Flash Sentry stood at attention before Sergeant Blast Cap. His commanding sergeant had removed his armor, exposing his cutie mark—a stick of dynamite with a lit fuse. His holster, pistol still tucked inside, sat on the desk. Blast Cap kept his coal black eyes on the report he was currently floating before his face, examining it silently.

Finally he set the report down and looked up at Flash. For once, his eyes weren't hard and cold, gazing at him like one might look at a particularly hairy multi-legged insect before squashing it. Instead, they were appraising; it was most likely Flash's imagination, but he thought there might have been some glimmer of pride in the darkness.

"According to the bomb squad, that boxcar bomb was large enough to break down the dam and flood Canterlot," Blast Cap said. "And it was made from materials and gunpowder that had been stolen from those burglaries." He paused for a moment, as if gathering his words, prepping to fire them from his mouth. "You did well, Sentry. It seems that Canterlot owes you a debt."

"Thank you, sir," Flash said, his back straightening slightly at the words of praise. Blast Cap merely gave him a nod and turned back to his reports. "Now get out of my face before your head swells," he grunted.

Flash did not move. This was it; this was the moment. It was time to do his duty...no matter the cost. "Actually, sir, there was something else I wanted to talk to you about."

"What is it?" Blast Cap said impatiently.

"I went over the evidence from the burglaries," Flash said, maintaining a level tone. "And then, on a hunch, I went over the logs from the evidence locker. It turns out that a lot of the clues recovered from those thefts matched evidence that was logged out of the evidence locker...by you."

Blast Cap looked up and met Flash's gaze. The coal-black eyes had narrowed and now seem to glow dangerously. "You have something you want to say, private?" he growled.

"Just this," Flash answered, adding an edge to his voice. "I believe that you were the one who committed those burglaries and planted evidence stolen from the evidence locker to throw us off the trail. I believe that you bribed Railrider to drop off a boxcar from his train, and then you killed him and made his death look like a suicide. And I believe that you wanted to try to blow the dam and loot the city."

Blast Cap stood up, giving Flash his most intimidating glare, which he had been on the receiving end of several times. "And where's your proof?"

Flash looked up at his commanding sergeant, at a pony that had attempted an act of terrorism for monetary gain, and felt no fear. He met Blast Cap's glare with his own. "I examined the floor of the boxcar and found tobacco: Black Bronco Mix number 64. And then there's what I found in your open locker." He reached into his pocket and tossed something onto the table. It was a gold watch with the emblem of a train engine on the back.

"It wasn't enough to kill him, was it?" Flash snarled in contempt. "You had to steal from him, too?"

Blast Cap looked at the watch, then slowly looked back up at Flash. Pure rage and hatred radiated from his eyes like heat from a flame; his teeth were clenched and his horn sparked with barely controlled emotion.

"Pretty boy Flash Sentry," he growled in a low voice, like a manticore about to attack. "Always sticking his snout into everypony else's business, strutting around, pretending he's better than all of us."

"I am better than you, you murdering scum," Flash replied coolly, refusing to back down. He was done with this, done with being afraid, done with being the Bucking New Pony. "You're under arrest."

"I don't think so!" Blast Cap reached to his holster with his magic, whipping the gun out and into his hoof and aiming it directly between Flash's eyes.

But Flash was faster. He dodged, knocking the pistol aside and grabbing Blast Cap's hoof as he punched his attacker in the nose, breaking it and blinding him. He then spun towards him as he lowered his hips, and bent forward, throwing him over the desk and onto the ground with a crash. Giving him no time to recover, Flash punched him in the jaw as hard as he could. The solid blow echoed loudly through the office and Blast Cap slumped to the floor, out cold.

"As I was saying," Flash panted, feeling his heart pounding in his chest as he came down from the adrenaline rush, "You're under arrest."

He stooped to collect the pistol, then he noticed something strange. The pistol did not have its trigger attached. "Huh?" he muttered in confusion.

