The princesses and the beast

"Why? Why did he do it?!" Asked aloud for a Fluttershy on the verge of tears when he heard what had just happened.

Night was falling on Ponyville, the draconian attack had been repelled by Lance and Discord. One had been busy eliminating the threat while the other... had thrown himself into the gate to close it, turning around to block the other side.

Telling you everything you knew about his portals, your father told you the specifics of each one and especially the universes from which they were created. The world of the draconians was described to you as stifling, this people living underground, in a city where magic did not exist and could not be used. There, only war was daily and all the inhabitants only responded to the desires of their barbarian queen, ready to kill any living being who got in their way for the control of other universes.

So you told the events and your knowledge to Princess Twilight and her friends. The rest of the Ponyville inhabitants could now sleep peacefully now that the few dragon bodies have been cremated and the door to this other world had been forcibly removed. Thanks to Discord!

"Don't worry, Fluttershy, I'm sure he made it through." Unsuccessfully tried to say Rarity to comfort her with a hug... "It's still called Discord, he can do what he wants no matter where he is."

You didn't want to look defeatist in the face of the weeping pegasus, but when your father told you no magic worked there, it meant no magic, no matter how much he wielded it and how much power he had here, was of any use. In the world of the draconians, brute force and the use of weapons was everything, it was their world that had built its rules. Either you complied or you died because you were too weak.

You hoped your father would have or would be wrong, but why would he be wrong, he was the kind of man to say out loud only what was worth saying. And even if not everyone liked it, he was always right, and you are living proof of that. He educated and trained you in the art of combat and survival, he was your only reference point, and you owe him everything from your ability to repel even highly-trained draconians to your ability to represent the protector of Equestria.

And a protector like you... can't let anyone else sacrifice themselves in your place.

"I will go into that world and I will save it, I promise you Fluttershy!" You say suddenly, bringing the mares' eyes to you.

"No Lance, you realize you're walking into a hangover saying that!" Applejack steps in. "You described this place as full of trained and skilled draconians." She goes on.

"But you got a good look at Applejack, Lance has single-handedly repelled this attack, he can do it." Said Rainbow Dash as she pulled to your side.

"Rainbow is no longer a game, he could die in it, and maybe for nothing, I still think Discord got away with it on his own." Confirmed Rarity, keeping Fluttershy in her hooves...

"But he would have come back by now and Discord could have done it." Pinkie Pie added, wiping her smile off her face as the situation no longer allowed it. "You'd better go, they've taken our friend and you're going to take him away from us." She then said with a blackened face, as if she was adding further drama to the situation.

"No, Lance, please don't." Affirmed Fluttershy upon hearing this. "Don't go, I don't want you to put yourself in danger again." Said she as she approached you with a sad look on her face.

She may have lost a friend, and she doesn't want to lose you now. She's only known you since this morning and she's already worried about you... this mare is too kind and benevolent. That could be a problem for her, being nice doesn't necessarily bring out the best in her. And that's why you're here, to look after all its inhabitants, especially its six mares.

You then stoop down by putting your knees on the ground and not daring to put your front hooves on her shoulders, she is already mentally fragile, better not to add more with what you are going to say.

"Fluttershy, I don't understand how you can worry about me when we've only known each other a few hours, but I want you to know I respect your choice." You nod. "I promise. Once I get there, I would never put myself in danger, but I have to go. It is my duty, entrusted to me by Princesses Celestia and Luna, to protect Ponyville and ultimately all of Equestria."

The yellow mare widens her eyes as she understands that you will not go back on your decision and only half listens to her.

"Besides, Discord didn't sound good to me at first, my father told me about it and not in a good way." you go on. "But he proved to me earlier that he was trustworthy. And being a resident of Ponyville today, I wouldn't leave him alone to his fate. I would bring him back, Fluttershy, for all that it means and because it's my job." End up never having left his wet eyes.

"Well, I guess we don't have a choice." Nodded quickly, Rarity. "Twilight, what do you think?" She then asked, remembering she was the only one around here who didn't give an opinion...

