapping his front hooves together, looking uncomfortable.

“They, uh, well, how can I put this delicately. Among other things, they want to have you and Ella *ahem* uh, regulated.”

Flash blinked, “What? Regulated? Regulated how?”

Gold Fleece took a breath, and looked at Flash, a sadness in his eyes.

“Well, to put it bluntly my boy, they do not want you and Ella to reproduce, Flash. They don't want you to have children! Their goal is to make sure that there are no other humans brought into Equestria.”

Flash simply stared with wide eyes at his friend, his mouth hanging open in shock.

Gold Fleece sighed in disappointment, "I'm sorry to be the one to tell you such ugly news, my boy. But-"

Flash suddenly cut him off, “They don’t want us to…Ha! HahahaHAHAHAHAAA!” Flash couldn’t even finish his sentence as he began to laugh, descending into peals of laughter, laughing until tears streamed down his face while he held his sides.”

“Uh, Flash?”

“They don’t, don’t want us to, oh! HAHAHAA!!!! They’re a little late to the party on that one, aren’t they?! HAHAHAAAAA! Don't they know, that Celestia wants babies?!!! HAHAHAHAHA! Oh, Celestia! My sides!!!! HAHAHAHA!!!! If, if they only knew what it means to be Catholic! HAAAAAAAHAHAHAHA!!!!!”

Gold Fleece’s mouth twitched a little in amusement as Flash’s hilarity caught on to him a little.

“You’re a very peculiar creature, Flash Skies.” He said, snickering a little himself at the human’s laughing fit.

Flash leaned back into his chair after a few more moments, panting to catch his breath.

“Oh, oh mama,” he said, wiping a tear from his eye. “Thanks for the heads up, Goldie. But the Equestria for Ponies legion, league, lunkheads, or whatever the hay they call themselves, don’t worry me.”

“Even if they continue to grow and gain influence?”

“They’d have to get past the sun and the moon first,” Flash said, lolling his head lazily to one side so that he could look at his friend. “I’ve never cared to leverage my special relationship with Princesses or the Element Bearers Goldie, never wanted to. I’m just a kid from Cloudsdale, that’s all I’ve ever cared to be known as. But at the same time, I’m not blind to what it means to know them, to be their friend. I’m grateful to have such ponies behind me. Sure, it hurts a little to know that some ponies don’t want me or Ella or our children around, but ponies are always going to be fearful of what they don’t understand, and I don't blame them. I can forgive them that. Besides, I don’t need everypony to love or understand me. It’s enough to have the ones that do.”

Gold Fleece stared back at Flash, a small, curious smile pulling at one side of his face. For a second, Flash thought he saw something resembling frustration pass through his blue eyes, but it was fleeting. The pony shook his head and chuckled,

“You are a far more patient pony than I, dear boy. I’d have somepony like Town Caller before a magistrate at this point if I were you. Defamation of character, slander…” He mumbled into his goblet as he took another drink.

“Defamation of character?” Flash said with a tired chuckle, “That would presume that you actually have any character to defame, Goldie.”

Flash laughed and ducked under a couch cushion the pony lobbed at him.

“Whipper-snapper!” Gold Fleece shouted, snatching another cushion. “I’ll h-hic-ave you know that I am a contributing member of *hic* society!”

“Yeah, we all need a good laugh from time to time!”

“Bah!”

The sound of a door booming open and the clip-clop of hooves on the marble floor interrupted their friendly trading of barbs. Flash looked up to see a very pleased, very satisfied looking Ferra walking towards them.

“There she is!” Flash said while rising and stumbling towards her, dropping to his knees when he reached her and sweeping the pony up into a hug. “Who’s my favorite murder pony princess in all of Equestria?”

A monstrously loud belch that echoed around the entire room was Ferra’s reply. A few black feathers escaping from her mouth.

“Celestia.” Flash swore, leaning back from her. He noticed that her belly was slightly swollen. “What all do you got back in that meadow anyways, Goldie?” He asked over his shoulder.

The unicorn walked up behind him, “All kinds of varmints: rabbits, squirrels, groundhogs, moles, and,” he paused as he picked up one of the black feathers and squinted at it, eyes widening in recognition.

“Alas, poor Mr. Crow. He made such a nuisance of himself during my morning constitutions. Glad to see that he finally made himself useful for a change.” Gold Fleece said with amusement.

Flash looked back at Ferra who had a slightly dazed, goofy look on her face. He gently gripped her soft cheeks in his hands, “Dang girl. Just how many critters did you eat?”

