The not-so-epic epic plan

I huffed as I raised my mug of cider. It had been a long day and Princess Luna hadn’t gone easy on me. It had been six grueling hours of tactical planning and battlefield history to memorize in a freaking classroom. Worse, it was nothing more than a refresher that I DID NOT need.

The battle of Griffin Pass, as if I didn’t already know the fight inside and out, c’mon Princess Luna, you really need to step up your game.

The worst part was that it kept me from time with Blue… I had promised to finish early and spend the day training with her, offering tips where I could, but of course Princess Luna insisted on the last three hours of it being a geography lesson of the surrounding terrain.

“Hey, captain, how's it going?” A voice chuckled before Moon Shield sat down next to me. The pale-blue mare with the light-black mane had a smile upon her muzzle.

“Please tell me your training is over and Blue is done already.” I growled.

Moon sighed. “Sadly, no.”

“Ugh!” I had to resist the urge to slam my head against the table. It wasn’t an easy task by any definition of the word. I couldn’t because ‘captains have to keep up appearances’, or so they told me anyway. Personally I was still trying to adjust to being the same rank as Moon Shield now. It wasn’t that long ago that I was her prodigy.

“Why don’t you go see her now?”

“Because she’s in the middle of it already; she asked me to come and give her a few tips to work her unit into shape, but if she’s already started I can’t just go and interrupt.”

Moon Shield chuckled at me as she saw my obvious frustration. “I take it your training with the princess didn’t go as planned?”

I glared at her. “Are you kidding me? It was the Battle for Griffin’s Pass and Princess Luna gave me a bucking rock lesson!”

“Night!” Moon Shield’s eyes went wide as I said that last bit louder than I should.

I glanced around, seeing a few wide eyes looking at me before blushing at my slight mistake. “Oops.”

“You gotta be more careful, especially with your rank.”

“Rank that means nothing, I don’t command troops, I don’t lead trainings; all I do every day is simulations or classes.”

“We both know that you will soon enough.”

“Maybe,” I muttered before grinning. “Who knows, maybe soon I can teach classes on why igneous rocks are preferred to stage ambushes on over sedimentary rocks.” Even I couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of my voice.

She glared at me. “Are you telling me you can’t see any tactical advantages to knowing the strengths and weakness of the terrain?”

Okay, I have to give her that, there are undoubtable military applications if applied at the right situation. Still, that doesn’t make it any more interesting.

“So, how's it running between you and Red Wave?” I giggled, trying to change the topic.

“Fine.” Moon just blushed.

I lightly cuffed her shoulder. “C'mon, details! You two caught Blue and me bucking on a cloud so I want to know more!”

“Sometimes you are unbearable,” she groaned before sighing and her blush intensified. “Alright… We did it…” With that, Moon opened the clamps of her neck protection, showing two small puncture wounds underneath it.

“Go moon.” I chuckled. I had my own fair share of bites ALL over my body, some more… obvious than others. “But what made you wait so long? You two have been together for how long now?”

“Red didn’t want to until a few months ago. She wanted to hold off until she was sure that everything would work out and that it wasn’t just a quick fling,” Shield replied.

“Blue and I knew that first night…” I trailed off, that night coming back in vivid un-captain like memories.

“Some find their love of their life easy, some not.” Moon said softly.

I smiled. “Yeah, that’s true.”

“You know, there are days I simply cannot believe how far you’ve come.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, confused.

“Just seeing you here, now; you’re almost an entirely different pony to that one placed under my command over four years ago. That mare would be eating alone in the corner, too shy to even look up. And here you are talking about how bored you were in a personal lesson with Princess Luna in the middle of the dining hall.”

I giggled. “Heh, times change. And Blue was a big part of my change. Without her I wouldn't be this far.”

“She’s really your one, isn’t she?”

“There’s not a doubt in my mind.”

“And you do know that the day WILL come you end up ordering her into battle?”

“As she’s reminded me, constantly; I’m under marefriend orders to give her no special treatment, ever.”

“I have the feeling that this will be hard no matter what you do. Just always believe in her, but especially in your own talent.” Moon smiled.

“I know. Can you believe this? Me ordering ponies into battle, ordering Blue into battle,” I stopped before growling. “I simply have to be the best so nothing will ever happen to her or anypony else.”

“You know you can’t prevent all casualties, try and you’ll only cause more.”

My mood turned somber at that. “I know. No battle in the history of Equestria has ever been casualty free. The price of peace is paid by war, and that always has a butcher’s bill.”

“But?” she asked. Moon Shield knows me far too well.

“It’s my job to minimize that price. To make sure we only pay what’s absolutely necessary, and that’s a duty I take very seriously.”

“You’ll do us all proud, Night.”

I smiled and took a drink of my cider.

“So when are you going to ask Blue Moon to marry you?”

I spit up the cider, feeling a large amount of it leave my nose as well, the burning sensation hurt.

“What did you just ask?” I said, flabbergasted.

“I asked when you’re going to ask my cousin to marry you.”

“Who said, I mean, I well… uh… I mean… I-I…”

“The great Night Watch, tongue tied.” Blue Moon giggled. “I don’t know if you’re cuter like this or when you tripped on your way to meet Celestia during your promotion ceremony.”

“W-what… why… I don't know.” I finally sighed. “We’ve never really talked about it.”

“Oh? You know she’s dedicated her life to being by your side?”

I nodded. She had confessed that very thing to me. That however we ended up, she was simply happy she could see how far I’d go.

And just think! I can tell her the porous qualities of sandstone!

“Even if… You know me, Shield. Just like the time I tried to ask her out, I’d just screw it up,” I mumbled.

Moon grinned. “But everything worked out just fine in the end, no?”

I groaned. “That’s not the point and you know it. I mean, asking some pony to marry you is much…. bigger!”

“That's the point, Night. After all these years, and since you both know that you are destined for each other, one of you just have to take the first step!”

I rolled my eyes. “You know me; I’m a bumbling mess at that sort of stuff.”

“Yes.”

“I can’t even walk down a flight of stairs without falling half the time.”

“Yes.”

“I dropped my slice of cake on Princess Celestia’s head the last gathering I went to.”

“Yes.”

“I tore Blue’s dress in half during the last ball when I stepped on it.”

“Yes.”

“My mortal enemies are doorframes.”

“Yes.”

“WOULD YOU STOP SAYING YES!”

“Stop acting like any of that matters and I will.”

“Why doesn’t it matter?”

“Because Blue doesn't care, you idiot.” Moon scowled me. “She loves you, and just you, including everything you are and do. Why should she care now?”

“Because marriage proposals are supposed to be special, I’d… I’d just ruin it.”

