Bodyguards of the Princesses

Chapters

Chapter 1: "A Need for Protection"
Chapter 2: "Meeting the Avenger Factions"
Chapter 3: "Twilight Meets Dr. Strange"
Chapter 4: "Summoned by the Map"
Chapter 5: "A Royal Friendship Mission"
Chapter 6: "The Return of King Sombra"

Chapter 1: "A Need for Protection"

Equestria's elite, it's warriors, had a purpose to protect and defend Equestria from outside harm. However, in recent times it had been easier said than done. Now, with the Storm King's invasion and aftermath still fresh on the minds of everypony, the time had come for Equestria's defense to be taken to the next level.

"Ever since Canterlot had been invaded by the Storm King," Shining Armor explained to a group of ponies at a conference table while he showed off a series of slides containing pictures of the occupation. "The protection of our princesses and our fellow ponies has been called into question. No matter how hard we have tried, we have been unable to do our jobs. To this end, it is our responsibility now as the leaders of Equestria's defense to make sure that our sovereign leaders don't undergo the same horrors again."

"Prince Armor," remarked a military pony in a navy uniform. "If I may interject on your explanation, your sister did bring up a good point about that we aren't enough. For 1,000 years, we have had the revelation that we are indeed, not enough. Remember also that your wife and the royal sisters were saved by creatures that your sister and her friends had managed to befriend."

"That is not enough to prove the point, Admiral Clipper," said another pony in a marine uniform. "Sure we have gained these allies, but there is always a saying that action speaks louder than words, boys."

"And indeed they do," replied Shining Armor, regaining the attention of all in the room. "As Prince of the Crystal Empire and former Captain of the Royal Guard, I feel that there is a significant need for improvement."

Shining Armor then proceeded to move on to the next slide, which showed a large building in Canterlot that had just been constructed.

"As you can see," he said. "We have recently created an organization called S.M.I.L.E. which is purposed to track outside threats against Equestria. According to some of the early gatherings they have done, there have been up to 15 threats made against Equestria and especially the princesses."

"Okay, so there are 15 threats," remarked another pony dressed in an army uniform. "What point are you trying to make, Prince Armor?"

"The point is that S.M.I.L.E. must be tasked to seek out a group of warriors that could potentially be perfect bodyguards for the Princesses."

Shining Armor then showed off a picture of the said heroes, a group of humanoid figures in a group photo charging towards something unknown.

"We see them," said Spitfire, who was representing the Wonderbolts at the meeting. "But, who exactly are they, Prince Armor?"

"From what I hear," he said, sitting down at the head of the table. "They call themselves the Avengers, led by a pair of humans named Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. They used to operate as one group but have since split up into two groups for personal reasons that were made unclear."

"And who is inviting them here?" asked Admiral Clipper. "Certainly not us and certainly not you, Prince Armor. As a matter of fact, has anypony told the Princesses about this, let alone your wife?"

…

No sooner did he say those at that moment did Princess Celestia hear a knocking at the door of her office, interrupting whatever work she was doing.

"Come in," she called and the door opened to reveal Princess Luna with a human male dressed in a military uniform. "You must be General Ross of the United States military, I presume?"

"That is correct, Princess Celestia," he said, bowing to her in respect. "It is my belief that you are looking for some protection, I presume?"

"In a way, yes we are, General," replied Celestia, motioning for him to sit down. "But most importantly is that we aren't the only ones protected by these Avengers as you call them. We may had been targeted for our magic and turned to stone, but our subjects suffered far worse."

"So has the human race," sighed Ross, rubbing his fingers on his face. "Had it not been for the Avengers defeating Thanos, half the universe would still be gone."

"Nevertheless," added Luna, walking over to join her sister. "We should not be the only ones that need protection. Our goal is to prevent something like this from ever happening again. Neither one of us are getting any younger, General."

"I am aware of that, Princess Luna," said Ross. "In fact, one of the Avengers just so happens to work for S.M.I.L.E. as a scientist and can easily relate to you."

Reaching into his coat pocket, Ross took out a phone and called out to that member of the Avengers.

"Dr. Banner," he said into the phone. "You can come in now."

At that moment, a man in a button down shirt and khakis walked into the room and bowed towards the princesses before sitting down next to Ross.

"It's very nice to meet you, Dr. Banner," said Celestia. "I assume you are one of the Avengers."

"I am. And you can call me Bruce if you want," he stammered. "Dr. Banner sounds kind of stuffy, yet professional."

"Okay Bruce," chuckled Celestia. "If that is what you wish to be called, then so be it. According to General Ross, you are a member of the Avengers as a creature who only comes out when you're angry or upset."

"The Hulk," interjected Ross. "A creature that I once hunted down but have since stopped."

This made Celestia and Luna both raise an eyebrow at the General.

"Once hunted down, times have changed."

At that moment, another buzz came from his phone and this time, it was for a different reason.

