Guardian of Equestria

Chapters

A New Princess, A New Visitor
The First Day
The Ceremonial Promise
The Start of Something
Assassin's Judgement
Welcome to Ponyville
Introduction to Ponyville
Mogloween
Life in Bandages [Crossover]
Guardian's Lesson
A Fine Night for Hunting
Royal Competition
Hearth's Warming Preparations
Not-so-Merry Frostval
Interlude: A Playdate With a Fox
Heaross Reference Sheet
The (possible) end of Guardian of Equestria
Prologue: Warlic's Blunder
A Thorn of the Mind, A Thorn in the Side
Castle Crashers

A New Princess, A New Visitor

Heaross finally awoke in a forest, at nighttime, no sign of Warlic around, and with a massive amount of ambient magic floating around. This day was going swimmingly... And then there were the wolves he was now hearing. Yep, this day has just been peachy. Absolutely perfect. Dammit Warlic...

Remembering his Guardian training, Heaross took stock of everything. His body and armor were still entirely intact, nothing changed there besides the slight headache he was now feeling. That was possibly due to the unfiltered mana floating around, but a potion may help. The second thing he checked were his followers. Fortunately, the 2 he had following him were still intact, apparently unharmed, but currently unconscious. Fred and his Mau of Osiris. Fred, his loyal pack mule, always carrying his armor and equipment, was someone that was rarely remembered, unless the situation called for him. The Mau of Osiris was his, for lack of a better term, battle cat. She - yes the Mau was a she - was a Persian breed of cat, hairless yet fierce. The Mau also had a curse on her that she sometimes used for battles to scare his opponents. Heaross thought it looked kind of cool, when not being targeted by it. They were both fine, if maybe a little startled when they woke up. He should probably grab the treats for his cat.

After checking his equipment and items, making sure everything was still there, Heaross looked around where he was, trying to figure out if something wrong had happened with the spell. It was midday when he went to check out the flux, but by the looks of it, it was somewhere past dusk, maybe near midnight. The moon's position told him that yes, it was close to midnight. Looking around further, he started seeing very bright lights coming from somewhere off in the distance, away from the woods. It might be another temporal anomaly, or it could be a mage battle. Neither one of those sounded good right about now. But, if someone was in danger, then his code of Guardianship forced him to protect whoever was in danger. But he couldn't leave Fred and Mau, they could be in danger if left alone. He thought quickly about what he could do.

Wait, he thought, I have that pocket dimension for my pets! I can just put them both there, and get them when they wake up. Quickly opening the controlled portal, he carried both to a bed he had placed there, and laid them upon it. Satisfied they would be safe in there, he closed the portal and set upon the lights, which were a considerable distance closer than he originally thought. As it was, it took him less than a minute to reach it, where the light was also centered in the middle of a rural town, not altogether unlike his hometown of Battleon. Though, instead of humans or the other bipedal races there, he found lightly colored ponies. Some of them were what appeared to be unicorns, while others were pegasi, while some had neither wings nor horn. As the situation went, practically none of the small horses noticed Heaross, currently too busy watching the strange light manifesting. There was one pony who had noticed him though, colored an almost cyan color, who was doing the most adorable squee he had ever heard.

Ignoring whoever it was for the time being, Heaross could see some shapes inside of the ball of magic starting to form. There was a strange 6 pointed star, with some smaller stars being formed around it, and a shape most like the little ponies here, but almost blindingly white. It lowered to the ground and formed entirely into a lavender colored unicorn. The most striking thing about the pony were the sudden wings flared out to the sides of it. A winged unicorn? A horned pegasus? Heaross was unsure what to call the strange creature, but his question was shortly answered by another pony near the lavender one, colored a light orange, who called out to it, "Twilight? Is that you?"

So its name is Twilight? Strange, but he has seen weirder names. Just as he was about to approach, another 5 ponies rushed towards Twilight, one of them being the orange one from earlier. They crowded her, sharing hugs and apparent relief for something. Maybe she had disappeared before Heaross arrived, and was just now reappearing. Finally thinking it an appropriate time, Heaross made his presence known by simply walking towards the group of 6, and handing one of his health potions to Twilight. Needless to say, the following freak out by other 5 was somewhat expected. Giving a tired sigh, Heaross said, "Drink this. You should feel your strength return and your mind cleared. And don't think I'm here for conquest or to hurt anyone. My name is Heaross and I am a Guardian. My first and foremost priority is to make sure any and all beings are safe and in good condition. From the reaction of your dear friends, I'm going to guess the wings are new?"

Twilight seemed very taken aback, yet managed to keep her calm in the presence of this tall, armored guardian, as he called himself. After a moment, she replied, "Umm... yeah the wings are new. My name is Twilight Sparkle, and these are my friends." After noticing the strange bottled liquid, she asked, "What's in this? You said it could heal, but I'm a little unsure. I don't mean any offense, but you did just show up."

"No offense taken, Twilight Sparkle. I'd be wary if some tall stranger just showed up and started talking about protecting people as well. This, Twilight, is a potion. More specifically, a healing potion. It can heal most injuries almost instantly, and give a boost to spent reserves of energy. Counting that one, I have 35 stored for use. Normally for use in a fight, I will give one to another if needs be. Drink it and you'll find yourself at your tip performance in seconds. Drink it slowly, the energy boost is quite substantial."

Taking his word for it, the lavender colored pony takes a small drink of the strange red potion, quickly drinking the small amount. After a moment of looking surprised, she drunk the rest of the potion slower than the first sip. After downing the entire potion, she says to Heaross, "By the Maker, that is hard to swallow! How can you drink 35 of those?"

Heaross gives a hearty chuckle and smiles, replying, "Yeah, the first time is always hard on the mouth. My first one I almost threw up. Drink a few more and you'll find it isn't that bad to drink. Almost like a strong wine." After giving a thoughtful look, he says, "I don't mean to alarm you, but I think your friends over there are terrified of me." A loud hiss was heard from a pink pony, further proving his point.

"Pinkie, I don't think its appropriate for right now to be scared. Heaross seems genuinely concerned for my safety. The same goes for the rest of you." Soon realizing that she hadn't introduced them to Heaross, she spoke, "Heaross, as you can tell, these are my friends."

Pointing to an orange pony with an orange stetson hat on her head, "This is Applejack," pointing to a blue pegasus with a vibrant rainbow mane, "that's Rainbow Dash," pointing to white unicorn with a lustrous purple mane, "there's Rarity," pointing to the pink pony that had hissed at Heaross, "she is Pinkie Pie," and pointing to the last pony, a very shy looking yellow pegasus, "and this is Fluttershy. Normally, they're all good natured and very nice, but I guess the same thing that happened with Zecora is happening again now."

"Xenophobia?"

"You know what that means? We are going to be the best of friends, if mine here can get over themselves and not be so rude."

"Just give them time Twilight. I would be willing to bet that my first impressions probably weren't that good." And just to prove his point further, suddenly a great white mass slammed into Heaross knocking him away from Twilight and the others. Quickly flipping himself right, he landed on his feet and prepared for what could be a very long and hard fight. While the blow he received didn't hurt, he couldn't tell what element his new foe was using, so he stuck with the Ultra Guardian Armor, preferring its strong earth, fire and darkness resistances.

"Get away from my ponies, human! I won't let you hurt them!" The new player in the game certainly didn't like him, so he prepared himself for a good fight, steeling his nerves and drawing his sword and shield.

"And just might who you be, ruler? I warn you, I don't want to fight you, but if you force my hand then I will be forced to subdue you," said Heaross, not one ounce of fear showing from his eyes, but rather a conviction of a fight, and the excitement it brings.

"I am Princess Celestia, and I know of what your kind bring. Death, disease, war, just to name a few. And don't start thinking for a moment that I will let you hurt my subjects, for you will have to go through me first!"

Well, this might not end well. I really don't want to kill a princess, and this entire thing seems to be a misunderstanding. If I have to, I'll fight, but I don't think killing the ruler would help me out, so nonlethal take down should suffice. I don't know what she would be using to fight, though I think its a safe bet to wager magic, considering that long horn she has. Let's try for a bit of peace first off though. His internal monologue done, Heaross starts by saying, "Princess Celestia, I think we may have a misunderstanding here. I don't come in the name of my people, or to start some war. My name is Heaross, and I am of the Guardian Order. Our mission to maintain peace and protect those who cannot protect themselves. I was transported here after a teleporting spell was blasted with a high concentration of pure mana, emanating from a temporal flux that I was sent to investigate. I am here at this town because I had noticed a strange light coming from some point here. As it turns out, the strange light coalesced into the form of Twilight Sparkle. I have given her a health potion for any fatigue and wounds she may have sustained while being in whatever realm that she was in. As you can see, she is in good health and bears no ill will towards me nor I her. She has introduced me to her friends and herself, and I see no threat here that requires my services, aside from yourself."

