Canterlot [Army Ball - PRIVATE] A Flash of Light (Bellosh101 & SteelEagle)

[Bellosh]

Despite a rocky start to the evening’s proceedings, an evening that required a hasty purchase of proper dance attire for a Royal Equestrian Army stallion, Pvt. Flash Sentry rather enjoyed himself at the first of what would become annual balls held in honor of the REA. The light orange pegasus managed to meet a few new acquaintances stationed in units other than his own, which was always nice. Flash even got in a little fun dancing here and there; something he hadn’t been to do since he first enlisted. All in all, this had been a pretty good night for the young stallion.

Eventually though, the time came for Flash Sentry to depart the ballroom and make his way back to his Canterlot hotel room for sleep. Eschewing the crowded front entrance area, the guard thought to leave through a secluded back entrance through the castle gardens. Not that Flash minded large crowds, but in this particular instance, he felt too burnt out to try making his way through them. Thus, the private opted to take the path less traveled by.

The smell of countless exotic flowers filling the air, Pvt. Sentry paused for a moment to gaze into a moonlit pool to make sure his green service jacket and peaked cap were still in good order. Affirming that they were, Flash looked upon his surroundings and surmised that whoever took care of all these plants was certainly a skilled gardener, for Flash really felt tempted to eat some of the flowers right now. For the time being however, the stallion stood there confident in the belief that nopony would bump into him out here.....

[SteelEagle]

Twilight had been invited to the Army Ball, though of all ponies she was probably the one that would have gone anyway. It was important for many reasons. Not only was her brother perhaps the pony of the hour, the captain of the guard the center of festivities in many ways, but it was also one of her first functions as a princess that she was going to attend in something approaching an official capacity. Some nervousness was accorded to her, butterflies clouding her works a little but nothing out of the ordinary. As long as she could maintain her secrecy from Shining Armor until she was called upon to roast him, then everything would be fine. She had prepared a few jokes about her big brother that were sure to be big hits, and they only required several dozen rewrites each. Efficiency!

But in order for everything to work out just right, she had to keep her presence a secret just long enough. Luckily, she hadn't ruled Equestria for a thousand years and after her coronation had kept a low profile in her low profile town. Many would recognize her in royal garb, or if they saw her cutie mark. A simpler teal dress that covered her wings and her cutie mark as well as everything else suited her was the choice, and a good one at that. Of course it wouldn't last long under inspection and she had no doubt that within moments of her making an appearance rumors would spread. But luckily she had other cards up her sleeve. Utilizing her Royal Rights as well as the help of a tight-lipped attendant, she found the gardens. When the time came for her to make her appearance at the roast, she would be fetched. Until then she could simply relax in the wonderful scenery and take in the most delicate of exotic aromas.

Relaxation didn't suit her however, and her mind quickly wandered to the fifty different tasks she was juggling. Official correspondences, arranging for international trips, fundamental alterations to Equestrian education and the tax system just to name a few of the many tasks that she jumped on eagerly, taking them from other Royals or their teams who were all too happy to let Twilight tackle the more insidious tasks. So she trotted about, keeping her dress in good order by not sitting, and paying no heed to her surroundings. She didn't hear Flash enter, she didn't see him, and when she bumped into him, she most assuredly didn't expect it!

[Bellosh]

As if a cluster of gods fumed over Flash Sentry’s insolent thoughts, one would get the impression that they decided to crash a young lavender alicorn into the light orange stallion as punishment. Not that these gods actually existed, but the fact remained that Pvt. Sentry found himself in an all too familiar predicament; being bumped into by Equestria’s newest princess. Flash showed great surprise when he turned around and saw Twilight Sparkle; he hadn’t been aware that the mare would be in Canterlot tonight.

If this encounter had taken place about thirty minutes ago, Pvt. Sentry wouldn’t have hesitated in requesting to share a dance with Princess Twilight. It was no secret that Flash admired the freshly minted alicorn for all her accomplishments thus far, and the stallion had extremely high faith that Twi would go on to even better things. The guard also admitted that the royal mare looked pretty cute too... but then again, Flash thought the same of a few other mares he saw back on the dance floor. Regardless, he would under normal circumstance have tried at least to know better the princess who kept bumping into him back in the Crystal Empire... and just now in the castle garden.