"I see. Well, the proposed bodyguards for you are just about ready to arrive at your town's train station. Shall we go and meet them?"

Looking over at each other, the princesses followed General Ross and Bruce down to the Canterlot train station where aboard the incoming friendship express, the two factions of Avengers were anticipating their arrival into Equestria.

…

At the same time, in the Crystal Empire, a spacecraft was preparing to land and inside were a group of intergalactic warriors who, like the Avengers, were also recruited to be the bodyguards for Princess Cadence.

"Prince Armor," said a crystal pony guard. "They have arrived."

"Who has?"

"The Guardians of the Galaxy who are now the Guardians of the Crystal Empire."

With those words, Shining Armor hastily left the room…

Chapter 2: "Meeting the Avenger Factions"

"So, this is Equestria?" remarked Tony Stark, as he looked out the window of the Friendship Express. "Certainly, doesn't look anything like home is."

"That's because you've never been there before," replied a female voice that belonged to his newly married wife, Julia Carpenter. "But at least being bodyguards to this kingdom's new leaders counts as a new beginning. Better yet, I'll be with you every step of the way, Tony."

Tony couldn't help but chuckle to himself at what his new wife just said. And he knew that she was right, it was a new beginning for them, for all of the Avengers. But, Tony also had to remember that it was also the first time since their Civil War that he was working with Steve Rogers, who sat across from him and Julia.

"Tony," said Steve, looking over at him. "You okay?"

"Uh, yeah," stammered Tony. "I'm fine, Steve. Just…a little nervous about this new job we're all taking."

"Why should you be nervous, Mr. Stark?" asked Peter Parker, Stark's protégé sitting next to Julia's daughter, Rachel. "I'm actually excited to be in Twilight Sparkle's school of friendship."

"As am I," added Rachel. "I'm kind of looking forward to being around other creatures instead of some of those classmates I despise."

"We're all looking forward to this new change, Tony," said Steve. "Everything that happened between us is in the past. Let's bury the past and move on, shall we?"

"I agree with Cap here," said Jim Rhodes, Tony and Julia's closest friend. "Equestria is supposed to be a kingdom that preaches love and friendship just as much as any place. After all, it's not every day we get to be among a country completely inhabited by ponies, let alone be the bodyguards to their leaders."

Soon, the train approached Canterlot Train Station and came to a stop.

"Canterlot," called the conductor. "Canterlot train station! Watch your step leaving the train!"

Getting up, the two factions of Avengers left the train and stepped onto the platform. No sooner did they step off were they met by a crowd of ponies who could only stand in awe of them.

"Why are they looking at us like that?" asked Scott Lang, a member of Steve's faction.

"Because they probably have never seen the likes of us before," answered Sam Wilson, another member of Steve's faction. "Just be yourself, Tic Tac and you'll do fine."

"If only my kids were here to see this," remarked another member of Steve's faction, Clint Barton. "Especially my daughter."

Soon, they were met by Flash Magnus, a pillar of Equestria and the newly minted Captain of the Royal Guard.

"You must be the new bodyguards?" he asked. "I'm Flash Magnus, pillar of Old Equestria and current Captain of the Royal Guard."

"We are," said Tony, extending a hand out to Flash, much to his confusion. "I'm Tony Stark, leader of the Avengers. Um, you don't shake hands?"

"They are ponies so I doubt that, Mr. Stark," remarked Peter.

…

Suddenly, Flash turned to see Celestia and Luna coming towards them.

"Company, salute!" he called and they formed two sets of lines as the two alicorn sisters along with Bruce and General Ross arrived. Out of respect, all the Avengers bowed to them.

"You can rise," chuckled Celestia, much to their surprise. "The formality kind of gets us down a bit."

"My sister and I would like to welcome you to Equestria," said Luna.

However, while the princesses were more than welcoming, Steve wasn't as keen on seeing General Ross present with them.

"What are you doing here?" asked Steve, remembering the man who treated him and his faction like criminals. "You're not here to arrest me and my faction are you?"

"Come on, Rogers," he whispered. "The government has given you and your team a pardon in the wake of Thanos' defeat. At least show some gratitude for it."

However, Bruce was more than welcoming to see his friends again and showed it by embracing Tony and the others.

"Good to see you, guys," he said, hugging both of them.

"Good to see you too, Bruce," replied Tony, patting his friend on the back. "Looks like you are enjoying your new role at S.M.I.L.E."

"Yeah, it's very interesting to say the least, but at least the pay is good and that I am doing some contributing to the benefit of Equestria. Besides, there is this one pony who has taken a liking to me."

"So, you say," laughed Tony. "Gotta to introduce me to her. What's her name?"

"Lyra Heartstrings. A new agent who just joined not too long ago."

…

Just then, the sounds of another commotion were heard as several guardsponies were ushering ponies to get out of the way as a chariot arrived on the scene and inside the chariot was a dark skinned male dressed in purple and black robes.

"I can't believe this," said Bucky Barnes, a childhood friend of Steve's and a member of his faction. "What's T'Challa doing here?"

