No matter how many times she came here, Twilight was always taken aback at just how beautiful the Crystal Empire was. From it's crystalline buildings, to the shimmer of the ponies who lived here, it was truly a sight to behold. She was walking along the main street of the crystal city, accompanied by her closest friends. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Spike had all joined her for this visit. She'd been invited by her brother, Shining Armour, to come to the palace for the weekend, and it was an opportunity she had been looking forward to for some time.

Even though she'd become used to the idea of her brother becoming a prince of his own land and having so many of the responsibilities that came with it, she still lamented that this rise in status, not to mention her own ascension to the role of princess, meant that they wouldn't have as much time to spend with each other as they used to do. Still, she knew that such distance between them would only make the moments they had all the more meaningful to her, as would her time with her sister-in-law, Cadence.

As she and her friends walked down the street, they noted how few ponies were reacting to their presence. The last time they came here, there had been much fanfare for Twilight's arrival, being Equestria's latest princess. But this time there was little announcement of their arrival, at least outside the palace. No doubt it was due to Shining's influence, as he knew full well how uncomfortable Twilight was with such attention. If so, then it was something she'd have to thank him for. Twilight turned to her friends as she walked, and noticed immediately that most of them carried a mischievous smirk on their faces, causing some confusion for her.

"What?" She asked.

They all looked at each other with knowing smiles before Applejack spoke up.

"Oh nothin sugarcube. We're all just noticin how you're lookin forward to this here visit."

Twilight tilted her head at that.

"Of course I'm looking forward to it. Shining and I have spent virtually no time together since my coronation. It'll be good to catch up again."

Twilight looked on as Rainbow Dash chuckled at that answer.

"Oh sure, Shining's the ONLY stallion on your mind right now." She said.

It didn't take long for Twilight to put the pieces together in her mind. It was now clear to her what her friends were talking about, leading to her letting out an exasperated groan. They were, of course, referring to Flash Sentry, her colt-friend. Ever since she and Flash had started seeing each other in earnest, her friends had teased her about it constantly, to the point where she barely talked about him to them anymore. But they clearly weren't about to let this matter go. Of course, it wasn't as though she wasn't keen to see him again. Far from it. He was, after all, the first stallion she'd ever fallen in love with. The only one she'd ever kissed even. Being with him was something that brought her joy, far more than she could express. And thinking of that changed Twilight's expression from an annoyed one to one of comfort, as she looked up at her friends.

"You're right. I AM looking forward to seeing Flash again. It's been so long since we've been together. I just hope things between us haven't.......become less than when we last saw each other."

That was, in truth, something that Twilight had been concerned with during the long weeks when they'd been apart from one another. Although she had little to no experience with romantic relationships, she did understand that having a long-distance romance was always going to make things difficult for those involved. Never being able to see each other whenever they wanted was, to both of them, an unwanted difficulty. It reminded her all too well of the days before her brother got married, when her time in Ponyville meant that the two were not as constant in each other's lives as they used to be. That distance had always worried Twilight, as she'd once feared that it may result in the two of them not being as close as they once were.

But, like how her brother's distance from her, and his marriage to Cadence, didn't meant that he loved her any less, so to did she believe that Flash would love her no less either. She then noticed how Rarity began walking closer to her, placing a hoof on her shoulder.

"Twilight, dear, you have nothing to worry about. You and Flash correspond with each other all the time. If he felt any less towards you, you would have known by now."

Twilight smiled at that. Rarity was right. Flash's letters to her had been something she frequently looked forward to, just as much as her correspondence with Princess Celestia during her studies was once something she treasured. She'd heard all about his day-to-day activities and, more importantly to her, just how much he missed her. It brought a smile to her face to know that he still felt something for her, in spite of how long they'd been apart. The thought of being in his embrace once more made her feel warm inside.

Her friends noticed the increasingly large smile on her face as she dwelt on such thoughts, and although they gave a private smirk to each other, they knew better than to ruin the moment for her by making such gestures too overt. So, the group carried on their way, towards the crystal palace. it was an often-trod route for them, and it didn't take long for them to arrive there, the magnificent crystalline spire glistening in the day's bright sunlight. Making their way through the palace's grand front doors, they walked along it's elegant hallways before eventually finding their way at the entrance to the palace throne room.

Two guards were on either side of it and saw the group approach. Using their horns, they magically opened the doors for them, bowing to Twilight as she and her friends passed. Twilight gave them a nod, but soon looked forward and gazed upon the throne room itself. The long red carpet flowing right down it's middle was flanked on either side by rows of pegasi and unicorn guards. Looking ahead, Twilight smiled a great deal as she saw, standing together and the end of the carpet, was none other than her brother, Shining, and her sister-in-law, Cadence.

The married couple smiled back at Twilight as she and the others made her way along the carpet towards them. She they approached, Twilight's eyes drifted to a certain young stallion who was standing next to Shining. Recognising him immediately, Twilight's smile grew even more. It was Flash. Clad in the usual golden armour of the guard, he stood at attention as she and her group kept walking, his own face breaking out into a smile as his eyes and Twilight's locked onto each other. They'd been apart from each other for so long that this reunion was a joy for both of them.

