Another day, another Chapter. Thank you, my dear readers, for your continued support. Each comment you leave gives me another boost to keep writing. I hope you continue to read my work, just as much as you want me to continue. The Library is happy.

Chapter 22: Her Royal Knights

It was probably the most impressive way to wake up, Tyr thought as he slowly stirred from his slumber. He was lying on a massive mattress, teleported in to the castle's largest bedroom courtesy of Celestia. Thanks to Twilight, they also had a number of blankets for warmth. However it wasn't that that made it so impressive. Tyr had woken up in between Luna and Chrys, both girls curled up beside him. Sherry was lying on top of him, quietly sleeping with her head atop his chest. Snow was wedged in between him and Chrys, finding probably the warmest place in the little formation. No doubt they were all tired from yesterday's events, so Tyr didn't move for a while. After watching his princess and Changeling sleep for a few minutes, he finally felt the need to move. As if she could tell, Chrys's eyes opened. "…Morning, Master," She said quietly. Smiling softly, Tyr gently moved his arm to stroke Chrys's hair.

"Morning, Chrys. How are you feeling?"

Chrys didn't answer right away, instead cuddling up next to him a little more. "…Loved."

Tyr couldn't help but smile. "Of course you're loved, Chrys."

"So say it to me."

"Say…?"

"Tell me that you love me."

Tyr chuckled softly. "I love you, Chrys."

The blush ran down Chrys's cheeks almost as soon as he said it. She pushed her face into his arms. "…I love… I love you too, Master."

"Isn't that cute." Luna was awake now, her cerulean eyes full of laughter.

"S-silence," Chrys said, still embarrassed. "I just wanted to know how it felt."

"Well, I do not dislike you for it. Tyr is a wonderful person, and we are truly blessed to be his family."

Chrys sat up quickly, surprise on her face. Sherry grumbled a bit at the covers being tossed off of her, and pulled them back over her. "You two… accept me as family?"

Tyr nodded. "To me, you're family, Chrys. You, Luna and Sherry are important to me. I would be destroyed if I lost any of you."

"You've proven that you worry about us just as much as we worry about you," Luna added. "I can honestly say that I value your presence."

Snow, woken up by his owner's movement, meowed cutely, climbing into Chrys's lap. "He must be hungry," Chrys murmured.

"I believe we're all hungry," Tyr said with a laugh, as Luna's stomach growled. The midnight princess blushed.

"So what shall we do for food?" Luna asked. "I don't believe we have any here…"

Tyr's phone beeped, signaling a text message. He picked it up and quickly read off the text. A look of surprise crossed his face. "Well then. That was unexpected."

"What is it?"

"We've been invited for breakfast down at Sweet Apple Acres."

Chrys raised an eyebrow. "Applejack and her family?"

Tyr nodded. "According to this text, all the others will be there too, minus Rainbow of course. She's in the hospital with a broken wing."

"Poor girl," Luna murmured. "Was she the only one injured?"

"Well, no. She was the most seriously injured, however. Everyone else got away with simple scratches and bruises."

"Well, now she can spend more time with her beloved fiancé," Chrys muttered.

Tyr chuckled. "Come on, let's just get ready to go. From what we saw last night, at least the bathrooms have showers."

-x-

"About time y'all showed up," Applejack said as the four of them arrived. Luckily for Tyr, his truck had been parked on the street and the house had not collapsed on it so they had a quick ride over to the farm. Applejack grinned as they got out of the car. "How're y'all doing?"

"We all slept together last night," Chrys murmured, more focused on keeping Snow in her hands. The little kitten wanted to go wandering off into the Apple home.

"Y'all… slept together?" AJ blinked. "Even Sherry?"

"We only had one mattress," Tyr said, realizing that Chrys hadn't really watched what she had said. "It was better than one of us sleeping on the floor."

"…oh. Oh! Right then."

"Such a dirty mind," Chrys said teasingly. Tyr frowned. He had been wrong; his Changeling had known exactly what she had said. AJ shot her a glare.

"Shut up."

"Let's just go inside," Tyr said with a chuckle. With a chorus of agreements, they entered the Apple home. It was quite lively inside, as Pinkie was busy retelling the story of how she, Applejack and Rarity had defeated the Rubrik bull. "And then, just when we had gotten rid of the bull, a big rock gorilla shows up!"

"Oh my," Fluttershy said softly. "That must have been scary."

"It was absolutely dreadful, darling," Rarity said. "It was absolutely the most dreadfully designed thing ever!"

"Well, we had to deal with an Elephant," Twilight said. "It's the reason Rainbow Dash got hurt so badly."

"I think we were just lucky Fluttershy scared it off with that Stare of hers," Flash said.

"Flutters used the stare on that varmint?" Applejack asked, sitting down beside the shy girl in question. Tyr and Luna took seats beside Celestia, while Chrys sat in a chair near the kitchen. Sherry went upstairs to go play with her friends.

"Yeah. It just turned around and ran off. I couldn't believe it."

"Well…" Twilight chuckled. "We've seen the Stare in action. It's not too surprising."

"Have you heard of how serious the damage was?" Tyr asked, looking to Celestia. The princess of the sun bit her lip before answering.

"The majority of the casualties were simply injuries, but there were several fatal wounds." She thought for a moment. "However, although there were a few human deaths, the majority were Equestrian. As far as I was told, the human police force focused on protecting the humans first."

"What kind of crap is that?" Applejack huffed. "They didn't even bother to help out the other half of the town?"

"According to the reports…"

"The prejudice the humans feel towards us is unwarranted," Luna said, frowning. "We have done nothing to deserve such treatment."

"Oh really?" Chrys frowned. "Then what do you call the little 'accident' you had when Tyr was hurt?"

Luna opened her mouth to reply, but closed her mouth instantly. She had gone a bit uncontrollable that night, and it still brought shivers down her spine when she remembered. And the voice that had spoken to her afterwards still haunted her dreams. "Accident?" Tyr asked.

