The next morning found them in one another's arms as a knocking startled both awake. Luna felt her mind shift from the realm of dreams back into the waking world, a process she took in stride, but Loona found it jarring. She jerked awake, pulling Luna closer to herself, clinging to the pony princess.

Luna scowled at the door. "Who dares to disturb me?"

"Your highness," came the muffled voice of a guard. "Your sister has arrived to see you."

Luna's fury melted into fear quickly. "Tell her I am bathing." She hopped to her hooves and reached for a brush. "Get dressed," she whispered to Loona. "And go with my love."

Loona slipped free of the bed. "W-what? Are you embarrassed to show me off to your sister?"

Luna shook her head fiercely. "Absolutely not. But I don't wish for her to first see us sharing a bed like this. She will assume things!"

Loona threw an arm over Luna's withers, drawing her closer. "Let her assume. She isn't your boss."

Luna huffed softly. "She is everypony's boss." She glowered a moment. "Still, don't you want to meet her not wrapped in the arms of her sister?"

"...That makes sense." Loona slid from the bed. She picked up her discarded outfit from the floor and slung it on. Her clothes were a little wrinkled. She was about to run her claws through the mess atop her head when Luna held out a brush for her.

"Thanks." She took it and started brushing herself as neatly as she could. "You sure you're good?"

"Hopefully this will be a quick thing. I will mee—" Before she could finish, the doors to the chamber slapped open, revealing the pony of the sun herself.

Celestia stepped into the room with slow and stately motions. "Luna, your guards had said you were still bathing."

Luna blushed hard. "I bade them lie for me."

"Clearly." Celestia's gaze fell upon the only non-pony in the room. "Greetings, stranger, to whom do I owe the honor?"

Loona laughed tensely, looking up at the new princess. "Wow, you're even taller."

Celestia laughed in kind, though her sound was far less worried. "One of the tallest, but fret not. My stature is not meant for intimidation. Are you Loona?"

Luna inclined her head. "I am Luna."

Celestia huffed at that. "With two Os. Are you that creature?"

Loona nodded. "That would be me, yes. Why are you asking and why do you already know my name?"

Celestia raised a hoof at Loona. "Your father mentioned it no few times. Why is your father in my jail, speaking of that?" She looked to Luna for that answer.

Luna groaned at that. "He made an ill-considered attempt to murder me." Luna threw an arm out at Loona. "She was against it, so she was allowed to stay."

Celestia flapped her wings once. "Daughter of one that would attempt to harm you, and you find favor with her? How interesting."

Luna recognized that way of speaking. "Stop that! She is her own creature, and does not belong to her father. What he does doesn't rest on her shoulders."

Celestia leaned in closer to Loona. "And you are alright with your father being imprisoned?"

Loona shrugged. "I've been looking to get away from him, anyway. His being in prison has been an excuse to let me walk free. It's hard to explain, but he's kind of an overbearing fuck." She threw up a hand. "Just for a little while. I don't want that ass being jailed forever, even if he kinda deserves it."

Celestia laughed aloud at that. "Well then! I see you care about him at least a little. Is it so difficult to admit?"

Loona shrugged again, feeling put on the spot.

Celestia circled around Loona. "What a curious set of creatures you are. He had quite a few things to say about you, both good and ill. It seemed part of his anger was directed at you claiming Luna's heart before he had the chance."

Loona growled at that. "Fuck that noise. Even if he is my father, I'm my own person. And if I want to date someone, then fuck him and whatever the shit he's saying." She kicked her feet against the floor.

Celestia reached a wing. "Calm yourself. If my sister enjoys your company, it is not my place to question it, unless you intend her harm?"

"Not intentionally," Loona muttered. "But, yeah, I'm getting a thing for her. So shoot me."

Luna stomped a hoof down. "You won't shoot her." Her eyes flared.

"Figure of speech." Loona laughed at that misunderstanding. "So, what do you actually want, Celestia?"