"I... the question is pretty complicated." She confessed. "But I trust you, Lance, and I know you'll keep your promise. But I can't help but doubt and fear for you, so I suggest you tell the princesses and Shining Armor tomorrow. I can text them and Spike and meet them tomorrow at Canterlot Castle." She finally answered.

"Thank you Princess Twilight for giving me this chance. I won't let you down." You say as you lift one knee off the ground and resume your pose with one hoof on your chest and the other on your leg.

"I'm not so sure, I still don't think it's going to work." Quickly inquired Applejack said.

"We'll see what Celestia, Luna and Shining Armor think tomorrow. Spike, write down what I say." Said Twilight to his wrist strap.

"No problem." He said as he hurriedly picked up a scroll and a feather.

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The next day, after you had slept as well as you could as you looked back on the events of yesterday, you could only stand at attention as the first rays of Princess Celestia's sun rose into the sky. You learned to store up a great deal of energy to keep it in reserve forever, thinking that Equestria would have no use for a protector who could not be on every battlefield.

Twilight seemed as ready as you were to go back, smiling tenderly as you woke up, to which you responded with a formal head movement. By 6 o'clock, you had flown to Canterlot, with time running out.

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You end up landing in front of the castle entrance and are greeted by Princess Luna who recognizes you.

"Hello Twilight, hello Lance, we weren't expecting you so soon." The Moon Princess answered you as she led you to the room where the Sun Princess and your immediate superior were.

As you opened the doors, you recognized Princess Celestia and saw a white unicorn with an azure mane sitting next to her. It must be him.

You kneel down without delay.

"Princess Celestia, Shining Armor, it is an honor to meet you today!" Plead it out.

"We met yesterday, Lance, there's no need to be so formal all the time." Princess Celestia asked you in a warm tone.

But the stallion next to her did not answer your greeting at once, you wonder why, but wisely waited for an answer from him.

"Get up!" He commands you. You nod, getting up on your hind legs and making first eye contact. Shining Armor looks about the same size as the Big Macintosh, which is the least you can expect from the Chief of the Kings-guard. "So you're Lance, the one the princesses assigned to protect my sister?" Does he ask you as he momentarily takes his eyes off you to greet Princess Twilight.

"That's right, Commander Shining Armor, my primary purpose is to protect Princess Twilight and her friends and all the people of Ponyville." Remember.

"And what is your purpose beyond that?"

"The protection of all of Equestria and all its people by myself!" Tell you what.

"By yourself?" He said he was surprised, then began to smile inexplicably. "You want the whole guard to go on layoff?" He asked, as he began to laugh at his own words.

You stood there for several seconds trying to understand his dialect and why he was laughing, but you couldn't. You ended up asking for help from the princesses who had sat around the table during this time.

"What does go on layoff mean?" Did you ask.

"It doesn't matter now, Lance, come and sit down, time is running out." Remind the Princess Twilight. You nod and sit between her and Princess Luna.

"So, regarding the setting of this meeting, another attack has taken place in Ponyville by Draconian and Discord has thrown himself into the portal to close it, probably getting stuck on the other side, right?" Luna quickly summed up by turning her head towards you.

"That's right, the world of the draconians is devoid of magic according to my father's words, so it's impossible for Discord to have escaped from it." Confirm.

"I didn't think to ask you this the first time, but, what's your father's name? I probably know him." Princess Celestia asked you.

"I'm sorry, but he never told me his name, his first rule was that I call him father and only father." Ask around.

"Too bad, we could have known who he was, well, it's not so bad." Said Princess Luna before we resumed our discussion.

"And so now Lance has volunteered to go to this world to find Discord is Freeing him. Does that sound feasible?" Said the Princess Twilight to her elders.

"Honestly, I've heard of your exploits as a soldier, and I'm very surprised at your strength and courage. We may not speak of the same draconians, but what I faced in the southern lands with the Kings-guard were fearsome warriors, and to have defeated so many between only you and your father impresses me." Said Shining Armor.

"I thank you for his praise, Commander Shining Armor."

"Oh and please call me only Shining Armor, I don't want to create a hierarchical barrier between me and the members of the Kings-guard. All this to say that if any pony can survive a stopover at home alone, it's surely you."

You didn't expect so many positive remarks about your past fights, they were your routine and your father's after all. You thank him again before the discussion continues.