However, the moment was interrupted when Shining frowned at Flash a little, noticing how his attention was focused entirely on Twilight. Shining then used one of his forelegs to nudge Flash in his side, snapping him back to attention. Flash gave a nervous glance at Shining before clearing his throat and stepping forward.

"Announcing the arrival of Princess Twilight Sparkle, and the bearers of the elements of harmony!" He called out.

With that announcement made, the guards on either side of the carpet immediately saluted as the group passed. Twilight smiled and shook her head at this display. It reminded her all-too well of her first introduction to Flash, back before her journey into the human world. He'd announced her arrival then too, though he was little more than just another guard to her at the time. Now though, he was so much more to her. Still, rather than just break her composure, she kept walking along until she was mere feet away from her brother and his wife.

Shining and Cadence, both Smiling, stepped forward and embraced Twilight in a hug. Twilight relished this moment, to be with her family again, but the three of them broke apart before Shining started speaking.

"It's good to see you again Twily."

Twilight sighed affectionately upon hearing her childhood nickname. Although she knew most ponies her age would grow out of such names, for her it merely brought back fond memories of their time growing up together. Shining had been a good brother to her, and was one of the most important people in the world to her. And now, seeing the affectionate look on his face as he gazed down upon her, she knew that he felt no less about her than she did of him. And so, still smiling, she raised a hoof and placed it upon his side.

"You too, BBBFF."

It was now Shining's turn to smile at hearing his own nickname from his youth, and it was a moment Twilight had to refrain from letting herself giggle at. It was here that Cadence stepped forward and spoke.

"It's good to see all of you again. I hope your journey treated you well?" She asked.

Twilight nodded.

"Yep. The train ride was as good as ever, and the weather was beautiful on the way up, especially given how close to winter it is."

Cadence nodded at that.

"I'm glad to hear it. I'm sure you're all looking forward to enjoying the weekend here, and you especially Twilight."

The crystal princess then turned to her husband, Shining.

"You and your brother really do need to catch up."

Twilight and Shining smiled at each other at that remark. They then turned their attention back to Cadence when she spoke up again.

"For now though, I think you've all had a long trip. It's probably for the best that you get yourself set up in your rooms."

Twilight and her friends nodded upon hearing that, and it was then that Cadence glanced over at Shining. She gently nudged him in his side, catching his attention. He turned to look at her and, without saying a word, she gestured over to Flash. Shining looked over to him and, in a similar silence to Cadence, looked back to his wife with a rather uncomfortable look on his face. Cadence frowned at him and, after a few moment, Shining sighed. Twilight had no idea what was going on, but it all became clear once Shining spoke in a commanding voice.

"Guard-pony Sentry!"

Flash snapped to attention and faced Shining, his hoof raised in a salute.

"Sir!" He replied.

Shining stepped forward before speaking again.

"You will escort my sister and her friends to their quarters. Understood?"

Flash, not to mention everypony else there, was taken aback by that. Given Shining's nature, it was known that he had a degree of discomfort with the idea of Flash being involved with Twilight. To have him deliberately ask him to be with her in any capacity, even if it was just as an escort, was surprising to everypony. But, then again, it was most likely due to Cadence's influence, and knowing that, Twilight turned to her as the crystal princess gave her a knowing wink. Twilight smiled at that before turning to look at Flash, who had now stepped forward.

"Understood Sir!" He replied.

Flash made an about-face and began walking towards a door adjacent to the main room. Twilight's friends walked past her and right behind Flash as he led them in the direction of their rooms. Twilight stayed behind briefly to give her brother and Cadence one final look. Shining had managed to get over his previous hesitancy and was now giving a small smile and a nod to her. She moved forward and gave him another brief hug before breaking away and running off to join her friends, who were now leaving the room altogether.

Twilight walked a little faster than the others so that she was soon ahead of the group, mere feet away from her beloved Flash. He did not turn to greet her, but merely kept walking towards their destination. This did not bother Twilight however as she knew Flash well, how important his duties were to him. He was not going to let himself be distracted by anything, at least not while he still had a task to perform. As they walked though, Twilight was distracted by a sound of whispering, and turned to see her friends chatter quietly amongst themselves, deliberately keeping their voices down so that Twilight could not hear them.

Although she raised an eyebrow at that behaviour, she said nothing, and soon noticed that Flash had soon led them to the right place. It was a lengthy hallway, with many doors along both sides, the same place Twilight and her friends had slept prior to Sunset Shimmer's attempted theft of her crown. Flash stopped walking and turned around to look at them, gesturing to the doors as he did so.

"Here are your quarters. I hope your stay here goes well."

It seemed so strange to Twilight to hear him act in such a military manner, having become so used to his more casual form of speech during his last visit. But then, he was on duty right now, so it was to be expected. Her friends however, giggled as quietly as they could, much to Twilight's annoyance, before Rainbow Dash stepped forward and spoke.

"Gee, thanks for that Flash. I think we'll all head in and rest up."