"The same thing as you," replied Luna. "The King of Wakanda will also be a bodyguard to us."

"Uh, doesn't he have a kingdom to run?" asked Jim.

"Yes, but he was adamant on being a protector of us," answered Luna.

Stepping out of the chariot, T'Challa approached the two factions of Avengers, but not before bowing to the royal sisters. Despite the fact he was a king himself, T'Challa still wanted to show the respect of the sisters' status.

"Your highness," gasped Steve. "So, you're here as well?"

"I want to help protect the leaders of Equestria, Captain," he said. "Equestria is just as important as Wakanda."

"But, what about your subjects?" remarked Tony.

"M'Baku will oversee my daily duties. After all, he did a good job ruling Wakanda in my absence."

It took a moment for Tony to take in what he had just heard, but he ultimately accepted what T'Challa was trying to do.

…

Meanwhile, in the Crystal Empire, Princess Cadence and Shining Armor stood outside the spacecraft as a human male and his multi-creature companions stepped down onto the Crystal Empire's ground.

"They all look so different from one another," whispered Princess Cadence to Shining Armor. "Are you certain that they are qualified to be our bodyguards?"

"If your aunts say they are qualified, then they are qualified, Cadence," Shining Armor whispered back. "All that matters is that I don't let you fall victim to creatures like the Storm King."

"The Guardians of the Galaxy!" called a herald as the intergalactic heroes stood in front of the Crystal Empire's co-rulers.

"Welcome to the Crystal Empire," Cadence said to the group of multi-creatures. "I'm Princess Cadence and this is my husband and co-ruler, Shining Armor."

The human male bowed to them in respect much to the confusion of his companions, but all Princess Cadence could do was chuckle.

"You don't have to be so formal," she laughed.

"Are you sure about that?" asked the human male. "I mean, we've traveled to many kingdoms in the Galaxy and have had to show respect to them. Anyways, name's Pete, Pete Quill or Star-Lord, leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy. These are my fellow guardians, Gamora, Drax, Rocket Raccoon, Mantis and Groot."

"I am Groot," Groot said, much to Shining Armor's confusion as he walked over to the treelike humanoid.

"Uh, I know who you are," he replied, confusingly.

"That is all he says," advised Rocket to Shining Armor. "Don't worry, after a while, you'll start to understand him."

Shining Armor wasn't sure, but he was more than willing to give Groot and all the other Guardians the benefit of the doubt as to why they were here.

…

The bodyguards had arrived, but there was still plenty of introductory work to be done…

Chapter 3: "Twilight Meets Dr. Strange"

Upon meeting the Princesses, the two factions of Avengers were led to Canterlot Castle under a military escort. Right away, they were all enraptured by being among creatures that were more than welcoming. As they were escorting the Avengers to the Castle, Princess Luna couldn't help but begin to have reservations about having these warriors be their bodyguards.

"You seem troubled, Luna," whispered Celestia. "Is something wrong?"

"Well, sister," Luna replied quietly, looking up at her big sister. "It's just that…do you really think that we need to have all of this extra protection? It's makes me feel…vulnerable."

"Why do you say that? We need to be protected a lot better than before."

"That's just it, sister. I'm just wondering if maybe having these warriors here won't make much of a difference when all is said and done. I just hope that they can prove me wrong."

"Luna, it's going to take time to adjust, but you will see that this is will be beneficial in the end. If Princess Twilight can befriend creatures that we have never met before, then why can't we?"

"We know the Hippogriffs, sister. And the yaks, and the dragons, and the Griffons among other creatures in our land. And besides, being protected by these Avengers, it makes me wonder…"

"Yes?'

"That we can't live the life we want to live when we aren't being princesses."

Celestia could understand her sister's pain, but again stuck to her guns on having the Avengers here in Equestria to protect them.

"I mean, Twilight lives her life just as normally as when you sent her away from Canterlot, right? So, why can't we?"

"Because we are all Princesses, Luna. We need to be there to protect our subjects and in turn, we need the Avengers to protect us. So in a way, everypony needs protection."

…

Meanwhile, in her Castle of Friendship, Twilight sat in her study still trying to comprehend with Tempest Shadow not accepting her position as Twilight's royal guard captain. Although she was respectable of the fact that Tempest still needed more time, the fact that she wasn't there was starting to take a burden on Twilight.

"Still thinking about Tempest, huh?" remarked her dragon assistant, Spike. "Come on Twilight, you know she still needs time to straighten her mind out, right?"

"I'm aware of that, Spike," sighed Twilight, looking over at him. "It's just that…well, you know I have feelings for her, right?"

"Um, what?"

"Friendship feelings, Spike. Even if she was doing evil things, I still had feelings for her. If only I can get to her and tell her everything that I have been feeling for her…"

"Hey, I can understand what you are going through, Twilight," sympathized Spike. "Maybe she'll come back, maybe she won't. But, either way, you've got let Tempest go and do her own thing. Besides, you've got friendship to spread, not to mention a school to run."

