Chapter ten

Twilight gets up earlier than the day before to pack a small bag in her room for her travel to Canterlot. A couple books, quills, extra scrolls, inkwell, and of course her crown (not liking to fly with it on top of her head). Setting the bag on her bed after making it quickly, the Princess hops in the shower as she uses the nice warm water to help wake her up for the day. Looking through the sky light, she realizes that there isn’t any light in the sky period. The sun hasn’t even risen at this hour. ‘I wonder if he is up or not?’ she ponders while using some shampoo on her mane to get it squeaky clean. Rinsing the last bit of soap out, Twilight steps out, opting for a towel instead of a spell to dry off as she likes sometimes how the act can help her wake up. Soon enough walking out in to her room. There she hears a knock at the door, and the voice that reminds her once again she isn’t alone in the house anymore. Twilight grasps her towel, clenching it around her rump and legs. The thought of if he were to have come in here and saw her like this would have to be something to keep between them… seeing as her friends would eat that up.

“Twilight?” Flash says standing there awkwardly outside the door twiddling his hooves. He heard the faucet go off and he knows on the other side of this door is Twilight probably standing there in her towel, dripping wet… ‘Clean thoughts there Sentry, clean. Thoughts.’ The guard shakes his head reminding himself as he tries to get rid of that image, not something a guard of the princess should think about too often. “Breakfast is ready ma’am, downstairs waiting when you’re ready.”

Snapping out of her trance of wonder, she realizes what he said moments ago, breakfast, “ahh… I’ll be down in a sec,” she stumbles to answer him, “already packed, just drying off,” she answers him waiting for a response.

“Understood, Twilight,” he answers her.

The Princess can hear the hoof steps of her guard going down the hall way. Meanwhile the princess rubs as fast as her hooves will allow to get done as she puts up the towel on the door knob to the bath room. Sliding the bag over her back she is about to step out the door when she pauses for a moment, looking over at the table in the corner with the mirror to help putting on makeup, and various other girly things. ‘Well… I guess it couldn’t hurt,’ she tells herself, as she trots over quickly and pulls out a glass bottle with her magic. A particular favorite brand of perfume that Rarity highly recommended to her, but she never had a reason to really use, until now that is. The smitten mare applies it generously before she sets it down and leaves the room to the kitchen.

As Twilight enters, the smell of a fresh meal fills the air. Two omelets are on the table ready and still hot for them to eat. A glass of orange juice there, and two slices of buttered toast. ‘Well I’ll be,’ she can’t help but smile at the gesture, while watching Flash pull out a chair for her.

“I wasn’t sure what you wanted this morning,” Flash scratches the back of his head, “nor what exactly you liked in terms of food. Considering yesterday was the most you and I have ever casually talked with one another, I’m still learning here.”

The princess listens to him speak as she comes in and takes a seat. Shooting him an appreciative smile and passing by him, during which his nostrils go up in the air as he senses a vestige about her that wasn’t there before. Something that isn’t lost on her, even out of the corner of her eye, now only leaving a smirk on the side of her face so he can’t see.

“Well judging by the smell,” she says taking another whiff of the wonderful aroma, and bringing him out of his own curiosity of her sent, “I think you hit the nail on the head.”

Twi sits down and takes a bite of the egg dish in front of her. Spinach, with fresh cheddar cheese sliced in, and hay bacon bits folded in to it all as the flavors meld together. ‘Oh my,’ she gasps in her head, ‘he can cook too!?’ Twilight beams across the table to him. Considering she never has been much of a culinary expert, but can manage a few home dishes, given enough time. To have another pony that can cook in the house may just give her a reason to catch up in the field.

“I’m going to guess that you like it?” he asks rhetorically, seeing the look on her face of approval plastered all over.

Twilight nods vigorously, taking another bite and swallowing it quickly, savoring the flavor still as it slides down her tongue. “Trust me Flash, I love it… just never expected a guard to be the cooking type,” she raises an eye brow hoping that he would explain perhaps. Luckily for her, he does without any more questions asked.

“When I first joined the guard I was put in the galley. Being the lowest rung of the ladder will do that to you, ‘Cranking’ they called it actually, though it didn’t help that I picked up cooking quite fast. That just kept me in there longer,” he snickers remembering all the moments he spent peeling potatoes, baking breads, and even a few cakes here and there for the officials.