Not quite believing Heaross, but willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, questions Twilight about his words and and truthfulness regarding his actions. After supporting and confirming what she has seen and said, Celestia says to the Guardian, "While I may not trust you or your kind, I will reserve judgement until a later date so as to question whether you are truly trustworthy or not. Don't think though that I will not fight you. If you dare harm my ponies in any way, then I will blast you with the force of the sun itself."

"I thank you for your willingness to not attack me Celestia, though I must warn you as well that attacking me would not end well for you. You may have the power of the sun at your command, but I doubt even someone like you would be able to defeat me. I have faced foes of such strength, that they have destroyed mountains in single blows. You cannot best me."

"We will see about that. For now, I have matters to attend to, like helping dear Twilight Sparkle adjust to becoming an alicorn." Keeping true to her word, Celestia began to speak with Twilight about her wings, and helping her adjust. After a moment, Twilight began to run and jumped high, testing her new wings. Amazingly, she managed to take flight, despite being completely new to it. Sighing, Heaross opened the portal to his pets and called out his Sphinx.

Once she had come out, Heaross closed the portal and gave her instructions to tail Twilight and catch her when she starts to inevitably fall. After pointing out who was Twilight, the sphinx took flight and followed her, who was whooping and cheering for her new wings. After about 3 minutes of sustained flight, quite impressive considering how new she was, she started dipping, her energy drained from using her wings so much. Following Heaross' command, the sphinx caught twilight on her back and gently touched down, allowing the new alicorn to step off, seeming quite tired after flying so long. Coming back to her master, Heaross fed her a fresh rat he found while they were flying and fed it to the sphinx. "Thank you Heaross. I will rest for now, unless you have need of me again."

"Thank you, Sphinx, for catching Twilight. I don't have need of you now, so you may return." Opening the portal, the lion-eagle hybrid creature walked in, preparing for some well deserved rest. Closing the portal, Heaross walked over to Twilight, making sure she wasn't hurt from straining herself so much in the first time flying. Aside from being tired, Twilight was fine, her wings still in good condition, if a bit strained.

Rainbow Dash came to him then and said, "If you're so new here, why are you acting like we're such good friends and trying to protect us?"

"For 2 reasons, Rainbow Dash." the hardened warrior replied, "1 is because of my Guardian Code. I have sworn an oath to protect and care for any beings I see that may need any help, and maintain peace throughout all lands. The second reason is are we not friends? And things like this are what friends do for each other? I mean, I could be entirely wrong and your instead supposed to slap your friends every time you see them, but that doesn't seem like something very friendly to do."

Seeing the smirk and detecting sarcasm just dripping from his voice, Rainbow decided to let the matter drop. Finishing up with making sure Twilight was healthy, he noticed the shy little Fluttershy approaching him, if a bit nervously. With just the most cutest little voice, and almost cowering in fright, she simply asked the big man, "Can I please see your pet again?"

"I swear to god if I ever find a cuter thing than that I will eat my own sword. Yes, Fluttershy, you can. I have a better idea though. Would you like to see all of my pets?" With the most genuine smile, she nodded yes. "Okay then, follow me." Opening the portal to where he stored all of his pets when they weren't helping him fight or keeping him company, he led Fluttershy inside, showing her a world of animals and exotic beasts, tamed and trained. "You may want to stay back for a moment." Stepping back, though with some question, she simply watched as Heaross raised his arms wide, steadied himself, and shouted, "COME GIVE ME A HUG!" Suddenly, the massive wave of animals barreling over him entirely engulfed Heaross, blocking her sight for about 30 seconds. After he had finally come up for air, smiling, he introduced all of them to Fluttershy, and her to them.

Her squeals of enjoyment at seeing so many animals almost gave Heaross a heart attack from adorableness. "Oh my, there are so many! And they're all so cute! I can't hug enough of them!" Despite her attempts at it.

After about 10 minutes of nonstop hugging and praising each of the animals, Heaross decides that she's been here long enough, and that any more would legitimately give him a heart attack. As strong as his potions are, they don't stop heart attacks. "Come on, Fluttershy. Your friends might get worried if you're gone too long. Maybe when we have some time I'll let you come back here." Even after hearing the many groans and complaints about her leaving, Heaross was resolute in the fact that if they were gone any longer, someone might get worried and jump to conclusions.

Opening the portal and promising to his pets and to Fluttershy that she would be able to come back some time, they left the pocket dimension, Fluttershy intent on going immediately to her friends and relating her experiences with the many animals of Heaross' world. The warrior, meanwhile, set about the town, intent on exploring and becoming familiar with his surroundings. He saw many things there, the most notable of which were a large tree holding a Library, a pink candy covered building which he found to be a confectionery shop, and a clothing store with a carousel on the top. This is certainly a world Aria or Robina might enjoy, being the embodiment of every young girl's dream. Warlic would be too fascinated with the magic and all of its properties, while Artix... Heaross was genuinely unsure what Artix would think of this world. He hadn't found any malicious or otherwise evil people here, so he would probably just be bored, wanting something to fight. The wasabi loving paladin always treasured a good fight. That's what made him such a good sparring partner.

...damn, its only been a few hours and I'm already missing Battleon. I really hope Warlic remembers our interdimensional protocol, I don't want to be stuck here any longer than I have to. Maybe I should summon Dunamis and see what he says. I don't even know if I can summon him... The bad part is the same would apply for the Sisters of Mercy... Oh shit, if I can't summon them then I can't summon the Guardian Dragon! Maybe I could still summon Death... Death has said before that all domains are his to collect souls from... That would be the smartest move... Yeah, once I get a chance, I'll summon him and see what he has to say.

Exceedingly annoyed now, Heaross stops, turns around, and calls out to any listening, "I know you're following me. If you have a question, I'm more than happy to answer it, otherwise, leave me alone." After a moment, not entirely satisfied that whoever was tailing him left, Heaross continued on his exploration of the town and its surrounding areas.

...okay who is following me and why? I understand I'm a new site for everyone here, but that doesn't mean its okay to follow me around like some spy. Now very thoroughly perturbed, Heaross stops again, but decides to switch to his Fujin equipment to use the power of winds to ascend high into the air and see who it was that was spying on him. Easily locking onto them, he silently touches down behind them and walks right to their back. "So, who you spying on?"

The very high pitched scream tells him that this is either a girl, or a boy going through puberty. Due to the size of said pony, he goes with girl. "How did you get behind me, and how did you know I was following you?" Yep, that squeaky voice definitely belongs to a girl.

"I'm a Guardian, and I'm a Guardian. The better question here is why were you following me? And who are you?"

Taking a deep breath of air, the girl, despite now being at the mercy of Heaross, says very levelly, "My name is Lyra, and I've been studying humans for a long time. You are a human, right?" After a nod from the Guardian, she continues, "I want to learn more about humans, and how your people work. I thought the best way would be to follow you and learn from your movements and mannerisms."

Taking a deep breath, exhaling into a long, drawn out sigh, inhaling again, Heaross finally speaks, "And you really thought that would work? Little lesson for you, if you are curious about someone or where they're from, it's not considered rude to ask them about it. What is rude is following them around, thinking they won't mind. It's also less effective at learning about them. I'll teach you some things, but later. I have a lot on my mind right now, and it's been a really tiring day. If you'll excuse me now, good night. And if I find you following me again, I won't be as merciful the next time."

Taking his words to heart, Lyra rushed off to parts unknown, probably in fear of what would happen if she stuck around. Finally... God, today has been really exhausting. A potion may help restore my energy, but that doesn't mean that it's better than a good night of sleep... Question though, where the hell am I gonna sleep tonight?

The First Day

Ooh... Now that is a comfy bed to wake up in... When I get back home, I am totally gonna get one of these mattresses... Having to force himself out of bed, Guardian Heaross performs his normal morning routine, which consists of an extensive workout, sword and axe practice, and checking on his pets and their supplies in the Petverse (Fluttershy came up with the name, and Heaross loved it).

Fred and the Mau had woken up after long enough, and he explained to everyone in the Petverse (he is totally gonna copyright that when he gets home) that due to a magic flux, all of them were now in a different time of existence. Still learning himself, he explained what he could, including the name of the land, Equestria, its inhabitants, and the rules Heaross was setting for each of his pets. Fred was to stay in the Petverse for the time being, until Heaross could make sure of the safety and rules of the land. The same was true for the rest of his pets, but because he also didn't want to scare any of the local ponies by the strange and exotic creatures. As much as he hated to admit it, it was less for the pet's safety and more for the normal inhabitants.

Exiting the portal, Heaross was surprised to find a black and navy blue alicorn mare staring at where he had entered back into the room from. She was comparable to Celestia, but a little shorter and seemed a bit nicer, especially when she said, "My name is Luna. I am sister to Celestia and Princess of the Night. Consider this an official welcome to Equestria."

"Hello, Luna. My name is Heaross, Legendary Adventurer and Guardian at your service. I am glad to find out that being rude to newcomers doesn't run in the family."

Seeming a bit surprised, Luna asked politely, "Rude? Has Celestia done something to give a bad perception of herself?"