She shut her muzzle and stared at me for a little while. That alone made me feel worse. I had expected her to yell at me, or say I’m dumb for worrying. As it turned out, the silence is far worse. Like the calm before a storm.

“You’ve been with Blue for nearly four years now, no?” she asked, breaking the long awkward pause.

“Yes?”

“You’ve been to a million different events together?”

“Yes, why do you—”

“You’ve tripped, stumbled, or done something clumsy in each one?”

I related. “Well… I… um… yes.”

“So how come every time I saw her after one, she was always so radiant? Speaking about how much fun it was; how glad she was to be there with you.”

“This is different,”

“How so? Those events were special, she remembered them, and will remember them for the rest of her life. What makes you think she’d expect—or for that matter, want—anything different from you?”

I bit my lip. She was right and I hated that she was right. But… that wasn’t the real reason I had delayed.

“I…” I started, and then stared into my drink.

“What is it?” Moon Shield asked, reaching a hoof across the table and placing it on my own.

“I was hoping I’d outgrow it, before we; you know.”

“Night, don’t be stupid. It’s you and Blue loves you,” Moon smiled.

“Doesn’t she deserve, you know, somepony that could walk down the aisle without... tripping?”

As soon as those words left my muzzle, I felt pain across my muzzle. Blinking, I realized that Moon Shield had just hit me.

“Okay Night, since Blue isn’t here to hoof some sense into your head, let me do it. She loves you dearly, more than her own life and she does it because you’re you! She doesn't want anypony else, she wants you! And she wants you for the rest of her life.”

“I love her too! I do, I just… I want to be better for her.”

Moon glared at me. “You know what, you’re right. She absolutely deserves a better pony. Now do me a favor and look around. Point out the ‘better pony’. Point out one mare or stallion in this room that’s better than you and without a single character flaw of their own.”

I knew it was rhetorical, but I looked around anyway. My eyes went from table to table, instantly matching names to the rather detailed reports I had memorized about each and every soldier they told me I’d one day command.

Moon Shield waited for me with a glare. “Can’t do it, can you? Sure they might not trip and stumble, but they all have their own unique flaws. Just like you.”

“Yeah, but—”

“You say but again and I’ll whoop yours,” It was an empty threat; I knew I could take her in a fight, but it got her point across. “We are who we are because of our flaws, not our strengths.”

“But I don’t have any idea where to start! How do you propose to the pony you love, how do you tell her that you want to spend your life with her, forever?” I mumbled.

“So, you’re telling me you can make Princess Celestia admit defeat in a tactical simulation, but you can’t solve this?” she asked with a chuckle, I just glared at her. Those were two entirely different situations. “By just telling her, you fool,” Moon Shield said with a shake of her head.

“It’s not that easy.” I mumbled.

She leaned in and whispered, “Why not?”

“I-I…” I scowled at her, and then closed my eyes.

Luna I if there’s one thing I hate more than that look, it’s being wrong.

“I hate you,” I said with a smile.

“I know.” She grinned back.

“Any tips from the helpful cousin?” I asked mockingly.

“Well, you should know her well by now. Just be yourself and wait for a moment you think is perfect. But don’t wait too long. You might lose a good chance,” Moon replied.

“A perfect moment?” I asked.

“Yes. Just think about something you both love to do,” she said before facehoofing at my expression. “Not only sex!”

I guess my grin was a little obvious.

“Flying. We love to fly together. To sit on a cloud and watch over the sky, wrapped in each other's embrace,” I mumbled after some thinking.

“If you two get busted fucking on a cloud again I think they’re going to suspend you.”

“Pft!”

“Actually, they’d kick her out. You, they’d leave right where you are.”

“You know if they did that I’d kick their flank and quit. Besides, it’s not like Luna’s never caught us.”

“If you quit, what would Blue Moon say?”

“I-I… uh…”

“Exactly. Like it or not, you’re stuck here. She won’t let you quit.”

“Stop playing with me,” I blurted out. “I do this with her! And she knows that. If she’s out, I’m out as well and trust ME this time, she’d follow me.”

I really, really, really, REALLY hate that expression on Moon Shield’s face. It’s her patented, ‘you know you’re wrong so stop acting dumb’, look. It was true though. Blue’s dream was for me to be in, for me to be everything I was going to be. If they kicked her out and I resigned in protest, she’d kick my flank in and make me rejoin. Me quitting wouldn’t change her fate, and it wouldn’t have any effect on us being together.

“Fine, we’ll make sure we don’t get caught.” I growled. “But I still know who I belong to, and someponies would do well to not forget it,” I added.

“Night, I know what you feel for Blue and I know what she feels for you, but don’t take it too far. It’s a fight you know you’ll lose on every front. Sometimes I wonder if she loves your bone headiness as well.”

“Every single day.” I giggled.

“Now think about it,” Shield said before getting up. “And don’t take too much time before asking her!”

“I have a feeling that this will end badly,” I groaned into my mug before standing up myself; only to trip trying to make my way over the bench and fall on the ground.

“Buck me!”

***

I have planned countless operations, I refought the battle of pegasus pass, I figured out the tactical flaws of Dragon Mountain, I’ve read every book written by—and now know how to defeat—Commander Hurricane, and yet, I can’t even succeed in this easy task. The few ideas I did come up with, I immediately threw into my trash bin because they were either a guaranteed fail, or outright dumb.

Why is it so hard to ask the mare I love if she’ll marry me? Should I just ask like moon said? No, she deserves better.

I groaned before letting my head fall back on the cushion of my couch. It wasn't as calming as I would've liked it to be, after all Blue Moon wasn't at my side.

“It’s time we move in together. After four years it's about time,” I mumbled.

That wasn’t to say it was a problem. We had the keys to each other's apartment and spent more than enough time with each other. Most time I would just stay over at Blue Moon’s. My own bed saw little to no use these days.

C’mon, don’t just think about all the stuff we do, brain! I need a good idea!

It wasn’t helping at all. My mind was just empty; the few thoughts that did pop in my head were nice, and erotic, but not helpful in this situation. I started to reconsider the sex angle.

I was still arguing with my mind for ideas when there was a loud knock at the door. It startled me, nearly making me jump out of my coat.

That’s not Blue Moon, she’d just storm in; after all, she’s got a key.

The knocking repeated and I ripped the door open, revealing a smiling Red Wave.

“Hey, Night!” She greeted me as I stepped aside to let her in.

The mare was a unique sight in multiple ways. Her black coat has no shade in it, no highlight, it was simply black. Her fiery red mane was a pure contrast to it, marking her as one of Blood Wing’s bloodline, some of the nastiest bat-ponies around. What surprised most though is that Red Wave was kind of cute and calm. Walking past me, she looked at me through her crimson eyes before moving on, greeting me with the view of her cutie mark, red wings over a bright moon.