"Only Twilight saw you at work, so I think she should have the last word. It's an extremely dangerous and unprecedented mission for the Kings-guard to enter such a hostile world. Princess Twilight, do you think your appointed guard is up to the task?" Eventually, Princess Celestia asked, slightly flinching at Princess Twilight calling her that.

"Honestly, it's going to be difficult, but I trust him, he swore he wouldn't leave any of the people of Equestria behind, and he's doing it by going. So for me, we should find a way to open a new portal to allow him to rescue Discord," she concluded.

The trust she has in you would almost make you kneel down again to thank her. You think that you have not yet proven yourself to be worthy of her, this is only one of the many reasons that will make you go to this land of another world to save a stranger under your protection.

"In that case, I agree, too, but there's something I need to show you before I go, Lance." Princess Celestia said to you as she stood up and walked outside.

"All right, Princess Celestia." Said you as you followed her with the others.

You cross part of the castle to find yourself facing a stairway leading down to a dark abyss for such a royal estate and supposedly to represent the Princess of the Sun.

"You're trustworthy enough for me to tell you about it." Does it start with her coming down and continue on. "This castle contains many secrets which Equestria unfortunately cannot know, so we have hidden them here, in this room." She says as she finishes the stairs.

You and the others find yourselves in a corridor with several closed steel doors. The aesthetic reminds you of what your father told you about a prison he kept when he was younger. A place where the wrong people are locked up. Princess Celestia continues on her way to a door marked "the biped".

You want to ask what the word means but prefer not to interrupt.

"Many ancient, magical and sometimes predestined objects are accumulated here, and you just reminded me of this one." Said she before she opened the door and walked in.

Everyone enters and you finish the walk, letting you see what Princess Celestia was talking about. A few yards away from you stands a metal plate armor, made up of several rows of forged plates, each ending in a point. The armor must protect the whole body from a glass-blower, since it covers the entire surface, the only space being in a visor to see something once inside. Even the wings and a horn are shown on it, showing that it is intended for this special type of ponies. The front hooves of this one seem to end in spikes resembling dragon claws.

But in this case, why show it to you?

"All the things kept here belong to Equestria, and therefore to the pony people, wearing, it seemed, this armour was not for us." She said as she continued her explanation, to which you remain attentive. "It is impossible for us to handle it because of its inverted joints in relation to any pony." She continues. "But we have met you, a pony with the same characteristics, allowing her to perhaps move in that heavy armor." She says, turning to you and smiling.

"You... you want me to wear that armor, Princess Celestia?" Ask yourself, finally, being greatly surprised by the possibility, your face not changing, unlike your tone of voice.

"In a world like the draconians, it seems the least I can do to get you out of it." She said.

Without saying another word, you move towards the metal plates in constant motion, its size close to yours. You begin to meticulously dismantle it so that you can pass it on to your body parts, and admire how it seems to match. The claws of the armor even react to your movements as if you really have them. From your legs to your arms, from your torso to your back, ending with the helmet looking like an open, growling mouth, which you put on your head. The vision is quite obscured, especially with your one eye, but you end up turning around to the princesses and your commander.

"It's... it's amazing, you're like a living fortress in that heavy armor." Shining Armor replied when she saw the result.

"Why do you say it's heavy?" Ask yourself.

"Well because it is, we can feel the weight of objects as we move them with our magic, and this armor has been difficult to move even for us." Princess Luna insisted.

"I find it so light that I feel like I'm wearing nothing at all." Said the princess, moving the claws of the armor and staring at them. "It's very strange."

"Anyway, we've tested it with various spells and shocks, and it's never had a single scratch, it will be a great help to you there." Princess Celestia said, smiling warmly at the moving armor that surrounds you.

You move towards them without the slightest difficulty, as if you were naked. The same goes for your wings, which lift your body as easily as ever.

"All that remains is to summon the portal and give you a weapon of better workmanship than your spear, and you will be ready." The Princess Twilight finally agreed, looking at Princess Celestia, confirming her words.

How is this possible? She must be imbued with magic or something, I hope she won't fail me once I enter the world of the draconians, you think.