Chapter 13: Social Obligations

"I haven't had a hangover in years," Tyr grumbled, pouring himself a cup of coffee. His head was throbbing ever so slightly, and he could vaguely remember a morning haired woman he had a specific reason to curse. Thanks to such a successful Christmas Party, Pinkie had planned a New Year's party as well. Somehow, no one caught Celestia spiking the punch a second time. Lucky for Tyr, he managed to keep Luna sober so whatever happened Christmas night didn't happen again.

"You seem like you slept rough," Freyja said. She and Tyr's other two siblings had stayed the night. Seems like Freyja hadn't drunk any of the punch.

"Sorta. Where's Nanna?"

"Here I am!" Nanna came downstairs, yawning widely. She was followed by a yawning Rainbow Dash. "What a party, huh?"

Tyr frowned, his still tipsy brain was slowly connecting the dots. "Wait. You two… Nanna, did you…?"

Nanna shrugged. "What can I say? Rainbow hair is attractive. Plus, we hit it off after the Christmas Party."

"You never said your sister was on my team," Dash said with a smirk.

"Well, considering how I first found out, I have a good reason." Tyr sighed.

Dash frowned as Tyr passed her a cup of coffee. "What happened?"

"Nanna slept with his prom date," Freyja said. "Tyr walked in on them."

"Jeez. That sounds rough."

"Well, it was pretty tender for a while," Nanna admitted. "Tyr stopped talking to me for a long time."

"Two years," Tyr murmured, sliding a cup of coffee to his older sister. "But I forgive you."

Nanna blinked. "You… you do?"

"Yeah. No point in holding a grudge like that, huh?"

Nanna smiled softly, then sighed. She slipped a five dollar bill to Freyja, who took it triumphantly. "Ha!"

Tyr face palmed. "You two sometimes…"

"So, big brother," Freyja said suddenly. "When's the last time you killed someone?"

There was a short bit of silence. "What?" Dash murmured.

Tyr frowned at his younger sister. "Such tact. I haven't killed anyone since I left S.W.A.T."

"You actually killed people?" Dash looked incredulous. "Wow."

"I was a sniper," Tyr said. "And killing people isn't something I like talking about."

"Morning dad," Sherry said, coming down the stairs. Sif was behind her, yawning widely.

"Hello dear," Tyr said, taking the hug from his daughter. "Sleep well?"

"We fell asleep playing," She said. "Did you put me in bed?"

"Yes, I did."

"Speaking of put in bed," Nanna said suddenly. "Where's that princess of yours?"

"She's getting dressed. "

"So… is she able to walk?" Dash asked, picking up on the teasing.

"She's fine," Tyr said flatly, thankful that the younger girls weren't able to follow the conversation.

"You sure? Sounded like you guys were busy."

"Dash, I swear…"

"I mean, did you guys misplace your pillows or something? Cause…"

Chrys came downstairs only to see Tyr attempting to strangle Dash while Nanna and Freyja laughed loudly. "…Perhaps I should go back to sleep," She mumbled to herself.

-x-

"They really said that?" Luna asked as she got off of Tyr's bike. They had pulled up in front of a large conference hall where Celestia was going to be speaking as an advocate of Equestrians everywhere. Celestia had become the Face of Equestria in the past month, so it wasn't altogether uncommon for her to do public speaking events like this. Tyr flashed his I.D. as he passed the door guards, letting them know he was supposed to be there. He was armed again, although he doubted he would be needed. The number of guards was impressive.

"Yeah, Nanna and Dash were tag teaming before you came down."

"So… about the whole sniper thing…"

"It was a job," Tyr said flatly. "And I prefer not to shoot people if I don't have to."

"…Understandable."

Ace, Flash and Night met him at the door to a side hall. "Bout time you showed up," Ace said with a grin.

"My sisters spent the night. Too bad you weren't at the party."

"Hey, I got family too."

A secretary in a business outfit came over. "Miss Luna? You're wanted on the stage."

"I believe I must go," Luna sighed. "Be safe, love."

"I would tell you to do the same, but that's why I'm here," Tyr replied with a smirk.

She kissed him gently on the cheek before following the secretary. Flash whistled, watching Luna go. "Well, she is a beauty, isn't she?"

"Aren't you taken?" Night asked.

"What? I can't compliment my friend's girl?"

