Back on Duty

• NSFW SECTION STARTS -

Celestia pulled out of the kiss with a small gasp as she urgently sucked down lungfuls of live-giving air. Breathing through her nose simply wasn't enough, not after that exertion. Underneath her, on the Royal Bed in her chambers in Canterlot Castle, Gregory was also panting. She'd insisted he leave everything to her, but it seemed the man couldn't stop himself from bucking up in the throes of passion.

A drop of her sweat fell from her muzzle to his chest where she watched it mingle with his own and slide down, to be lost between their bodies which were still pressed tightly together.

"I missed this, you don't know how much I missed this!"

"I know. Me too," she answered, smiling. "Sorry I- jumped you the moment we were back. You still need to rest, the potion-"

Greg shut her up with a hand on her muzzle. "Is out of my system. It's just muscle fatigue from my escape, Celly. Relax, I'm fine." She closed her eyes as his thumb stroked her cheek. "Besides, you did most of the work."

It was true and Celestia gave a slight nod. She leaned down and licked a bead of sweat from his face, grimacing only a little at the raspiness of his stubble. "You need to shave."

"I know, you said," Greg replied with a chuckle. "Is it really that bad? How about... well, before me, with stallions. You didn't mind they were furry?"

She was forced to agree - how hairy her lovers were had never been an issue, until now. Celestia shrugged with her wings and grinned a little. "Let us just say you opened my mind to wonders of hairless flank, Gregory." She paused in case Greg wanted to make a joke out of that, but since the man wasn't saying anything, she went on with a sultry smile. "I hope I have also shown you the joys of pony flanks?" she prompted.

"Y-Yeah. You did at that," Greg confirmed, but he was staring up at the ceiling, his mind apparently a million miles away. A very unwelcome thought occurred to Celestia and she lowered her ears.

"You did not- I will not be mad if you did. The changeling looked like me, I mean. Of course I could not hold it against you, Gregory. B-But... did you?"

He blinked as he worked on that mess of a sentence and Celestia considered rephrasing it, but then his face split into a grin and he shook his head. "No, of course not. She - it - wasn't nearly as... eager as you."

It was good news and the Princess sagged with relief. The thought of having shared Gregory with a changeling was an abhorrent one. Even so-

"It was probably just after your love. That is what they feed on and lust is only a replacement when they cannot get love. From what you feel for me it is no wonder Spring Morning was taking it easy. Too much could have hurt her. It."

"Let's settle on 'her'. Until we know if there really is a Spring Morning, we say that's the changeling's original identity. Or the first one, or whatever."

Celestia inclined her head in a nod. "Very well. Luna is probably back by now, should we go and see if she captured them?"

Greg's hands went to her head and gently pulled her down. Celestia didn't resist and gladly accepted the kiss. There was no tongue-wrestling this time, just a sign of closeness and love. She enjoyed it nevertheless and it caused a slight stir in her nethers.

"Y-You know... you are still... inside," she prompted in a voice which was too squeaky by half. The lack of control made her blush and fold her ears down, but Gregory didn't think less of her. He was just smiling back.

"I know," he said. "Wanna keep going?"

"You are sure you can? It has been twice already. Maybe you should rest-"

Greg bucked his hips and the motion made her gasp. A fresh spurt of their combined fluids leaked out. The blankets were undoubtedly done for and after this time the mattress would probably be ruined as well. Celestia didn't care. The Castle had another mattress. More mattresses could be arranged.

"Still!" she ordered with a hiss, "I will do it. You need rest."

Gregory rolled his eyes, but he slumped back down. She could feel his legs shift. It seemed despite her command, he could not make his body lay still during lovemaking. She felt a momentary pang of sympathy - his muscles would probably ache for days! Well, it wasn't as if she hadn't warned him. All he had to do was say 'no' when she asked him that first time. She would have restrained herself, honestly she would have! Gregory had said 'yes' and that was that. Besides, she was doing most of the work. Even as she plunged back down to give him as passionate a kiss as she could muster before the need for air overwhelmed her again, Celestia lifted her rump and ground it against Greg again.

