Rain, even if nearly torrential, was comforting, to some.

Not to Flash Sentry. He kept himself halfway into the exit of a balcony, just enough so he could continue his duty, however clumsily, but at least remain dry– There was nothing more uncomfortable than wet feathers, and combining that with damp armor? Yeah, he could afford to be unprofessional.

Night would be falling soon, and with it, the end of his shift. At least the rain had an ethereal glow to it, as it was illuminated by the last rays of sunshine; It wasn't even a gray day, it was almost colorful rain. One could look above and mistake the cloudy sky for pink.

He let out a yawn, closing his eyes, and was startled by a familiar voice calling his name.

“Flash.” He nearly jumped, looking above, and seeing Sunset Shimmer, in her usual Paladin getup, fully drenched, hovering above him, balancing herself skillfully on a gargoyle that was sputtering rainwater into the gardens; A quick inspection made it clear she had been in the rain for a while.

“W-woah! Hey, Sunset. What are you–”

“You’re not at your post.” She made a blank observation, narrowing her eyes, looking through him.

“...And you’re on top of a gargoyle, drenched in rainwater, while I’m fully dry. Which of us is winning?” He grinned, with a shrug.

She sighed, smiling, and looked away. “Touché.” She muttered.

“Do I even want to ask why you’re here, or are you just passing through?”

“I was looking for you, actually.” She jumped down onto the balcony, landing without difficulty. “It’s good to see you.”

He involuntarily snickered, shaking his head with a smile. “Sunset Shimmer thinks it's good to see me. Must be Hearth’s Warming.”

Yeah, she deserved that comment, and gave no comeback, simply looked away, pursing her lips with minor shame.

“And you’re just…” He looked her up and down, inspecting her, she seemed to have a few new recent scars, and she looked like she had been out here for a while. He sighed, knowing her well. “...Are you just brooding in the rain, or something?”

“...Something like that.” She looked away, exhaling.

He cleared his throat, wanting to change the subject for her sake. “Speaking of being at your post– Where’s your Princess? Shouldn’t you be–”

“--She’s fine. I’m not avoiding her.” She lied with confidence, but was not convincing enough.

“...You know bodyguards are meant to guard bodies, right?” He couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight. Sunset looked vulnerable, an incredibly rare sight, that made him worry, even if only a little. “...What’s going on?”

She frowned, looking down– And he recognized the look. She wanted to tell him off for even asking, insulted that he was even prying.

But she didn’t.

She exhaled, and couldn’t make eye contact. “It’s complicated. Short version, I fucked up, and I’m taking a bit of… Distance from my job. She’s here at the castle, so she’s safe. I’m just… Taking some space.”

“Did you two fight or something? Is she mad at you?” He was genuinely concerned. “You didn’t insult her or anything, did you? ‘Cause you–”

“No, no, nothing like that. The opposite, actually. I refused a promotion, and– We, well…” Her sentence trailed off, with her gaze going far. “Look, it doesn’t matter. Point is, you’re still rooming at the barracks, right?”

“Yep! Apartments in Canterlot are expensive. Moved out of my girl’s apartment when we broke up.” He shrugged, smiling confidently. “Better than living with your parents, though, right? O-oh, right, nevermind.”

“It’s fine, heh.” She let out a short chuckle at his apology, but smirked nonetheless. “Look, long story short, I’m here to ask for a favor. I need to be closer to the castle right now– And my apartment is out of order. Can I room with you for tonight? It’ll only be for one night.”

He was surprised at how politely she was asking. Years ago, when they dated, it would have been a command. The pegasus raised an eyebrow in confusion. “...Did something happen at your place…?”

“Let’s just say that repairs will be annoying, and my new roommates are insufferable.” She grimaced, with an exhale. “I will be accepting no more questions on the matter.”

“Well, sure then! You can room with me!” He beamed, with that usual cheerful smile. “You can bring your guitar, It’ll be just like old times! I’d love to see how better you’ve gotten recently– Oh, and my shift ends in a bit– Maybe we could go drinking?”

“Oh, I’m done with drinking for a while…!” She almost blushed, gritting her teeth, thinking of events of days prior. “Is it alright if we just hang out here in the castle? Again, I need to be close to the Princess.”

Chuckling, hiding a minor disappointment, he shrugged.

A bit of silence passed. His mind trailed off, and he quickly shook his head. “Dude, if all you want is a room in the castle, you could just ask the Princess- I bet she’d give you a royal suit in a heartbeat.”

“I know, it’s– This isn’t what this is about.” She shook her head, with a sigh. “Look, I just… I need to say sorry, properly, to you, okay? And well, the room would be a bonus.” She spoke earnestly, hiding any additional intentions.

His eyes widened for a bit, as he tilted his head. “...Sorry for…?”

“Everything.” She muttered.

More silence, accentuated only by the rain.

He came to a small realization, as his face reddened more.

“Hey, um…” He scratched himself, fidgeting. “Are we doing this like… Old times, or… Old times, old times?”

His intonation implied enough, and she caught on instantly.

The faintest smile appeared on her face, as she looked back at him. “Well… I wouldn’t mind doing it like the old times, old times.”

The sun was barely rising, and she was awake, analyzing the movement in the barracks.

One word she would use to describe it: Sluggish.