“What’s up, Red? I take it Shield’s got work or you wouldn’t have come alone.” I smirked.

She blushed before grinning at me. ”Just wanted to see if you’re okay. You looked rather distressed the last time we got together.”

“I’m fine, just thinking about a lot lately.”

“You lost in thought, Isn’t that like a national emergency or something?”

“Funny,” I stated with a deadpan expression on my face.

Red just raised an eyebrow. “So what’s the matter? Spill it; don’t make me have to drag it out of you.” She chuckled.

I just sighed. ”I’m looking for an idea how to ask Blue if she wants to marry me.”

Red Wave’s jaw dropped to the floor. A place it stayed for what seemed like forever before she actually managed to collect herself. Soon, much to my shock, there was a smile upon it. “About time.”

“What?!” I asked, flabbergasted.

“I said it’s about time! You two already kind of live together and buck like bunnies. It’s really about time you got married!” Red laughed.

“Says the mare that ate Shield in the armory out,” I muttered, causing Red to blush.

“So, you of all ponies can’t come up with a plan?”

“No,” I admitted sheepishly.

“Night, I’ve seen you in all those trainings. You’re brilliant, you’ll soon get an idea and you two will be the happiest couple all around.”

“When did you get so sappy?”

“Oh, shush!” Red growled playfully.

“Did you get soft because of Shield? Or is the bucking that good it blew your mind and made you into a different pony?” I continued to tease her.

Red only smiled. “Don't overdo it or I might whoop your flank.”

“Aww, I don't think Blue or Shield would appreciate that.”

“You're even worse than Shield, and I thought she’s a sexual badmouth,” Red said with a laugh.

“Hey, what can I say,” I raised my forehooves in defense, “I got an awesome and sexy marefriend after all!” So Shield is a sexual badmouth, interesting.

“Alright, captain. You should get back to your ideas, I'll leave you to it,” Red giggled as she stood up and made her way to the door.

“Hey, Red?” I stopped her.

“Hm?”

“Thanks. For stopping by I mean. I look forward to one day being a big family with you all. Shield, you, Blue and me,” I smiled.

She gave me the short sight of a genuine smile before opening the door and leaving.

I was alone again with my mind, a mind that just couldn't seem to get any ideas. Growling, I made my way to the room where I could always get ideas.

The spare bedroom in my apartment wasn't a bedroom anymore, well; it’s never been one for me anyway. There were tactical maps and old battlefield reports all over the wall and floor, a big table with an accurate map of Equestria and surrounding countries in the middle, splattered with figures of different sizes and colors.

Here I could always solve mysteries, here I would always find the right idea, and here I would get the perfect solution to this problem I had to face. Or at least I hope so anyway.

I looked down at the current setup. I had recreated the battle in the desert waists with the armies of Equestria in Blue and the attacking Diamond Dogs in the red. The battle itself no longer interested me, I had replied it from every angle and knew that if Commander Storm Iron had simply anticipated the second assault and responded appropriately it would’ve been a crushing defeat of the Diamond Dogs and reduced our fatalities by thirty percent.

My hoof went to the figure that represented Celestia during that battle. I rocked it back and forth on the table.

“It’s not the enemy you see that gets you, it’s the one you don’t.”

At those words I saw the formations, troop movements, and unit strategies in a slightly different light. A smile crossed my muzzle as I now knew exactly what to do.

And I knew the perfect time to as well. All I needed to do was enlist Moon Shield’s help.

***

“Ten-hut!” Moon Shield shouted out at the assembled troops.

I stood at the parade grounds, watching and trying to keep the smile off my face. In truth there was no reason for me to be there; well, no official reason to be there. I didn’t command any units, formations, or solders, yet.

It was the yet part that let me be there. After working with Moon Shield on this plan all I had to do was convince Princess Luna that some hooves-on expertise with actual troop movements was more valuable than another lesson on rocks.

Personally, I think she was just grateful to have me out of her mane for one night. Our last few practice runs didn’t exactly go her way. Honestly it was getting kind of boring playing skirmishes against her. Celestia’s a bit more of a challenge, but even she can’t keep up anymore.

“Second formation, open rank, march!” Moon shouted again. The mare was impressive, but that was always the case with her. After all, you don’t get to be a captain without being impressive; myself being the exception that is. She was giving the commands to twenty formations of thestrals in crisp, clear shouts.

I have to struggle to remember the time I would’ve been in those formations. My head's so full of tactics, strategies, and well… rocks, that I wonder how I learn anything new somedays.

“Eighteenth formation, left face! Forward, march!”

My eyes took in each order and every unit. I was mentally comparing their current organization to where they needed to be for this to work.

Part of me knew that they must be confused as all hell. Their current setup was strange to say the least, any commander worth their salt would roll through it without a second’s hesitation, but this wasn’t for a fight, this had another purpose.

I looked over at Moon Shield. The pale-blue coated thestral sat on her perch overlooking the entire parade ground. Her magenta eyes were laser focused on the task at hoof as she sought to carry out my commands exactly as I had asked her to.

She’s following my commands… The thought struck me as completely odd. Moon had been my commander not that long ago, and now… now we were equal rank. Even still, she had responded with a crisp, yes ma’am when I told her what I wanted.

I’m really going to command all these ponies one day. When the thought hit me, I expected to be scared or afraid or even apprehensive. I wasn’t, I was proud.

“Unit twenty, open ranks, march! Unit, halt! Dress right, dress!”

I gulped at that. It was time. Unit twenty’s movements were the last ones that needed to be in place for this to work. That means it’s time for me to make myself known.

I spread my own wings and took flight to land right next to Moon Shield. I could feel every set of eyes in the formation fall upon me as they all saw the smallest thestral in the armed forces land right next to the formation leader.

“Ready, front!” Moon Shield gave the last command before turning to look at me. She gave me a friendly smile before turning back to the formation. “Alright, listen up! We have a special guest today. Captain Night Watch has joined us to review the formations!”

There was an awkward silence before one of the front mares raised a hoof.

Moon Shield sighed. “Yes, Lone Spear?”

“No offence, ma’am, but why will she review the formations? You’re our supervising officer,” Lone Spear said, earning murmurs of approval all around.

I heard Moon Shield growl a little under her breath as she jumped off her perch and flew to the ground. When Lone had asked her question, I gulped a little. This is the part I wasn’t looking forward to. Whatever formations, tactics, or strategies I would use in battle, the ponies themselves were the ones that would carry it out. If Lone Spear not only felt confident enough to challenge me in the middle of formations but also had the approval of the rest of the ponies, well, that means they’d never follow me.

“Lone Spear, front and center!” Moon shouted.

The thestral ran up and stood in front of her.

“What rank am I?”

“Captain, ma’am!”

“What rank is Night Watch?”