"All within reason," Ace said with a small chuckle. "Come on, we at least have to make sure we're watching."

The four men went out into the conference hall. It was full of reporters and other well-known faces littered the crowd. Celestia and Luna were on the stage, along with the governor of the county and mayor of the town. "Big names up there," Tyr murmured.

"Don't get star struck on us," Flash warned.

"I've seen worse," Tyr joked.

"Can it guys, we're actually at work here?" Ace said, rolling his eyes. He handed Tyr an earpiece. "You're near the double doors. Keep in touch."

Tyr slipped the device into his ear as he moved to his position. The spot offered a wide range of view, and he had a good view of the stage as well. The large meeting hall was lined with pillars, and rectangular tables were lined up along the sides, bearing refreshments and drinks. The little smile that Luna gave him let him know she could see him. "Jeez, these bigwigs have some muscle watching them," He heard Ace's voice mutter through the earpiece.

"Rich people like to be safe," Flash said sagely.

"Funny we only have four guards watching our Princesses," Night murmured.

"Hey, Lady Celestia said she doesn't think she needs such a large contingent of guards," Ace said. "We follow her orders."

"But four is such a low number…"

"Well, there's plenty of other guards around here to compensate," Flash said.

Tyr was hardly listening to Ace and Night bicker about the princess's safety. He had fallen into 'work mode', and was busy analyzing each face in the crowd. Didn't seem to be much to worry about at the moment, so he leaned against the wall as Celestia got up to address the crowd. Guess he might as well get comfortable. Celestia was explaining the situation of the Equestrians, pointing out the hardships that many of them had to go through to acclimate to the world they now lived in. She also was planning to accept questions. Tyr was half listening, half resisting the urge to check his phone.

"Movement." Ace said, catching his attention. He quickly scanned around, spotting the man in question. He was moving quickly, and Tyr locked him in his sights. Then the man paused beside someone else before sitting down.

"No joy," He said quietly, using the slang for no target. "Jumpy, Ace?"

"Not particularly. I'd just rather not have any surprises."

"I feel you on that," Flash muttered.

As the presentation hit a question and answer period, Tyr felt a strange sensation. As a well-dressed man stood up to ask a question, the mark on his back began to burn sharply. The thought came almost as if someone had whispered into his ear.

Luna is in danger.

"Movement, all around!" Night hissed, and Tyr realized that a simple guard job was about to become a lot more complicated. A single gunshot rang out, and suddenly the room was in chaos. People were jumping up, rushing for the nearest door, and screaming in fright. Suddenly buffeted by the startled crowd trying to escape, Tyr couldn't immediately see the shooter. The crowd parted slightly, and he could spot the gunman, leveling his weapon at the stage.

"The Scarecrows send their regards," He snarled, aiming at Celestia. The tall woman was so caught off guard that she still hadn't moved. She was staring at the gunman with a mixture of shock and confusion. The short barreled revolver in the man's hand cycled chambers.

"Princess!" Ace cried, rushing the stage. Night came in from the alternate side, bee lining towards Luna. Flash was moving towards the gunman, drawing his own weapon as he fought through the crowd. None of them would be quick enough.

Another shot. Luna felt her stomach lurch. "Sister!" She cried, but it wasn't Celestia who had been hit. The gunman's wrist had almost literally exploded, Tyr's single shot taking his hand off with terrifying precision. "By the night," She whispered in shock as the man screamed in agony. Night barreled into her then, pushing her to the ground. Ace dragged Celestia to safety, as several more men with pistols emerged from the crowd.

Tyr ducked behind a pillar as the first few shots pinged around him. Glancing over, he spotted Ace and Night ushering the princesses to safety. Good, he thought to himself. He was glad he had lined up that disarming shot when he did. "Six shooters," He murmured.

"They're spread out," Flash grunted, taking cover himself. He popped out for a moment, firing a few shots that convinced their opponents to take cover.

The door behind Tyr burst open suddenly. He whirled, finding himself face to face with the barrel of a pistol. He tossed himself down, firing up at the man as bullets impacted the pillar where his head had just been. His first shot tore through the man's knee, causing him to fall. His second shot punched through his chest as he fell to the floor. "Where the hell is the rest of security!?"

"Locked out," He heard Ace said. "They've got the doors booby trapped. There're men down out here."

