Tenacious Love

CHAPTER FOUR:

TO SEE THE PRINCESS

   Tenacity woke up to the sound somepony in the kitchen preparing breakfast for her and Bubblecut. She let out a big yawn as she stretched her forelegs out infront of her and arched her back causing it to make cracking sounds. When she finished she got to her full hight and trotted to the door and out through the hall into the kitchen to find the white mare huming to herself as she cooked their breakfast.

   "Morning girlfriend." Tenacity chimed. Bubblecut looked at the changeling as she continued to work and smiled at her.

   "Hey, Tenacity." She replied. It had been three days since she allowed Tenacity more freedom in the house and had grown more open to the changeling, though she still had her suspicions. Several times now, Tenacity would sneak into Bubblecut's room and transform into a strapping stallion or take the form of Octavia. The first time Bubblecut saw her as Octavia she nearly bounced off the wall with excitement until she remembered she had a changeling in the house, and sent her to her room.

   Tenacity's smile grew and she raised a hoof to her lips, kissed it and then blew towards the pegasus. Bubblecut rolled her eyes to the heavens and returned her focus to her cooking.

   "You know you like it when I do that." Tenacity said with a smirk.

   "Shut up." Bubblecut ordered.

   "Oh, c'mon Bubbles." Tenacity said as she threw her head back. "Don't think I don't know how you feel about me. I'm a changeling and I can sence these things."

   "I just think of you as a friend, that's it." Bubblecut replied.

   "Sure you do." Tenacity replied as she rolled her eyes up. "Look honey, you may not know it or except it yet, but you-"

   "If you don't want me to fulfill my original orders of eliminating any changelings I suggest you don't finish that sentence." Bubblecut interrupted with a sharp glare.

   "You won't." Tenacity giggled.

   The rest of their morning was spent eating breakfast in silence until there was a knock on the front door. Bubblecut got from her place at the dining table and trotted over to the door and opened it to find Wild with that domb grin on his face.

   "Llllllieutenant Bubblecut, Wild Animal reporting for forward duty, sssir!" He said with a funny salute.

   "Hey, Wild." Bubblecut replied. "Would you like to join us for breakfast before we leave?" She already knew the answere to the question, but she never let her manners slide, even when it came to her friends. Wild took in a deep breath through the nose as he spun his head around.

   "Delectable pancakes with the sweetest and most fresh of orange juices. The commen breakfast of the lovely white pegasus I call my friend who finds this morning meal most desirable. Noway! I prefer a good hunt for fish in the Everfree."

   "Did I just hear that right?" Came Tenacity's voice before she came up behind Bubblecut. "A pony loves to eat meat?"

   "He does." Bubblecut answered, gesturing at him with her head.

   "Why, Bubblecut," Wild said, "...you eat meat too." She shot him a soft glare.

   "Only when I have too." She countered. "You know one can survive better on fish then they can on nuts and poisonous leaves." This has been commen knowlage for members of the Defenders since they were known as Celestia's fighters before Princess Luna was returned to her former glory years ago.

   "Wow." Tenacity said. "Ponies actually eat animals." Bubblecut started to say something but was cut off by the changeling. "Did I also hear you say were going someplace?" She asked.

   "To Canterlot Castle, oh friend of my best friend and commanding officer." Wild answered. Tenacity's perky smile vanished almost instantly and she took a few steps away from the green stallion.

   "Tenacity," Bubblecut said with a hint of concern in her voice, "... what's wrong?" Tenacity felt a brief, but large, surge of energy fill her body. She looked up at Bubblecut, a mixed look of fear, heartbreak and anger in her blue eyes.

   "You're going to the castle?" She asked.

   "Yeah," Bubblecut replied, "and you're coming with us." Tenacity's eyes were suddenly filled with anger and she hissed at the two as she sprang to a defensive position.

   "Like hell I am!" She snapped.

   "Now look here..." Bubblecut began.

   "Not on your life, traitor." Tenacity barcked. She charged at the white mare and was stopped by green hooves wrapped around her, trapping her wings and forelegs to her sides. She looked back to see Wild smiling at her with his dumb grin and she struggled to break free to no avail. His physical strength was undeniable and she was still weak from her ordeal at the castle over a week ago. How'd he get behind her so fast anyway? "Let me go you domb-"

   "Let me explain first." Bubblecut interrupted.

