The Golden Armor: Part II

Chapters

Just Another Day
Come and get your love
A Welcome Return

Just Another Day

The sun beamed down with a warm glow to the magnificent city of Canterlot, capital of Equestria. The white and purple buildings shimmered with a brilliance that couldn't be matched by most jewels. The whole city, including the market district, was alive with commotion. Ponies of every shape, color and size flooded the cobblestone roads to the brim. Their gaze, as a whole, was fixed on the magnificent gold and white castle. Today was a special day, one that had not been seen in a very long time.

Today was the day a new princess was to be crowned.

No matter how packed it was outside, the castle was ten times worse. Ponies lined every imaginable corridor, each craning their necks to catch a glimpse. Some pegasi floated in the air along with some adept unicorns cloaked in magic, something the Royal Guard didn't like. One of them, a sentry in the standard issue armor named Clyde, glared at several pegasi who hovered above him. He had already faced enough hysterical ponies today, many of which claimed they were part of history by being here. In truth, the guard didn't believe that in the slightest because to him, it was just another day of keeping the peace, like coercing some pegasi to land after receiving complaints about popcorn falling the heads of the guests.

As the guard spoke up, the sound of trumpets broke through the miscellaneous chatter and caught everypony's attention. On the far side of the main hallway, Royal Guards lined up and saluted, marking the edges of the long red carpet leading through the castle's many corridors straight to the coronation room where Princesses Celestia, Luna and Cadance waited. The carpet started at a doorway that had remained shut and was heavily guarded all day by no less than the best guards available, a mix of both Solar and Lunar guards from the princesses' own bodyguard detachments. Two of them still stood at the doorway, staring straight ahead. One was a white pegasus with a red mane and tail, different from the typical blue maned guards.

The turquoise eyes of the pony remained resolutely forward. Over top of her armor sat a shiny golden cloak, embroidered with the symbol of the sun, Princess Celestia's cutie mark. Under one of her wings sat a rather large halberd, a shining steel weapon that had a rounded blade that bore the resemblance to the sun. All in all, she was every inch a member of the Solar Guard, or a Goldencloak as they were commonly known.

Next to her stood a pony inverse from her shining appearence. The stallion stood dressed in his best dress armor, a purple and dark blue material with many points and edges. Over top of his articulated plates of armor sat a purple cloak embroidered with a crescent moon above the black night. With the hood drawn over his head, the only things distinguishable about him was his exposed legs and his tail, pale gray and midnight black. The halberd he carried was similar to the Goldencloak's, but the blade was concave to resemble the crescent moon instead of the sun. He rightly shone with the pride of the Lunar Guard, or rather, the elite bodyguard of Princess Luna, the Zodiac.

The two ponies spun to face each other, staring into nothing. In a series of crisp, well rehearsed movements, the two opened the doors to reveal a procession of guards, both Solar and Lunar, fanned around a purple alicorn who smiled sheepishly. At the very front stood two ponies, a pegasus and a bat pony. The pegasus had a white pelt, blonde hair and fiery red eyes that somehow looked like they were crystalized. He wore similar armor to the Goldencloak outside the door, who saluted to him, but his was much more regal. On his back rested a sparkling set of armor very different from the typical Royal Guard. Instead of one big plate, enchanted silvery chain mail wrapped around the pony's neck and stretched down his back, all the way to his flank. On top of the chain mail sat a stunning row of articulated golden plates, starting at a collar around his neck and flowing down to his flank and wrapping to his sides. A slightly larger cloak along with a tall armored collar lead to a turquoise star on his chest. It was the armor of an officer.

Next to him, the bat pony bounced slightly in place, containing her excitement as best she could. A stifled smile at the corner of her mouth was evident, along with her leathery wings occasionally shivering as they pressed firmly against her sides. She wore a more formal version of the Lunar Guard armor, a lighter version similar to the pegasus she stood next to. It had purple articulated plates down her back, but a sapphire eye graced her armor instead of a star. She had a much less pronounced collar, but a more stylish set of embroidery in her cloak.

Before they began marching, the pegasus mumbled, "Can you just act professional for once?"

As they took the first steps in the procession, the bat pony flapped her right wing once, messing up the pegasus's mane and flopping it over onto his eyes. Behind them, the new princess chuckled and the bat pony barely contained a fit of laughter, snorting slightly and drawing some curious looks from the crowd behind the guards. The pegasus, however, kept his cool and marched forward with his annoying partner. He could barely see, but his days of practice had taught him the route he was supposed to walk.

Once they were through the doorway, the pegasus risked a mumble again.

"Very mature, Angel," he grumbled.

"You asked for it!" she hissed back, not moving her lips.

The parade outside went nowhere near as planned. Instead of staying in her carriage, the newly crowned Princess Sparkle decided to march along with her friends, climb a wall meant for Royal Guard use only and fly off, leaving some very flustered and, quite frankly, unhappy guards. The white pegasus guard who led her, Comet Burst, was the commanding officer of the procession. He had just put up with an hour and fifteen minutes of complaints from the guards and now had buried his head into his desk. It was unprofessional, of course, but Comet was just too tired to care. The coronation was sprung on him with only a few days to prepare, assemble enough guards and execute. Many thought it was a job Shining Armor pushed on him so he could not worry about work that day. It was his sister being crowned, after all.