The room fell silent. No one had told Tyr what had happened after he had lost consciousness. Chrysalis looked surprised. "No one… no one told you?"

"I'd like to know what happened." Tyr frowned.

More silence. Even Celestia didn't know what to say. "Well… Tyr…"

"Beloved…" Luna murmured, not sure if she wanted to tell him. However, her hesitation only served to frustrate him a little.

"Chrysalis," Tyr said suddenly, looking over at his Changeling. His tone made her sit up at attention. "Tell me what happened."

Chrys nodded quickly. "As you wish, Master."

Before anyone could say anything, Chrys had jumped into a detailed retelling of what had happened when Tyr had lost consciousness. Throughout the story, Luna grew more and more uncomfortable, keeping her eyes averted from her beloved. She tried her best to make herself seem small. It didn't take long before Chrys finished. The room was silent for a while, before Tyr spoke again. "…Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"We uh…" Applejack scratched at her neck. "We weren't sure if we wanted to tell ya, sugarcube…"

"We thought it wasn't our place to tell," Twilight said.

Tyr turned his gaze to Luna. "Moony… why didn't you tell me?"

"I…" Luna searched for words, but failed to find any. "I didn't want you to be afraid of me, beloved… That I would think I was some sort of… monster…"

Tyr sighed. "To most human beings, all of you guys are monsters," He said slowly. Everyone in the room gasped, Luna looking hurt.

"Tyr!" Celestia said, shocked.

"How could you—?" Rarity began, but Tyr held up a hand.

"I probably should change the way I lead off on that sort of thing," He said with a chuckle. "Before you all decide to blow up on me, listen. To most human beings, you guys are monsters, but that's only because you have stuff like wings and magic. And Pinkie."

"That's me!" Pinkie said with a giggle.

"But to me, you guys are just my friends. Not only that, but really my only friends. And Luna is the girl of my dreams. I'd never hate her. I was only upset because no one told me anything."

"So… You aren't upset with me?" Luna asked, a little worry in her voice. Tyr responded by gently resting his hand on her head.

"Of course not. Jeez, you weren't kidding about having no experience with relationships, huh?"

"S-stop teasing me!"

"Well, as far as I can remember, Lulu never fancied anyone," Celestia said thoughtfully. "I suppose she was… a virgin in more ways than one."

Luna's mouth fell open as she blushed heavily. "Tia! Why would you say such a thing!"

"Well, it's true, isn't it?"

"Wait, you mean to tell me Princess Luna never dated anyone?" Rarity asked, shocked. "I would have thought suitors would be chomping at the bit for a chance at a Princess!"

"They were," Celestia said, chuckling. "But Lulu never gave them the time of day."

"I was not looking for anyone who simply wanted me for my position," Luna explained.

"You still could have had a date or two."

"I was not looking for 'sex-friends', dear sister."

"W-what!?"

"Oh my," Fluttershy had turned extremely red.

Flash chuckled. "Ace and Dash are going to be so mad they missed this…"

Celestia huffed, pouting cutely. "Now listen here, little sister. Just because I enjoyed the little escapes from our royal lives doesn't mean you can make fun of me for them. At least I actually bothered to go out."

"I went out!" Luna protested.

"Yes, to get books."

"I would always take strolls during the night."

"Yes, in people's dreams."

"Luna tried to come visit in Ponyville sometimes," Fluttershy offered.

"Well, Princess Celestia did come by a lot more often," Applejack countered.

"I could not help that!" Luna protested. "I always slept during the day. And at night, everyone was asleep!"

"Alright, alright, that's enough girls," Tyr said, pulling Luna into a one armed embrace. "Enough teasing."

"She started it!" Luna whined.

"Oh, stop being so adorable," Tyr kissed her cheek, finally getting a giggle out of his princess. Celestia simply smiled and shook her head.

"Food's on," Big Mac said, peeking his head into the room. That singular statement almost got the large man bowled over by half a dozen hungry people as they forced their way into the kitchen. Before long, the entirety of the crowd of people had managed to get food, and were happily eating and talking. As the only one not eating, Chrys contented herself with watching Snow fall over in the plate of milk they had gotten for him. She laughed softly and pulled him out. The little cat blinked and pawed at its face to get the milk off. As she kept one eye on Snow, Chrys spared a slight glance at her Master and Luna. Luna was staying close to her boyfriend, even more so than usual. Although she was avoiding bringing up her pregnancy… Oh well. She would rather not have strange dreams tonight.

Luna caught Chrys's look, and immediately knew what it was for. Celestia was also watching her intently, but Luna was pointedly avoiding her gaze. She didn't want Tia to point anything out or simply try to help her; for this is something she had to do alone. But when? That was the main issue… She shook her head ever so slightly and changed her focus to listen in on the conversation being had. Flash was saying something about the guard situation for her and Celestia, and Tyr seemed a bit confused. "So Luna is getting another guard?" He asked.

"I am?" Luna frowned.

"Sort of," Flash said. "Ace and I were considering getting another just for public appearances. Just the one."

"So what about more guards overall?" Twilight asked.

"We lost quite a few yesterday. So we have quite a few applicants to go through today."

"Today?"

"Ace is out of the hospital, although if Song and I didn't convince him otherwise, he would have tried to stay there."

Tyr chuckled. "I figured as much."

"On top of that…" Flash frowned. "I don't think you guys will be happy about this, but…"

"What is it, Darling?" Rarity asked.

"…Rainbow Dash wanted to join the Guard."

"What!?"

"Dashie did?" Fluttershy sounded horrified.

"Okay, now I know she's trying to go too fast!" Twilight said, standing up. "First the engagement with Ace, and now she wants to put her life in danger?"

"Actually," Fluttershy murmured softly, "Dashie did say she was thinking about joining the guard before…"

"That true, sugar?" AJ asked, raising an eyebrow. "I don't think someone like Rainbow Dash could do well with… uh.. authority."

"Considering her fiancé is the captain of the guard, maybe that would change," Celestia said helpfully. "I myself do not see anything wrong with allowing the Element of Loyalty becoming one of my guards."

