A Guard for The Princess

The rest of the week, after his first eventful night as a Royal Guard, Proteus’ duties became more standard. He accompanied Luna to various charity events, inspections around the castle, and trips to Ponyville. He hadn’t written a letter to Twilight, since he got the job, so it was a perfect time to come and see her. He came to her doorstep with Luna late at night, knocking on the door. He wasn’t expecting her to be up, but the door immediately flung open, and Twilight embraced Proteus, like she hasn’t seen him in ages. Well, for most mothers, seeing their child after a few months away from them would constitute as an age.

“I have been worried sick!” Twilight shouted.

“Sorry, Mom. I’ve been a little busy.”

Twilight looks at Princess Luna, before using her magic to levitate a newspaper in front of Proteus, showing him pressed against Luna that night in Canterlot, with a look of shock.

“I’m proud that you became a Royal Guard, but did I really have to find out this way?”

“They could have picked a better picture.” Proteus said, inspecting the cover.

“Proteus!” she gets his attention.

“Okay, okay. It won’t happen again.”

“It better not.” she shakes her head, before going back to hugging him. “I missed you.”

“Me too.”

Twilight looks back at Luna.

“Are you making sure he doesn’t get hurt?”

“You know me, Twilight. I would never hurt your son.”

“Be sure that you don’t.” she gives Proteus a little tap on the armor. “Never underestimate a mother’s wrath.”

“I’d believe her, if I was you.” Proteus grins, “She can get pretty scary sometimes.”

“Only because I want to see you safe.”

Luna chuckles. “You have nothing to worry about, Twilight. I’m taking good care of your son.”

Seeing his Mother again, was the highlight of Proetus’ week, aside from becoming Luna’s personal guard, of course. He truly did miss her; the back of his mind filled with regret that he’s not at home with her. Before leaving, he told her that he would see her whenever he could. After another tearful hug, they exchanged goodbyes, and went off to their respective homes.

The next week, was when things really started to get interesting.

Proteus entered Luna’s chambers, fully armored, ready to go, when he saw the Princess looking out on the balcony. Confused, he walked to her side. He hadn’t seen her look so concerned.

“What is it, Luna?” he asked.

“We’re going to Mt. Tartarus, tonight.” she said, with a slight shake in her step. “I hate that place. So many monsters.”

He had never been to Tartarus before, but he had heard the legends whilst in school. A mountain of seething fire, made from the bowels of hell itself, packed to the brim with all kinds of mythological monster, that are made from the stuff of nightmares. It’s easy to see why Luna would be scared.

“It’s okay, Luna. I’ll protect you.” he says, confidently. “I’m your personal Guard, remember?”

She smiles at him, putting a hoof on his shoulder.

“I know you will.” she says.

The flight to Tartarus was a long one. The distance was well past the Badlands, towards dragon territory. They flew over a pack of Dragons, but they paid no mind to them. As fierce as they looked, even they wouldn’t want to cross paths with the Princess of the night. They flew onwards, until the middle of the night, when they finally reached it…Tartarus.

The mountain looked exactly how Proteus imagined it. Lava burst from the top of it, in a spectacular display. On the outside, he looked upon the mountain like it was nothing, like he had seen it all before. On the inside, however, he was scared out of his wits. He could only imagine how frightened Luna must be.

At the base of the mountain, was the entrance to Tartarus; a large stone door graced the wall, protected by two Royal Unicorn Guards, standing at attention like good soldiers would. They bowed to Luna, as she approached them, informing them of her business there. Proteus watched as the door is lifted up by the Unicorn’s magic. Inside, was something that surprised him; a lobby. From the looks of things, you wouldn’t think that you were inside a maximum security prison. It was nice, like a Doctor’s office nice. This thoroughly confused Proteus.

“Are we looking at prisoners, or are we getting a checkup?” he thought.

Just then, the Warden, old, and heavily armored, emerged from a swinging door.

“Princess Luna.” he said, bowing to her presence, “It’s an honor to see you again.”

“Likewise, Warden.” she turns to Proteus, “This is my personal Guard, Proteus. He will be accompanying me on this inspection.”

“Of course, Princess. Follow me.”

