What Hath Joined Together

Chapter 16

                                                                                 What Lies Beneath

... Wha?

The first thing Flash realized when he awoke was that he had not made it to his bed last night.

The next thing that Flash realized was that the palace's crystal floors, even padded by carpet and rugs, were not very comfortable.

With a groan, he forced his eyes fully open, thankful that only the dim light of dying twilight greeted him. He lay on his belly a few feet away from his bed on the cold floor. Still clad in his dress uniform, the cloth clung to his figure, his fur and feathers matted by the sweat of a hot sleep.

As Flash stood up, he noted the stiffness of his wings. That's strange... That only happens when I—

Oh.

He remembered the events of the evening prior before he remembered his dream. When he did, he moved as quickly and quietly as possible from his room, leaving the door slightly ajar as he headed to the restroom down the hall.

To his relief, the restroom was unoccupied. After locking the door, he carefully removed his uniform and hung it from the hook on the back of the door, then stepped into the monstrous shower. A few twists of the silver knobs, and a torrent of water cascaded from the showerhead.

Flash closed his eyes and leaned forward against the wall, letting the hot water soothe his protesting muscles and cleanse his coat and mane. Steam filled the room within minutes, fogging the mirrors but soothing his sinuses. The Empire's dry cold was beginning to wear a bit on his nostrils.

Ahh... All of my wealth for a hot shower. Thank Galaxia I woke up before Twilight... I wouldn't be able to answer the door for a while...

Flash cringed, laying a forehoof against the tile wall.

His mind taunted him with recollections of his dream. In it, Twilight sat beside him on the cliff-face again, her mane made of stars and her eyes gemstones twinkling in the moonlight. She leaned forward again, this time without reservation, until her lips pressed into his.

While his world became starlight, she pressed her forehooves against his chest. With a mischievous grin, she lowered her eyelids and pushed him down against the snow, crawling on top of him as she brought a forehoof to his cheek, then kissed him again...

There was a resonating hallelujah in his ears and his chest, although that could have been the steady rhythm of the showerhead raining down upon him. Flash gritted his teeth and shook his head in a vain attempt to shake those images from his mind.

Dammit! Of course this had to happen after last night! Not before, not when I was still in Canterlot and could just tuck away and hide in my room, but here, where I have to face her, Shining, and the others in less than an hour. Of course!

"Can't I catch a break?" Flash mumbled to the silence, opening his eyes at last.

When he looked up, he found no answers, but a gemstone, instead. In the epicenter of the showerhead hung one small, glowing crystal hanging down from the device like a stalactite. He moved a forehoof up closer to it, noting that heat was radiating off the rock like a furnace. Huh. The Crystal ponies seem to use these for just about everything, don't they?

I wonder if they have any that can catch dreams...

~

After finishing his shower, toweling off, giving his uniform to a servant to be washed, and donning his armor, Flash Sentry waited in his room for Celestia to raise her sun.