Incredibly, he was still as hard as wood. Maybe she should arrange for them to be apart for a week or two on purpose sometimes, she thought, especially if the sex afterwards would be like this.

She slammed down on Greg again, making him moan a little in her mouth. She was sucking down air through her nose, but it wouldn't be enough. She needed to pant, so she broke off the kiss.

"Damn, I love you so much!"

It warmed her heart and laid the last few worries to rest. Spring Morning had been careful enough not to drain Gregory completely dry of love. Silver lining, that. She paused up in the air, letting a wink send shudders through her body. A squirt of fluid followed, splashing hot against her hind leg.

A shower. She would need to shower thoroughly after this.

Celestia shook her head and focused on the task at hoof. The stray thought faded away, dissolved in unthinking pleasure.

• NSFW SECTION ENDS -

If he walked slowly enough, Gregory could move around. It really was just a matter of letting his muscles stretch and warm up. Besides, staying in bed like Celestia had ordered was boring and Equestria still didn't have TV. A short walk to the Princesses' private dining room and a meal would do him more good than lying on his back, he'd decided. The shower with its abundance of hot water had already helped immensely. Of course that meant a honor guard of the castle guards, but after Spring Morning's bold abduction he didn't mind them as much.

"Good to have you back, sir," Glory Tail commented from his side. The stallion was smiling in relief, but his eyes were a bit too round.

"I said it before, Tail," Gregory said with a touch of exasperation in his voice, "I don't hold any guards responsible. Spring Morning just outsmarted everyone, me included!"

He hit the nail on the head and Glory Tail's grimace proved it. "Well, we knew there were spies in the guards, sir. There really is no excuse-"

"Just drop it. I'm fine and if I know Princess Luna, she'll have Spring Morning tied up and being dragged back as we speak."

"Actually, sir," another of the guards added from behind, "Princess Luna has returned half an hour ago."

Gregory twirled around and immediately regretted it. His legs were fine if he took things slow, but sudden moves still sent pings up and down his calves. Luckily he managed to retain his balance this time.

"She's back? Oh yeah, Celestia did say. Did she catch Spring Morning?"

The earth pony - Longstride, Gregory remembered his name - gave a nod, smiling grimly. "She had a changeling with her, but it was unconscious. I don't know if it was Spring Morning, but who else could it be?"

"Good!" Gregory said grimly.

That... thing belonged in a prison cell. Besides, with Spring Morning and Silvermane both apprehended, their human and pony trafficking ring should collapse. The fact that it hadn't yet was a bit disconcerting, but surely now?

Some of the other guards had grim smiles at the news, Greg saw, but no one else commented on the situation. They were paying close attention to their surroundings, as if expecting an attack at any moment.

"F-For what it's worth, sir," Glory Tail continued, glancing away and pawing at the carpet with a hoof, "we were getting a little worried about the Princess when you were gone. I'm glad you're okay."

"Worried?" Gregory remembered how haggard Celestia had seemed at the inn. He hadn't realized it at the time, but now it hit him: Celestia was immortal. If he'd seen lines around her eyes and muzzle, they could only have come from extreme worry. "Oh," was all he could say.

Glory Tail gave a slight nod and turned back to face the man. "Yeah. She- um- really seems to like you, sir."

"For the hundredth time, just call me Gregory, okay? Or Greg."

The stallion firmly shook his head. "Not while I'm on duty, sir. Protocol."

"Fine, but you're playing a game of pool with me after, deal?"

The guard allowed himself a small smile at the offer. "Deal."

With that Greg turned back the way they were going, carefully this time, and resumed his slow walk. It was a relief to know that Luna had captured his... well captors. Otherwise he would probably keep looking over his shoulder, wondering if any pony he met was the changeling in disguise. He slowly began to understand Celestia's reaction back at his house when she first figured out that Glowbug was a changeling. They could be both worrying and frightening if you knew them like this. It also went to show just how much Earth had mellowed Glowbug out.

The guards kept their silence for the rest of the way, leaving Gregory to his thoughts until they came to the familiar door. He reached for the handle, but Glory Tail blocked the way with his body. "Just a moment, sir. I have to check the room."

Sighing, Greg stepped back and allowed the guard pony to enter first. There was a chorus of familiar voices raised in greeting and the stallion visibly relaxed.