With the sun setting in the distance, Comet sighed heavily. He missed the days when he was guarding Philomena, Princess Celestia's prized pet phoenix. Sure, it was less pay and a lower rank, but it came with a lot less stress. As he reveled with his head still plastered to the desk, a sharp knock came from his door. Sitting straight up and stiffening his back, Comet barely had time to look professional as his commanding officer, Shining Armor, trotted in.

"Sir," Comet said in his professional tone while saluting him.

Shining half heartedly returned the salute and sighed, "At ease." Comet relaxed his spine a little, but not enough to be noticed. Shining trotted over to the window and stared out, filling Comet with a sense of dread. "Hey, you know you can speak freely to me, right?" the white unicorn asked.

"Yes, sir," Comet replied briskly.

"Good," Shining retorted. He stayed silent for a few seconds, but continued. "You are aware that the new princess is my own sister, right?"

"Yes."

"You also know this means we need a new guard detachment for her, correct?"

"I believe so, yes."

Shining sighed heavily again before continuing. "I suspect you also know that I have to return to the Crystal Empire with my wife, correct?"

"Yes, sir," Comet replied.

Turning to face the pegasus, Shining's face was hardened to almost a glare. "That means my sister will need somepony to protect her until I have assembled a group dedicated to her. The most logical option is to have you and the Goldencloaks watch her for now, but I have my concerns."

Comet had been nervous before, but now he was terrified. "S-sir?" he stammered.

"I know what you did at the Gala," Shining spoke in a deadly serious tone. "I know about you aiding the changeling leaders escape. You are very lucky to have the position you're in now, since punishment for treason is to be stripped of your guard status and banished."

Comet's pupils shrunk to pinpricks as his superior officer told him that. Yes, he knew what he did was wrong and that many in the guard whispered about it. Indeed, he had been part of an attack on the princesses and, although proven innocent, was still considered a traitor by many. Even Shining wasn't immune to the fears that, with him being so close to Princess Celestia, another attack could happen and most likely succeed.

Comet lowered his head and tried to think of something to say as the words hung in the air. It tormented him to know that despite helping to thwart the attack and saving the lives of his marefriend and countless other ponies, he was still a traitor. He had set out to become a Royal Guard so he could protect the Princesses and ponies of every kind, especially those who couldn't defend themselves, but he had never felt farther from his goal. As Comet found his voice, Shining continued.

"Still," he sighed and Comet looked up. "I know what it's like to be considered a traitor. It's ironic, you know, that I was used in a plot to destroy Equestria and I'm still Captain of the Guard. You were used in a similar way and now you're one of the ponies closest to Celestia."

The white unicorn cracked a grin, breaking the tension in the room. "I know it's difficult for you, but the fact you can handle the ridicule and do so with a straight face is a great quality in any guard."

"Thank you, sir," Comet spoke up. It made him feel better that his superior officer sympathized with him.

"So, that's why you'll be in charge of Celestia's guard and my own sister's for the time being," Shining stated proudly.

It took Comet longer than he thought to compose himself after that, giving Shining something to laugh about.

"Don't worry about it too much," he chuckled, "She'll most likely be staying here in Canterlot until I can assemble and train a guard for her, but she may want to take an impromptu trip to Ponyville to see her friends. I've already spoken to Commander Angel about using some of the Zodiac to aid in her guard detail, so you won't be too shorthoofed."

Almost as if he had summoned her by using her name, the door flew open to reveal the craziest mare in Equestria other than Pinkie Pie, who Shining assured was way worse. Minus her cloak, the bat pony stood there with a grin that almost didn't fit her face. She had her leathery bat wings spread, which Comet learned meant she was really excited, and trotted into the office. Her big golden eyes were entrancing to him, which of course made him feel like a blush was coming on. Breaking away to stifle the onset of blood rushing to his cheeks, Comet caught a moment of eye contact with the mare, who seemed to grin slightly wider if that were possible.

Shining didn't seem to catch that since he was already looking at the leader of the Zodiac, but still grinned at the sight of her. "Hello there, Angel. We were just talking about you."

"Is this about the incident with Philomena and the chocolate cake?" she asked innocently, wiping her excited look from her face. "Because I swear I had nothing to do with the table flipping in front of Princess Luna."

Shining burst out laughing at that, remembering the incident. "N-no, Angel. We're talking about my sister's guard status," he wheezed, wiping a tear from his eye. Pinkie Pie learned quickly that day not to make phoenixes angry.

After about an hour, Shining said his goodbyes. The three ponies had talked about guard detachments the whole time, a rather boring subject to Angel. Once Shining left and the door shut, the bat pony turned to the pegasus and almost sneered at him.

"So, my guards aren't good enough to handle two princesses?" she asked in a sarcastic tone.

Comet's gaze dropped to an unimpressed look as he responded. "You do realize she's awake during the day, right?"

"So?" Angel replied defensively, "I was awake all day back when we first started!"

"You were also ten times more annoying," Comet deadpanned.