"Let's see, jumping to conclusions, threatening me after she had just knocked into me on purpose, and overall a bad temperament regarding me or my kind. Not very good first impressions, if you ask me."

"That sounds strangely unlike my sister. Normally she is kind and welcoming to any who are new."

"If you don't believe me, ask Twilight about it. She saw the entire thing happen, and even supported my story. If not for her, Celestia may be unconscious and locked up."

"Oh really? And why would that be, 'Legendary Adventurer?'"

"Because then I would have been forced to defend myself, and killing the ruling monarch doesn't seem like something that would get me into any good books with people."

"Equestria actually has a diarchy system of ruling. Celestia is one ruler, and I am the other. But I would agree that killing essentially half of the government would be bad. Though I do have doubts you could."

"During Guardian training, one of the requirements to pass was being able to sense magic, the amount currently of, and express knowledge in its use. While there were no requirements stating that you had to use magic in some form, you did have to demonstrate that you could. The amount of magic I am sensing from you currently is about on par with the warlock, Warlic, a good friend of mine and strongest spell caster in the lands. Celestia has a small amount more than you. Warlic could very easily combat both of you and win. He and I have sparred on more than one occasion, and it has been fully proven that even he cannot best me. Unless, of course, you wish to test my words and your luck? I'm always up for a good sparring match." An almost devilish grin showed that he was ready for a good spar. Just because he was a Guardian didn't mean that he didn't enjoy a good fight.

A grin crossing her lips, Luna replied, "Maybe. I do enjoy a chance to cut loose a bit. But I don't think here is a good place for it. We don't want to destroy the tower do we?"

Ah, I knew I was forgetting something. We're in Canterlot, the capital right? More specifically, in the royal castle. I do hope there is somewhere we can go if we are going to fight. Gotta make some good first impressions somehow, and I doubt destroying the room they have given me would be a kind way to repay the favor. "That we do not, Princess Luna. Though, what with everything going on today, I doubt now is a good time. Maybe in a few days after celebrations have died down?"

"That sounds favorable to me. Speaking of which, we should be getting ready to attend the ceremony. Do you have a formal suit to wear?"

"I... don't." Of all the things I would need, why is a formal suit one of them? Oh right, because I had no idea that a temporal flux in a random forest that was told to me by Warlic would SEND ME TO ANOTHER UNIVERSE. "I think I'll just wear my Ultra Guardian Armor. Besides being one of my strongest armors, it is the most formal." Putting on the entire suit, straps and plates all correctly aligned, Heaross proceeded to give a small model show for Luna. "Do I look good? Do I look dangerous? Am I someone you would swoon over to protect you, hair flowing freely, staring into a sunset?" Giving a dramatic pose, Heaross tried his hardest not to crack up laughing.

Luna was currently failing at not laughing. "BWAHAHAHA!" After a solid minute of laughter, and another few of just trying to compose themselves, Heaross and Luna finally calmed down enough to resume normal conversation. "Oh, thank you for that. I have not had such a good laugh in ages."

"Hahaha... Don't mention it. If you need another just look for me. I'm happy to entertain. Now, in all seriousness, does my armor look good? Are you seeing any scrapes or rust that need to be fixed?" Spinning around so she could get a good look, Heaross was having a hard time noticing anything out of place himself. The black accents marking chain or plate linking were clean, his golden spikes for limb attacks and defensive wariness were intact, shining too, and his solid black cape - which he had yet to put on - was immaculate of any dust or dirt, and no tears were present in the fabric at all.

"I am not seeing anything wrong with your armor. Though I may express some distaste at the name of your armor. A little unoriginal, is it not?"

"It's more for classifying the armor instead of making it sound cool. It's essentially a much upgraded variant of the standard issue Guardian Armor. If I had my way, it would be named the X-Guardian set, but I didn't get to name it in creation." Oh man, if only she knew what I was making a reference too... Now there's something that would make a good impression. Too bad the order is set in secrecy, it might really set me in their good books. Guess just being a Guardian will have to do for now.

"X-Guardian? While it does sound more respect commanding, it is just an X placed before the name right?" Luna gave a questioning look, not quite understanding the importance of it.

"Eh, it just sounds cool to me. In any case, the official name is the Ultra Guardian Armor. It, quite unfortunately, is not going to change any time soon, if only for respect of its creator. Enough time tarrying here, we have a new princess to celebrate! And I'm hungry. I need food."

Giving a chuckle, Luna smiled and said, "Well, let us see if we can't solve both of those problems. Follow me Heaross, I'll make sure that no one will bother such a strong, handsome, and courageous warrior such as yourself!" Again laughing, Luna and Heaross made their way to the kitchens, where preparations for the feast were heavily underway. Luckily that Celestia and Luna had larger doorways fit, considering their taller size compared to the other ponies, it made getting through rooms easier for the tall warrior, considering that he was about 2 feet taller than most of the residents here.

Luna went to talk to a cook regarding where they could find something to eat for breakfast, while Heaross subconsciously noted windows and possible weapons, plans if someone was to come in and attack. ...maybe that center island could provide cover from a bow or magic bolt, and those knives on top I could throw to provide cover to any trying to escape, or maybe I can simply use the Spiral Carve ability from the Blade of Awe to discourage wannabe attackers. The smartest choice for armor would probably be the Fujin armor, considering its high speed and wind resistance, though maybe- Realizing what he was doing, Heaross shook his head, trying to enjoy himself for the day. Though his armor rarely comes off, the warrior does like to relax every once in a while. Maybe a day without being attacked isn't so bad. I don't think being bored is in the schedule today, so lets just have some fun for once.

Noticing Luna returning, Heaross smiled, hoping that she had managed to procure some food. A hearty breakfast was just what the warrior needed. "Any luck on finding some food?"

"Most of the cooks are busy," Luna said, "but a few of them can make something for us to eat quickly. It should be about 20 minutes or so until they finish with our meals, so care for a bit of exploring?" Feeling reassured that his morning won't be missing the most important part, Heaross easily agreed, thinking that a walk around the castle could help him relax a bit.

As they walked around, they passed many a pony preparing for the celebration and getting things in place for it, most commonly in the courtyard. In fact, the courtyard was where most of the activity was taking place, so taking a walk around there was a bit out of the question. As they passed many halls and rushing ponies, they did happen across a white stallion with a blue mane, wearing a red vest with a shield containing the same 6 pointed star Heaross saw upon Twilight, which he had learned were called 'Cutie Marks.' Maybe they're related? I do remember hearing a few guards saying the captain was proud of his little sister, and this does look like someone who would be a captain of the guards.

"Halt! Sir, what are you doing with Princess Luna? And how come I haven't seen you enter Canterlot or even around the castle?" Oh yeah, this guy was definitely the captain of the guard. Time to give him a little wake up call.

"Ah, you must be Shining Armor! Captain of the Guard, and sister to dear Twilight Sparkle! I have heard about you and your fearless leadership, how you and your bride, Cadence, Princess of Love, managed to defeat an entire army of changelings with just the power of your love for each other. Quite impressive, I must say!" If Luna's reaction was any indicator, nobody expected this stranger who had showed up just the day before to learn that much in so little time.

Shining Armor, on the other hand, wasn't showing any emotion besides a battlefield shell, ready for combat. "Who are you, how do you know my name, and what are you planning here? Speak now, before I blow that smug grin clean off your face." Ooh, someone was feeling feisty.

Trying very hard to not crack up laughing, Heaross responded, "My name is Heaross, Legendary Adventurer and Guardian at your service. I learned this much through some sources I have managed to protract, and my plan? Well, you won't see it in action until later today, but I promise you, it will be quite surprising!" Smirking quite widely now, and trying his damndest not to laugh very hard, Heaross left with Luna to continue exploring the castle, leaving a very stunned and confused Shining Armor in his wake.

"...okay, I have to ask. What is your 'surprise' for later today? You aren't planning on hurting anypony, are you?"

"That, dear Luna, would ruin the surprise! And as much as I like spoiling fun things, this one you'll just have to see for yourself. Don't worry though, I have no plans to hurt anyone or anything during it. Could you perchance watch Celestia while I deliver it though? I have a feeling that her face will be a monument to laugh at for centuries." The entire time, his grin never left, leaving Luna a slight bit worried, but taking his word that he won't hurt anyone.

After walking for a time more, the 2 eventually made their way back to the kitchen in hopes of receiving their breakfast they had commissioned earlier. As it was, fortune was on their side, for as they arrived the cook holding their orders came out of the kitchen, prepared to search the castle for them. "Ah," Luna said, "it smells wonderful. Thank you, cook, both for your fortuitous timing and wonderful expertise in the culinary arts." It appears Heaross wasn't the only one feeling quite hungry.

Feeling generous, Heaross stopped the cook and handed him both a healing and a mana potion. "Take these, and hand them to your supervisor. Tell them to add these to the cake batter for the party later today. It will make the festivities much more... interesting. If they express doubt whether or not to add the 2 potions, get them to take a small sip. It will very easily change their mind. Now go and get a raise." Smiling, Heaross rose from talking to the pony, accepting his morning meal. Feeling confident he just made the day that much better, he walked with Luna to where they would eat and enjoyed his meal. Sunny side up eggs, jellied toast, and warm hash browns, while in a vibrant garden. Today is going to be a good day.

