Dazed by an elbow strike to the nose, Flash Sentry barely saw the blow coming in time.

Turning, he raised both his forelegs and blocked the incoming kick aimed at his solar plexus. The leg was retracted too quickly for him to grab and he looked up in time to see a chop coming in towards his ribs. He deflected the incoming strike and countered with a punch to his attacker’s face. The other pony dodged, countering with a quick front kick to Flash’s groin. Scooping up the offending leg, Flash spun around and elbowed his opponent in the chest, receiving a satisfactory grunt of pain. He swept one of his legs back and swept his attacker’s supporting leg out from underneath himself, causing him to fall backwards. The other pony hit the ground and rolled backwards, out of Flash’s range.

Flash moved to press his attack, but his opponent did a backwards hoofspring out of danger. He paused, grunting in pain and clutching his shoulder. Flash closed in to finish him while he was vulnerable.

Suddenly, his opponent sprung into action, flinging a rock that he’d snatched up at Flash’s face. Flash ducked and his attacker leapt at him, blitzing him with a series of kicks. Flash tried to cover up against the attack, but was forced to fly away out of danger. He hovered in midair, panting. His enemy paced beneath him, glaring up at him.

Steeling himself, Flash shot downwards like a bullet from a gun, heading directly at his opponent. The other pony raised his guard. At the last second, Flash pulled aside, moving past his attacker as he pulled a weapon out of the back pocket of his armor. He flung the weapon out; the boomerang whirled loudly as it cut through the air, forcing his attacker to duck to avoid being hit in the face. Flash landed and ran back towards the opponent, rising up onto his hind legs and spinning around with a powerful kick. The attacker blocked Flash’s kick and prepared a counterstrike, but was distracted by the sound of the boomerang returning. He ducked to avoid the projectile and Flash seized his chance. Lunging forward, he seized his opponent by the shoulders and struck him hard in the gut with his knee, then dumped him on his back with a takedown, pinning him with a knee to the neck.

“Yield!” he shouted.

His downed foe glared up at him for a moment, then grinned. “Nice work,” he said.

Flash got up and helped his opponent stand. “Not bad for the rookie, right, Phil?”

“Don’t get cocky, you little ankle-biter,” Phillip smirked, pulling his trilby out from underneath his vest and putting it back on. “You are getting good at that boomerang, though.”

“I’ve been practicing,” Flash said, retrieving the boomerang—a Hearth’s Warming gift from Phillip—and putting it back in his pocket.

“You did a lot better this time than last,” Twilight observed from her position beneath one of Sweet Apple Acres apple trees. She scribbled down several notes in a journal with a quill. “You took fifteen hits, six of which were potentially disabling, and were knocked down three times, but managed to win with a takedown in…” She paused, glancing down at her stopwatch. “Nine minutes and twenty-seven seconds.”

“Twilight, do you really need to take all these notes about my performance?” Flash rolled his eyes as he and Phillip joined Twilight beneath the tree.

“I’m just trying to help you improve your combat ability,” Twilight said, using her magic to retrieve two canteens of water from the cooler next to her and handing one to both of the stallions. They chugged down the water gratefully.

“You’re improving as well,” Flash commented her, wiping sweat off his brow.

“I only landed seven blows and was pinned in three minutes and nine seconds,” Twilight protested.

“Well, you did better than your first time,” Flash chuckled. Phillip snorted. Twilight rolled her eyes.

“By the way, congrats on the promotion,” Phillip said.

Flash glanced down at the new silver pin on the collar of his armor. The three chevrons winked at him in the light of the midmorning sun.

“The test was definitely worth it,” Flash grinned. “But you know the best thing about the promotion?”

“What?” Phillip asked.

“Not having Twilight breathing down my neck about studying,” Flash grinned.

“Hey!” Twilight glared at Flash. Flash and Phillip both smirked and exchanged a hoofbump. The trio sat in silence for a few moments, enjoying the warmth of the sun-kissed warmth of the wind blowing through the apple trees. The leaves whispered as shivers ran through the brown, gold and green of the early fall foliage.

“I’m really glad that you were able to meet my parents last week,” Twilight said, pressing up against Flash’s side.

“They were really nice,” Flash said.

“And Shining Armor seemed to like you,” Twilight added.