Angel huffed at that, but slowly slinked her way over to the pony. "Is that to say I'm not as annoying to you?" she asked in a different tone.

"You're still annoying. I just can't yell at you now," he replied sarcastically.

"You still yell at me all the time!" she cried out, acting as if taken aback. It was true that whenever the other guards weren't around or she really turned up the annoying level, Comet tended to yell at her. However, working with Angel for two years had given him a lot of tolerance to her annoying ways.

By now, Angel was right next to Comet, smiling at him and narrowing her eyes. She had to look up to him since Comet was a full head taller than her, but she liked that. Comet, on the other hoof, merely regarded her with the same expression he always did, a stare that meant he knew she was up to no good.

"You know," Angel cooed, "I was worried Shining had caught on to us."

"Is that why you mentioned the cake incident? Because he knows you and Pinkie Pie planned that surprise together."

Angel began to close the gap between their faces and whispered, "You were in on it too. I just had to... convince you."

"You nearly stuffed me in the cake."

At that, Angel pressed her lips against Comet's, silencing his protests. As the two stayed that way, Angel felt a set of strong legs slowly wrap around her. She loved that feeling and as they broke away, she nuzzled her head into Comet's chest. She always felt safe and warm when Comet hugged her and never wanted to leave. It was almost like he was made specifically for her since he was able to hug her easily, had a warm chest and a steady heartbeat she could hear.

Comet, for his part, rested his chin on the top of her head as he held her. Sure it was stressful being the leader of the Goldencloaks, but the perks of working closely with Angel and being able to see her every night made it worthwhile to him. She was what he wanted in a mare, a fun loving, happy screwball who always made him smile. As they sat there, Comet managed to speak up.

"It's moments like this that make me the happiest," he whispered to Angel. "When it's just you and me and nopony else."

She responded by nuzzling his chest further and sighing heavily in contentment. After a few more minutes passed, Angel began to wriggle her way out of his grip and slowly walked towards the door, leaving Comet all alone at his desk.

"Sorry, but I've got my job to do," she squeaked. "I'll see you in the morning, kay?"

Comet just grinned and nodded as she walked out the door. Angel was a mare any stallion would die to have, and she was all his. Looking outside, he saw the quarter moon rising slowly in the blue sky dotted with a few stars. It was hard for him to imagine that two years ago, before meeting Angel, he was a sad and depressed pony with no friends and a ton of regrets. It was funny how quickly life could change. At that, Comet gathered up the papers on his desk, put them into several files marked "Urgent", "Important" and "To Be Read". After closing up his office, he made his way over to the quarters he was given as part of his promotion, a room on the floor above the barracks.

Angel trotted happily over to the tower known as Luna's Observatory, humming as she walked. She was just too happy to let anything ruin her mood when a voice called out, "Hey."

Stopping to look around, the bat pony searched for the source of the voice when a shadow dropped silently behind her. Angel froze for a second before turning to attack the shadow, but it deftly stopped her attack. Holding her hoof in midair, the shadow revealed itself to be another bat pony. He was slightly larger than Angel, but sported similar golden eyes, the same toothy grin and a scar above his left eye.

Angel pulled her hoof back and said in an official tone, "What is the matter, Midnight Glow?"

"Aw, come on," the stallion whined. "Is that any way to greet your half brother?"

Angel narrowed her eyes and said, "Just because we share the same mother doesn't mean you get special treatment."

"Ouch, pull those claws back," Midnight said as he sucked on his teeth.

Even though they were related, Angel and Midnight had a strained relationship. Being the first foal born to her mother after she left her father, Angel secretly loathed Midnight's company. He always reminded her of the unpleasant time in her life when her mother abandoned her and her father to go off and save the colony, all the while trying to convince Angel to do the same. With live births so rare among bat ponies, Angel wanted to avoid a life of bearing more foals than she could count.

"Sorry," she replied in a lighter tone, "What is the problem, Midnight?"

Midnight grinned, unfazed by her.

"Just checking up on my sister!" he stated happily.

"Half sister," Angel pointed out. "I'm fine. How are you and Valyrie doing?"

"Oh, she's happy," he chatted. "She's dealing with an upset family who wants her to return, but she never complains about it."

"Oh, well that's good," Angel replied. "I gotta get going, but we can talk more when I make my rounds, kay?"

"Sounds good."

"See ya," Angel said as she trotted away.

Midnight Glow watched her leave and made his way over to his post. Angel was a difficult pony to figure out. One moment she was overly happy, but when he showed up she turned sullen and hostile. He knew why, but he still made the effort to be friends with her. Midnight had never really met his mother since she was the only fertile mare in the colony and as such was ordered to keep having foals with all the stallions she could. Angel didn't want to know, but Midnight knew of at least eleven other half siblings they shared, each ranging from a year younger than Midnight to a newborn.

Still, he imagined it was worse for Angel who had gotten attached to her mother. Midnight Glow's father was all the family he had with the exception of his uncle who lived in a colony far away. At least Angel had Comet to rely on here while Midnight had Valyrie, the only gryffon in the castle.