But now wasn’t a good time for Pvt. Sentry. The young stallion was pooped from dancing, and didn’t have much energy left in him for sustained conversation. As unfortunate as it sounded to him, Flash guessed that any chit-chat with Twilight would have to be short and sweet before he ventured back to his hotel. But first things first, a humorous apology; “You know, maybe I shouldn’t stand out in the open like this all the time.” Flash thought he could have made a better joke than that lame piece of garbage just now, but his exhausted smile did its best not to show it.....

[SteelEagle]

Twilight seemed to be a pony with latent magnetic properties who attracted to herself the various guard ponies of the REA. It couldn't be mere coincidence that over her short time as Princess she had bumped into or otherwise ran into a veritable company of them. Sure, her new found position meant she was often in the space of a few loyal guardponies who did their jobs sometimes entirely too well. She wasn't a pony who did well with crowding and she certainly didnm't like having to pass her schedule by a guardpony when she just wanted to leave and go to a diner. Still, it made sense that she would run to them then when they crowded her. Now, however, it made less sense.

It wasn't the first time she had run into Flash Sentry, in this world or the other. Counting Equestria aone it was three times, which was three times more than she was ready to admit was coincidence. She would admit to having had a bit of a crush on him at first, though whether that had to do with Flash himself or some sort os residual from her stay in the other world and the hormonal imbalances that caused was a subject she had kept private and had decided was better left unresearched. For once, she was fine not knowing something. Still, she had kept abreast of his tour in the Crystal Empire for a short while as friendship was magical and she was always looking for new ones. She had lost track after some time and so it had ended to her, a pleasant end to a pleasant situation. Today wouldn't change that.

"And I need to look at where I'm going!" Twilight responded chirpily, her own bad joke intermingling with his own bad joke in a terrifying display of poor humor. She allowed it to settle for a second before awkwardly continuing.

"So, how is the ball so far? I've had to keep my presence a secret, so Ihaven't been able to enjoy any of it. Just here in the garden, which has at least given me the chance to do some work!"

[Bellosh]

Flash Sentry politely laughed at Princess Twilight’s own lame joke, if only to keep the awkwardness at bay. Not just because Pvt. Sentry was a nice guy overall, but also owing to the realization that the two would be encountering a lot more of each other in the months ahead. If Flash and Twilight won’t get to know each other socially, then there was always a chance they’d have to work together professionally. No matter what happened, Flash had good reasons to make sure their relationship remained friendly and cordial.

According to Twilight, her presence tonight was supposed to be a surprise. The orange pegasus looked a little downcast as she explained that, since he himself was too pooped to remain. Evidently, he would have to miss out on the ultimate reason why the princess dropped by the ball. However, the stallion made a show of not showing any disappointment and exhaustion as he answered Twi’s question; “I had a good time dancing at the dance tonight… a little bit too good of a time, apparently. I’m exhausted, and I was actually heading back to my hotel when… we ran into each other.”

Rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment, there was one other thing Flash Sentry wanted to comment about; “I guess you’re here for your brother’s roast, Twilig- I mean Princess Twilight?” Once he re-remembered his proper etiquette, the stallion continued even if he started to sound a little bit more weary; “Sorry I’m too tired to see it tonight.....”

[SteelEagle]

Twilight had to remind herself that she was now a Princess and one of unique standing- not a pony of immaterial legend like Celestia or of myth like Luna, nor even a Princess of lighter caliber like Cadence. She was a Princess of unknown quality in land where such royalty was revered to the nth degree, and she was dealing with a pony sworn to protect her. There was boundless texts on etiquette regarding the working relationship between Royalty and the Guards and she had read them, understood them, understood why Flash was trying to regain himself after their perhaps too familiar greeting. But she didn't agree with it and didn't see why they couldn't just act here, of all places in the land, like two simple ponies.

"Yes, I'm here for the roast. I've prepared some really good jokes, too!" She levitated some cards out of her saddlebag, laying them put in front of her.

