“You talked, didn't you?”
Lightning's statement, while delivered as a question, couldn't have been more accusatory if she'd tried.
Derpy didn't even try to deny it. “A little bit...”
“It's lucky she did, considering you came back empty-hooved,” cut in Flare, pausing her stretches to make a slight adjustment to her armor.
Lightning opened her mouth to retort but seemed to think better of it, instead turning her attention to the kicking bag and laying into it a few more times. “Iron Hoof said that the pink gunk was a incomprehensible concoction that would need careful study and extreme experimentation.”
“So, we'll be waiting a while then?” asked Derpy.
“She said to come by the next day.”
From the corner of her lazy eye, Derpy noticed the flash of a smile on Flare's lips. “Sounds like her. I had a feeling she'd enjoy the challenge.”
Taking a break from her push-ups, Derpy rolled onto her back to catch her breath. “How did you meet her?”
“Family friend,” said Flare simply, continuing her own set of push-ups beside her. In the silence that followed, it became clear she wasn't going to elaborate.
Derpy went back to her workout checklist and fought the urge to whimper when she saw flight practice was next. Even just rising to all fours was a challenge in her armor. Nevertheless, she spread her wings and started her laps. Snippets of Lightning and Flare’s conversation reached her as she made the rounds.
“So are you like part of a family that has a bunch of high society contacts in Canterlot?” prodded Lightning.
“Iron Hoof would kick you silly if she heard you call her High Society,” replied Flare with a snort. “She's a working pony, and she's proud of it.”
“Still got the biggest shop on Steel Street. Real estate like that doesn't come cheap.”
The conversation faded as Derpy moved away and concentrated on her flying. Something about the armor helped regulate her body's temperature, but that didn't stop fatigue from setting in.
“Dust, I'm not a pony that can 'hook you up',” came Flare's irritated voice as Derpy passed by them again. “I had one favor to call in with Iron Hoof and that was it.”
“Yeah, and then Iron Hoof said you should drop by to visit. Sounds like a little more than just quid pro quo to me.”
Curious as she was, Derpy was more determined to finish the training regiment Tempest had outlined. Her last lap might have been her fastest, despite her protesting wings.
“Yes, I know who Silver Thread is. That doesn't mean I can clap my hooves and move a commission to the front of the line. Try cozying up to Twilight. Rarity is probably better than him.”
Lightning balked at that and turned away from Flare as she finished the last of her cooldown stretches. “Yeah, pretty sure I'd have better luck with Thread,” she murmured under her breath.
“Guards, at attention!”
Tempest's shout rang through the training room and put a halt to further conversation. Derpy quickly landed and scrambled to line up with the others as Tempest moved to inspect them.
“You have a job today, recruits. King Thorax needs an escort to and from Canterlot, and you three will be giving it to him via chariot.”
Lightning scoffed at the news. “Chariot? Did the Friendship Express break down or something?”
“I assume it’s less secure than a personal flight and reserving the entire train is a hassle to other ponies,” replied Flare.
“Right on both counts,” said Tempest. “It’s also the perfect opportunity for some on-the-job training.”
“Bucking knew it,” grumbled Lightning.
Tempest ignored Lightning’s mutter and continued. “For anycreature Twilight wishes you to escort, their safety is of the utmost importance. You must be alert, attentive, and be on the lookout for potential security risks.”
Slowly, Flare raised her wing and waited for Tempest's permission before she spoke. “Shouldn't King Thorax have his own guards?”
“Yes, he should, but he doesn't like bringing them to Ponyville, which is why you'll be the escorts.”
The lecture resumed and the details slowly began to get more complex. Royalty was given some leeway in what they could request of a guard, but only so far as it didn't compromise their safety or go against Twilight's orders. There were even guidelines as to when and where it was appropriate to touch or speak to who they were guarding.
“And you can expect all of these instructions to vary depending on the royalty in particular,” concluded Tempest.
“Wow! I didn't know guard duty was so complicated. Don't worry, I don't really have any special orders.”
Tempest's head slowly turned towards the brightly colored changeling sitting behind her, looking quite attentive. “King Thorax, how long have you been sitting there?”
“Oh! A few minutes now! I didn't want to interrupt. Your lectures are very intense.”
Derpy tried her best not to giggle at that and almost succeeded, but the small sound that escaped her earned a glare from Tempest.
