Later in the Day

Luna struggled to keep her head upright as the noblepony before her driveled on and on about some important issue she stopped paying attention to half an hour ago. Her eyelids drooped heavily as she rested her cheek on her hoof in a futile attempt to appear as if she still cared about what he had to say.

"-and furthermore, your highness, none of us have even seen this Anon creature around the castle. It almost appears as if he simply disappeared. How can he be the royal consort if he's not even here?" The stallion asked, a displeased frown on his face.

For several moments, there was no response, but eventually, Raven nudged Luna's wither with her elbow, breaking the sleepy mare from her trance and startling her into sitting upright.

"Yes, yes! Of course! You're right! We'll fix this immediately." Luna regurgitated for the umpteenth time that day.

The noble stallion before her harrumphed, "I certainly hope so, Princess. We are all eager to see him fall into his role." He stated, before bowing and leaving the room.

Luna immediately slouched in her throne, her head falling backwards until she was seeing upside-down.

"Princess, you really should get some rest. I'm sure Princess Celestia will be here any moment," Raven commented, looking down at the schedule in her hooves that had no less than a dozen more names written on it, "The mayor of Manehattan will be here soon..."

Luna responded by snoring loudly, making the secretary pony's ears flick back in irritation, "Lieutenant Valorant, could you please inform the ponies outside that a situation has arisen and the Princess will no longer be accepting day court walk in's today." She asked, facehoofing.

Lieutenant Valorant nodded, "Of course, ma'am."

With that, the guardspony stepped away from the throne and exited the large throne room to address the crowd outside, leaving Raven with Luna as she snored loudly, sprawled out in a very unprincess-like fashion. Raven ignited her horn, a bright white light beaming out and quickly wrapping itself around the Lunar princess before adjusting her posture so that she was at least sitting upright.

"With the way this day is going, I'm not sure if it can get any worse." Raven muttered, eyeing the grandfather clock at the far side of the room.

A loud snort, followed by more heavy snoring was the only response Raven received before a bright flash of light to her left startled her and woke Luna. The dark alicorn yelped from the sudden flash and bang of a teleportation spell and promptly fell out of her throne, landing on her face with a groan.

"Ugh..." Luna croaked as she slowly pushed herself back up to her hooves.

"Luna! Oh my goodness, I am so sorry! I didn't mean to take so long but I just got hung up with Anon and-" Celestia began, only to silence herself as Luna held up a hoof.

"Five hours, Tia. You've been gone for five hours. Do you have any idea what 'not offering to take your duties for the entire day' meant?" Luna seethed, her voice just above a growl.

"I-I know, and I am so sorry, Lulu-"

"Don't you Lulu me! I had to sit through that diplomat meeting for four hours! Four hours of just bickering back and forth about nothing! We accomplished literally nothing and they acted as if we'd performed some sort of miracle!" Luna exclaimed.

"Well to be honest, nothing happening is usually quite a good outcome." Celestia shrugged.

"-And the day court! How in Faust's name do you sit here and listen to these ponies complain!? I had to tell two ponies to stop fighting over an orange tree branch extending exactly ONE HOOF into the other one's yard! ONE BUCKING HOOF!" Luna shouted, before running out of steam and falling into her throne.

"Lulu! Are you alright!?" Celestia quickly rushed to her sister's side.

"I am fine. I am just... so Faust damned tired. What the hay took you so long, sister?" Luna asked, rubbing her temples with her hooves.

"I..." Celestia's words died on her tongue.

Both Luna and Raven raised an eyebrow, prompting the solar alicorn to sigh heavily and continue.

"I... I went to the park with Anon. I... fully intended to let him down gently as Sunshine, but right when I was walking up to him, he... kicked a rock. Right into my face." Celestia explained, a noticeable blush forming on her face.

"He kicked a rock into you face?" Raven inquired, leaning over to inspect Celestia's features.

"Is that why you have that red mark on your cheek?" Luna asked.

