Chapter twenty eight

The night is a pleasant one for the two while they waltz around town at this hour, there are very few other ponies out right at this time, but that just means they can have their own moment or two with one another. Together they relish in the day they just had with the rest of the extended family That Twilight considers herself lucky to have. Flash already feeling more at home here than he even thought would have been possible in a new town such as Ponyville.

Twilights friends and family seem to like him a lot, plus on top of that even the rulers of Equestria deem him fit for her. All of which only make him more and more comfortable to be here in Ponyville. A gentle smile comes on the colts face as he stares off in to nothing, thinking of it all, all the while him and the still young princess enjoy their little time this night together. The atmosphere is bringing up fond memories in Twi as well, recalling the first night they had ‘out’ as they pass by the town hall, when he surprised her with the late night showing of the play, and even before that the wonderful meal they had in each others company.

Then the thought of earlier today when she saw him playing with Rosebud out in the park replays in her mind… ‘Such a sweet thing to see in him,’ she starts to beam in to the night while she thinks about it more and more. Though the longer she does, the more she doesn’t want this night to end with him. As luck may have it, they walk right past a little café in their travels.

“Would you care for a cup?” she asks him, just trying to get a shot of caffeine so as to make this night last a little longer.

“Trust me, I could always go for one…” Flash answers while they walk in to the little place, and take a seat. The air is warm for them and the smell of fresh ground coffee seeds is apparent as they walk in, stepping up to the counter and each getting their desired ‘wake me up’ of choice. Each paying for their own, at this insistence of the princess when Flash yet again tries to pick up for the both of them.

Sitting in the back row next to the windows, at this spot there is the moon giving a nice light to glimmer through at the two there. Sipping on the hot brew, it give a lovely sensation all the way down as it hits the right spot in Twi’s stomach. “Mhmm…” she laps her lips after taking the first sip of her drink, setting it down so she can continue to talk to Flash, “So I think it’s safe to say you have another fan amongst the royal family…” Twilight opens up with to him.

“I’m going to assume you are talking about Celestia and Discord’s Daughter?” he asks the obvious while taking his own sip of his drink, seeing the nod from the princess who sits across from him.

“Well who else would I be talking about?” she sarcastically asks him, “after all she seems to have taken a shine to you, just as much Havoc has.”

“Much like Havoc took a shine to your brother.”

“Yes, but his interest was more along the lines of beating him in a game of ball… though Rose rather enjoyed you taking her for a little ride.”

“Well...” he scratches the back of his head, falling back on what he already told the princess when her friends were around in the eatery, “as I said, I’ve had my experience playing with foals… so I do know that they like to push their own boundaries, though at least with her on my back, I would be able to keep her safe.”

“And I fully trust that you would have done everything to make sure that she was safe up there,” Twilight backs him up, taking another drink from her cup. Though now she tries to get out her next statement over the fact that she just scorched the inside of her mouth a bit, “I would have… joined you up in the sky, though Celestia’s little test for me did leave me out of breath in the end…”

“How did she say you did with that by the way?”

“Oh, it wasn’t a pass or fail thing…” Twilight goes in to explaining to him Celestia’s mind set during their little match. The reason that she told Twi while she was in the bubble, being able to make the tough choices, and live with the consequences… whatever they may be, “In that respect, and my improvement with the spells, I passed,” she starts to beam, “and I couldn’t be happier.”

“That I can tell, though I probably am going to ask the same thing Celestia did,” Flash recalls the look on the princess’s face when Twi managed her little stunt out in the field, “how did you get out of there after all? If you don’t mind me asking?”

Twilight looks off to the side with a sort of half smile on her face like a foal who just took a cookie from the cookie jar and lied about it to their parents. Though she may have only told her own mentor at first, Flash here doesn’t have a reason not to know. “In one of the books that I got from the Crystal Empire, namely Magical beasts and creatures: a reference guide. It has, as you might expect to find, changelings in it…and along with it, there was a spell to mimic the love sucking talent that they have.”

