Apologies for yet another late post. I was busy editing and reediting this particular chapter, because there was a scene i really wanted to go a certain way and upon first writing it, it didn't go the way I wanted. So in order to make up for it, I'm double posting again. The chapters weren't that long regardless, but I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 33: Blood Loyalty

"I again ask: what are we doing out here?"

Ace rolled his eyes and glanced over at his sullen girlfriend. She had been this way ever since they left home, and probably would stay that way until they went back. He knew how much she hated work, but this was important. Probably having to wear a uniform didn't help either. Although Rainbow did look good in the sky-blue long-coat in the same design as his own Rarity had made for her and the rest of the Guard. "We're following orders from Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. There's a mother and her daughter here that's being unfairly treated."

"So why send just us?" Rainbow frowned. "And how did the Princesses find out?"

Ace looked around at the close neighborhood they were in. A few people were watching them from porches, but otherwise they were almost alone. "Princess Luna sent out a dream message to all Equestrians. Told them to focus on her before they went to sleep to let her know that they needed help."

"And she got a message from the people we're looking for?"

"Exactly."

"So why just us?"

"Flash is still looking into the disappearances, and since Luna's getting so close to her due date, Tyr doesn't want to be too far. Grace for the same reason."

"If I know Twilight, she's probably doing all sorts of preparations for their wedding too," Rainbow said with a chuckle.

"Probably why Flash has kept himself working so hard for the past couple months," Ace agreed. After Flash had proposed, Twilight's focus had been split between examining the book she had gotten and wedding preparations. The man had gone out of his way to stay busy so he wouldn't have to be caught up in it. At the thought of a wedding ceremony, Ace glanced at Rainbow. "Hey… Dashie?"

"Yeah?"

"When do you want to get married?"

"Huh!? I… uh…" Rainbow blushed slightly and looked away. "I mean… with all that's going on, would it be right to? We're in no rush, right?"

"Not particularly, but I was just curious."

"Well… once we've dealt with all of the disappearances, then we'll do it. Okay?"

Ace smirked. He wanted to tease his fiancé a little more, but decided against it. "Come on. Let's get this over with."

They walked up the small walkway that went to the house in question. Ace knocked lightly on the door. A few moments later the door opened, and they were face to face with a rather upset looking human man. "What do you want?"

"Hello sir," Ace said as politely as possible. "I'm Ace Guard, Captain of Princess Celestia's Royal Guard, and this is Rainbow Dash, also of the Guard. I'm looking for a miss Half-Step and her daughter?"

The man scowled. "What do ya want with them?"

Ace frowned slightly. "We were asked to check on her condition. Is it alright if I speak to her?"

"…I guess. Come in."

The man moved back inside, Ace and Rainbow following. The interior of the house was nothing special, just about average for a middle class household. They were directed to the living room, where they took seats on the couch. The man vanished further into the house. "…I don't like this," Rainbow muttered.

"I agree with you there, babe," Ace replied. He adjusted the strap on his short sword so it sat better. "Guy didn't look too happy to see us."

"You're right about that…" She trailed off as the man returned, dragging a short, forest green haired Equestrian along with him.

"Here she is," the man said, shoving the woman lightly. She was thin, and wearing an off-white dress that fell to her knees.

"Half-Step?" Ace asked, getting up.

"Y-yes sir?" The woman replied in a trembling voice. She looked at Ace Guard for a long moment before her eyes widened in shock. "S-solar Knight! Sir Ace Guard!"

Rainbow noticed the grin on her fiancé's face. "Don't let it get to your head, babe," She warned.

"Heh, yeah," Ace chuckled. He motioned to the couch. "Sit, please." Half-Step sat down, and Ace moved across from her. The man of the house moved over to the far wall. Ace spared the man a passing glance before turning back to the green haired woman. "So, Princess Celestia sent me here to check on you."

"But… Princess Luna's message…" Half-Step trailed off, Ace's gaze giving her pause. "Oh."