Tyr peeked out, only to have bullets sing past him. He slammed back against the pillar. He fired blindly around the cover, hoping to get a lucky hit. No such luck, however. His gun clinked empty, and he swiftly dropped the empty magazine to slide in a new one. As he did so, a Scarecrow leapt the table nearest to him, gun raised to fire. Tyr jumped up as quickly as he could, slamming his shoulder into the man and forcing the gun past him as it fired. Tyr clamped his hand on the man's wrist, and they struggled for control over the weapon.

"Tyr!" Flash cried out, jumping out of cover to help his friend. He was harried by fire from the other side of the hall, and he dropped down, kicking over a table for cover. "Augh! I'm pinned down here!"

"We're coming back in!" Night growled over the earpiece.

"No, protect the princesses! We'll be fine!"

Tyr heaved and flipped the Scarecrow over his shoulder. The man impacted the ground at an awkward angle, cracking his neck loudly. "Kill them already!" One of the other gunmen yelled, and Tyr felt a bullet nearly graze his neck, and a second tore his earpiece from his ear. He spun, kicking a chair to slide across the smooth floor. The chair caught a rushing Scarecrow mid run, making him stumble and become an easy target for a pair of shots from Tyr. His buddy fired back, but Tyr rolled aside, switching sides with the pillar and putting the man down with a single shot to the chest. He snatched up the fallen man's pistol as he dived back into cover.

Flash popped up, firing his own gun at the Scarecrows. He dropped one, and the rest scattered for cover while firing back a few shots themselves. One lucky shot caught Flash in the side. He grunted in surprise, falling back to the floor. "I'm hit," He said, clutching his wound.

Tyr sprinted over, dodging shots as he slid beside his friend. "I got you," He said, pulling Flash to a safer position.

"How bad is it?"

He looked at the wound, which was leaking blood. It looked worse that it was, though. "You'll live."

The Scarecrows were staying hidden again, and Tyr could see them waiting on him to make a mistake. Taking the gun he had picked up, he let the magazine drop clear. It hit the floor with a loud thud. As if on cue, the last two Scarecrows rushed him. He leapt out of cover and slammed his pistol into the throat of the leading man. As he staggered, Tyr grabbed him smoothly, turned him around, and pulled the man into the way of the shots from his partner. The Scarecrow's body absorbed the shots as Tyr put a bullet in the last man's head. He dropped his human shield as he let out a deep breath. As he was doing just that, one last shot rang out. He whirled, only to find a last Scarecrow behind him, knife in hand, with a bullet hole in his chest. He dropped dead at Tyr's feet, revealing Flash with his pistol in hand. The wounded guard grinned. "You miscounted."

Tyr slowly slipped out of combat mode. "…I did say there were only six shooters."

"Fair enough," Flash chuckled. Tyr went over and helped him up, hooking Flash's good arm over his shoulders. He supported him as they went outside. It was chaos outside still. People were still panicking, and it seemed like there had been a gunfight out here as well. Police and medical personnel had arrived, and it seemed like the situation was under some kind of control. Tyr helped Flash over to an ambulance, finding Ace already there, his shoulder bandaged.

"What happened?" Tyr asked.

"We got ambushed outside," Ace said. "I got hit almost immediately. Lucky for us, the security guards were actually on the ball and helped us. Police rolled up a little bit ago."

A medic came over to see to Flash's wound. "Tyr!" Tyr turned just as Luna ran into him, embracing him tightly. "Oh, thank goodness you are alright," She murmured into his chest.

Sometime ago, Tyr's mark had stopped burning. "I'm glad you're safe, princess."

"Night kept me safe," She said. She blushed slightly. "…Although he did overstep his bounds a bit."

"Huh?"

"It is nothing; I have reminded him of his position."

Tyr sighed and rested his head on top of hers. "Right…"

"Come on guys," Flash chuckled. "Not fair. I don't have my girlfriend here to comfort me."

"Flash!" Suddenly, Twilight appeared, rushing over. She hugged her boyfriend tightly. "I saw what was happening on the news and when they said there was shooting I came here as quick as I could because I was scared that—"

"Twi! Babe, please, let go!" Flash groaned.

"Oh no you've been shot!"

"Yes, and you're squeezing my wound!"

"Oh, sorry!" She let him go.

"Heh. It's not really all that bad." Flash seemed happy his girlfriend was fawning all over him. "Just a flesh wound, so they say."