Twilight gaped. "But Princess…!"

"If she wishes to join, then let her," Luna said, frowning slightly. "If she cannot handle the pressure, she will give in. Do not deny her at least a chance."

"Well… I do suppose that's fair…" Rarity murmured.

"Aren't you the forceful one," Tyr said with a chuckle.

"Well, Luna was in charge of the Equestrian Military during times of war or the like," Celestia said.

"That's kinda surprising."

"Well, we hardly ever had to fight a war," Luna said, a little disappointed. "Although in essence, it was still good we were never pushed to that extreme."

"Hm… 'If you desire peace, prepare for war,'" Tyr quoted.

"What was that?" Twilight asked.

"It's a quote, from someone I don't remember. It essentially means that if you want to ensure peace, you have to be willing and able to fight for it at a moment's notice."

"Well, that seems hypocritical," Rarity murmured.

"No, it makes perfect sense," Luna said thoughtfully. "If we are not prepared to defend our peace, then we do not deserve to have it. Tyr has a point."

"Then I suppose it is good we have people like Tyr and Flash to defend it for us," Rarity said. "I would so detest being in a war."

"You'd probably complain about getting dirty the whole time," Applejack said with a chuckle.

"Well, it would be a legitimate complaint!"

While Applejack and Rarity argued, Flash turned to Tyr. "So, Ace and I was going to run the new recruits through an improvised training session. Mind helping us out?"

Tyr shrugged. "Sure, I don't mind."

"I suppose that works out," Celestia said with a small smile. "I wanted to spend some time with my younger sister."

"Then that works out," Luna murmured. "Although I would like to see them train…"

"It won't be anything too exciting," Flash promised.

"…Very well then."

"Great! Finish up and we'll go meet Ace."

-x-

"I know this place," Tyr said as they approached the airsoft field. He, Flash and Chrys entered, noticing that there were few people loitering around like usual. Waiting for them at the front doors were Ace, Dash and Scootaloo.

"They let you out already?" Flash asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Sorta," Dash told him. "Since it was only my wing that was broken, they let me out since I promised to not use it."

"And I wasn't about to be left alone in that hospital room," Scootaloo said defiantly.

"I guess I was wrong, you guys will make the perfect little family," Flash said with a roll of his eyes. "Let's head on in."

"I was kinda surprised to see you here," Dash said, glancing at Tyr. "You're not spending the day with Luna?"

"She's with Celestia. And I am a Royal Guard myself, you know." Tyr reminded her.

"Fair enough."

"We've got the whole place to ourselves today," Ace said, glancing back at them. "I managed to convince the guys in charge to provide us with gear and stuff too."

"I'm guessing you come by here often," Tyr said.

"Yeah, I do. I quite enjoy it."

"So how many are you guys expecting?"

"At least twenty."

Tyr glanced over at Chrys. His Changeling had not wanted to be too far from him, even deciding to leave Snow behind with Sherry. She was looking at the assorted airsoft guns aligned on the walls. "…Do you think any of them would recognize a Changeling on sight?"

Everyone paused for a moment. "You worried they might try and attack her?" Dash asked. It was obvious the worry in her tone, as even she still didn't completely trust the Changeling. However out of respect for Tyr, she wouldn't say anything.

Tyr nodded. "I'd rather prevent any problems before they arise."

"Good point," Ace said. "Only the ones who were in Canterlot would know."

"That's about half of them," Flash said.

"Chrys," Tyr called her name to get her attention. "As much as I prefer you in your normal look, do you mind?"

Chrys smiled softly before changing her appearance to that of a slender, black haired woman with gold eyes. "Will this suffice?"

"No blonde?"

"I thought you didn't like blondes?" She purred.

"Cute. Don't start getting hit on."

"Oh, never, Master." She giggled. "You know my heart only belongs to you."

They came out onto the field, Scootaloo coughing slightly as they kicked up a little dust. The airsoft field was made to look like an urban environment, with fabricated buildings making it reminiscent to a small city. Tyr found himself finding sightlines and drawing imaginary lines of fire even before they were even on the field. He was so preoccupied with his logistics that he almost missed the small crowd of people standing off to one side, milling about across from a table full of various airsoft weapons. As Ace and the group approached, they all turned. Tyr was mildly surprised to see exactly twenty people standing around. He was more surprised to see Heart Song in her wheelchair a short distance away. She was busy painting at an easel, but gave him a small smile in greeting once she saw him. Tyr nodded back. "Alright, applicants, at attention," Flash snapped, striding up in front of the group. The twenty Equestrian men and women formed up into two lines of ten.

"Aw, you messed up my painting," Beat muttered sadly.

"Hi," Chrys went over to the disabled girl. "I don't think we've met. I'm Crystal."

"Oh, hello. I'm Heart Song, Ace's sister. Most people call me Beat." Beat smiled. "Nice to meet you Crystal. How do you know Tyr?"

"He's…" Chrys glanced over at Tyr. "He's a close friend. He opened his home to me when I had nowhere to go."

"He does seem like a kind person."

"I was wondering… if you didn't have anything to paint, you could paint me."

"That's actually a good idea! We should move away from them so my brother and his best friend don't mess it up."

"Sorry sis," Ace said with a slight laugh. He turned back towards the group. "Seems we have a decent turn out, huh Flash?"

"I suppose you could say so," Flash said. "Depends on how many actually decide they can hack it."

"Don't forget about me," Dash said, joining the ranks. She grinned at Ace. "I told you I was serious."

"I didn't doubt it."

"I'd like to ask a question," One of the other applicants said, a tall, muscular man with short dark blue hair. He frowned over at Tyr. "Why is there a Human here?"

"Prejudice like that'll get you killed," Tyr pointed out flatly. The Equestrian scowled.

"Is that a threat?"

"A warning you should probably take," Flash said with a frown. "…Storm Driver, right? You're looking at the guy who took off a man's hand through a panicking crowd with one shot."

