"INCOMING!"

Luna's and my eyes opened wide as a teen-aged missile zeroed in on both of us. Ruby laughed uncontrollably as she watched the two of us go from sleeping soundly to wide eyed and bushy tailed in two seconds flat. The young eighteen year old's laughing stopped momentarily when she surveyed the results. Luna was the worst off in my opinion, her ethereal tail and mane were standing on end, and she was shaking uncontrollably. Of course after I detached my claws from the ceiling, and fell ever so gracefully to the hard floor, I turned towards the red haired mare and narrowed my eyes towards her. Fear gripped the hybrid as I slowly sauntered her direction, she started backing up and tried talking her way out of what was going to happen next.

"Now, Daddy, let's talk this over shall we? I'll let you and Mom to back to sleep and I'll just to back into my room. You know my room sounds really good right now I think I'lljustheadthererightnow." As she turned to run out of the room, I pounced and caught her underneath as she struggled to break free. I turned towards Luna and gave her a wink, chuckling a lite bit as I made eye contact with Ruby.

"I'm afraid, my dear, that I cannot allow you to leave now that we are awake. However, there is a matter of give you your punishment for waking us up before we expected to... By three hours judging on the sun." A midnight blue aura surrounded the white mare, and her eyes shrunk to the size of pinpricks. Luna's magical field started to vibrate and tickle Ruby as she helplessly accepted her fate. A smile plagued my muzzle as Ruby started to laugh uncontrollably as Luna intensified her tickling. I lowered my head down to her stomach and gave her belly a long raspberry, causing the Thestral to squeal. Luna bumped me with her flank and signaled for me to move over as she took over "punishing" Ruby. I resigned to watching my girls fight each other in an attempt to gain the upper hoof and tickle the other. Granted, such family moments as this are short lived in a house of royals. A knock on the door, and a Thestral Captain entering, ceased the family moment and royal duties replaced the atmosphere. I turned towards the Captain and addressed him while Luna and Ruby went into the bathroom to prepare for the day.

"What is it, Captain?" The guard stood at attention and waited for me to move closer to him. With Luna announcing me as her personal guard, it placed me much higher in ranks even though I was a dragon. Oh well, reminds me of home actually. Anyway, the Captain started giving his report.

"Sir, a lone changeling was discovered and captured just shy of the Market District. She claims to know you, Sir, but I believe its just a plow. She also denies that there are others, but I would like to request that a sweep team he assembled just in case." He stood waiting as my brain began processing the information. There was no way that she could have... Better ask one thing first before deciding. Luna would have my hide if she learned about Jitter.

"What was the chosen disguise that she had taken?"

"A medium grey unicorn mare with Amber eyes, and rusty orange mane and tail, she also sported a-"

"Yellow and green lotus cutiemark?" I asked with a slight hope this was just coincidence.

The answer was plain, simple, and scared me to death. "Yes." Jitter was my personal servant, serving myself as a scout sometimes, and a companion during others, and a damn good tactician. She was often placed into my father's service when he needed to weed out some Gryphon spies and insurgents. If she's here...

"Dammit, Jitter." As the name passed through my mouth I instantly felt a cold stare coming from behind me.

"Mind explaining to me about this Jitter, Legionaire?" Princess Luna intensified her stare as I made eye contact, Ruby had snuck out to go to Twilight's chambers at the far end of the castle in order to escape seeing her mother murder a certain dragon. The guard was probably wishing he could do the same.

I let out a sigh and decided it was better to let her know than to play it off, especially if since Jitter was... Well Jitter. "Jitter was my servant when I still lived in the Empire. Father saved her shortly after some failed invasion attempt in order to increase their territory in the badlands and placed her in my care. I asure you that she's not related to the same hive that attacked Canterlot. But that's all she is, a servant." I figured I could leave out the intimate bits, since her stare had grown warmer as I explained. Turning to the guard and asked for him to escort us to her holding cell.

The Canterlot dungeons were more closely related to resort's than actual cells compared to the ones back home, at least these ones had a bed and working plumbing. Luckily for Jitter they didn't execute on site either. As we made our way closer to the cell, I couldn't help but notice the tension in the get thicker and thicker. Hell, it practically sucker punched me when we rounded the corner and found Jitter's cell with a small zoning figure in it. I recognized her instantly. Hard not to. How many changelings do you know with silver eyes and missing both wings? She must have heard my claws on the stone along with the hooves, because when we stopped, she spoke in a hopeful tone, staring at the entrance.

"Master? Are you there?" Taking a deep breath I had the cell opened and entered. She was noticably shaking and flinched when she heard my claws scrape against the ground to stop. Stretching out a wing and letting it gently rub the scared changeling's cheek she let out an audible trill and looked right into my eyes. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you again, Master! I'll admit that working for your father was fun, but accomplishing a mission never felt the same." Her eyes narrowed and she switched her tone to a more seductive stance, "Plus, he never knew how to please a mare like his son." Dammit, Jitter! I instantly froze up when I heard a very annoyed 'ahem' from behind me, Jitter was having fun rubbing her body all over my legs like a cat wanting attention. Of course, only she and I knew it was so she could have my scent mask hers and prevent any mishaps with other changelings.

Luna, unfortunately, did not see it that way. Before Jitter what bit her she found herself flat against the wall, all the air in her lungs being squeezed out as the Nightmare took control. I would have stopped her if it weren't for the restraints being placed on my legs and muzzle. Everytime I struggled to break free they got tighter and dug into my scales. Jitter had tears in her eyes as she started to realize what was going to happen, she no longer tried to stop it. I heard an audible snap as I focused all the energy I had on my restraints, not caring about the pain I felt in my limbs.

"Luna!" I shouted as loud as I could, snapping her back into reality. An audible gasp came from her and she released us. Jitter fell to the ground coughing and catching her breath, and I ran to Luna. That is tried to since that snap I heard was my right forleg breaking. It hurt more than when I bit the mountainside, but honestly I didn't care. But as I took a step towards the princess she took a step back, head shaking, fighting back emotions that wanted to act against her, and before I could try anything I watched her disappear in a bright flash of light.

I probably stood there for a good ten minutes just staring at the blank spot in the room where Princess Luna used to stand. Anger welled up inside me, I'm not sure at who but it built up and I roared, shooting flames at the ground by my legs. Jitter and the Captain took cover behind a corner in order to avoid the extreme heat. When I had stopped Jitter hesitantly made her way next to me and softly spoke, her throat hoarse from being choked and breathing in the still hot air, "Um... Master?" I turned towards her with bared teeth, a sign she new from my father that I was not to be messed with, but she kept on, "i... I think you should find her. Don't worry about me... I'll be fine... I found Master and know you're alive... I'll... I'll just go ba-" I cut her off by bringing her in for a tight embrace as I held my oldest friend. I turned and motioned for the Captain and gave him his next orders.

"Get her to the infirmary. Make sure she gets a full and unbiased physical, then take her to Princess Luna's chambers. She is to be unharmed and treated as any normal servant here. She is under my protection now and those who dare test it shall be dealt with personally. Am I understood?" a simple nod was all I needed, and I let him escort Jitter away as I made my way towards an exit. If I knew Luna as well as I believed I did, then there was only one place she would be.

Author's Note

Oooooook, so I'm not dead and it feels so good to finally be able to get back to writing. I promise I'll have more coming soon. Especially if I keep receiving the demand I have to continue. But I assure you, we aren't half way through yet.