“We've just about concluded the briefing, so if there's anything you would like to add, this is a good time,” continued Tempest stiffly.
“Um...I don't actually mind all that much if you want to talk to me,” said Thorax as he addressed the three pegasi directly. “I like meeting new ponies.”
Tempest's eyes narrowed.
“I-I suppose my safety should be the first thing on everypony's mind?” added Thorax with a glance to Tempest who nodded ever so slightly. “So...uhh...maybe only a little small talk?”
“If you insist, King Thorax,” replied Tempest smoothly. “The chariot has been prepared outside. You'll leave within the hour.”
Thorax's eyes seemed to light up with excitement. “Oh! A chariot? I've never ridden in one of those before! Is something wrong with the Friendship Express?”
---
While the chariot looked simple enough on the surface, there were an impressive amount of magical features hidden within. A shield to part the wind, a 'sticky' spell to keep the occupants grounded, and a stabilizer to stop it from tilting over. Even the basic harnesses at the front had an air of quality about them.
“Who will be pulling?” asked Thorax curiously.
The three guards shared a glance. “Me and Lightning,” said Flare quickly. “Derpy will ride with you and keep a lookout.”
“Really? I don't mind pulling. I'm not that tired from my workout.”
“Maybe next time,” murmured Flare with a side-glance to Lightning. The silent thought between them, 'When we don't have a living passenger'.
“Oh, okay. You’re probably faster than me,” Derpy conceded.
“Are you though?” asked Lightning, a small smirk on her lips as she looked aside at Flare. “I've seen you two on the track, and I think Derpy has more flying experience than you.”
“Only as a mail-carrier!” said Derpy.
“And I don't mind taking things a bit slow,” said Thorax from his seat. “This is a really comfortable chariot.”
“I know how to fly just fine, Dust. Not every good flyer tries for the Wonderbolts,” retorted Flare.
“Tell ya what, I'll go half speed for your sake,” taunted Lightning. “Wouldn't want to spin out or anything.”
Flare didn't respond. Instead she took off, the chariot lurching into the sky slightly askew as Dust was forced to catch up to Flare's pace. It didn't take her long, though, and soon she matched her wingbeat for wingbeat.
Lightning grinned. “Oh good, I was starting to think this would be a boring flight.”
“I really don't mind a boring flight,” insisted Thorax, squirming in his seat as the coach picked up speed.
“Um...maybe we should take it slow-eep!” The chariot lurched again as Lightning pulled ahead this time, nearly throwing Derpy back. Fortunately she was kept steady by the sticking charm.
“At least they're enjoying themselves,” squeaked Thorax while he gripped at the chariot’s seat. Derpy could only take him at his word as she was too busy huddling next to him as their speed continued to build. The ground was becoming a blur and any cloud foolish enough to be in their path was instantly dissipated.
“Nice to see your family guard training wasn't just learning how to stand around all day,” prodded Dust, putting on another burst of speed. Flare didn't respond verbally, instead she pumped wings to match Lightning's increasingly demanding pace.
In the back, Derpy and Thorax clung to each other and whimpered.
---
“Does that carriage look a little fast to you?”
Tilting his helmet slightly, the royal guard looked to the sky. The chariot in question was streaking through the clouds, leaving a golden trail behind it in addition to the twin trails of the pegasi pulling it.
“Seems a little quick. We expecting anypony?”
“King Thorax, but he's not due for another half hour.”
Both of the guards watched as the carriage zoomed past the outpost. The guard who'd spoken first suddenly tensed. “Could be an emergency! Send a message and get a rapid response team ready to intercept them, along with medics and a love donor.”
---
“Well I sup-suppose that's one way to av-avoid small talk,” said Thorax shakily as he slowly let go of the equally shaken Derpy. “And we did get here a lot fa-faster than the train.”
“Honestly I thought pulling this thing would be harder,” said Lightning as she shook off the harness. “You're not a bad wingmare, Flare. You should fly more.”
Flare elected not to respond, instead taking the opportunity to catch her breath and not fall to the ground in an undignified, exhausted heap.
“Oh come on, I wasn't that fast, was I?” Only then did she finally turn and see Thorax and Derpy, both still shaking slightly. “Ah...crap.”
The sound of numerous hoofbeats became audible a moment before the landing platform swarmed with guards, several unicorns and earth ponies on the ground while a squad of pegasi took to the sky. At the head of the herd was none other than Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor.