"All clear, sir," he announced and backed out of the room. "We'll station out here, yell if you need anything."

"Thanks," Greg said dryly and entered the room.

Blossom was there, which made sense because it was lunch time, but there was also Star Bright, whom Gregory wasn't expecting. He was standing on a stool by the stove and making pancakes. That made sense after a moment - the furniture in that room was Princess-sized, so the unicorn wouldn't be able to see well enough on the stove.

Blossom was already seated at the table, eagerly awaiting her sweets. She lit up when she saw who it was. "G'egory!!"

Gregory hurried around the table and scratched her ears before the mare thought of jumping up on him once again. "Having a bit of lunch, you two?"

"Mhm!" Blossom said, nodding with palpable enthusiasm for the meal. She looked at Star Bright, who seemed a bit embarrassed.

The stallion cleared his throat. "The, um, P-Princess said it was alright and- and I can make a passable pancake-"

"Pancakes!" Blossom interjected, making the nervous stallion smile.

"I can make some for you too, Greg."

He was about to politely decline and make himself a simple sandwich or some oatmeal, but Greg changed his mind. The sugar would do him good, probably, and help him flush the remaining lactic acid out of his muscles.

"Actually, that sounds delicious."

Star Bright smiled and turned back to the stove. "Coming right up!"

Sitting down, Greg looked from the mare to the stallion. Blossom was watching Star Bright closely, but it wasn't all just an expectation of sweets. Her small smile seemed genuinely happy for the unicorn's company. A unicorn. It was still difficult to believe that just a few weeks ago the mare had been scared for her life when she saw one of 'the horns', as she used to call them. It went to show how far a bit of kindness could go.

"So, what'd I miss while I was gone?"

The young mare shifted her gaze from her boyfriend - at least that's what Gregory assumed - to him. "Star and me went on a date the other day!" she exclaimed, confirming the suspicion.

"Oh? That sounds lovely. Where did you go?"

The grin widened. "Muffin place!"

It made perfect sense, especially for anyone attempting to court Blossom, but Gregory still laughed with a mixture of relief that she was doing better and joy at her infectious enthusiasm. Amazing how positive she was, especially considering her past. Ponies, Greg decided, really were a resilient lot.

"Well, you should be careful with the sugar, Bright. Or else you'll have to roll her around to get her places before long."

Blossom just poked her tongue out at him, but the stallion actually chuckled. "Don't worry, I got it all in hoof. We discussed this and Blossom will only have sweets for one meal of the day. It's salads for the other two, right?"

Her expression soured a bit and the young mare looked sullenly down at her hooves. "Yes," she finally replied in a small voice.

"Really?!" Greg asked, quite incredulous. "Blossom and 'salad' in the same sentence? I never thought I'd see the day..."

He couldn't keep a straight face and ended up chuckling, while the mare in question smacked his forearm with a hoof. "Quit it!" she whined. "You're being mean."

As a conciliatory gesture, Greg put his hand back in her mane and gave her ears a couple of good scritches. Blossom quickly forgave the joke and leaned into his touch, eyes closing.

"First batch is done," Star Bright announced. "You can each have half and then I'll make some more."

"It's fine, I can wait," Gregory reassured him.

This earned him a grateful smile and a lick of his palm from Blossom, but she soon found all her attention occupied by the stallion who was levitating a plate in front of her. He also floated a jar of jam from the overhead cupboard. Greg froze when he recognized the label. Blueberry and Lavender. He opened his mouth to warn the young mare, but she was licking her lips and staring at the jar. It was probably her favorite and Greg didn't have the heart to spoil it for her. Besides, where was the harm?

Still, he pointed a finger at the cupboard before Star Bright could close it.

"Strawberry for me, please."

Another jam floated down. This one was probably safe. Luna didn't particularly care for strawberries, them being 'far too bright red', as she put it. While he waited for the unicorn to make more pancakes, Greg looked out the window where a patch of sky and a couple of clouds were visible from his seat. Celestia said she would attend court today, feeling reinvigorated and happy by their reunion and because Princess Luna was busy with capturing and imprisoning Spring Morning. He didn't want to distract her, so Greg decided to take Star Bright and Blossom out to the gardens for a short walk. The sun was starting to get really warm, but a short outing should be fine, especially after being trapped in a bed these past few weeks.