It was an odd thing, dating a gryffon. Midnight had known she was Angel and Comet's friend and that she had helped in defending the castle from the invasion a year ago, but that didn't change his view on her. After meeting her in the infirmary, the two became steadily interested in one another. Valyrie was brash, loud and never apologized, but that made her more appealing to Midnight. She was so radically different than the mares he was used to seeing in his colony who were often very soft spoken and shy, mostly due to their infertility. Valyrie was a blast of fresh air with an exotic appeal.

Once at his post on the outer wall, Midnight let his thoughts roam as he scanned the city below. It was just another day after all.

Author's Note

To those who read The Golden Armor, welcome back to the exploits of Comet, Angel, Valyrie and Midnight!

Come and get your love

Comet snorted as he felt something heavy bounce at the foot of his bed. His guard instinct screamed at him to get up and arm himself with the nearest sharp object, but instead he turned to his side and nuzzled his pillow.

"Angel," he whined. "It's too early."

"Dang it," she hissed. "How did you know it was me?"

"There are only three beings I can think of who would jump on my bed at night: you, Valyrie and my mother," he grumbled, shifting slightly in his covers. "My mother hasn't done that since I was little and Valyrie would be tearing my bedsheets."

Angel shifted some more as he felt her legs moving closer to his head. He had a brief respite when she stopped, but soon her frame collapsed on the bed next to him, forcing his body into the air. He yelped loudly as he flared his wings, only to land on his back again. As he thrashed about in his sheets, Angel giggled loudly while she tried to climb on top of him.

"For the love of Celestia, Angel!" Comet hissed. "What is wrong with you?"

He tried to push her off him, but she giggled louder as she pressed his legs to his side. He stopped moving and saw her gorgeous golden eyes staring down at her, feeling his thoughts melt away.

"Comet," she whispered. "Do you love me?"

Comet gulped as his chest tightened.

"Y-yes," he murmered back.

"Can you... show me?" she cooed.

Comet felt a smile crack his face as his sleepiness melted away. Part of him wondered if he was still dreaming, but when he felt her weight shift, he reassured himself that even his own dreams weren't this good. A dumb smile played across his face as he felt her lips brush his. His hooves instinctively reached up to pull her in close. They found purchase on her back, but he noted she wasn't wearing armor. He started at that, as well as when he noticed her trademark fangs were missing.

Opening his eyes, he noticed hers had not closed at all. Upon staring into them, he noticed them shimmer with a sickly green color underneath the gold. He tried to scream as he began trying to push away from whoever was on top of him, but her giggling became more of a maniacal laugh.

"What's wrong, Comet?" the pony asked in Angel's voice. "Don't you love me?"

Her eyes began to fill with a green fire as the gold vanished, replaced with the horrific green he wished he didn't remember. He struggled even more to free himself, but his limbs began to glow with a similar color.

"Comet," the voice repeated, morphing as she spoke. "Don't you love me?"

"Get the buck off me!" he shouted.

"Oh, I will," the voice cooed, become more like the shrill voice of Gorgon. "Once you get off... to me."

A tongue darted out from the mouth, licking his lips hungrily.

Comet's eyes shot open as he tried to hit the darkness in front of him, swinging his hooves wildly. He gasped for air as he kicked his bedsheets and slammed his head into his pillow, still picturing the horrifying face of Gorgon. After a few more swings, he stopped and heaved a few more breaths before laying back onto his bed, pressing his hooves into his eyes.

"Oh, come on," he moaned. "Why am I dreaming about her?"

He shook his head in disgust as he recalled the dream. Everything was so vivid, like she was really there or they actually had a moment like that. A shiver ran along his spine as he rolled over and hugged his sheets closer. He was having dreams like that more frequently and things became weirder the longer he thought of Gorgon.

As he closed his eyes, a phantom hoof ran down his back and he swiped at the air, trying to fend off whatever was there. When he hit nothing, Comet dropped his hoof and heaved a sigh. One of the problems of thinking about Gorgon was that he felt ghostly hooves touch him in sensitive places. Groaning, he rolled off the side of his bed and steadied himself on the cold stones below. He would regret this in the morning, but sleep was not someplace he wanted to be right now. Glancing about, he spied the door in the bright moonlight and trotted over to it. A minute later, he was wandering through the empty hallways of Canterlot Castle.

He glanced up at the rafters and followed the lines of tapestries leading down the hallway, noting at how different the castle looked when it wasn't filled with maids and ponies rushing about. Still, it wasn't completely devoid of life. The Zodiac stood at their usual positions, saluting as he strode by. Comet offered his own salutes back, but made a point to avoid as many of them as he could. Despite his position, it still felt odd having others salute him, especially since he probably would be in a jail cell right now if it were not for the strange pony defending him after the attack.

Catching himself wandering back down that dark path, Comet forced himself to think about something happy. The smiling faces of his parents at his promotion warmed his chest while thoughts of Angel swirled around them, reminding him why he was wandering the halls. In the weeks following the attack, she had been both a blessing and a curse. While she was still the reason he had to take headache medicine, her smile, loving hugs and soft kisses were enough to make him ignore his sleepless nights and the morbid dreams within. Even though they were bound by their positions to be in no such relationship, Comet stopped caring long ago. If Shining Armor could court and marry a princess, Comet imagined he should be able to date his equal.

Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long to see her. After he climbed a few staircases and took a shortcut by flying out an open window, Comet saw the familiar silhouette of a bat pony standing guard at Princess Luna's observatory. Her back was to him, but he saw her ears twitch as he approached.

"Who is it?" she asked in a stern tone, her stance stiffening.

Comet landed behind her and grinned. He opened his mouth to say something, but managed to yelp as he was tackled to the ground. Rolling around, he tried to push her off him, but soon a giggle broke the shuffling and he found himself hugging Angel as she pressed her lips to his. When they parted, she smiled widely and stood up.

"Hey cutie. What brings you here this late?" she asked.

"Oh, you know," Comet replied, standing up. "Can't sleep."

Angel tilted her head. "Dreams again?"

"Yeah," he said. "They're getting more real."

Angel scrunched up her nose as she glanced out at the forest, a frown on her face. "I knew I should've chased her," she mumbled.

"No," Comet said, walking up next to her and wrapping a wing around her. "I needed you to hit me then more than you needed to catch her."

Angel cracked a large grin as she spun to him, her golden eyes twinkling. "Yeah, that was fun."

Comet snorted as Angel lowered herself down onto her belly and he followed suit. As he got comfortable, he felt her head press against his neck and she sighed.

"I wish we could do this every night," Angel said.

Comet grinned and placed his head atop hers. "Just a few more months, Angel. We can both retire from here and then nothing will stop us from doing this every night."

"You promise?" Angel asked, nuzzling his neck more.

"Angel," Comet said. "I've never been more sure in my life."

Comet felt her shift and yipped as he felt two fangs poke his neck. Glancing down, he watched her press her head into him again and he leaned in to kiss her head, noting the smell of cinnamon and oranges in her mane. He loved that scent. He loved those two cute little fangs and her big golden eyes. She was perfect, and she was all his.

As he sat with her, he felt his eyelids grow heavy. Sleep slowly returned to him and soon, he was grunting as he slept on her head while she dozed off into his neck.

The soft breeze on Comet's face made him stir slightly as he sighed, snuggling his chin back into the fuzzy pillow. The breeze fluttered once again and a soft clicking floated over to him. Silence followed, but something nudged his side. Comet instinctively groaned and waved his hoof at whatever it was. A small squawk rang out and he heard something flutter.

"Stupid wrens," he mumbled. "Go away."

As soon as he finished speaking, a sharp object began poking him on the crown of his head. His eyes shot open and he flailed his hooves around, trying to force whatever it was away. The early morning sunlight flooded his vision, but he could still see the bright red and yellow plumage of a phoenix still pecking him in the head.

"Philomena!" he roared, swatting at her. "Stop it! Ow! Bucking hell, stop that!"

As he tried to fend off Philomena, he failed to notice Angel's eyes fly open or her rising to her hooves. As Comet finally pushed Philomena away, he felt hooves wrap around his neck and drag him backwards. He yelped, but the hard stone beneath made his already hazy eyesight fill with stars. Comet tried to spin, but the hooves grabbed onto his wing and forced one to extend. Yelping again, Comet tried to free himself, but another hoof came down and pressed his head back into the stones.

"Gah! Angel, stop!" he cried. "It's me!"

"Comet?" Angel asked. "What the buck are you fighting with Philomena for?"

"She attacked me!" he yelled, tugging his wing loose from her grip.

Angel let the rest of him go and looked over to Philomena standing next to them, tilting her head. Smiling, she extended a hoof and Philomena began to rub her head against it.

"Aww," she cooed. "You wouldn't hurt Comet, would you?"

Philomena cawed pathetically as Comet stood, eyeing the bird with derision.

"Oh, can it, you," he grumbled.

"Hey! Be nice to her!" Angel replied, placing herself between them. "She's a rare and special bird!"

"She pecked me in the head!" Comet yelled. "I've got the welts to prove it!"

Angel rolled her eyes and sucked her teeth. "Maybe she saw a bug or something."

Comet's jaw opened as he tried to make a response, but Angel pressed a hoof to his mouth and forced it closed. Behind her, he could see Philomena puffing out her chest and trying to look as smug as she could. He batted Angel's hoof away, but her other one instantly covered his mouth and she shook her head.

"Not until you calm down, mister," she said, giving him a surprisingly mature look.

Comet puffed his cheeks as his face turned red, but he said nothing until Angel took her hoof down.

"But she still shouldn't peck me in—" he blurted out before she pressed both hooves to his mouth.

"Dang it, Comet! She's just a bird! Why do you always think she's malicious to you?"

Comet raised an eyebrow and looked into Angel's eyes.

"Okay, fine! But remember, that was when we were recruits!" she wailed. "Just be nice to her, okay?"

Satisfied, Comet nodded and Angel removed her hooves, still staring at him. Comet blinked and sighed, shaking his head.

"Well, at least nopony else bothered us," he said.

As soon as his words left his mouth, they heard a door creak open. Comet's eyes shrunk and he dived over the railing, spreading his wings and flapping vigorously to distance himself from Angel. Darting underneath the balcony, his chest turned to ice as he heard a voice.

