A Princess in name, a Queen in heart

“I thought Guard training built up your stamina.” Flurry panted, looking at the unicorn on the ground. “Typical stallion never able to-”

“You finish that and I’ll wallop you one. And for your information it does, but we still have limits, your one third earth pony still.”

“How does that work again?”

Shining shrugged. “Alicorns?”

Both of them just laughed. They had just completed a forty mile run around the stadium track, ponies could cover large distances easily, but running at a full war gallop nonstop was trying either way.

“Though you are right, I think I’ve been letting myself slip a little, I need to be doing more PT, can’t have a ruler being seen as getting lazy.”

Flurry chuckled. “Maybe you’ll be able to keep up with me one day.”

“Keep talking, we’ll see how much talk you have after some real Guard training.”

“Bring it on ‘old stallion’.”

“Oh now you’ve done it.” Without warning Shining leapt up, grabbing Flurry around the neck, proceeding to playfully noogie her head.

“GAH! STOP!”

“This is what you get for calling me ‘old’.”

Flurry giggled, flapping her wings playfully trying to get away from Shining.

“WHAT IS GOING ON?!”

Both turned to see Cadence, she stomped towards them with an irritated look on her face.

“Its called spending time with my daughter, besides she needed to get outside anyway.”

Cadence chewed her bottom lip. “Yes I suppose she can’t stay indoors all the time, but what is this I hear about Guard training?”

Shining stood before his wife with a serious expression. “First, Flurry brings up a good point, she's not helpless, and it would be better if she knew how to defend herself. And second I wasn’t planning to enlist her or anything, if that's what you're worried about. Who told you? I wanted to talk with you, before we settled on anything.

“I overheard a couple of the guards, they were saying you were out here running Flurry like a Guard recruit.”

“Well I don't get much exercise inside, so here we are. Besides he wasn’t running me, I think I lapped you there.” Flurry said with a playful nudge, Shining just rolled his eyes.

Cadence pinched her brow with her hoof. “Alright I admit getting her out and exercising like this is a good idea, but I will not have you training her like one of your recruits, she is a princess after all.”

“Cady, Luna is an accomplished warrior, Celestia I think made most of the guards training course, and Twily has been training as a battle mage, I don’t think it's ‘beyond a princess’ to train in combat.”

“Is that really what you want Flurry to be doing? Charging off into battle?”

“Nopony said anything about charging off into battle.” Shining said diplomatically.

“Um, what do we have to charge at? Other than some remnant changelings?” Flurry asked raising her hoof.

“Isn’t that enough?” Cadence bit back, no small amount of venom in her voice.

“Alright you too, it's getting late.” Shining said inserting himself between the two mares. “Let's have some dinner, and leave this discussion.”

Both mares nodded as Shining led them inside.

~o0o~

Flurry was back in her room, the moon was just coming over the horizon as night was setting over the Empire. Flurry looked out her window at the city below, while still very old fashion, even the Crystal ponies had a night life. A dark cloak was draped over her back, as she waited. Down below she spotted Midnight Star, readying her teleport Flurry blink from existence, appearing around the corner from Midnight. As Midnight came around the corner, she saw a soft yellow pegasus with a pink mane. The mare waved at her, though she was sure she didn’t know this pony.

“Hey Midnight!”

“Hello, I’m sorry do I know you?”

“Not as well as I would like,” she said with a smirk. “But I did ‘order’ you to be my friend, remember?”

“F-F-FLU-Mmmm!”

“Not right now, I’m ‘Summer Sun’, and we are going to go have some fun!”

Midnight could only stare wide eyes. “How? But-when? What about your mother?!?”

Flurry rolled her eyes. “I have things taken care of, and as long as you don’t mention my other name, nopony will be the wiser. Now, we need to go have some fun, and spend time as friends!”

Midnight couldn’t say anything as she was led off into town.

The two mares entered the shopping district, while many of the shops were closed, restaurants and taverns were open and lively. Singing could be heard from the well-lit taverns, while the smell of a tasty meal drifted around them.

“Have you been in any of these places before?” Flurry asked, hoping to get an idea of a good place to go.

“Not really, there is one place that I go to once in awhile for a drink, but I’m not much of a ‘party pony’ as some would say.”

“That sounds like a good place to end the evening, but what about stepping into one of these places, you know have a drink, tease a stallion or two, let our manes down for a bit.”

“P-p-princ-Mmmmm!”

“Remember what I said, I’m just an average pegasus mare right now, come on it will be fun.” Flurry turned towards a tavern, when a thought struck her. “Wait, are you even into stallions?”

Midnight blushed looking down at her hooves.

“HA! Perfect, we’ll get a few stallions to buy us a couple of drinks, then you can put the moves on me, the looks on their faces will be priceless!”

Midnight was blushing down to her hooves as they entered the tavern. The tavern itself was a rather nice establishment, dark stained wood was everywhere, the crystals here were also dark in color, regardless the place was well lit giving the inside a warm atmosphere. The cheery conversation and merry singing only added to the atmosphere, Flurry could feel eyes on them as she and Midnight entered, two pretty mares like them attracted attention. Sitting at the bar Flurry, or ‘Summer’, ordered them a pair of ciders, the golden crisp liquid tasted rather nice.

“Haven’t seen you two in here before.” The barkeep remarked.

“Nope, but with such an inviting atmosphere, how could we stay away?” Flurry said smiling at the barkeep.

“We try, if you two need anything just let me know.”

After the barkeep had left, Flurry looked over at Midnight, who had already finished her drink.

“You didn’t tell me you were a heavy weight.”

Midnight just shrugged. “It's not as strong as I’m use too, I said I don't drink often, I didn’t say I couldn’t hold my liquor.”