"You." She didn't miss a beat in saying that.

Luna whirled about and gave Loona a shove. "Leave us. We are to discuss certain private matters."

"Fine, fine." Celestia took a slow step back. "I see you two are enjoying one another." And she enjoyed the coloring she prompted from both in saying that. "I am releasing your father, without his many weapons. I would ask, do you have weapons I should be concerned about? Even if you are peaceful, you do not require an armory to enjoy her company."

Loona looked away, clearing her throat. "Uh, nope. Just a knife. I don't even know where that went," she lied.

Celestia folded her wings over herself. "You can leave it here. It is not as if Luna can't defend her home." She looked to Luna. "Or has your time on the moon made you soft?"

Luna sneered at Celestia, but it was clear she did not mean it. "My domain is both small and vast." She placed a hoof at her chest. "The mind's of untold many ponies rely on my ability to keep them safe." She paused, confused. "Wait, are you implying she has a weapon?"

Loona shrank back a step. "I-it's for protection! I live in Hell, Luna. It's not fucking safe, even for us. There are other demons, other monsters, not to mention the untold many sinners."

Luna sighed in frustration. "Why do you hide such a thing?"

Loona reached out with her hand. "Just give it back to me, and I swear I will tell you everything."

Luna extended a hoof. "You do not need a weapon in my presence. I will keep you safe. Trust me."

Loona grimaced. "I don't like being vulnerable," she admitted. "Also, literally never had a good time any time someone said 'trust me'. That goes double for my dad."

Celestia took another slow step back. "You have clearly been through things that have left their mark on you, but this is not hell. This is a gentler world, by and large. We leave our weapons with our guards."

Loona suddenly grinned. "Well, that's easy then." She pointed at Celestia. "I'm one of your guards then."

Celestia jumped at that sudden pivot. "Why mine, and not my sister's?"

Loona wrinkled her nose. "Ew, dating someone working for you? Get out. That's too tacky."

Luna laughed at the turn of events. "That is a good point. Though I do not think you would make a good guard for the Sun Princess."

Celestia gave Loona an appraising once-over. "You are less abrasive than your father, a good thing. Are you able to battle, with a mind sharp enough to know when not to?"

Loona pointed at Celestia again. "Look, bitch. Do I look like some fucking pleb? I don't need your condescension. Of course I know how to fucking fight, and when it's worth it." She cracked her knuckles. "And, bonus, I'm not intimidated by either of you, so I'll get things done without cowering."

Celestia chuckled. "I see." She nodded to Luna. "And if my sister desires a private audience with me?"

Loona waved a claw at the door. "Then I'll fuck off and do something else." She dug out her phone. "Do they have cellphones around here? I haven't seen a single one so far."

"Phones are attached to walls, not... whatever that is," Celestia answered. "If you are certain, I will accept your offer."

Loona grinned at that. "Nice." Then she sobered up. "So if you need a specific thing guarded, you tell me."

Celestia pointed to Luna. "Guard that."

Luna laughed aloud, surprised by her sister. "You would have me guarded by a creature who has only a day ago been my enemy?" She shook her head in disbelief. "Sister, I don't know how else to say this, but I think this idea of yours is terrible."

"As terrible as the choice you've made in partner, that same creature?" Celestia was smirking and smug. "Guard her and keep her from harm. That is all I would ask from you."

Loona smirked back, her grin crooked. "Done, bitch."

"Please refrain from calling her that." Luna let out a huff. "Even if such colorful language comes naturally to you."

Celestia waved a wing. "She doesn't bother me." Turning for the exit, she strode for it as calmly as she had entered. "Keep her safe, trusted guard." With those words, she was gone.

Loona rubbed a hand against her head. "What the fuck was that about?"

Luna turned towards Loona, wings flared. She took the moment of shock to shove her onto the bed. "My sister has given her approval. I feel certain she is scheming something, but this is better than many other scenarios playing in my head."