Ferra’s yellow eyes looked up in thought, her head rocking back and forth slightly, “Yes.” She mumbled. She then gave Flash’s cheek a big lick and nuzzled him, “Can we go home now, master?” She sleepily asked. "I'm tired."

“Home!” Flash exclaimed as he jumped to his feet, suddenly feeling a bit more sober. “Shoot, Goldie. I forgot to contact Ella, what time is it?!”

“Just after sundown,” Gold Fleece said, checking his pocket watch. “But fear not! I shall get you to that heavenly muse of yours double-quick!”

A few minutes later, Flash collapsed onto the red-velvet couch inside of one of Gold Fleece’s luxury carriages. It was white with gold trim, and a team of four white stallions stood at the ready in the black and gold harnesses. Ferra clambered in as well, climbing up onto the couch and collapsing next to Flash, exhaling heavily through her nostrils, her eyelids drooping.

Gold Fleece stepped up to the open door, “Good to see you again my boy, please drop by anytime,” he said, pressing a small bag of bits into Flash’s hand. “Here, for your train fare. Take the express line, first class, I insist!”

Flash smiled as he accepted the gift, “Thanks Goldie, always looking out for me, aren’t you?”

Gold Fleece grinned, holding up a hoof, “Always, lad.”

Flash accepted his hoof. Gold Fleece gripped his hand firmly, pulling the young man towards him slightly, a determined look in the pony’s eye.

“Remember Flash, remember what I’ve always told you about facing danger, especially if trouble is coming to Equestria as you think it is. ‘When facing danger,’”

“‘Become stronger than the danger.’” Flash finished, shaking the pony’s hoof.

“That’s my boy!” Gold Fleece exclaimed, stepping back and slamming the door. “Now, be off! And give that lovely wife of yours a kiss from me!” He shouted as the carriage took off.

“Keep dreaming!” Flash shouted back with a laugh as the carriage rumbled along the main drive at a rapid pace.

Flash sighed as he leaned back in his seat, his own eyelids feeling heaving as his head buzzed pleasantly from the alcohol; he never had a high tolerance for the struff. He felt like nodding off to the gentle jostling of the carriage when Ferra suddenly seized him about the waist in a hug, clinging to him with near earth pony-like strength and leaning her head tightly against his chest.

“Whoa! Hey! Easy on the goods there killer,” Flash said while attempting to loosen her crushing grip on him slightly.

“I’ll never let anypony hurt you, Flash.” She murmured with a sigh.

Flash paused, his eyes widening slightly in surprise.

“Hey, hey there girl,” he said putting his right arm gently around her neck while cupping her cheek with his left hand, scratching with his fingers behind her jawline. “What’s all this about all of a sudden?”

Ferra didn’t answer except to give a small whimper and tighten her grip on him further.

Flash rolled his eyes, but smiled. Leaning down, he placed a small kiss on top of her head while continuing to hold her, gently scratch behind her jaw.

“Okay, okay, thank you Ferra. You're the best.”

“Flash, there you are! I was getting worried—”

Ella was cut off as her young husband suddenly scooped her up in a tight hug and kissed her.

“Hello beautiful,” Flash said with a sheepish grin as he broke off the kiss and set her back down, “Sorry I’m late.”

Ella’s mouth hung open for a second in surprise. To her eyes, Flash’s aura looked a bit like a lava lamp, with different colors and emotions all mixing and overlapping with one another: Anxiety, a bit of guilt, giddiness, and excitement all blending together over an underlying layer of his pure love for her.

Ella gave an astonished laugh as she realized why, “You’ve been drinking, Mr. Skies.”

“Just a little,” he admitted, still wearing that sheepish grin.

“Let me guess, Gold Fleece?”

“He says ‘hi.’”

“And that kiss?”

“He might have asked me to give that to you, but this one is from me.”

Ella laughed and held up a hand to stop him, “Ah, ah, just a second Mr. Skies, we have a guest.” She said, stepping to one side and gesturing to Cozy Glow.

The salmon pink filly was standing shyly behind Ella, just in front of the kitchen table, looking as cute as a button. Her scarlet eyes sparkled with amusement while a small smile graced her lips. She extended her wings and took to the air, floating at eye level so that Flash could easily look at her.

“Hi Mr. Flash, it’s good to see you again!” She said.

“Likewise,” Flash replied with a friendly nod while casting a questioning glance at Ella.