Others came to mind. Unmotivated, simple, guideless.

…Lazy? She pondered, as she watched recruits and fully fledged guards move about, yawning, stretching, either adorning their armors, or beginning to equip them altogether.

…Purposeless? She thought, considering the stark difference between the devotion she had to protecting the Princess, compared to these guards, who seemed to be doing their job simply because it was their job, no sense of higher purpose, or devotion.

She frowned, considering that this was Equestrias vanguard, and last line of defense all at once. They had enjoyed a period of semi-peace, and she couldn’t help but resent Twilight’s brother for leaving the guard in such a poor state, even if just a little.

Her gaze landed on Limestone Pie, who seemed to be enjoying banter with other recruits, on high spirits, and she smiled. She decided she would at least go say hi, before leaving.

She leaned further outside of the window of the room she was in, getting a full picture of the area.

A communal living space, with small apartments protected from the rain, with several exits, into the castle grounds, into the city, into the gardens…

Her mind raced on many ideas; As she inspected everything thoroughly.

The kind of food they were eating, at what speed, and where.

The way each of the rooms inhabited here were positioned, the comfort, and the lack-there-of.

The training grounds, currently not used to its full potential.

And even the patrol patterns, the ways they would distribute their shifts.

She narrowed her eyes, inspecting everything, wondering, mulling, considering.

“...Sunset?” A groggy voice called out behind her, mid yawn.

“Still here, Flash.” She responded without turning.

“Oh damn. I thought yesterday was a dream.” He muttered earnestly, as he shuffled in bed.

She turned back, analyzing his room. Didn’t seem like his style had changed much. Some posters of favorite performers, his guitar and hers resting side by side, a few trophies, silver or otherwise, and pictures of his parents and friends proudly displayed.

And of course, her ex, Flash Sentry, slowly and lazily rising from the bed they had shared last night.

“Your shift starts in five minutes.” She pointed sternly, but also amused at his inefficiency.

“It sure does.” He suppressed a chuckle, but not a smile, as he slowly stretched, and gathered some of his things. He approached her with a quiet, almost innocent tone. “So… What we did last night, are we…?”

“No, sorry…” She responded immediately, with only a hint of shame. “Again, I’ll be going back to my apartment tomorrow. This isn’t going to be a habit; I just needed to unwind…” No matter what, she still had a sympathetic grin for him.

“Well, I could definitely tell that much…” He let out an ironic, disappointed chuckle, as he looked at his now incredibly messy bed. Exhaling, he looked away. “Well, I guess I’m in the market, then…!”

“You can do better than me.” She affirmed honestly. “I mean it, man. You should do better than me– For your own good. You deserve it.”

“So you say. But what do you deserve?” He tilted his head, nudging her, and her look often shot down to the guards below.

She let out an annoyed groan, stretching. “...I have spent my entire fucking life figuring that out. Nothing good, I can say that much.”

“...Same old Sunset, heh.” He shook his head, chuckling. “Seriously man. Why did you really come here for? What was last night about?”

“I told you… I wanted to say sorry.” She looked down shamefully.

“Haven’t you done that already?” He couldn’t help but snicker at the very idea. “Like, a few times, at least.”

“No, I mean… I treated you like shit. I wasn’t just a bad girlfriend, I was a bad friend– A bad person. I don’t know how to make amends, I don’t know how to get my shit together, I don’t know how to make things right. I never did. But I have to try, you know…?”

His glance shot to his incredibly messy bed, and then back at her, with a comedic grin. “You’ve got a really funny way to say sorry.”

“I’m working on it.” She couldn’t help but chuckle, shaking her head.

“If you want to make amends, you’re on the right track– Not because of what we did, I mean, in general.” He spoke earnestly, looking at her. “You’re trying. That matters.”

“...Sure.” They shared comfortable silence, while both thought of completely different things; And Flash was the first to speak, turning to her only slightly. “...What happened between you and the Princess? It’s clearly got something to do with you being here– Did you get fired or something? You’re not in the dog house, are you…?” There was genuine empathy in his voice.

Sunset spent time thinking of her answer– calculating it, planning it, considering it. Considering lying.

Then she told the truth.

“...She offered me a promotion. She said she wants me to be her Captain– The captain of the Canterlot Royal guard.” Her vision blurred, as she looked at nothing.

Flash listened intently, jaw slightly dropped, eyes widened. “...And you said…?”

“...And I said no.” Her response resulted in him silently groaning. “I said I’m not qualified, I said that I’m unfit for the role– I said that my best talents are incredible violence and terrible ideas–”

He didn’t even let her continue to self deprecate before giving his opinion. “--For the love of Celestia, Sunset!! You can never just take a good thing, can you? Sheesh!”

“Don’t flatter yourself.” She murmured looking at him, biting back, misinterpreting.

“You know that’s not what I mean.” He frowned, pouting. “Seriously, you’ve always been like this, even when you were awful.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

He immediately took a mocking inspiration of her voice. “Oh! I’m Sunset Shimmer! The number one pupil of Celestia! This is what I deserve but I will not be accepting any handouts, any gifts, any friends, any gestures of kindness any–”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Look at me, I’m Sunset Shimmer! Princess Twilight Sparkle herself wants me by her side, but I don’t deserve it! Don’t give me any kindness, any goodness, no, I will not be leaving, I’m here to stay, but I refuse to accept anything good that could ever happen to me because I think I don’t deserve it–” He was interrupted by a nudge and a glare from her, of which he responded by simply gesturing and the obviousness of it all.