Just then, from out of nowhere, Twilight heard a male voice from behind her.

"Princess Twilight Sparkle?" the voice said and Twilight turned to see a human male dressed in blue with a red cape tied around his neck stepping out of a gold colored portal. "I'm Dr. Stephen Strange. I'm here as your bodyguard."

This made Twilight somewhat confused.

"Wait, what?" she stammered, walking over towards him. "My bodyguard? I didn't ask for a bodyguard."

"But, your fellow princesses did," said Dr. Strange. "All of the Avengers have committed themselves to being bodyguards for you and them."

"The Avengers? Who are the Avengers?"

No sooner did Twilight say that did Spike burp up a scroll from Princess Celestia for Twilight to read.

"So you see that you aren't the only princess who needs protecting," remarked Dr. Strange.

"Wait, wait, I don't understand. For one thing, how do you know about us and who in the name of Celestia are the Avengers?"

"Why don't we go to Canterlot and find out for yourselves?"

He then moved into the portal and Twilight followed with Spike following behind. Almost in an instant, they arrived in Canterlot and soon found themselves in the throne room with both factions of the Avengers on each side. Tony's faction stood next to Celestia's throne while Steve's faction stood next to Luna's faction.

"You must be Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship?" asked Tony. "Tony Stark, nice to meet you."

"And I'm Steve Rogers," added Steve.

"Um, nice to meet you," said Twilight in a confused voice. "But, are you certain that this is necessary?"

"It is necessary, Twilight," replied Celestia, stepping down from her throne and walking over to Twilight. "Ever since we were attacked by the Storm King, our protection and well being has been called into question. We have been targeted for our alicorn magic for sometime now and have been unable to defend ourselves. Yes, we would lay our lives down for our subjects, but we have questioned ourselves whether or not we would be able to withstand the attack of an enemy greater than Tirek, the Storm King or whoever."

Still, Twilight was unconvinced by her mentor's words.

"But, we have been wondering about taking initative after we were all captured by Queen Chrysalis," continued Celestia. "We may have came out of everything in the past alive, but for how long? We need to protect ourselves Twilight because if we don't accept the help of the Avengers, then there will be nopony to protect Equestria."

Hearing this made Twilight think back to the time she had fought Starlight Glimmer using Starswirl's time travel scroll. One of the futures she went to was a future where there was nothing but dust and death. She couldn't help but wonder if she didn't accept the help of the Avengers, then that was what the future was going to be.

"Okay," sighed Twilight. "I am willing to have a bodyguard, but what about my friends? Will they be protected?"

"Yes," said Dr. Strange, getting Twilight's attention. "I will serve as your bodyguard to you and your friends. For I have been assigned to be the bodyguard of not just you, the Princess of Friendship, but also the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony as well."

Twilight could only wonder what the future was going to hold and how having a mystical wizard as her bodyguard was going to go.

…

Meanwhile, back in the Crystal Empire, the Guardians of the Galaxy were being given a tour of the empire and were soon in the Crystal Empire's throne room.

"Nice place you got here," said Gamora.

"Thank you, Gamora," replied Princess Cadence as she walked over towards Sunburst, who was standing next to the crib that bore Cadence and Shining Armor's foal, Flurry Heart. "This is Sunburst and our daughter, Princess Flurry Heart."

The guardians watched as Flurry Heart opened her large wings much to their shock and amazement.

"Is it possible?" gasped Peter.

"Could it be some mistake?" asked Gamora.

"Look at those…" remarked Drax, looking down at Flurry Heart closely. "W.I.N.G.S."

"Those what?" asked Rocket in a sarcastic voice. "Oh, these! Aren't they funny?"

Rocket tried to reach for one of Flurry Heart's large wings, only to be pulled back by Sunburst, who gave the raccoon a kind of dirty look.

"What?" he cried. "I was only saying…"

"Flurry Heart is like that because she was born that way," said Shining Armor in a protective voice. "So that means that rule #1 will be to treat Flurry Heart with the same respect as Cadence and me."

"If you say so," stammered Rocket. "You're the bosses around here."

"And besides," added Sunburst. "She may be a foal, but Flurry Heart is a lot smarter than any of you. Who knows? Perhaps you might learn something from her."

…

While all of this was going on, little did anyone know that not far from the Crystal Empire, a large plume of fog was lifting and revealing a black castle that was underneath, followed by the sounds of an evil laugh.

A dark evil from 1,000 years earlier was remerging…

Chapter 4: "Summoned by the Map"

Following their respective introductions, the two factions of Avengers continued to settle into their new positions as the Princesses' bodyguards. However, little did any of them know that there were still old wounds between the factions' respective leaders. Inside his new quarters within Canterlot castle, Tony looked down at a note that Steve had written to him after the Avengers' civil war.