“Well you certainly don’t disappoint,” Twilight responds, soon recalling what else he said before. They really don’t know one another in terms of outside the work place. If he is going to be around, forever how long, what could possibly go wrong in spending a day together outside of the profession… to learn more about one another of course. Even if she may feel like she’ll die from it. “However, seeing as you will be here for the foreseeable future,” she sees his eyes widen in anticipation at what’s coming next, wondering herself what could be going on inside that head of his, “perhaps we should have more of the ‘casual moments.’ Something to step back, and perhaps get to know each other better?”

Flash sits there for a few moments while they both take another bite out of the food on their plate. This luckily gives him a moment to think of how to answer this, without sounding to eager. “That sounds like a lovely idea, Twilight,” he responds with a simple nod, seeing as anything further and he might as well be begging her, “did you have anything particular in mind?”

Twilight didn’t honestly think she would get this far. Considering it’s just a casual talk with one another, as friends even. She thinks of anything they could do, other than stay in the house, and actually get out in town. “Haven’t gotten that far yet,” she shrugs her shoulders jokingly, “but we’ll think of something, until then…” she says getting up from the table while he takes both their plates after finishing up to the sink. “…Let’s be off.”

Flash holds the door open for her, as he slides his weapon on and follows her outside. Both of the ponies take to the sky for the trip to Equestrias capital, Canterlot.

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Celestia opens the window to the study room and sets out a few books, and as any mother would expect, running between her feet is none other than, her son. The little colt adores his mother with every fiber of his being, and even though he may take after his father more in terms of appearance, nature, magical gifts and abilities, humor, and mindset. Just like Rose nearly worships her father, His heart truly goes with his loving mom. Who no matter his appearance, as dissimilar it may be from other ponies, has always treated him like normal.

The little guy looks at the books his mother sets down and recognizes a few of them, recalling as his father would read some of the history ones to him to try and give him a little insight on the past, and even a few of his dads antics back then, “Is Twilight coming over to study?”

“Yes she is, sweetie,” she smiles as she awaits her student to come over, “however, when she gets here you know that you will have to let us be, right?”

“I know, mommy,” he sighs at the thought of not getting to spend some time with his aunt, “can I say hi to her though?”

Celestia cranes her head down to look at her son, who sits just between her fore legs. “Well of course you can,” she answers him while returning with a kiss on his fore head.

“Flying tackle hug?”

Tia stops for a second to think, making note that she would like her student to be able to breath fine and not have the issue of cracked ribs, “Flying tackle, no…” she pauses for a second as Havoc’s face frowns a bit, before she brings it back up with her next words, “Although I can say yes to a bear hug to her neck…”

In a few moments time, Twilight lands through the window of the room. Gracefully watching her form, she folds up her wings and places her bag on the ground. Seeing Celestia turn around to greet her, the young Princess never gets the chance to say a word as she gets a foal wrapping around her neck.

“Twilight!” Havoc beams while dangling from her.

“It’s nice to see you too, Havoc,” she wraps a hoof around his little body and pulls him in closer. Looking over his shoulder to see his mother standing there giggling to herself. However her look changes when she sees another Pegasus land through the window next to her student.

Flash takes a bow the instant he sees the sun goddess before him. “Good day, Princess Celestia,” he says raising his head back up to look at her.

Celestia takes a few moments to look over the guard, she’s never seen him until this time after all and first impression is everything as they say. Well-kept armor, strong body, and even more well-mannered. On face value alone she can see why Cadance would have picked him. “Good day to you as well, gentle colt,” she welcomes him warmly, “you must be Twilight's guard that was assigned to her from the Crystal Empire.”

Twi lets down the little tike as she goes to properly introduce him. “That he is,” she steps up right next to him, “Princess… this is Flash Sentry,” the prideful look that the young Princess has even while saying his name is enough to give away that she thinks of him more than just a guard.

Celestia glances between the two as she stands there, noting the subtle twitches and color change that both of them have as she extends a hoof and shakes the new guards own, “it’s a pleasure… I can see already that Princess Twilight will be in capable hooves.”

Twilight looks at Flash as the two start to blush, quickly adverting their eyes from one another. The three have forgotten about Havoc who is still in the room. He raises a hoof to the side platting on the guard and taps it getting his attention.

“Mr. Flash, I didn’t know you were coming today as well?” the young colt says with wide eyes.

“Well…” Flash answers as he leans down on his legs to get at eye level with him, “I’m going to be staying with Twilight for now on. Helping her with whatever she may ask of me… and of course making sure she doesn’t get in to, trouble,” he winks at him. Getting a laugh from both Havoc and his mother at the same time, while Twilight stands there shaking her head.

‘Well he knows how to get the kids to like him,’ she thinks.