“Shut up, already.” She snarled, more annoyed than angry. “Seriously, I’m not joking about not deserving it– After everything I did–”

“--Maybe it’s not about deserving, you ever think about that? The Princess wouldn’t have offered the role to you if she cared about that.” He reaffirmed, persisting.

“Her opinion is skewed and biased.” She muttered, looking away.

“Oh yeah I bet Queen Celestia was also skewed and biased when she adopted you, and kept you.” He blew raspberries. “And I bet Twilight is just annoyed everyday of having you around! Clearly she’s just faking you out! ‘Damn that annoying sexy beefy bodyguard that’s super smart and is incredibly devoted to protecting me! What an annoying shame!!’”

“Ugh.” She rubbed her temples, regretting having been honest. “Look man–”

“Say what you will about the old Sunset Shimmer– And don’t get me wrong, I am really happy with how much the Princess humbled you– But at least the old you was less prone to doubting her place in the world. She never doubted that she deserved being Celestia’s pupil.” He huffed, shaking his head.

“Don’t fucking lecture me Flash, you have no idea what it’s like to have failed a literal god!” She snarled, slamming a hoof on the window. “She gave me everything, and I fucked it all up because I WASN’T GOOD ENOUGH!”

He hesitated, for a moment, backing off just a bit, and then attempted to reason. “...Look, you don’t get to choose family–”

“--Yes you do– And she chose wrong.” She affirmed with a bitter statement, not even looking at him.

“Okay. We’re getting off track.” He shook his head, exhaling, fearing continuing that subject. “Let's put it this way:” He changed his tune, leaning on the window. “Do you think there is any other pony in Canterlot, or even in the world that is more devoted and qualified to protecting the Princess of Friendship than you?”

She thought for a moment, without moving, without looking. There was not a single pony in the world that had a bigger debt to repay to Twilight Sparkle. “...No.” She murmured.

“Okay! Next question: Do you think there is any other Pony around here currently that would do a better job at being Captain? Or rather; Do you think there’s any other pony around here that is more dedicated and willing to do what it takes to make this castle, this city, safer, if nothing else, for the sake of the Princess and the Queens?”

“Well, Twilight’s brother is off the question– He’s out doing this job on the Crystal Empire, so–”

“Just answer the question, man.”

“Why would you even want me as your boss?!”

“Any boss is better than no boss! And contrary to what my carefree and lazy attitude might lead you to believe– I actually do care about what happens to this city and this castle– Through extension, all of Equestria– And through a prolongued, close, totally-unbiased-opinion, I think you’d be friggin’ great for the job.” He spoke earnestly, ensuring she was looking at him, and paying attention.

It took her a while to answer, where she fidgeted either with her mane, or simply looked away, until she finally muttered, earnestly, sadly. “...I’m scared, Flash.”

“You’re… Scared…?” His eyes widened, this had been the first time he had ever, ever seen her like this. “...Scared of what?”

Rage nearly burst out of her, as she gritted her teeth, but still, only spoke in murmurs. “That I’m gonna fuck everything up again! Because that’s what I do– I’m the Princess of fuck ups– Everytime good things happen to me, its always temporary, there’s always some bullshit, just around the corner, ever since I was just a little orphan foal– And it’s always my fault, and I’m tired of the constant, neverending stream of me fucking up! I’m tired of losing everything!! We all would have been better off if I never pledged myself to Twilight Sparkle!!!”

“Then why are you here?!” He waved his wings, pointing at everything. “Why did you ever even accept working for Twilight Sparkle if you were scared of fucking up?!”

“Because–” She stopped herself, realizing she had absolutely no response, no answer, she didn’t know herself.

After all, she had stayed because Twilight asked.

“This is nuts, man.” He exhaled, blowing raspberries. “I’ve seen you take on enemies ten times your size– Twenty, even. Hell, just the other day, you threw yourself at an entire cult, and won– I had to painstakingly search through your handywork, there must have been at least fifty corpses me and the others waded through– And you’re telling me you’re scared of a promotion?”

Exhaling, her head was low. “...Yep.”

“And you’re still here.” He pointed out, smiling warmly.

“...Yeah.”

Silence passed, not necessarily uncomfortable, as they both looked out of the window.

There was a lot to consider.

Sunset only broke it with a chuckle, when she was seeing two guards act inadequately. “Look at those idiots– That’s not how you handle a sword, somepony’s gonna lose an eye at this rate.”

“Yep, we're real helpless.” He snickered, nudging her with a wing. “Save us, Captain Shimmer!!!”

She only huffed a small laugh, before she continued. “I don’t get the schedules you all have for your shifts– There’s so much inefficiency on them. The night shift should be reserved to those that can access their homes in the city at any preferred hour, and the guards on morning shift should all be the ones that sleep here, for the sake of efficient deployment.”

He blinked once or twice, and let her talk.

“What’s more, I’m seeing a dangerous lack of custom fitting armor– I know that’d be costly, but you are useless in a fight, if your helmet can accidentally blind you. What were they thinking?”

