//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: Lightshield Transforms // Story: A Moon's secret // by LightShieldtheunicorn //------------------------------// The Diamond dogs snarl and drool as ponies flee in terror. There are three: One looks like an ebony-furred French Bulldog. Another is scraggly, and pug-like. They are led by a silvery great dane-looking alpha dog. “Greetings, dear princess!” Says the alpha in the raspy, nasally voice all Diamond Dogs have. “Have your subjects been giving you lots of precious gems on this lovey-dovey holiday?” Celestia lets out a horrified shriek, but quickly regains her composure. “You have no business being on land, Diamond Dogs.” She remarks sternly. “Aww,” The little pug one taunts, clawing herself out of the ground. “Is the nice pony princess going to give her precious jewels away as gifts for us Diamond Dogs?” “Yeah,” The bulldog yips. “Because ponies are soooo nice and friendly?” The alpha chortles. “Haha! She totally will, because she soooo doesn’t have a choice!” Lightshield trudges over to them. He feels like a bear that is caught in nine bear-traps, and these dogs are just a tenth bear-trap that he could honestly care less about. “Mmkay,” He murmurs with a bored glare on his face. “This is getting painfully routine. A bunch of dumb pooches break into the kindgom. They try to steal the stuff, we kick them out. Let’s just get this over with!” “Pooches!” The alpha snaps. “Pooches! Hmph! We have names, you know!” Lightshield’s facial expression changes by zero percent. “That’s great,” He says plainly. “No one cares.” The Alpha points to himself proudly. “I am Buster,” He declares. “This is Buddy,” He points to the bulldog. “And this is Rex!” He points to the pug. “We-” BOOM! Magic erupts like a geyser out of Lightshield’s horn. The sonic blast tosses the dogs in countless directions, screaming all the way until they’re out of sight. Over in Town Square, Luna’s sleep is disturbed by the outcry of a creature soaring over her head, and then a sickening crash somewhere way in the distance. “What in Equestria was THAT?” Asks Guard Number One. “‘Twas a Diamond Dog,” Luna replies gravely. “And it came from that way.” She motions across town, to the area where it flew in from. She jumps out of her bed, and heads in that direction. “Come, guards. We must protect my sister.” “Whoa, whoa, WHOA,” Scootaloo interrupts. “He just straight up blasted them? He just, like, recklessly magic-blasted them across the sky? You WOULD like this dude.” “Watch your mouth, filly,” Luna warns, before continuing. “Meanwhile, my sister was reprimanding him.” “LIGHTSHIELD!” Celestia shouts. “Diamond Dogs can’t fly like ponies can! You could have killed them for all we know! What has gotten into you lately?” “Oh,” Lightshield scowls. “So, what? You’re gonna drag me away from the love of my life to fight some stupid Diamond Dogs, and then complain that I’m fighting them wrong?” He has never felt so open. So unwilling to hide his feelings of anger. He feels bad, in a way, but somehow, it seems like this has been bottled up for longer than he thought. “You are my protector,” Celestia booms. “And if your priority is to hurt others, you can be relieved of your duty.” Lightshield smirks. “Fire me? Great! Then I can be with Luna, and good luck finding anyone better to protect you!” “Oh no,” Celestia half-whispers, shaking her head slowly. “If this behavior persists, you can forget about ever being allowed in my castle again!” “HER CASTLE!” He howls without thinking. By the time he realizes he probably should have said ‘you and Luna’s’ Castle, it has already come out of his mouth. My castle! The voice in his head says, but before he can feel guilty about that, Luna and her Night Guards arrive at the scene. “We heard a commotion,” Luna announces. “Though it seems you’ve already taken care of your Diamond Dog problem. I scorn any canine who thinks he can defeat the noble likes of my coltfriend and sister!” Celestia stomps right up to her. “Luna! Do you know what he did? He blasted three Diamond Dogs with intense magic! He probably killed them!” “He…protected you?” Luna inquires. “Well, YES, but Diamond Dogs aren’t villains! They’re-they’re nuisances! They