"Tony?" asked Julia, walking into his quarters. "You know, you should really check out this castle. It's got a lot of history and culture to it and…why are you looking at that note? I thought you and Steve made up for all that had happened."

Seeing that his wife was already taking a keen interest in the note, Tony hastily hid it away.

"Well, yeah, we did make up for it, Julia," stammered Tony, looking over at his wife. "Its just that…it's just that…let me put it this way, have you ever been involved in a situation where even though you forgave the offending party, you really haven't?"

"Oh yeah, my pathetic excuse for a husband, Larry," laughed Julia sarcastically as she sat next to Tony. "He was a piece of garbage to me and he was a piece of garbage to Rachel. In fact, that's why I fell in love with you to begin with. Because you are not that piece of garbage."

"You sure about that?" wondered Tony, much to Julia's surprise.

"Of course. But, I think that you believe Steve is still a piece of garbage for not going with the accords. If Steve doesn't like the fact that the Avengers had to play by the rules, then that's his problem."

All Tony could do was sigh heavily at this remark.

"All I'm saying Tony is that you and Steve have to finally make peace with one another. The Avengers in a way have been given a second chance by being bodyguards to the princesses of this kingdom. Sooner or later, you're both going to need to make peace with each other."

With those words, Tony sighed heavily again and laid down on the side of his bed, staring up at the ceiling. In a way, Julia was right. He was going to have to make peace with Steve whether he liked it or not.

…

At that moment, Twilight was back at her castle with Dr. Strange introducing him to her friends.

"Sure is nice to meet you, Doc," said Applejack as they all sat around the map.

"Yeah, I always admire someone in a cape," added Rarity. "Tell me, can I use your design to start a line of capes?"

"You know you already have a line of capes, Rarity," remarked Rainbow Dash.

"Can you make balloon animals?" asked Pinkie Pie.

"Now wait a minute," said Twilight, regaining the attention of her friends. "Dr. Strange is here for a very specific purpose: to serve as our bodyguard for here and for the school."

"Is that also the reason why those two creatures like him are now students?" wondered Rainbow Dash. "That Peter Parker and Rachel Carpenter?"

"Yes, Peter is here because he also is a bodyguard to Princess Celestia," explained Twilight. "You'll meet all of the bodyguards in time."

However, some of them had their doubts about the matter.

"Um, excuse me, Mr. Dr. Strange sir," stammered Fluttershy, getting the wizard's attention. "I don't mean to be rude, but do you think we need bodyguards? I mean, I can stand up for myself and we do have Discord."

"Yeah," added Rainbow Dash. "We can call on him to snap his claws and make whatever is causing problems in Equestria disappear."

But, Twilight wasn't buying it and it wasn't because of her annoyance of Discord.

"Guys, we have bodyguards for the purpose of protecting ourselves," replied Twilight. "It may seem a little strange at first, but you will see in time that it will all be for the best. If Celestia wants us to be protected further, then we have to honor her wishes. Trust me, if it was up to me, then things would be different."

Little did Twilight know that the map was activating in front of them and the cutie marks that were appearing were unexpected to her and all that were gathered.

"Um, Twilight," remarked Applejack, motioning for her to look at the map. "Is that meant to be different?"

Twilight looked at the map and couldn't believe what she was seeing as her mouth dropped in shock and surprise.

"Is she always like that?" asked Dr. Strange.

"It's Celestia and Luna," gasped Applejack. "And it's right in Canterlot, but why?"

…

No sooner did Applejack say those words that at that very moment, Luna was sitting in her office reviewing her bodyguards' profiles when she noticed a flashing light coming from her flank.

"What in…?" stammered Luna and she felt her mouth drop upon seeing what was happening, her cutie mark was glowing and she wasn't alone as Celestia came running into her sister's office with Jim and Peter running behind her. "Sister, what's happening to us?"

"Our cutie marks are glowing," cried Celestia, her voice filled with more surprise than shock. "Twilight's map has summoned us for a friendship mission."

"Is that why you guys are going bonkers?" wondered Peter.

"We'd better get to Twilight's and find out what we are being summoned for," advised Luna, immediately leaving her office with Celestia and two of her bodyguards following from right behind. The commotion caught the attention of Scott and Sam who came in from another room.

"What's going on?" cried Scott, taking note of Celestia and Luna's glowing flanks. "What's with the glowing butts?"

"Better come if you want to find out," advised Jim, pressing a button on his chest and activating his War Machine armor with Peter webbing his way into the air. Unfortunately, Scott didn't have his Ant Man suit on and was already a step behind. "And get your suit on, Lang!"

"Okay, okay! Is there anything wrong with talking to your daughter when moments like this happen?"

While Luna and Sam waited for Scott to change into his Ant Man suit, Celestia took to the air and dashed over to Twilight's castle. After a few moments, Scott became Ant Man and he and Sam escorted Luna towards Twilight's castle.

…

Meanwhile, Steve was walking around Canterlot, trying to get acquainted with his new surroundings while also thinking about the events of the Civil War.