"That was you?" A surprised voice said. Tyr glanced over to find Saving Grace in the group, shock on her face. Tyr blinked a bit as he recognized the girl. "They said if it wasn't for you, Princess Celestia might have…"

"Well, it didn't," Flash said, cutting her off.

"So he's a good shot," Storm Driver scoffed. "Or just extremely lucky."

"I scored the highest marks in marksmanship back in the academy," Tyr said, frowning. "Given the average pistol, I could probably take your head off at about one hundred meters with a clean shot between the eyes."

"No one could make that kind of shot, especially an average human."

"I believe Mr. Tyr is far from average," Grace pointed out.

"Oh, sounds like someone is in love with the human."

"That's enough," Ace said softly, stepping forward. His normal joking demeanor was gone, and his red eyes were narrowed. All eyes went to him. "I would like to remind you all that Tyr is my friend, and an excellent fighter. I would appreciate it if you did not insult him by calling him 'human'."

Storm Driver frowned. "And why would I care what you would say?"

"Because I am the current captain of Celestia's Royal Guard," Ace said, straightening up. "Ace Guard, the Red-Eyed Hunter."

A murmur of recognition flowed through the group. Tyr raised an eyebrow. "Red-Eyed Hunter?"

"Hey, we don't pick our nicknames," Ace said with a slight smile. "Anyway. You all are here because you think you've got a shot at becoming the first line of defense for Celestia's people. Now don't get me wrong, I know that we're to protect the princesses. But protecting the people of Equestria is also a high priority."

"Our captain has a point," Flash said. "Yesterday we were shown to be severely lacking in our abilities to protect the people. We were hardly able to protect ourselves."

"We can't be blamed for that," Another person in the group said. "Those things came out of nowhere!"

"That changes nothing. We should be prepared for anything. That is why we're here."

Ace nodded. "I don't know how many of you have human weapon experience, but if we're going to protect ourselves and the princesses, we need to use them at least competently. We'll be having a mock skirmish using the entire field."

"We'll have a short run down on how to use the airsoft guns first. They aren't like real guns, so getting shot with one will probably do no more than hurt. But it will, in fact, hurt. A lot." Flash grinned.

"So how will we split the teams?" Grace asked.

"I will be leading one group," Ace said. "Tyr will be leading the other."

"The Human is going to be in charge?" Storm Driver scowled.

"I was trained in and have personally experienced urban combat," Tyr said. He was beginning to become very irritated at the audacity of this Storm Driver guy, and he could feel the faint tones of Chrys's irritation as well. He felt himself smile. If Storm Driver wasn't careful, he'd have a Changeling breathing down his neck in a few moments. "But if you want to test it…"

"What are you suggesting?"

"How about this. Half of you guys versus me."

"What?" The people around Storm Driver looked shocked. "You can't possibly be serious…"

"I am." Tyr walked over to the table full of airsoft guns and picked up one modeled like an MP5. "If you can get me, then I'll concede that you're better than me. If not…"

"Fine then. I'll accept this challenge of yours." Storm Driver grinned evilly. "Get ready to eat your words."

It took only a few minutes for Storm Driver to pick his teammates. The others field onto the raised platform that overlooked the whole field to watch. After getting all their gear situated, The eleven players were sent into the field, moving to opposite ends of the map. "Do you think he will win?" Grace murmured, to no one in particular.

"My Master is never one to back down from a challenge," Chrys said, coming over with Beat. "And he is more than a match for those idiots."

"…Master?" Beat asked, tilting her head in confusion.

Chrys blinked as she realized her slip up. "Ah… he is my mentor. I call him Master sometimes."

"Oh…"

"Remember the rules!" Flash called out. "One shot to the head: instant out. Two shots to anywhere else."

"Game on!" Ace called out with a wide grin. "Good hunting!"

A funny choice of words, Tyr thought to himself. He adjusted the strap on his submachine gun, staying low as he moved between a pair of buildings. There were mostly single storied buildings, but there was a larger two story in the middle of the field. "I'd love to be up there," He muttered to himself. He froze as he heard something shift nearby.

[Master]

Tyr frowned. [No helping me cheat, Chrys]

[But the only rules were for getting out] Chrys reminded him.

[No outside help, Chrys. That's still a bit much]

[Then how about using your own magic. Think about sending it out like a thin net, or like sonar]

[…Good idea. Thanks. You get to sit on my lap when we go home]

"What's up with her?" Ace asked, seeing Chrys suddenly squeal quietly.

"No idea," Flash murmured. "The girl is just weird."

Tyr felt his body tingle as he tapped into his magic. Doing as Chrys suggested, he focused it towards the ground like a pulse. It surged out like a wave, suddenly outlining everything around him in an imperceptible argent glow. As quickly as it happened, it faded. Although in that split second he was able to figure out he was surrounded by three members of Storm Driver's team. With a halfhearted flick to set his weapon on single shot, he slid down to a kneeling position. As soon as the head peeked around the corner, he pulled the trigger, shot pinging off the helmet of the man in front of him. Even as the Equestrian was calling out he was hit, Tyr spun around, firing another shot to take out the flanker coming up. He rose quickly as sprinted past the man he just shot, slipping into the shadow of a building as the third attacker came up to investigate. For his curiosity, he was rewarded with a pellet to the back of the head.

"So quick!" Grace murmured, shocked. Her shock was mirrored by the other applicants still on the platform.

"He caught them off guard," Another applicant said.

Below them, Tyr had stalked over to the knocked out attackers, relieving one of his pistol. "Thanks," He said softly, patting the man on the head.

"Whatever."

Tyr slipped away, casting his sonar spell again to check for more hostiles. Would have been extremely nice to have this sort of thing back when he was still on the force. No one would have ever snuck up on him. He took twisting turns throughout the field, eventually pausing when he heard voices. "He took out three so quickly," one voice said.

"He probably ambushed them," a second said.

"Yeah, but three?"

"They might have been in a group. He probably just sprayed at them."