“Captain, ma’am!”

“What rank are you?”

“Private, ma’am!”

“Any more dumb questions?” Moon Shield asked with a smile as she went to turn back to me.

Lone gulped. “Ma’am, no, ma’am!”

“Back in line!”

She walked up to me and I whispered, “You enjoyed that, didn’t you?”

“Very much so,” she whispered with a giggle. “While they may like you as a pony, they don’t respect you as a commander. But they don’t need to right now; they just need to respect the rank. Don’t worry, you’ll earn the respect of every nation in the world soon enough.”

“So you’ve said,” I replied.

“Have I been wrong yet?”

“No.”

“Then listen to me on this, even if it’s the last command of mine you ever obey.”

I nodded as she turned back to the formation. “Alright, listen up! For this inspection each unit will send up their squad leader and walk Captain Night Watch through their formations! Unit seven, you’re closest, let’s start with you!”

I smiled as I watched the love of my life trot up to us. The pale-purple coated mare had on her traditional uniform that only served to mark her out of one of the Night Guard. In a war she’d be in the full armor of the linebreakers, but in formation, that was put to the side. I preferred her in this outfit anyway. Her two-toned blue mane, and moon and stars cutie mark with an eye in the center always put a smile upon my muzzle. But what always captured me the most were the pinkish-red orbs of her eyes glaring at me lovingly.

I wasn’t too worried about anypony calling us out on this. I had a legitimate reason to be here, and Blue Moon’s unit was the closest. Besides, while Moon Shield had been right; I did have their respect as a pony, few of them actually knew me. My training had been… different than theirs. And until now, that didn’t put us on the same field very often.

Princess Luna had once told me my size was my greatest advantage, that it’s easy to understatement as small pony that didn’t stand out. And as the old saying goes: surprise will win a war as surely as the strongest blade.

“Sargent Blue Moon. If you will,” Moon Shield stated and gestured to me.

Blue Moon didn’t even hesitate. The two of us were in love, and I hope, soon, married. But here, now, she wasn’t the mare I loved, she was a squad leader. I didn’t expect or want her to break protocol, and she didn’t disappoint.

“Captain Night Watch, the linebreakers have the reputation of being the strongest unit in the army and I’m proud to say it’s a reputation well earned.” She gestured with a hoof for me to follow. I nodded and complied.

“We pride ourselves in discipline and strength.”

Like I don’t know that, I fought to keep a smile off my muzzle, as we walked around her formation my eyes took in each member in turn, noting how they stood, which ponies were slightly more erect than others, and which ones would prove to be the weak link in an actual battle.

I stored that information away to tell her later. And I was already prepared to get either slapped or kissed. I can’t really tell which I like more by the way.

She kept talking, but I had stopped paying attention by then. I knew what she was going to say, and it wasn’t that I was bored, but I had to make sure I didn’t trip. It was almost time for my plan to come to fruition, and at this stage, I was simply trying to not ruin it with my usual clumsiness.

When we reached the front of the unit again, I was doing a small jig in my head. I had managed it; I had managed not to trip.

“And that’s the linebreakers!” she said with pride in her voice.

“Almost, sergeant.” I started, eating a bit of a surprised gasp from her.

“Captain?” she asked.

“I’ll admit your unit is impressive,” Not really, I already saw five things I wanted her to fix, only two I’d actually tell her though. “But a unit only works if it fits into the army as a whole, and I’m not sure if your does.”

I was pretty sure that she was only a moment away from slapping me in front of every single soldier nearby.

“Captain, I promise you that they do.”

I spread my wings. “Let’s find out, sergeant. We shall run an aerial inspection.” This is it, all my planning; it comes down to this!

There’s another saying in war: no plan survives contact with the enemy. In this case, I was my own enemy.

I smiled a challenging grin that just earned a scowl from her as I spread my wings and leapt into the air. What I failed to realize was that my tail had snagged around a loose rock and thrown of my takeoff ever so slightly.

Like a total idiot, I hell’a overcorrected for that slight annoyance and, less than ten hooves in the air, crashed right into the middle of her unit.

They were pretty fast, to my luck. I crashed into nopony particular, just in the ground right between them, but I had scattered the formation, ruining everything I had planned myself.

My muzzle was full of dirt, my face buried in the earth. But even still, I could hear some giggling straining to become full on laughter and a shout of, “Make way!” as Moon Shield landed right next to me.

She saw what nopony else did, the one thing I could not be seen doing, not now. She saw me crying.

“Captain, what happened?!” Blue Moon shouted. Even she couldn’t keep up her professionalism after seeing me end up muzzle first in the dirt.

“She’s sprained a wing; that must have been what caused the crash.” Moon Shield lied. “I gotta get her to the medics! Formation dismissed!” At those words Moon Shield scooped me up and took off into the air as fast as she could.

“Fuck, Night! What the hell did you want to prove here?” Blue asked under her breath as she watched me leave.

When we were far enough away, I wiped the dirt from my muzzle and said, “Y-you didn’t have to do that.”

“Yeah I did,” Moon Shield said with a smile. “We were so close too.”

I glanced down to see my formation breaking away as the ponies called it a day. The words ‘will you marry me’ were breaking down to their component ponies.

“I told you, Shield, I’ll just fail again and again! This is just the same as with asking her for a date. Everything repeats… everything will fail…” I muttered, a small tear making its way down my muzzle. “I’m a bucking failure.”

Moon Shield didn’t reply, not with words anyway. She just held me tighter as she flew us away from the scene of my latest fuck up.

***

“Night Watch! Are you home?!” Blue Moon shouted as she came bursting through the door.

“I’m here,” I muttered, my muzzle still pressed into the cushion of my bed.

I heard the clatter of hooves as she ran down the hallway and burst into my room, almost breaking the doorframe in the process.

Not that I’d have mind, me and that doorframe had more than our fair share of fights over the years, fights I’ve lost.

“Are you okay? What happened?”

I raised my muzzle and looked back at her. Her face was full of concern and worry; emotions that made me feel worse. “Wing sprain, remember?” I asked, flexing my right wing in the process.

“No, I asked you what happened!” She glared at me.

“And I told you!” I growled back, pressing my muzzle back into the cushion. There was no need for her to see the tears.

There was a moment’s pause before she asked, “You overcorrected yourself in flight, didn’t you?”

“Yes,” I mumbled.

“Why?”

“Why? Trying to impress my marefriend? Trying not to fail in front of Shield, my marefriend, and every bucking soldier we got?” I scowled.

She paused. I could hear her breathing as she walked up and jumped on the bed with me. Her coat was soon pressed against my own. “But why were you even there?”

“Luna and I agreed that moving figures on the board were one thing, but I needed to see actual formations moving in real life.”

“You’re hiding something from me.”