"Yes. Now, it wasn't his fault. He didn't see me and, well... I guess he was just doing something to pass the time while he waited for me to arrive." Celestia continued.

"Still, he shouldn't be kicking rocks in a public park, he could have hit somepony else." Raven offered, furrowing her brow.

"He could have even hit somepony important." Luna said, rolling her eyes.

Celestia pouted before picking up where she left off, "Anyways, he immediately apologized and Sergeant Javelin brought me an icepack. Anon spent the next half hour doting over me and apologizing profusely for the accident."

As she continued to speak, Celestia's face turned redder and redder. Both Luna and Raven shared a look before looking back at the blushing princess.

"And... how exactly do you go from getting a stone kicked into your face and doted on for thirty minutes to taking five hours to show up?" Luna asked, raising a brow.

"W-well... I... may have asked him for... ice cream to make it up to me." Celestia's face was now red as a tomato.

"You asked him to get you ice cream? Something that ponies do when they're interested in each other. When you went down there with the sole intent of letting him down gently so he wouldn't form an attachment to your old form and further complicate this already thoroughly complicated situation." Luna surmised, a deadpan look on her face.

Celestia began to sweat as she glanced back and forth between Raven and Luna. It took several moments of intense silence before the light alicorn sighed heavily and sank to her haunches.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. It's just... his hands felt so good when he brushed them through my fur and mane... like little hooves gently combing through each fiber of hair. I just... found it impossible to break his heart like that. Before I knew it, we'd spent hours talking about life and how he was doing... We walked through the park and had a wonderful time. I know I shouldn't have done it... but I just felt so... normal for a change. I'm not sure I can explain it." Celestia frowned, her gaze lingering on the tile floor in front of her.

Luna raised an eyebrow at her sister's explanation, "So that's it? You went down there to let him down, return here in a timely manner, and retake your duties for the day, only to have a good time with Anon, and completely forget your reasons for being down there with him in the first place as well as your duties for the day?" She summed up.

Celestia looked to Raven for help.

"Don't look at me, Princess. I've been trying to keep the ponies from questioning your absence all day and it hasn't been easy." Raven turned her nose up at Celestia.

A defeated look crossed Celestia's face before she sighed quietly to herself, "I know... I am sorry. I've let you both down today, and for that I truly apologize. I don't know what I can do to make up for it, but if there's anything you can think of, I'll gladly do it." She offered, looking to Luna apologetically.

"Well for starters, you can take over my duties tonight to make up for this." Luna replied.

"That's fair enough, although I can't exactly go into ponies' dreams like you can, sister." Celestia nodded.

Luna tapped her chin in thought, "The dream realm is not something you need to concern yourself with. I'm sure ponies can survive one single night without my aide." She acquiesced.

Celestia nodded, "Thank you, Luna. Raven, what about you?" She asked, turning to the secretary.

Raven looked surprisingly up at Celestia, "Um, it's quite alright, Princess. I was only a little frustrated earlier, nothing to worry about. You don't have to make anything up to me... maybe just give me a warning before you disappear fifteen minutes before your meeting and send your sister in your stead."

Celestia chuckled, "I suppose that's fair enough. Luna, you should get to bed. You must be exhausted. Raven, has the mayor of-" She began.

"Not so fast, sister." Luna cut her off.

Celestia looked at Luna quizzically.

"Is it taken care of?" Luna asked.

"Is what taken care of?" Celestia replied.

"So we're going out again next weekend! God, this is amazing! I can't believe it. Can you?" Anon enthusiastically exclaimed as he sat on Javelin's couch.

"Of course I can, I was there." Javelin smirked from his spot next to Anon.

"And she's just so damn nice too! Like, what girl gets a rock to the face, then you get her ice cream and she just snuggles up to you for hours? Man, I think I'm actually falling in love." Anon recollected.

"You two do seem to make quite a nice couple. Even had a few of the other stallions and mares in the park eyeing you up. I was a bit too far away to hear, but where are you two planning on meeting again?" Javelin asked, eyeing Anon curiously.