Tyr pulled around the corner and pushed the barrel of his rifle into the back of one of the two attacker's neck. The pointed the pistol at the other's head. "Surrender," He said simply.

"…Oh, buck me." The two men set down their weapons and put up their hands.

"So, either of you want to tell me where Storm Driver is?"

"The two story building. He's in there with the others." One said.

"He thought five guys were enough to take you out," The other said.

"A mistake on his part." Tyr glanced over at saw one of the men had been carrying a shotgun. He picked it up and slung it over his shoulder. "You would have had better luck just swarming me."

"That's what I told him."

Chuckling, Tyr left the two of them there and worked his way to the main building. He ducked inside one of the nearby fake houses and peered out. He could see one of the remaining applicants in a window, watching out for him. The others were more than likely hiding within the building. With the practiced motion of a trained sniper, Tyr raised his rifle up to his shoulder and let out a long breath. Holding himself as empty as possible, he settled the barrel of the gun in a window, sighting the man in the window. He stayed motionless for a moment, savoring the feeling of stability. The sights fell on the center of the target's head. He pulled the trigger.

Ping!

"Hit!"

Tyr surged from his hiding spot, letting his breath flow into him as he ran. Pellets sprayed back into the building he had just left, as Storm Driver and his remaining men tried to take him out. Too little too late, as Tyr got into the building with little trouble. He could hear faint shouting above him. "He's inside!"

"How in the name of Celestia did he manage that!?"

"Forget it! Get him! I am not going to let a human make a fool of me!"

Tyr slid into the depression of a doorway as footsteps echoed down the wooden steps. He waited just long enough for the head of the man approaching to come into view before putting a single shot in the side of his head. As the applicant cried out in surprise, he switched to the shotgun in a fluid motion, firing up the stairs and catching another twice in the chest. "Two left," He warned.

"Bastard!" Storm Driver spat down at him. A bit of airsoft fire pattered down the steps. Tyr thought for a moment, realizing they had the stairs well covered. Instead of running into certain doom, he moved back out the door and outside. The second floor had a window in it, just a bit too high for one person to reach. A slow smile crossed his face. Summoning his magic to him, he created a construct soldier beneath the window. With a mental command, the soldier put its hands together and boosted Tyr up to the next window.

"Well, how about that," Flash said, smiling.

"Sneaky bastard." Ace said with a grin.

Tyr dismissed the soldier as he quietly climbed in the window. He was in a small room, with a door that must lead to the room Storm Driver and his last man were hiding in. As he moved to the side of the door, he heard the man in question speak. "You gonna hide down there like a coward, huh?" Storm Driver chuckled. "Now that you can't sneak up on us, you're out of options, huh?"

Tyr rolled his eyes. Of course he was resorting to taunting. It was a clear indication that he was afraid. Despite having the numbers and the bravado, Storm Driver had only managed to get himself backed into a corner by a lone human. The same human who was about to end this game once and for all. With a last deep breath, he tossed open the door, spotting Storm Driver and his last man near the top of the stairs, peering down. The other applicant didn't have a chance to react as Tyr shot him in the ear. Storm Driver whirled, firing blindly. Tyr rolled aside, popping two shots into the big man with ease. It took another couple of seconds for the hits to register, until:

"…Hit," Storm Driver muttered angrily.

"Game set," Flash called out. "Tyr is the winner!"

Tyr lifted up his goggles and looked over at his defeated opponents. "Anything to say for yourselves?" He asked.

"So you beat us," Storm Driver said. "Big whoop."

They left the building, meeting up with Ace and the other applicants. "Good show out there, gentlemen," Ace said, clapping his hands. "Tyr won that pretty handily, don't you all think?"

There were a few halfhearted replies. "So what do you have to say about his skills now?" Flash asked Storm Driver, a smirk on his face.

"So he's good at stealth," Storm Driver said.

"And he's extremely accurate at all ranges," Grace pointed out.

"…yeah."

"So, now that we've had Tyr show you all up," Ace said with a grin. "Let's get back to the training at hand."

When the training concluded, everyone but Tyr, Ace, Flash and Dash were out of breath. "Lightweights," Dash said with a shake of her head.

"That was… intense," Grace said.

"That's going to be the usual fare," Flash pointed out. "If you join up, that's the kind of training you'll have to expect."

"Oh, I do hope you won't work them too hard," A gentle voice said. Everyone looked to find Celestia and Luna walking towards them. All of the Equestrians scrambled to bow except for Ace, Flash and Beat. Even Chrys, in her disguise, gave a small bow. "Oh please. You all don't have to bow."

"My sister is correct," Luna said. "Please, stand up, all of you."

Reluctantly, all of the applicants straightened up. Celestia came over to Ace and Flash. Her two guards smiled as they stood a bit straighter. "What's up, Princess?" Ace asked.

"I was wondering if you had made any progress on the thing I asked of you," Celestia asked.

"Ah yes, I believe we have…"

"Princess!" Storm Driver came forward. "I would like to ask a question."

Celestia seemed a little surprised. "Yes? What is it?"

"I would like to know why a human is helping us train."

Ace and Flash both frowned and opened their mouths to respond, but it was Luna who spoke instead. Her eyes were narrowed as she addressed the man much taller than her. "I will not allow you to speak that way about Tyr," She said coldly.

"But…!"

"Tyr is not only the most heroic individual I know, but he has also saved the lives of not only my sister and I, but the Elements of Harmony and several others! You will treat him with the respect he deserves!"

There was silence. Storm Driver lowered his head. "…as you wish, Princess."

"Back to what we were talking about," Ace said, "We have two candidates."

Tyr frowned. "Candidates? For what?"

"For one of our new Royal Knights," Celestia said. "Who are the candidates?

Flash turned to the group. "Saving Grace and Storm Driver, step forward!"

The two addressed applicants came forward. Storm Driver looked proud to have been selected, while Grace seemed to be a bit more confused. They moved in front of the princesses. "So, you two wish to become members of the royal guard, hm?" Celestia asked, a slight smile on her face.