"How cute," Tyr said, with a soft chuckle. His laughter cut short as Celestia approached. "…Celestia." He noticed Night at her side. He was pleasantly amused to see that one cheek was a light shade of red.

"Tyr." Celestia said his name with a measure of fondness. "It seems I owe you my life. If you had not disarmed that man…"

"I acted automatically," Tyr admitted. "I felt that Luna was in danger."

"Lady Celestia was the target," Night snapped.

"We were both in danger," Luna corrected. "If they had killed my sister, who would have been the next target?"

"I… well… you are right, Princess."

Celestia smiled. "Thank you for your quick action, Tyr."

"And thanks for dragging me out of there," Flash said with a grin. "Sorry for bleeding all over you."

Tyr glanced down at his shirt. It was splattered with blood. "Nah, it's fine. I can always wash the thing."

"I believe this is the end of this occasion," Celestia said with a sigh. For a moment, Tyr could have sworn she looked extremely weary. She smiled over at him. "Tyr. You will see my sister home?"

"Of course." He nodded. He glanced back at Flash.

"I'm fine," He said with a wave of his hand. "I got Twi to look after me now."

Twilight blushed. "Thanks for getting my boyfriend's idiot self out alive, Tyr."

"That's what friends are for," Tyr said. "Come on Luna. Let's get home."

"Gladly," Luna said, leaning up to kiss him.

"Tell me if they have to cut his arm off," Tyr told Twilight. All the color drained out of her face.

"You said it wasn't that bad!" She cried, turning to her boyfriend.

"It isn't! Tyr, you bastard—hey! Come back!"

Tyr grinned as he pulled Luna behind him on his bike. "See ya!"

-x-

"You were shot at? Again?" Nanna asked. They had seen what had happened on the news, but not the gunfight that had erupted inside the hall itself.

"Our brother is a bullet magnet," Freyja declared.

Sif went over and poked Tyr with a fork. "Nuh uh! Big brother isn't a magnet!"

Tyr couldn't do anything but pat his adorable sister's head. "What were they after?" Nanna asked.

"Some group called the Scarecrows were trying to kill Celestia," Tyr said. "Luna was in the crossfire, and I acted.

"Well!" Nanna smiled softly, knowing her brother was still partially in work mode. "Sif, Freyja, come on. We need to get our stuff together for the drive home."

"I wanna stay longer!" Sif whined.

"We can always visit some other time. Come on."

Sif begrudgingly followed after her older sister. Freyja lingered a moment. "Hey. Tyr."

"Yeah?" Tyr looked over at her.

"…Be careful." She blushed slightly and looked away. "We only have one brother."

Tyr smiled. "Of course."

She went upstairs, leaving Tyr and Luna alone in the kitchen. Tyr let out a deep breath and pulled off his holster, setting the pistol aside. He slid the clip out, released the bullet in the chamber, and made sure the safety was on before putting it away. "Well, getting shot at was the last thing I expected to happen today," He murmured.

"You were quite heroic," Luna said, moving over to stand beside him. She slipped her arms around his waist. "I was so scared when that man pointed a gun at my sister, but you acted so calm."

Tyr smiled and turned to face her. "To be honest, I was in work mode. When I noticed my Mark was burning…"

"Burning?"

"Like someone stuck something hot to my back. And I just kind of knew that you were in danger."

"Then it seems my hero was able to save me in time."

Tyr kissed her, pulling her even tighter into him. Her lips were always soft, and always willing to accept his affection. Her arms left his waist to wrap around his neck as he lifted her up. He was almost cradling her in his arms when they broke the kiss. "I love you, Luna."

"And I love you," Luna said, stroking his face with one hand. "Do not ever forget it."

"Of course, princess."

"And on another note… Would you please set me down?"

"Oh. Sorry." He set her down. She giggled softly.

"You should get some rest, beloved. You have had a long day."

"Will you be joining me?"

"Of course."

-x-x-

Waking up to Luna had to have been the most comforting and normal thing Tyr had in his life. Constantly seeing her every day was… just amazing. He loved every inch of her, and watching those few minutes of sleep before she woke up was one of his favorite things to do. However, something else was curled up on his other side this morning, and it wasn't Sherry.

"Chrysalis?"

Chrys stirred, eyes opening. "…I didn't want to wake you," She murmured softly.

"That's okay. How are you?"

