Bodyguards of the Princesses

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…