“Cozy Glow is getting ready for Twilight’s school this coming fall,” she said in response to his look. “She told me at the party this morning that she was looking for a place to stay in the meantime and, well, I was wondering if she might be able to stay here with us, Flash? We have the extra rooms after all.”

Ferra slowly plodded up behind Flash and continued towards Ella, nuzzling her belly and purring as the woman began to pet and scratch her head.

Cozy Glow looked away shyly, “I don’t mean to be a bother, Mr. Flash but it—”

“I think that’s a great idea.” Flash said with a smile.

“You do?” Ella and Cozy Glow said at the same time, surprise evident in their voices.

Flash laughed, “Of course! I’m always happy to help out a pony in need. And anypony who wants to learn about friendship should be able to experience a little of it first.” He said, holding out a friendly hand.

Cozy Glow glanced at Ella, appearing hesitant for a second before placing her small hoof in Flash’s hand and shaking it.

“Welcome to our home, Cozy Glow.” Flash said warmly, “Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to help you get ready for school.”

The momentary look of uncertainty on Cozy Glow’s face melted into a cheery smile, “Thank you Mr. Flash! Golly, I can see why Ella likes you so much.” She said while releasing his hand.

Flash laughed, a slight blush coming to his cheeks “Well, well, what a charmer! I’ll have to keep an eye on you!” He said with a friendly wink.

“Oh, you have no idea,” Ella said in jest, slipping her arm around Flash’s. All three of them shared a laugh at that, though only Ella could see the flicker of nervousness that passed through Cozy’s aura. She winked at the pony, sensing that Cozy wanted to give her the stink eye, but couldn’t.

The only one in the room not laughing, was Ferra. The mare remained sitting very still next to Flash and Ella, the only movement being her glossy black tail which slowly flicked back and forth while she stared with calm, unblinking yellow eyes up at the little pegasus. A small, nearly imperceptible smile slowly curled her lips.

Ella sat in her white nightgown before the mirror of the oak vanity in their bedroom, brushing out her long golden hair. It had gotten considerably longer and more luscious since coming to Equestria and was now well past her shoulders, she knew that magic was the likely cause; her magic, as well as the ambient magic of this world. And it wasn't just her hair, Ella had noticed that after just a few months of getting her magic and living in Equestria, that her whole body seemed to rejuvenate, with no traces of the physical trauma her past life afflicted on her remaining. It was almost as if the longer she was here and the more she fed on love, the younger she became. Her skin was like that of a child's, and it seemed to even carry a faint kind of glow, similar to the kind she could see on Flash at times. Another one of those mysterious traits she noticed carried by creatures whose blood ran thick with magic, like all the other ponies in Equestria.

We're the only humans in existence with magic, Ella mused to herself, Well, the only ones out and about at least. She thought with amusement, resting a hand on her belly. She glanced up at the mirror and noticed Flash looking up from his book at her, open admiration and wonder of her written on his face.

“Sorry I didn’t contact you earlier Ella, I lost track of time.” He said. He was leaning back against the headboard of their bed, holding a book on World History from Earth. He was wearing a pair of light blue pajama bottoms and a white t-shirt.

Ella looked back at him through the reflection in the mirror, “It’s alright Flash, and I'm sorry I kind of sprung Cozy Glow on you at the last minute, I didn’t have a chance to talk to you about it sooner.” She said with an apologetic smile.

Flash closed his book and smiled back at her, “No worries El, I trust your judgment.”

Ella beamed at him, her heart swelling with appreciation and gratitude for that simple but heartfelt acknowledgment. She slowly set the hairbrush down on the vanity, standing to stretch her arms out over her head. Finished, she cast out with her senses, and immediately felt Ferra lying vigilant just outside of their bedroom door. The wild pony's emotions were a strange mix of suspicion, confusion, and caution all bedded on a thick layer of devoted love for Flash and herself. The smell and taste of the mix was interesting, like black licorice.

“Ferra doesn’t seem to,” Ella said with a small chuckle.

Flash looked over at her with a raised eyebrow, “Seriously?”

“She’s lying right outside our door as we speak,” Ella said, gesturing with her head.

Flash chuckled and shook his head, “I think she’s just cautious around new ponies, she was acting a little funny around Cozy Glow this morning too as I recall, told me that she thinks the filly is ‘strange’.

Ella swallowed nervously, “Well, she’s not wrong. Cozy is probably the smartest kid I’ve ever met, and I think that makes her feel a little uncertain in trying to relate to others her age and find her place in the world.”