"Mm." She sat up slowly, careful to not wake Luna. "Am I going to Rarity's today?"

"If you want."

"I would like to. I do want to get out of the house."

"Go ahead and head downstairs. We can go later."

Chrys nodded and left the room. Tyr smiled. The girl meant well, but dealing with people who didn't trust her wasn't helping. Oh well. This makeover session with Rarity might help. "Luna," He said softly, shaking his girlfriend to wake her. She yawned and sat up.

"What is it, Tyr?" She asked cutely, rubbing at her eyes.

"Well, aside from the fact that I really do love the cute way you wake up… I have to take Chrys by Rarity's today."

"Oh, that's right. Should I get dressed as well?"

"Only if you want to go with me." Tyr thought about it for a moment. "Actually… Do you want to go somewhere today? I mean, just to get our minds off of yesterday."

"Go somewhere?" Luna looked surprised.

"Yeah. Like out to a movie or something, get dinner… that sort of thing."

"Is this… a date?"

"Uh…" Tyr then realized he had never actually taken Luna out on a date. "Well… yeah."

"I… I believe I should go with you to Rarity's."

"Why?"

Luna blushed. "I think I need a new dress."

-x-

Rarity was almost as excited as Pinkie when Tyr showed up with Chrys and Luna. "Oh my! I didn't expect you to come along, Luna!"

"I had a separate request," Luna explained as Rarity let them into the boutique. It was a lot brighter inside than the last time he had come by, Tyr noticed.

"Well, anything I can do to help, darling." She went over to the bottom of the stairs. "Pinkie-winkle!" She called.

"Coming~!" A singsong voice called back, and then Pinkie came bouncing down the steps. "Oh, hi everyone!"

"Pinkie-winkle?" Tyr asked, raising an eyebrow. For once Rarity blushed.

"Can I not have a cute nickname for my ray of sunshine?" She asked.

"Aw, Rare-bear!" Pinkie embraced her girlfriend.

"Anyway…" Tyr said, hoping to get the conversation on track. "Are you ready for Chrys?"

"Well, I'm always available for a friend," Rarity said, glancing at Chrys.

Chrys lowered her gaze. "Please… Rarity."

"Oh, uh… of course dear. And what did you need, Luna?"

"Tyr and I were planning to go on a date while Chrys was here, so we—"

Rarity and Pinkie squealed with glee. It was moments like these he could see why the seamstress and the party animal were alike. "I take it you need a dress?" Rarity asked eagerly.

Luna looked taken aback. "I… yes, I do."

"Then come with me!" Rarity took Luna's arm and took her into the boutique's dressing room. Pinkie began pushing Chrys upstairs.

"I'll be dealing with you, Missy!"

"Wait, what?" Chrys looked scared for a moment. "Tyr!"

"You'll be okay, Chrys. Promise."

She still looked worried as Pinkie herded her upstairs. Rarity peeked out of the dressing room. "Tyr, darling, do you need anything?"

"Uh… I'll run home and change." Tyr didn't want to fall prey to Rarity's… elegant designs, so he quickly excused himself and ran home. He was going on a date. With Luna, Princess of the Night and the cutest girl he knew. He must have had a wide smile on his face as he got home because Sherry noticed immediately. "Something made you happy. What was it?"

"It's nothing," He said with a small laugh.

"Nuh uh! You don't usually have such a big smile on your face." She smiled. "Did something nice happen with Luna?"

"Ok fine. We're going on a date."

"Ooh! Then, where's Luna?"

"At Rarity's. She wanted a dress to wear."

"Aw, how cute. Are you going to change too?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, hurry up! Don't keep your lady waiting!"

Tyr playfully ruffled her hair before running upstairs. First, he made a quick call to the restaurant to make reservations. Then he looked over himself in the mirror. He was surprised to find himself so eager to look good for his date. So how was he supposed to do this? Not too formal, but not too casual… "Jeez, I feel like prom night all over again… minus the whole sister sleeping with my date bit."

He finally settled on a dress shirt with black slacks, but didn't get a tie or anything. He pulled out his favorite jacket and slipped it on. "Looks good. I guess. Ugh, I hope Rarity isn't overdoing it…" He headed downstairs.

"Hold on," Sherry jumped up and went over to him. She motioned for him to lean over so she could fix his collar. "Have fun, okay?"

"Don't do anything crazy while I'm gone, okay?"

