The sun starts to set over the horizon as the moon rises up into the sky. The light turning red and orange as the sun starts to slip past the horizon line. The light bringing the lab in Canterlot Castle into darkness. Acid goes around his lab and lights the candels before returning to his desk.

The stallion stands at one of the modified desks to allow him to stand without the desk being taller than him. He wears a white lab button-up coat with brown safety goggles on his forehead. His hair is a mess more than normal with light gray bags under his eyes from pulling a few all-nighters. His tired eyes look over his scratchy draws of blueprints for an idea he was trying to get to work.

He grunts in anger as he crumps the paper with his hoofs and throws it into the trash. It barely makes it into the trashcan after bumping off the wall. He pulls off his goggles and places them on the desk as he sighs. He takes off the lab coat before walking over to the closet and putting it back on the hanger.

He walks over to the door and grabs a thick file folder. He clutches it to his chest as he walks out of the room. Flicking off the candles with his magic as the door closes behind him.

He walks down the hallway in silence. The clanking of his hoof shoes is the only sound resonating in the hallway. He turns at an intersection and passes a black, pony-shaped, colt-sized, bug-like creature. Acid blinks before looking over his shoulder. Walking away from him is a bright white unicorn with red, combed-back hair and a short tail.

"I could have sworn," Acid whispers to himself as he turns back around and starts walking down the hallway. "Maybe I'm going crazy."

"Luna damn this desk!" a gravely yet feminine voice yells in anger. Acid stops as his ears telescope around for the sound. "Why do these darn desks have to be so short?" Acid walks up to an open door and peeks into the room.

The room was a small classroom with desks lined up to face the front. Plastered around the room were inspirational posters from the royal guards. In the front of the room was a big desk. Sitting behind it was a gray bat pony. Her hair spiked forward towards her eyes. Her mane is dark black with red stripes going through it. Her tail is the same color and is pretty long. A blood-red moon is marked on her flank. She wears a dark blue uniform with multiple royal guard awards on it. What caught Acid's eye was how tall she was. She had to be at least six feet tall.

"Why must custom desks be so expensive," The mare cursed as she gathered her things into a file folder before turning and walking towards the door. Acid ducks out quickly as an idea forms in his head. Clocking out would have to wait, he had a pony to help. With this thought in his head, Acid walked quickly down the hallway as the mare walked out of the room.

Acid turned the corner and ran back into his lab, placing down the folder and grabbing a red toolbox with his mouth and a bunch of small parts with his magic. He runs as fast as he can down the hallway. His heart pounds against his chest as he slides into the classroom.

He places down the toolbox and supplies as he gets to work on the desk. He moves swiftly and precisely with his magic as he uses it to unscrewing the top and add on an adjustable slider to each side of the top to allow the desk to be slid taller or shorter if needed. He works smoothly to the point it looked like a dance he has done a thousand times.

The mare walks back down the hallway back to her classroom as she sees a shadow in her room. "I swear if it's Firebrand I'm going to kill him," She thinks as she walks faster towards her room in anger. She walks into the room, ready to chew out anyone in the room but stops abruptly when she sees Acid adjusting the desk. Her eyes widened as her mouth fell slightly open. "No, way,"

"That should do it," Acid says, putting the tool away and closing the toolbox. The mare blinks and closes her mouth before putting on a neutral face and making her presence known.

"What are you doing here?" She asks sternly. Acid screams out like a little filly as his magic goes crazy and shoots the pencil he was holding into the ceiling. Her eyes slightly widen as the two look up at the pencil.

"S-sorry about that," Acid says, quickly grabbing the pencil in his magic before placing it back on the desk. He secretly places a sticky note under the desk before turning to face the mare in embarrassment.

"I've had worst things stuck up there by my students," She says, looking back down at the very short stallion. "What are you doing here?" She asks, raising an eyebrow and tilting her head slightly.

"Oh!" Acid's deminer changes from scared to pride like joy. "I heard you complaining about the desk being too short and how expensive custom desks are. Believe me, I know, I'm almost half a foot shorter than most desks."

"Get to the point," The mare replies deadpaned and with a light chuckle in her voice.

"R-right," Acid replies, turning back to the desk and pulling out a pin on the side of the desk. "I made it so you can adjust the desk by pulling out the pin and moving it. Once you like it, you just slide the pin back in," Acid explains as he slides the pin back in and shakes the desk to show how sturdy it is.

"Hu.." The mare says with a small smile on her face. "I guess not every unicorn here is a stuck-up magic user,"

"Ya, I can't really use magic that well," Acid replies, turning back to her. "It's probably what made me less of a rump than most unicorns,"

"What's your name?"

"Dr. Acid Flask," Acid says, extending a hoof. "But please just call me Acid,"

"I'm Captain Blood Moon of the bat pony guards," Blood Moon says as she shakes Acid's hoof. "You can call me Blood Moon, or my friends also call me Moon, wich you are,"

"Wait," Acid says as a smile forms on his face.

"You're the first half-decent unicorn I've met here, might as well be friends,"

"It's been a while since I've had a friend," Acid says happily.

"When does your shift end?"

"Normally as 5, but I pulled an all-nighter working on some of my potions," Acid says, scratching the back of his head.