“So…” some of the puzzle starts to show to the guard, “you used it in the bubble to boost your Telekinesis spell, and launch yourself through the shield?” Flash pieces together when he hears that last detail. Not being a unicorn he will never fully understand the process to do so to even fathom magic, but from what he has read, it is all possible to the average unicorn. Nothing to say an alicorn.

“That’s right…” she nods in response to him, “…though I bet Discord fell right to sleep when they got home, even if he did have the cup of coffee earlier that gave him a pick me up.”

“So wait… you used it on,” she starts to snicker before he can even finish his sentence, “well than, that’s, a little brutal… but effective I’ll say.”

“Like I told his wife, Discord will be fine… one night with a loved one to give him that nice warm feeling that a pony gets when they are with someone they love, and he’ll be up tomorrow without a hitch,” she assures Flash, “besides, he was already recovering well earlier.”

“Oh I agree with you…” Flash takes another sip from his glass, careful not to chug it, “though I have to ask something…”

“…And of course you may.”

“…Well… it’s rather obvious that your squeamish about the idea of getting your own kingdom,” he pauses for a second to see the ‘oh gee you think?’ Look come glaring at him, “but I was simply wondering, why?” the guard asks curious to a as why a mare such as herself would worry about something of the sort. Granted it is a whole new level of responsibility, but isn’t that what she has been preparing for after all?

“Truth be told… I don’t think I would ever be ready, or at least think that I’m ready until it actually happened…” Twilight starts off to explain at first, before finishing her cup and getting another so she can have something to give her a moment or two to think while she tells him, “it’s the level of responsibility that I don’t look forward to in that case, Celestia asking a few tasks here and there of me as a princess I can do. Send me to study a new level of magic out in Manehatten, done. Call on me to resolve a few issues’ with dragons, I’m your mare. Heck even have me go and deal with a Ursa major who had her cub hurt, it’s game on… ask of me to run a whole kingdom, or for that matter even run one with another pony? That’s when my stomach starts to turn,” she winces at even the thought of that all coming to mind.

Everything with this makes sense to the young guard, he couldn’t imagine having to run an entire kingdom, even if there was somepony to help him with it. He would even crack under the pressure. Never the less though, he may have not known Twilight from before when she was a unicorn. And even then, until the last month or so while he was here, Flash didn’t know her that well still. Even if he may have wanted to learn more. But from this short time he gathered something nearly instantly, and that’s that Twilight is one for a challenge when it’s brought to her.

On top of that, she is willing to put more time in to something than is probably possible… or healthy for that matter. Sentry recalls the already several nights he has knocked on the door to princess’s study, only to have it crack open and him see her fast asleep at her desk without a single clue that he was there. In the end the princess is capable of more than she may think, something that Celestia, Luna, Discord, Cadance, Shining… pretty much every pony else, but herself, has seen.

“It can be a big deal when you think about it, for obvious reasons… after all you rule, or help to rule an empire,” he tries to make her feel a little better about the possible future that she may have, while mulling his cup over in his hooves, “though at the same time you are being taught by the best. You are capable of doing so much more than you may think,” he watches as Twilights face turns to confusion at the end of that last statement.

“By all means, try to explain that one would you,” she looks for an explanation from the colt.

“You managed to find out what happened to Princess Luna and Celestia when the Ever Free Forest went berserk, you brought back your own crown from another world, you found out the imposter to Cadance at the wedding…” Flash starts to rattle off many of the adventures the mare had gotten herself in to, “You brought Discord down when he returned, and Princess Luna herself was returned to Celestia thanks to you-”

“Not all of those were by myself though,” she cuts him off to point out.

“My point exactly, you will have others there with you to help every step of the way, just like Cadance said you would. Your devotion to your own work in whatever Celestia may assign to you can only spread to any new task she gives you after all,” he tells her, seeing a slight smile come to her, which Twi tries her best to hide from him.

“Okay, okay, okay… you made your point Flash… though it’s not something that I will look forward to any time soon,” she rolls her eyes while they sit there and continue to chat.

Changing the subject to something else so that she doesn’t have to think about this all too much right now. Considering that it was already late at night when they came in. It doesn’t take long for the café to soon have its hours up and close for the night, sending the two ponies out and in to the night once more.