“Yeah, he said that I was doing a great job so far,” Flash said. “He also said that if I hurt you in any way, he’d kill me, then dig me up, bring me back to life, and kill me again.”

Twilight laughed. “Yeah, that sounds like Shining Armor.” She paused, nestling up against Flash. “Now that I think about it, I’ve never met your parents.”

Flash put his wing around her. “That is a good point. I haven’t seen my mom in a while, and I bet she’d love to meet you.”

“What’s she like?” Phillip asked. “You told me she was a waitress.”

Flash smiled. “She’s a hard worker; did everything she could to put me through school and give me a good life. And she wasn’t afraid to kick my butt if I ever slacked off...in fact, I think I’ve still got her hoofprints on my flanks if you look carefully!” The trio shared a short laugh. “But she cared about everypony, unconditionally, and she never turned away anypony who needed her.” He sighed quietly. “She taught me a lot.”

“Sounds like she’s a great mare,” Phillip said quietly. Silence fell on the group once more.

Flash looked up at the sun, which was approaching the apex. “We should go back to the castle, Twilight. You’ve got work to do.”

The ponies got back to their hooves, Twilight collecting the cooler and the journal in her magic. Phillip nodded goodbye as he turned and started to head back to B Boulevard. Twilight and Flash both took flight, gliding to the Rainbow Castle. They alighted at the great doors and pushed them open, trotting down the crystalline hallways to the library. Laughter filtered through the doors. As they entered the grand room, Twilight and Flash saw Spike and Starlight Glimmer sitting around the central table, surrounded by several books on magic, chuckling heartily.

“—and the next thing Twilight knew, she was lying on the floor with a giant pineapple on her chest!” Spike was saying. Starlight howled with laughter at the story, banging her hoof on the table.

“Spike! I thought I told you not to tell anypony about that!” Twilight scolded, her face turning red.

“Oh, Twilight! You’re back!” Spike started, looking up at Twilight with an expression not unlike that of a foal caught with their hooves in the cookie jar.

“How’s your research going?” Twilight asked, looking over the notes that the two had made.

“Great!” Starlight said enthusiastically. “Sunburst sent a note with some theories on crystalline magic that he had found, and I was seeing if I could try them out." She bent over the table, examining a collection of small shards of purple-blue crystals, samples from the castle walls that she had been studying with Spike and Twilight's help for the past two weeks.

“I’ve got a collection of shards that have broken off in my room!” Spike said, hopping up off the chair and bustling out towards his room. “Oh, by the way, Flash, there’s a letter for you,” Spike added, gesturing to the envelope on the table.

“Thank you,” Flash said, retrieving the envelope. It was stamped with his name and address, and had the seal of the Royal Guard on it. As he tore open the envelope with his teeth, Flash frowned up at Starlight. Starlight gave him a cool look, then returned to the book that she was studying, choosing to ignore him.

Twilight noticed the exchange. “You know, I really wish that you’d give her a chance,” she hissed to Flash.

“You might be willing to overlook everything that she’s done, but I’m not,” Flash replied shortly. Tugging open the envelope, he quickly looked over the typewritten message within.

Then he reread it, more slowly. Then once more, his eyes slowly widening and his mouth dropping open.

“Flash?” Twilight said, noticing the change in demeanor.

Flash didn’t seem to hear her. He staggered out of the room, moving as slowly as a zombie, staring at the letter as if it was the only thing in the world. He exited the room and into the hallway. Dropping the letter onto the floor, he leaned against the wall, his chest heaving with breath. It wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real!

“Flash? What is it?” Twilight asked, following him outside. Looking up at Flash’s face, she was alarmed to see hot tears streaming down his face. “Flash, what’s wrong?”

“Twilight,” Spike said softly. He handed her the dropped letter, the collected shards of crystal lying forgotten on the floor. Twilight took the letter and read it slowly.

"Dear Sergeant Flash Sentry,

We regret to inform you that your mother, White Rose, has been killed. She was discovered dead one day before the dispatch of this letter. The Fillydelphia City Guard is currently investigating her death, but has no suspects at this time."

Twilight read the rest of the letter, but the words washed right over her. “Oh, Flash, I’m so sorry,” she started to say, hugging Flash.

“I have to go,” Flash said, pushing Twilight off himself. He hurried down the hallway to his quarters, pushing open the door with his shoulder. Throwing open the closet, he began to pull out any necessities he needed and pack them into his saddlebags.

