The Princess and Her Guard

A short while ago, an ambitious purple unicorn named Twilight Sparkle had become Princess as a result of writing new magic. She finished Starswirl the Bearded's long time spell that he abandoned on because he could never get it quite right.

"It's because he never understood friendship the way you do." Princess Celestia, Twilight's mentor, told her. "You have proven that you are ready to move on in your studies."

Shortly after that, the little purple unicorn magically received wings, becoming an alicorn, a mix of a Pegasus and a unicorn, which Celestia, Luna, and Cadance all were.

"You look just like a Princess!" Fluttershy exclaimed.

"That's because she is a Princess!" Celestia added, flying down from above.

A couple days later was Princess Twilight's coronation, where she was presented for the very first time to all the subjects of Equestria. There, she received her crown, which was the crown she wore when her and her friends used the Elements of Harmony, and made a speech to the public, explaining how she was the luckiest pony in all of Equestria.

Fast forward a few months, and Twilight met up with Celestia, Luna, and Cadance in the Crystal Empire in order to discuss many important items. There, her crown was stolen by Celestia's former star student, Sunset Shimmer, and taken to an alternate realm. Twilight went into this other world, becoming a two legged creature with fingers at the end of her hooves, with the hopes of successfully retrieving her crown and returning to Equestria without being trapped in this other realm for thirty moons.

Fortunately, she retrieved her crown, and helped reunite the people of that world. Coming back to this world, Equestria, that is, was a dream come true for Twilight, since it meant she could be with her friends once more. She didn't mind the struggles with getting used to her wings here as much as she tried to fit in there.

"I've been walking on two feet and been picking things up with these!" She told Spike, who traveled to the other world to accompany Twilight without her knowing at first. "Wings? That'll be the least of my problems!"

She reappeared in the Crystal Empire and stumbled over from on twos to on fours. She had never been happier to see her friends, knowing that these were her true friends and not their counterparts in the other world.

"What did you eat?"

"What did they wear?"

"What did you do?"

Twilight's friends asked her all these questions, wanting to answer them all. However, the alicorn was dreadfully tired out.

"I want to tell you all, really I do." Twilight said. "I'm just so exhausted from all the dancing."

"Dancing!?" Everypony exclaimed.

Twilight then bumped into a very handsome, strong looking orange Pegasus stallion, wearing gold armor.

"Whoa!" The orange stallion gasped, reaching out to help Twilight up. "We really gotta stop bumping into each other like this."

The stallion continued walking through the hallway. Twilight, astonished by this stallion, quickly asked who that was.

"That's the newest member of the Castle Guard." Cadance answered. "Flash Sentry, I think. Why? Do you know him?"

Twilight turned away, answering the Pony of Love's question. "Not exactly."

"Oooh, somepony's got a crush on the new guy!" Applejack teased.

"What?" Twilight quickly asked. "No I don't!"

"It's true!" Rarity gasped. ""Don't be ridiculous." Twilight answered. "I don't even know him like that. He just-"

"Reminds you of a guy you met in the other world who played in a band and asked you to dance at a dance but you said no and on the night of the dance you agreed to dance with him at that dance?" Pinkie asked.

Twilight, eyes wider than ever, gasped. "How'd you know all of that?"

Pinkie smiled. "Just a hunch."

Twilight rolled her eyes, knowing that Pinkie Pie was just being Pinkie Pie. Bringing Spike closer to her, she just let it slide.

Fast forward even farther into the future and Twilight can be seen doing some extensive studying. She studies night and day, and day and night, resting only when she allows herself to. Spike tries to reason with the newfound alicorn princess and try to persuade her to going to bed but no matter what he tried, nothing worked; Twilight Sparkle stood in her poorly lit room, studying up on how to be a Princess. Her body ached and begged her for rest, but she wouldn't allow it, not even for a single minute.

"I told you, Spike, I'll rest up when I finish!" She scolded her humble assistant.

"But you're tired!" Spike responded. "You haven't slept in days and unless you do, your studies would have been for nothing!"

The alicorn looked up from her book and shot a mean look at her humble assistant. It didn't mean anything to her that she hasn't slept in days, she knew that. She was the only one who allowed herself to sleep and get the rest she needed desperately and yet, she continued on.

Spike sighed, leaving the dreary alicorn alone in her room. Everything he tried failed. The only thing left to do was ask Princess Celestia for some assistance.

I sure hope she agrees to help. Spike thought as he sent the letter on its way.

Some time had passed by. The sky was dark, only being lit by the twinkling stars up above. Spike had never been up this late, but would only rest when he knew that his closest friend was tucked away for her well needed sleep.

A letter came shortly after, and it was from the Princess, stating that she knew Twilight would pull something like this and that she arranged for help which would arrive shortly.

I knew she'd help! Spike said to himself. He looked up and saw an orange Pegasus stallion flying in from the direction that Canterlot was in. "Down here!" Spike called out to them.

The orange stallion heard the call and proceeded his decent onto the castle grounds. He had on some gold armor that looked liked it weighed a ton. Taking off his helmet, he revealed his long blue mane, flowing in the wind from the breezy night.

"Flash Sentry, at your service!" The strong stallion reported. "I've been sent by Her Highness, Princess Celestia, in order to help talk some sense into Her Highness, Princess Twilight Sparkle."