There was a quiet cough from the doorway. Looking up, Flash saw Phillip standing in the door, half-smirking. He pulled something out of a pocket in his vest and tossed it at Flash's hooves with a clatter.

It was the trigger to the gun.

Flash stared at it for a long moment, then looked up at Phillip in dawning comprehension. "You knew."

"Of course," Phillip smirked, striding forward. "I wanted to see if you knew." He stood before Flash, coolly examining him for a moment. Then he raised his hoof and touched it to the side of his head in salute.

Flash's eyes widened in astonishment for a moment, then he recovered and snapped to attention, returning the salute.

Startlingly, Phillip grinned at Flash, his teeth flashing white as he lowered his hoof. "You little ripper," he said softly. "You did it."

Flash lowered his hoof, looking down at Blast Cap, who was still unconscious.

I did it. He felt a proud grin spread across his face. I did it!

"Now maybe you should shackle him before he wakes up?" Phillip suggested.

"Oh!" Flash started. "Er, right, sir."

"And don't call me sir."

That night, as the sun slowly dipped beneath the horizon, casting Canterlot in red and oranges of sunset, Twilight and her friends prepared for the Festival celebrations.

Rarity was currently adjusting her fancy manedo in the mirror when she saw something in the reflection and frowned. "Hold still, Phillip," she ordered, turning around and using her magic to undo his tie and retie it properly. "Honestly, how you can be so accomplished and intelligent in your field and yet not know how to do a simple Windsor knot..."

Phillip scowled slightly in annoyance, but said nothing: he knew from experience that trying to argue with Rarity about fashion was a losing proposition. He was wearing a suit that Rarity had prepared for him when she realized that he had no formal attire in his wardrobe. He had insisted on something simple, and Rarity had reluctantly complied: it was a simple black tuxedo with dark gray trimmings and cufflinks. The tie was black with thin diagonal light purple stripes, which Rarity claimed went with the greenish hue in his eyes, and decorated with the white outline of his cutie mark.

"I still don't see what all the fuss is about clothes," Phillip muttered as Rarity tightened the tie. He reached up to adjust his trilby: Rarity had suggested that he not bring it, but he put his hoof down at that.

"Oh, Phillip, it's a special occasion!" Rarity declared. "You're going to be met and admired by the cream of Canterlot! You deserve to look your best!"

Phillip looked around at the others. He had to admit, they were something to look at: the girls were all dressed in formal attire, the same dresses that they had worn at Twilight's coronation. Spike was also dressed to please in a coat with tails and a red bow tie adorned with jewels. They were all chatting excitedly about participating in the festivities tonight, planning activities and complimenting each other's looks.

Okay, she has a point, he admitted to himself.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Rainbow peeked out the door, then turned to Twilight with a grin. "Hey, Twi, your prince is here," she said.

"Rainbow!" Twilight scolded, trying and failing to hide her blush as she opened the door. Flash was standing on the other side, wearing his dress uniform, which was freshly pressed and ironed. With his mane combed, coat brushed and back ramrod straight in confidence, he cut a fine figure.

As soon as he saw Twilight in her dress, though, his jaw dropped and he stared like an idiot for a few moments before gradually regaining control of his voice. "You, er...you look...nice." He forced a grin to hide a grimace at his own stupidity.

"Thank you," Twilight nodded, trying to ignore the stifled giggling from the girls. "You look nice as well."

Flash swallowed, then extended a wing forward, revealing a bouquet of roses tucked beneath his wing. "Here, I brought flowers," he said.

"Oh, they're lovely!" Twilight smiled, taking them with her magic and examining them. Upon doing so, she realized that some of the roses appeared to have been chewed on. She gave Flash a querying look. He turned red and rubbed the back of his neck with his hoof, examining the door post. "I, er, was...nerv...hungry."

Rainbow could no longer contain herself and burst out into throaty chortles, hugging her sides. Rarity shushed her in between her own giggles.

"That's all right," Twilight said, setting the bouquet down.