Derpy barely had any time to extract herself from Thorax and make it to a standing position before Cadance was there.
“Thorax! Are you okay? Was something chasing you? Do you need an emergency love dose?” With each question, Cadance pressed a little bit closer until she was practically touching her muzzle to Thorax’s own.
“What? No, nothing like that! I'm fine, really!” assured Thorax. His hooves flailed slightly as he was nearly bowled over.
“Then why was your cart moving so fast?” asked Shining.
Thorax hesitated for a moment as he looked toward Lightning. “I...thought I was going to be late for the meeting today, so I asked Lightning Dust to go as fast as she could. I guess I didn't realize just how fast that was.”
Lightning stiffened, the flash of surprise clear on her face, but only Derpy had been paying attention.
“Really? That's all?” asked Shining skeptically.
“That's all, really,” said Thorax a bit more confidently. “And well, truth be told, I'd never been in one of these before, so I wanted to have some fun.”
Shining sighed and lit his horn to send a signal flare up into the sky to call back the hovering pegasi. “Alright then. Just make sure to slow down when you get near Canterlot in the future.”
“Our deepest apologies, Prince Armor. We’ll be more careful,” assured Flare. “If there is nothing more, we would be happy to leave King Thorax in your care.”
“Actually-” began Shining.
“Not now dear, we have a meeting to get to,” interrupted Cadance. “You'll have plenty of time to play the overprotective big brother later.”
“What? I wasn't-”
“You were. Now thank the guards and let's go say hello to my aunt.”
Shining briefly hung his head in defeat before turning to Flare and saluting. “Thank you for escorting Thorax to Canterlot.”
Derpy and Dust mirrored the salute, holding it until the royal procession had departed. Only when they were out of sight did Flare finally speak. “Shining is going to be trouble for us.”
“What? Why?” asked Lightning.
“Because we're Twilight's royal guards and Twilight is his sister.”
---
The upper reaches of Canterlot City were some of the most luxurious in Equestria. Large mansions held noble families stretching back generations along with influential business leaders and those with political clout. The shops were of a similar class, selling luxury goods and services that only the most wealthy would even bother to look at.
Steel Street stood in defiance of all of that. Cutting a swath right through the heart of Canterlot's noble quarter, the buildings and shops along the wide street were simple, utilitarian, and owned by ponies who were skilled and devoted to their craft. The trio had barely set hoof in the district, and already the sound of hammers working metal filled the air.
“Heard a rumor once that Blueblood's family tried to buy out all the property here,” said Flare. “Something about how this street was a blemish on Canterlot. Might have succeeded, too, but then Iron Hoof cornered him.”
“Did she beat him up?” asked Lightning.
“No idea, but ever since then, nopony in the Blueblood family comes within a mile of this street. I imagine they enjoy a lot of protection from Celestia though, considering they supply the bulk of Canterlot's armor and weapon commissions.”
“Was our armor made here too?” inquired Derpy.
“If not, then it was still probably made with Iron Hoof's techniques. They're standard practice in the industry now.”
Lightning smirked. “You know a lot about this, don't you?”
“It's called a hobby. Lots of ponies have them.”
“Hey, no need to get defensive about it.”
Flare opened her mouth but seemed to change her mind. “Right, sorry. This is the place.”
Iron Hoof's Armory was easily the biggest shop on Steel Street, stretching the length of at least three of the other storefronts. Unlike the others, there were no displays outside, and nothing seemed to be visibly on sale. Aside from a large sign across the front, it would have been indistinguishable from a common warehouse.
“She doesn't show off very much, huh?” asked Derpy.
“Iron Hoof says her work speaks for itself,” replied Flare smugly.
When they pushed open the large double doors, the three pegasi were immediately blasted by a wave of heat and noise. Lined up along the back, several dozen forges were lit and ponies of all tribes were hard at work, banging metal into shape and keeping fuel in the fires. The layout looked chaotic at first, but there was an inherent method in the madness. The armory was sectioned off with specialty areas for delicate magic work, metal shaping, and an area for the younger apprentices.
Derpy's eyes wandered back and forth as she took in the sights but at the same time she noticed something different about Flare as well. Her posture was more relaxed, and the hint of a smile touched on her lips. She moved with confidence as she led them through the chaos toward the apprentice area and before long a deep, booming voice made itself heard above the clash of metal.