Feeling the little rush from the coffee getting to them, it doesn’t take long for the drooping eye lids to go away for the moment. The night is still young in their book, as they make their way through town and reach the same park they were at earlier today, though it does have a much different setting than before. Having clear skies above them, it allows the moon light to give a glow to the ground and light the way for them to walk without any need for more light. The stars above shine ever brighter, away from the few lights that the town will give off, giving a nice natural glimmer to the land scape while a few other ponies are around in the park. The lovely evening has attracted quite a few actually as there is a small gathering around the gazebo, even for this hour.

“What’s going on here?” Twilight asks out loud.

“Not quite sure…” Flash responds as they make their way to the structure. Both of them feel their ears perk up at the sound of some tunes being played, a lovely melody of some classical music…

But where is it coming from?

Under the gazebo there stands a few ponies with a couple classical instruments. The group gets together few times a week to practice and over all enjoy the peace that music can give, though considering the weather they have right now. They decided to come up under here in the park and give whatever pony that passes by something to listen to. Twilight and Flash get a little closer as they hear the music play with a soft rhythm to it being played straight from memory as there are no paper notes in front of the ones playing. It’s done up expertly, after many times practicing, to the point that a few even have their eyes closed not even watching which hoof hits which string or note.

There are some others around them that listen to the music fill the night, however a few are out in front of the stand, holding another pony close in their hooves as they dance to the sweet tone. Twilight looks down at a few of the others around them, and even at the others that are actually moving to the tempo. Then she looks to the colt she has on her mind to begin with, Flash stands there with a slight smile on his face rather enjoying the scene in front of him. Even tapping a hoof to the tune. Seemingly at peace with the whole day and how it’s played out.

‘Well he seems to rather enjoy this…’ Twi looks out at the others slow dancing with one another, then back to him as an idea pops up in her head, “Umm… would you mind if I made a complete moron of myself?” asks whispering in his ear.

“Does it involve going to a bar?” he teases her doing the same.

“Well no… but a little alcohol would probably come in handy considering what I have in store,” she quickly takes hold of his hoof and drags the armored colt out and on to the grass in front of the gazebo.

Although Princess Twilight doesn’t dance often, and even then it’s usually not with others are around. She does her best to put her hooves up in with his like the few others are doing around them as they slowly pace about entangled with one another. The action from the princess was a swift one that left even the guard off balance for a second as he got his bearings. Looking down and resting his eyes on the lavender orbs looking up at him at the moment while their hooves remain intertwined with one another, gently moving on the grass to the rhythm.

“Did you know they would be out here tonight?” he asks to see if she had planned this or not.

“No…” Twilight has to admit to him, “Though I will say that I knew they come out here occasionally when the weather is nice and play, it’s not like they have a schedule though.”

Flash follows her footsteps, getting in pace with her and soon they are at the same level. Moving with one another like water in a river, neither pushing against the current. Just letting it all happen as it does, “I didn’t know you knew how to dance?” he points out. Talking to her as he leans in to the princess’s ear to keep their conversation private.

“I do have a few books on the arts back at my place, then again, I don’t do it nearly as often as I would like to…” she says with an awkward kind of grin. Knowing full well that the reason as to why is more embarrassing to her than she would care to admit.

“How come?”

“Meh… haven’t found the right partner quite yet…” she says in a mutter, not even thinking about how it could be taken by him. Biting her own tongue now, “I didn’t mean I like that-” she tries to take back what she just said. Getting only a slight chuckle from him in return.

“It’s alright, Twilight…” Flash trails off seeing the look in her eyes, “I know what you meant truth be told… I don’t dance much either, I usually would avoid the Ball’s that the guard would have, and don’t even get me started on the Grand Galloping Gala,” he tells her while they move with the beat of the soft peaceful song.

It brings the both of them at ease just listening to it, and even more so when they consider who the pony is that they are dancing with at the moment. This certainly isn’t something that Twilight saw herself doing, nor is it something that Flash pictured. Never the less, neither of them are complaining while Flash brings Twilight out on one hoof in a twirl, reeling her back in like a fish even closer than she was before as he holds her.

The look of surprise on her face says it all, “I thought you said you didn’t dance much?”

