Twilight's Love

Chapter Two: Surprise Visit

It was a beautiful morning in Ponyville. Twilight was busy reshelving library books when she heard a knock on the door.

"Just a second!" She called, returning the last of the books to their proper place.

Twilight trotted over to the door, opening it with her magic. To her surprise, Flash was on the other side, bereft of his armor.

"Flash?" Twilight gasped.

"Surprise!" Flash smiled. "Happy to see me?"

"Of course." Twilight smiled back. "But how-?"

"Princess Cadance gave me the day off, so I figured I'd come and see the place where you hang your horseshoes." Flash smiled. Wow, you sure have a lot of books."

"I should." Twilight chuckled. "It's a library."

"A princess and a librarian, all rolled into one." Flash whistled. "I sure can pick 'em, huh?"

"Hey, Twilight, who's at the door?" Spike called, stopping as he saw Flash. "Oh. Hello."

"Hey, there." Flash smiled. "You must be Spike. Twilight's told me a lot about you. I hope she's told you a lot about me."

A sly smirk appeared on Spike's face.

"Oh, yeah!" He grinned. "She talks about you all the time! 'Flash' this, 'Flash' that... I think she even talks about you in her sleep!"

"Spike, you little kidder!" Twilight plugged Spike's mouth with her hoof. "Isn't he a hoot?"

"Hoo!" Owlowiscious called.

"Not you, Owlowiscious." Twilight declared. "Now Spike, I'm sure you have important assistant work to do elsewhere."

"Like what?" Spike asked.

"You know." Twilight growled. "Important work."

"Oh, now I remember." Spike quickly high-tailed it out of the room. "Catch ya later, Flash."

"Nice kid." Flash remarked.

"What can I say?" Twilight shrugged. "He's like a little brother to me."

"I can totally see it." Flash chuckled. "Now, what shall we do today, Twilight of my life?"

Cringing at the sheer corniness of his words, Twilight gave him a playful shove.

"Well, how about a tour of Ponyville?" She asked. "I can show you all my favorite places, and introduce you to my friends."

"Sounds great." Flash smiled. "Lead the way."

Twilight lead Flash outside, and the tour began.

"First stop, Sugar Cube Corner." Twilight announced. "It's this great little confectionary, run by Mr. and Mrs. Cake. it's also where my friend Pinkie Pie lives."

"Mmm, food." Flash chuckled. "I haven't eaten anything since leaving the Crystal Empire."

They reached the door of the store.

"Oh, one word of advice." Twilight told Flash. "Brace yourself."

"Brace myself?" Flash repeated.

"You'll see." Twilight grinned, as she opened the door.

Flash had a brief view of the inside of the bakery, before a loud gasp erupted from a pink pony who was standing behind the counter. She leapt at Flash, knocking him to the ground.

"Told you." Twilight smirked.

"Oh, it's so great to meet you for real, Flash!" Pinkie squeed. "I only saw you for like, a second the last time, and Twilight's told us so much about you, and I've sooo wanted to see you in the flesh, so I can say 'Thanks for making my friend so happy, I'm going to throw you a welcome to Ponyville/Twilight has a coltfriend party'!"

"Uhhh..." Flash gaped, overwhelmed by the hyperactive pony's chatter.

"Wait, how long are you planning on staying?" Pinkie asked, her expression suddenly serious.

"Until late afternoon, I guess..." Flash replied.

"I'd better start getting that party ready!" She yelped. "Gotta load up the ol' party cannon!"

Pinkie dashed upstairs, leaving a bemused Flash and an amused Twilight.

"Well, she's... something." Flash declared.

"That's Pinkie." Twilight smiled. "There's nopony quite like her."

"We can only hope." Flash joked.

Twilight purchased two cupcakes from the counter ("My treat." she told Flash), she and Flash eating them as they left the store.

"Hey, you've got a little frosting on your muzzle." Flash pointed out.

"Where?" Twilight asked.

Flash leaned in and kissed Twilight on the cheek.

"There." He smiled.

"Sneaky." Twilight flushed.

"All's fair in love and war." Flash smirked.

Their next stop was Carousel Boutique.

"Hi, Rarity." Twilight called, as they walked though the door.

Rarity looked up from her work.

"Well, what do we have here?" Rarity purred. "Oh, just look at you two. The princess and her handsome knight. It's just like a fairy tale!"

The fashionista trotted up to Flash.

"Aren't you a handsome on?" She asked. "Then again, you'd have to be. Only the best for a princess! Speaking of which, I know something that'd just be perfect on you!"

Using her magic, Rarity pulled Flash over to her workspace.

"Um, Twilight?" Flash called.

"It's best not to fight it." Twilight chuckled. "Just go with the flow."

Using her measuring tape, Rarity made a quick check of Flash's measurements. Seconds later, she pulled screen over him, and forced some clothes on him. Drawing back the screen, she revealed Flash to be wearing a tuxedo, complete with a blue undershirt.

"Taa-daa!" She sang. "Another masterpiece!"

"What do you think?" Flash asked Twilight nervously.

"You look great." Twilight smiled.

"Then it's settled." Rarity smiled, removing the tuxedo from Flash, folding it, and placing it in a carrier. "Here you are."

"Oh, I don't really have that much money.." Flash admitted.

"Pish-posh." Rarity waved her hoof. "It's on the house! Consider it a reward for making Twilight so happy."

"Thanks." Flash smiled. "Twilight wasn't kidding when she said you were the element of generosity!"

"It was nothing, really." Rarity chuckled. "Now, I really must be getting back to work. Ta-ta, you two!"

As they left the Boutique, Flash marvelled at his new acquisition.

"I've been needing a new suit." He noted. "Been saving up for weeks. Guess now I can use that money on something else. Or someone else..."