“Don't shy away from the heat! Face the forge and own it! Fear will only get you burned!”
It didn't take long to find the speaker. With a brown coat and a dirty golden mane, Iron Hoof stood above every other pony in the shop and then some. Coated with soot and carrying a heavy looking tool belt, she paced in front of a group of young ponies as she spoke.
“Respect the forge but do not fear it. Timidity and over-caution will only lead to mistakes and injuries. Above all else, do not let your mind wander, no matter how simple your task may be. Complacency leads to shoddy, substandard work, and there will be none of that in my shop. You all have your assigned mentors. Find them, and show them that you are ready to learn.”
At her final word, the group dispersed, leaving only the guards. Iron Hoof's stoic face almost immediately turned upward into a smile at the sight of them. “Well now, there's a face I haven't seen in an age and a half.”
Flare stepped forward. “It's good to see you again, Iron Ho-oof!” Flare's wings spread as the much larger Earth Pony practically enveloped her with a crushing hug.
“Calling in a favor...when did you get so cheeky, Flare? You know I'd do anything to help a desperate friend.” Releasing the unsteady pegasus, Iron clapped a hoof on her shoulder, making Flare's legs buckle slightly.
“I didn't think I still had that status after what happened,” replied Flare, her voice slightly shaky and breathless.
“Nonsense! That wasn’t your fault and I won't hear another word about it. Now about this pink monstrosity.” Gesturing with her leg, Iron Hoof led the trio towards the back of the shop where many of the unicorns were at work. “I've seen plenty of magical dyes in my time, but none that could fuse this tight.”
Flare's eyes widened. “You mean to say that it actually adapted to the armor and fused without side effects?”
“That's exactly what I'm saying,” said Iron Hoof with a grin.
“So that means you must have tried isolating the disparate magics and unraveling them first,” theorized Flare, thoughtfully. “But if it was that simple, you wouldn't have needed an entire day.”
“Right again. That Pinkie is a madmare through and through.” Pushing her way through to the back room, the trio were treated to the sight of what had to be Iron Hoof's private forge. The magic in the air hung as thick as the heat, with rows of well worn tools lining the walls and examples of her craftsmanship filling the shelves. Even Lightning Dust looked impressed at the sight. Derpy was similarly awestruck but Flare's attention was immediately drawn to the covered armor standing on display in the center.
“So if you couldn't separate the enchantments, that means you must have had to rework the spell on a fundamental level and adapt it to the armor,” concluded Flare.
“Close, but you have it backwards,” said Iron Hoof with a grin.
“You reworked alicorn magic?” The awe in Flare's voice was obvious.
Iron chuckled. “Wouldn't be the first time. Take a look for yourself.” Raising a hoof, the armorer pulled the sheet aside and unveiled her work.
Derpy's eyes widened. The colors were almost the same and the armor itself looked similar, but it wasn't the same armor they had sent off with Lightning Dust yesterday. Something had fundamentally changed about it. Instead of giving off an intimidating aura, it radiated a commanding feeling instead. One that inspired confidence in its mere presence.
The black colors were still imposing in their own way, but they seemed to blend together with a more consistent tone. Even though she hadn't really followed Iron Hoof's explanations or Flare's questions, Derpy could still look at the armor and feel the changes...and she felt it had changed for the better.
“Am I going crazy, or does that armor look nicer than before?” asked Lightning, giving a voice to Derpy's thoughts.
“It's not just you,” answered Flare. “There's a lot going on here on a magical level, just like with our own armor.”
“It's good to see that your senses are still sharp after all this time,” complimented Iron.
“It's only because you pounded the lessons into me so hard that I'd never forget them.”
Derpy gasped. “You mean she was your teacher?”
“Years ago,” said Flare, her smile faltering a bit. “I'm sorry for distracting you, Iron. We should get this packed up.”
The idea had barely finished leaving her mouth when the door to the back room burst open. Four heads turned just in time to see an orange pegasus loudly proclaim, “Where's my little sister at?”
Flare's good mood seemed to evaporate instantly at the sound of Flash Sentry's voice, her expression returning to the carefully stoic one Derpy was used to seeing. “Hello Flash, what are you doing here?”
“Since when did I need an excuse to see my little sis?” replied Flash jovially, swooping in for a hug, only to find himself stopped short by Iron’s heavy hoof.