“Well, she’s also at that age where ponies try to to find themselves,” Flash said, “Having a cutie mark doesn’t necessarily mean you have it all worked out. That said, I think the fact that she likes hanging out with you shows that she feels safe around you, Ella. I’m glad you can be the one to help her out.”

Ella walked over to the bed, climbing on and cuddling up to Flash, resting her head on his chest as he dropped a strong arm about her shoulders.

“You really know how to make a girl feel good, babe.”

Flash smiled, “Not bad for a dork, eh?” He said, making Ella giggle.

She lay silently for a moment, listening to the sound of his strong heart while relishing in the sensation of comfort and security that his love for her provided. At the same time, she could sense a knot of turmoil in there, just beneath the surface.

“Tough day at work?” Ella asked.

“Yeah,” Flash admitted with a sigh.

“Wanna tell me about it?”

Flash shook his head, “Nah, maybe later. Leave work at work. Right now, I just want to be here with you.”

Ella smiled and squeezed herself closer to him, “It’s alrigh’ babe. Just remember, God’ll never give you more than you can handle.”

Flash leaned his head back, staring wistfully up at the Crucifix hanging above their bed. How do you deal with it all? He wondered to himself.

“Yeah,” Flash admitted after a few moments, “Just sometimes? I really wish He didn’t trust me so much.”

Ella laughed, “Now you're starting to sound like an earthling, babe.”

Flash smiled and gave her a small squeeze, “Love you, earth lady.”

She leaned up and kissed his cheek, “Love you, pony boy.”

Princess Luna fanned her powerful wings, coming to a halt midair high above the dark forest below, the tops of the trees being softly illuminated by the gentle light of her moon. She had gotten as close as she could estimate based on the last contact the scouts had made with Telson as well as the glimpses of his mind she was able to just touch within the dream realm. His mind was strange, and he seemed to have a way of keeping his dream state to a minimum. Still, she was confident that she would find him here and made ready her approach.

Lowering herself slowly to the ground amidst a small clearing in the trees, Luna focused her magic, summoning down a single beam of concentrated moon light upon her and the clearing, making herself clearly visible to anypony who might be hiding somewhere in the dark cover of the forest; willfully exposing herself. Not in a threat display, but rather, in invitation.

“Step forth Telson, son of Chrysalis!” Luna shouted boldly into the forest, though with nothing approaching the power of the Royal Canterlot Voice. “I would have words with you,” she said while folding her wings, pausing before adding, “Please.”

She waited. She waited for a minute. Then another. Time slipped by slowly, with no sign of the changeling showing himself or of even being anywhere near her location. But Luna was patient, she knew that he was supremely cautious, and if present, was likely evaluating the pros and cons of revealing himself, or if her invitation was in reality a trap, which it was not.

After five full minutes of nothing but the sounds of the forest, Luna’s ear flicked as she heard the sharp sound of a twig snapping under hoof. One that was in no doubt deliberately made coming from one who so obviously knew how to avoid detection.

Luna turned her head slightly to the right, towards the direction she heard the sound. Her night vision was excellent, but even with the aid of the moon, she still saw nothing between the trees at first. But then, focusing on what appeared to be a distortion in the night air, she saw a pair of large, golden eyes slowly become visible.

Telson’s body slowly followed, appearing as translucent as if he were made of glass, his entire figure reflecting and easily blending in with the forest around him. It was a most impressive display of magical camouflage.

No wonder the scouts could never find him. Luna thought to herself.

Golden flames licked away the changeling’s camouflage as he approached her with slow but confident strides, walking towards her until they were but one of her wingspans apart. He was tall and strong, his eyes golden and fierce yet possessing the deepest calm, like the depths of space. His carapace was the deepest black, so glossy that it reflected the very stars of the sky above, making him appear as a living piece of the night itself, while his burnt-orange tail and wings flickered in the pale moon as tongues of fire. He bowed his head low before her,

“Princess Luna, to what do I owe this honor? Why does the Mistress of the Night go out into the wilderness in pursuit of a single flea?”

Luna felt a small smile pull at her lips, his way with words as pleasing now as it was when she spoke with him last year at the wedding. Nevertheless, she kept up her guard, unsure if his endearing charm was the disarming tactic of a professional infiltrator or perhaps some remnant of his predatory nature.