"My brother was always one of the nicest and most dependable colts growing up. Even now I doubt you'll find a more loyal and caring friend, guard, brother, husband, and some day, father. But we all make mistakes!..." Twilight stopped, "...wait a minute, did I forget to actually write the jokes down?! I knew i should have made more time for the meeting with Pinkie! ARRGGGHHH!" The cards blew everywhere in a magical burst of frustration, "Pinkie Pie is going to be so upset that I didn't get to use her jokes," She sighed, rubbing her head, "Now I'll have to resort to plan D, baby pictures. Hopefully mom and dad won't mind," She rustled her saddlebag impishly, not ready to reveal that just yet. "low caliber of humor but nothing else has worked," She shrugged, smiling as she considered the guard. Well, at least he had been entertained by the dance. She had never been one for ballroom dancing, as the few times she had 'boogied' in public she had become the center of attention for all the wrong reasons. No rhythm, which also made it awkward because she loved doing it!

"Danced a lot, I take it? Who were the lucky ponies that tired one of Equestria's finest so much?"

[Bellosh]

It felt really odd for Flash Sentry to experience a side of Twilight Sparkle that nopony hardly ever gets to see; the side that makes common everyday mistakes like not planning enough time for jokes and embarrassing an older brother with baby pictures. On the other hoof though, Flash appreciated the reminder that even one so mighty as a princess can still very much be well… equine too, and thus relatable. He would have asked though if Twilight needed help getting her flashcards picked up off the ground, but common sense swiftly chastised the light orange pegasus for forgetting that Twi could easily recover them using levitation. Instead, he merely commented; “Well, just as long as your parents don’t need Prince- errr… Captain- dah, I mean Prince Armor’s baby pictures for themselves, you’ll do fine out there.” Hopefully, his smile would do a better job at reassurance.

Shortly after, Princess Twilight decided to debrief Pvt. Sentry on his dancing partners. “Ha ha…” he weakly chuckled as he scratched the back of his neck; “Well, there was this one mare I spent quite a bit of time dancing with. Her name’s Radiant Steel, and she’s… a very dedicated servicepony. I think you’d like her.” As a blush formed on his cheeks, Flash recalled how he had fun back inside with Radiant, and how he’d at least consider a further friendship with PFC Steel.....

[SteelEagle]

Hopefully they wouldn't need the pictures. She was sure that her mother had as many ideas for them as she for jokes with them, at the very least as part of yet another scrapbook in an endless pile of them that defined that term literally. But worst case scenario she would just make her brother blush and all would be well. Too bad that Flash seemed a bit hung up on the title- it made sense though, seeing as he was both. Most Guards seemed to have taken his rank instead of his title but Flash showed a bit more hesitation and settled on the title. Well, he was normally stationed in the Crystal Empire, where she supposed the way they thought of Shining Armor was defined more by him being a Prince than being a Captain of the Guard. They had to ensure his safety, after all.

"Probably not, though if she notices that I took these pictures without, uhh, asking, she might be a bit more upset," She laughed, shaking her hood as she ran over the somewhat sneaky methods she had used to get them, "but in the end I suppose it doesn't matter. Shining's blush doesn't change depending on tactics."

Of more interest was how Flash reacted when he brought up Radiant Steel. Radiant Steel...name did not ring a bell, which wasn't a real shock. Assuming she was a Canterlot Guardspony, anyway. She knew the Crystal Empire better. Turnover in Canterlot was higher and she only knew the commissioned officers as they were part of her bi-annual security overview. They could both be privates, which would explain the familiarith and why he lit like a Hearths Warming tree when he mentioned her after a simple dance. That or he had been a high school nerd like her brother but didn't have divine providence hanging him on the altar of love so easily and so young. Either way, it was charming.

"Ahh, Radiant Steel? I'm sure she is. Good to see that you can judge how dedicated a pony is to the cause. Tell me, does she know?"

[Bellosh]

After chuckling over Twilight’s devious plans to make Shining blush, Flash Sentry’s mind found itself thrown in a loop for a few seconds over the princess’s next question. “Ehh, what?” asked the stallion at first; with mental fatigue setting in, the stallion took a few moments to understand what Twilight asked. Eventually, Flash remembered how Radiant early on admitted to being overzealous in her guard duties at times, and that she really wanted to prove herself as a valorous soldier.