"Tony and I are going to have to make peace eventually," he thought to himself. "But, how can I make peace with him? Bucky was brainwashed, there was nothing else for me to say. But, Tony just can't seem to accept the fact that Bucky didn't kill his parents out of his own feelings. Still, I can't help but feel sorry for Tony. But, at the same time, we've got a second chance here and sooner or later, we've got to work together."

…

At that same moment, in the dark kingdom near the Crystal Empire, a four legged creature stepped out from the kingdom's castle and activating a red aura around his two horns, teleported himself into Tartarus. Stepping into the light, the creature revealed himself to be a dark blue goat with a bell around his neck. The rest of the creatures imprisoned in their cages trembled with fear at this creature as he walked towards the cage bearing Lord Tirek and being guarded by Cerberus. The three headed dog noticed the goat and attempted to growl, but the goat was quick to act.

Chanting a spell and swaying his bell back and forth, the goat knocked out Ceberus and the three headed dog collapsed.

"Is it you?" the raspy voice of the imprisoned centaur whispered, his claws clutching onto the bars of his cage. "After 1,000 years, you have returned at last…Emperor Grogar."

The goat smiled as he and Tirek exchanged looks with one another…

Chapter 5: "A Royal Friendship Mission"

Flying as fast as their wings could carry them, Celestia and Luna arrived at Twilight's castle flying through the window of the Castle's throne room.

"How the hell they can do that?" cried Sam.

"Either way, we can't do what they do," said Jim. "Not unless you want to cause damages to a castle."

However, Spider-Man was quick to fly through the window of a room in Twilight's castle that had been left open.

"Kid's got a point," said Jim, flying down through the window with Sam and Scott following behind. Unfortunately, Scott, being the dope he was, accidentally broke the window upon going through.

"Tic tac, what's wrong with you?" cried Sam, helping him up. "You are going to have to pay for that, you know."

"Whatever, let's find the princesses before we get fired," replied Scott and the four Avengers went looking for the royal sisters. Of course, they all had a rough time trying to get around the castle since none of them had been here before. "Uh, does anyone know how to get around here?"

"Do I look like someone who knows how to get around a castle?" remarked Sam. "Is there like a map or something?"

"This doesn't look like a museum," advised Peter. "But, there must be a map in here somewhere."

And Peter began slinging his webbing at various large items in Twilight's castle, trying to see if there was a map hidden. At that moment, the commotion caught the attention of a light pink colored unicorn with a purple mane and tail.

"Excuse me," she cried, stopping Peter from pulling back a portrait of Twilight at her coronation. "What is going on here?"

"Oh, uh, excuse me," stammered Peter, pulling his webbing back. "Sorry, we're just trying to find our way around here and…"

"Are you the Princesses' new bodyguards?" the unicorn asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"Um, yeah," said Sam. "And you are…?"

"Starlight Glimmer, Twilight's former pupil and guidance counselor at her school of friendship," said the unicorn. "And if you're supposed to be bodyguarding the princesses, then why are you here?"

"We just told you, lady," retorted Scott. "That we're trying to find them. All of a sudden, their butts started glowing and they just came here."

"They're in the throne room," sighed Starlight. "Follow me and don't touch anything else."

…

At that moment, Celestia and Luna were in Twilight's throne room looking at the map that had summoned them for a friendship mission.

"I can't believe the map summoned both of you," said Twilight. "It must be a really big one if it involves you two."

"We can't believe it either," remarked Celestia. "And it's in Canterlot."

"Do you think it might have something to do with us getting new bodyguards?" wondered Luna, looking up at her sister.

"It's likely," said Dr. Strange. "Then again, I can predict the future, so…"

"Excuse me, Doctor," interjected Rarity. "No spoilers."

"I can…"

"NO SPOILERS!" shouted Rarity, who then proceeded to give the doctor a friendly smile.

…

Following the awkward silence, the doors of Twilight's throne room opened and Starlight came in with the four Avengers behind her.

"This is the throne room," wondered Jim. "Where's the throne?"

"Looks like something out of Star Wars," remarked Peter, but Sam and Scott weren't impressed.

"You know that you could have waited for us," said Sam. "We're your bodyguards, Princess Luna and that means we are responsible…"

But Sam was quickly silenced with a hoof to his face from Luna.

"That will be all, Sam Wilson," she said firmly, much to his shock and surprise. With Sam silenced, they all resumed what was being discussed.

"Now then," said Twilight. "I don't know if related to us getting new bodyguards, but since it is in Canterlot, it may be more than likely that it is. Tell me, do you think that something might be wrong between all of you?"

She focused her attention on the four Avengers and right away began to try and get some answers out of them. While Jim, Scott and Sam couldn't find any words to say, Peter was quick to speak up.

"It may be wrong of me to butt in like this," he said. "But, I couldn't help but notice that Mr. Stark was a little off."