...that is, until Celestia decided to join the 2 for breakfast as well. Sighing, Heaross put on a mask of indifference, deciding to show no emotion while Celestia had deigned to interrupt such a beautiful morning. "Hello, Princess Celestia. To what do we owe the nature of this visit?"

For lack of a better word, Celestia seemed a bit crestfallen. "You can drop the fake niceties, Heaross. I know you aren't pleased by my presence. I came to apologize for my actions last night. I acted rudely and jumped to conclusions, barely giving you a chance to explain yourself. I am dearly sorry for treating you like such."

This... was a very different response to what Heaross had expected. Giving a heavy sigh of relief, Heaross let his mask drop. "I accept your apology Celestia, on the condition that you don't let what had happened in the past color your outlook of me now. I may love a good fight, but I do not intentionally seek to harm those who do not wish it. I don't have many plans to stay for the longest of times either. My coming here was an incident, but so far, one I don't think I'll regret. Let us start again. My name is Heaross. What is yours?"

Smiling, she said, "My name is Celestia. May I enjoy breakfast with you and my sister?"

"It would please me for you to join us." Yes, today was going to be a good day.

...oh, for fucks sake! Rising from his delicious meal, Heaross drew the Blade of Awe, and using the Spiral Carve ability, cut down a large tree branch. Celestia seemed more than a little angry. "Heaross! What is the matter of this?"

Ignoring her, he went over to the branch where a certain cyan colored unicorn was laying on the ground, dazed from falling so suddenly. "I thought I made myself clear, Lyra." Lyra, for her part, was still laying on the ground, a quill and notepad beside her. "I said I would answer your questions later. And now, you have not only interrupted an amazing morning, you also disturbed mine and the Princess' breakfast."

Celestia stepped in then, deciding that today was not a good day for someone to die. "Calm down Heaross, she was just wanting to learn more about you."

"That doesn't excuse her actions, nor does it permit interrupting our breakfast. This is the second time." Taking a moment to control his anger, Heaross let himself be very clear to the young unicorn. "This is strike two. If you follow me again, I will make sure you can't follow me again. Now go home, and don't bother me again."

The entire time this exchange was taking place, Luna just continued her breakfast.

The Ceremonial Promise

Twilight is so going to freak. Then again, so is everyone else. I bet she'd probably keep the most level head, especially since she'll be right in the center of it all. Celestia and Luna though, they will freak out, probably the most, considering they'd be the only ones to understand what I'm going to do. Shining Armor is going to be so pissed...

As Heaross practiced his lines to himself, and steeled all of his courage, a pony, once again uninvited, walked into his to room, presumably to converse. "You really are insane, you know that right?"

"Ah, a mind reader! I was wondering when I would find one of you." Heaross looked to the source of the voice to see yet another alicorn, this one pink with several different accents of colors going through her hair. Her cutie mark was a - sapphire? blue diamond? some light blue gem - in the shape of a heart supported on both sides by an ornate golden stand. "Princess Mi Amore Candeza, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

Detecting his fake niceties and blatant sarcasm, Cadence satirically responds, "For thou to know the name I wish not to use, one must be quite informed. I hope this not to be some poor attempt for ending thine life! For sooth, dear warrior, I am helpless at your sword."

Okay, you're different from the other mind readers I've met. I would prefer it though if you kept your thoughts away from mine. I have been trained to withstand mind control, and any attempts will end very poorly for you. And not just because I can end you with little more than a strike of my hand.

"Your privacy is to yourself Heaross. Though, I am curious, while I did detect what you were going to do, I didn't see a reason why. Care to explain?"

Finally feeling her tendrils of thought peeling away from his mind, he let his guard down so he could relax without sounding like he was waging a war. Of course he was doing that, but with his own mind. "I have thought about it for quite some time, and no other course of action I have extrapolated on would lead me to the greatest scenario possible. My plans, even if this were to fall through, would be to go to Ponyville and watch the town for any dangers. I have seen a few maps, and the small town is the least protected, with practically no guard presence. Besides giving me a more official reason to go, it certainly will net me into quite a few ponies good books. I do aim to please, and I'm more than certain a fledgling princess will need all the help she can get."

"That is true," said Cadence, "but are you certain you wanna go through with this? You know you can't take back an oath like that."

"I have seen my other options, and this is the best one, both in short and long term. It will make an effect and give the impression that if someone like Twilight Sparkle can command a warrior like I, then the respect she would have gained will be tenfold. If there is one thing that always ruins a starting kingdom, it's dissent and disrespect. While I doubt it would happen to Twilight, even if I don't go through with this, it just seals the deal that she is not someone to run over like a coward king. Or I suppose queen in this case."

Cadence was silent for a few minutes, pondering what the Guardian had said. Said Guardian, meanwhile, was preparing for the coronation. Giving a small start, she eyed Heaross warily.

"Is there something on my armor? I'm not missing anything, am I?" Heaross didn't even need to look to tell that Cadence was watching him carefully. "Or," he turned to look directly in Cadence's eyes, "am I just that enrapturing?" The snarky smile just confirmed that he was simply playing around.

Cadence didn't take her eyes off of him though, for she said, "Did you scare my husband? Earlier today he came to me and asked if he had placed enough guards around the castle and near Twilight. Said something about someone having a surprise ready."

Heaross just laughed, his amusement easy to see. "Unless he saw me give those 2 potions to the cook that delivered mine and Luna's breakfast, he should be pretty clueless. You already saw what I was planning, so tell him he doesn't have to fear anything. Though, can you tell him to stay away from the cake? Unless you're planning on staying awake all night. I mean, I don't know married life, so maybe you do."

Visibly relaxing, Cadence chuckled, her fears assuaged for the time being. Afterwards, the 2 had some small talk while waiting for the ceremony, finishing up any preparations to be made. When the bells rang out across the castle, they made their way towards the royal cathedral and the high set balcony where Twilight was to give a speech after officially receiving her title of being a Princess from the other 3. Heaross fit into this schedule as working as a personal guard for the royalty, until after Celestia placed the Element of Magic atop her head, where he would go and present his surprise for all of Equestria to see.

Everything set in place, the only thing to do was now wait until Celestia had finished her speech of Twilight's accomplishments and her pride of her former student. "Fillies and gentlecolts, may I present for the very first time, Princess Twilight Sparkle." Then Twilight walked in, adorned in a gown of pink with gold accents, her wings flared for all to see. Banner mares followed her, them flanked by royal guards, all singing in chorus. She came to the altar where the 3 Princesses, the other Elements of Harmony, and Spike carrying a pillow with the crown holding the Element of Magic all waited. Spike presented the crown, Celestia took her magic and lifted the Element atop Twilight's head.

Cheering rang out all through the halls of the cathedral, until Heaross raised his voice above the crowd, calling for a hold in ceremony. Many were confused, some seemed agitated, while others were downright furious for him interrupting such a momentous occasion. "Ponies of Equestria, I do apologize for the hold in such a glorious day," Heaross' voice boomed out, "and I too hold in my heart that this day will go in history. My name is Heaross, and while I have only arrived to this wonderful land yesterday, never in my 31 years of life have I met a more hospitable and respectful world of enjoyment. I wish only to take a moment of time here, for what I have to say is of negligible importance compared to Princess Twilight Sparkle ascending to a realm of fantastical desires that many have only dreamed of." Turning to Twilight, "Your highness, Princess Twilight Sparkle, you were the first to meet me in this land after I arrived through rather strange circumstances. For lack of a better word, you showed this stranger from a dangerous world kindness and I can never repay the debt I am now sworn by. I wish to start on that fruitless task now, by swearing my name, sword and shield to you."

Drawing his shield and the Blade of Awe still in the scabbard, Heaross walked to Twilight, carrying both in his arms as one would a harmed princess. He drew the Blade of Awe from the sheath, placing his shield upon the ground, and knelt before Twilight, presenting his sword with both hands outstretched, bearing its weight. "I, Heaross Archer, Guardian of Battleon, Legendary Adventurer of my home, and chosen wielder of the Blade of Awe, pledge fealty to you, Princess Twilight Sparkle." Upon his proclamation, many gasps were heard, quite possibly the loudest from Celestia herself. "Do you, Princess Twilight Sparkle, take me as your vassal, to protect you from all threats, serve in whatever manner you may need, and have complete responsibility for my actions as your own, until the day I return to my homeland?"

Twilight, quite understandably, was very taken aback. Not even 5 minutes as a princess and here someone already was, pledging oath and name to her. She had heard of pledging fealty before, having researched it multiple times, so she knew the 2 options she had. She could 1. Take Heaross' sword and place it upon his shoulder, declaring him fit to be her vassal, binding the both of them until terms favorable to both of them were met, or 2. She could declare him unfit to be her vassal, shaming him and ruining what reputation he may have had. Twilight was visibly stunned, but that could only cover her thoughts for so long. Deciding to play his game, Twilight took the Blade of Awe in her magic, and placed it upon the nape of his neck.