"Nothing would be better, milady," Storm Driver said.

"Well, I had recently asked my two knights to find a suitable replacement for our fallen. If chosen, you will be given the title of Knight and serve alongside Ace Guard and Flash Sentry."

"Serving you would be an honor, Princess!"

"Ah, I suppose so… Although, I believe I have forgotten to mention something."

Grace frowned. "Princess?"

"You will not be my personal knight. You will be serving my sister instead."

Both Storm Driver and Grace gaped. "Y-your sister?" Storm Driver said in confusion."

Celestia nodded. "Is that something you are against?"

"N-no, milady, it would be an honor to serve either of you."

"Then let us begin the last test," Luna said, stepping forward. "I must have an accurate picture of who would be my knight."

"Don't be too hard on them, Luna," Celestia said with a laugh.

"My first question is this. Why do you wish to become a knight?"

"I wish to gain honor in service to my Princesses," Storm Driver said proudly.

Grace stayed quiet for a long moment. When she spoke, she was more reserved that her counterpart. "I've always wanted to use my magic to heal, although I'm not as good as a lot of doctors. I didn't even consider the possibility of becoming a knight, to be honest. I was just hoping to be given a chance to help."

Luna nodded at both answers but didn't say anything to them. Instead, she pushed on with another question. "Where were you both during the events yesterday?"

"I was helping the wounded," Grace said, taking the opportunity to speak first. "I can't use my magic offensively that well, so I went to do what I can."

"I was…protecting people from the creatures," Storm Driver said after a moment.

"He's lying," Chrys said plainly. All eyes went over to the disguised Changeling, seated on a small box for Beat to paint. She smiled softly.

"How the hell would you know?" Storm Driver demanded.

"Crystal's magic lets her tell if a person is lying or not," Tyr said. "And I can tell B.S. from a mile away."

"You…!"

"Watch yourself, Storm Driver," Luna warned. "Unlike my sister, I am not as lenient when my patience is tested."

"…As you wish, Princess Luna."

"Now. My final question. If it came down to it, would you sacrifice the life of a comrade to save another? Or would you sacrifice an innocent in order to save a friend?"

"I would save the innocent," Storm Driver said, smiling as if he had given a correct answer.

Luna looked over at Grace. "Saving Grace. Your answer?"

Grace bit her lip. "That's a difficult answer to give, Princess. I could never willingly abandon a friend, much less someone I trust enough to have my back. But at the same time, our main reason to be guards is to protect those who cannot protect themselves." She paused for a moment, glancing at the face of the Midnight Princess. Luna's face was unreadable, staying stoic as Grace explained herself. "If I had to give an answer, I would say I would choose my friend. As much as it would pain me to abandon someone in need, I would forever feel the pain from leaving someone I knew and was close to behind."

"Now that is a truthful answer," Chrys said, nodding appreciatively.

"I was about to say the very same," Celestia said.

Luna nodded again. "I believe I have made my choice. Saving Grace. Do you wish to become a Lunar Knight?"

Storm Driver's mouth dropped open. Grace's eyes widened for a split second before she managed to stammer out, "It would be my honor, Princess!"

Luna smiled and nodded. "Well then. Approach. You too, Tyr."

Grace moved up to the Princess and knelt. Tyr approached as well, a confused look on his face as he knelt down beside the redhead. "What's going on?" Chrys asked.

"I can't really tell," Beat said, pausing her painting to watch what was happening.

"Saving Grace, Tyr Hymir, I have selected you two to become my guardians of the night, my Lunar Knights. You will serve me to the fullest, even unto death. Will you accept this charge?" Luna's magic surrounded them, shrouding them in darkness that isolated them from the rest of the group, leaving only the three of them inside.

"I will," Grace said.

"I would defy death itself," Tyr said. Luna had to force herself not to blush in front of the crowd. Tyr always complained about him

"Then rise, my knights. Serve me as faithfully as the moon itself rises at dusk. By the Night, we watch. In the darkness, we serve. And with the coming of dawn, we prepare for our next vigil." Luna's magic flowed forth, enveloping the two of them. Tyr could feel his skin prickle as Luna's magic inscribed a dark royal blue crescent into his skin, just above his heart. Now he had two of them, Tyr thought to himself.

"By the Night," Grace intoned.

"By the Night," Tyr repeated. The two of them rose, and Luna's magic receded. Almost immediately, Tyr felt a hand slap against his back.

"Congratulations bro!" Ace said, grinning like a fool. "Welcome to the fold!"

"How does it feel to be a Royal Knight?" Flash asked.

"The mark stings," Tyr said honestly, earning a laugh from his friends.

"I am sorry about that, beloved," Luna said, frowning a bit. "I wish I could have avoided that, but there is not much I can do in that regard."

"…Beloved?" Storm Driver blinked. "Wait… you and him…?"

"Yes, Tyr is my boyfriend." Luna smirked. "I did warn you not to speak badly about him, did I not?" Storm Driver's face switched to one of confusion to pure horror at the implications of what he had done came to him.

"The look on his face!" Ace said, breaking out into loud laughter. "It is too perfect!"

Celestia was chuckling as well, doing her best to hide it. "I do admit, the shock on your face was quite humorous."

"Well, before Ace dies of laughter, you're all dismissed," Flash said. "We'll be holding weekly training sessions, so be prepared for those!"

The group began to disperse, with the only one sticking around being Dash. The rainbow haired girl in question came over and threw her arms around her fiancé. "That was actually pretty rad," She said.

"You enjoyed it?" Ace asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I put myself through some hard stuff in preparation to become a Wonderbolt," Dash said. "This was almost a tough."

"Well, we'll be having training every week," Flash said. "Don't slack off and miss it."

"No sir!"

"Well, that went rather well," Celestia said, smiling.

"Better than I expected," Ace admitted. "To be perfectly honest, I'm surprised none of them dropped out."

"They believe too much in their Princesses," Flash said. "They're willing to endure whatever they have to in order to serve."

"Is that a bad thing?" Luna asked.