"A little off?" wondered Celestia, walking over to Peter. "In what way, Peter?"

"He…how shall I put this? He hasn't been the same since we all fought one another."

"You all fought one another?" wondered Luna. "In what way?"

"It's a long story," sighed Jim, briefly turning away. "But, we had been asked to sort of play by the rules after many people died during a mission we had fighting the AI known as Ultron. Not all of us were willing to play by them."

He then turned to Sam and Scott, who glared upon hearing this. The last thing either one of them wanted was to be reminded of that dark period in the Avengers' history.

"Many of us were willing to move on, especially after dealing with Thanos," continued Jim, turning his attention back to the Princesses. "But some of us weren't willing to move on."

"Not willing to move on?" wondered Applejack.

"But, why?" added Rainbow Dash. "Why would somepony hold a grudge like that?"

"It's clear that Tony still hasn't forgiven Steve for what happened with the accords," added Jim. "That's my hunch."

"Steve's willing to move on," sighed Sam. "We all are. I mean, what's done is done."

It was now apparent to what Celestia and Luna's mission was going to be.

"So, I guess that this is why the map summoned you," said Twilight. "To solve this problem between two of your new bodyguards."

Everyone looked at the map and realized just exactly what was going to be at stake.

…

Meanwhile, in Tartarus, Tirek and Grogar continued to admire one another as Tirek began to get the sense that he was about earn the freedom he so longed for.

"You must have come to free me?" he asked.

"You might say that, Lord Tirek," answered Grogar. "And I know that for 1,000 years, you have longed to get the magic of Equestria all for yourself, yes?"

"I have, my emperor and I would have succeeded had it not been for the betrayal of my brother, Scorpan. If you let me out, I am sure you can help me get what I desire."

Grogar chuckled at the dedication that Tirek was showing and realized that he would prove to be a valuable ally in the growing battle ahead.

"Your spineless attitude shows me to believe that you will be a faithful servant to me, Tirek."

Just then, the two villains were interrupted by a small voice from a small cage next to Tirek's.

"What about me? Aren't I going to be included?"

Grogar then turned his attention towards the small cage where a small female Pegasus pony with a red rook for a cutie mark was inside.

"And who might you by?"

"Cozy Glow, who longs to be the Empress of Friendship."

For a moment, Grogar was dumbstruck by what he was seeing. In his mind, how could this little filly be an asset to his plans.

"She has been a protégé of mine," explained Tirek. "Trust me, she can prove herself to be quite the asset to you. Cozy Glow has tried to overthrow the princess of friendship and take over her school. I can assure you, if you let her and me help you, Emperor Grogar, she'll prove herself quite useful."

The young Pegasus filly smiled eagerly upon hearing this from her caged mentor and although he wasn't totally convinced, Grogar was more than willing to give her a chance.

Suddenly, they heard the sounds of hoofbeats and realized that time was of the essence.

"Somepony's coming!" whispered Cozy Glow and Grogar stepped back, activating a magic aura from his horns and swinging his bell from side to side, activated a spell that caused him, Tirek and Cozy Glow to disappear in a quiet manner.

…

Three of Equestria's most dangerous had come together and there was more to join the ranks…

Chapter 6: "The Return of King Sombra"

"How can you expect to learn something from a baby? It just doesn't make any sense at all," sighed Rocket Raccoon as he and Drax took their posts outside of Cadence and Shining Armor's private quarters. "All I did was make a harmless remark about it's wings."

But, Drax wasn't buying it. To him, seeing Flurry Heart made him think of his own private life.

"You okay, Drax?" asked Rocket, causing Drax to stop whatever he was thinking about. "Something on your mind?"

"Sorry, it's just that," he replied. "Seeing that baby pony…it made me think of my children before Thanos murdered them."

"Jeez, I'm sorry. I forgot you had offspring. For a big guy, you have a soft spot don't you."

"You might say that," remarked Drax. "Perhaps maybe I could…pay special attention to her, treat her like one of my own."

"But she's not yours."

Drax could only sigh in wonder. Even though that they had only just met, there was something about him and Flurry Heart that connected them. This didn't go unnoticed by the other guardians.

"I am Groot," Groot said as he admired the crystal gardens that were tended to by Mistmane, one of the Equestrian pillars.

"Sure is a beautiful garden," sighed Gamora to Quill, admiring one of the crystal sculptures. "Not like anything we have seen."

"Guess you're right," said Quill looking at his reflection in one of the crystal sculptures . "All the other planets we have been to haven't really been much as nice. When we were asked by Stark to come here and be bodyguards, I thought that this was just going to be like any other planet, but its not. It's on Earth, where I haven't been on since I was a kid, losing my mom."

"You miss her, don't you?" asked Gamora.

"Every day, Gamora," answered Quill, solemnly. "I…I just want to make her proud, you know? Something tells me that I now have my chance to do so."

The green skinned stepdaughter of Thanos placed her hand on Quill's as a sign of support. Even Groot took notice and was astonished.

