Loona watched her father jogging at Celestia's side, the two chatting idly between themselves. The Princess of the Sun seemed quite happy to have the company of the imp, who was doing all he could to impress her. It was, perhaps, a bit thick.

"So, you got any enemies? I could take care of that for you." He pantomimed taking aim with a sharp wrench of the imagined blast of the equally imagined gun.

Celestia smiled down at him with a warm, if distant, gaze. "I am sure you could, Lord Blitz. However, I am not in need of such assistance." She walked along with her usual poise. "Today you are assisting by being a guard, as your daughter has been selected to do."

Loona glanced up when she heard herself mentioned. "Yeah, and I don't think anyone is going to be trying to kill you, princess."

Celestia raised a hoof to her chest, walking along on the other three legs. "I would hope not. But, if I had taken my usuals, they would have guarded my zealously from every threat they imagined. It leaves little room for me to enjoy Canterlot."

Blitzo hopped over a crack in the ground, then looked around, his eyes wide with awe. "This place is so clean! You sure this isn't where the fancy-shmancy ponies live?"

Celestia lowered her hoof, resuming her steps on it. "Good eye. This is, indeed, where many 'fancy-schmancy' ponies reside. There are also many who do not fall under that title. Canterlot is a bustling city with many kinds of ponies within it."

Loona glanced at her father, then towards Celestia. "Why are we here, again? I can't help but feel like we stand out a little more than is good for us."

Blitzo spun around and struck a pose, flexing his arms to show off his biceps. "She just said. She wanted a laid-back guard that'd let her enjoy her walk around, but could still help if things got real. The real question is why you are here. She only asked me." He hiked a thumb at himself, then pointed at Loona. "You already have moon butt, leave sunrise to me."

Loona rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure that's going to end well. Look, my day off isn't until tonight, so stop being a baby about this. I was at Luna's side first." She leaned in, putting a hand on his back to do so. "I don't want to see you messing this up for both of us."

Blitzo laughed aloud and threw his hands up. "Fine, fine. You can stay here. It's not like there's any kind of danger in Canterlot, right?" He gestured towards the princess.

Celestia only seemed quietly entertained as she turned towards a storefront and vanished inside. As she did, a commotion took place over their heads. A moment later, a unicorn pony landed hard enough to shake the street they stood on. She looked up with a sneer on her muzzle. A pegasus landed just a foot away, both glaring at Loona and Blitzo with equal malice. "We won't let you corrupt Celestia," started the pegasus, drawing a spear from nowhere in particular in their wing.

The unicorn chuckled aloud as her horn flared, magic wreathing her body. "Yeah, we'll be sure to protect her from you!" And then the second guard was airborne, launching herself right at Loona. Loona caught them and threw their momentum to the side as she bounced back in the other direction.

Blitzo rolled his eyes and raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Woah, woah, woah! I don't know why you think I'm corrupting anypony, but I think you have the wrong imp. I'm a classy son of a bitch. Celly's in good, hey!" He aborted his comment to duck under a sharp spear point.

Celestia stepped back out, her bag now filled with whatever purchase she had made. She blinked at the sight. An imp and hellhound were fighting ponies in the street? Her gaze narrowed slightly on the scene. But she didn't shout. She just gave a soft clearing of her throat. Both ponies stopped dead as if they had been shouted at. Both got into formation, saluting sharply at Celestia. Loona and Blitzo stopped, waiting to see what would happen next.

"Princess," said one of the ponies. They were dressed in dark purple uniforms, which bore the crescent moon symbol. "We were testing them."

The other nodded rapidly. "To see if they could be trusted if something actually happened!"

Celestia's lips thinned to a grim line, her voice growing icy. "I see. And did they pass? You will tell me that they did pass."

Blitzo glanced at the princess sideways, noting the tone in her voice. "You two are in trouble," he sang out with a snicker.

Celestia snorted softly. "Don't say it like that. You two, back to the castle, now." She glared at both. "I'll speak to you both once we get there." She turned and started to walk.

Loona rolled her eyes and went after her. "Hey, sorry about that." She paused to glance back, seeing her father hanging behind. "C'mon, Blitz."

He sighed and went after her. "Sure thing."

Celestia was quiet for a long moment before she allowed herself to relax faintly. "You two are strange and new creatures. My ponies, I love them, but they are, hm." She paused for the word. "Xenophobic."

Blitzo caught up on her other side. "Racist as shit, you mean?"

Celestia sighed into a smile. "I could have said it that way. Yes. Ponies can be distrustful of those who aren't ponies, especially if they don't know much about them. There are even a few races I know only in legend." She glanced off towards the horizon. "The world is a big place."

Loona considered, one ear to the side. "Yeah, that matches what I've seen so far. They don't know what a hellhound is, so they're pretty sure I have to be up to no good." She threw a hand out in annoyance. "Like I'd hurt one of you ponies for shits and giggles."

Celestia looked Loona's way with a soft smile. "You are different. I'm glad to see you accept that challenge with determination." She spread her wings, bringing them down on either of her hell-born guards. "And this is another reason I decided I'd have your company today. You are both less impulsive, at least in that way." She lifted her wings from their backs, resuming her walk. "I do apologize for their actions. That was inappropriate, even if it was a test." She nodded slowly, then her horn flared with magic as she cast a quick glance to either side.

