Tuesday, seven months and eight days ago. Captain of the Royal Guard, one Flint Fixer thought back to that moment, hoping it would give him some amount of strength now. Unfortunately, remembering the night also reminded Flint of how long ago that night in particular was.
"So... you originally from Canterlot?" the mare asked him. He did his best to just ignore her, stay vigilant and at attention while he remained at his post. From where he stood in front of the guard post, he could see the clock tower in the Canterlot Square. He had precisely two hours before his shift ended.
Of course, most of Captain Fixer's day had been the usual. Stand watch, check assignments, drills, issue orders, rotations and then towards the late afternoon take his own position in front of the guard post. Up until ten minutes ago, the day had promised to be comfortably boring when the lithe young mare in front of him casually slid up right next to him as he was standing there. Now another part of him was standing at attention and making him very uncomfortable.
The tan red-maned mare moved around him, letting the edges of her wide hips and flank just too casually brush up against the exposed portions of his armor. The edges of her tail and mane teased at his own coat making him sweat. She walked around him a couple of times as he did his best to maintain focus on the clock tower and the skyline in front of him. He checked the time once again. One whole minute had passed.
She walked up and turned around in front of him so that they were face-to-face. Slowly, her eyes started at the ground beneath his hooves and casually rose until the haunting orbs matched his in a way that made his lip tremble. He stared back into them for a silent moment. Gotdamn, she was criminally cute.
"You don't look like the normal guards I see around here. So I figured you must be new," the sultriness of her voice made his ears burn. He shook his head. He was a Royal Guard for sun's sake, on-duty conversation was prohibited.
The red-maned mare turned and walked a few steps in front of him. Captain Flint Fixer exhaled. Hopefully, she would just go home now.
The mare stopped just a couple feet from where she'd stood in front of him only moments before and casually turned her head back at him.
She giggled and said, "I like new." Unbeknownst to Captain Fixer, the mare performed a well-practiced ritual at that very second. Looking at him over her left shoulder, she moved her crimson tail to the side of her right buttock. She then smiled back at him and winked.
Captain Fixer practically swallowed his own tongue at the display. Tuesday, seven months and eight days ago. Shining Armor's bachelor party. Captain, then Lieutenant Flint Fixer was celebrating his best friend's upcoming wedding. They went to a local bar in town and after about eight mugs of hard cider, Flint departed with a waitress back to her apartment. After a night of drunken sex, the guard had left quietly the next morning exhausted, happy and hungover and had told not another pony of the encounter.
Only a few days later, his best friend had married a pink bombshell and Flint had been summarily promoted to Captain. Every other pony had remembered it as the Royal Wedding, Flint Fixer remembered it as the last time he'd gotten laid. Hell, he'd barely spoken to a pony of the opposite sex other than Celestia and Luna. Which helped nothing. Now gazing at the gorgeous tan piece of flank in front of him, gazing into the gorgeous display of lush, feminine beauty in front of him, something inside Flint Fixer snapped.
"My shift ends at oh-sixteen... I mean, eight o'clock. I can meet you right here in front of the guard post."
"Oooh, right to the point. What happened to the strong-silent type? You know, this place is a tad too... public for me. Why don't you meet me here," she hooved him a piece of paper. "and we can help you work of a little work-place stress."
"Uh, I... I," Flint stammered as the tan mare walked away.
"Make sure you come... on time, big guy," she winked at him again as she walked down the street. She didn't have to look over her shoulder to know he was following her with his eyes. Right where she wanted him.
The tan mare continued walking to the edge of the street. It was almost to the pre-evening hours, not very many other ponies walked the streets. She turned a corner and walked down another way until she reached an alley hidden by the late afternoon shade.
"And what took you so long?" her contact in the alley asked her.
Exie smiled as she adjusted her jetblack boots. "Heh, you know those royal guard types. Takes a little while to loosen them up." She pulled out a black tie and wrapped put her mane up with it. "I'm meeting him at the address at eight. Pretty sure he'll show up alone."
"Hmmph," the unicorn said, stepping out from the shade. "The GREAT and POWERFUL Trixie could've accomplished the same thing easily with a hypno-spell."
"So, why didn't you?" Exie asked.
Trixie turned her head away from her. "Unfortunately, Trixie doesn't have the virtue of anonymity. So she must rely on... the talents of others."
The two departed the alleyway and walked down the sidewalk together.
"You know, I could teach you a little of those talents if you're interested," Exie offered with a chuckle.
"Trixie knows enough, thank you. Just make sure you're there on time." The two then were silent as they walked down the empty streets of Canterlot.