Wow, that's a headache, crap, where are my mana potions, SHIT THAT WAS MY SWORD.

Heaross currently was dealing with the effects of a hangover. He knew the potions in the cake were a good idea, but maybe spiking the punch bowl with 3 mana potions wasn't one, especially with 4 alicorns being rather thirsty. Somewhere through the night, he had switched to the Overlord set, most likely after spiking said punch bowl. He just wondered who put vodka in it, before he had gotten there. Whoever it was, he wanted to both thank them and rip their head off.

So the party was great. While he doesn't remember the last quarter of it, he does remember several "noble" ponies having a little too much cake and punch, ending up in some rather fond memories. Like when Celestia had 3 cups and tried to challenge Heaross to a duel. His honor at stake, Heaross took the duel, and subsequently finished it in less than a second. Primarily by tipping over Celestia, who had fallen asleep standing up. Or when Cadance "proposed" to him an offer of a "fun night." That's when Shining Armor tried to duel him.

Finding his potions, Heaross grabbed one blindly and downed it. He was rather lucky he grabbed a mana potion and not a healing one. After spending a moment trying to remember where he was, he saw a balcony outside and a certain black and blue mare standing, staring at the stars. Heaross decided to join her, but after peeling his armor off. Feeling rather glad he always kept a spare change of clothes in the Petverse, he joined Luna, deciding that some fresh air might do him good.

He opened the door to the balcony, not bothering to hide his presence. Luna didn't turn around, she just kept staring at the stars and moon. "Feeling a bit remorseful?" A rather cheeky Heaross asked.

"If only you knew how much that were true."

"You know you shouldn't bother saying something like that when you know the actual answer."

"Hmm. True. But I think the better question is what were you doing in my bedroom? Feeling rather naughty?"

"Frankly, I have no idea. I just woke up 5 minutes ago. While I have no idea who spiked the punch bowl with vodka, I will admit to spiking it with 3 mana potions. That was a very fun night."

"I suppose it was," replied a tired Luna, "but may I ask why you took the duel Celestia wanted? You saw how drunk she was."

"That was for 2 reasons. One, I am honor bound to accept any duel. My pride as a warrior won't let me refuse a fight. Two, I could see she was drunk, and if I didn't she probably would have done something very bad. Like annoy me until I did accept the duel."

"I suppose that would have been quite bad."

"Very." The pair stood in silence for a time, that is, until Heaross went inside, grabbed his sword, came back out, and proceeded to throw it a wall. Suddenly, a cyan blue unicorn appeared, stuck to the wall by her tail because of the blade Heaross threw. "At this point, I am very tempted to chop her head off. The only reason I'm not is because her girlfriend came to me and asked me not to. That, and I don't want to make enemies of the people I just made friends with."

Luna looked somewhat relieved upon hearing this. After a moment, she and Heaross went inside to continue their conversation without any nosy ponies listening in. They sat in fairly comfortable silence for a time, simply enjoying each other's company. "You are going to let her down?" Asked a questioning Luna.

"After long enough." Heaross easily replied. "I'll take her down tomorrow morning, when she no doubt will have passed out from blood rushing to her head. Then I will contact her girlfriend, and proceed to give her the heaviest chains I can find."

Laughing quite happily, Luna enjoyed this strange warrior. Besides being a loyal protector and friend, he wasn't afraid to do what needed to be done, whether the outcome was having a good time, or ensuring the safety of his friends. She was rather curious about how he sometimes just ceased laughing a little too quickly, or sometimes looked forlorn coming from his Petverse (Luna loved the name as well, and can never get over how cute it sounded). Her curiosity peaking, she asked why this was.

Instead of answering immediately, as was his norm, Heaross drummed his fingers against the chair he was in. He sat in silence for a few minutes debating something. Then, he got up and found a mirror. He sat beside Luna, his message requiring the close quarters. "I have a little lesson for you Luna. It's something I learned too late, too long gone. This lesson is the story of The Mare in the Mirror. Do you see the mare staring back at you when you look in the mirror? Follow her eyes, the way she always sees yours too. This mare sees everything you do and is always judging you and your actions, no matter how small. Even the most minute of things can change her opinion of you. The lesson is thus: When you find yourself unable to stare her in the eyes, then you have finally become what you most fear."

Luna was somber for a moment before realizing something. "Heaross, what do you see when stare into your eyes?"

"...regret."

The Start of Something

Trains. They may not be as fast as a teleport spell, or even me running, but they do seem rather good, if costly, for extreme distances. I may be slightly biased because I am impatient, but it matters little how we get to the Crystal Empire, just so long as we do. Though, I am curious as to why all of Twilight's friends had to come. Is it because they're all Elements of Harmony? Or did Twilight just not want to be separated from them? Whatever the reason, I'll just ask her later, we're approaching the Crystal Empire.

Giving a tired sigh, Heaross turned his neck, popping it as much as he can. The very satisfying crack he felt elicited a small groan from him, and he repeated by turning his neck the other way. Twilight noticed this and felt slightly worried for the warrior, considering the extremely loud pops coming his spine. "Are you alright Heaross? Those were some rather loud cracks."

"I'm fine," replied the Guardian, "just a little wound up I suppose. Once we get to the Crystal Empire, I'll see if I can't steal the royal chiropractor for a few minutes."

"Alright, but make sure you don't stress yourself too much. I don't need my protector down because of a back injury, now do I?"

"You should know about stress, Ms. Anxiety. Besides, I'll be fine. You fight in a war wearing this heavy armor, and nothing can make you strain yourself too much."

"If you say so..." Twilight did worry about his health wearing said heavy armor, but if he actually does wear it everyday, then he should be fine. Didn't stop her from worrying, though. Finding the train stopped at the Empire Station, the 8 disembarked, getting ready for the royal summit that was to take place later in the afternoon. As they were walking, Heaross very suddenly pulled Twilight to his side, coming to a very abrupt stop. "Heaross, what are you-"

"Shhhh..." Heaross listened closely, his eyes darting seemingly everywhere. "THERE!" He shouted, pointing to a rooftop. Acting quickly, he jumped to said rooftop, and gave chase to the mystery pony who almost attempted an assassination on Twilight. He ran quickly, easily catching up to the hooded figure, and caught whoever it was by the cloak. As the cloak was rather strong in it's material, it slowed the pony for a moment, but for only long enough for Heaross to pull it off the pony. It revealed a black and green stallion, with blue eyes and a cutie mark showing a green potion that was steaming. With a loud gasp, the mysterious assassin ran again, attempting to outrun the warrior on his trail. Heaross didn't give in his chase though, simply packing the cloak in the Petverse for later inspection, and resumed running. Bastard is fast... If I don't end this now, he'll try and run out of the Empire. I could no doubt catch him even if he did, but I might get lost in the massive blizzard outside the magical dome here. Let's see if I can't use Twilight's Mantle to catch him. Switching to said Mantle, Heaross equipped a dark robe that shadows all of his features, even making his arms look like black skeleton bones. Using the great speed boost and added shadow flight, he easily caught up to the stallion and grabbed him, carrying the assassin high above the ground. He flew slowly to where Twilight and her friends were, the smart mare casting a large bubble around them for protection.

Heaross switched back to his Ultra Guardian Armor, still flying, and fell to the ground rather fast, causing the stallion still held in his arms to scream very loudly, obviously scared for his life. Heaross crashed to the ground, causing small craters to appear around his feet, and releasing a plume of dust. "My Liege, I have an assassin. What do you want me to do with him?"

Feeling scared, but forcing herself to be brave, Twilight responded ignoring his formal use of title to him, "Bring him with us to the castle. I want Celestia's opinion on this."

Nodding, Heaross let Twilight cast an immobilizing spell on the assassin, who he carried over his shoulder to the castle. Twilight also sent a quick letter to Celestia who was waiting on them that they were bringing said assassin, and to prepare a dungeon cell. Needless to say, this visit was very ruined.

"Ahh, right there Heaross... A little harder, oh yes... more, please... oh, that feels so good... Fingers are amazing..."

Twilight Sparkle, Element of Magic, newly ascended alicorn, and liege lord of Heaross was currently little more than putty in the warrior's deft hands. One of the requirements for Guardian Initiation is learning damage control in a tense situation, including dealing with a traumatized or overly stressed victim. Strangely, another requirement was learning how to give a very relaxing massage. Heaross was putting both of those skills to work at the moment, giving the young alicorn some much needed chirapsia.

As he gave his liege a rest from the tiring day-to-day politics of being a princess, he mulled over the day and the strange assassin's sentencing. A long and strenuous interrogation revealed that his name was Hidden Blade (Heaross almost lost his composure at the name), he was payed a very hefty sum of bits, and that he didn't know his buyer's name. Just that whoever it was is a unicorn mare, had a mane colored red with yellow-orange highlights, and had a cutie mark like a blazing sun. Celestia seemed rather taken aback at the description, but didn't tell anyone what the pony meant to her. Heaross had full intentions of questioning her about this matter later.