"I am Groot," he gasped in shock. "I…am…Groot, I'm Groot."

"Gamora," sighed Quill, looking back at her. "I want you to promise me something when all is said and done."

To Gamora, this was a surprise, considering that she had forced Quill to promise in killing her during the Infinity Wars.

"And…" Quill reminded, placing his hands in front of Gamora. "Before you ask, this is not a promise that you are to kill me in any way. It's a promise that…"

But, Quill couldn't finish his sentence much to Gamora's surprise. Nevertheless, she was quick to guess what was on his mind.

"I know what you are thinking," she said with a keen smile. "And yes, I promise to marry you."

Quill felt himself astonished to hear Gamora make such a wild and for that matter, accurate guess.

"We can be married here, on this planet."

With those words, they broke into a kiss while Groot continued to watch with astonishment.

…

Back in Canterlot, King T'Challa of Wakanda was paying a visit to the staff at his kingdom's embassy when he was approached by a small human male in a gray suit.

"I trust you've been recruited to be Princess Celestia's protector," he said, catching the king's attention.

"Mr. Ross," T'Challa chuckled, beckoning whoever he was talking too to leave at once. "What are…what are you doing here?"

"Was transferred over here by the CIA," he replied, holding a maroon colored file in his hands. "Apparently there is something that you need to know about."

This made T'Challa stop thinking about whatever he was doing at that moment.

"What is this?"

"It's from S.M.I.L.E.," Ross said. "Two of Equestria's most dangerous have escaped from Tartarus."

"Tartarus?"

"The prison they have here. Apparently, it's supposed to house the worst of the worst kind of what Alcatraz was like back in the early 20th century."

"Do the princesses know?"

"They got called away on last minute business over at Princess Twilight's friendship castle. But, as far as we are concerned, we are still trying to find them."

T'Challa considered the matter, taking it seriously. For he knew very well what it was like to be a royal in mortal danger. Just then, they looked out the window and saw the Princesses returning towards Canterlot castle.

"I don't think that won't be necessary," he said. "I'll inform them myself. In the meantime, you reach your fellow agents in Wakanda and tell them to send for my kingsguard."

"How many?"

"As many as I'll need."

And Ross watched as T'Challa left the embassy, flanked by two of his security guards.

…

At that moment, Celestia and Luna returned with Jim, Sam and the others just as Steve was coming back into the castle along with Bucky Barnes.

"Captain Rogers," acknowledged Luna.

"Princess Luna," Steve acknowledged back, he and Bucky bowing to her and Celestia. "Where did you disappear to?"

But, Luna didn't answer him right away.

"That doesn't matter right now. Where is Tony Stark?"

"Tony? I guess he is in his quarters or something like that. Why do you ask?"

"There is something we need to talk to both of you about," said Celestia and Steve realized just exactly what was going to be discussed. "Something that involves a rift between you two."

"No disrespect," remarked Bucky. "But, I don't think that Steve wants to talk to Tony about what happened…"

"Buck," interrupted Steve, placing a hand on his metallic shoulder. "We knew this was going to happen eventually. Sooner or later, the skeletons are going to come out of the closet."

The World War II veteran took an enormous gulp, nervous at what was about to happen…

…

Meanwhile, Grogar transported Tirek and Cozy Glow into a large throne room within his kingdom. The centaur and his pony protégé were astonished by what they saw.

"What is this place?" gasped Cozy Glow.

"This is my throne room, young filly," explained Grogar. "You are in my kingdom of Tambeleon and together, we will all achieve our goals!"

Being the curious foal that she was, Cozy flew over to Grogar's throne and sat down in it. But, she would not be there for long.

"I beg your pardon, Cozy Glow, but no one sits in my throne except for me!" he ordered, glowing his horns.

"Ugh, whatever!" Cozy muttered rolling her eyes in disgust as she flew off the throne. "What's wrong with being a little curious?"

"You'll have to excuse her," Tirek whispered to Grogar. "She is always a little curious and ambitious."

"But, there are rules for a reason, Tirek," advised Grogar. "Disobey them and I will throw you or anypony else out of my kingdom. You are in Tambeleon now, so you will worship me!"

Nodding in reply, Tirek accepted his position.

"Now then," said Grogar, walking over towards a map similar to Twilight's that sat in front of his throne room. "Who else would you like to recruit?"

"The only ones I can think of is Sombra and Chrysalis," replied Tirek, remorsefully. "But Sombra is dead."

"I can remedy that," laughed Grogar, activating his horn and swaying his bell back and forth. Chanting a spell, Tirek and Cozy Glow watched as a mass of black magic took the form of a pony with a sharp horn on its head. The pony roared loudly as the black magic disappeared to reveal a gray colored unicorn with a red flowing cape and a black crown on his head. Both centaur and Pegasus filly were stunned by what they saw.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, King Sombra," laughed Grogar as King Sombra glanced over at him, laughing evilly at being brought back to life.