The three of them walked through the swinging doors to reveal the prison on the other side. Now, it was the place that Proteus thought it would be. Fire and brimstone, with hundreds of cells, powered by magic, housing the dangerous creatures in all of Equestrias. Manticores, Hydras, Cerberus’, Chimeras, any terrifying mythological creature one could imagine, are here. Seeing the prison in person was much more frightening than the illustrations in the books he read in school.

Proteus gulped in nervousness, and Luna heard it clearly. She motions him to stay at her side during the inspection, and he heeded her order.

“Stay with me. I don’t want you wandering off.” she whispers to him.

“You don’t have to worry about that, Princess. I don’t think this is a place to dilly dally in.” He whispers back to her.

Every cell has a Guard stationed there, watching the creatures like hawks, making sure that none of them would ever attempt escape from their captives. Everypony looked like they were doing their jobs to the best of their abilities. Luna looked upon the Guards as she passed by, happy at their work, and they would give her a slight nod, indicating that all was safe.

“As you can see, Princess, we have everything under control.” The Warden says.

“It seems like it. I am impressed at the amount of security here.”

“Well, Princess Celestia was adamant about putting a good amount of Guards stationed here, after the last escape attempt.”

“And how long has it been, since the last creature attempted to escape?”

“About three months ago. We have the most security placed on him.”

The three stop at a particular cell, surrounded by five guards. Inside, is a fully grown Manticore. The body of a lion, the tail of a scorpion, the wings of a dragon, complete with sharp claws, that could probably cut through steel; this was one creature nopony would ever want to encounter in the dark.

“Is this the one you speak of?” Luna asked.

“Yes. We try to keep him heavily sedated, so that he wouldn’t threaten any of the Guard’s safety.”

Proteus separates from Luna, to get a closer look at the creature. The Manticore’s eyes slowly open, glancing at Proteus’ curiosity. It growls in anger, before suddenly lunging at him! It hits the magic barrier with massive force, causing the creature to double back, and fall over. Proteus steps back, absolutely terrified.

“Seems to like you a lot.” The Warden chuckles.

“I think ‘like’ is a bit of a misnomer.” Proteus says. He hurriedly goes back to Luna’s side.

Aside from that event, the rest of the tour goes by smoothly, though Proteus was still obviously shaken by his encounter. After saying their goodbyes, and scheduling an appointment for next month, Luna and Proteus take off to the skies.

Luna watches Proteus, the look of shock on his face never leaving.

“Are you okay, Proteus?” she asks him.

“Yeah. I’m fine.” he replies, not much emotion in his voice.

“Come on, let’s take a walk.” she says, heading down to the Everfree Forest.

He follows her descent, until they reach the ground of the forest. His legs are shaking from fright. She holds him close to her, until his shaking begins to subside. He may have looked like a tough colt on the outside, but he was still a teen.

“It’s okay. Don’t be scared.”

“Apologies, Luna. I just…never seen a creature like that before.”

“Don’t worry about it. You’re still young. There are many things in this world you haven’t seen yet.”

“Look at me. I’d said that I would protect you, and now, here I am, cowering like a filly.”

“You’re not cowering. You’ll get used to it. I promise.”

Proteus slowly rubs the side of his face with her coat. It’s oddly relaxing for him.

“You’re really warm.” He said. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

“We did just come out of a fiery prison, you know.” They both chuckle.

The trees in the forest shuffle. They are not alone. The two separate from each other, as they look around to see where the noise is coming from. They hear the sounds of howling, barking, and growling. Proteus has no idea what creatures await them, but Luna is familiar with the sounds.

A large pack of Timberwolves, scary looking creatures with darkened wood as their flesh, circle around the two. The wolves number at around a dozen, more than enough to pose a threat. The wolves lick their chops, awaiting the meal that is sure to come, should Proteus and Luna not do anything to stop them.

A Timberwolf charges at the Princess!

“Look out!” Proteus yells. He gets in front of her, and uses his hind legs to deliver a powerful buck to the Timberwolf, breaking its wooden flesh.

The rest of the pack runs towards Proteus, seeing him as the immediate threat. They tackle him, as a couple of strays go for Luna.

“Proteus!” Luna, yells. She hits one with her magic, and tries to fly up, but the other wolf grabs her wing, shoving her back to the ground. She yells in pain.