“Well I never said that when I did I wasn’t good at it…” he snickers, bringing her down low to the ground while still holding her up from falling, “…I know a thing or two here and there,” he says to the lavender alicorn just below him.

Twilight though is speechless for the moment seems like a life time, looking up and seeing Flash there with the night sky behind him as he holds her close in to him. This is something that she wants, and it’s right in front of her at the moment. ‘You have to tell him…’ she reminds herself.

Flash brings the mare back to eye level as their wings press in to one another and with a flick of his wrist the feather weight princess is brought up in to the air as he holds her there for a moment. Now its Flash’s turn to take in the view, capturing the moment while he brings her back down and they continue. Though the picture still remains, Twilight’s radiant eyes shimmering the glow of the moon while the few lanterns from the gazebo reflects back to him through those wondrous orbs of hers.

‘I don’t know how I got lucky enough to get here now…’ he reels the princess back in to the himself with her back to his chest as it presses against her, meanwhile the guard still thinking and neither one of them caring about what this may look like at the moment, ‘…Though I hope in the future I’ll be able to thank Cadance for this moment,’ Flash makes a note before he turns the princess back around.

Her head hangs low as it presses against the soft coat of his neck while their hooves remain locked with one another and the music starts to die down as the band finishes. The applauds around are heard for the group as they all take a bow, though no one notices alicorn that has a tear coming out of her eye. Thankful that she is facing down and away from Flash as they both compose themselves. Twilight can’t remember the last time she did dance, and for that matter the last time it was with another pony… seeing as the only time that comes to mind was when she went through the mirror. The crowd starts to disperse while the small band puts their instruments away for the time being. All the while the princess and her guard walk farther in to the park, each on not quite ready to call it a night.

Not just yet.

The sounds of the insects in the grass making their nocturnal chirps and the steady sound of water running through the rocks along the bank of the creek is heard as Twilight and Flash walk up to the bridge that spans it. Stepping up on to the wood structure, they stop in the middle and lean themselves on the railing, looking down in the water at their reflections.

“So… I have to say I was rather surprised you went and did that back there,” Flash says to her to try and break the silence with them while watching the reflection and not the mare herself.

“I think I’ll blame the caffeine rush…” she giggles, getting the same response out of him “…though it felt right at the time, hope it wasn’t too awkward?”

“Oh no, by all means feel free to go and do it again sometime,” Flash tells her.

Twilight looks back down to the water after seeing the sincere look on his face. The lovely princess right before him, in the night time light, is even more stunning then Flash could have imagined possible for one mare. She really is more than she lets on… Twilight is not just the smart type, but she is sweet and caring. Compassionate about what she does in her work, and willing to go the extra mile. Tender when it comes to the feelings of others, and a pony that Flash is ready to be around with more than he would have admitted to himself not too long ago.

‘She’s…perfect…’ he reminds himself, seeing the soft expression on her face. The princess is thinking deeply on whatever is poking and prodding her mind. ‘She has the right to know…’ Flash tells himself.

‘This night has been just so flawless… everything…’ the princess talks to herself in her head, ‘now… now I’ll do it.’

‘It’s now…’

‘…Or never.’

“Umm… Princess Twilight,” Flash says to her, waiting for the mare to look his way, “I have something I should tell you.”

“I do to, Flash…” she puts a hoof over her chest to try and feel her heart rate speed up at the subject alone, “but by all means you first, I insist,” she stalls to buy herself a little more time to prepare herself.

“Well, ah… if you say so,” he scratches the back of his head, trying to work up the courage in his gut to say something to the princess in front of him right now. “What was the last thing you remember the other night while you were, well, drunk?”

“Hmm…” Twi tries to recall the fuzzy memory in the back of her head, “I would say, you carrying me up to my bed room, why? what about it?”

Flash takes a deep breath as he complies his thoughts to fill her in, “I walked you in to your room and got your bed ready for you. Considering you weren’t in any condition to do it yourself… though when I turned around you were out on the balcony, looking outside…” he tells her, slowly in Twilight’s mind a picture is being painted for her. Though it’s one that is coming back to her more than being created from thin air.