After that, the man shrugged a little to himself, deep in thought, perhaps he would look for Princess Luna and ask how the capture had gone. He wondered if Spring Morning had been awake enough to put up a fight after he'd dosed her with the potion. Tomorrow, he decided, he'd stroll down to his office and pick up where he'd left off. No sense in lazing around when there was actual, useful work to be done. Not like it was strenuous work, either.

He glanced over at Blossom, thinking that some of her friends were still caught, maybe still forced to work. Hopefully Celestia would soon get to the bottom of it, especially with Spring Morning to question.

"You've got a little something..." he pointed out.

Blossom froze and her eyes crossed as she tried to see her own nose. Grinning, Greg brushed the speck of jam off with his finger. He looked around for a napkin to wipe it, but the mare would have none of that and simply licked the digit clean. "Thanks!" she chirped and went back to inhaling her pancake.

Star Bright, who had looked over at the sound of Greg's voice, smiled to himself and pointed an accusing hoof. "The next one is for Gregory, you hear? It's not his fault you eat these so fast!"

Blossom paused just long enough for a pout and to say: "But they're just sooo good!"

"Not my problem!" Bright said and turned back. He didn't see how Blossom had stuck her tongue out at him, but a twitch of his ears told Gregory he knew. They'd make for a very cute and interesting couple, if their relationship lasted. Hopefully it would be based on more than sweets, though.

As the sound of frying filled the air once more, Greg went back to staring out the window as he waited for his turn. The important thing was that he was back home.

Gregory was staring at the last morsel on his plate and wondering whether to eat it or just let Blossom take it. She had been giving it hungry looks and inching her chair closer to Greg's for the past few minutes, but hadn't said anything yet. Even Star Bright seemed a little uncomfortable in his hide, leaning back on the chair with both forehooves on his belly. Before Greg could reach his decision there came a soft knock on the door and one of the guards outside put his head in.

"Mr. Bright? There's a messenger for you. She says it's urgent."

This was unusual, but the unicorn was obviously expecting it, because he was off his chair in an instant. "Thanks, I'll be right out!" he said.

Blossom blinked at him in confusion, but then she forgot about it and looked very pointedly at the last bit of Greg's pancake. He chuckled helplessly at her expression.

"Yeah, you can have it."

It was gone almost before he had finished speaking. As she chewed Blossom glanced at the door as it closed behind Star Bright, then smiled at Greg. "I mi-missed you, Greg," she admitted.

"Well, I'm back now."

In lieu of an answer Blossom simply threw her hooves around him and squeezed. "We were so worried when you went missing! The Princess..."

"Mm?"

The young mare pushed herself away and her ears lowered at the memory. "S-She was... kinda shouty."

"Shouty?" Greg repeated, not quite able to imagine it.

"Yeah," Blossom nodded. She glared at the far wall and banged a hoof on the table. "What do you mean 'nowhere to be found'?! Search Silvermane's house again!" She had tried making her voice deeper to imitate Celestia, but it didn't quite work. What it did was make Greg chuckle some more and he put a hand on Blossom's mane.

"I see."

Blossom shrugged a little, then turned away and simply fell backward in the sure knowledge that Greg would catch her in his lap. He did so and Blossom wiggled a little to make herself more comfortable.

"So, you're doing a lot better, I see."

"Mhm! There's a ton of stuff I don't know how to do, but Brightey's been teaching me. Um, he's teaching me how to read and write." That last was imparted in a near whisper, like it was some big secret.

Greg patted the mare on her barrel. "That's good. I'm proud of you."

"Also, um- he asked if I wanna be his fillyfriend."

"What did you say?"

Suddenly this was getting into awkward territory and Greg stiffened a little. He wondered if it was appropriate to discuss Star Bright and Blossom's relationship with her when the stallion was just outside the door.

Blossom lowered her ears and leaned her head back until she was looking Greg in the face, albeit upside down. "Um, I don't know what that means."