For now though, Twilight was his main concern, as she was the one targeted by Hidden Blade. She didn't let it show until they got to a private room, but she was absolutely terrified. Had her warrior not been there, she could have been killed, or might have broken down in fear. Now was bonding time, where Heaross was helping her relax by a few different methods. His first one, the one he was doing now, was giving Twilight a massage. His second method if she hadn't escaped from her fear was for him and her to go into his Petverse, where if safety wasn't a thing there, then it didn't exist. His third method was to simply incapacitate her until such time as he could ensure her safety, despite it never truly being in question. It seemed his first method was working though, given the rather pleasurable moans by the Princess.

Heaross had found that a pony's anatomy was quite similar to cats from his world, rather ironically. Besides making it easier to work on muscles he knew the places of, he also found that the nerve in the scruff of the neck was also there, so he could simply incapacitate a pony just by picking them up by the central nerve found there. Useful information, but not at the current moment. Turning his attention back to his liege, Heaross pressed on a particularly tensed muscle, causing Twilight to almost cry out in pain and relief. Continuing to press on tense muscles and relieve their tension, Heaross enjoyed the work, mostly because it gave him something to do with his hands, but also because it allowed him and Twilight to bond together. Though, with the moans that she's exclaiming, someone outside the door might think that a bit more than just a massage was going on.

Almost perfectly punctuating his point, Applejack and Rainbow Dash burst into the room, yelling for Twilight. "Twilight! Are you..." Rainbow started, but left the sentence hanging as she saw the handwork going on.

Popping a joint, "Do you 2 need anything," Heaross asked, "or are you just paranoid? Because if this is anything less than an emergency, then I'm going to get a pet to ensure some privacy." All the while, he continued his massage on the alicorn, her moans still ringing around the room, and also into the halls.

Applejack answered his question, "We heard Twilight's yells, and thought ya were hurting her." POP! "Yowch, just like that. What are ya doin' anyways? It seems mighty painful..."

Twilight managed to answer her question, showing that she was still fully conscious, however relaxed she might be, "Heaross saw me terrified by the assassin, so he offered a massage. Ooh, right there... He wanted a private room so I wouldn't be stressed by anything, but," looking at her friends now, "it appears some people just can't wait for me to get finished with destressing."

"Relax, Twilight, I'm sure they meant well," giving AJ and Rainbow a very stern glare, "even if they were overly rude. Now I am going to ask you two to leave so that we may finish in relative privacy here."

Hesitant, but ashamed of their rudeness, the pair left the room just as a rather loud moan from Twilight echoed into the halls as well. They shut the door before starting a whispered conversation about if Heaross and Twilight could be dating, or even had crushes on each other. Hearing their talking, Heaross opened the Petverse and let 2 of his dragons come out, Scorch and Frost, Fire and Ice respectively, to guard the room from any further intruders, and to discourage the gossiping mares from sticking around any longer. The resulting screams of fear from the hallway made him chuckle.

Despite the rude interruption, Twilight relaxed well enough until she was about to fall asleep. Noticing, Heaross carried her to the bed that she would be staying in so she could be set to sleep. Just as he set her down so he could inform his dragons more, and to personally give a patrol of the hallway, Twilight stopped him, saying, "Don't leave me, please. I don't feel safe without you here." Despite the clarity with which she said this, her fear and weariness broke through her voice, showing that she wasn't lying and wanted him to stay there.

Heaross felt more worried for her than he logically should have. Maybe it was his oath binding them, but that just didn't feel right to him. He'd figure it out later, for now his liege was scared and needed him. "I'm here, Twilight. I'm just going to step outside for a moment. A few minutes at the most, alright? I promise I will come right back."

Her sniffles almost broke his heart, the poor thing was so scared. "Just for a moment?"

"Just a moment. Here, let me get you a more personal guard you can hug." Reaching into the Petverse for a moment, he pulled out a pillow with a picture of a pug breed of dog. "This is Mr. Puggleton. He helped me a lot when I got scared. Just give him a good hug."

Heaross set Mr. Puggleton in Twilight's arms, and following his advice, gave the pug pillow a good squeeze. "Thank you. Please hurry, though, I'm not sure how much of a deterrent a pillow could be."

Giving a warm smile, "I will Twilight. Just a moment." He left the room then to talk to his dragons and give an inspection of the hallway. "Scorch, Frost, I want you 2 to remain here through the night. Guard this room, and make sure no one enters unless given permission by me or Twilight. If someone wants to enter, roar for us and I'll come out. Remember, do not eat anyone unless they try to get in here without permission from us. I'm going to take a look around the halls for just a moment. Stay here, above all else. Got it?" Realizing just how rude he sounded, he gave a tired sigh. Heaross gave both of his dragons good scratching on their necks, "I'm sorry if I seem a bit tense. Today has just been a bit tiring. We're fighting a different battle this time, and our claws and teeth can only get us so far in this one." They nuzzled him then, Scorch rubbing his neck against Heaross' chest, Frost rubbing hers against his arm. "Thanks you two. I'll make sure to reward you in the morning, alright? Good night."

Heaross left, intent on walking the halls to ascertain if it was safe to sleep at all tonight. The assassin had him on edge since the attack, considering that in his world, assassins were very rare, and if one got called on you, then you must have fucked up hard somewhere, as well as the fact that this strange world had such peace and prosperity that something like that was bound to set people on edge, him included. Besides a few strange closets that he couldn't detect any mana from, there really wasn't anything of major note in the halls.

As he walked, Heaross mulled over his and Twilight's friendship. We are friends, but what was that feeling earlier? I don't think I've felt that worried for someone since Dekio, and that was years ago! And what she had said, "I don't feel safe without you here," could that have more meaning than just face value? I know that she has been scared out of her mind, but she doesn't quite strike me as the mare to say something like that without being genuine. I need to get back to comfort her, but my heart is beating so fast, like I'm fighting Artix again. Oh shit, am I actually blushing?

Quite suddenly, a loud roar was heard, almost in pain, coming from Twilight's room. Oh fuck, that was Frost! Who needs to get in that bad?! Now even more worried, Heaross ran towards the direction of the roar, intent on decapitating whoever had hurt his dragon. Frost and Scorch were very strong, only matched by a select few of his other pets. When working together, the pair of dragons were practically unstoppable. If someone could hurt Frost while Scorch was with her, then whoever it was had to be exceedingly dangerous.

Quickly making it to the makeshift guards for Twilight, Heaross saw Frost and Scorch in battle against a unicorn, who almost perfectly matched the description Hidden Blade had given them. By looks alone, anyone would say that his dragons were hard pressed to match the unicorn, but Heaross could see they were holding back, for fear of destroying something or letting the unicorn past them. "Scorch, Frost. I want you to eat this pony alive." The unicorn blanched then, realizing that the dragons had been with holding their true strength. Suddenly now scared, she cast a teleporting spell to get away from them, barely missing getting ripped in half by the pair of beasts.

Grumbling, Heaross made his way into Twilight's room, intent on finding the pony. He saw the mysterious pony trying to take the Element of Magic from it's glass case, while Twilight was pressed against the wall, surrounded by a magical aura. Deciding now is a good time to stop fucking around, Heaross silently went behind the mysterious pony, grabbed her horn, and squeezed. Feeling a very satisfying crack, he let go, letting the pony fall to the ground, writhing in pain. The magic surrounding Twilight and the glass case disappeared, dispersed into the surroundings. Twilight slowly slid to the ground, crying in fear. Heaross could just feel his heart breaking at such a cute thing crying, especially with his rather confusing feelings.

Thinking quickly, Heaross knocked the top of the mare's head, maybe a little too strongly, knocking her out. He then went to Twilight, and started trying to calm her down. He went and picked her up, carrying her in his arms. Instead of trying to scurry away, she clung to her warrior, crying even harder. Heaross went to the bed that she was supposed to be in, and cuddled her there for a lengthy time. Twilight continued to cry for several minutes, but Heaross was prepared to stay there the entire night if need be. Thankfully, the terrified alicorn finished crying after a long enough time, and was now just sniffling and occasionally sneezing. "I suppose Mr. Puggleton didn't really help, did he?"

Giving a wet laugh, Twilight shakily responded, "No, I don't think he did. I'm not even sure where he is right now."

"Don't worry about it. I'll find him later. For now though, how are you? Stupid question I know, but what are you feeling?"

Taking a moment to collect herself, "Scared. I'm trying to not break down again, but you hugging me is really helping."

"Take as long as you need, Twilight," Heaross truthfully responded. He had hit the mare harder than was probably needed, so whatever her name was would be out for hours, at the least.

"Can you do me a small favor?"

"Anything, Twilight."

"Can you take off your armor? It's really hard, and uncomfortable."