“You don't, but you do need an excuse to be back here in my private workshop,” interrupted Iron Hoof.
Flash waggled a wing and chuckled. “Sorry Miss Hoof. I heard my sister was back in Canterlot and I wanted to catch her before she caused another security freakout.” Behind him, Flare rolled her eyes at that comment, before going stony faced again when Flash turned towards her. “Mom and dad were hoping to celebrate your appointment to Twilight's Guard. How long ar--”
“I'm here on business,” said Flare shortly. “And I don't have time off yet.”
Derpy squeaked. “We don't? But what about-mmph!”
“Not now,” murmured Lightning as she muffled Derpy with her hoof. Fortunately, Flash hadn't seemed to notice.
“You don't? I didn't take Princess Twilight for the tyrant type,” said Flash playfully. “Are you sure you can't spare a little time? At least let them get some pictures of you in guard armor? They were worried you’d have to start working as an apprentice again.”
Iron Hoof's eyes narrowed. Flare looked as though she wanted to sink into the ground. Lightning moved before either of them could say something, interjecting herself between Flare and Flash with a quick flap of her wings. “Hey buddy! What part of Royal Business' and 'Restricted Area' wasn't clear to you?”
Flash jerked back in surprise. “Huh? But I-”
“You're getting in the way of our work. Do you really want your name to come up when Twilight asks why we were late?” Lightning pressed, taking a step forward and making Flash back up a pace.
“What? No, I just-”
“Then get out of here!”
Flash blinked and looked over at Flare. “Sis?”
“Just go, please,” Flare said, not meeting his eyes.
“You heard her. Outta my shop,” Iron Hoof added.
Flash opened his mouth as if to say something then shook his head. “I guess I'll see you later... when you are not busy...” he said and made his way to the door.
“We should get going,” murmured Flare once the door had swung shut.
A hoof rested on her shoulder. “You know you're always welcome back here,” said Iron quietly.
Flare managed a small smile. “Thank you Iron, but I'm satisfied where I am right now.”
Even if the blatant lie wasn't fooling anypony, nopony spoke as the armor was gathered up and secured in the crate.
---
“So is that why you didn't want to take a position in Canterlot?” asked Lightning when the three of them made their way back to Canterlot Castle. The armor had been placed on a cart, forcing them to walk instead of fly as Lightning pulled it along.
Flare sighed. “Can we not talk about this? Preferably ever?”
“Fine...so long as you can think of something more interesting to talk about.”
Flare sighed. “No, it's not just him. It's my whole family. They've been serving as royal guards for over ten generations now. They have awards and accolades dating back over eight hundred years.”
Lightning let out a low whistle. “I'm guessing your career path was set even before you got your cutie mark.”
“Oh they were happy to let me try other things,” said Flare with a snort. “So long as I kept up with weapon training, politics, and court etiquette.”
“Etiquette class? Doesn't sound like it stuck all that well,” teased Lightning.
“Hilarious. Flash thought he was incredibly clever for coming up with that joke too. You two would get along great.”
“Maybe if he learned to read a room,” retorted Lightning. “Is your entire family that overbearing?”
“Only since our great ancestor Magnus up and appeared out of the blue,” grumbled Flare. “Now they’re more than overbearing, they’re downright insufferable.”
Lightning's eyes widened. “Whoa, wait. Flash Magnus? The legendary Pillar of Equestria guy? Does that mean you're-”
“Related? Yes. Now my parents think everypony in the family is destined for this job.” Flare sighed. “Going to Ponyville clearly wasn't far enough.”
“Um...if it makes you feel better, I'm really happy you're my co-worker,” said Derpy suddenly. “Even if it wasn't your first choice, you're still really good at it, and you really helped us out with the armor.”
Flare smiled, her annoyance fading. “Thank you, Derpy. It's certainly been an experience to say the least.”
“At least Iron Hoof seems willing to take you back,” added Lightning. “This wasn't my first career choice either, but I'm pretty sure my bridge got smashed and the pieces set on fire.”
“I've been wondering about that,” said Flare. “It's fairly obvious you didn't leave the Wonderbolts by choice.”
“Let's just say that I miiiiight have endangered our current employer's life at one point.”
Derpy nearly stumbled. “You mean Twilight?!”
“Hard to imagine anything could endanger an alicorn,” said Flare.