Proteus hears her cries, kicking the pack off of him, sustaining a few scratches in the process. He runs to Luna’s aid, knocking back the Timberwolves back into their pack. The wolves fall back into formation.

“Luna, head back to the castle. I’ll hold them off.”

“No! I’ll help you.”

“Help?”

“I might be a Princess, but I’m not completely useless.”

“I didn’t say…”

He had no time to finish his sentence. The wolves rush them both. Luna uses powerful magic blasts to repel some of them, Proteus uses his fighting skills to take on the rest. They make a good team, much to his surprise. A wolf swipes at Proteus, giving him a large cut over his eye. He responds with another powerful kick. After seconds the wolves retreat in fear.

“Yeah! You better run!” Proteus yells. As the adrenaline wears off, he feels the cut above his eye. He looks to Luna, who is well, and mostly uninjured, aside from a slightly unkempt wing. She comes to him.

“Are you okay, Proteus?” she asks him, inspecting the cut.

“I’ll be fine.”

“No, this could get infected. I have some bandages in my quarters. Let’s get out of here before more Timberwolves show up.”

The two fly back.

Proteus sits on her bed, as he hears the sounds of rushing water coming from the bathroom. Luna comes back, holding a wet washcloth with her magic. She dabs at the cut, cleaning it, and ridding the dried blood that was attained during their flight. Proteus winces.

“I’m sorry. I should have never brought us down into the forest.” Luna laments, “I should have known how dangerous it gets at night.”

“You worry too much.” Proteus says, “Besides, you can handle yourself in a fight, that’s for sure.”

“It’s been a long time, since I used my magic for that purpose.”

“Almost looked like you didn’t miss a beat.” He says, causing her to blush. Proteus glances at her wing. The feathers at the tip are ruffled, and there’s a slight hint of blood.

“Your wing…” he points at it.

“It’s just a little disheveled. Nothing serious.”

“But it’s bleeding.’

“Now, you’re worrying too much.” Her horn glows, as a bandage wraps around the tip of her wing neatly. “There. All better, see?” She goes back to putting the finishing touches on the bandages. “There we go. All better. Well…mostly. Keep that on until tomorrow night, it’ll heal in no time.”

“Thank you, Luna.” he tells her softly. “For everything.”

“It’s nothing, really. Just making sure my Guard is happy and healthy.”

They look at each other for what feels like a long time. Proteus is the first to break eye contact, clearing his throat out of nervousness.

“I…should be hitting the hay.” he says, “The sun will be rising soon.” He gets up off her bed, and heads for his door.

“Proteus?” Luna calls to him at the last second. He stops to look at her. “Can you stay for a few more minutes? I have to ask you something.”

“Yeah. Of course.” he said, welcoming another couple of moments with her, “What is it?”

“Do you like being my Guard?”

Proteus stares at her in disbelief. “Yeah, sure! I love it! Better than getting my plot kicked around in training.” he chuckles.

“And, no matter what I ask of you…you will do as I command, and answer truthfully?”

“You told me that I had to be honest with you. So yes, I would.”

Luna pauses with her next question. She lies down on the bed, fiddling with the blanket below her with her hoof.

“I was wondering….do you find me attractive?”

Proteus is frozen. Whatever smile he had on his face, is completely gone, and is replaced with wide eyed horror. He would open his mouth, but no words would exit, he would try to move, but he could not. Luna waited for his answer patiently.

“Is…” he starts to muster the words, “Is this some kind of test?”

She shakes her head slowly, as she smiles at him. “No, Proteus. This is not a test.”

He backs away from her, clumsily. On retrospect, the Manticore wasn’t anywhere near as scary as answering Luna’s question. Still, even so…he had to answer. He stood up straight, gulped, and replied…

“Yes. I find you…very attractive.” he finally says, looking down at the floor in embarrassment.

“And what do you find attractive about me?”

“There’s more to the question?” he thought. “Like…a list?” he asks her. She nods.

“Come closer.” she uses her hoof to guide him over, “I want to hear every word you say.” He walks over to her, slowly. He is close now, very close. “That’s better. Now, tell me.” There’s something different about the way she’s talking to him, and he knows it. The kind, loving Princess that he was conversing with not seconds ago, has been replaced by an enchanting seductress.