‘I do remember the night, at least that much,’ she ponders while listening intently on what he has more to say on.

“…I stepped out there to find out if anything was wrong, and that’s when you told me-” he stops midsentence.

“What?” Twi asks, her own eyes opening wide while she wonders what exactly she told Flash, “What is it that I said?”

“Everything, Princess Twilight…” he answers her, knowing full well that just that would answer the mare. Yet Sentry is compelled to tell her exactly what was said to him, “you told me about going in to the mirror and running in to the other me, and while there you started to get some feelings for the Flash, in that other world…” he lets that sink in for a second or two, “and when you came back here you told me that you found the Flash in that world, was me in this one, sense than your feelings only grew for me to the point that as you said. It isn’t something as simple as a crush anymore… I asked you if you were telling the truth about the whole matter, seeing as I know how alcohol can effect a pony… and you were sincere in your answer, it was the truth.”

Twilight’s face drops nearly to the ground as she hears this all from him, ‘never will I drink around him, or at least that much, so long as I live,’ she makes a promise.

Sure, she had planned on telling Flash what she truly felt for him, though Twi never intended on doing so quite like this. It’s nearly a hoof to the face the more she thinks about it now, she has been stressing about today and opening up to the colt… when he already knows the details. Then again, a single question comes to mind, “Why?” she asks him while red in the face still from the bomb shell that was just dropped on her, “why did you wait till now, to tell me this?”

“How could I ever?” Flash raises the question, “You being the princess… me a guard, your guard… not really the easiest pony to come up to and pour your heart to. No matter how approachable you may be.”

Twilight adds a check to Cadance’s score board as she was right on that note, still wondering one thing. ‘There does feel like there was more…’ She concludes, even after hearing the outburst she had while drunk. The princess still knows there is something else, “After I told you… everything… what else happened?” her piercing eyes narrow their field to the guard standing there. They may feel like daggers to him, but even she holds no malice towards the guard at the moment.

Although he isn’t too proud of his actions with the princess while she was inebriated at the time, Flash still manages to come clean to her in the end, “... I kissed you,” he looks off to the side nearly in shame of saying it. Though he isn’t quite paying attention to the look on Twilight’s face at the moment, as he tries to explain his mindset at the time, “I kissed you, Twilight… it was a heat of the moment and to be honest right now. I have wanted to for quite a while.

“Ever sense I met you back in the Crystal Empire, I wanted to be closer to you, but I couldn’t bring myself to say anything. No matter how much I may have wanted to admit what I thought and felt for a mare like yourself, I couldn’t do it. You’re smart, talented, loving and kind. A great friend to those that you’re around and undoubtedly a natural leader when it comes down to it,” he takes another breath.

“Though at the same time you’re tender and sweet, almost like a mother… when I asked you if you were telling the truth the other night, after you answered, I couldn’t help but give it a shot,” Flash lowers his head down, never seeing the mare’s face in front of him after what he has been saying about her only makes Twilight have the same shaking feeling in her legs like she would get with him from before.

“However, the more I thought about it, the more I feel guilty about making that move, not in that condition, not like-” Flash say another word as he feels is the helmet that is still on him from earlier lift slowly off the top of his head from a pair of gentle hooves as Sentry looks up and sees the bashful face of the pony he loves.

Standing there with several tears in her eyes already and almost having to bit her lower lip to stop herself from whimpering, Twilight brings a single hoof over his mouth when it looks like he is about to say something, as she sets the helmet down with the other. Taking the same hoof and putting it around his neck. Twi pauses for just a moment, before she looks at him in the eyes to make sure she has his full attention, “Flash?”

“Y-yes Twilight?” he stutters at first while he wonders where the mare is headed.

“Just shut up, will you…” the mare leans in and is the first to plant a sweet tender kiss on his lips.

Lighting up parts of his brain that he didn’t even know that he had. Flash leans down in to the shorter mare, putting his own hooves around her as they embrace one another in momentary silence while the rest of Equestria seems to slip away. Taking in the moment, all thoughts stop as they feel the warm pressing of their lips to one another’s, even the occasional breath of air that is shared between them at the contact, hits all the right nerves in both their minds.