"Thank you so much for coming!" Spike said, showing the orange stallion to Twilight's room.

Upon arriving at Twilight's room, Flash was able to convince the dreary alicorn to get some shut eye, making some momentous eye contact with her, something she barely did with Spike or anypony else for that matter. After Flash had tucked away the princess, he left the room and closed the doors as quietly as possible.

"How'd it go?" Spike asked.

"I got her to go to sleep." Flash told Spike.

"Great. Now I can go to bed without a worry! Thank you so much. I guess you'll be headed on back to Canterlot now, won't you?"

"Not exactly. I cannot do that." Flash replied.

"How come?" Spike curiously asked.

Flash chuckled before answering the dragon's question. "It wouldn't be very noble for a personal guard to leave their duty, would it?"

Spike beamed with delight as he heard that. Somewhere, deep inside that dragon skull of his, he knew that Twilight and Flash were meant for each other. The next day, Cadance paid a visit to Twilight. The two really wanted to see each other again. Every time they met, the fate of Equestria hung in the balance, with the exception of the coronation.

"So?" She started. "What do you think of your new personal guard?"

Twilight blushed. "He's...nice. Different, I guess."

Cadance giggled, teasing Twilight in the process. "You like him, don't you Twilight?"

"What?" Twilight quickly asked. "No I don't! I don't even know him!"

Cadance joked about some more. "You can't lie to the Princess of Love, Twilight. I know when a pony is in love! And you're in love!"

Twilight blushed. "I am not in love, Cadance. And if I was - which I'm not saying I am - I wouldn't know what to do! I've never seen a Pegasus of his stature before and I'd get weak in the knees, all four of them."

"Twilight," Cadance continued, "love isn't about doing, it's about feeling."

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked.

"Well, take me for example. I married your brother, Shining Armor, not because I did so or had to, but because I felt that it was the right thing to do."

"But I wouldn't even know how to talk to him."

"Try a simple conversation to get the process going." Cadance suggested. "It'll snowball into something else from there."

"You think he's right for me?" Twilight shyly asked.

Cadance put her hoof on the chest of the foal she use to sit for. "That's up for you to decide, Twilight."

Fast forward nearly ten years into the future and it'll show you that Twilight and Flash had gotten married, thus making Flash a Prince, much like Shining Armor. They also had a child together, a baby unicorn, whom they named Sunrise.

Twilight was given the magical land of Sunny Shores to rule over, thus forcing her to move from her home in Ponyville. Spike was also given the chance to move with Twilight, but ultimately ended up staying in Ponyville to look after the library (and stay close to Rarity), so it was just the prince and his princess along with their child.

Being so far away from her friends hurt Twilight very much, though being with her Flash and her Sunrise made it all worthwhile.

Sunrise is a young filly of just over five years of age. She was a nice shade of fire red, resembling much like the color of flames. Though she was only a young filly of five years of age, she already had her cutie mark, a sun rising over the horizon. Twilight has taught everything she knows about magic to Sunrise and Flash has taught her how to be noble and kind.

Excited about her strengthening magic, Sunrise sought to try and raise the Sun herself, something Celestia does along with her sister, Luna. Sunrise got up really early one day and went outside.

"I'm gonna raise the Sun today!" She said. "I just know it!"

Standing firmly on the ground, she used her magic and tried raising the Sun. It was hard work, especially for a young filly, but somehow, she managed to do it, earning her cutie mark in the process.

Twilight awoke just in time to see her daughter raise the Sun. She wanted to stop her from trying something so drastic but when the Sun was risen, she was in awe!

"Flash," she called, "look at what our daughter just did!"

Flash quickly got out of the bed and went over to the window to see what had happened. "What did she do?"

"Our daughter, Sunrise, rose the Sun!" She exclaimed.

"She did!?" Flash asked.

Twilight nodded. "Our little girl rose the Sun, all by herself!"

Twilight heard from Princess Celestia the next day.

"You know that raising the Sun is what I'm supposed to do," Celestia started, "but I guess now I can let Sunrise do it with Luna."

"Are you sure, Princess Celestia?" Twilight carefully asked.

Celestia nodded. "I'm very sure, my little pony."

Twilight felt uncomfortable. Her mentor's cutie mark was that of the Sun, but what would she do now that her destiny has been stripped away from her voluntarily?

"It's quite alright." Celestia reassured. "I can lower the Sun with Princess Luna if that makes you happy."

"That would make me very happy." Twilight answered.

"Good," Celestia continued, "now let's tell Sunrise the wonderful news."

Months have passed since these events and Twilight has never been happier. Seeing her Sunrise grow up on her own has put an endless amount of happiness in her heart. She wraps her hoof around Prince Flash Sentry as they watch together their little Sunrise playing outside with her friend.

"She's going to grow up to be just like her mother." Flash said.

Twilight's eyes twinkled. She turned and faced Flash and kissed him on the cheek.

"Only because she had a great father with her."

(A/N): This was written for all of you, my fans. I've received so much appraisal on "Flashlights Shine Brighter," so I decided to extend the story just a bit. You bronies/pegasisters are what drives me to keep going above and beyond in my work. Just letting you know, you were the inspiration for me writing this! Hope you enjoyed this story as much as I loved writing it!)