The tone of her voice was one of faint sarcasm, Twilight could feel it. Rainbow, not to mention her other friends, were planning something. Though what, she could not tell. But judging from the looks on their faces, so similar to the smirks they'd given her not too long ago, she could only guess that it had something to do with her and Flash. It was a suspicion conformed when Rarity spoke next.

"Indeed darling. We've all had a very tiresome journey and all need our beauty rest. But......"

Rarity then turned to look at Twilight, who raised her eyebrow at her.

".......I think our friend Twilight would rather walk around the halls for a bit longer."

Twilight's eyes widened with that, as she soon realised what her friends had been plotting. All five of them, and Spike, started giggling out loud this time and made their way to their respective rooms. Twilight tried to stop them but she couldn't get a word in edgeways, and soon enough, it was just her and Flash in the hall together. They stared at each other, still somewhat taken aback over how quickly things had just turned around. This was, after all, the first time they'd been alone together for some time. Now, the moment they'd wanted for so long was finally here, yet neither knew what to do next.

There was an awkward silence between them, one that grew increasingly uncomfortable for some time before, finally, Flash broke the silence.

"Twilight?"

Twilight looked up at him, listening to his nerves-filled voice. She took a gentle step forward, her face filled with expectancy over what he might say next.

"Yes, Flash?"

Flash opened his mouth, and briefly struggled to get out what he wanted to say next, before sighing with a look of determination on his face. He broke into a smile as he gazed upon the mare he loved, his voice now calmer than it had been before.

"I'm happy to see you again."

Twilight wanted to say something in response to that. Something that would let Flash know just how much he'd been on her mind since they last spoke with each other. But, for all the intelligence she had, she had no idea what to say in this situation. But she knew she had to do something, and it was then that something took hold of her. Being this close to him, just like their last time together, brought something out in her that she'd never have suspected was there prior to the start of their relationship.

Before Flash had a chance to react, Twilight lunged forward and planted her lips on his. The impact of her moving forward, pushed Flash back, right into the door of Twilight's quarters. Although momentarily stunned by his filly-friends actions, Flash's eyes soon closed, as did hers, and the two of them wrapped their forelegs around each other. Although this was only their second kiss together, it was by far more passionate than their last, having been deprived of each other for over a month. They felt the warmth of each others embrace, the softness of their lips upon each other, and thanked their lucky stars that they'd been granted a moment like this.

It was almost like a dream. Both had, to one degree or another, envisioned what their reunion would be like. But this moment felt more real than any of it, and neither of them would have wanted it any other way. After a rather lengthy session together, they broke their lips apart from one another and stared into each others eyes for quite a while before Flash spoke up.

"So........I take it you're happy to see me too?"

In spite of the obviously bad joke, Twilight chuckled, joined soon afterwards by Flash. The feelings of apprehension over how their reunion might go was suddenly washed away by the sheer joy they now felt in each others company, and they felt happier than they had been in weeks. When they eventually stopped laughing, Twilight spoke.

"I missed you." She said.

Flash's smile was small, but nevertheless affectionate.

"And I you."

Twilight leaned her head forward and nuzzled the side of his, Flash appreciating every moment he felt the warmth of her fur against him. When she eventually moved away, allowing Flash to step forward from her door, they took a brief moment to tidy themselves up a bit, with Flash straightening up his armour and Twilight brushing some of her fur back into place. Once that was done, they smiled at each other before Twilight spoke.

"I can't tell you how much I've been looking forward to this weekend."

Flash nodded.

"I'm sure. When I have time, I'll be sure to spend every single second of it with you."

Twilight's smile deepened with that remark. She knew he spoke truthfully, as he'd always genuinely wanted to be with her when possible. Twilight then looked on as Flash raised his hoof and gently placed it upon the side of her face. He then spoke in a gentle tone to her.

"I love you."

The young mare had to fight to keep her eyes from welling up with tears of joy over those words. The last time she'd heard him say those words was the happiest moment of her life. This time brought her no less bliss. She simply smiled at him before speaking back.

"I love you too."

Both of them wished that this moment would never end. But soon, Flash took his hoof away from her, and his smile faded a little. He regained his more stern and disciplined look, that of the well-trained guard, before speaking again.

"Princess Sparkle. I will join you again soon.........I promise."

Twilight smiled back at him before taking a small step backwards. She nodded at him and, after giving her one final nod and a smile, Flash began to walk past her and back down the hall where he'd come from. Twilight looked on as he marched. He was the soldier once more, his personal life now put on the shelf for the time being. But she wasn't worried, not now. For she knew that the flame he carried in his heart fro her was burning just as bright as the day they last met, and knowing that could not have made her happier. She did not know how the next few days would go for her, but she no longer doubted that they would go well.

She began to make her way towards the door of her room before raising her hoof to turn it's knob. She soon stopped however and turned around, looking upon the doors of her friends' quarters. She raised an eyebrow before speaking.

"So, did you guys listen in on any of that?" She asked sternly.

A few moments passed before Twilight soon heard the voice of an uncharacteristically restrained pink pony from behind one of the doors.

"Er..........no?"