Tyranny of the Sun

Chapter 1

It was the day before we were to reach Canterlot and I was sitting in my usual spot in Twilight's train car. Being a princess, she had been given not only her own car, but many furnishings to fill it with. The car had been divided into two rooms by a curtain, a living room and a bedroom. The bedroom had a large bed, a night stand on each side, a dresser and an armoire, both used to hold the princess' many dresses. Other than the two couches, one of which I was sitting on, the living room had a table, a few lamps, and many shelves which now held the various gifts Twilight had been given over the course of the past year. Unlike the bedroom, this car had windows on opposite walls.

Twilight walked through the curtain into the half of the car I sat in. After offering me something to drink, which I refused, she walked over and sat down next to me on the couch. After a few moments of silence that I assumed must have been unnerving for Twilight, she spoke up, trying to start a conversation.

“Um, so what do you think was so important that Celestia needed us to come to Canterlot immediately? You don’t think there is trouble, do you?”

I turned to her and replied bluntly. “It wouldn’t surprise me. It seems in the past few years there has been more trouble for Equestria than there has been for the one thousand years prior. I’ll assume that she has called your other friends to Canterlot as well so that you can all use the elements against whatever threat this is.”

“I suppose that makes sense. At least we still get to see the others after all this time. Hopefully we can properly catch up unlike when we were in Manehatten.”

Manehatten had been the most tiring stop on the entire tour. Our entire time there had been pre-planned by the event planners. We were taken from one event to another, and at the end of the day we were locked in our hotel room for our protection.

For our protection my flank! Locking us in a room had made it easier for any threats to attack us.

Either way, it didn’t stop Twilight from worrying that her friends might think she was blowing them off, so to make sure they weren’t too mad, she asked me to sneak out and deliver a letter to them. Good thing part of my special talent was acrobatics because climbing down a skyscraper without wings can be pretty tricky.

After I found them, I gave them the letter and explained to them how our time in the city was being completely controlled by others and that Twilight wouldn’t be able to get together for a reunion. It took a bit of persuasion, but in the end they knew that Twilight was doing her best balancing being a princess and being herself. They gave me a message to return to her letting her know they understood and that they would see her in Ponyville at the end of the tour.

That had been a few months ago. Even I had begun to miss them in that time, and I was nowhere close to the friend Twilight was to them.  Twilight was right; it would be great to see them again.

Twilight looked out the window, obviously thinking about her friends. “I guess we will just have to keep each other company until than.” I only nodded in response. Though I had known from the beginning she had asked me to be her bodyguard for company and less for actual protection, I had never been interested in talking with other ponies unless I had to. I was willing to humor her attempts at socializing however.

I looked out the same window to check the time. “Looks like it is getting late, you should get some sleep. We’ll be at Canterlot tomorrow and you should be ready for whatever Princess Celestia has in store.”

“Alright, can you check my car before you go?”

“Of course” I said proudly, putting on the professional personality I had developed after months of having to mimic a royal guard.

As she settled into her bed, I looked around the room for anything out of the ordinary. Every night since Manehatten, Twilight would always ask me to check her room for danger. The first few nights she had asked I thought it was a bit strange considering she never seemed to be worried about any threats. Eventually I stopped questioning it and since than it has become a sort of nightly ritual for us. Even stranger was sometimes right before I would leave she would seem to want to say something but never would.

Once I finished my sweep of the room, I looked to her and gave her my report, still wearing my royal guard persona. “Everything is all clear. Will there be anything else?”

She looked around the room in every direction except mine. Once she finished her own evaluation of the room, she turned on her side and almost squeaked “Um… no, it’s fine.”

With my final task done, I turned to head to my room in the guard's car. As I headed for the door opposite of her bed, I was suddenly stopped by Twilight quickly spurting out “Actually Sleight, can you stay here just in case?”

I turned around puzzled by the abruptness of the request, but I wasn’t going to say no to a princess. “Of course, is there anywhere specific you would like me to watch over you?”

Twilight blushed and looked away, smiling shyly. I stood there confused until Twilight scooted to one side of the bed, leaving enough room on the other side for…

Just than I realized what she meant and I blushed so hard I could feel the heat coming off my face. I must have looked pretty silly also because she giggled a bit when she looked back at me. I tried to think logically about Twilight's request, but instead I found myself struggling with another feeling, one I was unfamiliar with. Unable to think rationally as I normally did, I stood there dumbstruck, unable to a come to a decision. Thankfully, Twilight could tell I was having trouble thinking straight and in between giggles said, “Come on silly. We’re just going to cuddle.”

This statement from her only served to strengthen the strange feeling that was overriding my usually clear thoughts. As this feeling finally managed to win over my other senses, I finally managed to speak. "S-sure, if it makes you feel safer." I was unsure why I said that, or why I stuttered, but I wasn't going to go back on what I said. I walked over to the know open side of the bed and crawled under the covers. As I got comfortable, Twilight used her magic to close the curtain across the car, making our half of the room nearly pitch black. Once it was dark, Twilight moved next to me and nuzzled her head underneath mine.

Good thing it was dark because if I wasn’t red in the face before, I definitely was now.

I fell asleep that night listening to not only the sound of the train riding over the rails, but also the heartbeat of the princess I had promised to protect.