don’t deserve to be blown up! Besides, they hadn’t even tried to kidnap me yet! They were introducing themselves! Telling us their names!” “Oooo good idea!” Guard Number Two chimes in, playfully elbowing Guard Number One. “We should do that too!” “Yeah,” Scootaloo cuts in again. “I was gonna say… What even ARE the guard’s names?” Luna sighs. “Names I got very wrong. I still regret that to this day.” Back in the story, Luna puts up her hoof. “No need. I already know your names. You’re guards Number One and Two.” Guard Number Two gasps offendedly. “YOU THOUGHT THAT WAS MY NAME THIS WHOLE TIME?” “I’ve gotta say,” A light, squeaky voice interjects. “That’s mighty rude.” “Guard Number 3?” Celestia exclaims. “The only Celestial Guard I ordered today is Lightshield!” Luna blinks a couple times. “I was not aware that you even had a Guard Number Three!” “Well,” Says the third guard, turning away from the princesses and pointing her nose up. “That is some solid disrespect right there.” “ENOUGH!” Lightshield interrupts, then gazes at his marefriend. “Luna, Celestia isn’t letting me sleep today. She isn’t letting me stay up tonight with you! For Hearts and Hooves Day!” The Night Princess gasps, then glowers at her sister. “Is this true?” “Luna,” Celestia cries. “I can’t go through an entire holiday without my most powerful guard!” “Well I can’t go through this holiday alone!” “Oh, this is what you always do! When will you ever put the ponies of Equestria first!” “You always act like you put the ‘ponies of Equestria’ first,” Luna yells.” I guess I’m just not a pony of Equestria to you!” “There are more ponies in Equestria than just you!” Celestia, shouts back, stomping her hoof on the stone pathway. “There are more guards in your court than just my coltfriend.” “He’s more than just your coltfriend! He’s my guard!” Lightshield feels a stinging pain in his stomach when she says that. Coltfriend? Guard? The two options that controlled his life. The only two things he’s ever been allowed to be. But they’re like day and night. They don’t happen together. Just like how Luna and Celestia can’t work together. So then, who is Lightshield? Who is Lightshield if day and night can’t happen at the same time? That’s it! Lightshield thinks to himself. That’s why I can’t be with Luna! That’s why my friendship with Celestia is falling apart! It’s not because I can’t be a guard, and a boyfriend, and a best friend at the same time! If they want a relationship with me, they can’t be princesses! “He’s my guard too!” Luna growls at Celestia, who looks like she’s about to blow up like the Diamond Dogs. As the princesses bicker, the guards give each other uncomfortable glances. They laugh a little, but the we’re-totally-out-of-place-in-this-situation tension is still in the air. “Well,” Guard Number Two exclaims briskly. “Here we go again!” “Yup,” Guard One sighs. “Just another day in Equestria Kingdom!” Guard Three whinnies. “I can’t believe they don’t know our names!” “I love it here!” Guard Two snarks. “Don’t we all!” Says One. They pause for a moment to roll their eyes at all the yelling. Guard Two groans softly. “Ok, seriously, I’m starting to hate both of the princesses.” “Well, uh…” Guard One winks at Guards Two and Three. “I just remembered we’ve got that thing to do in that other place!” She starts slowly backing away from the argument. “Ah, but of course!” Guard Two grins and backs away too.“Yes, let us go do that thing!” “I agree!” Guard Three nods and follows them. “‘Tis a very important thing!” “WAIT!” A sharp voice whispers to the guards. “Hi there, Shadowblade! Eclypsa, you look exhausted. Nice armor, Skychaser. Is that new? Anyway, please, allow me to escort you back to the palace.” It’s Lightshield, who is sneaking away from the princesses himself. “Lightshield?” The guards breathe in unison. The royal protector smiles at how pleasantly surprised they all look that he remembered their names. “Yes, indeed,” He boasts, prancing quietly in front of them to lead the way. “Come, come. There is so much work to do!” And as patches of his fur shift from white, to grey, to pitch black, he chuckles wickedly. “Hold on to your horseshoes, ‘cause there’s a new ruler of Equestria in town.”