As night fell, an archaeological team of ponies, sent by Celestia, descended upon da Whinny's cavern. Every treasure in it was carefully examined by relevant experts and prepped for transport to a museum.

"Make sure you're cataloguing everything," Twilight was saying to a unicorn who was going through a chest of gold coins. "Are you cataloguing everything?"

"Yes, Your Highness," the unicorn replied dryly.

"You're using proper storage procedures, right?" Twilight continued. "Be careful! Those are historical treasures! We don't want to ruin any of them!"

"Twilight, let him do his job," Spike laughed.

"Princess Twilight!" Dr. Main Exhibit called from the other side of the cavern, where she was examining the collection of scrolls. Turning to go to her, Twilight accidentally bumped into Flash, who had been standing behind her. Both of them staggered slightly, looking up in surprise. Flash smiled and chuckled softly. "We really need to stop doing that."

"Yeah," Twilight said, trying to conceal her blush. She walked over to Dr. Exhibit, who was turning in the spot, her eyes wide in awe behind her spectacles.

"Your Highness, I can't believe you found this!" she said excitedly. "The knowledge that this will provide could fill entire libraries!"

"That's no doubt what da Whinny intended," Twilight replied. "He placed this so that other ponies would later find it."

"But however did you figure out where it was?"

Twilight glanced back at Flash, who gave nothing away. "Let's just say that I had some help from my friends."

"And the Mare Lisa?"

"I have it," Twilight said. "Rest assured, it will be returned to the museum where it belongs as soon as possible."

"Doctor, come look at this," one of the scientists shouted, calling Dr. Exhibit away. Twilight turned to Flash, who looked around at the other ponies, then tilted his head to the side a little, indicating for them to go out. Nodding, Twilight followed him up and out of the cavern and into the clearing. The night sky stretched above them, the stars offering a glittering backdrop to their private meeting.

The two ponies sat down next to each other, starlight glimmering in each other's eyes. Flash chuckled nervously, gathering his thoughts. Twilight blushed and looked down at the ground, her wingtips fluttering as a sign of her nervousness.

"Everything's changed now, hasn't it?" she whispered.

"Nothing's changed, Twilight," Flash said, smiling kindly as he took her hoof. "I'm still your Guard, and you're still my Princess."

Twilight smiled back, leaning into his shoulder. He wrapped a wing around her and pulled her close in a gesture that was both protective and loving. She returned the embrace herself.

"You know, it's funny," Flash said quietly, looking up at the starlit sky. "If you hadn't bumped into me that day at the Crystal Empire, this would never have happened. You think maybe that was fate?"

"Maybe," Twilight hummed thoughtfully. "Who can say? But I do know this: we have a great future ahead of us. You, me, and all of my friends."

A shooting star passed by overhead, briefly lighting up the sky. Twilight gasped in delight. "Quick, make a wish!"

"Don't have to," Flash said, turning to his Princess. She looked back at him, her lavender eyes shining even brighter than the moon above. "I love you, Twilight."

"I love you, too, Flash," Twilight said. She leaned forward slightly and kissed him again. He kissed her back, feeling as though there was nothing in the world, but him, Twilight, and the stars looking down in quiet approval.

This feeling was quickly replaced when he heard a quiet cough. Looking up, he saw Spike giving him a look over Twilight's shoulder. Spike pointed two of his claws at his eyes, then at him. Getting the message, Flash chuckled softly and winked at him. Spike relaxed his gaze and walked over to Twilight's other side. She enveloped him in her other wing, holding him close. The three friends sat together in silence, looking up at the stars like sailors charting the course of their future.

"So what happens now?" Phillip said, facing Daring in the middle of the living room of 221 B Boulevard, where the two had gathered for a final cider and debrief. "You go back to your cottage and turn this into a bestselling book, with all the names changed to protect our identities?"

"Yeah," Daring said with a small laugh. "Eh, what can I say? It's a living."

"Yeah. It's a living," Phil repeated, glancing around at the mostly bare room.

Daring paused, taking a sip from her shot glass to cover the awkward moment. "I gotta say, you've got a pretty good team here. Even the kid."

"He's better than he knows," Phil said. "Problem is, he spends too much time proving it." He paused. "They can be your team, too, you know," he added softly.