"He didn't explain?" Greg asked, shocked.

"Nuh-uh. He just got all blushy and stammery when he said it."

"Well, it's kinda hard to explain, actually. It's when two people like each other very much."

This cheered the mare up and she smiled. "I like Star Bright very much!"

"Yeah, that's a part of it. Do you know what love is?"

Blossom blinked, then her smile widened. "Yeah! It's when a colt puts his- mmmphm!"

Gregory had been expecting that and quickly covered her mouth with a hand. He sighed and closed his eyes. "That's a part of it, but not the most important part. That's called 'physical love', Blossom, but what I meant is emotional love."

The young mare shrugged and Greg removed his hand. "I dunno what that is," Blossom said sadly, frowning at her own ignorance.

It was a difficult concept to explain to someone like Blossom, especially for Gregory who was already blushing heavily, but he tried anyway. "It's when you like someone and want to spend a lot of time with them. You're willing to sacrifice for them and put their needs before yours."

Blossom's expression softened and a gentle smile replaced the frown, reminding Greg that she wasn't really a child. Maybe that made it a little easier to talk to her about this stuff.

"Anyway, since you're learning to read, have Star Bright teach you with a romantic novel or something. Maybe that'll help. Or you could write a letter to Princess Cadence - she ought to be good at this sort of thing."

"Okay," Blossom agreed readily.

Star Bright came back at that moment, pausing and blinking a few times at the scene. Blossom was only half-sitting on her chair and mostly leaning against Greg, who was holding her in place with both hands on her barrel. Her forelegs were folded up close to her, but her hind legs were outstretched and kicked every now and then.

The stallion closed the door behind him and took a few more steps back to the table. "So, what did I miss?" he asked.

Before Greg could answer Blossom shot upright and blurted out: "Brightey, do you love me?!"

The poor colt actually took a step back and his ears went entirely flat. He glanced fearfully at Greg, but he just gave him an encouraging smile.

"Um... y-yess? I t-think so?" he answered. It sounded more like a question than a statement, but it was enough for Blossom.

She squeed and ran around the table to hug Star Bright. "I think I love you too! Greg has explained it to me!"

"Oh?" the stallion asked, hesitantly putting his own hooves around the mare but keeping his eyes on Greg.

"There's a lot more to it, Blossom. Just- don't rush things and you'll be fine."

That last sentiment was more for Bright's sake than Blossom's and the stallion nodded knowingly. "Thanks," he said and closed his eyes as his would-be fillyfriend nuzzled him.

"No, silly," Blossom said with a giggle. "Thank you for pancakes! They were delicious!"

Both Star Bright and Gregory laughed at that. Greg stood up, hissing a little at the pangs in his thighs after sitting still for this long. He had to grip the table to steady himself.

The ponies looked over, two muzzled faces filled with concern. "Um, you okay?" Star Bright beat Blossom to the question.

"Fine, fine," Greg reassured them both. "Just ran too much... yesterday." It really had been only the previous day, Greg thought with wonder. So much had happened in such a short time. "I'll be fine after I stretch my legs a little. You two wanna come with me on a walk in the gardens?"

Star Bright glanced at Blossom and smiled. "Actually, that sounds really nice," he said and the mare clapped her hooves together in joy.

Greg was about to leave, but the stallion called after him: "I'll catch up. I have to wash up here."

There were their dishes and the pan, which the unicorn had left on the stove to cool down.

"You sure? We could help."

"Nah, it's fine," Star Bright reassured him with a smile as he nudged the mare towards the man. "You two go on ahead, I'll catch up."

Shrugging a little, Greg held the door open for Blossom. His guards were still waiting outside, reminding him that there was still danger until they found all of Silvermane's accomplices. He decided to put that problem out of his mind. No reason he couldn't enjoy a walk with his friends despite it. For that matter, he considered all the guards his friends too, so it was like a group walk.

"Ladies first," he said as Blossom walked past him.

The expression made the mare giggle some more. Pretty excitable and entirely too hyperactive for his taste, but seeing her happy did him good.

Gregory was glad to be back.