"She wanted to meet up at the Mueller art museum up by the castle. Said she hasn't been there in forever and that she wanted to show me some of the cool stuff in there. I'm so excited bro, I can't wait!" Anon smiled a wide, beaming smile.

Javelin chuckled, "I'm happy for you. Looks like things are working out pretty well after all, huh? Glad you decided to go with me to the bar that day?" He playfully elbowed Anon in the ribs.

"Hehe, hell yeah I am. I think that was the best decision I've made in a while. Thanks again for that by the way. You really helped me out, dude." Anon gratefully replied.

Javelin dismissively waved a hoof, "Don't mention it. I'm glad I could help. But anyways, now that you've got your date all finished up and your day is all done, what're your plans for tonight?" He asked, curiously.

"Well... nothing, really. I was just probably gonna head back up to the castle, have dinner and read some more of those laws and shit so I don't piss of Raven tomorrow. She's fun to mess with, but scary when she gets frustrated." Anon explained with a small shiver.

"Yeah she is... scary hot... u-uh, well, if you want to hang out tonight, I'm down. My shift officially ends in fifteen minutes, so we can go out to another bar, or maybe a nightclub if you're feeling it." Javelin offered.

"A pony nightclub... now that's something that I've actually wanted to see for a while now." Anon replied, pursing his lips in thought.

"Come on, it'll be fun. You've got four months to learn that crap and nopony is expecting you to be a perfect diplomat once you're married to the princesses. They'll be by your side for probably every single meeting you ever attend until you're fifty." Javelin pressured.

"Well... I guess you've got a point. Still, I don't want to make things any harder than they're already going to be." Anon shrugged.

"Eh, that's clever of you, but you really don't need to worry. The princesses are basically diplomatic deities. Celestia especially. Over a thousand years of practice will do that for you. Even if you managed to screw something big up, which like I said, they'll do everything to prevent that, Celestia can probably just undo your screw up with the flick of her horn." Javelin dismissed.

Anon chewed on his tongue for a moment, "Well... when you put it like that, it does sound kinda silly to get so worked up about it... and I really have wanted to go out to a club for a really long time." He thought aloud.

"Soooooooooo... what you're saying is that you want to hang out tonight?" Javelin suggested, rolling his hoof in an encouraging manner.

Anon eyed Javelin's excited face for just a moment before chuckling to himself, "Alright, alright. How can I say no? Let's go out to the club." He relented.

"Atta boy!" Javelin cheered, patting Anon on the back enthusiastically.

"How are we gonna tell the princesses though? Aren't I supposed to have a guard with me at all times or something? That isn't drunk?" Anon asked.

"I've got it covered." Javelin replied, his horn sparking to life.

A piece of paper and pen quickly levitated over to the stallion before scribbling out a note and disappearing in a flash of light.

"What'd you write?' Anon asked.

"Told Lieutenant Valorant that I'm taking you to the club. Asked for a covert royal guard escort. If I know Valorant, she'll have a squad over within twenty minutes." Javelin construed.

Anon nodded, allowing a silence to fill the room for a few moments before a scroll popped back into existence above them, and was quickly snatched out of the air by Javelin's magic. The stallion quickly scanned through the scroll before raising his eyebrows for a moment, then nodding and giving Anon a grin.

"Just like I said. She's sending a couple night guards to watch over you while we're in the club. They should be here in about twenty minutes." Javelin explained.

"Damn, that was fast. What do you two have a two way link or something?" Anon inquired, cocking an eyebrow back in amazement.

"What? No. I just teleported the letter to her telling her where we are. She's always in her office this time of day." Javelin replied.

"Oh. Well, alright. Is she in charge of the night guards?" Anon asked.

"No, but she is in charge of your guard protection, so she can make requests for guards from either branch whenever she needs them to fill the gaps." Javelin clarified.

"Wait, I thought you were in charge of my protection. At least, that's what Celestia kept telling me." Anon pursed his lips.