“She wasn't always an alicorn,” reminded Lightning as they came to a stop in front of the golden chariot that would see them back to Ponyville. “Still, she was willing to take me on as a guard, so I suppose it's in the past now. Spitfire though? She’s got a longer memory and keeps grudges.”
Derpy burned with questions, but it didn't seem like Lightning wanted to talk any more about it. In the meantime they took seats in the staging area as they waited for the meeting to conclude. Fortunately, they weren't kept waiting long.
Standing at attention, the three pegasi saluted as the various members of royalty and leaders passed by, meeting with their own guards and talking in hushed whispers as they split off. The conversations were impossible to follow, but Derpy did hear 'changeling' used more than once. It wasn't until a good deal of them had left that Thorax finally became visible.
“King Thorax,” greeted Flare as their charge approached. “I hope this meeting was productive.”
“Well, mostly. But we should really get going before-”
“Thorax! No need to rush,” came a familiar friendly voice above the noise of the crowd.
“-before Shining gets here,” concluded the changeling quietly.
Hot on his hooves and looking as though he'd been trotting to catch up, Shining approached with Cadance and Flurry Heart a few paces behind him. The Princess of Love seemed to have a somewhat strained smile on her face while Shining's own smile didn't quite reach his eyes. His actual target soon became clear as he brushed past Thorax and went straight for Flare.
“We didn't get a chance for proper introductions last time, though I guess you all know who I am,” said Shining casually, even as his eyes were clearly assessing them.
“Flare Warden. My fellow guard ponies are Lightning Dust and Derpy Hooves,” Flare introduced.
Shining gave Derpy a curious look. “I thought your name was Muf-”
“Dear, only special ponies are allowed to call her that,” said Cadance gently. “Now if you're quite finished harassing Twilight's guards-”
“Almost,” said Shining. “The three of you are being trained by Tempest, yes? I was curious to see how that training was coming along.”
“You want to test us,” clarified Flare.
“I did offer Twilight and Tempest advice on putting together a training regiment,” said Shining. “You can't blame me for wanting to know how it's working out.”
“Not at all,” said Flare calmly. “But at the moment, we're on a job for Twilight. It would be rude to keep King Thorax waiting since we are his escort back to Ponyville.”
“Well if Thorax doesn't mind a bit of a delay, I'm sure this won't take long.” Shining gave the changeling a pointed look that made him stiffen slightly.
“Shining, sweetie, what did I tell you about pushing your weight around as a prince?” asked Cadance patiently.
The admonishment from his wife seemed to bring Shining up short. “But Cadance-”
“This isn’t the time or the place for posturing.”
“Yeah, we're kinda drawing a crowd,” murmured Lightning. Despite the rest of the gathered nobles doing their best to feign disinterest and remain in their small groups, their curious glances and twitching ears flicking in their direction gave them away.
“It's okay, Princess, I would be happy to show Shining what I'm capable of,” said Derpy.
The surprise was plain on Cadance's face. “Muffins, are you sure?”
“He's worried about his sister. It's our job as royal guards to reassure him.”
Cadance let out a small sigh and stepped aside. “If you're certain.”
“I'm certain,” said Derpy, stepping forward and ahead of an equally surprised Flare. “So long as King Thorax doesn't mind waiting.”
“I don't mind at all,” cut in Thorax. “There's no rush back to Ponyville.”
Shining glanced towards his wife and waited for her small nod before turning his attention back to Derpy. “Alright then, the test is simple. All you need to do is apprehend me.” His horn glowed and a solid pink magical barrier surrounded him.
Flare frowned along with Cadance. Shining’s shields were legendary for their strength and durability, to the point where even Celestia had some difficulty getting through them. Asking a pegasus to do so seemed downright impossible.
Derpy, however, remained still. In fact, she continued to do nothing at all as she watched the barrier twinkling in front of her. The nobles and dignitaries around them didn’t even bother to disguise their interest any longer and were actively watching the 'challenge'. In silence, a minute passed. Then two.
“Is everything okay?” asked Shining from behind the shield.
“Yep!” said Derpy cheerfully.
“You're not trying to apprehend me?”
“You're not being a dangerous pony. It would be unprofessional for a guard to apprehend a pony that hasn't done anything and isn't suspicious.”