Damn she knows me too well.

“No.”

“You know you can’t lie to me! What’s wrong, really?”

“Nothing, I’m not hiding anything from you.”

“Night, those movements and formations were not our normal routine. I’ve done parade ground movements enough to know that. They had YOU written all over them.”

“I just tried a bit around, nothing more,” I muttered.

“If you lie to me, you can sleep in YOUR apartment and YOUR bed for the next week,” she scowled.

She still sees things in terms of mine and hers… is this a bad idea? Would she even have said yes?

“Blue, please…” I mumbled weakly. “I don’t want to argue.”

“Me neither…” she paused. “But this talk isn’t over!”

I couldn’t help but feel another bunch of fresh tears leave my eyes as she left without a second word.

No, this isn’t the end. I’m going to figure out a way. She deserves the truth. The real truth.

***

The next day I awoke with a fresh new plan. I was done crying over spilt milk, and I was done feeling bad for myself. My new plan was a stroke of genius and came in the middle of the night when my thoughts turned to one simple fact. If godly powers were conspiring against me, I’d enlist godly powers to help me.

I knew two such beings that qualify.

I just hope she isn’t mad at me anymore. Ah, who am I kidding? She’ll stay mad until I tell her everything. She simply knows me too well.

I arrived at the castle minutes after sun-up. A perfect time to make sure I caught both sisters before one of them went to bed. I was high enough rank to go practically anywhere I wanted in the castle, of course that didn’t stop multiple members of the royal guard from checking my credentials a lot more often than what’s reasonably necessary.

“Lulu, did you eat the last of the cake!” I heard Celestia shout from their personal kitchen.

“‘Tia, you are seeing things. I did no such thing,” Luna huffed back and I had to stifle a giggle.

“Then who did it? And don’t tell me about mice again!”

“We did not do it!” Luna replied a bit louder.

I coughed slightly as I reached the door, causing them to snap their heads towards me.

“Captain Night Watch! How good to see you,” Luna smiled and immediately turned into me for a hug.

“Indeed,” Celestia added.

I stiffened a bit at the contact with Luna, but it was fine. It took a bit adjusting to be always greeted this friendly by your princess in private, but she was also a good friend to me and Blue. It’s hard not to be friends with a pony you see almost every day.

“Captain Night Watch, what can we do for you?” Celestia kindly asked.

“We shall get to that in a minute, first; tell Tia we did NOT eat her cake!”

My eyes darted to Celestia, Luna, and then the scene of the crime. The cake pan on the table was indeed empty.

“You can admit your guilt later, Lulu.”

“Tis be a liars guilt to admit to it!”

My talent is for seeing tactics, formations, and troop movements; it’s in knowing what my enemy is planning before they’ve even thought of it. My cutie mark is a purple spiral with an all-seeing eye on top. And while it was being honed for military tactics, it works equally well in situations like this.

“Princess Celestia, there’s no way Princess Luna could have eaten your cake.” I lied. She ate it; it was so obvious to me that it wasn’t even funny. The crumbs on the floor were in a certain hoof-shape pattern that only matched the Princess of the Night’s. Her normal necklace was missing from her body, an indicator that she had taken it off after either spilling something on it, or used it to wipe up her mouth. And if that wasn’t a dead giveaway, there were small cake crumbs on the top of her hoofwere, placing her at the scene of the crime.

Luna was my princess though, not Celestia.

“HAH, we told you!”

Celestia sighed. “Very well, I was wrong to accuse you, Lulu.”

I guess I should have felt bad about that, I didn’t. Like I said, Luna’s my princess.

“Now, what can we do for you, captain?” Celestia turned to me with a smile.

“Princess, I know I have no right to ask—”

“Hodgepodge, you are our friend, fair Night Watch. Ask away!” Luna stated.

I couldn’t help but smile at that. “I consider you two friends as well. I wanted to ask… I mean...”

It’s hard for me, talking to them I mean. I’m a head shorter than most ponies my age; all part of the fun of being me. But… around the princesses, I might as well be newborn when stacked up against their size. They tower over me, something that despite our times together, I’ve never truly gotten over.

“Just spill it,” Luna said with a smile.

“I… I need your help in a personal matter… I-I…” I stuttered, but stopped as I felt a hoof on either my shoulders.

Luna and Celestia had placed a hoof on my shoulders, smiling. I smiled back, suddenly finding my voice back. “I really need your help. I need some way to ask Blue if she wants to marry me,” I blurted out.

I kept my eyes on the ground, expecting anything from ridicule, insults, to being picked up and cuddled like a baby foal. Care to take a guess which one happened?

“OH HAPPY DAY!” Luna shouted in her Royal Canterlot Voice as she picked me up in her hooves and rocked me back and forth like a foal.

As if I don’t have enough self-esteem issues about my size, I bemoaned. I had to resist the urge to let my claws slip free of their greaves. It would be rather… unseemly to turn the gift Luna gave me against her.

“LULU! Let her go, she’s a grown mare!”

Okay, now I feel really bad about lying to Celestia.

“Fine,” Luna grumbled before placing me down. “Now, Night, how can we help you with this?”

“Well… my last attempt kinda… blew up in my face. So I was kinda hoping you two might have something coming up? Someplace that would be befitting a marriage proposal?”

It was a long shot, even if they did have an event soon; it wasn’t really common for bat-ponies to get invites to such social events. By not common, I mean it never happens. Normals don’t really like being around us, and we don’t like being around them. Not unless they’ve earned our respect.

I looked up to see that Celestia had the expression of a troublemaker on her face. “I may know just the event,” she said with a snicker.

I gulped when I heard Luna join in with her snickering.

Oh buck me; what did I get myself into?

“But you’ll still need a ring,” Celestia smiled at me, causing me to gulp.

***

“I still can’t believe that they put this on in such short notice,” Blue Moon complained. “And why did Luna insist that I come with you? I’m not a commanding officer!”

“And I am?” I asked with a roll of my eyes.

“You’re a captain!”

“A captain that spends every single day inside a room being trained; not one that commands.”

“Your time will come, Night,” Moon Shield said in her ‘I’m tired of having this conversation, again’ voice.

I let out a loud annoyed sigh while walking between the two cousins. “You two enjoy rubbing my coat too much for my liking.”

“You’ve never complained in the bedroom,” Blue Moon said with a snicker.

“I don’t think this is the right place or time for that,” I frowned.

“Relax,” Moon Shield smiled. “Luna told you two to act normal, not as officers. This meeting is not supposed to be that strict and formal at all. It’s to foster relations between the upper echelons of Equestria’s military and their sp—” Moon Shield bit her tongue.

“Their what?” Blue Moon asked.

“Nothing,” I quickly cut in.