"Really?" Loona blushed softly. "I didn't think it'd be so easy."

Luna shook her head. "Nothing with my sister is ever easy, but this? This is good, regardless." She went in for nuzzles with her new canine guard. "Being my sister's guard, she will pay you. Do you know how local currency operates?"

Loona sighed aloud at that question. "Nope. Not a fucking clue. I'll figure it out though. I mean, I can just ask her about it later."

"That is a wise idea." Luna sat at the side of the bed. "Still, if you know how money works in general, I imagine it does not change much from place to place. Give coins, get goods and/or services." She gestured at herself with a wing. "I will admit, I have little use for coin myself, but I have been away a very long time."

"Yeah." Loona rubbed the side of her neck. "You're also royalty. I bet most people just give you stuff without asking to see your wallet first."

Luna reached a wing out and brushed it along Loona's back. "Would you ask for payment?"

Loona grinned crookedly. "After that date? Hell no, I'd keep coming back, even if you asked me to pay." She laughed softly at herself. "Okay, that was corny."

Luna swatted Loona lightly. "And indecent. As if I would trade my company for coin." She huffed at that idea. "I am royalty, my dear, not a common whore."

"I didn't say you were," Loona replied. "You'd be a very expensive whore."

Luna blinked. "That isn't better!" She battered at Loona with both wings, but the hound was laughing at the whole thing. "Incorrigible!"

Loona raised her hand in peace. "I'll stop, okay?" She grinned crookedly and leaned in. "Honestly, the fact that we're having a fucking conversation about your sex-work price makes me feel better."

Luna cocked a brow at the idea. "There is no sex-work price to discuss." She gave Loona a final push with a hoof. "You are entirely without shame."

"Now that isn't true." Loona gestured at Luna with a claw. "I have a little bit of shame. Enough to keep myself from asking you for more dates before you're ready."

Luna leaned in closer, bumping her nose to Loona's snout. "That is what you feel shame over? The one thing I would not mind you asking?" She rubbed noses left and right. "A week from today. Until then, you will perform my sister's job, and learn how I compose myself when we're not on a date."

Loona nuzzled Luna back. "Got it. But this means I don't have to worry about money." She looked around them at the room. "I mean, if she's okay with me living in here instead of a place of my own."

Luna inclined an ear. "As my personal guard, you could remain here. Better to keep an eye on me while I am patrolling the dream world." She pointed at her companion's clothes. "Do you have clothing in mind?"

Loona shook her head. "Nah, I don't know anything about armor. We had some, but they were just cheap pieces of metal." She directed a finger at Luna. "Besides, do you get attacked often enough for me to even be worried about that? Some little pony tries to get past me, I'm shivving their ass."

Luna closed her eyes. "Please refrain from stabbing my subjects. At least without a very good reason." She gave Loona a gentle push. "My sister has guards. Ask them for help in this regard."

Loona reached out and ran her hand along Luna's belly. "You two coddle them like they're your babies." She paused. "Which they aren't right? This isn't some kind of creepy bee thing and you two make all the other ponies, right?"

"Not at all." Luna shook her head fiercely. "That isn't a service we provide." She folded her wings up. "Our subjects are our subjects, not our offspring, as distasteful as the notion is." She laughed at the very idea. "You have the most curious ideas, good guard."

"I don't think it's that funny." Loona snorted at the idea. "So what do your guards wear then?"

Luna pointed at the door. "See for yourself."

Loona glanced over her shoulder and spotted one of them. A pony wearing chill night purples, standing at attention. "Yep, metal. I'm not signing up to look like a tin can. I can't move well that way either, and you want me jumping into problems if you're paying me to take this at all seriously."

Author's Note

That meeting could have gone worse, I imagine. He is being set loose though, be wary of that.

Join the special community of folks who like my stories and/or get your own here at atreon!

Don't want to do an ongoing thing? You could

Join my discord to chat!