“I…” he stutters. He looks into her eyes, as she awaits his answers. “I like your…coat. N-not many know this, but I like mares with…darker coats.” He sees her smile. “I also like…your cutie mark. It’s really…nice.”

“Oh? So you enjoy looking at my flank?” she asks coyly. He looks away from her, his face flushed with red. He begins to stutter again, not even getting any words out. “It’s okay.” she calms him, “I don’t mind. I catch some of the Guards on the grounds looking at me every once in a while.”

He looks back at her; a small chuckle leaves his mouth.

“I like your eyes. I like your voice, and I…” he pauses. She looks at him closely. “I really like…your mane.”

“Do you now? How so?”

“I like how it moves, like…there’s wind everywhere you go. Outside, in here, it doesn’t matter. And…it reminds me when I was younger, and how I would look at the night sky, thinking about how beautiful it was. Thinking…about you.”

“About me?”

“Well…ever since we met…I was thinking about you, quite a bit. Especially at night, when…” he shuts his mouth quick. Luna says nothing. “Wait…that came out wrong. I mean…” he sighs, thinking he went too far with this. “I-I’m sorry. I…really have to go, this is…”

Without warning, Luna grabs his face and brings his lips directly into hers. His eyes widen, not expecting to be kissed by the Princess. Slowly, the kiss becomes something else entirely, as her tongue begins to creep into his mouth, caressing his tongue and palate. He never had a kiss like this before, having her practically invade his mouth, was an experience entirely new to him. As he moves his tongue to hers, he starts to get into the kiss. He becomes hungry for more, and so is she. She holds him, bringing him down on top of her, as their kisses become more and more powerful, more sensual.

Before anything else could happen, Proteus forcefully breaks away from the kiss, a strand of saliva connecting his mouth to hers. He notices, and breaks it apart. He looks at her; he can see the look in her eyes, begging him to continue.

“I…I can’t.” he says, “Good morning.”

She tries to stop him, but he quickly shuts the door, locking it to keep her from coming in.

He couldn’t get any sleep for most of the morning. The kiss swirled in his head as he lied in bed, looking up at the ceiling. Did she love him? Was it just a crush, or a fling even? Either way, he never expected her to feel that way about him. Did this happen to any of the other Guards she had? Did it happen to his father? With all the questions circling his brain, there was one thought that he couldn’t escape from; the fact that he liked it.

The feeling of her lips, the warmth of her tongue, her willingness to let him do whatever he wanted to do, drove him absolutely crazy. He couldn’t lie; he was attracted to her the moment he laid eyes on her in that cemetery. Every time he saw her, even when locked in chains, he could only think about how beautiful she was. She was perfect, in every sense of the word. Now, the moment where she actually wanted him, he backed away, and retreated into his room.

“Coward.” he thought to himself, "You had your chance, and you blew it."

Now, the real question was, how is the next night going to play out?

He managed to get only a little bit of sleep, before being woken up by the sounds of somepony knocking on his door. He didn’t need to bother asking who it was, as the door leads to only Luna’s room.

He opens the door, rubbing his eyes. The moon hasn’t risen yet, but Luna stands in front of him.

“What is it?” he asks her.

“Come with me. I want to show you something. Leave the armor, there’s no need for it tonight.”

He follows her out to the balcony. It has been a while since he had seen a sunset, now that he has been accustomed to waking up at night time, when the sun is already gone. He looks at Luna, whose eyes are closed. Her horn glows intensely, bright enough for Proteus to squint he eyes. He looks out to the valley before him, as he sees an amazing sight. The moon…rising from the corners of the Equestria, and the stars following suit. Both the moon and the stars are shining and magnificent glow, and Proteus can’t help but drop his jaw at the sight of it all.

Luna releases herself from the magic, panting for air, but soon breathes normally.

“Wow.” Proteus says.

“I wanted you to see this for yourself. Do you like it?”

“Are you kidding? That was amazing! You do that every night?”

“Every night.”

He looks back out at the sky, smiling. She could only continue to look at him.

“Come on.” she puts her hoof on his back, “Fly with me.”

“Where?”

“You’ll see.” she says, as she ascends. He follows her up into the stars.