"Philomena! Where are thy blasted feathery—oh, there thee is," came Princess Luna. "And Captain Angel! We are most surprised to see thee here."

"U-uh, hello Princess Luna!" Angel's shaky voice replied. "Welcome to the—I mean, uh, your observatory."

"Thank you, loyal guard," Luna said. "I see thou hast already found our sister's pet. We must say that is rather impressive, especially since the call to capture her only went out five minutes ago."

"Well—you know; once the guardian of Her Majesty's royal pet, always the guard!"

Comet raised his eyebrows as his heart slowed its racing.

"We can see thou has not lost thy touch with the bird, either," Luna mused. "We would be interested to see if thee has the same affinity for our own pets. Tibbles has been most lonely."

"I'd, uh, I'd be happy to see," Angel said.

"Then we shall arrange what our sister calls a play-date?" Luna said over the faint sound of her hooves clapping.

"Um, if you wish, Your Majesty," Angel replied.

Comet breathed a sigh of relief until he heard Angel continue, "You know, my colleague is also very adept with animals as well."

His ears stood straight up as Princess Luna said, "Oh?"

"Yeah, Captain Comet was also Philomena's former guardian as well," Angel said with a slight coy ring in her voice. "I know he and Tibbles would get along great."

"Oh, him?" Luna replied, her voice dropping. "We are not very trusting of him."

Comet's head snapped up as he looked at the balcony above.

"Oh, uh... really?" Angel asked.

"Yes," Luna sighed. "Our sister insists he can be trusted, but we are not so sure. We fear he may still have connections to those vile bugs."

A strange silence followed as the wind around Comet turned cold and his pupils shrunk.

"W—Well, uh, I, er, trust him," Angel stammered.

"We are still surprised thou does," Luna replied.

A soft clopping echoed underneath the balcony, causing Comet to frown. Angel always shifted her weight when she felt uncomfortable, which made him more nervous. It was bad enough some of the guards didn't trust him, but hearing one of the princesses voice her concerns made it all the more terrible.

"However," Luna mumbled. "He did rescue thee and us from the fiend, so perhaps we should be more forgiving."

"Oh yes, My Princess. Captain Comet is a loyal friend and very good with Philomena. You won't be disappointed," Angel breathed.

More silence followed, but much to Comet's relief, Princess Luna spoke up.

"We suppose we will take your word for it. We will speak to our sister about setting up this play-date later, but for now we must sleep. T'was a busy night for us," Luna said with a yawn.

"Pleasant dreams, Your Highness," Angel said as Comet heard a door close.

Risking to peek over the edge, Comet glanced around to make sure the coast was clear before locking eyes with Angel, who was scratching Philomena on the top of her head. The two of them stared wordlessly at each other before Angel cracked a large grin and Comet frowned.

"We have a play-date, Comet," she teased.

"What is a 'Tibbles'?" he asked.

"Oh, you'll see," Angel smirked. "But for now, just be glad Philomena woke us up before Princess Luna found us. I think she's owed an apology from you."

Philomena cawed at her words and eyed Comet expectantly. Looking away, he grumbled before clearing his throat.

"Thank you, Philomena," he said tonelessly.

The phoenix cawed once more before spreading her wings and taking flight, leaving the two of them to watch her fly around the spires and back to her tower.

A Welcome Return

The two Zodiac guards nearly jumped out of their armor as a scream pierced the still air. Gripping their weapons tighter, they took up defensive poses and glared down the long candlelit hallway. They stood resolutely still, waiting for so much as a shadow to pass by when the scream echoed again, followed by muffled shouting. Cringing, one of the guards took a step forward, but flinched as his partner shifted.

"No, our post is here," she said, flashing her green eyes at him.

The guard tensed for a second before letting out a low growl. He snorted before a third scream came, causing both of them to turn and look down the hallway. A gulp came from his partner before he heard her armor shifting, forcing him to turn around. She held a small turquoise rock in her hoof, tied to a small rope that formed a necklace. The rock sparkled as little wisps of crystals floated off it, allowing the stone to glow.

"Sergeant Star, come in. This is Corporal Lunar Eyes and Full Eclipse," she whispered to it.

Together, Lunar and Eclipse stared at the rock for a few seconds before it pulsed with a brighter light. "This is Sergeant Star. Report, Corporal."

Eclipse glanced up at Lunar as she looked at him. "Sergeant, we heard screaming in the vicinity. Are there any reports of disturbances in our area?"

"What's your current position?" the stone asked.

Eclipse cleared his throat and leaned in. "Fourth corridor, north wing. Positioned outside Philomena's quarters."

A few minutes of silence followed, making both of them tense as another muffled yelling rang out, followed by the cry of a phoenix. Eclipse cringed as he lifted a hoof and poked the rock. He looked back at Lunar and whispered, "You think she heard us?"

"Yes, Corporal, I heard you," the rock replied. "Do refrain from poking the Speaking Stone as well unless you want to take a remedial course in equipment management."