Blue Moon looked at me, then at her cousin. “You two are hiding something.” She glared at me. “I already knew that from you. But you, Shield, I’m disappointed in.” She scowled at Shield.

“You’ll know it soon enough,” Shield said with a smirk, and then shrugged her shoulders at me.

Yeah, keep playing it cool and acting like you didn’t almost just give everything away!

“NIGHT!” Blue shouted.

“Oww…”

Unfortunately for me, scowling at Moon Shield and walking still proved beyond my abilities.

“That’ll teach you,” Moon Shield said as she stuck out her tongue.

“Still the adorable, clumsy mare I love,” Blue chuckled as she picked me up from the floor.

In my rampage, I managed to walk straight into the first bunch of stairs, tripping over them and landing muzzle first into the corner of the next pair. It hurt, a lot.

I held my muzzle, rubbing it and trying to get the throbbing pain to go away. It didn’t help until Blue quickly leaned in, kissing me. That stopped the pain at once. However, as I tried to push back into it, she immediately pulled away.

“Ah, ah, not now,” she whispered. “There’s more of that at home.”

“More than just that?”

She smiled at me, and slightly opened her mouth as she ran her tongue along the tips of her fangs. “Oh, so much more,” she cooed.

I could literally feel my wings stiffen at that display.

“Alright love-bats, cool it, this may not be strictly professional, but there are still rules.” Moon Shield stated as she walked in between us. “The last thing we need is for you two to be bucking in the middle of the hallway.”

“Yeah, rule one: don’t get between me and MY mare,” I muttered under my breath.

“It’s not like Luna hasn’t caught us before,” Blue complained as well.

That was new to Moon Shield. “Wait. WHAT?!”

“Um, nothing. C’mon Blue, let’s get inside,” I said with a chuckle as I walked around Moon Shield to Blue Moon’s side.

“Yeah, it was just a training exercise anyway,” Blue said with a chuckle.

“I think we could definitely use more training,” I purred at her.

“Mmmhmm, I love me some training.” Blue purred back

“Alright, STOP you two! I don’t need those images now!” Moon Shield yelped; blushing furiously as her wings twitched madly.

It was our turn to share a laugh at Moon Shield’s expense as we walked inside together.

This was my first officer meeting I’d ever attended. Largely they’re nothing more than a ‘social gathering of all the upper echelons of the armed forces brass’. Or to put it another way, they’re really, really, REALLY boring.

This one was casual, which basically meant we didn’t show up in uniform. No armor, no weapons, no dress uniforms. But all the other formalities were still in place. We all had to do the little dance around each other, giving everypony the respect their rank deserved while casually throwing passive-aggressive barbs their way.

I knew that I would fail at all the formalities as soon as we stepped inside. Grey Plate was there, standing at the side with his friends. I had no idea how they had been invited as well. Or did he just drag them along?

Either way, the lustful gaze he shot at Blue made me nearly buck his face in rage as soon as I was near him; something that didn’t go unnoticed.

“What’s up, Captain Filly Watch?” he asked before looking at Blue. “Blue Moon, you’re looking beautiful, as always. When are you going to place that filly back into kindergarten and come to me?”

This… was interesting. Grey Plate was a captain in the Royal Guard, Celestia’s armed forces. We were technically equal in rank, but not. The Royal Guard do not follow the same chain of command as we had, for they served Celestia while we served Luna. And, although we were Equestria’s true war soldiers, as the Royal Guard were the more… public force, they saw themselves as our betters.

Still, it took Moon Shield stepping on my tail to stop me from kicking his teeth out.

The answer Blue gave, however, calmed me; at least for the moment. “Never, I love her and before I would come to you by free will, hay would turn blue naturally.”

“We’ll see that. She’s just been lucky so far and on day you will wake up from this dream soon enough,” he chuckled. “Maybe from my kiss.”

Okay, that’s enough.

“Listen, you sorry royal bucker. I’ll give you exactly five seconds to turn away and leave my mare alone before I spread every single one of your teeth across this room, understood?”

“Oh, you made the little filly mad, Grey.” The stallion to his left chuckled.

“Grey Plate…” I spoke calmly. “Do you remember what happened with your friend that argued with Red Wave all those years ago?”

“What does that have to do with—” he started, but I stopped him.

“Let me promise you something. I won’t only break your muzzle and strain your balls. I’ll bucking rip them out and cut your bucking muzzle off!” I all but screamed.

“Night, love, he isn’t worth it. We know what we have. He’s just a sorry dreamer that believes he could achieve what you got,” Blue whispered as she put her wing around me, pulling me close to her.

“Yes, Blue. Calm that filly down so I can show you what a real stallion is capable of, and how better they can please you,” Grey Plate chuckled. “I think it’s time you feel a stallion.”

That was more than enough. With a scream, I pulled away from Moon Shield’s grip on my tail and charged him. I didn’t wear my greaves, but that wasn’t to say I needed them. It took a second before my hoof pulled back, leaving his muzzle in a weird angle, and bleeding.

“You phucking bich!” he yelled, his speech not quite right anymore. “Get her boys!”

My eyes took in every detail, every tactical application of this scenario. We were in the main meeting hall with everypony and princess looking at us, gasping in shock that a fight would dare break out here. I was in the center of three different ponies coming straight at me. One a unicorn that looked to be quite efficient in attack spells, and the other two pegasi. Captain Grey Plate lay on the ground with a dislocated jaw.

I was unarmed, and didn’t expect any help from either Blue Moon or Moon Shield. The latter of which was actively holding back the former. It was the smartest thing to do; I was captain, an officer. If I got into a fight with another officer it’d look bad, but nowhere near as bad if a sergeant hit a commanding officer.

That wasn’t why Moon Shield was holding her cousin back though. She was doing that for one reason and one reason only: Blue Moon would only get in the way.

These ponies were bucked and they didn’t even know it. Well, Grey Plate did, but only because of his dislocated jaw.

The unicorn had to go down first. The pegasi would be a matter of speed, but I couldn’t dodge them and deal with the unicorn at the same time. That’d be a recipe for disaster.

As soon as I saw him, I knew his weakness. His back right leg had been sprained. It wasn’t obvious, I doubt even a medical doctor could have spotted it like I did.

I may be small, I may not be strong, but I’m quick. My hooves left the ground and in two bounds I had darted to his side. The attack was completely unexpected. They had pincered me, expected me to be intimidated by the fact that I faced three full sized stallions while I was but the size of an older filly.

As if, I’ve spared with Princess Luna. And while I’ve never beaten her in a match, I have gotten close. My forehoof swept under his hurt leg, causing him to trip and fall on his side. I swooped down and capitalized, slamming my hind leg an inch above his sprain. Had I aimed right for it, I could have broken it. But even now, he was an ally, not an enemy.