"Princess Celestia picked me because I'm good at telling lies from truth," Ace said. H shifted slightly in his seat so his back was to the man on the wall.

"I…I see."

"So. Have you been treated well here?"

"I—" She paused, eyes darting up to the man at the wall. She froze up.

Ace spoke quietly, yet his eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Eyes on me, Half-Step. Remember what I said."

The woman looked back to him. After a moment of internal conflict, she finally nodded. There was a new conviction in her eyes. "Y-yes sir."

"I'll ask again. Are you being treated well here?"

"…Yes sir."

Rainbow blinked. There was no way that woman was being treated well! She was terrified of the man who owned the house, the clothes she was wearing were obviously old, and she was too thin to be healthy! She almost spoke up, but a short hand motion from Ace made her catch herself.

Closed fist. Stay silent.

She closed her mouth, remembering all the times where speaking up had made the situation worse. So, as a lesson in restraint, she kept quiet. Ace gave her a small smile before looking back to Half-Step. "That's good. And your daughter, is she doing well?"

"Never better, sir."

"Is she fitting in around here?"

"Yes! The kids here treat her like one of their own! She's made so many friends."

"Well, that's good to hear. Where is your daughter?"

"Upstairs. Would you like me to get her?"

"Yes please. Because we're taking you from here." Ace stood up, Rainbow standing as well. The man behind him blinked as Half-Step quickly retreated upstairs.

"What? But she said—"

"Everything she just told me was a blatant lie," Ace said sharply, glaring back at the man. "Didn't you hear me? I said I can tell a lie easily."

"You…!" The man scowled. "We took them in, provided shelter and food for them, and all we get is this—ungratefulness!"

"You mistreated them, and now you expect to get some sort of compensation?" Ace walked over to the man and looked him dead in the eye, red eyes full of quiet fury. "You've got to be kidding me. If I wasn't ordered to be civil, I'd kill you where you stood, make no mistake about that."

"You Equestrians think you're just so high and mighty—"

"Do not test me. I am far from being in the mood." Ace's eyes brokered no argument. "You treated my people like merchandise, and I will not let them stay here any longer."

Half-Step returned, a small blue haired girl clinging to her arm. The man spared them one glance before snorting. "…Fine! Take them! See if I care."

"Let's go," Rainbow said as softly as she could, guiding the two Equestrians out of the house. "We'll take you to a hotel for now."

The four Equestrians left, heading towards Ace's new car. "Thank you so much…" Half-Step said, sniffling.

"Don't thank us just yet," Ace said, glancing around. The formerly empty street was now almost full of people, and a small crowd of young men were coming towards them. "It seems we have trouble."

"Wonderful," Rainbow said. She glanced at Half-Step and her daughter. "You two get in the car."

The young woman and her daughter quickly obeyed, locking themselves in. Rainbow moved over to Ace's side. They were outnumbered six to one, but there was only a grim eagerness on her fiancé's face. "Is there a problem?" Ace asked quietly, hand low and near his pistol holster. Rainbow carried one as well, but she was less confident in her aim. Instead she pulled on a pair of fingerless gloves. If it came to a fight, she'd be in the thick of it, without a doubt.

"We don't think you should be walking around like you own the place," One of them said.

"We're not," Ace replied evenly. "We just came for our own."

"Think you can just barge into people's homes like this? Think again, Equestrian."

The group was slowly forming a loose circle around them. Ace frowned. "Look, we're not here to start a fight. We were just here for this woman and her daughter, so if we could just—

"We got orders too, ya know," One of the men said with a grin.

"…Orders?"

"That doesn't bode well," Rainbow muttered quietly.

"Orders from our General," The man continued. "The Scarecrow General. Our orders are to deal with you Equestrians in any way we please."

"…Buck." Rainbow spat.

