Spitfire was right to suggest Guard training—I’ll be flying past Rainbow Dash in my own Wonderbolts uniform in no time! To top it off, I’m at the Grand Galloping Gala! I mean sure, I’m on duty—but at least I’m here!
Lightning Dust’s head was spinning. She knew that the Wonderbolt Academy would do her wonders, but she never thought it would lead to all of this. When it was suggested that military training would help with her disciplinary issues, she had to agree, albeit reluctantly.
Especially given that tornado incident…
Never in her dreams did she imagine that all that trouble would somehow lead her to the Grand Galloping Gala… with him…
Well, she wasn’t with him per se, but she was here because of him. That had to count for something, right?
No! Get those thoughts out of your head—he’s married. To a princess! And with a foal on the way! What makes you think you’ve even got a chance? Besides, considering his honor as Captain of the Guard, he’d never have a fling.
But dayum, he looks so fiiiiiiiine in that outfit…
Prince Shining Armor was making his rounds, ensuring that all of his troops were in position and ready, just in case something unexpected should occur. His whole company appeared to be properly placed, alert and at attention.
All except one.
Shining Armor approached the glassy-eyed pegasus. “Cadet Dust!”
The mare instantly snapped into a salute. “Sir yes sir!”
“Even if your transfer is temporary, you are being treated as an official member of the Crystal Guard; I expect you to act with the same professionalism I would expect from any of my soldiers. So stand at attention—you are on duty!”
“Yes sir! Sorry sir!”
The prince placed a hoof on her shoulder and lowered his voice. “Listen, Lightning Dust… I'm helping you as a favor to Spitfire. She sees real potential in you—some proper discipline will do you good. You’ve progressed nicely under my training, and you’re just about finished, but this is no drill. Think of this as your final exam. You need to be on your guard, got it? No daydreaming. Celestia forbid we have another attempted invasion like we did at my wedding, I want to be prepared.”
“Y-yes sir! Apologies sir!”
“Very good. Now if you’ll excuse me, I think my sister is in a state of distress… again…”
He touched me! He actually touched me!
Lightning Dust sighed, allowing her eyes to follow Shining Armor as he continued his rounds.
I don’t care who he’s married to… I may never be this close to Shining Armor again. Even if they throw me in the dungeon, I’m getting a piece of that stallion before this night is over! Just as she finished the thought, another passed through her mind. But I’m on duty! I can’t leave my post, not after what he just said to me! Damn it! I’ll just have to figure out some other way…
As the night progressed, Lightning Dust grew more and more impatient over the thought of her captain’s hooves tracing down her barrel. She managed to keep alert—and her wings down—but every now and then she would slip back into her fantasies for a few moments. After what seemed like forever, she saw Shining Armor exit into the castle garden.
This was the cadet’s chance; she made a brief once-over of the vicinity. She accosted a mare wearing a gown of multi-colored woven streamers conveniently coming out of the restroom, placing the mare in her own guard position.
“Stay there and hold this. I’ll be back soon. Thanks,” Lightning Dust called as she galloped toward the garden after her target, leaving the bewildered gala guest holding a spear.
As Lightning Dust made her way to the entrance of the garden, the voice of some hysterical mare echoed behind her. “STREAMERS! I SAID NO STREAMERS!” Though she thought she had heard the sound of a spear clanging to the floor, Lightning Dust paid none of it any mind.
My stallion awaits!
Lightning Dust located her captain in the garden in a matter of minutes. He was alone; it was the perfect opportunity.
“Captain?”
Shining Armor spun toward the sound, frowning as he discovered its source. “Cadet Dust! What did I just finish talking to you about earlier? Why are you away from—”
“Somepony reliable is covering for me, sir.”
“Who in Equestria—”
“I’m sorry, sir. I just needed to, uhh, speak with you.”
Though he was not keen on being interrupted, Shining Armor sighed. “Very well. What’s the issue, Cadet? Speak quickly—you need to be back at your post immediately. You’re on thin ice here.”