Flash narrowed his eyes.

“And that obstacle course on the training area, ugh, it’s in desperate need of repairs– And you can’t encompass every single challenge with one course! You should make one that can be malleable for different lessons, so you can–”

He let out a loud chuckle, bringing a hoof to his forehead. “Oh for the love of– You only slept with me so you could see the barracks from the inside in the morning, didn’t you?”

Sunset stopped, and an awkward grin manifested in her face, as she failed to convince. “Well… That wasn’t the only reason…?”

“Unbelievable! You’re like a chess master!” He laughed out loud, resting his forehead on the wall. “You knew I was going to give you a pep-talk WHILE you scoped out your possible future job– That’s incredible, really, I can’t even be mad!”

Her face reddened slightly, as she shrugged quietly.

“Well at least this means you’re considering taking it, right?”

“No.” She muttered bitterfully, unsure if she was lying.

“Okay, be honest: Is your apartment even unavailable?!” He was involuntarily smiling at the sheer idiocy of it all.

“Actually, yes.” She huffed, nodding. “And I needed to sleep closer to the Princess, and I wanted to check out the barracks in morning hours, and I’ve been avoiding talking to the Princess, and I legitimately, truly, honestly, actually wanted to apologize to you.”

“Friggin chess master. Never change, Shimmer.”

“Five birds, one stone.” She nodded wisely, shrugging. “Besides, I didn’t want you to think I was… Using you.”

He grinned, winking. “Then you decided to literally use me, last night–”

“--Okay, enough stalling from the both of us, I’ve seen enough. I can’t put this off any more. I have to go do my job.” She immediately stood, moving to the door, picking up her helmet, preparing to leave.

“Your new job or your old job?” He smirked, nudging her.

“I’m not accepting this stupid promotion, okay Flash? I’m not ready.” She sighed, and readied herself to leave. “...But I do need to go tell the Princess I’m sorry.”

Still grinning, he pointed to the very messy bed. “Hey, maybe you should say sorry to her the same way you did to me. It’d work, 100%.”

“Shut up, man.” Her face flustered, as she suppressed laughter.

She readied herself to leave, fully adorned in her armor once more, ready for whatever the day would bring.

And he stopped her, only one more time, with the smile of an old friend.

“Hey, Shimmer… Don’t be a stranger.”

“...In summation, sorry I’ve been away, I’ve been doing my job, just at a distance, but… No more excuses. You can expect me to go back to work normally now, and you can count on me like you always have.” She spoke almost robotically, almost rehearsed, all to hide her shame.

They were both walking through the hallways of Canterlot Castle, towards their next schedule.

Hearing all that felt only a tad disingenuous, considering that Sunset couldn’t even look her in the eye. Twilight pouted, frowning. “And… About your promotion?”

“...My answer remains the same.” She spoke almost coldly, professionally, but her face betrayed her, and demonstrated shame.

Twilight could barely muster a groan of annoyance, as she huffed, looking away. Sunset was incredibly, profoundly stubborn.

Silence, accentuated only by the sounds of their hoofsteps on the tiles.

Her face reddened slightly, and she shot her bodyguard a glance. “...And are you going to keep seeing a bunch of mares in your free time?” The question was incredibly careful, like a scalpel through skin.

Sunset hesitated, and quelled her own anxiety, maintaining a poker face; Specially considering the irony of the night before spent with a stallion, not a mare. “...I don’t know. If you don’t want me to, just say so and I’ll stop.”

Pride ran rampant through this entire conversation, as Twilight immediately stuttered a response. “I don’t own you! You can do w-whatever you want with your free time!” Her fluster betrayed her intentions.“...I’m just sad I don’t get to see you around more.” She muttered quietly, with a pout, and Sunset barely heard it.

Sunset stopped on her tracks, as they finally reached the door to the throne room. She paused the Princess, too.

She considered, for a moment, why the Princess would even say such a thing.

Shaking her head, she huffed, and spoke honestly. “If you want me to stay, just ask.” There was an underlying truth that Sunset would do anything she asked, one that they were both too prideful to acknowledge.

“Ahem, um, well…” She forced herself to look away, face reddening slightly, feathers ruffling with suppressed emotion.

Silence, as Sunset inspected her every movement.

Finally the Princess sighed, shaking her head, hiding her disappointment. “You can do whatever you want. I’d rather you did, actually... Please do whatever you want… Even if it means leaving.”

The Paladin’s breathing became uneasy, for a moment. She spoke without hesitation, and assuringly. “I’m not going anywhere, Princess.”

No response, except for a small, flustered, genuine smile, as Twilight nodded, and opened the big doors.

Something new, this time. It wasn’t simply Celestia and Luna in the throne room, but Princess Cadance, as well, sitting near them, beholding the newcomers.

“I’ll be here if you need me.” Sunset gave Twilight an assuring smile, and sat near the guards by the doors.

She was immediately called, as Queen Celestia spread her wings. “Sunset Shimmer! Could you come here please? This meeting concerns the both of you, but it will be short, do not worry.”

Her ears twitched with concern, but she moved all the same.

She sat besides Twilight, who shared the same curiosity as her, as they both beheld the queens, and the Princess.