Daring turned away a little, her face falling slightly. "You know I'm not really good with teams," she murmured in an almost apologetic tone.

"Well, neither am I," Phil replied. "Maybe that can change?"

"Maybe," Daring said, now finding herself unable to meet his gaze. "One day."

There was another silence as both of them finished their drinks, the mood having been turned chilly and uncertain.

"Well..." Daring finally said, placing her shot glass on the coffee table next to the chessboard. "See you."

"Yeah." Phil stepped aside, watching Daring as she collected her pith helmet from the couch. Placing it atop her head, she turned and started towards the door.

She's leaving. Say something, you idiot.

Daring paused at the door, contemplating the brass doorknob. It blocked her path, seeming to almost glare at her, judging her for leaving him again. Without turning, she reached out and tentatively grasped it, feeling it's cold embrace. I'm leaving. Say something, you idiot.

"Wait," Phillip blurted, raising his hoof as if trying to pull her back. His heart hammered nervously in his chest. Daring had paused at the door, her hoof still on the knob, but Phillip felt like she was standing on the other side of a bottomless chasm, out of reach.

"I don't...I don't want you to leave," he stammered, instantly realizing how shallow that sounded. "I mean...you and I...we make a good team. We're, we're...good with each other and...I mean, I think we were more than teammates...I..."

He was babbling, stumbling over his words, his voice quivering as tears stung at his eyes. His brain had jammed, the gears grinding against one another as his voice slowed to a halt. He lowered his head, breathing heavily in exhaustion. Suddenly, one of the gears in his brain burst loose, and a phrase tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop it.

"I love you."

He cringed. The room fell silent, everything stopping like a paused film. Daring had gone completely still, her hoof still on the doorknob. Phillip turned away, tears now falling from his face. Great work, idiot. Now she's going to leave and you'll never see her again. Fantastic bloody job, you—

His thoughts were interrupted when something grabbed his face and pulled him around. He found himself looking into Daring's rosy red eyes, and was surprised to find that they were wet as well.

"I love you, too," she whispered and pulled him forward, pressing her lips against his. Phillip gasped softly, his body stiffening in surprise. Daring pressed a little further, tugging gently on his lower lip. A surge of energy traveled through Phillip's body, breaking his paralysis and releasing a cooling wave of pleasure. He closed his eyes and began to kiss her back, putting his foreleg around her neck and pulling her in. When the two finally pulled away an eternity later, they paused for a moment, both of them just gazing at each other as smiles played about their lips.

"I should've said something years ago," Phillip said, wiping at his still-wet eyes. "I should've realized—"

"Shhh," Daring hushed, touching his lips with her hoof. "It's all right, I should've been more forward. I was...I was just scared, I guess."

He let out a soft exhalation of a laugh. "Daring Do, adventurer extraordinaire, scared?"

"Hey, you were the one that didn't pick up on the little hints that I was dropping," Daring replied in an equally teasing tone, her eyes glittering with humor. "Some detective you are."

Phil couldn't think of a reply, so he just kissed her again. She pushed up against his lips, humming softly, and he yielded to her assault, allowing her to push him down onto the sofa with her on top. For a moment, the two of them just lay there, chuckling quietly and cuddling.

"Where do we go from here?" Phil asked.

"What do you mean?" Daring replied.

"Well, you're the one with the compass," Phil said, tapping her flank with his hoof, earning a soft yelp of surprise from the adventurer.

A cheeky grin spread across Daring's face, her eyes becoming half-lidded and sparkling like stardust. "Well...there is a cave that needs to be explored."

Phil chuckled. "Don't you have a book to write?"

"The book can wait," Daring purred, tossing her helmet aside and unzipping his vest. "Tonight, you're mine."

Above them, moonlight filtered through the windows, providing a gentle illumination for the two as they began their new adventure. The dawn would come, and they would part ways once more, but their paths were intertwined now. And right now, the night was theirs.

Author's Notes:

Well...that turned out pretty well for everypony.

Thanks again to Trickilee and Doccular42 for prereading! I hope you enjoyed this story! If you feel inclined, please feel free to drop a comment or a like!

(P.S. He's using condoms. Of course he is. What do you take me for?)