“Understood, sir.”
As the pegasus approached her captain, she tried to think of the right words that might cause the stallion to lower his guard, if only for a moment.
“I wanted to thank you, Captain Armor. I thought that I knew everything I needed to know about becoming a Wonderbolt when I was accepted to the Academy…” She continued her approach. “When Spitfire told me I lacked discipline, I didn’t want to listen, but training under you has proved her right. It has been an honor and a privilege, and it’s helped me so much. I know I must have been trouble for you, so I wanted to really thank you.”
Shining Armor shook his head. “Couldn’t this have waited until after the Gala, Cadet?”
It’s not working. I’ll just have to go for it, Lightning Dust thought to herself. “No, Captain. I had to do this now. It might be my only chance.” Her steady trot brought her into her captain’s personal space.
“Cadet, what are you—”
Lightning Dust then began her own invasion, but not the kind that her captain was prepared for.
Princess Twilight Sparkle stood on the castle balcony, breathing deeply. Princess Luna had tired of listening to the younger alicorn’s rant, and returned to the dance floor. Now that the offending mare was out of her mane—and in lunar orbit—Twilight attempted to compose herself before going back inside. She had a date to attend with the handsome—and now terrestrially unattached—Flash Sentry.
As Twilight leaned on the balcony railing, she closed her eyes and let out a long, deep sigh of satisfaction. When she opened them again, she looked down into the garden. A light green pegasus in uniform and a blue-haired stallion adorned in medals appeared to be locking lips.
Rage filled Twilight's eyes once again. However, the dreaded thought of another mare attempting to steal her beau was dismissed when a second glance at the stallion in question revealed him to be a white unicorn, not her beloved orange pegasus. Twilight smiled at the thought of kindling love at the gala. Oh, how jealous Rarity would be!
Twilight watched the pair for a moment; the unicorn appeared to be struggling with who Twilight assumed was a mare—though after a few international faux pas, she had learned never to make assumptions. Feeling it would be a bit strange to spy, she turned and began heading back inside. Young love—it was the very thing her sister-in-law loved to see. The thought caused Twilight to do a double-take. White unicorn? Blue hair? Medals? Twilight rushed back to the railing, and her jaw dropped before she took in another deep breath.
“CAAAAADAAAAAAAAAAAANNCE!”
As Princess Cadance stepped out of the powder room for the fourth time this hour alone—she’d be so very glad when this foal was out of her!—she heard a voice screaming her name through the open window. Though it was not uncommon for mares to scream her name in the throes of passion, it sounded a tad different from the usual exclamation.
Recognizing the voice, Cadance focused energy to her horn, concentrated on an image of Twilight in her mind, and teleported immediately to the balcony. Facing the door and finding nothing, she whipped around and saw the distressed mare leaning over the railing.
“Twilight! What’s the matter? Are you alright?” she asked, waddling to her sister-in-law’s side.
Twilight stood there, bug-eyed, her teeth clenched so tightly they were grinding the enamel to dust. Her outstretched hoof pointed towards the garden, where Cadance spied a familiar-looking figure locking lips with a pegasus in uniform.
“Is that my husband?” Cadance asked, with what Twilight assumed was shock. The younger alicorn nodded her head slowly, expecting a terrifying outburst from her former foalsitter. Instead, Cadance’s expression softened and she let out a small “awww.”
“What do you mean, ‘awww’?” Twilight cried as she snapped her head toward her fellow princess. “He shouldn’t be doing that with another mare!”
“Naaah, it’s fine. I mean, she is kinda cute… I just can’t believe Shiney didn’t invite me to the party! I guess I’ll have to fix that.” Cadance beat her wings and slowly descended from the balcony toward the garden. “Don’t wait up for us!”
Twilight’s jaw dropped to the floor before she fell backwards onto her rump.
Oblivious to the shout above due to the sudden attack, Shining Armor continued flailing his hooves. He tried to say something, but the cadet’s grip was strong enough to keep them from separating.
