As The Sun Sets

Selene's Perspective

Dusk in the Canterlot Palace was boring for a guard.

That's what Lun- rather, that's what Selene had learned during her time standing vigil in the hallways. It was something she realized in her first week pretending to be a guard...

Pretendings...

She wasn't 'pretending' in that sense. Luna had fought wars, she knew what a real soldier was meant to do, she remembered her honor guard...

Real guards.

Selene let out a breathless sigh. Not moving from her statuesque form, it was dumb and backwards, but Selene was still going to do it properly. She had as much self respect for herself at least. The situation made her realize how much the guards must miss her presence. Luna's presence...

She was the only pony who wandered these halls when night fell, she nodded respectfully to the guards and they stood a hair taller and straightened their backs. It was all so... sideways. It was so close to being something she might remember, but it was all so far away.

Maybe this was a bad idea...

The thought struck again. It usually did, at least once per night. Luna knew better than to let thoughts like that register in her mind, but... Did Selene? Selene came here for a job. Luna came here to change her life. Selene didn't have anything else, neither did Luna, they were both so unsatisfied and couldn't find anywhere to fit their satisfaction. Like a puzzle piece you couldn't hold while going through the whole process blindfolded.

And it was boring. Meditation was out, Luna knew how to meditate, not Selene. Selene was meant to be abrasive and impulsive, half of what Luna wanted to be to all the strange things that didn't make any sense, or put forth the effort to explain themselves. Of course, that fell by the wayside as Selene was trapped in the forsaken hallways, swallowed by Luna's thoughts.

At least being Selene gave Luna the justification to be confused. If Luna couldn't figure it all out, then she shouldn't worry about Selene figuring it out; it just couldn't be done by a mare barely a quarter of her age. It was okay to not have any answers while she was Selene. Selene was just a mare, just a pony, not a royal, not an alicorn. She didn't have to find the answers. Being confused and afraid was normal, it was okay for it to be normal.

Selene was broken from her internal spiraling by a trio of stallions coming around the corner, whispering to themselves. They were armored, and with years of experience reading-

Stop.

Selene had no clue what they were whispering about, she couldn't hear them clearly from where she was standing. Their relaxed postures and their smiles didn't tell her anything about what they were doing. All Selene saw were a hoof full of guards she vaguely remembered not at their posts.

Should I-no-say some-don't get involved-shut u-what is go-

Selene shut Luna out.

The black toned mare took a step forward as the stallions approached. They approached her specifically. "What is going on here?"

"Hey Noxa-"

Another stallion interrupted, "Shh-"

The third talked over the other two, "We-"

They all stopped and looked at each other while trying to decide who was meant to talk. Selene narrowed her eyes, it was intimidating enough, she was barely as tall as they were. "I recognize you all from the rotation. You're all meant to be guarding the east wing entrances on the third floor. What are you doing here?"

"How do yo-"

The stallion in the middle cut him off. "Ice, shut up."

The third spoke up, "You, actually."

"Me?" Selene's eyes narrowed a little more.

"Uh-"

"Guys we can't keep talking over each other-"

"Well then stop it!"

Selene felt the overwhelming urge to whack all three of them.

Pretending. Ugh.

One of them noticed her growing irritation and verbally jumped forwards. "We wanted to invite you to Climbers!"

The other two fell silent, and looked to Selene for a response. Her response was to intensify her glare. "I'm working."

"We know."

"Ice."

"Sorry."

"Let's try this again." The stallion in the middle gestured to his left, "That's Ice Ball," then to his right, "This is Foresight" then to himself, "And I'm Whirlwind. We kept noticing you timeslots on the rotation list an-"

"What about them, and why are you looking at my rotation order?" Selene knew he was about to explain that, but the interruption came from her days as a drill sergeant. Confuse, yell, disorient, all of the skills didn't just go away. The felt right in Selene too. That was okay, that was normal.

He stuttered for a second after her interruption, "Well- it's just that you're scheduled all night whenever you're on rotation. You don't sleep in the barracks, so nopony's even met you before."

"What about that is unusual?"

Foresight spoke, "You're the only guardsmare in the castle who takes full shifts."

Selene's face scrunched in confusion, "I am?"

She was greeted with three nods.

Luna had set up Selene's schedule. It may not have been as polite as possible to the staff organizing them, but working all night made sense. What else was a guard meant to do? Not work through the night? She was a nightguard? Why even suggest anything different? That made sense to Luna.

"Don't you take breaks?" Ice asked to the annoyed looks from Foresight and Whirlwind

Selene shook her head, missing the moment where she went onto the verbal defense. "No? Why would I take a break in the middle of a shift? It's only a single night."