Blushing slightly, considering he forgot that he was even wearing it, Heaross took off his armor, packing it off to the side for later. Afterwards, he resumed cuddling with Twilight, trying very hard to keep calm in the situation. Besides wanting nothing more than to drive the mare who had hurt Twilight insane, his heart was also absolutely pounding in his chest. After a moment, Heaross finally let himself relax and embrace the hugging. A moment later, he realized something.

I've fallen in love with Twilight Sparkle.

Assassin's Judgement

"Sunset Shimmer, you are accused of the following charges: Attempted assassination of a ruler, Attempted theft of an Element of Harmony, Assault of a ruler, Harm of one Heaross' pet how in the fuck is a dragon a pet... and a case of breaking and entering."

It was the next day, and the court case was being presided by Cadence, who was the most neutral princess aside from Luna, who was nocturnal and couldn't attend due to being asleep. It was discovered that Celestia was the former teacher for Sunset Shimmer, and that Sunset had used a mirror to escape to another realm. The reason that Heaross and Twilight couldn't be judge was that they were directly involved in the incident, and Celestia had personal history to Sunset. Cadence had no prior knowledge of Sunset, and had no direct interaction with the case. Most impartial judge possible, maybe not, but she was the most impartial princess, despite having clear relations to everyone who isn't Sunset.

"How do you plead?" Cadence was doing a marvelous job of being a judge, despite this being her first time. She had even told Heaross that she was nervous.

"I... plead guilty."

...really? All that hard work, and she just gives up. I would have expected a bit more resistance, but maybe she's afraid of me being able to choose her sentence. If we were playing by my world's rules, then the minimum sentence would be life in prison. The most she could get would be a death sentence. I don't know this world's law rules though, so I'll just have to play it by ear.

"Attempted assassination of a ruler would already sentence you to life in prison, and so would Assault of a ruler. Harm of Heaross' pet condemns you to his punishment, considering his status as advisor and protector of Twilight Sparkle. Breaking and Entering just pushes things over the edge, so in minimum, you would face banishment. This is, of course, if Heaross wills it. His involvement also includes his world's laws. Put simply, he has control over your fate."

Okay, this was not what I was expecting. Equestria takes its laws extremely serious. I have control over her? Well, I can certainly think of a few punishments that would be quite entertaining. Maybe... Okay, yeah, doing that. Sunset looked in fear at the Warrior, genuinely scared now. Heaross had a very evil smirk, ecstatic at what he had thought of. "I have thought of an appropriate punishment. In my world, the maximum punishment one can receive is a fate worse than death. I have an alternate punishment, considering how gruesome my world can be. She harmed Frost, my pet Ice Dragon. Needless to say, she and Scorch, her mate, are very angry at her. My punishment is that she would be the personal servant to my dragons. All of them."

Many gasps were heard, considering how dragons were the most feared creatures in all of Equestria. Being a servant to one? Suicide, at best. "I have a total of 8 dragons, one of each element of my world. Fire, Water, Wind, Ice, Earth, Energy, Light, and Darkness. I have trained my dragons to only kill on command, or when their death is the only other result. I will command them to do with her as they wish, short of killing her, unless she attempts to harm them or any other of my pets." Sunset Shimmer looked terrified at this point. Being a slave to dragons? She'd rather take death at this point. That did make her curious as to what the actual worst punishment his world had, because if that's supposed to be his mercy, then what was the worst? "Just for reference, the actual worst punishment my world has is something you might be able to relate to, Celestia. Insomnia, Immobility, Immortality." That... didn't sound too bad in all honesty.

"Your world is terrifying, Heaross," Celestia all but screamed.

Sunset took to her new job quite well. She had already cleaned out the poo pen, and had fed all of the dragons in an hour. Quite impressive, but Heaross could do it in 10 minutes. Normally, a new servant would take at minimum 2 hours just for the pen, and another hour for feeding. Needless to say, the pets were quite happy, especially Frost when she heard the news.

As Heaross left the Petverse, and Sunset to do her job, he found Twilight back in her room, again cowering in fear. Despite the fact that no one in their right mind would attempt to hurt Twilight again, especially with Heaross there, she was still scared. Heaross also had trouble, but with his own emotions regarding the young alicorn. Getting a feeling, he checked under the bed and found Mr. Puggleton there. He grabbed the pillow and handed him to Twilight, while Heaross sat on the edge of the bed. Wrestling with his inhibitions and feelings, "Are you okay, Twilight? Sunset is now in the Petverse, away from you."

Looking up with tears, Twilight responded, "It's not that, Heaross. It's just the concept of someone wanting me dead. I know that being a Princess can come with a lot of hardships, but I didn't think that people would hate me that much." Sitting up, she hugged Mr. Puggleton tightly, taking comfort in his softness and toy ears. She was breathing heavily, trying not to break under the stress.

Heaross thought for a moment on how he could help. The most he could think of was unhooking his breastplate, and placing Twilight there while he relatched the straps. "Feeling protected now?" A cheeky grin and warm hug told Twilight that he was serious about protecting her, even her mental stability.

Laughing, "Yes, I do. Thank you, Heaross." She took comfort in the warrior's warm chest and abs, then she looked straight at him. "Can you do me a favor?"

"At your service, my liege."

"Okay, 2 things. One, can you please not call me 'liege' anymore? We're friends, and I don't want us to be so formal when we're talking." She seemed rather annoyed at this, but quickly brightened when Heaross chuckled, nodding his confirmation. "Thank you. My second thing..."

Hey, is she blushing? Hard to tell with the purple coat, but she definitely looks redder than normal. "...never mind. It's not important."

"What is it, Twilight? You know you don't have to be scared to confide in me. My oath already binds me to secrecy. Us being friends just reinforces that." Okay, yeah, she is definitely blushing now. Wait, my face feels warm. Shit I'm blushing now too!

"Can you... could you please kiss me?"

Her voice had shrunk down to where Heaross couldn't hear her, even with his Guardian sense of hearing. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you. Can you speak up a bit?" If that was genuinely what Heaross thought that he had heard, he was going to have a stroke. Instead of repeating herself, Twilight just stuck her face into his chest, muffling her sounds. She had said something while like that, but Heaross didn't entirely hear it again. "That tickles, and I still didn't quite hear you."

Moving her face right in his, full blush activated, "Kiss me." It was not a question.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH Moving his head down, Heaross lightly kissed the top of Twilight's head. "There. You happy?" FUCK I'M BLUSHING WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME WHY IS SHE SO FUCKING CUTE

Twilight's voice was quiet and shaky, but the conviction in it spoke leagues. "No, I'm not."

FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCK "Oh really? Is there anywhere else you want me to kiss you?"

As Heaross was laying down, Twilight just let herself fall, not holding her neck up anymore, letting gravity take care the job. "Please stop torturing me..." Her sad frown really drove itself into Heaross' stone warrior heart.

WHY AM I GOING ALONG WITH THIS WHY AM I FEELING THIS WAY I AM FUCKING BLUSHING AND SO IS SHE FUCKFUCKFUCK WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY MR. PUGGLETON I NEED YOU "Is it your ears? Or your nose? Maybe on your horn?"

"Please, stop Heaross... I'm embarrassed enough as it is..."

FUCKFUCKFUCK I'M ABOUT TO DO IT WHYWHYWHY SHIT I CAN'T STOP MYSELF Reaching over to her, Heaross grabs Twilight's chin, and pulls it slightly up and towards him. He moves his head closer with the greatest smirk to ever have smirked, blushing, "Or maybe... Would you like it right about..." Their lips connect, sending sparks of magic and feelings going everywhere, despite the fact the kiss only lasted a second, "There?"

Twilight was almost hyperventilating. "Yes, please." Heaross was chuckling now, despite the war his mind was waging against his body and feelings, though it was losing.

"Would you like another? Careful, I may just have to assume that you actually like me." Heaross was still blushing, though he knew that the pony cuddling him in his armor was absolutely at his mercy. Or maybe it was the other way around? He wasn't sure anymore, but he did know that he rather enjoying himself, despite everything his logical side was telling him.

Twilight was very submissive, considering her bookworm nature. Heaross was no beginner to romance, but neither did he have much experience in it. He wasn't sure what to expect at this point, besides maybe more kissing. He wasn't a virgin either, but he'd be willing to bet one of his swords that Twilight is. Deciding to just follow his instincts, Heaross kissed her again, holding the contact for longer this time. The whimpers following after were sure signs that Twilight was just as-if not more-embarrassed than he was, but still enjoying it. A low chuckle escaped him, and they simply cuddled for a time, enjoying each other's presence.

Eventually, Heaross said, "You know what everyone is going to say, right?"

"I don't think I really care at this point. Let them talk." Twilight was very relaxed, almost sleeping at this point.

"Hehehe," raising his voice now, "well I think it's about time someone stopped listening in to us before I get Artix to blast those persons away!" Muttered curses and frantic clops were heard right outside of the door, signaling that someone was indeed listening in. Heaross laughed heartily on hearing the curses, and Twilight even enjoyed a few chuckles.

Realizing something, Twilight curiously asked Heaross, "Isn't Artix that paladin friend of yours? How would he blast them away if he isn't here?"