Sunset narrowed her eyes, looking at Cadance, who was looking right back at her, with eyes glowing slightly.

Clearing her throat, Celestia garnered Paladin's attention. “Well, I trust you remember Princess Cadance?”

Sunset nodded quietly, not given a spoken response. Twilight suppressed the urge to run over to the Princess of Love and do their shared beloved dance.

“And, um, do not worry about her, she is simply here on a quick visit!” Celestia smiled nervously, waving her wings dismissively. “Ahem, let us get to business.”

Sunset and Luna exchanged silent smirks, one with knowing communication and dismissing boring bureaucracy, the Queen of the Night even making a mocking expression when Celestia mentioned business.

“As you may both recall, the Grand Galloping Gala is in a week. And this time, I would like you both to attend.” Twilight was about to protest, but Celestia raised a hoof in quick reprimanding. “Ah! I will not hear protests, my student. You could maybe avoid the large social gathering before you were a Princess, but now that you are one, you must show your face and socialize! You must be at your best.” She still smiled sagely, encouraging her. Sunset remained silent.

Twilight never questioned orders, even if they might annoy her. She let out a sigh. “...Fine. Okay! Maybe I’ll invite Moondancer too, she always wanted to go… But um, about the dress code…?”

Celestia turned slightly stern, while encouraging, and Luna silently snickered. “You will both, and I mean both, this includes you, Sunset, be dressing appropriately for the occasion.”

This was the only thing that forced the Paladin to speak, in protest. “B-but! I’m going as Twilight’s bodyguard, right? What good am I without my armor–” She began making excuses, and Celestia silenced her swiftly.

“As if you ever needed protection to protect, Sunset.” She teased. “I will not be changing my stance, you are both to wear something adequate for the festivities, and have fun! It is a night off, after all. Oh, Twilight, for your outfits, maybe you could enlist the help of that friend of yours, what was her name again…?”

“Rarity! Yes, she’s in town!” Twilight perked up, but quickly frowned again. “If we have to wear something good, I’ll go to her about it. Humpf.” She pouted, after all, she was often incredibly modest with her wardrobe, and did not care for big dresses. “Could I invite her to the gala as well? She absolutely loves high class establishments…!”

“Of course you may, Twilight.” Celestia smiled warmly. “In summation, you will both be attending properly, so try and have some fun together! Perhaps even dan–” Cadance quickly and silently gave her aunt a wing slap, nigh imperceptible.

Sunset noticed.

Clearing her throat again, Celestia regained composure. “Ahem. That will be all. Any questions?”

“Yes.” Sunset pointed at the Princess of Love. “Why is quietly she staring at me?”

Celestia smiled awkwardly, waving with her wings. “That will be all! You are both dismissed! Bye!”

“Subtle.” Luna murmured.

“Bye Cadance! Say hi to Shining for me!” Twilight had already seemingly manifested a notepad from her horn, and was taking notes. “C’mon Sunset, we’ve got to make some preparations! If we’re efficient, we can visit Rarity’s boutique here in Canterlot and check on my friend Moondancer, see if she’d like to come! Maybe I could invite some of my old friends from magic school too…!” She began muttering to herself, intent on making the best of the upcoming night.

Sunset shot a suspicious narrowed glance behind her, inspecting the Princess of Love, but then simply followed her own Princess diligently.

Silence in the throne room, followed only by Luna muttering to the two others. “...Perhaps Cadance should have done the talking.”

The Princess of Love, rubbing her temples, exhaled. “I needed to concentrate! Besides, if I did, they both might suspect our intentions. They might be dummies when it comes to romance, but they’re not stupid. It doesn’t help that Celestia here wants me to essentially crowbar–”

“Shush!” The Queen of the Sun silenced her with a wing movement. “Now please report to us what you saw and felt when you read their hearts!”

“The ethics of this are dubious.” Luna snickered to herself with a shrug.

“Oh, girl, you’re in the presence of the Princess of Love now. Love is dubious all over. You have to learn to shake it off and enjoy it!” Cadance snickered, nodding confidently.

“Cadance. Please share what you’ve learned.” Celestia commanded with extreme anticipation.

“Well…” She fidgeted pensively, pondering on the feelings that she felt that did not belong to her. “It saddens me to say, but Sunset’s heart is guarded, and tightly so. She is deeply, incredibly uncertain about love– I imagine she is the kind of mare that has said she doesn't believe in true love?”

“Definitely.” Celestia sighed, remembering her daughter’s teenage years. “Fairy tales included.”

“Thought as much. And there’s another problem: She is incredibly, blindly devoted to Twilight Sparkle– Which, good for her, my sister in law deserves a big strong mare protecting her– But the issue is: She is so blinded by that devotion, she may not even know its love. She may not even know if she wants it to be love. And that’s dangerous. We must tread carefully, or else we’ll scare her off.”

Celestia nodded thoughtfully, bringing a hoof to her lips. “Yes, she had always had trouble accepting affection of any kind, in her later years… I fear that we have a great chance of failure in our hooves…”

“Forgive my completely inexperienced intrusion.” Luna raised an eyebrow, beholding the two of them. “But isn’t the whole point of ‘true love’ that it is not meant to be tampered with or manipulated?”