The street exploded into motion, Scarecrows charging in with an assortment of weapons, from bats to chains and pipes. Before Rainbow could prepare herself, something hit her from the back, hard enough to make her black out. A rock. She was back to her feet just in time for a Scarecrow to jump on her from the front, knocking her down. Hands reached for her throat, but she kicked up into the man's groin with as much strength as she could muster. The vicious blow made him roll away, howling in pain. "That's what you get," She spat at him.

Ace was fighting a large majority of the Scarecrows, his short-sword flashing as he deflected strikes from all sides. He was working hard to not kill any of them, but she could see how hard it was for him. He was actively trying to use the flat of the blade to strike his opponents, and they were using that to pressure him. She gritted her teeth, charging one of them. Her first strike hit the back of the man's neck, stunning him for a moment and letting her grip him by the collar. With a grunt, she yanked him to the ground before delivering a brutal kick to the face to knock him out cold. She retrieved the pipe he had been holding. "Ace! Here!"

Ace barely glanced over, hand extending for the thrown pipe as his other quickly sheathed his sword. He grinned evilly. "Alright. Let's go, you punks."

He leapt into the fray with almost gleeful abandon, the steel pipe in his hands striking out in all directions and dealing vicious blows with each attack. One brutal backhand strike sent one flying, and Rainbow could see the satisfied grin on his face as the Scarecrow crumpled to the ground, unconscious. The rest of the Scarecrows, seeing the greater threat in the berserker knight, charged him. They couldn't match him—he was too fast, and was like a whirlwind of wings and metal. Rainbow watched in both awe and horror as Ace tore through the Scarecrows without a care in the world, all with that terrifying grin on his face. "Come on!" Ace roared. "Is this all you got!?"

It was the straw that broke the camel's back. With the blood knight's roar of challenge, the Scarecrows lost all will to fight and broke. "He's a monster! Run!"

In a matter of seconds, the street was clear except for the unconscious and the few seriously wounded trying to crawl away. The pipe in Ace's hands were splattered with blood, and a few drops had reached his face. Rainbow moved over to him slowly, the thrill of combat still gripping her fiancé. She touched his shoulder gently. "…Ace?" When he didn't respond, she shook a little harder. "…Ace!"

The second time she said his name seemed to snap him out of his euphoria. "…Huh? What…?" He murmured softly, blinking a couple of times as he looked at her.

"I thought I had lost you there for a bit, babe," Rainbow said with a small chuckle. "You actually managed to scare me." However, her attempt to raise his spirits seemed to work in reverse. His expression darkened, and he looked away from her.

"…I didn't hurt you, did I?" He asked quietly. Rainbow stared at him

"Hurt me…? Of course you didn't, I'm fine."

"Good. Are Half-Step and her daughter okay?"

"They were in the car, so they're fine." Rainbow frowned. "Ace, what's up? You're totally bumming me out."

"Let's just go. I don't want to be here anymore."

"Ace!"

Ace turned to her, red eyes full of pain. The look in his eyes made Rainbow flinch back. "Please, Dash. We'll talk later, just… please."

She paused then, a frown crossing her face, but she simply sighed and nodded. "…Okay, Ace."

She kept her silence as they got into the car, and stayed that way even when they dropped Half-Step and her daughter off at a motel. She watched from the car as Ace paid for a week. It wasn't until he was back in the car and they were halfway home before her patience was rewarded. "…Alright," Ace said quietly. "We can talk now."

"What the heck was all that about?" Rainbow demanded instantly.

Ace sighed. He had expected the question, the intensity—now the hard part was simply answering it. "…You know how most of the guard only really serve to keep the peace?"

"Yeah, and Equestria was a safe place because of it. What about it?"

"Well, most guards only fight if they have to. People in my family… we thrive in it. We live for battle, and when the blood starts flowing… it's hard to stop. We go into a sort of battle trance that… sometimes it's almost impossible to come back from."

"So that's why you were afraid of hurting me. You thought you wouldn't be able to stop yourself."