   "Like hell!" Tenacity said as she continued to struggle.

   "Animal and I have to return to active duty and I am not just leaving you here unsupervised." Bubblecut explained. "So I'm taking you with us and request to have you placed on my team so I can keep an eye on you." Tenacity stopped struggling and looked up at Bubblecut with confusion.

   "Yo... you want me to be apart of your team?" She asked.

   "Well, we certainly can't just let you loose now, can we?" Wild asked. Tenacity looked back at him with a small smile on her face and opened her mouth to speak. "Yeah, we could, but who knows what kinda trouble you'll get into if we did." He slowly eased his grip over her and she looked back up at Bubblecut with a smile.

   "Well, what're we wating for?" She exclaimed. "Let's get going!" A flash of green light, and Tenacity was replaced with a pink unicorn with purple mane and two swords crossing in front of a golden star as a cutie mark.

~~~

   There was a number of ponies gathered around in the gardens of the castle going through various training exercises, hoof to hoof combat, magical spells and techniques, tests of strength and more. Both Princess Luna and Princess Celestia were overviewing their progress. Celestia had told Luna to go and get some rest, but Luna was waiting for one of her lieutenants to arrive from her vacation.

   Among the ponies training was a brown pegasus stallion in a blue jacket and a purple unicorn stalion with a pink sweater. They were taking a break from their training and the unicorn was standing right next the the pegusas staring at him with a grin. The pegusas looked grouchy and annoyed as he avoided eye contact as best he could.

   "So hansom," the uncorn said, "ready to wrestle?" The pegasus let out an angry sigh as he stared up to the sky before he turned to face the unicorn.

   "Kyle, I've told you a thousand damn times," he huffed, "I'm not into stallions." The unicorn, Kyle, only gave a broad grin as he stared at the pegasus.

   "Not yet, you're not." He said.

   "Dammit, will you just stop!" He replied.

   "Now, Jason, is that anyway to talk to a fellow defender?" came a voice from behind the two. The two looked back to find Bubblecut with Wild animal and a new unicorn they had never seen before.

   "Lieutenant!" Jason called with a salute. Kyle straightened himself into a salute too, the smile still on his face.

   "Hello, lieutenant. How was your vacation?" Kyle asked.

   "It was fine, thank you." Bubblecut replied. "And, I found somepony to join the team while I was gone." She looked back to the unicorn, who smiled and stepped up beside the pegasus mare.

   "Hey boys." She chimed. How's the relationship?" She asked with a mischievous grin.

   "There is no damn relationship!" Jason barked.

   "Oh, come on hansom." Kyle said as he leaned in closer to the brown pegasus.

   "Get the hell away from me." Jason huffed.

   "Jason!" Bubblecut snapped.

   "What? You know I'm not gay like Kyle here." He said.

   "Oh how sweet." The unicorn said.

   "What?" Jason asked with a flat face.

   "Isn't love a beautiful thing?" She asked.

   "This isn't love, this is just an awkward friendship!" Jason answered.

   "Why don't we stop the arguing... and get this day moving." Wild said, shaking his head when he paused.

   "I must agree with Wild Animal." Came a voice from behind the group. They all turned to see the Princess who commanded the defenders, Princess Luna. They all bowed in respect while simultaneously saying 'Princess' and only raised their heads back when she acknowlaged them.

   Luna turned to her lieutenant with a smile as she approached the alicorn. "Lieutenant Bubblecut. It is a pleasure to see you back from your vacation."

   "Thank you Princess." Bubblecut replied and turned back to pony Tenacity and motioned for her to come up, wich she did hesitantly. "Princess, this is Tenacity."

   "Hiya, P-princess." Tenacity said.

   "You seem afraid in my presence." The Princess observed. "Do you not know that you have nothing to fear about me?"

   "Princess," Bubblecut interrupted, "... I was hoping Tenacity and I could speak with you in private?" Luna looked at her curiosly. "Please, Princess?" After a minute of silence, except for the other ponies training, Luna nodded her head.

   "Very well, Bubblecut. Follow me to my chambers." The alicorn trotted off towards the castle and Bubblecut looked over to Tenacity, who looked afraid at what was about to happen. Bubblecut gave her a look that said 'try to run and you're done'. I guess I have no choice here. Tenacity thought to herself and started to follow the two toward the castle.