Twilight was afraid to make this move, yet when she is the first to do it, it just makes it all so much easier as the pieces of truth fall in to place and take the wheel in her mind. Driving to what she has wanted for so long, but was too afraid to go for. Not holding herself back as much as she thought she would have at first, Twi even manages to slide him on up to the railing of the bridge as both their tongues start to intertwine with one another. Feeling the light moans from the princess in response is something that Flash would have not ever imagined coming from her.

At least not without a good amount of alcohol in her system like the day before.

All of this feels just right to him, as he willingly lets her guide him up to the railing and holds Twilight ever closer. Pressing her soft warm body against the armor that he is still clad in. Feeling the radiant heat from the excited mare with him against even the cold metal. His hooves happily wrapping up in her mane while her own are running their way through the pair of wings of the colt as they extend around her without even his control and keep the mare warm under the moon light.

Their first kiss to one another, in sobriety, is one for the record as they slowly part lips. Feeling a final gasp escaping from her mouth, as Flash feels it brush by his muzzle. Looking to the sweet mare, which stays so close to him even after the kiss has ended, and the sincere smile across her face is a welcome sight at the moment.

“Now it’s my turn to say something, Flash…” Twilight goes on, still wanting to say her piece. Even if the previous action from her probably told him all he needs to know, “everything I told you, no matter how trashed I may have been. It was all the truth, just like you, I couldn’t have brought myself to say it to you in another circumstance, because I am just too shy to admit something of that sort,” Twi takes his fore hooves in her own, holding them closer to her chest, “Flash, you are a great guard… everything I could have asked for in one and so much more. But you are an even better colt. I wish I had brought myself to say this earlier, but I like you Flash… oh who am I kidding,” the alicorn starts to shake her head so she can get to the truth of the matter, “I more than just like you… and if you truly feel the same way, I do hope that you can forgive me for waiting this long to say something to you…” she trails off looking to the side of her with those wonderful, big lavender eyes of hers.

Flash can’t help but chuckle at the avowal from the princess, holding her hooves even tighter in his own grasp, “this really is how I feel, Twilight Sparkle. And I will so long as you can do the same with me, and forgive me for kissing you while you were drunk,” he tags that last bit on, still not proud of himself for that move.

“Oh trust me Flash, if you didn’t do it I probably would have had too much to drink and ended up throwing myself at you at some point,” she laughs at that with him, considering that more than likely she would have, given time, “though I do ask that we take it slow?” she sees the ears on his head perk up at her saying that as they walk off the bridge together and down through the park, “like I told you. I’ve never had a Coltfriend before… and don’t really want to rush things.”

“I think I of all ponies can respect that. After all I’ve never dated before either, let alone a princess. We can take it as slowly as you like,” he says softly to the young mare walking next to him in the night, “Besides, we waited this long, what is a little longer?” She starts to snicker for a second, but that quickly fades to a true grin when he puts a wing around her and pulls Twi in closer to him.

“Thank you, Flash” she leans up and kisses him on the cheek harmoniously.

It’s a nice feeling having Flash this close to her. Considering all that was said, it’s not nearly as odd for them as they originally thought it was going to be at first. Then again considering they are on the same page with one another, needless to say, they are more comfortable with this then they could have imagined. Taking their time to walk back to the house in the cool crisp night, the pair savors the moment. For Twilights first kiss, one she can remember at least, it certainly was a meaningful one… and considering who it was with. She has nothing to complain about at the moment as the time seems to pass them by all too slowly right now.

Though neither of them see the figure out in the back ground behind them, watching, waiting, for the right moment. A single fang being licked with a tongue in the darkness as it trails over the hole left from his missing one, the Swiss cheese like legs and wings adorning his body as he watches over the couple. Following his orders to not kill, but only to injure the pretty little princess. Though it is his choice when to do so, and considering she has a guard with her all the time, she’ll have to be out in a setting where he can use the shadows more to his advantage then out in an open field like right now.

“Soon, Princess Twilight, soon your time will come,” he snarls.