"…Yeah…" He sighed. Rainbow scowled and hit him as hard as she could in the arm. "Ow! Damn it girl that hurt!"

"It was supposed to!" She snapped. "You really think I'd let you go into that battle trance whatever? Buck that! I'm not gonna lose you to something like that. I'd knock some sense into you if I had to!"

Ace looked at her for the longest time. "You… you really would?"

"Heck yeah I would! I love you, you big idiot!" She grinned. "And you might not have noticed, but I'm pretty protective of my loved ones."

They pulled up in front of Ace's home, both of them getting out of the car. "You're… you're crazy, you know that, Dashie?"

"Coming from the blood knight," She countered. He chuckled softly.

"Yeah, whatever."

"But you're my blood knight," She added softly, coming over to him and leaning against him. He slipped his hand into hers. "Come on. Let's get inside."

They began walking. As they reached the door, a thought occurred to the rainbow haired woman. "Hey… is Heart Song the same way? You know, battle crazed and all that."

Ace chuckled. "She handles it a bit better than me, but it's still in her blood. It… it always passes down the male line."

"So… if we have kids, they'll have it?"

"Yeah. But they'll have us to teach them how to control it. Beat too."

"…Yeah," She agreed with a smile, laying her head on his shoulder.

They went inside, finding Beat and Scootaloo sitting on the couch together. Or at least, Beat was in her wheelchair beside the couch. The younger girl jumped up as the pair entered. "Mom, Dad! You're home!"

Rainbow laughed. "You know, I still gotta get used to you calling me that."

"All in due time," Ace chuckled.

"Celestia's mane, you're covered in blood," Beat said , looking over her brother. "…Shower. Now."

Ace chuckled softly. "Yes ma'am."

He detached himself from his fiancé and daughter, headed to the bathroom. Without a word, Beat followed him, rolling herself into the bathroom. He didn't ask why she was there, only waited for her to speak. "…You got in a fight today," She said finally, softly. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted her familiar reddish magical glow envelop the door. A soundproofing spell.

"Yeah. Scarecrows attacked us." Ace began undressing, not shy around his younger sister. After all, he was the one who always helped her bathe. He did stop at his underwear however. He did have a little modesty after all. "I had to protect the women we went to go help."

A lot of people didn't notice because of Beat's magic, but Ace's body was almost detailed with scars, most too faint to notice unless you really looked. There were a few new ones, thick, red and throbbing. He sat down on a little stool as she wheeled over to him. "Did you kill anyone?" She asked softly, placing her hands on his shoulders.

"No." He sighed a bit. "Although I wanted to."

She sighed. She wasn't surprised, however. The compulsion to kill was strong in them, and it was only because of her non-violent lifestyle that Beat handled her urges as well as she did. Ace was blessed to have her watching out for him, along with Princess Celestia and his friends. And now Rainbow Dash and little Scootaloo. She went back to her usual line of questioning. "What caused these?"

"Metal pipe," Ace grunted as Beat's magic began its usual work. As his little sister ran her hands long his new bruises, she spoke in a low, melodious tone, magic seeping out with every word. Her magic had split her voice, allowing her to both sing her quiet song and still be able to speak to her brother. After ever fight, every scrap, every conflict, the younger and belligerent Ace Guard had gotten into, he would always spend the night with Beat, talking to his beloved younger sister and letting her heal his wounds. She in turn enjoyed the intimate moment that could only be shared between two people born to kill. There was blood still on him and she gently rubbed at it, the red marks coming off him and staining her own fingers. Without thinking about it, she casually licked them clean. Her other hand felt the bruise along his arm.

"And this one?"

"…Rainbow Dash," Ace replied, a soft smile crossing his face. "She hit me."

"Why?"

"For being an idiot." His response was rewarded with a soft punch to his back. "Ow."

"I know that didn't hurt," Beat replied.

"It hurt my feelings."