Javelin shook his head, "Nah, she said I was assigned to you. Big difference. I'm essentially your handler, but Valorant is my boss. Rules are that guards of the same gender are usually assigned to royalty. So far, you're really the only one needing a stallion to guard them."

"Why are the rules that way?" Anon asked, perplexed.

"Eh, some things allegedly used to happen with certain members of royalty and their opposite gendered escorts that eventually allegedly ended a few careers and allegedly humiliated a few princesses... allegedly." Javelin elaborated, rolling his eyes.

"Ah, that does make sense. Well either way, I'm glad you got picked." Anon offered.

"Heh, not like they had much choice. Aside from Captain Armor, I'm really the only other stallion in the Canterlot Royal Guard that can even do this job. There's a few stallions that are cooks or other non-combat jobs, but as for actually protecting VIP's, I'm it." Javelin chuckled.

"There's really not a single other stallion in the royal guard that can actually guard people, or uh... ponies, I guess?" Anon questioned.

"Not in Canterlot at least. Captain Armor is the only other one but he's the Captain of the guard. It's not like they're gonna send him here to protect you, and besides, between you and me, it's pretty well known that he only got his position because he's engaged to Princess Cadence." Javelin responded, leaning in conspiratorially.

Anon tilted his head to the side, "What, is he just a display piece for her? I'm starting to see a pattern here..."

"Well, kind of. He's good at his job, no doubt. But he's also only got a few years of experience after the academy. To end up as Captain of the guard, he'd have to have been promoted seven times. Usually those promotions are once every two to five years. He's in one of the highest positions in the guard after only a fraction of the time it would take anyone else." Javelin disclosed.

"Well why the hell would they let him jump the whole chain that fast unless he's some kind of god at what he does?" Anon asked.

"It's a long story. The short of it, is that he's getting married to a Princess." Javelin shrugged.

Anon pursed his lips before shrugging himself, and leaning back into the couch, "What about the night guard? I haven't really even seen any of those guys yet."

"Well the night guard is an entirely different animal. They pretty much answer straight to Luna. Unless you're out at night and run into one, or try to find their supervisors directly in the castle, chances are you won't ever even see them." Javelin responded.

"Why's that?"

"Well, they're comprised entirely of thestrals, while the royal guard is made up of earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasai. So the night guard right off the bat is a lot smaller, and speaking of bats, they look kinda like them too." Javelin explained.

"What do you mean?" Anon inquired.

"Well-" Javelin began to respond, only for a pounding on his door to cut him off, "I think you're about to find out."

Javelin hopped off the couch and made his way over to the front door while Anon watched from behind. He quickly opened the door and greeted the pair of night guards standing outside. As they walked inside, Anon immediately noticed that their armor was a deep shade of violet, and blue. While royal guard armor was designed to be sleek, and regal in appearance, the night guard armor was imposing, and almost intimidating.

On the center of the chest plate of both guards, there was a circular bubble piece with a slit of darkness running down the middle, giving it the appearance of an eye that was always watching, and waiting. Two small wings of lighter violet spilled out of the eye, wrapping up the armor to the actual pair of wings sitting on the dark grey furred pony as they approached Anon. Leathery and thin, the wings of the batponies lived up to their names, as they looked like they were ripped straight from a bat and glued onto a pony.

His gaze trailing up to the equines' faces, Anon saw that their eyes were both a similar shade of amber, although their irises were narrow slits, just like a cat's eyes. On top of their heads, instead of a mane, they had a spiked membrane, much like their wings, sticking up in a mohawk. Just below the brim of their helmets, a pair of fangs poked out from their closed mouths, almost as if to highlight the fact that everything about them screamed 'vampire'.

Anon continued to stare at the pair of thestrals as they stood before him for a few moments before he noticed that they were both saluting him. He quickly and awkwardly gave a small salute, to which they promptly dropped theirs.

"Sir, we're here to watch over you tonight." A growly, definitively male voice spoke up.

Anon nearly did a double take at hearing the stallion's voice before the stallion next to him spoke up.