Flurry nodded. “Point taken.”

Before they could order a second round, a stallion walked up eyeing the two mares. Flurry opened her senses to him, and heaved a big internal sigh. The best way she could describe him was, a lusty burrito wrapped in sleazy grease.

“Now why are a pair of nice mares sitting all by themselves, they should be enjoying the company of me and my friends.”

Flurry almost gagged. “Well I’m afraid we're just not all that into stallions.” leaning over Flurry gave Midnight a quick kiss on the cheek.

“I’m sure you’ll have a change of heart.” the stallion said with a look that made Flurry’s insides turn.

Ok, time to get the flying buck out. Flurry went to wave the barkeep, but found the stallion blocking her hoof. Flurry open all of her changeling sense, and immediately regretted stepping into this place. Lust was heavy in the air, and not the good kind. In the hive lust could be felt here and there, it was unavoidable when two ponies or changelings got together, but the lust shared by two lovers was sweet and tangy, here is was bitter and greasy. Now she could feel not only the stallion next to her, but the four others slowly coming up behind her and Midnight. She hated doing this, but at this point it would be both of their flanks if she did nothing.

Leaning close Flurry whispered to the stallion. “Call off your goons and let us leave, or things will get messy for you.”

“Oh I'm sure they will, things are always ‘messy’ with a couple of fresh mares around.”

And you just crossed the line!

Without warning Flurry’s left hoof connected with the stallion's jaw, sending him flying. He crashed into a table, showing drinks and plates everywhere. One of the stallions at the table lept over the table, looking to take a swing at the pony who had crashed into the table, another pony from the group who had been closing in on Flurry, knocked him sideways, sending him sailing into yet another table, then all tartarus broke loose. Ponies began throwing punches, mugs, plates even other ponies, in the span of a few seconds the tavern had gone from warm and lively, to out right violent.

“We need to go now!” Flurry didn’t wait for Midnight to answer as she drug her towards the entrance. A large stallion stepped in their way, grinning down at them.

“What do we have here?”

“Buck off!” Flurry launched them both into the air, out of the stallions reach.

“Fly to the door, I’ll cover you!”

“I don’t think we can.” Midnight pointed to the door, that was now jammed with ponies either fighting or trying to get out. Looking around, Flurry had an idea.

“Follow me, I’ll get us out.”

Flurry dove for one of the taverns front windows, in the confusion nopony saw the faint golden aura that formed around ‘Summer Sun’, as she crashed through the window. Coming to a stop in the street, Flurry turned around, looking for Midnight. She swooped through the window just as somepony made a grab for her tail, the two galloped down the street before turning down an alley, stopping once they were sure nopony was following them.

“Ok, next time we go where you suggest.”

Midnight nodded. “What even happened? It was all so sudden.”

“You want the play by play, or the short version?”

“Short?”

“Sleazy mc’sleazy back there seemed to think we would be easy marks for him and his friends, I didn’t want to punch him, but he had four of his friends behind us.”

Midnights eyes went wide. “Oh buck, I don’t even want to think what they might have done.”

“If you had heard his remark after I told him things would get messy for him, ya no better to not know.”

They stood in silence for a moment.

“So… my bar?”

“Yes.”

~o0o~

The bar Midnight took them too was little more than a hole in the wall, but it was a nice hole in the wall. The bar itself was hard wood, everything else in the place was carved out of crystal. There was the warm buzz of conversation and laughter, much nicer then the tavern they had left earlier.

“What can I get for you two, oh hello Midnight.”

“Hi Tap, something strong.”

“Give me whatever she’s having, I need to forget a sleaze ball.”

Barrel Tap looked at the two for a moment. “Get hit on by some stallion?”

“Ugh that would have been better,” Flurry said rubbing her forehead. “Five stallions looking to get ‘personal’ with two mares, think about that for a second.”

“First rounds on the house.” Tap said as he turned to get them their drinks.

Flurry turned to Midnight. “Are stallions really like that around here?”

“Only a few,” came a voice from behind them. “There some holdovers from ‘Him’, haven’t gotten quite use to living under the Empress, even after all these years.”

Flurry turned to see a crystal pony stallion, he was light green with a silver mane and ruby eyes.

“How do you mean, if I may ask, Mr...?”

“Snow Field, and no Mr. Let me put it this way, if you're building an empire with slaves, you want all the slaves you can get…”

He left the sentence hanging.

Flurry’s eyes went wide. “I-bu-how-what?!?”

“Ya, some of them want to stay in their ‘glory days’ as they put it, it's disgusting really.”

“No argument there,” Flurry agreed. “Why doesn't the Guard or the Empress do something about them?”

“Because they're smart, they know how to get away without being caught, I've heard whispers about them, I don't know they do it, they just do.”

“Are they like some public secret, everypony knows but they're just afraid to say something?”

Tap came back with two tall mugs, each filled with frothy cider, much stronger than the last drinks they had.

“Hardly, if it was then I’m sure the Guard would be looking into them, no it's the kind of thing you hear when passing a hushed conversation, or a dark ally.”

“You hear about it, but you don’t believe something so terrible.” Midnight added taking a drink from her mug.

“Wait, why didn’t you say anything before we went into that place?”

“Hearing rumors that there are some, ‘abusive Sombra wanna be stallions’ somewhere? I didn’t even know they were really a thing until now, much less the one place we stepped into.”

“Point taken.” Flurry nodded. “Well then I say it's high time somepony did something about these jerks.”

Flurry raising her mug to meet Snow’s and Midnight’s. A few other ponies with in earshot raised their drinks as well. So here is was in a little hole in the wall bar named Tappers, Flurry Heart came up with the beginnings of a brilliant idea.