“Perhaps she fears that this particular flea possesses a very sharp bite,” she replied. Normally, she would never dream of referring to a changeling with what she considered to be a demeaning insult. But due to the fact that he had referred to himself as such first, she decided to play along. His reaction could be telling.

Telson raised his head and smiled, “Then let me assure you, Night Mistress, that those fears are unfounded.” He said, shaking his head. “I am not Equestria’s enemy, nor do I mean her ponies any harm.”

“No,” Luna replied, her eyes narrowing slightly, “But Chrysalis is and does.”

Telson nodded once, solemnly “Yes, this is sadly true.”

“And yet you still consider her your Queen, and, by your own rather dramatic admission to the hive, intend to return her to the throne?”

He nodded again, his sharp, curved horn punctuating the gesture. The blood-red tip glistening in the moonlight making it look as if he had just gored an ox.

“I do, and I shall.”

Luna grimaced slightly, “Then why does it surprise you that we should pursue you? Did you not think such a declaration would not cause concern? Or the fact that you kept such intentions a secret would not raise suspicion?”

“I told you everything that you would need to know through Michail, do you not trust him?”

Luna huffed, pawing once at the ground with her hoof, “I do trust him, with my life!” She adamantly replied.

Telson was silent for a moment, before quietly saying, “But, not with my words?”

Luna frowned, “I, want to. But how do we know if you can keep them? How do I know if you will not obey what Chrysalis commands you to do regardless of your own personal desire to reform her?”

“Because,” Telson said, glancing to one side, “Someone very special to me once taught me that true loyalty and love does not necessarily mean blind obedience,” he looked back up at Luna, admiration in his eyes, “But seeking their good.”

“Ella,” Luna said in understanding.

“Yes,” Telson said with a nod. “What is best for my Queen is not her bitter designs, which can only end in sorrow, but healing, and a reconciliation with her children.”

“And should she refuse your good will?” Luna asked.

Telson smiled, though his eyes were sad, “Then, I shall suffer her displeasure, until such a time should come where there is hope that she will make a better choice.”

“And can the same be said of Princess Chelicerae? Is she of the same mind as you?”

“She is."

Luna stared at him for a moment, her gaze scrutinizing, trying to decide if there were any reason to doubt him.

“And what if I demanded that you return to Canterlot with me, to give an account of yourself to my sister?”

Telson shifted his stance ever so slightly, “I would hope that you wouldn’t, Night Mistress. I would be deeply saddened to no longer be on friendly terms with you, and I very much prefer to give an account of myself to you rather than to her. Is your word not enough for your sister?”

Luna felt her lips twitch in amusement. She noticed a curious look in his eyes, it was the way he looked at her. Admiration, wonder, and even a hint of giddiness was coming through the stalwart changeling’s stoic demeanor. It was all visible in his golden eyes, a kind of innocent, child-like wonder that touched her heart.

“Why do you prefer me over my sister? And why do you address me as my night ponies do?”

A tremor of excitement seemed to pass through the changeling, “Because, I feel safe with you."

Luna tilted her head, “Safe? What do you mean?”

Telson gave a small wistful smile, “When I was a young ling, we were always taught to fear the day, and with good reason. Day time meant danger, daylight meant potential discovery and death. But the night,” Telson looked up longingly at the moon, “The night gave us protection, the night made us feel safe.” He said, looking back to her.

“I used to talk to you, you know, the Mare in the Moon. We all heard the legends, and often I would look up at the moon at night to say ‘thank you’ for keeping us safe, to ask if you ever felt lonely, or what the world looked like to you from way up there. Anything, really.” He sighed, looking down for a moment, and then looked up and said, “Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would actually get to meet you, let alone speak with you, Mistress of the Night. So yes, that is why I address you so, because it is who you are, who you have always been to me. You are the one who kept us safe with your beautiful night.”

Luna had managed a neutral expression as he spoke, but still found herself supremely grateful for the fact that she had cast a ward over herself before coming here that would shield her emotions and aura from his senses; knowing that if she hadn't, that she would probably look like a lit up Hearth’s Warming Tree to him right now.

Do other changelings view me in the same manner? She wondered to herself.

Luna cleared her throat, “Ahem, I see. You have quite the way with words, son of Chrysalis.”

Telson glanced away, and Luna swore she caught a momentary blush in his face, but could have imagined it.

“Ah, forgive me. I did not mean to speak so boldly to your highness.” He quietly said.

Luna shook her head and smiled, “Nay, I am grateful for your kind words, Telson. Chrysalis should count herself lucky to have one such as yourself working for her good.”