Eclipse closed his eyes and facehoofed as Lunar gave a small giggle. The stone dulled in glow before brightening again. "There are no reports of disturbances along the north wall. Corporal Poppy and Private Star, however, reported the same noise you heard. Poppy is investigating to find the source. Corporal Lunar, conduct your own search of the wing and report back if you find anything. Eclipse, stay at your post until Lunar returns. Sergeant Star, out."

The rock stopped glowing and Lunar quickly stuffed it back behind her armor. Eclipse stared at her as she hefted her spear and smiled at him. "Well, this shouldn't take long. See you in a bit!"

She walked past him, trotting happily before Eclipsed reached out and touched her side, making her stop and look at him. "Hey... be careful," he mumbled.

Lunar blinked, but smiled back and said, "You too."

As soon as she disappeared around the corridor, Eclipse took a deep breath and glanced back and forth, shifting on his hooves. The silence of the castle slowly turned from comforting to unnerving as the minutes trickled by without a noise. While he stood guard, though, his thoughts turned back to Lunar Eyes and a pit formed in his stomach. She certainly was a capable guard and would probably return in a few minutes saying she found nothing, but he couldn't help the feeling that it was a bad idea to split them up. It wasn't like anypony would want to harm Philomena; well, nopony aside from those goofy animal rights activists.

Eclipse forced himself to relax as more silence came from the castle, reminding himself that the screaming might just be echoes of things falling over in some broom closet or the creaking of the floorboards in the Royal Attic. With any luck, it might have just been some silly intruder for them to chase or a new servant who got lost and panicked. Chuckling to himself, he took a deep breath and smiled just before another scream rang out, causing his pupils to shrink.

The scream sounded like Lunar Eyes.

Dread filled his chest as Eclipse turned and bolted down the corridor, turning to face the labyrinth of hallways that wound through the floor. He bolted past them, scanning each hallway as he continued. The more empty halls he passed made his chest tighten as he slid to a stop at the end opposite end of the floor, spinning in place.

"Lunar!" he shouted, listening to his voice bounce around the stones.

Several seconds ticked by, agonizingly slow, until he heard a reply.

"Eclipse! Help!" Lunar's voice rang back.

Gritting his teeth, Eclipse ran back through the hallways, weaving about the floor. Newer sounds began to echo to him, particularly metal scraping stone and what sounded like magical blasts. His heart pounded in his ears until Lunar screamed again, her voice even louder than before. Rounding the corner, Eclipse skidded to a halt as he saw Lunar laying on her back, eyes twitching in fear as a green energy was radiating off of her while some big black creature stood over her, the wickedly curved horn glowing among the neon green mane.

Eclipse's instincts took over as he gripped his spear tighter and ran, leaping into the air as the black monster looked up at him with big green eyes. He let out a shout of his own as the tip of his spear crackled with blue electricity, causing the monster's eyes to widen.

Comet bolted around the room, yelling at the top of his lungs while a gray furball stuck in his mane squeaked frantically. He whipped his head around, trying desperately to throw it from his head as Princess Luna chased him, her face locked in an angry stare.

"Wouldst thou stop already!" she shouted in her Royal Canterlot Voice. "The more thy panics, the harder the royal possum will hold on!"

Comet continued to run around while Angel lay on her back, cackling wildly with several bats and a wolf. Not even in her wildest dreams could she have imagined Comet had such a poor and amusing way with animals when Princess Luna suggested they come over for a playdate. Sure, he had a rocky start with Philomena, but this was far more amusing. She kicked her rear hooves in the air while she held her side, allowing him to jump over her as he kept thrashing.

"ENOUGH!" Luna roared as the tip of her horn glowed. A beam of midnight blue light shot at him, freezing him in place as the possum shrieked louder. Angel managed to open her eyes long enough to see the poor animal be untangled from his mane, making sure to take a few strands of blonde mane with him. Comet winced, but once the pest was removed, he took a few deep breaths as he felt Luna's magic release.

Luna shushed as the possum floated over, gingerly placing him on the ground and watching him scurry off towards Angel. She wrinkled her nose as she turned to Comet and asked, "How did thou ever win the trust of our sister's winged avian with bonding skills like those?"

Comet cringed as he rubbed his scalp, noting the whole situation was feeling oddly familiar. "I-It took some time for Philomena to trust me, your highness."

Luna raised an eyebrow. "Captain Angel informed us you were quite close to her and bonded well with other animals."

Comet threw a glare at Angel, who shrugged and smiled back innocently. "Captain Angel does have a sense of humor, Princess."

"Noted. Now, we do believe it is time for us to assume our regular royal duties now that our domesticated animal partners have had some fun. We thank thee for a most... interesting evening."

Both Comet and Angel saluted as they stood up. "The pleasure is ours, Princess Luna," they said in unison.

Smiling, Luna flared her wings before disappearing in a flash of light, leaving the two alone in the room of animals. Comet turned to Angel and scowled as he trotted past, exiting the chamber with her in tow.

"What?" Angel said, shutting the door. "What was that look for?"

"You know darn well," Comet said, refusing to turn around.

"Oh, come on!" Angel replied, trotting up next to him and nuzzling his neck. "You know why I suggested to her that you should join us."