Twilight and Spike ran up. “Flash, wait,” Twilight said, grabbing him by the shoulders and trying to stop him. “You’re overreacting. You need to—”

“Overreacting?!” Flash snapped. “Twilight, my mother has been murdered! I have to go to Fillydelphia!”

“The Fillydelphia City Guard will take care of—”

“No!” Flash shouted, pushing Twilight off. “It’s my duty, as her son and as an Investigator of the Royal Guard, to find her killer!” Taking his sword out of his sheath, he held it up to the sunlight streaming through the window to check the blade’s sharpness, then sheathed it again and strapped it to his side. The next moment, he suddenly found himself being lifted off the floor by a field of purple magic.

“Flash, stop,” Twilight ordered, turning Flash around to face her.

“Put me down,” Flash growled.

“You can’t go to Fillydelphia,” Twilight said sternly. “Your duty is here, at my side, as my bodyguard.”

Flash glared at her for several seconds of seething silence. Twilight looked coolly back at him. Spike nervously looked in between the two of them.

“I can easily leave that position,” Flash finally said coldly.

Twilight flinched, her eyes widening in shock. Flash winced, instantly regretting what he said.

“All right, all right, calm down,” Spike said, cutting in between them. “How about this? We all go to Fillydelphia. Then he can investigate while protecting you.”

Twilight and Flash looked at Spike, then at each other. Slowly, they both nodded. “That seems fair,” Twilight said, letting Flash down.

“I’ll...I’ll finish packing,” Flash said, turning back to his bags.

“So will I,” Twilight said, turning and heading for her quarters.

“I’ll come too,” Spike added, already turning to leave. “I’ll tell Starlight what’s going on, then go get Phillip. We’ll meet you at the train station.”

“Okay,” Flash said. He put a few more essentials into his bags and swung them onto his shoulders, strapping them on tight. He started to turn to leave, but something caught his eye: a photograph on the nightstand. He grabbed the framed picture and held it up to examine it.

It was a picture of himself, clad in a sky blue gown and mortarboard, proudly clutching a Manehattan University diploma and grinning at the camera with a smile fit to split his face open. An older mare was by his side. She had a silvery coat and pinkish-white mane, both of which were graying with age. Her kind, crinkled face was split in a proud smile, tears leaking from her shining pale red eyes. Her cutie mark was a white rose set on a pink cloud. She was pressed up against Flash’s side, his wing draped over her side.

Flash stared at the picture for several seconds. A few tears slowly leaked out of his eyes and fell, staining his mother’s face. Wiping at his face, he tucked the photograph into his bags. Taking his helmet, he strapped it on and walked out of the room.

Twilight walked up to him, a pair of saddlebags at her sides. “Are you ready?” she asked.

“I’m ready,” Flash said, looking straight ahead in hopes that she wouldn’t see that he’d been crying.

“Are you sure?” Twilight asked.

“I’m sure,” Flash grunted, stomping down the hallway. “Come on. The train to Fillydelphia will be leaving soon.” He trotted down to the door, Twilight following close behind.

“Flash,” a voice called behind him. Turning, he saw Starlight hovering at the doorway to the library, shifting nervously from hoof to hoof.

“I hope you catch whoever did this,” she said to the wall next to Flash.

Flash blinked. “Thanks,” he said slowly. Turning, he walked to the door and pushed it open for Twilight. The two took the sky and flew off towards the train station.

They touched down minutes later at the platform. Phillip was already waiting for them, Spike sitting atop his shoulders. Spike looked up nervously at the other two ponies as they approached.

“You okay, Flash?” Phillip asked quietly.

“I’m fine,” Flash grunted, turning to stare straight ahead. Phillip looked at him for a moment longer, raising his hoof off the ground slightly as if tempted to reach out to Flash, but he put it down and turned away. Twilight placed herself next to Flash.

Twenty minutes of silence later, the train that would take them to Fillydelphia pulled into the station with a hissing and squealing of brakes. The group boarded and took a compartment, the silence following them inside. With a jerk, the train pulled away from the station and started on its journey northward.

Author's Notes:

The Fillydelphia Solution is a story that I've been looking forward to doing for a long time now, for one simple reason:

This is not a story about solving the murder of a mare.

This is a story about a city. This is a story about corruption.

This is a story about family.