"Oh, yeah, I haven't told you the names of all my pets. Yes, Artix is my good friend, the paladin, but I actually named my light dragon after him," Heaross explained, "When I said Artix, I was referring to my dragon, not the wasabi loving punnist. Artix shows the same disdain for undead and evils that the real Artix does, so that's where the inspiration comes from. He's primarily the reason why I can't have a dracolich."

"Ahh, I understand now." Twilight and Heaross resumed their cuddling, but after he had removed his armor and they got comfy in the bed. Cuddling with a pony isn't as hard as one might think, considering the long length of their back runs almost perfectly the distance of the collarbone to pelvis. "So you don't really care what people think either?"

"Trust me, as a Guardian, you see a massive amount of adversity. People not learning to deal with it is the third most common reason why people quit being a Guardian. I've been a Guardian for 8 years. I've learned to deal with harsh opinions on more than one occasion."

Again, Twilight looked a bit perplexed, "Third most common reason? What's the first 2?"

"The second most common is disability due to limb or mind loss. Guardian's do live a dangerous life, considering all that we protect the world from. The first most common reason is due to the second most common. When people see someone who has just lost an arm, or a leg, many new Guardians would feel sick, or lose their faith in the order. While admittedly, it is rare, the few times that it has happened is more than enough reason for some to not want to risk their life like that. Truthfully? I don't blame them. It is terrifying going into a battlefield, and not knowing if you may come out entirely intact. It could happen to anyone, even me. If luck is not on your side, then you may lose more than just a little blood, or an armor piece."

Twilight thought about this for a moment, but decided to let the matter drop. The conversation had turned grim enough already, and she just wanted to enjoy herself. And Heaross. After a time, she turned in the warrior's arms, and settled herself in having her muzzle right in his chest. Their legs tangled, and they cuddled even harder than before. Smiling, still keeping the blush for so long, Twilight quietly said, "Thank you."

"Hehe, I think I should be thanking you," Heaross replied, just as soft.

"Why? You're the one that started all this, so why do I have to take credit?"

"Because, the life of a Guardian is rather lonely. My original intentions back at the cathedral were to just say the lines, and try to figure out a way back home. Trust me, even right now, this is very abnormal for me. When that assassin attacked, seeing you so scared just... Awoken something in me. Something I thought was gone. That massage may have been part of damage control, but Scorch and Frost? I normally would never have done something like that. I don't like putting my pets in harm's way, even though I know that they would never die against, well, anything. You make me feel... content. Happy. It's like, for once, I finally have something to fight for, instead of just against. So, thank you."

Twilight was actually crying now, but tears of joy instead of fear. Surprising Heaross, she quickly moved up and kissed him, just showing what she was feeling. She held that position for awhile, until they both needed to stop for breath. Blushes in full force, they chuckled a little, and kissed again, though not as forcefully. They continued like that for several more kisses, surprising the other, until they were both very tired. Twilight physically and emotionally, Heaross emotionally and mentally.

Twilight yawned, being the first to show her exhaustion. "Sorry, today has been wonderfully weird. Do you want to go to sleep now, or do you need to do something?"

Heaross gave a smirk, causing Twilight to now start having a few doubts. "Just one thing before we do. Wait here." Heaross disengaged from the alicorn, and turned to the side of the bed. He arose and stretched for a moment, before opening another portal, but not to the Petverse. He gestured for Twilight to follow him, and stepped inside the portal. Twilight got up a moment later, yawning again. She followed the Guardian, stepping through the strange barrier. She looked towards him, and where he was standing, gesturing to the entirety of the space. "This, Twilight, is my personal room. I have entirely outfitted this space with many enchantments, and several facilities to see to any needs one may have. I have a food bar, with any kind of edible substance you may want, a bath with the most fragrant of soaps, and even a bed softer than air. The most useful thing this space has," he went to close the portal, sealing them inside, "is that when all openings are closed, time stands still."

Twilight gasped, shocked at the potential of a place like this. "You mean, we could stay here forever?!"

"As long as you may wish. Another enchantment placed entails that any time spent here will not waste away your life span. You could, quite literally, spend eternity here. And, there is even an infinite bookshelf. Follow me." Twilight did, gasping at almost everything the space had for use. She saw the food bar, a science and magic station entirely fitted with tools of all kinds, a practice range for any type of combat, a med bay that could heal any and all injuries, several beds with many different designs and comforts, and even a hall of Heaross' most valuable possessions. "If I sold everything in here, the total would be more than 2 billion gold. Of course, I don't need that much, but it is reassuring for a particularly rainy day."

Continuing on, they reached the bookshelf that he had spoken of, which had a rotating mechanism and several shelves worth of books. When she rotated the shelves, Twilight found more and more books than should logically fit in such a small space. "Drakel Magiscience. This bookshelf cost me a massive 30 million gold to trade, but never have I regretted the decision. It can hold any book known in the Universe. It even... where is it... Ah!" Flipping to another shelf that had a book that stretched the entirety of the shelf's length,"It holds this marvel of literary work. This book holds the entirety of all the science and experimentation that the Drakel have ever done. If you ever have a question if something will blow up, chances are the Drakel have done it first. And replaced what had been blown up."

Looking around in absolute awe, Twilight asked, "Did you do all of this yourself? How could you even afford it?"

"I actually didn't make all of this myself. Most of the things here were bought, and the things that weren't were either built specifically for this realm, or moved here from another place. Warlic and Valencia helped me make this place. It was quite a project for us 3. Warlic could handle the magical side of things, Valencia could handle placement and decorations, and finding many things we put here, and I could cover the costs for things and move the items here. It took us 3 months of nonstop work to build this entire place." The pride in his voice shone through, saying just how much work him and his friends put into this place. "The total cost was about... 150 million? 200? Somewhere around that price range, the main thing is that it was hard to do. Only Warlic, Valencia, and I can come here. We of course can invite people in, but only us 3 know how to open the portal."

Twilight, yet again, looked perplexed, but was answered before she had even asked the question. "No, I can't try and make my back through here. The opening stays where it was last closed if someone is inside, and trying to coordinate a time when multiple of us might be in is extremely hard. Besides the enchantments essentially forcing us to keep the doors open if we want time to pass, Warlic and Valencia don't visit here much. They do come here, but not as much as I normally do. They generally are much busier than I am, so trying to get a good time is hard unless we actually come together to join in. And we can't just leave notes for each other, or leave the portals open. Enchantments placed regularly clean, and close portals if left open. As sad as it is, this place is only meant for rest and relaxation, or a hideaway if things get too bad."

Twilight looked a bit crestfallen, sad that Heaross wouldn't be able to go home so easily. She simply told herself that it meant more time with him, and cheered up as much as she could. "Well, even if you can't go home yet, I'll keep trying to find a way. In the mean time, I'll try and make your stay here as enjoyable as possible." Her resolve set, she flew up to Heaross' height and kissed him again.

When she did this, Heaross quickly grabbed her, and held Twilight against his chest, saying, "You already have."

Twilight nuzzled him, wrapping her fore-hooves around his chest. Looking up at him, she asked, "This is all very impressive, and I must admit I'm jealous you have something like this. But why did you bring me in here?"

"Well, it's bedtime, isn't it?"

"I think it's actually about 7. I normally go to sleep about 9 or 10." Another yawn. "Though, maybe going to sleep a bit earlier might not be a bad thing."

Heaross chuckled, "Well, how about a bed softer than clouds? We spared no expense, and the beds here are the actual greatest ever." He then walked over to the beds, and set Twilight down upon his, taking care not to disturb Warlic's or Valencia's bed. As Twilight was settling in, Heaross quickly moved over to the food bar, grabbing a warm glass of chocolate milk with a straw. He walked back, surprised to see Twilight already under the covers with her head on a pillow.

"Mmm... You were right, this is the softest bed ever..." Heaross quietly laughed, and brought Twilight the chocolate milk, advising her to take a sip. She did, and her eyes brightened widely, starting to take larger mouthfuls of the sweet drink.

"Slow down! You drink too much and you won't be able to sleep. I know, it is very good. Small sips, alright?" Laughing, Heaross took the half-drunk chocolate away, having no intention of letting Twilight get too hyper. The ponies here were much like children, he had noticed. Too much sugar, and they get hyper. Too much excitement, and they crashed easily. Even some of their behaviors were like unsupervised children. Twilight, despite being an alicorn, and being a heavy introvert and bookworm, even displayed some of these traits. Like the chocolate milk. He set said chocolate milk on a night stand away from Twilight, and cuddled up with her, intent on going to sleep.

Twilight huffed a bit on getting her drink taken away, but her logical side said that he was right. Too much sugar and she wouldn't be able to sleep. When Heaross cuddled up to her, she let herself be encased in his warm grasp, tired and very comfy in the bed. They both settled, comfy and drew the blankets up, covering each other. As a dreamless sleep was about to take her, Twilight thought, Huh. So this is what being in love is like.

Welcome to Ponyville