"You're okay leaving me here alone?"

Tyr smiled and patted her head. "You're mature enough to handle it, right? Just call AJ or Twilight if anything happens."

"Okay!"

Tyr hopped back on his bike and drove back to Carousel Boutique. He walked inside. "Hey… I'm back!" He called out.

"Ah! Tyr! Just in time!" Rarity came out, a wide smile on your face. "Ready to see her?"

Tyr rolled his eyes. "Rarity, seriously."

"Okay, okay. Come on out, Luna!"

Tyr had seen a lot of surprising things in his life, but he was not prepared for this. Luna emerged from the dressing room with a lavender dress decorated with white tracings of snowflakes. It fell below her knees, and was accompanied by a white scarf with lavender streaks in it. Rarity had even done her hair, putting it into a high ponytail with only a few strands left to frame her face. Even tied up, Luna's hair was quite long, still almost falling to the middle of her back. Tyr was even sure Rarity had applied makeup. "…Wow."

"How do I look?" Luna asked, turning slowly.

"You look amazing, as usual," Tyr mumbled dumbly. Luna blushed deeply.

"Tyr!" Chrys came running back downstairs, her head wrapped up in a towel. She rushed over to her friend. "You have to help me!"

"What? What's wrong?"

"Pinkie is insane!"

Pinkie came downstairs too. "Hey, I'm not insane!"

Chrys hid behind Tyr, glaring daggers as the pink girl. Rarity sighed. "Pinkie-winkle, I'll handle Chrys now. Shouldn't you be getting back to the bakery?"

"Oh, oh! You're right! I gotta go!" With a quick peck on Rarity's cheek, Pinkie rushed outside. The seamstress chuckled to herself.

"Honestly, she'd forget her own hands if I didn't remind her…"

"Chrys," Tyr said, "Rarity will be taking care of you now. Is that okay?"

"Only if she promises not to hurt me," Chrys said, shooting a glare at Rarity.

Rarity smiled. "I would never dream of it!"

Chrys seemed to think on that for a moment. She looked up at Tyr. "…You will come back, right?"

"Of course," He grinned. "I promise."

Her eyes bored into his, viridian meeting Tyr's unusual silver. "…Very well." She reluctantly went over to Rarity.

"You two enjoy your date!" Rarity called after them.

Luna blushed as Tyr simply sighed and led her outside. It was chilly, and he noticed his princess was rubbing her arms. "Cold?"

"Mm. Perhaps Rarity has a jacket that—"

Tyr had already taken off his own jacket and put it around her shoulders. "Better?"

She pulled it close around her, feeling his warmth, smelling that particular scent that only belonged to him. It brought a smile to her face. "Yes, very," She managed to say, moving closer to him.

Tyr felt as though Luna was being even cuter than usual, and it made him feel a little nervous. What am I, a high schooler? He shook his head. "Well, let's go."

They decided to go to the movies first. Tyr let Luna pick out the movie, which surprisingly turned out to be a romance drama. Guess Rarity had some influence on that. It wasn't a bad movie he had to admit, and He noticed Luna clinging to his arm during most of the tense moments. Not that he minded. When the movie ended and they left the theatre, he caught her rubbing her eyes. "Enjoy it?"

"It was… touching," Luna admitted. "I felt as though I could feel the character's feelings for his love…"

"Well, movies are supposed to make you feel a sort of way, that's why they're made."

"I see. Well, whoever made that movie made sure to do just that."

They mounted Tyr's bike and headed off. He had selected quite a nice restaurant to take his beloved Luna, and hoped she'd enjoy it. When they pulled up, she seemed surprised. "This is where we're having dinner?" She asked.

"Yes, you know this place?"

"My sister told me she had a business dinner here before," Luna said. "She had quite enjoyed herself."

"And you haven't been here?"

"No, I have not. Have you?"

"Once before." He led her inside. The outside of the place had been elegant enough, but the inside was even more impressive. Luna couldn't help but look around in awe. Tyr went over to the hostess.

"Do you have a reservation, sir?" She asked curtly.

"I do," Tyr said. "It's under Hymir," Tyr said. The hostess searched for a minute; face lighting up as she found the name.

"Ah, here you are. Follow me, Mr. Hymir."