The trio shared a look. Then Whirlwind chuckled, "They told us you were hard, but geez, you're not joking are you?"

"I don't joke." She monotoned, realizing the laughter was at her expense and not liking that at all.

Whirlwind frowned, "I mean that you take your job very seriously, that's all."

Selene snarled, "Of course I take my job seriously you coarse-furred baboon."

All three of them stepped back. Selene had spread her wings, she was angry; it was a good way to cover up all the hurt and confusion. The insult just slipped out. She didn't mean it, not really, it was just a distraction from Luna screaming in her head. Selene forcefully returned to parade rest. "What do you want. What is Climbers?"

Foresight nudged Whirlwind back, and Ice Ball started going around behind them as they all tangled over themselves to start leaving. "It's a guard exclusive club, that's clearly not your scene."

Oh.

"Yeah, we're really sorry for bothering you Noxa, we'l-"

Selene hadn't thought of what they were here for. Not yet. She desperately tried not to.

They were trying to invite her out with them for fun, because they noticed that she worked all of every night and didn't have any friends. Luna screamed in Selene's head that they'd found out she was lonely, and she wanted to dismiss her disguise right then and there. Then they could see what the trio really thought of her, and the alien thoughts swirling in Selene's head would be well and truly smothered by her responsibility as a Princess.

She could order them to return to their posts. She could silence it all for another few minutes. It could all go back to the painful but comfortable status quo.

"Selene." She tensed. All of them stopped moving.

"What?" Ice Ball stopped and comically blocked the other two, who also turned back to look at Selene's disinterested expression.

She spoke as if it was an obvious explanation. "We are brothers and sisters in arms. You will call me by Selene, using my Fore Name is unbecoming."

"Oh." Whirlwind shared a glance with Foresight who facially shrugged. "Sorry, uh, Selene?"

"Yes?"

Whirlwind made a face, not understanding what was going on anymore.

Colts.

Foresight spoke up. "You're not mad?"

Selene sent them a sideways frown. "Did you three leave your posts unattended?"

"No, of course not." They all shook their heads, Whirlwind continued, "We've got friends covering for us, whenever we want to-"

Whatever he said was blocked out by the word he said resonating in Selene's mind like a gong.

Friends.

Fix this. Fix it now.

Selene held up a hoof, "What makes you think a... club... isn't my scene?"

Ice Ball spoke before either of the other two could stop him. "You seem so straight laced?"

"I am." She responded, followed by waving her hoof, "So you think ponies that take their job seriously can't enjoy a good party? I'll have you know, I've been to a... uh, I've been around." She trailed off, she wasn't sure she should say she got so drunk she flew blind back to the palace from Manehattan after dancing and screaming her heart out with Princess Cadance and-

Luna tried screaming again.

Selene blinked hard. Her hearing came back into the moment.

"-ou're saying you'll go with us?"

"Naturally."

No.

Shut up Luna.

The stallions exchanged a pair of looks with each other, confusion and excitement.

"Really?" Foresight asked slowly.

Selene tried for a smile, it didn't really work, she settled on a neutral line instead. "Yes. Lead on stallions, I believe I now have to prove you all wrong."

Ice Ball continued talking, "What about your post?"

"Princess Luna hasn't walked these halls in weeks." Selene shrugged, "She won't care."

Foresight sent her a look of disbelief, but whatever he was about to say was muted by Whirlwind's excitement, "Well okay! Let's go!" Followed by him nosing Foresight forwards. Selene took up a position behind them, next to Ice Ball who started rambling about Climbers and how much she'd like it.

Selene tuned out the screaming.

Banana Split's Perspective

Nopony had listened to him.

He'd tried, and honestly? He made a fool of himself.

He waited until the transcript was filed, and it was exactly what had transpired, there was something to be said for the missing tone, but it just didn't matter. He couldn't get the time of day from anypony to listen to him gripe about the Princess, the first bad word about her marked him as crazy to the average. The few crystal ponies that had stopped and listened to him agreed with Cadance's course of action, exactly as she said they would.

The even fewer ponies he got through the whole transcript with, without pointing out how much of a tyrant Cadance was being generally confused about what the problem was.

Split was waiting at the train station. He was a mess, he needed to shower. He'd slept the last few nights in the Archives until the polite desk attendant who had also not listened to him gently told him that he had to leave, and stop accosting the hoof traffic.

The mare he'd gotten the book from was non-responsive. Exactly like she'd told him she'd be. He even found out where she lived, and was politely shoed off by somepony else. Every avenue had been shot, he had tried everything. All that was left was to go back to Equestria with his tail tucked, it was demeaning.