"We'll be out of sight and in the shadows. If anypony lays a hoof on you, we'll be there." The other guard spoke, his voice slightly higher pitched than the other's, although still very gravelly.

"Uh... okay, that's good to hear. Say, can you two answer a couple quick questions for me?" Anon probed, looking them both over curiously.

"Of course, sir." The first guard replied.

"Well, firstly, can I get your names? I dunno if you're like Jav here and are super up tight while you're working, but I'd prefer to keep things as casual as we can." Anon inquired.

"My callsign is Dusk. Rank, Sergeant, First Class." The first stallion replied.

"I am Echo. Rank, Staff Sergeant." The second stallion answered.

"Callsign?" Anon tilted his head to the side.

"Apologies, sir. We're forbidden from sharing our actual names with any creatures aside from Princess Luna and Celestia. Once you're officially a prince, then you'll be allowed access to classified information." Dusk responded, curtly.

"So... I take it that's a 'no' on the casual thing, then." Anon surmised.

"As I said, sir, we'll be out of sight. We're only here to formally introduce ourselves and inform you of your protection for the evening. As far as your night goes, you and Sergeant Javelin are more than welcome to be as casual as you'd like with each other. As for us, should you ever need us, you may refer to us by our callsigns. We don't usually associate by rank." Dusk explained.

Anon nodded slowly, "Alright, so it looks like it's just you and me then, Jav."

"Looks that way," Javelin agreed, before looking to Dusk and Echo, "Say, Sergeant, aren't you both a little... I dunno, overqualified for this mission? I mean, an E-six and E-seven seem like overkill for just guard duty." He mentioned.

"We were pulled from our usual duties by Princess Luna herself and ordered to protect Consort Anonymous for the evening." Echo replied.

Anon gave Javelin a surprised look, "Luna? Jav, I thought you sent the letter to Valorant, not all the way up to Luna."

"I didn't. I sent it straight to Val. How did the princess get a hold of it?" Javelin asked, a puzzled look in his eyes.

"Princess Luna was heading to her quarters to retire for the evening when she ran into Lieutenant Valorant. She mentioned Consort Anonymous's whereabouts with the Lieutenant when your letter appeared. She immediately ordered us to provide your protection for the night and headed to her quarters. She requested that she not be disturbed for the rest of the night. She was very adamant about getting her rest after today's events." Dusk explained.

Anon and Javelin shared a look, "Wait, I thought Luna was supposed to work the night shift... what was she doing working all day?" Anon asked.

"I'm not sure, sir. I've only been up for an hour myself." Dusk responded.

"Huh... Well, I guess that's about everything. Let's get to this nightclub then." Anon suggested, pushing himself to his feet.

"About time! Come on, you promised me a beer." Javelin smirked as he opened the front door again and ushered Anon and the thestrals out.

"Yeah, yeah. You're the one taking forever." Anon joked, following the stallion once he closed the front door and headed toward the street.

"Well I gotta close the front door. Don't want bugs getting into my house and making a home for themselves in all my fruit. I paid good bits for that stuff." Javelin shot back over his shoulder.

The group of four walked on the sidewalk until arriving at the intersection at the end of the cul-de-sac. Once there, they turned left and headed down toward the lower district. As they passed through the thinning evening crowds of ponies, Anon looked down to Javelin.

"So, what's the name of this nightclub?" Anon asked.

"It's called 'The Riviera'. It's down in the lower district, but it's one of the nicest clubs in the city. Tons of huge electronic musicians perform there all the time. In fact.. I'm pretty sure DJ-Pon3 is gonna be there tonight. I've been seeing flyers all week about her show. It's probably gonna be wild." Javelin explained, an excited grin on his face.

"Hell yeah. Finally get to hear some electronic music. Been listening to nothing but fucking harps up in the castle all week." Anon smirked.

The group pressed on toward their destination, but, unbeknownst to them, a pair of hidden eyes watched their movement from afar.

Author's Note

Batponies are dope. They deserve to have a spot in all of my stories. Gen 5 too.