Thinking that was the answer the alicorn wanted, Flash saw fit to provide it. “Ohh, yeah…” he began with a tired stammer; “She told me about it herself. Radiant seemed to treat it as something she wasn’t too proud of; like she doesn’t want to be seen as too jumpy. Personally though... I think I’d prefer a guard like her as a squad-mate over somepony who let things slide all the time.” Despite wanting to go back to the hotel, Flash felt like he couldn’t just stop chatting with Twilight so abruptly now.....

[SteelEagle]

“Ohh, yeah…She told me about it herself. Radiant seemed to treat it as something she wasn’t too proud of; like she doesn't want to be seen as too jumpy. Personally though... I think I’d prefer a guard like her as a squad-mate over somepony who let things slide all the time.”

Twilight rarely wanted to double facehoof across the sky because of another pony's complete misunderstanding of what she had said, but Flash's naive nature had allowed her comment to fly right over his head. It was probably for the better. She didn't want to fluster even more her easily flustered royal guard, lest his blush rival her brother's and render her whole being at the event pointless. Then again if that happened it would have given a whole new meaning to his name, or at least his first name. In any case, she listened with a blank face as he finished. At least they were discussing the qualifications of another, and indeed from what little she knew Radiant Steel sounded like a quality guardspony.

"Well, nice to hear that our guards by and large are devoted. Speaking of, I can't say we'be talked nearly often enough about how you joined the guards. So, what was it that inspired the young Flash Sentry, all young and full of vigor, to join the Guards instead of a professional hoofball team or write some monster manuals for O&O?" Twilight asked, settling in. She still had time and if he was going to be naive regarding his prospective crush on Radiant Steel, she'd have to get her slightly bored gossip somewhere else as she waited to be pulled into the ceremonies.

[Bellosh]

As far as Flash Sentry knew, he never once talked to Princess Twilight for any great length of time at all, let alone about his reasons for enlisting in the Army. The stallion also it kind of weird having Twilight refer to him as “young”, even though no visible age difference existed between the two ponies. But it wasn’t worth mulling over; accepting that he’d be out in the garden for a while yet, Flash made himself comfortable by lying on a grassy spot, taking care not to sully his dress uniform in the process.

“That’s not hard to explain actually,” Pvt. Sentry begun with a chuckle; “Almost all my life, I’ve always like I needed to serve others. You know, when I was still a blank flank, I was sure I was going to get my cutie mark by playing electric guitar. But when I did well in a school talent school… nothing happened. But when I next played at a charity concert, it felt like I was doing something amazing, like I was doing go. And that’s how I got my cutie mark.”

Realizing that he got slightly off-topic, Flash blushed as he apologized; “Ehhh, sorry ‘bout that, Twilight. Anyway,” here, the pegasus looked towards the rising moon as he reflected further; “I felt like joining the Royal Guard would be the perfect way to serve my kingdom. My mom was in the Guard herself, so of course she approved. And so… here I am.”

Turning his head back to the lavender alicorn, Flash Sentry thought to return the favor with a question; “So… before you became a princess, I heard you learned a lot about magic under Princess Celestia herself. I’m just curious… but assuming you never became an alicorn, how do you think your future would have gone down as a regular pony?”

[SteelEagle]

Twilight was amused by Flash Sentry's inability to stay focused on the question, instead meandering amicably to the story of how he got his cutie mark. It wasn't all that shocking to her, even perhaps a bit troubling. In fact, it was very troubling. She had been to the other side and his counterpart was the same. If that played true and they were all one and the same, what did that mean from a philosophical, even spiritual sense? Who was the tail and who was the dog? The fact that he had that story could only mean...the implications were troubling. Mind blowing. So much so that Twilight took a step back in shock as he revealed it, as impassive as her face tried to remain. This wasn't the proper time or place to dissect the very fabric of reality- she had a basement laboratory for that and the endless resources of Canterlot to aid her.