A little smile broke her features as she floated her shopping bags into view. "At least I secured this before they showed up." She produced a second pair of bags, one she let fall into Loona's hands. "This is for you. Do tell me if I have judged your taste poorly."

Loona blinked at the bag, tugging out the contents inside. Her eyes went wide as she took in the dark clothing and silver chains hanging from it. "That looks badass! Thanks." She looked back for her father.

He was busy reaching into a bag of his own. He tugged out an outfit not unlike the one he already wore, though a bit more crisp in style. He turned his gaze up to Celestia and beamed. "Thanks, Celly-cakes!" He gave her a swat right on her rump. "You're the best."

Celestia paused, looking unsure how to react a moment before she let that go with a breath. "You are not my usual guard, this is for certain." She shook her head and continued towards the castle. "Come, it's nearly lunch. You may as well spend it with me in the castle before you continue on your day."

Loona nodded along as she stuffed the clothes back into their bag. "Close enough to Luna's colors, I could wear that when I'm watching her."

Blitzo chuckled at that. "Oh yeah, I heard about that. You got yourself all nice and friendly with the night princess, didn't ya?"

Loona glared at him quietly.

"What? Don't be embarrassed about it. We already know that you like her. Why else would you keep going into her room for hours on end?" He grinned smugly at his daughter. "That's just the way you are."

Celestia gave a soft ahem. "Do not tease your daughter so." She nodded to the guards in front of the castle. "Let's get lunch. Loona, you are not my guard, you are free to leave, but I do invite you to enjoy the food with us first."

Loona considered. "I'll stick around long enough for that, then head back out. I was thinking of hanging out with some of my new friends before going back to Luna." She followed the pair inside, towards the dining area.

After the meal, which the ponies made quite well, if entirely absent of anything 'extra' to give it a kick, Loona left Celestia and her dad with a wave. She did a quick stop at her room to put her bag away and change clothes before she was back out onto the streets of Canterlot.

A quick trot down the street and into an alley brought her to where she had met Pinkie the first time.

"Loona!" The pink pony bounced towards her in a pronking gait. "I've heard so much about you!"

Loona slid to a stop. "You have? Good things?"

"So much!" Pinkie Pie went right to Loona's side. "I know that you're adopted, that you and your dad are close, but not always getting along, that you're from another world entirely, that you have no friends except us ponies, and that you used to be a jerk, but you're nicer now."

Loona blinked. "Wow. Yeah. That's...a lot. So, uh, what's up?" She looked Pinkie over, unsure what to make of that chatty earth pony.

Pinkie reared up onto her hinds and pointed at herself. "Well! I couldn't let such a creature go without a proper welcome. Since the ponies of Canterlot have let us both down, it falls on me to pick up that slack! You're getting the Pinkie welcome!" She bounced in a giddy circle. "And we're starting now!"

Loona chuckled softly and went after her. "Okay? Sure, why not?" Her eyes bounced, following Pinkie's constant motion. "Are you on ecstasy or something?"

"Ecsta-what?" Pinkie inclined her head. "I'm just happy to make a new friend and plan a party for them. Now, the important questions! What's your favorite color, favorite drink, and favorite flavor of cake?" She tapped her hooves together with each of those. "Oh! What kind of games do you like?"

Loona lifted a hand to slow the barrage of questions. "Uh, red? Beer is fine. Cake is okay with raspberry filling, I guess." She swayed left and right, rocking on her hips. "Games? Not even sure you ponies have heard of most of what I'd play."

"We haven't heard of them?!" Pinkie bounced in place. "Oooh! Tell me more! I want to learn new games, and I'll make a hellish version of them for you!"

Loona looked ready to reply when she came up short. "Wait, Hellish? You actually know what Hell is?"

Pinkie nodded rapidly several times. "I do! Of course I do! That's your name right? Loona Hell-borne. You said it yourself when you told me your name."

Loona rolled her eyes. "I never told you my name. You just already knew it." She grabbed Pinkie's shoulders the next time she bounced up. "Where are you getting your intel?"

"From everywhere!" Pinkie bounced again, slipping out of that grasp. "So, come on! Tell me your favorite games!"

Loona frowned quietly to herself, considering that. "Well, I have been wanting to see how good you guys are at cards." She made a shuffling motion with her hands. "I could stand to play a good hand of poker right about now."

"Poker?" Pinkie rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "I've heard of that, but I never learned it." She beamed. "You can teach us all at the party!"

Loona frowned. "But then you won't know what you're doing."

"But we'll learn, together. I'll be sure to bring some playing cards." He mane, somehow, made a note on a pad that same mane was holding up. "Okay! I'll get this party together and it'll be so much fun! Oh, you want Luna there, or you really don't want her there? Inviting your boss could be either or, I guess."

Loona rolled her eyes. "She can be invited, I guess." She shrugged. "Not like she's a stick-in-the-mud, really."

"Got it!" Pinkie laughed with building excitement. "I'm gonna get on this. You keep being ready! The party will come when it's ready." And then she was off, bounding down the streets of Canterlot like some sort of drunken rabbit.

Loona chuckled and shook her head. "That mare is wild." She watched with half-lidded eyes. "I could have worse friends."

Author's Note

Gaze at the sun, er, carefully?

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