Telson said nothing to that, but inclined his head in acknowledgment.

“So, do you require anything else of me, Night Mistress?” He asked.

Luna considered him for a moment, before saying, “I believe that you truly love Ella.”

“With all my heart.”

“And that you would never do anything that would endanger her or the one you call Michail.”

Telson shook his head, “I would die first.”

Luna sighed, looking down for a moment before saying, “Then, I shall trust that,” she looked up at him, “I shall trust your love, Telson.”

A look of gratitude and something akin to pain seemed to touch his features for just a second before he bowed his head once more, “You have my deepest thanks, Night Mistress. And you can rest assured that if my Queen does make any hostile move against Equestria, I will do everything in my power to dissuade her, and I will certainly warn you if I cannot.”

“Luna,” she replied with a smile, “You may call me by my name, Telson.” She said, feeling a hint of mischievousness at the momentary, though obvious surprise she could see she caused him on his face.

“Yes, Princess Luna, thank you again.”

“Just Luna will do,” she said with a gentle smile. “And yes, thank you for that assurance in regards to Chrysalis and any future plots she may contrive. Is there any gesture of goodwill that Equestria might offer thee in return, Telson?”

“Well, I would like to know that I might be able to visit Ella again from time to time without fearing that a garrison might be called out on me,” he said with a friendly smirk.

Luna chuckled softly and nodded, “Yes, you need have no fear of that any longer, so long as you do not give us reason to. And what of Chrysalis, have you discovered her whereabouts yet?”

“That would be too telling at this time, your highness.” Telson said cautiously, “Please, I must maintain at least some anonymity for my Queen until happier times are upon us.”

“Pity, but I understand Telson. Then would you at least be willing to take this from me?”

Luna’s horn glowed white as the light of the moon convalesced brightly around the tip of her horn. There was a brilliant flash, and when it ended, there in her blue magic, hung a silver crescent on a silver rope.

“This charm will allow me to make contact with you should either of us require it,” she said, holding it out to him. “I believe that establishing proper channels of communication will go far in minimizing suspicion of the other and quickly dispelling whatever unhelpful rumors might crop up in the future.”

Telson didn’t answer at first as he eyed the charm with a hint of indecision.

Luna smiled, “I assure you, it will only allow me to contact you, not trace your location if you fear that you might inadvertently expose Chrysalis.”

That was all it took for the changeling to take hold of the charm in his golden magic and clip it around his stout neck.

“It would be an honor, your highness. Thank you for such a treasure.” He said.

Luna was pleased that he took her at her word without question, and took a moment to admire how the fierce soldier looked once again with that child-like wonder down at the sigil around his neck.

“One last question, Telson. What is your opinion of Thorax, the present leader of the changelings?”

Telson looked up from examining the silver charm, looking displeased for the first time that evening.

“The seat warmer?” He derisively asked, not even trying to hide the annoyance in his voice. Luna actually felt herself snort from holding in a laugh.

“He will suffice for now, my brethren seem satisfied enough with his leadership, regardless of his inadequacies.”

“And what of Chrysalis, say that she reforms and yet does not desire to return to the throne?”

Telson sighed, “If neither she nor Princess Chelicerae press a suit, then yes, I am happy to leave well enough alone, I suppose. I certainly do not desire to rule.”

Luna felt relief flood through her at his words, and she knew that Celestia would share that sentiment.

“You are a rare soul, son of Chrysalis. Thank you for your willingness to speak plainly with me.” She said.

“You only needed to ask.” He replied.

She laughed, “Our apologies then for not asking you sooner. So, now that you need not dodge pursuers, will you be getting some rest?”

Telson smiled at her, “Soon, but not yet. After all, the brightest wonders are the most beautiful to observe at night.”

Luna agreed, but at the same time, was again, very, very glad that she had placed that earlier ward.

Author's Note

“Do not fear what may happen tomorrow. The same loving Father who cares for you today will care for you tomorrow and every day. Either He will shield you from suffering, or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, then, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginings.” -Saint Francis de Sales

Hello my friends, glad to finally be back!

If you're curious about Cozy's dream, know that I am using the head canon of RainbowDoubleDash's Cozy Glow: FIENDship is Magic for her background, with the author's permission of course. Thank you RainbowDoubleDash!

And a thank you to Venerable Ro for showing me that story last year which inspired me on how I wished to write the little devil haha.

As always, I look forward to your thoughts and am glad to have you here, God bless!