"Shall we go, then?" Flash offered, extending a foreleg. Twilight took it, meeting Flash's gaze as he escorted her down the hall. Suddenly, she found herself caught up in thinking about just how blue his eyes were, and how they seemed to sparkle...

At least, until Flash walked into facefirst a wall with a loud thump. The entire group behind them burst into laughter at the sight. Even Flash chuckled once he recovered. "Let's try that again, shall we?"

"Yes, let's," Twilight giggled. Flash opened the door and held it open for the group. Phillip, bringing up the back of the ensemble, briefly nodded as he passed. Flash smiled and nodded back, returning to the front of the group to escort the Princess to the Festival.

"My dear ponies," Princess Luna declared from the balcony of the palace to the assembled crowd below. "We come together, an imperfect group, each with our own struggles and hopes and misfortunes and dreams. But each of us has so much to be thankful for, not the least of which is our gathered friends and loved ones, whom we can rely on to support us. We are loved and cared for and protected, and for that, let us celebrate, give thanks and be happy beneath the light of the blue moon."

With that, Luna spread her wings and slowly lifted off the ground, her horn shining. The full moon, shining a beautiful shade of blue, rose above the horizon and was placed in the midst of the sky, artfully positioned among the stars, causing a chorus of admiring gasps from the crowd.

"And now," Luna announced. "Let the Blue Moon Festival begin!" Her announcement was met with cheers from the crowd.

The Main Hall of the Canterlot Castle had been decorated according to Pinkie and Rarity's specifications, and it looked even more magnificent than normal. Balloons and streamers hung from the ceiling and around the windows, all of them shades of black, blue and lavender. A buffet table had been placed, stretching almost from one end of the hall to the other, filled with traditional food that had been prepared under Applejack's expert eye. The Hall was mostly empty, except for the orchestra setting up in the corner under the instructions of Octavia Melody, a squad of waiters preparing the buffet, and eight ponies and one dragon waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

The doors opened and Princess Celestia and Princess Luna walked in, beholding the group that stood before them at the bottom of the stairs with gentle, praising eyes. The ponies and dragon bowed, except for Twilight, who smiled excitedly as she embraced her teacher and close friend.

"Hello, Twilight," Celestia greeted her student with a friendly nuzzle. "Good to see you all again," she nodded to the other ponies, giving them all a broad smile.

"Celestia, Luna," Twilight said, gesturing to the two stallions. "This is Flash Sentry and Phillip Finder."

The alicorns approached the Guard and detective. Flash kept his head lowered, but was unable to keep an excited smile off his face. Phillip also continued to kneel, but his face was expressionless.

"We have been looking forward to meeting you," Celestia said as the two rose back to their hooves. "Flash Sentry, we understand that you went above and beyond the call of duty in investigating this threat. We need more Guards such as yourself."

"Thank you, Your Highness," Flash flushed, acknowledging her praise with a nod.

"And Phillip Finder," Celestia continued, turning to the older stallion, who stoically met her gaze. "Twilight has told me much about you. On behalf of Equestria, I would like to thank you for your service."

"You don't need to, Your Highness," Phillip said flatly. "I was only doing my job."

"You were instrumental in stopping the attempted destruction of this city," Luna stated. "Is there not some way we can thank you for your work?"

Phillip glanced over at the mares and Spike, who watched the exchange silently. He was about to tell the princess no, he did not deserve any special reward any more than a baker deserves a special reward for pulling a fresh dozen loaves from the oven; he wished to tell her that just knowing that his friends were safe, that nopony was going to get hurt, that no foals would mourn the loss of a beloved parent, was reward enough.

But out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of orange and looked over at Flash. An idea formed in his head.

"There is one thing you could do," Phillip said, stepping closer to the princesses. He began to speak in a low voice, too quiet for the others to hear. When he was finished, the two Princesses regarded him for a moment. They both looked at each other, then nodded.

"I believe that is more than fair," Celestia said.

Phillip turned to Flash and stepped forward. "Flash, you were brilliant. You really were."