She showed them to their table, a two seater in a dimmer lit portion of the restaurant. The section they sat in was illuminated by candles, and it was simply a beautiful spot. "This is… so beautiful, Tyr," Luna murmured, looking around. "How did you find out about this place?"

"I know a lot of people," Tyr said with a smile. "So I take it you like it?"

"Like it? I love it." She smiled at him. "I'm truly amazed you'd go so far for me."

"You are my princess, after all."

Their server came over then. "May I take your orders?"

"Tea and Shrimp alfredo, if you please," Tyr said. He knew Equestrians didn't eat meat, but fish was an exception. At least it didn't bother them. Luna ordered a salad to start, and then after a moment of thought, ordered the same thing as Tyr. He raised an eyebrow as their waiter left. Luna blushed a little.

"I have never had it before," she explained sheepishly. "Fish was… a rarity in Equestria, although it was not taboo to eat it. Is it good?"

"Well, I at least know a few fish are pretty good if prepared correctly," Tyr offered. "But that's true of all food, right?"

"I suppose you are correct."

They lapsed into silence for a short while. Tyr felt himself tapping his foot. He was at a loss for what to say. Finally, Luna spoke up again. "...I'm sorry."

"Hm? For what?"

"For being terrible company." Luna lowered her gaze, fiddling with her napkin. "I have never been on a date, and I'm horrid at small talk, and I cannot think of anything to say." She blushed heavily.

Tyr smiled. She had felt as nervous as him. "Well, how about this; ask me anything you want to know about me."

Luna looked up at him, surprised. "Anything?"

He nodded. "If there's something I'm not comfortable talking about, I'll tell you. But if there's anything you want to know…"

"Hm…" Luna thought for a long minute. Their waiter returned with a few rolls and their tea. Tyr bit into one roll just as Luna figured out her first question. "…How many people have you killed?"

He had been expecting it, to be sure. After his display yesterday, it was obvious that this topic would come up. He swallowed slowly. "You sure you want to know?"

"Yes. I want to know."

"Very well," Tyr sighed. "At last count and not counting the men who I shot yesterday… forty-three."

Her eyes widened, as he knew they would. "…You've truly killed that many people?"

"Mmhm," Tyr said, taking a sip of his tea. It was a bit hot, but it tasted alright. "I was a sniper. If I was lucky, I never had to fire my gun at all. But there were times were I was forced to make decisions in an instant, and the lives of my teammates relied on me making the right decision."

"But… If you were a sniper, how do you know how to fight so well?" Luna looked confused. "I thought snipers were supposed to shoot from far away."

Call of Duty knowledge, Tyr realized with a chuckle. "I trained in close quarters combat in order to prevent someone from getting the upper hand on me if they got within arm's length. And there were times after I left the force that I needed those skills."

"Needed them?"

"…This town wasn't always quiet," Tyr said. "There used to be more gangs around."

"I see…"

"…Do you still think I'm a kind person?"

"Yes."

The answer was instantaneous and sincere, Luna's blue eyes boring into his. "You do? Even when you know I have blood on my hands?"

"Killing is never acceptable," Luna said, looking down at her napkin again. She paused a moment to retrieve a roll and cut into it. "Yet in some cases it is necessary. Do you regret killing them?"

"I wish I never had to kill them," Tyr replied honestly.

"You kill in order to protect others," Luna said, slowly buttering half of her roll. Tyr was slightly amused to see she used a lot of butter. "And that is something I can understand. And Tyr… I know how you feel. Everyone has things in their past they are ashamed of, I myself included."

Tyr wondered for a moment what she meant, but decided against asking. Their waiter returned with their food, and they broke off the conversation momentarily. "This looks quite delicious," Luna said, eyeing the dish with eagerness. Tyr smiled as she began to eat, watching her enjoyment sparkle in her eyes. "I love you," He said suddenly, as surprised by his own admittance as Luna was.

She stared at him in shock for a long moment before a small blush and smile crossed her face. "…I love you too, Tyr."

Tyr began to eat as well, and the two of them lapsed into silence while they ate, stealing little glances at each other as they did. It was a long time before either of them spoke, and it was Luna who took the initiative again. "…Your last name is Hymir?" She asked.

"Yeah. Tyr Hymir. It's an old Norse name meaning 'darkness' or 'twilight'."

"It has a nice flow to it."

"Well, I would hope so," Tyr said with a smile. Luna frowned at him. "What's the matter?"