“You’re just like aunt Cadance when Twilight was younger… you’re her foal sitter!” he laughs at the thought of the still young, beautiful mare needing to be watched over like one his own age. The giggles in the room grow as he says that last line and it finally registers in his ears.

Celestia picks him up though to try and cut it short, and save her student from going any redder in the face then she already is. “Okay dear, your auntie and I have some work to do now though. Why don’t you go see what your sister is doing?”

“Okay mom!” he grins giving her a quick hug around the neck, as she lets him down while he hits the ground running and scampers down the hall.

The older Princess closes the door and looks at the guard, still trying to hold back a giggle from his own comment, “well I think you just got a fan… nice to know Cadance could find a guard with some humor.”

“I know what you mean,” Twilight looks at him with a cockeyed grin, still seeing the red in his face as well.

“Well I couldn’t pass up getting the young prince to laugh,” he answers her, scratching the back of his head through the helmet.

That’s when Twilight recalls the events of the previous night in her head. Changing her tone to that of one more serious. “Celestia… we have to talk,” the Princess says to her, and in an instant the white goddess knows that something is up, “Last night after I showed Flash around town and we got a quick bite to eat. We got back to the house, but something to Flash didn’t seem quite right,” she pauses so Celestia can take it in.

“Oh? What do you mean?” she asks, already having her attention grabbed.

Flash picks up this end as he explains what happened. “We stepped in to the house and I noticed a particular smell in the air, we were trained quite a bit to examine our environments back in basic training,” he explains. Finally making it click in Twilights head on how he picked up that trick, “I cleared the house with Princess Twilight behind me and when we got to her bed room. We found a changeling on the inside waiting.”

Celestia gasps at the thought of having another one of those pests around in these parts again, “A changeling? In your house?” she looks over to Twilight who stands there calmly and nods.

“Yes ma’am,” Flash confirms with her as he finishes up the story, “after a scuffle, the creature was bucked off the side of Twilight balcony and broke its neck on impact. The Ponyville police ponies came and checked it out, while the coroner came also and collected the body.”

Celestia thinks about all of this. There is no reason a creature like that should be this close to Canterlot after what happened at Cadances and Shinings wedding, “Do you recall how the changeling looked?”

Flash thinks back to the fight and what he noticed, “scruffy looking, rugged, un-kept… yet had a military grade short sword. Perhaps a rouge soldier?”

“Exactly what I was thinking young Flash Sentry,” Celestia brings out a parchment a quill, jotting down a quick letter and sending it off after she writes her signature, “…still it’s odd to have one out here anymore. I’d like to have the body examined here in Canterlot. Perhaps with what we can find on him, we may learn where he came from.”

Twilight thinks about all of this and puts it together in her head. It’s a good plan after all, seeing as the Princess has a point on so many levels. However when she looks back at the two talking she finds a hoof on Flash’s shoulder. “I can see Cadance made a good choice in picking the guard,” she praises him, “and I’m forever thankful you were there to bring the changeling down as needed.”

Flash lowers his head again out of respect, “It’s my job, Princess,” feeling a light, gentle hoof under his chin he looks up to see the Princesses eyes filled with genuine happiness that her student is safe.

“…and a fine job you did. However off note, I must say you don’t have to wear the helmet right now,” she chuckles at him, “were quite safe here in the castle, and Twilight has her studies to get to that I would like very much to start,” the princess herself now even coughs a bit in the back of her throat. After thanking him for what he did, it does feel a little rude to say this, “If you don’t mind though, we usually conduct them in, private.”

Flash takes the hint that the solar princess provides, nods to her, and starts to back out of the room, giving a momentary glance to Twilight. Though he sees something this time around. She has the same face she had when he was walking away from her about to go to bed last night as the princess stood out on her balcony, just before she kissed him on the cheek. The thought of that moment comes back as he relieves all the feeling he had from that simple ‘thank you’ gesture. Now going red in the face yet again as he leaves the room.

Celestia looks back and forth between the door that has just closed and to her student who looks like she just saw a loyal pet run away, or a parent leave for work. A meaningful grin coming over her as she passes by Twilight, “come on my student… let’s begin.”

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The studies go by slowly but surely as the clock ticks one second at a time. Celestia throws out a question here and there and even brings out the charts to show old kingdoms that once stood strong, but how they were brought down through the ingenuity of others. Twilight writes down all that she says word for word. Thinking about what she can do to one day be a leader, the new things that she has learned sense becoming Celestia’s Princess apprentice, the new spells that have been burned in to her mind after hours of practicing, ‘what and where Flash is’… she shakes her head snapping to.