It was nice to sit in the sun without any immediate worries, Gregory thought. He sat the wrong way on the stone bench and leaned on the table with his elbows and his back. It wasn't the most comfortable position, but it was the best he could do at lounging without a lawn chair or something. He'd have to order a couple, he thought to himself, not for the first time. Then again, it wasn't enough of a priority for him to remember afterwards. A short distance away, Blossom and Star Bright were sitting right on the grass, apparently completely engrossed in one another. They were talking about something, but Gregory couldn't guess what it was, except that it seemed funny to the mare, who giggled loudly every now and then.

They seemed to be enjoying their conversation, which was the important part. Gregory couldn't help smiling when he saw Blossom happy. If anyone deserved it, she did. He was about to close his eyes again when the mare darted forward and pressed her muzzle against Star Bright's. Greg stared, even while feeling a bit guilty about doing so.

Even Star Bright seemed frozen in shock. The unicorn obviously hadn't been expecting it.

Greg was starting to blush himself, but then he saw a flash of pink tongue and realized it wasn't quite a kiss. Instead, Blossom was licking Star Bright's muzzle.

Probably for the remnants of sugar or syrup, Greg guessed. It made him chuckle. Star Bright's ear turned in his direction and the colt blushed a vivid red. He'd heard it and realized the man was watching, but he didn't push the mare away. Good for him, Greg thought to himself and closed his eyes to enjoy the sun some more. He couldn't help hearing Blossom giggle again, though. Probably she was amused by her coltfriend's embarrassment. They went back to talking softly and Greg put the pair out of his mind. The warmth was doing wonders for his aching muscles and he was in real danger of dozing off.

Some indefinable time later, he became aware of several sets of hoofsteps approaching and opened his eyes to look.

"Storm Pop?!"

The pegasus waved with a wing, smiling widely. "Greg! Good to see you're well!"

"How did you find out so fast?!"

His incredulity made the old pegasus laugh and he stepped aside to reveal a pristine white pegasus mare walking behind him.

"Aura?"

She rushed forward and jumped on the bench where she could throw her hooves around the man. "We were so worried, Greg! I'm glad you're okay!"

"Um, thanks. But still, I only got back a few hours ago, how did you find out this fast?"

Aura chuckled to herself and pointed a hoof. Greg almost didn't recognize the colt without his armor, but when he did pieces fell in place.

"Snow Cover?"

The guard saluted, even though he was off duty. "Sorry, sir. We were all so happy you were back, I c-couldn't keep it to myself. Sorry."

Snow Cover glanced at Aura and his nervous grin steadied. It didn't take a huge leap of logic to figure out what was going on.

"So, you and Aura..." Greg asked, just to confirm what he already thought he knew.

"Yup. The young private came back the next day after your visit, Greg," Storm Pop explained with a happy smile. "They seemed to have hit it off."

Both named ponies blushed a little, but Aura quickly got over any embarrassment she might have felt and prodded Greg with a hoof. "So, wanna tell me what happened?" she asked. "All I heard is that you were foalnapped!"

"Actually, I'd rather not talk about it now."

The mare was slightly disappointed, but she shrugged to herself and let it go. "Well, come by when you have a moment and I'll make you a cake, okay? You can bring Blossom, too!"

The younger mare was staring in their direction and brightened up when she heard her name in the same sentence, or nearly, with the word 'cake'. She looked at Greg with one of the most pleading, splayed-ears, big-shiny-eyes, sad-pony expressions he'd ever seen. If she entered that in a competition it'd take first place.

"Oh, fine, fine. How can I say no to that?"

"Yay!" Blossom squeaked in pure, unadulterated joy, and rushed over. She landed on the bench on the opposite side from Aura and put her hooves around Greg as well. "Thank you! I love cake!"

All of them laughed at that and Aura was the first to answer: "Yes, sweetie. We noticed."

The statement made Blossom avert her eyes and lower her ears, but it only lasted a moment before she went back to nuzzling Gregory. He didn't fight it, but he caught Star Bright gazing at them with a fixed, almost forced smile.

"Sweetheart? I don't think you should be doing this. Your coltfriend is getting jealous."

Blossom pulled away, even as Aura gasped and looked around. "Coltfriend?" she exclaimed and quickly found the unicorn.