"No. Patriotism is a good thing."

"Some people use patriotism like a weapon," Tyr said. He turned slightly and lifted an arm to the approaching Chrys, who slid into his embrace with a happy smile. Luna scowled at her for a moment, before the realization washed over her.

"Chrys!" She said.

Chrys giggled, her disguise falling away. "Right you are, Luna. Perceptive as usual."

"W-what?" Grace gaped. "How… what…?"

"I'm a Changeling," Chrys explained. "I can change my appearance at will."

"Oh my," Beat said, mildly surprised. "I thought all the Changelings died?"

"Not all of us, dear."

"Oh! You can help me with my paintings!" Beat clapped her hands together. "A single person who can take on any appearance… how amazing!"

"Well… I wasn't expecting that," Grace said. "A Changeling. Huh."

"Don't worry," Tyr said, rubbing Chrys's head. "She's domesticated."

"Meow!" Chrys purred. Tyr rolled his eyes as Grace shot Flash a questioning look.

"Get used to it," Flash told Grace. "They live together."

"Oh!" Ace said suddenly. "I just remembered something!"

"What is it, Ace?" Celestia asked.

"Flash and I were going to ask you about something." Ace frowned. "We were thinking about the fact that we have experienced two different situations where we did not have the tools to accomplish our tasks easily."

"Oh dear. Whenever you talk like this, I get a little worried."

"What? Oh never mind. We wanted to see if we could commission some swords."

"Swords? Oh, I do remember you saying something like that." Celestia thought for a moment. "My only question is where you would get them made, or purchase them."

"I know a metal smith," Tyr said. "I'm pretty sure they're open this time of day…"

"Then I see nothing wrong with it."

"So where is this metalsmith you know, Tyr?" Flash asked.

"I can take you by now, if you want."

"What about me, Master?" Chrys said, frowning.

"We can go home together," Luna said. "Tia, you don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all. I'd like to spend more time with you, Chrys." Celestia smiled warmly. Tyr noticed Chrys hold him a little tighter before finally letting go.

"…Very well, Celestia."

"I'll take Beat and Scootaloo home," Dash said. "We'll be waiting for you, Ace."

"Wait up for me," Ace said with a smirk. After thinking about it for a moment, he knelt down to Scootaloo's level. "You get some sleep, squirt. I don't wanna find you awake too late, okay?"

Scootaloo frowned and stuck out her tongue at him. "Gosh, what are you, my dad?"

Ace pulled her into a hug. "Not yet, at least." As soon as he spoke the words, he, the girl in his arms, and the woman standing in front of him froze.

"…What?"

"Uh… I kinda just said that, huh." Ace let Scootaloo go, and scratched at the back of his neck. The silence was palpable, and no one knew what to say.

"I believe Ace Guard is tired," Chrys said suddenly. "He should be off on his errand so that he can get home to some rest."

"I agree with Crystal… er, Chrys," Beat said, coming to help her brother.

However, Scootaloo would not be denied. "You just said that you weren't my father yet. Do you… did you mean…?"

Suddenly, Luna was beside them, wing curling around the small girl as her magic came to life. "Sleep, my little one," She said. Her voice was soft and gentle, laden with the power of night. Scootaloo fell asleep almost immediately, falling back into the dark colored wing. Dash gently picked up the sleeping girl.

"She's more than likely going to wake up and bring it up again," Tyr warned.

"Maybe I'll be ready to talk about it then," Ace said darkly. "I'm not going to bring u something that might hurt her. I'm planning to avoid that like the plague."

"I don't think she's that against it," Chrys murmured, but the only person who heard her was Tyr.

"You're… worried, aren't you, big brother?" Beat asked.

"…Let's just go," Ace said, turning and walking away. "I'll deal with it later."

"…Okay, Ace."

"Let's go with them," Celestia said. "We'll let the boys here go get their blades."

Flash and Tyr followed their friend out. They were a bit outside of the building before Flash finally caught up to Ace and grabbed his shoulder. "What the hell, bro?" He demanded, a deep frown on his face. "Mind telling me what that was all about?"

"I don't really want to talk about it," Ace said coldly. He pulled away from Flash and went forward a couple steps. "Its… not that serious."

"My girlfriend just put Scootaloo to sleep so you could run away," Tyr said, frowning. "You running away is something I didn't expect to see."

"Even I get scared, alright!?" Ace snapped, turning around. "I've finally found two things in my life that I can actually love besides my sister, and I don't want to lose either of them!"

Flash and Tyr were stunned. This wasn't the usual Ace standing before them. Normally, Ace was confident, cocky, and yet at the same time still a good person to be around. But now, their close friend was distraught. He was obviously agonizing over this whole thing with Scootaloo, and he was also nervous about his relationship with Dash going to a whole new level. Everything was happening so fast. They stood in silence, none of them wanting to speak. After a long minute, Tyr finally spoke up. The words that came out of his mouth surprised even him.

"You're an idiot."

Flash and Ace looked at him in surprise. "What?" Flash frowned.

"He's an idiot," Tyr repeated, more conviction in his voice. "He's sitting here engaged to the Element of Loyalty herself and the kid who idolizes her. He'd have to screw up royally to lose either of them."

"Scootaloo's parents abandoned her, Tyr," Ace snapped, facing him. "I doubt she's looking for a father, or anything even resembling—"

"Sherry lost her parents to the merge," Tyr said coldly. Ace's words died on his lips. "That little bundle of joy I'm proud to call my daughter had to watch as her family was ripped from her. When I found her, she was nothing more than a crying, shivering wreck. Underneath al that bravado, Scootaloo wants someone to love her, to care about her, to just want her around." He walked up and got right in Ace's face. "And from what you already said, maybe you think you aren't even man enough to be there for her."

"I would fight to the death for that little girl," Ace growled back.

"Then what the hell do you think you should do, Ace?"

Ace made to reply, before catching himself and thinking. He started chuckling softly. "…You're right. You're absolutely right."