Giggling condescendingly, Cadence shook her head. “Oh, silly Luna– Love isn’t bound by simple rules! And sometimes, it requires a push.” She frowned towards the doors, now closed, of which the Paladin had just walked through. “Or in those two’s case, perhaps a shove.”

Luna responded with a quiet frown. “They would make an odd pair.”

“And that only makes it better.” Cadance’s grin was devious.

Celestia almost murmured to herself as she thought, but thankfully the other two could hear. “Twilight Sparkle is bringing out the best in Sunset Shimmer– Any of us could see that, love or not. I think that it is imperative that we manage to harness that, so that Sunset gets to achieve her full potential…”

Coughing to herself, Cadance mocked her aunt only a little. “Biased by motherly love.”

Celestia’s only response was to frown reprimandedly.

Luna nodded in agreement, at both statements. “I agree about her potential– Though I may be biased, by having met her at her best.” She shrugged, but did not hide her earnestness. “I understand your desire to see her as captain of the royal guard– I see the good she could bring, to all of us, were she in a better place.”

“And that better place is my sister in law.”

“Please remove that grin from your face, Cadance.” Celestia commanded in annoyance and embarrassment.

“What? She needs to get laid!! Like, desperately! And I can tell Sunset Shimmer would treat her right, because she’s so devoted and scared of hurting her. I rest my case.” She crossed her arms wisely.

“AHEM. Be that as it may.” Celestia quickly avoided the subject. “What matters here is bigger than that.”

“What do you have in mind, sister?”

She had considered this extensively, thoroughly, in the past few days. “...Twilight Sparkle is my star pupil, and I have utmost faith in her. I believe she will be capable of taking the reins of Equestria quite well, someday… But I do worry for her, at times…!”

The others listened attentively, as she continued speaking. “I fear she may be too much of a pacifist! I want nothing more than a fair, kind ruler to take our place– But there have been circumstances where she has allowed her enemies and opponents to walk over her– I fear it may partially be my fault as well, for having chosen not to focus on combat training…!”

“What do you mean?”

“Luna, I do not know if you might recall when I was reporting to you of Twilight’s past victories– Do you remember how I explained her respective defeats of Starlight Glimmer and Trixie Lulamoon?”

“Vaguely. Were those the two idiots?”

“Yes. As you may know, she fought them both on multiple occasions, and only after several encounters did she manage to reform them– And therein lies a problem. She brushed against them several times each, and on each time, refused to actually address them in battle properly! Even when she was dueling with Trixie, she kept apologizing, she kept pulling her punches, ugh! Now, do not get me wrong, I cherish all that she has done, and I know her potential is limitless– But a direct approach could have solved the problem much faster.”

Cadance completed the thought for her, as her eyes widened, and she thought fiercely about the potential. “…And the direct approach would be Sunset Shimmer, wouldn’t it?”

“Yes!” The Queen of the Sun smiled widely.

And with it, Cadance continued, piecing the puzzle together. “She would balance the scales– She would keep Twilight safe, and even help her let go of her conflict avoidant nature– All while Twilight helps her see the benefits of a kinder, more subtle approach! They could perfectly balance each other’s failings, and uplift their strengths…!”

“YES!” Celestia’s grin was mad and wide, filled with pride.

That same mad grin manifested on Cadance’s face, as she began flapping her wings quietly with excitement. “Hell, I wager that Sunset would earn her wings with Twilight’s support; And they could easily take the throne together and bring about a golden age–”

“YES!!!!” Celestia was so happy she began prancing in place.

Luna, remaining composed, cleared her throat, settling the mood back down. “Ahem, three things. Firstly, will you please not talk about our passing of the torch like it is merely a week away? I haven’t even gotten to be a queen for a year.”

Celestia sat back down, with flustered shame in her gaze. “S-sorry! Sorry, sister, I just– I just couldn’t help but get excited about the possibility of such a beautiful legacy…!”

“And the possibility of getting your daughter back.” Cadance smirked, raising an eyebrow.

Celestia closed her eyes, huffing. “That would be a bonus.” It wouldn’t, it would be the whole point; And Cadance could literally read her heart.

Luna quickly garnered their attention once more. “Ahem. Secondly– We were just discussing before, the possibility of her becoming a captain of the royal guard– And you are already considering that she will earn her wings? You may be rushing things, sister.”

“I-it never hurts to think ahead!” Her smile was awkward, flustered with embarrassment. “I have faith in her, that is all…”

“That faith did you no good last time.” Luna took on a serious tone, narrowing her eyes. “I say this with care– Do not rush her, do not rush yourself. Ascension is a delicate process; And Sunset has failed it before.”

Her sister had no response, other than a sigh of sorrow, hence, Luna continued. “And thirdly; Are we praising Sunset Shimmer for her violent approach to problems?” She raised an eyebrow quizzically, inspecting her sister’s expression thoroughly. “Need I remind you, she slaughtered an entire cult single-handedly, merely a few days ago. Is that what we’re praising?”

Ashamed, Celestia tried keeping her bias in check, which had questionable success. “Okay, so maybe we would need to really reign in her violent tendencies, it's a bit of a fixer upper, but–”

“Because if we are praising her, I’d like to throw her a party.” Luna grinned proudly. “Maybe try to bake the cake myself. Decorate it with some beheaded little gummy bears.”