Star Bright was in the middle of protesting, with both forelegs held protectively up before his face. "I wasn't- It's not-" he began, but drew a deep breath before finding his words. "I'm not jealous."

"It's fine to be a little jealous," Aura pointed out. "Your fillyfriend is an absolute cutie! You're lucky I'm not into mares, or I'd be stealing her right now!"

Greg glanced to see what Blossom felt about all this, but she just seemed happy to have her friends together and talking. To her credit, though, the young mare had slipped off the bench and went back to Star Bright. She gave him a quick nuzzle, then tugged at his hoof with both of hers, leading him back to the group. "Um, this is Aura," Blossom explained. "She makes the best cake ever!"

"It'd be easy, too," Aura continued her thought. "Just offer some of my cake, that's all it would take!" It made Star Bright blush some more, but he tried his hardest to hide it.

Gregory couldn't help laughing at their antics. "Don't worry, Bright," he reassured the stallion. "No one is stealing Blossom away from you."

His assurances helped and the unicorn began smiling in earnest then. He studied Aura closely, then went on to look at her uncle. He remembered his manners and offered a hoof. "Um, Star Bright. Nice to meet you."

The older pegasus accepted. "Likewise. My name's Storm Pop and any friend of Greg's is a friend of mine!"

With that, all introductions were made and everyone knew each other. Greg went back to leaning back against the table and soaking up the sun. He saw Snow Cover whisper something to Storm Pop and walk away to rejoin his fellow guards for a murmured conversation. Meanwhile Aura and Blossom got into a discussion of cake-making, unsurprisingly, which left Star Bright and Storm Pop as the only ponies left out.

The unicorn looked at the older pegasus and tried to find something to talk about. "So, um, how do you know Greg?"

It would be a long story and Gregory tuned it out, opting instead to relax as much as possible. The only thing which would have made the moment better would be if Celestia was there with him. Greg felt a pang of sympathy for the poor mare who was caught in court. After what they'd been through, she probably missed him a lot.

That decided it and Greg pushed away from the table. The ponies around him fell silent and looked at him.

"I think I'll go and keep the Princess company. You'll be fine on your own here, right?"

Storm Pop was the first to answer and he waved a dismissive hoof. "Don't worry about us, Greg. Actually, I think I'll go have a word with the private over there. He needs to learn to leave work aside when he's on leave!"

He was right, Greg saw. Private Snow Cover had a far too serious expression as he listened to whatever the sergeant was telling him.

"Good idea," Greg agreed.

"Um, can I go with Aura?" Blossom asked. "I wanna learn how to make cake."

The pegasus mare was nodding happily. "What'd you say, Greg? I promise to have her back by sunset and you can come over tomorrow to try what we baked. How's that sound?"

Gregory was a bit uncertain about the prospect, but with most of the bad guys already caught, surely it was safe enough? "You know a couple of guards will have to go with you, right? The Princess won't let Blossom leave the Castle without escort."

Star Bright stood up and puffed out his chest. "I'll go. And there's Snow Cover. We won't let anything happen to Blossom, I swear."

That sounded okay, but Greg still pointed at the nearby guards. "Okay, but clear it up with Bright Beam anyway. He ought to know if Blossom is going out of the Castle."

"Sure!" Blossom said, taking the initiative. She hurried over to where Snow Cover was still deep in discussion, oblivious of what was being planned. Aura followed shortly after her.

With a grateful smile at Greg, Star Bright also hurried to join them, leaving the man alone with Storm Pop.

"Anyway, good to see you back Greg. Now you be careful something like that doesn't happen again, okay?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Anyway, see you tomorrow, I guess?"

"Yeah, I'll visit."

The old pony held out his hoof for Greg to shake, then went to gather all his impromptu visitors and lead them away. Greg watched them talk briefly, then the group peeled away and headed to the exit from the Castle gardens. It seemed like Star Bright's proposal had been accepted, because no other guards followed them.

Then Gregory stood up, stretching his legs carefully until the ache mostly went away. The guards came closer and the sergeant asked: "Where to, sir?"

"The throne room, I think."

The ponies formed up around him and Greg followed them back in the Castle.