The two fly around the clouds in a playful manner, much different than their usual flights. Luna does loops around him, and he responds back with the same. They fly down to the water, grazing the surface with the hooves. Proteus kicks of bit of water to Luna, who laughs it off, and launches an even bigger splash of water, soaking his mane. The displeased look on his wet face causes her to laugh even more. He rockets after her, chasing her all over the skies. As fast as he can be, she is faster.

She takes off high, and Proteus follows her all the way up. She stops…so does he. They are close to the moon now, so close that Proteus feels like he could touch it. Alas, it’s still far away.

Luna flies to him, circling around him, until finally, she stops right in front of him, close to his face. They both look at one another, smiling as they look into their eyes.

“I haven’t flown like that in years.” he says. Impressed, panting. “You’re just too fast for me.”

“I don’t know. With time, you can be just as good as me.” she says, with an amusing deal of smugness. He responds by rubbing his hoof on her mane, disheveling that one small area. “Hey!” she yells.

“Gotcha!” he chuckles. She playfully punches his shoulders. After the laughing as subsided, she looks intently at him, as he turns his attention towards the moon.

“What do you think?” she asks.

“It’s beautiful. I’ve never been so close to the moon before.” he responds. Luna moves her forelegs to his shoulders. He looks back at her.

“Listen…I’m sorry for what I did last night. I didn’t mean to scare you away.”

“I’ll admit, I was surprised. You didn’t scare me, I just…didn’t know you felt that way.”

“I do. The truth is…I like you, Proteus.” she moves a hoof to his chest, softly grazing his fur. “I really like you.”

“What do you like about me?” he asks, egging her on. She knows his game.

“I like your spirit, your sense of humor, your eyes…I like everything about you.” she says in a sultry tone, “Do you like me?”

“Of course I do. It’s just…”

“Just what?”

“Isn’t it…you know…illegal for someone like me to be…?”

Luna chuckles at him. “My Sister may seem prim and proper to you, but she has her indulgences with the day Guards, every chance she gets. Who’s to say I can’t have the same?” she leans in to kiss him.

“Oh.” he leans back away from her.

“What’s the matter?”

“I thought you wanted to be…serious.”

“Do you want to be serious?”

He pauses. “Yes.”

“Then, we can be serious.” she lightly kisses his lips. “I only have one more question for you.”

“What is it?” he asks, as he returns her kisses.

“Do you…want me?”

“…Yes.”

“Then…what are you waiting for?”

Proteus, not wasting any more time, brings his body close to her, as they kiss under the moonlight. His hooves traveling around her body, feeling every perfect curve, before grabbing on to her flank, causing her to wrap her back legs around his waist. Their breathing becomes heavier, as their kisses become more intense.

“Wait…wait…” she says, in between kisses, “Not here.”

Proteus stops, looking down to see the ground far away from them.

“Oh, right. I forgot about that.” he laughs.

They fly back to Luna’s room. Upon landing, they resume kissing one another, slowly walking back to her bed, anticipating the event to come. Once they lay on the bed, was an entirely different story.

This was the first time Proteus had made love. He thought his first time would be slow, gentle, but what ultimately happened was not either one of those in the slightest. Luna wanted this, and he had the feeling that she had been waiting for this moment for a long time. The way she behaved, was something he had never seen before. Like the way she spoke to him the night before, her personality on this night was completely different from her normal behavior. Tonight, she was all too eager to make him happy in every possible way.

However, despite not being at all what he imagined, he…liked what was happening, to say the very least. He followed her change in personality, giving in to his desire for her; much to her delight. As much as he enjoyed it, she enjoyed it even more. The act left them in a never-ending state of absolute bliss.

When it was all over, Proteus laid on top of her, exhausted, panting for air. What he just experienced will be something he will never forget. Luna caresses his cheek, delivering soft, gentle kisses on his lips. She rubs her nose with his playfully, snapping him out of his delirium, and into a state of amusement, chuckling at her actions. She smiles, caressing his shaking back.

"You're trembling." she says.

"I'll be alright." he tells her, "I just..." He continues to breath heavily. "Luna...there's something....I want...to tell you.'

"What is it, Proteus?"

“I…I love you.” he says, “I love you, Luna.”

He collapses to her side. Within moments, he is out. She turns to him, watching him sleep. Luna holds him tightly to her body, feeling his chest going in and out. She smiles.

“I love you too….Strong Heart.”