"You can stop by anywhere between 6 and 8, my classes don't start until 9,"

"Sounds good," Acid says, making his way around her and towards the door. "See you later!" Acid happily yells back as he leaves. Moon watches Acid walk out of the room as she sighs to herself. A big smile comes to her face.

"I found you you little bugger,"

(Time skip)

Acid opens the door into his and Film's apartment. A big smile on his face as he closes the door behind him. He walks into the open living room that merges into a dining room with a small dining table. He walks down the hallway and walks into a room labeled workstation.

Against the far wall by the window is a big wooden workbench with tools randomly placed about the table. Sitting proudly in pieces is a new set of metallic wings. Right now they are very crude and almost put together with duct tape. Against the walls are a lot of cabinets with random draws pulled out, with some on the ground.

Acid walks over to his workbench and sits down as he pulls the blueprints on the bench closer to him. He picks up a pencil with his magic as he starts to think. His eyes scanned the paper for anything he could add to the design. Slowly his mind wanders towards Blood Moon.

He places a hoof under his cheeks and leans on it as his mind completely fixes on the bat pony. Her kindness towards him sticks out the most about her. She barely knew him, and yet showed him the most kindness he has seen in years.

The door to the apartment opens up to reveal Film walking into the room. He closes the door before making his way into the kitchen. He starts grabbing an assortment of utensils from the cabinets. He moves to the fridge and grabs some food out of it right as Acid walks out of his room. He walks into the kitchen with a smile and a mile-long stare.

Film starts boiling water as he watches Acid open the fridge absent-mindedly and smake his muzzle against the door.

"Surgery High In Tartarus!" Acid wispier angrily, snapping him out of the stare as he rubs his muzzle.

"You good?" Film asks as Acid grabs a water bottle from the fridge.

"Ya, just a little distracted," Acid says, closing the door before turning to Film.

"From what?" Film asks, already knowing one possible answer.

"I meet a mare," Acid says, taking a sip from his water.

"Go on," Film replies with a small smile.

"Her name is Blood Moon. She works as captain of the Bat Pony Royal Guard."

"Ooohhhh… a captain," Acid rolls his eyes at Film's remark before going on.

"Obviously she's a bat pony and has been the only pony, let alone a mare, to show me kindness,"

"I'm happy you found a date," Film says with a small devious smile.

"She's just a friend," Acid retorts back.

"Ya," Film says as Acid turns around. Film thinks for a second before asking. "Do royal guards have to change their name?" Acid turns around and looks at Film with slight confusion.

"Ya, why do you ask?"

"I just find it funny that the two mares you have ever fallen for are both bat ponies."

"First off, we are not a thing," Acid says sternly as he turns toward his brother. "Second, are you implying that Blood Moon could be Midnight?" Film shrugs.

"It's a possibility, but a very low one at that," Film says as the water starts to boil. Film goes to attend dinner.

"That's practlicly impossible," Acid scofs as he turns to go back to his work.

(Time skip)

Acid stands outside the door to Celestia's throne room, waiting to be seen by the princess. He waits patiently while his eyes wander around the giant golden door. Acid shifts a bit as he looks at the two guards at the door. One bat pony and one unicorn. The unicorn and Bat pony are in standard royal armor with a spear in their hoofs.

The door opens as Twilight walks out of the room. The two look at each other and smile and nod before Twilight passes by him. Acid takes a deep breath as he walks into the throne room.

The doors close on him, leaving him inside. The hallway-like room was huge. The ceiling raised high above Acid. Stained glass windows line the walls alongside the line of royal guards. Sitting on a golden throne at the end of the room is Princess Celestia. Her bright white coat sparkled in the morning light. Her mane shimmered like a rainbow. She smiles down at Acid as he walks up to the steps of her throne. Standing by Celestia's side is a solar royal guard captain in his full uniform with a bat royal guard on her other side.

"Good Morning Princess," Acid says, bowing down in front of her for a second before standing back up.

"Acid, you're my student, you don't have to be so formal," Celestia replies.

"Sorry, I just like to be a bit formal sometimes," Acid replies, scratching the back of his head.

"I'm assuming you didn't come for small talk?"

"Ya," Acid sighs. "Can I be moved to the night shift?" Celestia raises an eyebrow at his question.

"Why don't you ask Particle about this?" Celestia asks. "She's the cabinet leader for your division and handles everypony's scheduling?"

"With all due respect Celestia," Acid starts with a nervous chuckle. "She's getting old and kind of not keen on me, especially considering you personally dictated me as next in line for cabinet position," Celestia sighs and nods in agreement.

"That is true," She pauses and thinks. "I will grant it, but I might ask, why?"

"I've noticed I have about twenty-five percent more activity during the later hours," Celesia nods again. Acid nods back before turning and walking out of the throne room. Celestia waits before turning to her royal bat guard next to her.

"Get me a list of bat ponies he could have met," Celestia says as the bat pony salutes and flies off. "Firebrand," She turns to the solar guard leader on her other side.

"You want me to do a background check on any member of the guard that he has come in contact with?"

"You read my mind," Celestia smiles as Firebrand walks away.