Tyr smiled. "Take it from a father. Sometimes a girl simply wants that father figure to be in their lives."

"Jeez," Flash said, rubbing his head. "All this talk about kids makes me want to try convincing Twi…"

"Good luck with that," Ace said, returning to his usual cherry self. He grinned. "I bet she freaks out."

"She wouldn't… maybe." Flash scowled. "Now that you're back to your usual self, can we just head over to this metalsmith's, okay?"

It didn't take long to reach the metalsmith, at least after they had all agreed on Ace riding with Tyr on the way over. Until he managed to get a new car or something, he would have to mooch off his friends. "This is the place, huh?" Ace asked, seeing the store. It was a decent sized building, although it was bland on the outside except for the large crimson hammer emblem on the sign. Etched into the metal sign was the name 'Vulcanis'.

"Yeah, this is it. Looks like they're still open." Tyr walked up to the front door, Flash joining them after he parked.

"This place smells like metal," He said, sniffing.

"I mean…" Ace chuckled.

"I know, I know."

They entered the shop, immediately feeling the slight heat that radiated from the back. "Well, fancy seeing you again, Tyr. I hope you're not here to collect on that favor."

Tyr chuckled at the sound of the voice. "Not yet, Vanna. In due time, however."

Vanna emerged from the back of the shop, dressed in a black ironworker's apron and a welding mask. Underneath, the metalsmith wore a simple pleated skirt and dark brown blouse that had the top two buttons undone, more than likely from the heat. Ace and Flash looked a bit surprised. "What? Expecting to see someone more burly?" Vanna had a decidedly Greek accent, lilting through the sentence as they approached the counter. It accented the elegant yet casual look of the metalworker.

"Well, not particularly," Ace said. In truth, Vanna was a lot more slender than he or Flash had expected. It was hard to believe someone so feminine could work metal as well as Tyr said. Especially someone that looked like they should be walking down a runway instead of shaping metal.

"Vanna here owns this place," Tyr said. "Made all the tools I use too."

"I've been working metal since I was young," Vanna said with a grin. "Might as well have tongs for hands at this point."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Vanna," Flash said. Vanna's blue eyes registered a bit of surprise before the metal worker broke out in a laugh.

"No need to be so formal. Just call me Vanna."

"Right then."

"So! What can I do to help you fine gentlemen out?"

"We were actually wondering if you were able to make say… swords." Ace posed the question a little nervously. Asking someone to make you a weapon was always a strange affair.

"Swords? Like, longswords or gladii or the like? That's like, children's stuff." Vanna grinned, leaning onto the counter. "Although… I haven't made something with a good edge for a while. How many you need?"

"Looking for somewhere around two dozen," Flash confirmed. "With at least four custom made."

Vanna's cheerful demeanor dropped a bit. "Well, that is a good bit, isn't it? Hm… I don't think I'd have enough material to make that many. Especially if you're asking for custom forges."

"How many can you make?"

"I can do twenty three with what I've got on hand, but I can always get more."

"Wait, why can't you just spread your material a bit thinner to make the last one?"

"I never sacrifice quality for quantity, even if it's just one," Vanna replied. "I have a reputation to uphold. Vulcanis made tools are of the highest quality, not matter what."

Flash nodded. "I can appreciate that."

"I'll order some more material so I can make the last blade, but it might take a few weeks."

"No rush, Vanna," Tyr said. "If anything, I'll be the one that goes without."

Vanna chuckled. "As if you'd let anything get that close."

"True enough."

"Alright, enough jokes. Down to business. These custom builds… how do you want them?"

Ace and Flash jumped into a lengthy discussion with Vanna about different kinds of weapons and how they would fare in different scenarios, from classic longswords to English rapiers to even curved scimitars from the Arabic lands. Eventually, Flash settled on a European longsword with a stylized violet star set in the pommel. Flash instead opted for a slightly shorter blade, one that fit his rapid fighting style. All three men worked together to design a weapon for Grace, and they eventually decided on a rapier with an elegant cup hilt. They decided a delicate weapon would be perfect for a medic. When they turned to Tyr, the man smiled softly. "Don't worry about me. I'm a sniper, so close range weapons are a bit out of my expertise. I'll do some research on it."

Vanna shrugged, brushing a lock of long reddish brown hair back out of the way. "Fair enough. I'll give you a call when I get my materials in."

"Alright. I'll see you around, Vanna."

"Dear Celestia, it's late," Ace said, glancing at his watch.

"We should be leaving," Flash said. "It has been pretty cool, Vanna.

Vanna grinned. "Don't be a stranger, all of you!"

They left the Vulcanis, leaving Vanna to get started on her work. Tyr noticed his friends hand some strange looks on their faces as they left. "…What is it?"

"You said you knew Vanna, right?" Ace asked, a smirk on his face. "Ex-girlfriend, perhaps?"

"Girlfriend…? No, no way. You must be crazy."

"Crazy?" Flash raised an eyebrow. "I'm in a committed relationship, and even I thought that girl was pretty hot… no pun intended."

"You can't tell me that she wasn't attractive," Ace said.

"Well, I can't say that," Tyr said. "But guys… Vanna is a guy."

Ace and Flash paused. "…What?"

"Uh huh. I've known Vanna for a long time now. He's been crossdressing forever."

"…Well. It's late, and my masculinity was just brought into question." Ace frowned. "Let's get out of here, Flash."

"Agreed." The two of them got into Flash's car and drove off. Tyr chuckled a bit at his friends before driving home. Poor guys. Everyone had the same reaction whenever they met Vanna for the first time.

Hello friends! It's me again! I doubt Mr. Top Note notices me down here, so I'm just gonna continue doing my thing.

Unfortunately, this particular story does have two covers. But that just covers Light of the Moon. Tyr, Luna, and plenty others still have stories to tell, and those books will sleep until their covers are pulled back and they are woken up. I hope you stick with us that long.

Stay safe, happy, and healthy. And Remember:

The Library accepts all. (I'm beginning to like that as a catchphrase. :D)

Au revoir!