Leaping down from the tree that he used as his perch and on to the ground, midflight he uses his powers to change in to his disguise. To any pony looking now, it just looks like that Sunflower landed out of a tree in the middle of the park and darted off in to the night.

____________________________

Flash opens the door for them both as they step in to the house. After a long day of being out, it’s nice to come back to a warm, and a comfy bed. It doesn’t take them long to settle themselves in and brush up for the night. The effects of the coffee finally wearing off as they come out of their little rush and back down to Equestria. Flash takes off his armor in his own room, and props his weapon off next to his bed for quick access if need be. While Twilight makes sure that her royal crown and sippers are where she left them earlier. Both of their doors are open, allowing them to see each other in passing glances and the split second smiles as the events of the night have just taken them by surprise.

Much was said as it needed to be said, and in the end the night, it turned out for the better. Considering that the subject they had to deal with. Both almost sure that it is all a dream and they’ll wake up tomorrow like any old day. Though tomorrow is sure not to be a normal day, as Twilight is about to pull her bed sheets back and crawl in. She instead gets a scroll out of thin air as it drops in to her hooves.

“Celestia?” Twilight says out loud, wondering what it could be. After reading over the first few line though, it’s apparent that this concerns both her and her guard, “Flash… you should come read this,” she calls out to him.

The young Pegasus guard comes in to the room, and can see the off look on her face, “Yes, what is it?”

“It seems that the Canterlot examination of our changeling friend has got something for us…” Twilight gives him a little insight as she starts to read the letter aloud,

“Dear Twilight,

I wish to inform you that the exam of the changeling found at your home yielded rather… interesting results. I will need to see both of you tomorrow as soon as possible so you can be filled in on what is going on, and what I have in store for this matter. Get a good night’s rest now, and I will see you in the morning.

Your teacher,

Princess Celestia”

Twilight finishes off reading while they both look the letter a few more times together, just to make sure they didn’t miss anything.

“Well we have a trip for us tomorrow now…” Flash states the obvious, “What do you think they found?”

“I’m not sure, Flash, though I don’t like the sound of it so far,” Twilight almost starts to cringe, “then again it could just be something simple with nothing to worry about.”

“In either case though, we probably should do as Celestia says and get some rest for now,” Flash bows to her respectfully, “Goodnight, Twilight” he says to her softly, “I’ll see you in the morning,” he starts to back out of her room.

Though that’s when he hears a little whistle behind him, turning around to see Twilight standing there with a grin and an eye brow raised. Using her magic, Twi lifts the sheets up on both sides of her bed and fluffs both sets of pillows that rest there, it doesn’t take long for it to click in his head what the princess right across from him is getting at.

“…Are you sure?” he asks her, just to cover his rump while mulling his hoof over on the ground.

“Well…” she tries to play it off. When in reality Twi has thought about sleeping with him on many a lonely night, and is now forcing herself not to drag him in bed, “…it’s not like we’re doing anything? Just sleeping together.”

Flash takes this in to consideration for only a moment as he holds up a single hoof for her to give him a sec to be excused. Going back in to his bed room he stops by his bed and grabs the blade, seeing as his sleeping arrangements just got changed. Coming in to hers armed with the sword in its sheath. Flash looks back at the bed, where he finds Twilight already in, propped up on one hoof as she gladly holds the spot on the bed just for her guard to take it. The sight of seeing the lovely princess is almost enough to make him drop his own sword to begin with.

Though with the setting and all that was said earlier, it’s even more so, ‘and she is waiting for me…’ Flash mentally pinches himself as he props the blade against the nightstand and crawls in to the bed.

The princess folds up her wings and Twi curls herself up next to the guard, happy that she can finally hold him close in her hooves while she sleeps. It’s a reassuring feeling being able to have another next to her in the same bed. One that she has never gotten to have, other than those times when she would have a slumber party and the girls would come over. One would sleep in her bed with her on occasion sure, though it is nothing like this when compared to the colt that is mere inches from her, and even closer than that. Snuggling her head up to his neck, Flash wraps a protective wing around her and brings the warm mare in to his chest. A slight smile can be seen on her face as he does, squeezing her hooves around him a tad before they both start to drift off in to sleep with one another for the first time.