Even the Princess of Love couldn’t help but laugh, as she gestured with her wings. “Hey, I can’t judge, I’m pretty sure my Shining Armor would have done the same for me, if I was the one captured by an evil cult that threatened to clip my wings.”

“Let us not get off track, please.” Celestia pleaded, with a weary inhale. She let her mind wander, for a moment, with longing. “Look, I… Sunset has been lost for such a long time. I miss her dearly, even when she is there– I know it sounds infantile, or perhaps even foolish. But having gotten the chance to raise her, having gotten a chance to see her grow… She made me feel mortal again.”

The other two were quiet, for a moment, allowing her to breathe. “...And I don’t ever want to lose that. I don’t want to ever lose her again.”

Luna took a while to speak, measuring her response, mulling over it. “...That is a dangerous notion, sister. Seeing her dying of old age is more than a possibility here– Raising foals is not in the cards for beings like us…”

“Speak for yourself, I’m getting my Shining Armor to knock me up at the first opportunity!” Cadance guffawed, with the sheer blissful joyful excitement of wanting to be a mother.

“Please shut up.” Luna commanded kindly, then turning her attention back to her sister. “And don’t think I haven’t noticed how skewed and biased your opinions of her and her actions are. You cannot get a battering ram to do a Princess’s job.”

“...I know…” She shamefully muttered, with an exhale.

“It’s love. Simple and clean.” Cadance assured her, resting a hoof on her side. “Your motherly love for her may blind you, but it is beautiful, and it matters. Don’t let go of the happiness it brings you, okay?”

Sniffling, Celestia nodded quietly, composing herself before she could speak again, and move the meeting forward.

Finally, she spoke, her mind leading her forward to the next part of the plan. “Okay. Now, next part– And this is very, very important. What did you see when you scanned Twilight’s heart?”

Cadance’s smile only increased, as she reminisced. “Twilight Sparkle has never been in love before. She does not know what it feels like– But I think she’s starting to; She is terrified of losing her bodyguard, even if it is to just another mare. She needs help understanding where the origins of those fears come from, I suppose, but it will be hard… She was always against the idea of love. A bit of a stubborn streak, regarding her preferring the presence of books and friends...” She blew raspberries, reminiscing on a memory of a tiny sister-in-law saying ‘love is dumb.’

Pondering, Celestia brought a hoof to her lips. “Can you say for sure that she is feeling those feelings towards Sunset Shimmer?”

A rare moment of embarrassment for the Princess of Love, where she grimaced in shame. “Unfortunately… I don’t know–”

“--If I may add to the list of ethically dubious decisions, I believe I may have more insight on this matter than the both of you.” Luna tilted her head, waving a wing.

The two looked intently, and incredibly puzzled, after all, what could the Queen of the Night possibly have to say on the matter.

She began reminiscing on recent experiences, “Twilight Sparkle’s subconscious is quite frankly, genius. I have been carefully guarding her dreams on occasion, as I feared the forces of shadow would target her through nightmares– And although I was right, I have been pleasantly surprised to discover she has fended off any of their meek attempts easily, merely by instinct.”

The two others blinked in confusion, and Cadance was the first to express it. “Um, in ponish, please.”

Luna groaned. “Fine, let me retell you one of her latest nightmares:”

“Okay, okay, okay, how do you s-slay a hydra…?!” Twilight shivered and muttered to herself, fearfully rummaging through a spellbook.

The giant mythological beast loomed above her, and it brought down the fangs of its several heads onto the protective magical dome Twilight had placed around herself.

Every hit shook her, and the dome shuddered with it, huge impacts of several angry heads constantly crashing onto her defenses.

Her eyes nervously darted around the spellbook, but it was no use, the words were gibberish, and the drawings made no sense, and yet, she instinctively pursued an answer, as if the next page would provide it, sweating, shivering, muttering into the dark.

Another volley of heads came crashing down onto her protective dome, and it began breaking, she did not allow herself to look up, trying to maintain her focus.

Another assault, the cracks grew larger, panic was settling in.

And just as the last lunge was coming…

An arrow of light pierced the air, and then pierced the Hydra’s body thoroughly, creating a warrior-sized hole, tearing through its heart.

The arrow in question was Sunset Shimmer, adorned in the same armor she always did, surrounded by flames, smiling confidently. She turned, and ignited the insides of the Hydra, sending the many heads into a screeching flail, incinerating it from the inside.

Calmly, she approached the Princess, smiling assuringly, ignoring the screams and the twitches of the beast as it desperately convulsed, now entirely aflame, on its side.

“You’re okay.” The Paladin affirmed, with a nod.

Twilight, relieved, flustering, let go of the magical protection that surrounded her, and now they were face to face.

“I-I’m okay.” She affirmed, with a shudder, and an exhale.

Sunset reached closer, and they leaned foreheads together. The Princess didn’t mind the hydra blood or guts– She was as relaxed as she possibly could be.

In that embrace, as they leaned on each other, Sunset affirmed earnestly, and without hesitation. “Don’t worry, Princess. I’ll always keep you safe.”

Twilight had nor response, she simply nodded, accepting it with a fluster.

Sunset turned, looking back, leading the way with a confident, trusting smile. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

Sunset lit the darkness, and she wordlessly followed, with a happy exhale, and a pep in her step.