"Thank you, sir," Flash said, looking a bit confused. His expression was mirrored by the six mares.

"You have a gift for seeing things that others don't," Phillip continued. "If you hadn't brought this to my attention in time, we might have been too late. You're good at deduction. And you showed great courage and loyalty in the tunnel. You've become everything you wanted to be; I can make you more than that.

"Come with us to Ponyville," he offered. "You can work as a Guard in Ponyville and as Twilight's bodyguard, and I could improve your skills."

Twilight's half-hearted protest that she didn't need a bodyguard died on its way out of her brain. Flash considered his proposition for a few moments, his eyes wide in surprise.

"I wish you to understand, Flash Sentry, this would be a great responsibility," Celestia added. "You would be solely responsible for the safety of Princess Twilight, as well as the protection and enforcement of law in Ponyville."

Flash blinked, looking from Celestia to Phillip to Twilight. She looked back at him, her bright purple eyes glowing in the light of the ballroom, and a meaningful look passed between the two of them. Flash turned back to Phillip and snapped to attention. "I am sure that I can handle that responsibility. In fact, I would be honored." He kept his tone even, but couldn't keep an excited grin off his face.

"Then by the power vested in me, I hereby appoint you the personal bodyguard of Princess Twilight Sparkle and Guard of Ponyville," Princess Celestia declared with a smile.

A cheer erupted from the group of friends as Flash was suddenly enveloped by a group hug by the six mares and Spike. At that moment, the doors to the Hall opened and guests began to file in. The orchestra set up and began to play a beautiful, but lively classical piece.

The next half hour was spent engaged in energetic conversation among friends, accompanied by the orchestra and the delicious food served by the impeccably-dressed waiters. The princesses circulated amongst their subjects, engaging them in idle talk and companionship. Nopony in the hall could be happier.

With some exceptions.

"I don't care if she is the Princess' star pupil," a male voice sniffed, somehow rising above the sound of nearby conversation. "She's a commoner! She doesn't deserve that crown."

The voice belonged to Duke Blueblood, who was surrounded by a small clique of nobility, all of whom were looking at Twilight and her friends with their noses up, as if her presence offended them.

"Look at her," Blueblood said, taking a drink of the wine. "Fraternizing with her commoner friends, and that loathsome lizard still crawling after her."

"It's probably full of diseases," huffed one of his companions, a pegasus mare wearing a gold-sequined dress.

"And then, as if her little circle of friends couldn't get more pathetic, they add an idiot Guard and that detective," Blueblood continued, turning his scorching gaze on Phillip, who was swapping recipes with Applejack. "I don't care if he is a hero, he should at least make an effort to look presentable! Who made those clothes? They're hideous!"

Rarity heard him and let out a shocked gasp. She turned to the Duke, preparing a scathing review of his own clothing to be delivered through clenched teeth, but Phillip stopped her.

"Duke Blueblood," he said coolly, his voice carrying over the crowd and reaching the noble's ears. He started, apparently unaware that the target of his verbal assault could hear him. His sapphire blue eyes met the storm cloud gray.

"I like your suit," Phillip said flatly.

Blueblood blinked as he processed the compliment. It took just under three seconds. "Oh. Well, thank you," he said in a slightly surprised tone.

Phillip paused for a moment, then added, "Does it come in a stallion's size?"

The group around Phillip exploded into laughter: even Rarity was unable to hold back her delighted chortles. Blueblood simply stared, slackjawed, his brain frozen at suddenly finding himself the object of mockery. He didn't speak another word that night.

As the laughter died down, Phillip made eye contact with Flash and beckoned with his head, leading him outside. They stepped out through a set of glass doors onto an open-air patio. They stood there for a moment, flanked by vines of flowers that climbed up the palace walls, gazing silently up at the blue moon hanging in the sky above them.

"You asked me in the tunnel about my past," Phillip said without looking at his companion.