After a couple of seconds, Lightning Dust released her hold on the captain and slowly opened her eyes as he fell to the ground. Neither the satisfied mare nor the appalled captain noticed the approaching shadow.
“Oh, that was just as good as I thought it’d be…” Lightning Dust sighed. “Can we do it again before I go back to my post?”
Shining Armor’s eyes went wide. “Cadet Dust! What in Celestia’s name is wrong with you? You know full well that I am happily married—with a foal on the way, mind you—and would never do… that!”
“Awww, why not?”
Cadet and captain both gasped, stepping away from each other as Princess Cadance descended from above, landing snugly between them.
“C-C-Cadance!” Shining Armor stammered. “I-I-I swear I didn’t mean for this to happen! I had no intention of—”
“And I repeat: why not?” Cadance stared into Shining Armor’s eyes and grinned. “Your cadet is obviously looking for some action. Why don’t we give her some?” Cadance’s grin transformed into a smirk as she cocked a brow at her husband, whose jaw dropped to the ground. Cadance turned around to address the pegasus. “What’s your name, Cadet?”
“Luh… luh-luh-luh… Lightning D-D-Dust, Y-Y-Your Highness.” Her expression mirrored that of her captain.
“Ahh, yes. I heard about you—special request from the Wonderbolts. Quite a long trip you made for it, too. So, you’ve taken a shine to my husband? What have you got to say for yourself?” Princess Cadance showed no sign of sternness or irritation, which confused Lightning Dust greatly.
“I… uhh… I’m going to go back to my post,” Lightning Dust said as she quickly turned around to go to the garden’s exit. Unfortunately for her, Princess Cadance teleported in front of her before she could get out.
“Just a moment, Cadet. Didn’t you want another go at your captain?”
Lightning Dust’s eyes were as wide as dinner plates. The gears in her head seized; this was not what she expected from the Crystal Princess. When the gears started up again, the pegasus allowed the princess’s words to sink in. This was the opportunity of a lifetime, but first she had to make sure she wasn’t misinterpreting anything.
“You… you don’t mind, Your Highness?” Lightning Dust asked with hesitation.
“Hey, if he’s good enough to gain my affections, I would have been appalled if my husband didn’t draw eyes from other mares,” Cadance responded with a shrug. “How could I call myself the Princess of Love if I withheld that very thing from my subjects?”
“You’d really be okay with me… and your husband—”
“You’d just need to be willing to give that tongue of yours a workout at the same time,” Cadance purred as she slid a hoof along Lightning Dust’s cheek.
“B-but Princess, in your condition—”
“You wouldn’t believe how horny being pregnant has made me…”
“Don’t I get a say in this?” Shining Armor called from a few feet away, still lying on the ground.
“Well, I can take the pretty little pegasus all by myself, and leave you to guard—”
“Objection withdrawn, ma’am,” Shining Armor replied, with a smirk.
Lightning Dust’s eyes glazed over. “So, what you’re asking me, P-Princess… you’re suggesting that we have a thr—”
“Give the mare a prize!” Cadance smiled and turned to her husband. “Hey, Shiny, Spitfire sent you a good one!” Turning back to Lightning Dust, she asked, “So, Cadet Dust, are you in? You’d make your captain and the Crystal Princess quite happy.” Cadance smirked and raised her brows.
“I… uh… well…”
Twilight’s eyes bulged as she fell over the balcony railing, interrupting her sound amplification spell. Her scream was caught in her throat as Cadance’s suggestion filled Twilight’s mind with horrors ripped straight from Discord’s most fevered dreams.
Thankfully, her fall was broken by a handsome pegasus with a blue mane. Turning over to identify her savior, Twilight began twirling her mane with a hoof. “Heh heh, we really need to stop falling—er, running into each other like this,” Twilight said with an embarrassed giggle.
“Ow… Yes, yes we do, Your Highness.
“By the way, have you seen my fiancée?”