And from the shadows, in the unseen distance, Luna watched the scene analytically.

“Ohohohohoooo This is TOO GOOD!” Cadance giggled, fluttering her wings with joy. “So Twilight just dreamed-up a Sunset to keep her safe?? THAT’S GAY!!!”

Luna shook her head, with a huff. “Twilight Sparkle did not ‘dream up’ anything. Her subconscious protected her from nightmare attacks, time and time again– And it just so happens that it took the form of her bodyguard, every time.”

With a smile that wouldn’t quit, Celestia nodded emphatically. “Still though! This clarifies a lot to us; Her strong feelings for Sunset come forth in the form of an unyielding protector, even subconsciously– And those feelings are not without basis in reality!”

“And that means love– Even if subconscious. We’ve got her.” The Princess of Love couldn’t help but grin madly. “We’ve got the both of them! Ooooh, those silly love birds– I can hear the wedding bells already!!”

“Slow down, both of you.” Luna affirmed with a frown. “Need I remind you we cannot be hasty about our approach? Actually, I am against an approach entirely.”

With a quiet sigh, the Queen of the Sun nudged her. “C’mon Luna, this is for the good of all of Equestria!”

“This is also deeply personal, to all of us, sister.” The Queen of the Night pouted, raising an eyebrow. “Need I remind you that any misstep could result in Sunset fleeing from this entire mess entirely? And let us not kid ourselves– The lack of responsibility, the lack of purpose, could be a benefit, to any who is cursed to share our burdens.” She opened her wings, in demonstration.

“Speak for yourself, I’m having a great time.” The youngest of the alicorns present stuck her tongue out with a smile.

A simple huff was all that Celestia and Luna replied with, as they looked away, annoyed.

Luna, folding her wings close, closed her eyes and spoke wisely. “We have already invited them to spend the Grand Galloping Gala together. Let us simply leave things at their course, and see what happens. The least romantic thing we could do is hover over them with expectations of success; Even I know that.”

Cadance let out a sigh of annoyance herself, and simply shrugged. “Despite my best interest, I strongly agree with Luna. Love will find its way, and it will win the day, no matter what. Now, are we finished? I need to go tell all of this to my husband, as soon as possible.” Her grin went mad, devious, even.

“Please refrain from idle gossip, dear niece.” Celestia groaned, rolling her eyes. “I suppose… We will simply wait for the gala… And hope.”

“Love takes its time. Sometimes excruciatingly long.” Cadance grimaced. “If all else fails, I’ll intervene directly, slap some sense into those two dummies if I have to.”

“Please, do not.” Celestia affirmed, and then turned to Luna, weary, curious. “May I ask… What are her dreams like?”

Luna tilted her head, pondering. “Are you sure you want to know? We’ve already had enough invasions of privacy for the day, have we not?”

Celestia sighed, disappointed. “Maybe you could just give me a summed up version…?”

“When I first witnessed her dreams, they were always the same thing– Nightmares of her being a demon. I see now, what you had to deal with, in my absence… It seems it pains her, as well.” She affirmed, looking away. “But fret not. I’ve ensured that she is plagued by nightmares no longer.”

Letting out a single, prolonged sigh of relief, Celestia hugged her sister, who accepted it, even if lacking the same energy. “Thank you for being there for her when I can’t, sister…!”

“It is my own pleasure.” She affirmed, accepting the embrace further. “You should know… Most of her dreams, nowadays, are of her childhood… And you.”

Author's Note

Ah, I missed writing unhinged Cadance-- especially the P&P universe one, heheh.

Don't worry, if they keep stalling for more chapters, Cadance is gonna swoop in and make them kiss like dolls, then roll credits.

Also can I just say, Flash Sentry is a nothing character in the canon, but I think he's at his absolute most interesting when the angle of his character is being Sunset's ex-- like, that's someone that knew her at her worst, and actually stuck around for long enough to actually know her. (if your response upon seeing him in the chapter name was to gasp in surprise and disdain, I don't blame you, and find that actively hilarious)

Meaning he has insight in all of the ways that she is frustrating, and in all of the ways that she is better now. And not just that, she could be more likely to be honest with him about her feelings.

After all, Sunset Shimmer is not used to good things happening to her, the very opposite. Cold feet, all over.

Also I'm getting mom Celestia brainrot. I wasn't originally gonna have this much Mom Celestia content in this chapter-- But it's too late, it's taking over. I was rewatching Everything Everywhere All At Once the other day and my brainworms made me imagine the final confrontation between Evelyn and Joy to be about Celestia and Sunset and it fucking exploded me.

Love isn't about choosing, and it isn't about deserving. AND STOP CALLING ME PRINCESS! I! AM! YOUR! MOTHER!!!!!!

It's so funny to go back to writing a Sunset that is so self sabbotaging lmao. After writing Shimmerverse for ages, therein lies the most fullfilled Sunset Shimmers lie there (Even a zombie Sunset is happier than this one)-- It's fun to go back to this.

And hey, maybe Sunset will get her groove back. Maybe.

I'm so tempted on having a scene on the next chapter where Sunset kicks Starlight and Trixie from her apartment lmao.

Don't worry, we're only two chapters remaining! Next one: The gala.