That’s not to say there wasn’t pain, oh yes, there was plenty of that. The unicorn screamed in pain as he grasped his leg.

“Count yourself lucky, I could have broken it,” I hissed.

I had used my element of surprise, but that’s not to say I wasted it. I took out the biggest threat, now was the time to simply even the playing field.

The two pegasi looked at each other, then her fallen friend, and then scowled at me. They rushed at me from two sides, hoping to knock me out with their combined strength. It was their second and last mistake. Their first was to attack me. Their second was to simply attack me in a rage. I stayed calm, analyzed the situation. And then I simply ducked.

There was a nice sound as they crashed muzzle first into each other, no chance to brake anymore.

I admit I hate being small, it’s annoying and I’m always underestimated. That being said, Luna has a point, there are distinct advantages for a pony my size. The first is that few if any ponies would ever be used to fighting someone of my size.

These idiots made a rookie mistake; my size put me close to the ground, really close, so they had to fly down low for that attack to work. When I got even lower, their fates were sealed. Still, it was a matter of which one to take out of the fight first.

I rolled to the side before they fell upon me, each of them rubbing their temples where they hit the other. I saw it then, the pegasus on the right was dark grey with bright blue feathers. The one on the left was green, with more traditional matching wings. He was my target. I could see it in the way that his left wing didn’t quite fold back the same way his right wing did.

I reared back and kicked the dark-grey pegasus in the face. I don’t have the strength to do real damage, not with a blunt-force attack, but kinetic energy applied to the head has the same effect on everypony I’ve ever met. He may not have been seriously hurt, but for all intents and purposes, he was out of the fight.

That left only one of them still in it, the green one. With a grin I simply stared him down and bared my fangs.

He looked up at me in anger, anger and another emotion, one that was just beneath the surface: fear. It was the same fear that all had for my kind.

It was that emotion I had been looking for.

“Two down, one with a concussion, and one with a broken leg. Care to try me out? Tell me, how does a broken wing feel? It’s a pain I’ve never experienced before. But I’m sure you’ll love to tell me everything about it after I’m done with you,” I smiled.

I watched as his anger faded into panic and fear. Just as I suspected, at some point he had broken his wing before.

Pain lanced up my side as I felt myself tossed to the right. The air was taken from my lungs as somepony kicked me as hard as they could. Fortunately for me, it wasn’t as hard as he could have been able to kick. A broken jaw tends to sap your strength.

BUCK ME!

“Gut hear!” Grey Plate shouted at his friend.

Before he could lose his fear and charge at me with Grey together, he watched something that raised his fear. I steadied my breath before rising again. Grey Plate looked outright shocked.

“Seems like that filly is tougher than you thought,” I mocked him, before hitting him once more.

This time with my hind legs bucking hard, and this time shattering the bones in his muzzle.

The green pegasus looked ready to piss himself. “You’re on your own!” At that he took off, flying as fast as he could away from me.

“That’s enough!” Celestia shouted.

I smirked as I looked up and saw the two princesses walk over to us. I could see the anger on Celestia's face and the… smugness on Luna’s. I have no doubt Luna told her sister to let this play out. The two could have stopped it any time they wanted. Still. I was worried about Celestia as she neared me, but that was without reason.

Just hooves away from me, she turned to Grey Plate. “You’re a shame upon my guards!” she snarled at him. “After all this time, you should know better than to threaten a bat-pony or her mate, but you just couldn’t hold yourself, could you?” she glared coldly at him before—and this really caught me by surprise—smirking at me. “Grey Plate, you are hereby stripped of your rank. Get out of my sight.”

I can admit after the fact to a little bit of satisfaction at those words, satisfaction that turned to pity when several ponies showed up and carried him and his buddies out of the room. He was crying as they did.

“And Captain Night Watch!”

I looked back in shock at Luna. “Yes, Princess?”

“Don’t you know better than to pick on your intellectual inferiors?”

“I’ll always protect others, especially those close to me, you should know that,” I replied calmly.

Luna sighed. “I know that, but you should’ve still waited for him to attack you first.”

“But Luna, you’re the one that taught me the best defense is a good offence.”

Luna stopped at that and got a rather surprised look from her sister as well. “You told her what?”

“I never thought she would use it outside of battle!” Luna cried out before shutting her muzzle. “Alright, maybe I underestimated you.”

“Everypony does,” Blue Moon said as she walked up and kissed me on the cheek.

Just to be surprised as I cupped her muzzle and turned her in for a real kiss before turning back to the princesses. “I’m doing what we, we bat-ponies all got in our blood.”

“Indeed fair Night.”

“Luna!” Celestia protested.

Luna turned to her sister. “Tia, we can’t be mad at her for using what we’ve both taught her, now can we?”

I was about to add to that when Blue Moon wrapped a hoof around me and squeezed for a hug. “OUCH.”

Both princesses turned back to me, surprised. “Night?”

Blue let go, shocked. I looked down to my side where that bastard hit me; there was a nice purple bruise on my grey coat. Damn, that fool did hurt me.

It’s not the enemy you see that gets you, it’s the one you don’t.

The difference between knowing a lesson and applying it wins wars. Something I’d come to appreciate over my life.

Princess Luna scanned my side. With a sigh of relief that did nothing to relax Blue, she stated, “Tis’ but a bruise. Go home and put some ice upon it.”

“I’m fine,” I said.

Blue glared at me then hugged me again. I hissed out my pain at that. “You’re not fine and you're going home, now. Don’t worry Princess Luna I’ll take her.”

It’s kinda hard to argue with such logic. “Yes ma’am.”

As she wrapped her wing around me and we turned to leave. I smiled as I saw some of the faces of the other ponies present. I had been rude, brash, and combative with a fellow captain, everything that went against the very purpose of what that event had been about. Yet, I had earned their respect all the same. The up and coming commander had just proved that she could effectively neutralize four well-trained attacking opponents without assistance.

“Sorry I didn’t help,” Blue whispered as we left the building and made for home.

“Better you didn’t, assaulting a superior officer would lead to your court martial. And besides, it’s not like I couldn’t take those chumps,” I said with a kind smile.

“The great Night Watch, as cute as she is deadly.”

“What can I say? I had great teachers.” I kissed her again. Blue had more than gone out of her way to help me hone my combat skills. After all, no commander would send their troops out do so what they themselves wouldn’t do.

We both grinned at the night sky on our trek. It was, in a word: lovely, the company? Even more so.

Why… why do I feel like I forgot something?

***

“You keep that up and you’re going to give yourself a concussion,” Moon Shield stated as she walked into the officer’s room.

“I’m… so… bucking… stupid!” I shouted between slams of my forehead against the table.

