What Hath Joined Together

Chapter 14

                                                                    A Stallion And His Mare — Part I

Never before had Flash Sentry felt so proud to be a Royal Guard as he did in that room of the Crystal Palace, with Shooting Star's forehoof slung around his shoulder as they belted out the last notes of Auld Lang Syne.

The two stallions rocked back and forth as they sang, wineglasses in their spare forehooves, the others joining them in the final lyric. Shining and Argon had their forehooves around each other's shoulders as they dropped the note, laughing like schoolcolts who had just executed a perfectly timed prank. Every stallion in the room, pegasus or unicorn, filled the soundproofed chamber with joy.

His tenor trembling as he finished the song with Shooting Star, Flash held back the urge to whoop. The rapture in his veins was born of far more than his third glass of wine, although that had certainly helped.

"Whoa-oh! That wasn't bad at all!" Shooting Star gave a belly laugh as he flung his forehoof off Flash's shoulders. "Gentlecolts, why, with a bit more practice, we might put Canterlot's finest choir to shame!"

"I wouldn't go that far, Star," Argon shot back with a toothy grin, unhooking himself from Shining and bringing his wineglass to his lips. "Maybe if we get enough buckets, you'll be able to carry a tune!"

Shooting Star smacked Argon's side with a wing. "Hah! Says the stallion who came in third verse early!"

Shining shook his head, chuckling as he caught his breath. "Let's be honest, you two—neither of you are going to be rising stars anytime soon. Actually," he added, turning to the rest of the group, "that goes for the rest of us, too. Let's stick to soldiering, shall we?"

"Hear hear!" Strong Command tipped his glass back, then wiped his lips. "Although, Captain, I must say... This is the most fun I've had in a long time."

Murmurs of agreement followed Strong Command's statement. Flash, now settled down himself, looked around the room to see wide smiles on every muzzle. To his surprise, he wore the same.

Looking down at his silver armor, which contrasted so perfectly against his blue saddle blanket, Flash felt not only pride, but... something else. Something that had eluded him these past few months in the Royal Guard, and, if he were honest with himself, far longer than he would like to admit.

Purpose.

Standing here, in a room full of stallions who felt the same way he did, whose stomachs churned with nausea at injustice, whose hearts grew cold with anger at the relentless permanence of it all, and whose hooves, wings, and horns were ready to take up arms against a system and a society much older than themselves...

Standing here made him feel, for the first time in a long time, as if what he was doing was for more than naught.

There would always be Princesses to guard, prisoners to monitor, borders to patrol.

If the Order of the Silver Guard had its way, there wouldn't be an order to fight against. The greatest monsters would have already been vanquished.

As he looked around this room, Flash should have felt fear, apprehension. He should have had a thousand questions and a million doubts, all coupled and churned together with the opposing binds of duty and tradition that had been forced down his throat along with his mother's milk.

He felt none of that.

Flash Sentry stood tall in a room full of would-be traitors, wore their colors himself, and felt at home.

He watched as Shooting Star and Argon continued to playfully quibble amongst themselves, as Strong Command and the other unicorns began casting light spells on the chandeliers, bathing the room in beautiful patterns of multicolored light, as Shining Armor stood by his side and watched it all with a genuine grin.