“Is everything alright?” Celestia asks after seeing the sudden, erratic motion of her student.

“Yes, Celestia,” she nods at her before returning to her work. Not ever seeing the smile come across her teachers face. Celestia knows very well what is going on, but can’t help but have some fun with her student either.

“Really now… what’s the protection spell that also induces healing?”

“Sphere of rejuvenation,” Twilight fires off the answer no problem.

“Years sense the last Timber wolf crisis?”

“Four hundred and fifty three,” she answers again without hesitation.

“Hmm…” Celestia thinks of a tough one that her student will actually have a challenge in answering, “name the royal guard that captivated a Princess.”

Twilight freezes for a moment and starts to look through her notes furiously to find where that could have gone. Finding nothing in today’s set, she thinks that maybe it was from a previous day, now rummaging through her bag to find any piece of paper that might help. That is until it finally dawns on her who the Princess is talking about, slowly turning around to see Celestia standing there, lips stretching ear to ear. “Your husband is really starting to rub off on you…”

“Whatever do you mean Twilight?” Celestia plays dumb, “I was merely telling you what I see right in front of me.”

“Oh dear,” Twi lowers here head on to the table before going any further, “are you sure you didn’t set this up with me and Flash?”

“Actually,” Celestia says taking a seat next to her and patting her student on the back, “the only attraction I knew of was what Cadance told me, even then I didn’t really want to say anything definitive until now.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well Cadance was right that ‘you arn’t fooling anypony’… I mean I saw it right off the bat,” Celestia explains everything to her, from the moment they flew in. To the playful nature he had in getting the foal to laugh (something that even Twilight herself never could have seen coming from a guard). And who can forget the look that they both had when Flash was leaving the room for the time being.

Twilight leaves her head face down on the table, after being served all the obvious signs that she seems to ignore. She knows that at heart, she does feel something for the colt, although she hasn’t fully admitted it to herself just yet (but is starting to). Twi can admit it to others at least.

“Ymm rimmt,” Twilight mutters under her breath.

The ears perk up on Tia’s head as she tries to listen, “what was that?”

“You’re right,” Twilight confesses to her teacher. Picking herself back up and soon looking off to one side, “I am growing to like him more and more. Heck I started to when I first came back through that mirror, after seeing ‘him’ over there again. Flash acts the same way here as he did in the other world, and I like it. Considering that he now is living with me, it’s not like those feelings are going to lessen any either… I just wish I knew if he felt the same way,” she pounds her head on to the table, letting out a sigh once more.

“Well you don’t have to wonder… he does,” Celestia answers her truthfully.

“B-b-but… how do you know?” she stutters in her response, trying to figure out how Celestia who just met him knows this already in that short time.

“The eyes are a window to many creature’s souls, Twilight, and I can see it in his eyes when he looks at you, especially when I asked him to allow us to study alone. The look in his eyes even showed that he was hurt when he had to leave, but he did because it was an order, not a choice,” the sun goddess tells her student all she sees. Even opening Twilight’s own eyes to the fact that some of those blushes, or stammers in his speech, or even the way he may appear nervous. May not be because he is nervous after all, but perhaps because he is having something going on in him as well. “You can never be for sure what he may be thinking,” Celestia says bringing her back to the conversation, “then again, I think it’s a good bet that if you asked him out on a private night in town, he’ll probably say ‘yes’… that is, if he’s not the one to ask first.”

Twilight remembers the fact that she kind of did ask him for a night to themselves earlier before coming here, and he surely didn’t say ‘no’ to that. “Thank you Celestia,” she leans over and wraps a pair of hooves around her mentor, teacher, and friend, “Thank you, for everything… and always looking out for me.”

Celestia can feel a tear come to her eye as she blinks a few times so it doesn’t make its presence known to Twi as the solar goddess embraces a pony that is much more than just a subject to her, “I may be your mentor, but these lessons can extend past the castle and be applied to all parts of life,” she strokes her students mane, beckoning her to pull her head back slightly, and look up in to her eyes, “and if you are in need, require guidance, or just want to talk to some pony. You know by now throughout the years that you can reach me any time.”

“I know I can, Celestia,” Twilight nuzzles her cheek in to the side of Celestia’s soft coat once more.

Tia has another tear come to her eyes as she pictures this will be what it’s like when her own kids get older and find a colt or mare for themselves. The older alicorn uses her magic to close the books around them and stack them neatly on the table. Getting up with her student they prepare to leave the room.

“I think we’re done for the day,” Celestia chuckles as they close the door behind them, “Now let’s see what that guard of yours is getting in to.”