"I wonder who?" Twilight play-acted.

"Me too." Came a voice from above. It was Rainbow Dash, sitting on a cloud.

"Hey, Rainbow." Twilight smiled. "You haven't officially met Flash, have you."

"Come up here." Rainbow insisted. "Lemme take a look at you two."

Twilight and Flash flew up the cloud (Twilight's flying still a little unsteady) and joined Rainbow.

"So, how's he been treating ya, Twi?" Rainbow asked.

"Just fine." Twilight frowned.

"Well, you know who to turn to if he ever doesn't." She glared at Flash.

"And here I thought you only had one over-protective sibling." Flash whispered to Twilight.

"Seriously, Rainbow?" Twilight groaned. "I've already heard this from Shining. I don't want to hear it from you, too."

"I gotta get back to work." Rainbow declared, pretending she hadn't heard. She pointed a hoof at Flash. "I'll be watching you, pally."

As Rainbow took off, Twilight laughed nervously.

"That's the Element of Loyalty for you." She shrugged.

As the pair returned to the ground, they crossed paths with Applejack, who was pulling a cart full of apples.

"Howdy-doo, Twilight." She grinned. "Pleased tah finally make yer acquaintance there, Flash."

"Same here." Flash offered his hoof to shake.

Applejack complied, nearly crushing it.

"Whoa." Flash waved his hoof. "That's some grip you've got there."

"Thank ya kindly." Applejack said proudly. "So, what brings ya to Ponyville?"

"Flash had a day off, so he decided to surprise me." Twilight smiled.

"Well, ain't that sweeter then a berry dipped in honey?" Applejack smiled. "Ya'll got yerself a good one there, Twilight."

"I know." Twilight leaned against Flash.

"Well, these apples ain't gonna sell themselves." Applejack noted. "I'll catch you two lovebirds later."

Twilight and Flash continued their tour of Ponyville. As they reached the marketplace, they bumped into Fluttershy.

"Hello, Fluttershy." Twilight smiled.

"Hi, Twilight." Fluttershy said softly.

"Hey there." Flash waved a hoof in greeting.

"Hello." Fluttershy mumbled, as shy around new ponies as ever. "Pleased to meet you. Twilight's told me a lot about you."

"All good, I hope?" Flash asked.

"Actually, yes." Fluttershy nodded.

"Picking up some food for your pets, I see?" Twilight said, noting the saddlebags full of pet food.

"I've got a pet myself." Flash noted. "A little hummingbird. I call her 'Strummer'. Found her egg in an empty nest. Pretty much raised her myself."

"Oh, how sweet!" Fluttershy perked up. "I have a hummingbird friend called 'Hummingway'. Maybe next you visit, you could bring Strummer along to meet her!"

"I guess I could." Flash nodded, surprised by the formerly-shy pony's burst of enthusiasm.

"I'd like to stay, but I really have to go." Fluttershy smiled. "My little Angel Bunny gets stroppy if he doesn't his lunch on time."

"See you later, Fluttershy." Twilight told her.

"Nice meeting you." Flash nodded. "Wow, you really do have a great bunch of friends, Twilight."

"The best." Twilight agreed.

The couple stopped at the local restaurant for a lunch of daffodil and daisy sandwiches (Which Flash insisted on paying for, as thanks for the cupcakes), before finishing their tour of Ponyville. They returned to the library soon after.

"I have to admit, Ponyville is a great little town." Flash smiled. "I can see why you like living here."

"You know what they say." Twilight smiled. "There's no place like home."

As they opened the door, there was a shower of confetti and streamers, punctuating by a chorus of noisemakers. Twilight's friends were all inside the library, which was fully decorated for a party. Everypony (Including Spike and Owlowiscious) was wearing party hats.

"I told you I'd throw you a 'welcome to Ponyville/Twilight has a coltfriend' party." Pinkie smiled. "And here it is!"

"You did all this while we were gone?" Flash gaped.

"I would've finished sooner, but my party cannon jammed." Pinkie shrugged. "Now, how about some cake?"

On a table was a large cake, it's frosting formed into a pink heart with charicatures of Twilight and Flash's faces.

"That's one good-looking cake." Flash smiled.

"I call dibs on the piece with your face on it." Twilight nudged him. "Then I can see if you're as tasty as you look."

"Right back at ya." Flash nudged her back.

After enjoying the festivities, the ponies travelled to the train station, to see Flash off.

"It was really nice of you to throw that party for us." Flash told Pinkie.

"It was the least I could do!" Pinkie smiled.

"You make Twilight happy." Rarity added. "And that means a lot to us."

"You're alright, guard-boy." Rainbow jabbed him lightly. "Sorry about before."

"That's okay." Flash nodded. "Twilight's lucky to have friends like you."

"And a coltfriend like you." Fluttershy added meekly.

"Boy, howdy." Applejack nodded.

"Some visit, huh?" Flash said to Twilight.

"That's one way of putting it." Twilight chuckled. "Maybe next time, I'll come to your home."

"I look forward to it." Flash smiled.

"But for now, here's something for you to remember me by." Twilight leaned in and gave Flash a kiss.

"Wow." He sighed. "How about one more for the road?"

"You got it." Twilight smirked, giving Flash a longer kiss.

"Awww!" Pinkie squealed.

"How romantic!" Rarity swooned.

"No offense guys, but you're making me gag over here." Rainbow groaned.

"Ditto." Spike agreed. "And considering I've got a belly full of cake, that might not be such a good idea."

The ponies laughed heartily as Flash boarded the train. As it departed, he waved to his love through the window. Twilight waved back, already eagerly awaiting their next meeting.

To Be Continued...

(My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic and all associated characters are the property of Hasbro.)