And he began to speak. He told Flash about his foalhood in Sydneigh and his father; about the thief he refused to stop; the night he came home to find his father murdered; discovering that the killer was the thief from the store; his promise on his father's grave and the earning of his cutie mark; his time in the Royal Guard; being forced to leave his home after a disastrous fire; and finally, meeting Twilight and her friends in Ponyville. Flash listened in mute astonishment, his widening eyes never leaving Phillip.

When he was done, his head hung down and he was breathing heavily as if he was tired. Flash gazed upon him in surprise, understanding the significance of the gesture that he had just extended to him, trusting him with his personal secrets.

"Sir?" Flash asked. "Why did you pick me to be your partner?"

Phillip turned and looked back inside through the glass doors. Flash followed his gaze and focused on Twilight, Spike and their friends. They were laughing at Pinkie, who, judging by the strange faces she was making, was telling a funny story.

"Because of them," Phillip said, reaching up and taking off his trilby. In the pale moonlight, Flash saw the little slivers of gray amongst the black of his mane, and also noticed the lines etched into his face, as if a minuscule army was digging trenches into his skin.

"I'm getting old, mate," Phillip sighed, a weight in his tone, as if he carried the past several years upon his syllables. "I'm not gonna be around for much longer, and criminals are getting smarter every day. Who's gonna protect ponies like them when I'm gone?" He put his trilby back on, maintaining his gaze on Flash. His eyes were cold, like distant storm clouds, and yet Flash saw a warm gentleness behind them.

"That's where you come in. Like I said, you've got a gift. You and other ponies like you are the ones who are gonna keep them safe." For a moment, a brief flicker of a smile appeared on Phillip's face.

From inside, they heard an announcement that the orchestra was being replaced by the famous DJ Pon-3. Selecting a record, the DJ placed it into the player and started it up. Ponies around the hall stopped what they were doing and got ready to dance.

"Go dance with Twilight," Phillip told Flash. "That's an order."

"Yes, sir," Flash saluted and headed for the door.

"And Flash?"

Flash stopped, one hoof on the door, turning back to his new mentor. "Thank you," Phillip said with a small smile.

"Thank you, sir," Flash said and stepped through the door. Twilight was dancing by the table, flailing her arms and legs and making strange faces. Flash trotted up to her side, examining her curiously, then began dancing alongside her, mimicking her movements, both of them with a big grin on their face.

Celestia watched them with a wistful smile on her face. "Ah, young love," she said softly. "They remind me of Anpony and Clovenpatra."

Luna nodded. "Let's hope it works out better for Twilight than it did for them."

Phillip watched them for a moment, then glanced around to make sure that no one was watching. Satisfied that he was alone, with only the moon and stars, he adjusted his trilby and coat, lifted himself up onto his hind legs, and began to dance.

The blue moon hung over all of Equestria, heralding this time of thanksgiving and joy, spent with family and friends.

The sound of festivities reached across all of Canterlot, even to the local jail. Sitting in his cell, Blast Cap stared out the barred window up at the blue moon hanging in the sky. He looked down, contemplating the orange coveralls that he was now wearing instead of the armor that he had grown used to.

He growled quietly. The plan should've worked...it would've worked were it not for Flash Sentry! Had that bomb worked, he would've been free to plunder the capital city in the ensuing flood and panic.

A thought crossed his mind. Surely his master would've thought of this eventuality when he ordered him to follow this plan? Was this, then, supposed to happen? Was he supposed to get caught?

Sighing, he settled back in his cot, banishing these thoughts from his mind. It did not pay to question him, he knew. Of course he would have a plan for every possibility.

His master would not abandon him, not after he had served him so faithfully. Of this Blast Cap was certain.

Author's Notes:

I'd like to pretend I planned to release this on Thanksgiving, but not really, although I was inspired to add some elements to the story.

And yes, Phillip likes dancing, but only when no one's looking.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving with your family and friends, and that you keep in mind all those that you're thankful for this year, and are prepared to face the new year with hope and joy and love.