"SO, THAT'S WHAT A MODERN-DAY EQUESTRIAN LEADER LOOKS LIKE, EH?"

"In all fairness, Father, Princess Twilight is usually far more professional than that. She just...gets excited sometimes. Especially about anything concerning my sister," Luna explained.

"SO I GATHERED. I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER ENCOUNTERED A PONY WHO WAS THAT ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT FINDING OUT MORE ABOUT HER."

Luna shrugged. "Well, she was her student and mentor for much of her life. It's hardly surprising."

Flash nodded in agreement before looking to Solaris. "I trust you were able to answer her questions?"

"AS WELL AS I COULD. THOUGH I ADMIT I STUMBLED ON THINGS I'M STILL NOT UP-TO-DATE ON."

Discord raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Like what?"

"LIKE THESE WONDERBOLT PONIES I HEARD HER MENTION."

"Why would the princess ask about them?" Flash enquired. "Surely she knows they weren't around in your time?"

"OH, SHE DID. SHE WAS JUST CURIOUS IF I HAD SOMETHING SIMILAR IN MY DAY. WHICH I CAN SAFELY SAY THAT I DID NOT. BUT REGARDLESS, WHO ARE THEY AND WHY ARE THEY SUCH A BIG DEAL?"

Stepping forward, Flash cleared his throat, ready to get back into his job. "Well, Sir, it all began a thousand years ago, back when...er..." He stopped, glancing nervously to Luna, before making sure to phrase his response appropriately. "It was during a time when the nation had gone through a...difficult time."

Luna sighed. "He refers to my exile, Father."

Flash winced, afraid he'd offended her, but a quick look of reassurance from the princess told him otherwise, allowing him to continue. "Yes...basically, since Equestria only had one princess left to defend it, it was decided that a new, supplementary defence force needed to be established. Enter the Wonderbolts, a collection of ponykind's greatest fliers. They were brought together and quickly established themselves as an effective quick-response against whatever dangers reared their ugly heads in those early years of Celestia's time as sole ruler."

"I SEE," Solaris responded, clearly intrigued. "AND DO THEY STILL SERVE AS ABLY TODAY?"

Flash considered that before giving a shrug of his own. "Actually, Sir, it would be a stretch to say that they do. Equestria has been through such a long period of uninterrupted peace in the latter part of Celestia's reign that the Wonderbolts have just had less and less reason to do any fighting. These days they simply style themselves as a group of renowned aerial acrobats, flying higher, faster and more capably than any other pegasi."

"SO THEY'RE ONLY THERE FOR SHOW? THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING USEFUL?"

Discord snorted. "Not if their more recent efforts at being heroes are any indication. Just ask our dear Spike."

"I wouldn't say that, exactly," Flash remarked, making sure to narrow his eyes to the draconequus before resuming his answer to Solaris. "Many a pegasi colt and filly have grown up with stories about them, often dreaming about maybe joining their ranks. They're a group that inspires young fliers, and inspiration can be pretty good in and of itself."

"WERE YOU SUCH A COLT, SENTRY?"

Flash bore a nostalgic smile as he answered. "I confess, I was. Standard story, me going with my parents to a Wonderbolts show, then obsessing over joining up once I was old enough." Another shrug from him. "But, when the entry tests came along, I guess I just didn't make the cut."

Discord chuckled. "Oh dear, so being in the Guard was your second choice? How disappointing for you."

Flash frowned to him. "I wouldn't trade my career here in Canterlot for anything. I've done good in the Guard and I'm happy with how my life turned out. As hard as this may be to grasp, Discord, few childhood dreams ever become the reality those children want. We feel the disappointment, and we move on. To linger wouldn't do anypony any good at all."

Luna nodded firmly. "Well said, Sir Sentry."

Discord, clearly irritated at not being able to give similar annoyance to Flash, just grumbled to himself for a bit, leaving the floor open for Solaris. "ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN TELL ME ABOUT THEM?"

Flash paused, scratching the side of his head for a moment before finally speaking. "Um...they all have blue uniforms?"

"GOOD TO KNOW. HENCEFORTH I SHALL CALL THEM THE BLUEBERRIES."

"...Why?" his custodian asked.

"BECAUSE IT'S HILARIOUS TO ME TO DO SO."

"Alright then, Sir," Flash answered, clearly just going along with it, much to Luna's amusement.

"YOUR DESCRIPTION OF THEM INTRIGUES ME. IF THEY ARE HEROES TO THE NATION, LET'S NOT HAVE THEM REST ON THEIR REPUTATION, SHALL WE? DAUGHTER, SOME PARCHMENT AND QUILL, IF YOU WOULD."

Luna sighed, looking like she knew where this was going, and after igniting her horn she did indeed conjure up the requested items, hovering them in front of her before looking up to have father's bony face. "Ready when you are."

"AHEM...TO THE DISTINGUISHED LEADER OF THE WONDERBOLTS. I, KING SOLARIS, ONE-TIME RULER OF EQUESTRIA, DO HEREBY GIVE UNTO YOU A SACRED QUEST. YOU AND YOUR BEST PEGASI ARE TO SALLY FORTH AND RETRIEVE THE GOLDEN EGG OF A ROC. DO NOT ASK FOR THE REASON, AND KNOW ONLY THAT EQUESTRIA WILL MARVEL AT YOUR COURAGE AND ABILITY SHOULD YOU SUCCEED."

Luna looked to him sceptically. "Anything else? Maybe snatch a precious gem from the biggest, angriest dragon in the world while they're at it?"

"NO, THE EGG WILL DO FOR NOW," Solaris replied, recognising her sarcasm instantly.

Shaking her head, Luna lit up her horn, causing the parchment to be teleported away, presumably to the Wonderbolt leader, all while Flash looked on with understandable confusion. "Er...what?"

Luna looked to him softly. "Oh, don't mind him. My Father just liked to do this sometimes. Find ponies who have big, important reputations and see if they're worth it. Setting them off on dangerous quests and such."

"IF ONE IS REGARDED AS A HERO, THEY SHOULD JOLLY-WELL SHOW IT. IF THESE WONDERBOLTS FAIL, AS YOUR REPORTS OF THEIR RECENT LACKLUSTRE PERFORMANCE SUGGESTS THEY MIGHT, THEN AT THE VERY LEAST IT MIGHT MAKE THEM REALISE THAT THEY NEED TO UP THEIR GAME."

Flash looked uncertain about that, but before he had a chance to speak up about it, all were surprised to find another small teleportation spell right in the middle of them, wherein another roll of parchment appeared. Taking hold of it in her own magic, Luna opened it and lightly skimmed it, after which she developed a rather satisfied look about herself. "Well...seems they succeeded."

"...WHAT?"

"The Wonderbolts," Luna explained. "Seems they went out as you requested and actually acquired the egg. They'll be sending it over later today."

"HOLD UP, I THOUGHT YOU SAID THEY HAVEN'T BEEN SUCCESSFUL AT ANYTHING LATELY?"

Flash started to look a bit embarrassed. "Oh. Right. Yeah, I should probably have mentioned that one of their members is Rainbow Dash, one of Princess Twilight's friends who helped her save Equestria. So...yeah, they're probably more capable these days."

"...NEXT TIME, TELL ME THAT BEFORE I SEND PONIES ON SURE-TO-FAIL TASKS."

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