Beat smiled. "Of course it did." She moved onto his wings, gently extending them so that she could examine them for injuries. She always loved examining her brother's wings, as she didn't have any of her own as a former unicorn. They were strong and majestic, and she let her hands gently run along them, knowing that they were sensitive. To his credit, Ace didn't react.

Ace was silent for a little bit, listening to the song. He spoke up suddenly. "We're quite blessed, little sis."

"That we are," She agreed, watching the bruise on Ace's arm fade. She moved her attentions to the few cuts and scrapes along his back and sides. "But why did you bring that up?"

"Because we have friends and loved ones that accept us." Ace turned so that his sister could get at the front of his body without too much effort. He smiled down at the pair of red eyes that looked up to meet his own. "We have family now, Heart."

Beat paused, her song almost wavering. Ace only ever called her Heart when they were alone, when he was feeling particularly affectionate. He said it was because she was the reason he kept living. His Heart. "…A family?"

"People who love us."

"So… we're not alone anymore?"

"We're only alone if we choose to be," Ace said, remembering the first of many sayings he had learned from Princess Celestia.

She looked up at him with hope in her eyes. She smiled widely. "Wonderful."

He leaned down to kiss her forehead, the last of his injuries fading away as Beat's song ended. She giggled softly at the show of affection. "Come on. I got to actually take a shower now."

"Ah, one thing I wanted to do."

"Hm? What's that?" He had already gotten up and was stretching his limbs—all six of them—and glanced back at her. Beat simply giggled and moved closer to him, hands gently taking hold of one wing. "Uh, Heart? You've done my wings already."

"You keep these in good shape," She murmured softly. She knew preening was a thing that all Pegasii did, and she knew she did it often for her brother. She found what she was looking for after a little searching.

"Ow," Ace muttered softly as his little sister plucked one long, white feather from his wing. "That one broken?"

"At the base," She said, smiling. She pulled a long, white ribbon from her pocket and quickly worked the feather into it. "That should do it."

"What are you doing back there?"

"Just go take your shower. I'll show you when you come out."

"…Fine then."

Ace climbed into the shower, content to let the day wash off of him. He stood for a long time simply letting the water run over his body. It was the same every time he let Beat heal him, but it felt a little different this time. Instead of coming out of this shower to his sister sitting and reading or watching TV, he would come out to a house full of laughter and love. Those thoughts spurred him to finish his shower quickly and get dressed. He came out to quite the strange scene. Rainbow was blushing, while his little sister was afflicted with a severe case of giggles. Scootaloo was sitting between the two, confused. It wasn't until he gave Rainbow a longer look that he noticed. Her shoulder length hair was tied back with a white ribbon, the feather from Ace's wing sewn into it and pointing off to the side. It was an attractive look, along with the fact that whenever a Pegasii gave another Pegasus one of their feathers… It was small wonder Rainbow was blushing. It was about as good as a wedding ring. He felt a blush of his own work up his cheeks. "…Oh. That's what you wanted it for."

"It looks good, doesn't it?" Beat asked, giggling.

"Does it?" Rainbow asked her fiancé. She was seriously asking—no joking there. Ace simply smiled back.

"Of course it does. I'm surprised I hadn't thought of this myself."

"I know, right?" She chuckled. "To be honest, I'm not too big on pony tails, but it's alright, I guess."

"What's so special about it?" Scootaloo asked with a frown. "I don't get it."

"Well, squirt," Ace said, patting the head of his daughter. "For a Pegasus, their feathers are important, since they help us fly."

"I know that."

"But when you give your feathers to another…" Ace looked over at Rainbow, who nodded and smiled. "That means you truly want to be with them. It's about as strong a promise as giving someone a wedding ring."

"Oh… oh wow!" She blinked. "So you really do love Rainbow Dash?"

"Of course I do!"

"Then I want a little brother."

Rainbow, in the middle of drinking some water, nearly spit it up. Ace simply chuckled and patted the violet hair. "…We'll think about it, Scoots."