“About getting into a fight with another captain? Ruining Celestia and Luna’s officer meeting? Forgetting to check your flank during a fight and allowing Grey Plate to sucker-kick you, or about not asking Blue Moon to marry you?”

“The latter one! And I bucking lost the hoof-ring!” I shouted before slamming my head even harder against the table, creating a small, but noticeable dent in it.

“Good because the other ones were hilarious and made it the best meeting we’ve ever had.”

“You’re NOT helping!”

“What’s the point of giving advice to somepony that won’t take it?” Shield said in a dismissive tone as she walked around to the side of the room.

“I’d take it!”

“No, you wouldn’t, so I’m not going to waste my breath.”

“Shield!”

“Shame too, it’s foolproof, even your clumsiness can’t screw this one up.”

“Tell me!”

“No point, you wouldn’t do it. It’s sad; it doesn’t even require a fancy ball, troops, or anything else to make it work.”

“You’re intentionally trying to piss me off now, aren’t you?” I asked, feeling a small trail of blood making its way down my forehead.

“Maybe,” Moon Shield said with a smile as she licked my head clean and walked away to leave the room. “Talk to you later, Night Watch.”

“Moon, if you take one step out of this room without telling me, I swear to Luna you will WISH Celestia would just banish you to the moon.”

She paused, her hoof resting on the doorknob and she looked back at me, her expression blank. “You really want to know?”

“Yes.”

I couldn’t see the smile on her face, but I could SEE the smile on her face. She started to walk back to take a seat on the other side of the table. “You really, really, really want to know?”

Why do I feel like Commander Flying Tide must have when he knowing walked his troops right into a dragon ambush?

I glared at her. “JUST. BUCKING. TELL. ME.”

She sat down opposite of me. With her front hooves she reached across the table and took mine in them. At that she started to lean across the table. In a growing tone, she stated, “All you gotta do is: go home, walk right up to her, look her dead in the eyes, open your muzzle, and ASK HER!”

I blinked. I really blinked as her words dawned upon me. She was right and I was wrong, again. It simply was that easy, I was just too scared and dumb to notice it.

My head hit the table again, this time it stayed there. “I bucking hate you.”

“I know.” Moon Shield giggled as she got up and left, for real this time though. “I look forward to hearing the good news.”

“Thanks,” I mumbled.

“You’re welcome, silly filly,” Moon stated as the door closed behind her.

I had to change my statement. I bucking hate myself.

***

“Blue, love, are you home?” I asked as I opened the door to her apartment and walked in.

Everything seemed dark, there were no lights on and the front door had been locked as well.

Something is wrong here, I thought with a shiver down my spine. As if the flight home hadn’t been nerve wracking enough, now I come home to this.

“Blue?” I asked again.

“Bedroom,” came the whisper, something that relieved me and excited me in equal measure. While it was true that I had something a little more important in overall priorities, but our times together was a gift I’d never turn down.

I made my way down the hallway and turned on the light. Just to make sure I didn’t have—another—fight with the doorframe at the end of the hallway. “Hide and seek is always fun,” I stated with a grin.

“That’s not what we’re playing this night, now turn on the light and come in,” Blue growled back, her voice sounding… off, as if something wasn’t right.

“Blue? Everything alright?”

She didn’t reply and I started to get worried. I increased my pace and opened the door to the bedroom. Turning on the lights I was a little taken aback by what I saw. Sergeant Blue Moon was in full dress uniform and starting right at me. A lump built in my throat as my mind went to the worst case scenario. “Blue?”

“Captain Night Watch,” she stated, placing unneeded emphasis on my rank. She was glaring at me, angrily.

“Whatever I did, I’m sorry! I didn’t meant to keep anything from you, I love you, it’s not what you think I-I—” Like I said, my mind went to the worst case scenario.

“Captain Night Watch, I, Sergeant Blue Moon am hereby terminating my relationship with you, effective immediately!”

“Blue, NO, we can fix it!” I was pleading with now, my heart in my throat.

“LET ME FINISH,” she scowled and I shut my muzzle. “I’m terminating my relationship with you as your marefriend and leaving you with one more important question…” she stopped and I was nearly dying in worry.

There were tears in my eyes as I barely made out her actions. She reached being her and pulled out something I couldn’t quite make out. Then, in one fluid motion, she got down on one knee and opened up the box she had reached for.

“Will you marry me?”

I think my heart skipped at least five beats. I felt dizzy, light headed, and couldn’t believe my own ears. It was only once I felt it start again that I could even focus my eyes on the box she had opened it. It had a very familiar object in it. The same object I had acquired from my mother a day ago, the same object I had carried, and then lost, to the officer meeting yesterday. The ring I had meant to give to Blue.

“W-w-what?” I stuttered. My body not yet caught up to my brain.

“It’s a simple question, Silly Filly, will you marry me?”

The words repeated in my head, reaching my mind and heart. It took me only a second to leap at her and sweep her off her hooves, kissing her as deep and as passionately as I could.

“I take it that’s a yes,” she said with a chuckle.

“YES-YES-YES-YES!” I shouted with tears in my eyes, my body feeling like it would melt under my own emotions. “A million yeses raised to a million!”

“That’s a lot of yeses,” she giggled and we kissed again, and again, and then a third time.

I lay her down on the bed and cuddled up next to her. The box fell on the bed next to us as it was simply no longer necessary; after all, it was what it represented that mattered. However, it did draw my attention back to it for a fraction of a second, much longer than I needed to put two and two together. “W-when did you figure it out?”

“What? Your attempts to ask me?” she asked, running a hoof down the side of my face.

“Yeah.”

“After the formation; it was… strange, even for you. So once I figured out something was going on, I memorized the commands and replayed them on your tactic tables using models.”

“And you still yelled at me, even if you knew it?!” I asked, flabbergasted.

“It was cute, and I was little angry you didn’t just come out with it.”

“And last night?”

“I expected… something, especially when Moon Shield all but gave it away; however, it wasn’t confirmed until I saw the box fall to the ground during your fight.”

“So you just thought, ‘if she’s going to keep screwing it up, I’ll do it myself’?”

“Yes. Please don’t be mad at me, I thought you were really cute trying to all. I just wanted to put an end to this and finally take this step.” She smiled at me. “And besides, isn’t there some saying about keeping it simple or something?”

“The best solutions are the simplest ones,” I stated, pushing my muzzle deeper into her coat. “Moon Shield said something similar to me today. I was actually going to ask you when I walked in.”

“Well, wife, that just leaves us one question.”

“Whatever it is, we can handle it, together.”

“Mmhmm, I agree, but this one may be a doozy.”

“Oh, what’s that?”

“When shall we have the wedding?”

OH, BUCK ME!

Author's Note

And here it continues.
Night Watch and Blue Moon.
I think I've grown fond of these two.
So adorkable... and bloody...