Comet turned to her and raised an eyebrow. "So you could get a good laugh at me?"

Angel smiled as she leaned up and kissed him gently, nipping her tiny fangs against his bottom lip. She pulled away and stared into his eyes, watching them start to soften. "Because I want to spend as much time with my coltfriend as possible."

Comet grunted as he pursed his lips. "Next time, could we not involve psychotic rodents or a princess?"

"Hey, you were the one that yelled when he crawled up your leg. Princess Luna did tell you not to make any loud noises when she brought us in," Angel said, raising her own eyebrow and leaning on her side. "Besides, Princess Luna needs to see you as not a threat. I did you a favor by getting her to allow you near her pets."

"Yeah, well, if making a fool of myself lessens her suspicions, I think I'd rather be viewed as a threat," Comet said, turning and rubbing his scalp again.

He took a few steps down the hallway when a large weight dropped itself on his back, knocking the wind from him. His legs quivered as she yelped, trying desperately to stay upright while he spread his wings and tried to shake off the weight before he saw Angel's face out of the corner of his vision. "Angel! What the buck are you doing?"

Angel merely snickered back as she leaned back and gave his ear a playful nip, making him jump as she gently tugged on it.

"Angel!" Comet shouted.

"Oh shuff," Angel replied, the tip of his ear still between her teeth. "Cawwy me back like thith."

"What? NO!"

Angel smiled as she pulled the tip of his ear in more, giving it a small nibble and feeling a shudder run down his back. She let her hooves hang around his shoulders and haunches as a sigh escaped him.

"Angel, please get off me," he said in an even tone. "Your guards are still around here."

"Nuh uh!" Angel replied, still hold his ear in her mouth as she shook her head.

"Dang it, Angel! This isn't a game! If one of your guards catches us, it'll be—"

"What? It'd be what?" Angel said, licking the tip of his ear gently. "Juss say I sprain my hoof."

Comet grunted, trying to focus on anything other than the goofy mare on his back. Unfortunately, her playing with his ear made it even more difficult to do so. Rolling his eyes, he began a slow walk down the corridor and glanced back at her. "Can you at least let go of my ear?"

Angel shook her head again, smiling wider as she kept nibbling on it and humming to herself.

"Of course," Comet said, looking back ahead with an annoyed stare. "Well, you better make this up to me later."

Angel opened her eyes as she kept humming and playing with his ear. She smiled again, glad he was completely unaware of what she had planned later tonight. He'd probably be sore and sleepy the next morning, but as long as he put up with her for right now, he'd be a very happy stallion for the next couple days.

The couple grew silent as they made their way back to Angel's office, taking extra care to avoid obvious guarded positions like the Royal Treasury, the Room of Records and the Royal Pantry, which Comet found odd was all positioned so close to Princess Luna's chambers. Still the uneventful night remained as such when they finally arrived at the familiar door. With practiced ease, Angel slid off his back and pushed the door open, looking back at Comet with a sly grin.

"Coming in?" she asked.

Comet stared back at her with a deadpan look. "No."

"You sure?" Angel said, turning back to him.

"Yes."

"Why not?"

"Because Royal Guard regulation Forty Four section B clearly states no fraternization between officers not sanctioned by duty," Comet said with a lazy blink.

"You know darn well we've broken that rule before," Angel said with a small wink. "If we didn't get caught then, what makes you think we'll get caught now?"

"Because," Comet said, his expression refusing to change.

"Oh, shut up and get in here. Besides, I need your help with work anyway," Angel said, turning her nose into the air and trotting in, leaving the door ajar.

Comet sighed as he shook his head slightly, taking a few tentative steps towards the door and pushing it open. He stared at Angel's back as she shuffled some papers on her desk, who paused and looked back at him with her big, beautiful gold eyes. She smiled again as Comet closed the door, raising his eyebrows again.

"So, what do you need help with?" he asked as the door shut.

As soon as the latch clicked into place, Angel had already bolted over and plowed into him, forcing him onto the ground as she kissed him again, pulling him closer to her. Comet lay there as his marefriend assaulted him with kiss after kiss, allowing her to win for now. As she kept going, he sighed again and kissed her back, knowing she would be the end of him. She was brash, energetic and knew what she wanted.

And she was sexy to boot.

Angel gasped for air as she pulled away, staring back into his eyes as she smiled and licked her lips and those adorable little fangs. Comet stared back and smiled as she leaned in again. In the moonlight, she looked even sexier than before and he chuckled.

"What?" Angel asked.

"Nothing. Just amazed by you sometimes," Comet replied.

"Oh? And what's so amazing about me?" she said, pausing for a second. "Besides my usual awesomeness."

"I don't know. Sometimes I wonder how I got a mare like you to like me," he said leaning up and planting a small kiss of her lips.

Angel smiled as she leaned in closer to his ear and whispered, "That's how."

The couple kissed again, this time neither side wanting to move. Under normal circumstances, Comet would cite regulations again and inform her he'd have to get up at a reasonable hour, but he'd worry about that later. Right now, there was a sexy mare atop him who needed some help. He smiled as she pulled away, her eyes glittering again, and he knew tonight would be a good night.