"You have something on your face…" She picked up her napkin and reached out to wipe his face. He was so shocked at the familiarity of the act that he didn't resist as she gently stroked the side of his mouth. "…There."

"Um… thanks."

She giggled softly. "We should finish eating."

"Ah, right." He dug back in, savoring each bite as he did. Before long, both of their plates were empty, the waitress had brought by the check, and they were out of the restaurant. It was late in the evening, and snow was lightly falling. A perfect ending to a good day, Tyr thought. Luna again clung to his arm as they walked out.

"It is a truly beautiful night," Luna murmured.

"True enough, and I have the moon on my arm to enjoy it with me," Tyr teased.

Luna blushed, yet smiled. "You are such a wonderful man, Tyr. I am glad I fell in love with you. You make every moment so wonderful."

"I do my best," Tyr said honestly. "Having you around has brightened both my days… and my nights."

Luna blushed, causing Tyr to laugh. "D-do not laugh at me! You horrid man, teasing a proper lady!"

"Oh, a proper lady, hm? I refer you to the first night we spent together."

Luna blushed so deeply that Tyr thought for a moment she had turned completely red. "I am still embarrassed about that!" She squeaked into his arm.

"I figured as much." He laughed triumphantly.

"Actually…" Luna pulled her face away for a moment. "Tyr… after the Christmas party… do you remember what happened that night?"

Tyr froze. He had a vague idea of what happened. "I believe… we had sex."

Luna blushed even deeper. "…I should stay away from alcohol."

"…We both should. I rather prefer remembering the time I spend with my girlfriend."

"I can agree with that."

Tyr glanced at his watch. It was almost ten. "Jeez, it's this late?"

"We should get home, should we not?"

"Right." Tyr got onto his bike, Luna getting on behind him and wrapping her arms around his waist. She rested her head against his back, and they drove off. It was a quiet drive home, and once they got there Tyr was surprised to find his lover asleep against him. He smiled, lifted her onto his back, and carried her inside. As he laid her in bed, he remembered he had to go get Chrysalis. "Guess I got a lot of riding to do."

He rode over to the boutique, which he found still open. He went inside. "Hello…?"

No one answered immediately. He moved further inside, and then he heard voices. "Pinkie-winkle, stop that."

"But you like it, don't you Rare-bear?"

"Well, I can't argue with that, but…"

"Then let me do it!"

Tyr cleared his throat as loud as he could. He was rewarded with a gasp, a thud, and then the sound of rushing footsteps. A moment later, a disheveled Rarity was before him. "Tyr! Darling, what are you doing here?"

Tyr raised an eyebrow. "I came for Chrysalis. Luna and I were out a lot later than I thought."

"Chrysalis…? Darling, she thought you would be extremely late and said she would walk home. She wasn't there?"

Tyr felt his blood run cold. Chrys hadn't trusted him to get back that early? "…You didn't stop her?"

"I tried darling, but… Pinkie distracted me, and she must have slipped out." Rarity blinked. "Wait… you mean Chrysalis wasn't at your home?"

"Chrys hasn't been outside of my house since I found her on my doorstep," Tyr said harshly. "She doesn't know the way to my house!"

"Tyr…!" Tyr hadn't realized he had grown towards a yell until he saw the look on Rarity's face. He blinked a few times, backing up.

"…Sorry," He mumbled.

"No… I… I quite understand. I should have convinced her to wait, or… or something."

"She still doesn't trust us," Tyr murmured sadly. Then, he realized something. "Well. If she won't trust us, I'll make her trust me."

"What?"

"I'm going to go find her."

He made for the door, but Rarity stopped him. "Hold a moment, darling."

"What is it?" He turned back around to find a fur lined coat being offered to him. "Rarity… I couldn't."

"Take it! Find Chrys and make sure she's safe. I don't want you freezing out there yourself."

She had used Chrysalis's new nickname, he noticed. Tyr took the offered coat and put it on. It was extremely warm, as if he was wearing a personal heater. "Thanks Rarity. I'll text you when I find her!"

He rushed out into the cold. He could feel every part of his body protest at the sudden exposure to the elements, but the jacket Rarity lent him insulated him well. There was no indication of which way she had gone, since a new layer of snow had likely set in by now. Even in March, this area was still feeling the grip of winter. Gritting his teeth and steeling his resolve, he drove off into the snow.