She'd instead focus on how funny it was to imagine Flash going from that to a guard. Seemed an odd path for him to take, but the call to serve and protect was one that played a strange chord in the chosen's breast. He felt it and answered it energetically, aided no doubt by his mother's history. It was nice to see the Royal Equestrian Army being a generational institution, though Twilight would have to look further and see if this accounted for a dangerously high number of applicants. If so, they needed to reach out better. Something to consider. She regained herself and nodded along, settling down beside him on the grass as she waited to be called. It was taking an awfully long time, but then again aside from his Guard duties Shining Armor had a habit of being a little lat on things. She was the one blessed with a valiant sense of timing and cursed with the OCD to be worried by it.

"That's sweet, Flash. How long was your mother in the REA, if you don't mind me asking?" Twilight asked, wondering if somewhere on the officer's scroll she could find the name. Mysteries abound as he asked her about how she thought that she may have turned out had she not become an Princess. Good question, though she had never really given it much thought. The answer was partially super boring.

"Well, that's a good question. I haven't given it much thought. I think that if I hadn't become a Princess, I'd be doing most of the things I do now. Aside from royal duties, anyway. I'm always learning, just now I suppose my learning has expanded to more than what I would have otherwise. Magic, science, the like. POf course i was already reading a few works regarding diplomacy so...I think maybe very little," She ended with a laugh, picturing herself in this scenario reading books regarding relations with Unyasi to the south for the thrill of it.

[Bellosh]

"That's sweet, Flash. How long was your mother in the REA, if you don't mind me asking?"

“Ah,” Flash Sentry answered in a flash; “She stayed in the Army for 30 years. In fact, she only retired from the service about a couple years ago. Made it all the way from Private to Major. I uhhh… don’t think I’ll be staying nearly as long as her, though.” How much time Flash was willing to spend in the REA would all depend on how useful he felt while he remained enlisted. The stallion for absolute certain did not see himself becoming a commissioned officer like his mother eventually became.

"Well, that's a good question. I haven't given it much thought. I think that if I hadn't become a Princess, I'd be doing most of the things I do now. Aside from royal duties, anyway. I'm always learning, just now I suppose my learning has expanded to more than what I would have otherwise. Magic, science, the like. Of course i was already reading a few works regarding diplomacy so...I think maybe very little."

Flash Sentry shared in Twilight’s laugh, getting the humorous impression that just maybe the lavender mare would have become a princess anyway in a less glamorous fashion. “So Twilight,” Flash bashfully asked next, still interested in this line of conversation; “What do you feel is the biggest challenge facing Equestria today, and what do you think you can do about it?” It sounded much like a question one would ask of a mayoral candidate, but Pvt. Sentry didn’t mind too much, just as long as the chat kept going wonderfully. At least talking didn't spend as much energy as dancing did.....

[SteelEagle]

Thirty years was a long time for anypony to be in one profession, but more than that it was nice to see he came from a background that prepared him for the rigors of his role. She had seen plenty of fillies and colts join up recently who didn't know what it meant to be a guard at all times of the day. He knew, which meant that as he grew older and wiser he would only ever advance beyond his forebearers. That was how it worked when it came to the generational families: Each improved over the last. That would mean that despite his own reservations, Flash had a bright future as long as he applied himself. the Princess smiled at his slight nervousness and waved a hoof dismissively.

"Nonsense! With how good you are at what you do, I'm sure you'll be a guard for a long time. Besides, it sounds like it runs in your family's history rather thick. What about your grandparents? Was your mother following in big hoofsteps of her own?" The Princess asked, levitating a few berries off of the trees nearby. They were ribes rubrum, one of several grossulariaceae in the Canterlot region that were specially grown. You could find other groves near Ponyville for jam, but she had always preferred them raw. She levitated some to Flash while she considered his question.

She could say many things. However, many of those things weren't meant for ears other than the other princesses', not yet anyway. She smiled.

"Enjoy your red currant. And what are you, a reporter? A spy?" She ate one of the berries in a swift motion before sighing and looking up at the sky. It was beautiful, just like the ponies responsible in both mind and spirit. With guidance such as theirs, it was hard to imagine Equestria having difficulties at all. She shook her head.