This was meant to be your big break Split. You finally had something. No more pro-bono cases, no more 'reputation'. Your name in lights, on the front page... You could have done some actual good. What are they going to say about you now?

The train station ran once after the moon went down. The Friendship Express on its midnight rounds of Equestria, one stop in the Empire at four AM.

It was midnight...

Banana Split sighed and readjusted the bag and briefcase over his shoulder, hoping it would keep him a little warmer. Ponies in the Empire didn't understand how cold it was. The bench wasn't doing him any good either, crystal made for bad seating conditions.

Everything about this trip has been a disaster.

Split didn't even have anything to go back to. A dinky apartment for ponies in Canterlot who didn't have familial connections. An office that didn't appreciate his skill, no real work, and only ever enough bits to feed himself and buy the expensive suits required for his job.

It's not fair. Stupid nobles, stupid Cadance.

Split snarled to himself.

I can't believe this. I can't believe all of those sheep would go along with her so empty minded. How could they not see it? She'll run this 'Empire' into the ground. Idiots! All of them!

He felt like getting up and kicking something over, shouting or cursing the world and the empty train station.

Except he had more composure than that. Not like a certain Princess that came to mind.

"Excuse me? Sir?"

Split shook his head and nearly jumped. The entire station was empty and silent. How a pony got up to him without making a sound was baffling. "What? Who are you? What do yo-?" He forced out as he sat up. He stopped talking when he spotted the indentation at the top of her cloak. It was a crystal pony, that was for sure, from the voice it was a mare. She had a purple coat and blue locks of shimmering hair drifting down from her hood, and of course-

A horn.

A... A unicorn crystal pony?

She took a step closer to his bench. He sat up a little straighter.

"I've heard word about what happened to you." She said calmly. "I think you and I need to talk."

Shining Armor's Perspective

Cadance, like always, was working herself into a tizzy over something that didn't matter.

A pair of days ago, Cadance accidentally triggered the Crystal Heart by herself. Since then, her mane and tail was all wavy and intangible and impossible to control. It made sleeping next to her a mild pain, waking up with his face completely enveloped in flowing mane was bothersome and very confusing. She had spent the last night fretting over it, and was doing so again tonight.

Shining stood in their bedroom, idling outside of the bathroom as Cadance lost another brush in her mane.

It had the tendency to eat the objects placed inside of it. They were currently four mane brushes down, and had only found the first one ten minutes ago when it fell out without warning.

To husband, or not to husband?

Shining silently chuckled to himself and pushed his way inside. Cadance stopped fussing for a moment. "Shiniiiiiiing! How do my aunties deal with this!" Cadance's telekinetic aura winked out as another brush fell into infinity. "Ugh! Stop it!"

"Blame Twilight, but I'm still curious about what happened." He said while sidling up next to her. In truth, he knew. He'd only slightly felt Cadance's growing magical power, now, it wasn't something he could ignore. As a guard, he'd been around plenty of explosive magic, and he'd seen a pony or two surging. It was like that, but still Cadance rather than raw explosive magic. There was a smooth flow that washed over him whenever she was near.

It helped him spot her from a distance, letting him get back at her for all those times she ruined a surprise by sensing him nearby.

Anyways.

Shining brought himself back into the moment and Cadance trying to find the hair brushes in her mane with both of her hooves.

"Honeeeey~" Shining led, "Maybe we can just leave it?"

"I look like a mess." Cadance sagged and stared at her reflection and turned her head to look down her side.

Shining internally coughed violently. "No you don't." A bump to her side. "You look gorgeous."

"Shining."

"Cadance."

"Ugh! How am I supposed to make wavy hair mix with baby bump!" She flared her wings, "There's no style for that!"

Shining shook his head, keeping his tone calm in opposition to Cadance's outlet-freakout-session. "Why do you care about how you look anyways?"

"Shining. I Love you, but the biggest celebration the Empire has ever seen is less than two weeks away and I look like-"

Shining interrupted, "A hot mess. Emphasis on the 'hot.'"

Cadance looked at him with the mixed desire to kiss him and also slap him over the head with a wing.

Shining bumped her again, and she sighed. "You look like a mom. That's what's happening. You really should just not worry about it." At Shining's comment, the energy left Cadance's shoulders and she sagged in place. Shining watched her fall into her own head like she tended to do.

...

"...Yeah..."

...

"You wanna worry about it instead of something else?"

...

"...Yeah..."

...

"Want me to freak out with you?"

...

"...Yes pleas-"

Shining screamed like a filly, Cadance gasped and started laughing immediately after the sudden and mareish scream. Another hairbrush fell out of Cadance's mane.

Time kept passing.