Flare and Lightning both turned to hide their smirks while Cadance openly giggled. “She's right, dear. It’s bad form for a guard to subdue an innocent pony.”
“Alright, how about this?” Shining's horn glowed and created a hole in the shield. Through it he sent a beam of magic straight towards Derpy.
Without moving a muscle, Derpy let the beam strike her. The magic struck and splashed harmlessly off her armor.
To the surprise of everypony gathered, Derpy turned away from Shining and called out. “Lightning, Flare, I need your assistance.”
“Wait, what?” Shining sputtered. “Hold on now-”
“You're a very powerful and potentially dangerous unicorn. As a guard, if the situation calls for it, I shouldn't hesitate to call for backup,” recited Derpy.
“She's absolutely right dear,” repeated Cadance, openly smiling now. “You are a rather dangerous unicorn. Isn't that right, Flurry?”
“Bah!” agreed the tiny alicorn with a nod of her head.
“Hey! Don't you start too!” protested Shining.
Derpy ignored the family drama and huddled with the others. “How do we get past the shield?”
“The armor. If we use that, and then Lightning-” started Flare.
“Heh, I see where you're going with this,” finished Lightning with a grin. “I'll take the back. You two come in at the sides.”
“Make as much contact as possible,” added Flare. “Ready?”
Lightning nodded. “Ready. Derpy?”
Derpy nodded as well. “Go!”
The three pegasi sprung into action, Derpy charging straight at the shield while the other two took to the sky and circled around, their forms briefly a blur.
Quickly turning his attention back to the challenge, Shining reinforced his shield and braced himself right as Derpy made contact. Sparks flew as she turned and struck the barrier with her barrel, slamming Twilight's magic-dampening armor against the surface.
At the exact same moment, Lightning and Flare both charged into the barrier, one from the side and the other directly behind, adding their own armors to the surface area of the shield. The barrier buckled and shimmered, but held, and through the pink color, Derpy could see Shining's hornglow wavering as he struggled to reinforce the shield before it collapsed.
“Lightning, now!” Flare's shouted.
Lightning pulled away from the shield, just enough to make a sharp twist in the air and slam hoof first against it. The magical dome caved in and left a small hole just large enough for her to get through.
Shining turned his horn towards Lightning, but Lightning was faster.
Click! Click! Click!
Derpy fell forward as the barrier collapsed. Shining himself fell sideways on his flank as his forelegs and horn suddenly sported three new restraining bracelets.
Walking forward, Flare hoisted Shining up on his hooves while Lightning supported him on the other side, clearly following Flare's lead as she pulled the bound prince toward Cadance.
“Princess Cadance, we apprehended this dangerous unicorn. We would be happy to turn him over to your custody,” said Derpy cheerfully.
“Manacled and chained, hmm? You’ve saved me some trouble tonight,” murmured Cadance before adding, “I'll take him off your hooves. I hope he wasn't too much trouble.”
“Nothing our guard force couldn't handle,” said Lightning with a proud grin spread on her muzzle.
“Alright, alright, you win,” admitted Shining. “I'm not so full of myself that I won't eat some humble pie. Just don't let me hear of any slacking on your training.”
“Of course not,” said Derpy as she gently removed the bindings from his horns and legs. “Princess Twilight is important to us, too.”
With a nod and another round of farewells, the two groups parted company and the three guards rejoined Thorax. “Sorry to keep you waiting,” said Flare.
“No, no, it's alright. That was really fun to watch,” replied Thorax happily. “Besides, I know the flight back to Ponyville won’t take long.”
Lightning rubbed the back of her neck and sounded sheepish. “Yeah...sorry about that. Thank you for...well, you know.”
“Don't mention it,” said Thorax as he took his seat in the chariot. “We might need to hurry a little bit though. I promised Twilight I'd have lunch with her and Tempest.”
Hiding her relief as she strapped herself into the harness, Lightning grinned at Flare. “I think we can do that. You up for another round, Flare?”
“Oh for the love of...at least wait until we get out of Canterlot you speed addict,” Flare grumbled, even as she strapped herself in beside Lightning.
“No promises,” said Lightning cheekily. This time though, she waited for Flare to prepare herself before she took off which brought the chariot to a much smoother rise.
Derpy smiled as she braced herself against the packaged armor and watched Thorax's pleased look as they picked up speed. Even if it had been a small one, today felt as though they'd achieved a victory that all of them could enjoy.