"I cannot tell you, in all honesty. There are many small problems which require small solutions. Nothing major that I can think of...and no offense, but many of those problems are meant for the ears of a Princess. I'm really sorry!" She winced, not loking have to withhold information from one of her own guards. But still, confidential information was confidential.

[Bellosh]

"Nonsense! With how good you are at what you do, I'm sure you'll be a guard for a long time. Besides, it sounds like it runs in your family's history rather thick. What about your grandparents? Was your mother following in big hoofsteps of her own?"

“Oh yeah,” Flash Sentry recalled, somewhat amused by how easily Princess Twilight figured out his family tree; “My grandfather was in the Royal Guard too, and his dad before him.” Reaching out for the berries that Princess Twilight provided to him, the stallion took a bite of one and eagerly munched on it for a few seconds; “Mmmm, these berries are good, Twilight.”

"Enjoy your red currant. And what are you, a reporter? A spy?"

Playing along with Twilight’s act, Flash Sentry gulped down on his next berry when she issued her “accusation”; “A spy? But I… I’d never.....” The uniformed pony couldn’t keep up the charade of a wrongly accused soldier for long, his routine degrading into amused chuckling.

"I cannot tell you, in all honesty. There are many small problems which require small solutions. Nothing major that I can think of...and no offense, but many of those problems are meant for the ears of a Princess. I'm really sorry!"

“I see…I apologize, Your Highness,” Flash didn’t intend to pry confidential material from his alicorn companion, so he felt mild embarrassment over overstepping his boundaries. Looking away from Twilight for a brief moment, Pvt. Sentry mused in silence as he tried thinking on how to steer the conversation away from this awkward moment.

~Shouldn’t the ponies arranging Captain Armor’s roast be ready for Twilight by now?~

[SteelEagle]

Ahh, so he was a product of generations! It was good to see that for everything that happened in Equestria that a certain line of honor and integrity ran thick in certain bloodlines. She did have to wonder thoughy why Flash seemed perennially unsure of himself. Sure he was inexperienced and the Guard found themselves flat-hooved often, even the best, but optimism and hard work was the key to success in all things Equestrian. She wondered if he would ever get out of that mood and believed that he would. Assumed he would. If needs be, would demand he did so- she depended on him, as did Equestria at large. He enjoyed her berries though, which was nice. Applejack never lied, after all.

"That is nice to hear, Flash. Your family- you- mean more to Equestria than merely protecting Princesses! Your sort of honor and integrity is rare. You deserve to be proud. As for the berries, don't thank me. Thank my friend Applejack. She showed me how tasty some of these could be when we went camping. Fun times," She laughed, thinking how in that trip both of them had saved one another from some manner of wild fruit. For being experts on local flaura, their taste buds were entirely too adventurous for their own good.

"No need to apologize! I understand-" Twilight began, patting her guard on the back to reassure him as the door opened and two guards poked their heads out.

"It is time, Your Highness," One of them said, head slightly bowed. Good thing for him as Twilight rolled her eyes. Overly referential guards were annoying.

"I guess I must leave now. It has been a lot of fun catching up, Flash. Keep a look out for some deployment orders soon enough. I have something that might interest you," She winked, getting up and trotting into the building. Yes, he would be very interested.

[Bellosh]

"I guess I must leave now. It has been a lot of fun catching up, Flash. Keep a look out for some deployment orders soon enough. I have something that might interest you."

Everything has to come to an end, and this chance meeting between Flash Sentry and Twilight Sparkle was no exception. That final parting news about a new deployment did cause Pvt. Sentry to perk up his eyes even as he lifted himself off the ground. “Oh uhhhh,” the stallion stammered at first, caught unawares at the surprise; “I’ll be looking forward to a new assignment then. I also enjoyed getting a chance to talk to you, Twilight.”

It might have been unprofessional of him, but Pvt. Sentry waved the lavender alicorn goodnight as she reentered the castle. Flash wasn’t too sure what to make of what just transpired; a new assignment so soon? All because he bumped into Twilight several minutes ago, possibly? The uniformed stallion had much to think about as he trotted back towards his hotel.....

*THE END*