//------------------------------//
// Epilog: Second Tour? 
// Story: Why She Serves 
// by Natedogg2006 
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"FALL IN!"

Fizzlepop Berrytwist barked out the order. She gave no warning to it as she walked through the gates of the court yard, and didn't disguise her approval at the response. The groups of ponies around her began moving quickly and efficiently towards their designated positions. Their movements came to an almost simultaneous halt several steps before she made it to her own position. 

Three straight and evenly spaced lines stood before her, a sight that made the side of her mouth rise in just the smallest perceivable way. She slowly took a lap around the formation, speaking with a hint of pride as she did so. 

"Very nice. You all seem to know what I expect." She noted that the lines even had the correct distance between them, a detail even fully trained soldiers sometimes slacked off on. "As to be expected from my first graduating class." Making her way behind them she didn't spot any of the telltale signs that they were letting their gazes wander while she couldn't see their faces. "I will have high expectations for all of you, but I have the utmost confidence that you all will deliver."

She made it back around to the front of the formation and paced the length a few times. She let a smile come to her face. It was going even better than she could have hoped for. She only noticed one small issue to deal with. 

She suddenly came to an abrupt stop, turning on a hoof and coming back to stare into the now refocused eyes of a taller than average, dark coated mare. 

"What exactly were you looking at cadet?"

"Sorry ma'am."

"I didn't ask for an apology cadet, I asked what you were staring at. Now what were you staring at?"

In response she broke formation, though Fizzlepop supposed it was warranted. She raised a hoof to point just past her commanding officer's shoulder. 

Fizzlepop let her smirk return to her face as she knew what was coming next. Indeed, she heard a familiar voice come from just behind her with an only slightly exasperated tone. 

"Fizz."

"Princess on deck!" She turned on a hoof to see Twilight giving her a tired glare. "Present arms."

Twilight rolled her eyes as the assembled ponies raised hooves to foreheads in perfect unison. Fizzlepop smiled with pride. 

"At ease." Fizzlepop's smile increased at the sounds of more precision movement behind her even from Twilight's unenthusiastic command. 

"To what do we owe the honor of your presence this morning your highness?" Twilight couldn't help but to notice the sarcastic tone that crept into the soldier's voice. 

"Just what do you think you're doing down here Fizz."

"Your highness, it's my first graduating class from the military academy you gifted to me in all your grace and compassion. Of course I wanted to be the first to see how they performed before I could present them to you."

"So what you're saying is that you haven't told them the great news yet. You know the airship is leaving in thirty minutes right?"

Fizzlepop's smirk became even more smug as she finally broke rank to straighten the collar on her outfit and dropped all pretense of military etiquette from her voice. "Well I was about to until somepony decided to come along and interrupt."

Though they didn't show it outwardly, Fizzlepop did notice several ponies breathing stop for several seconds at that. They only commenced again as their Princess only rolled her eyes and scoffed at the blatant insubordination. "Well I can't travel without my bodyguard, so could you get on with the announcement already."

"You got it Sparky." She turned quickly, only catching the smallest movements as eyes refocused on points a thousand feet in front of them. "I'm happy to announce that your days of enduring torment from me directly are finally at an end. Now that you are all graduated and are old enough to properly join the royal guard, I have the honor of introducing you to the stallion who will be leading your classes bootcamp. Most of you know him in some capacity. My second in command, Morningstar."

On cue, a stallion in full armor began marching from the same entrance Fizzlepop had come from. He came to a stop just behind Twilight and gave a quick salute. 

Removing his helmet, he placed it carefully on the ground before him. "Commander,  your highness, thank you for this opportunity." With his helmet off his short horn, soft pink coat, and well kept mane became much more apparent. 

Fizzlepop smiled at this. "We're technically off the clock Stubby. No need to be so formal to us seeing as we're pretty much stepping on your hooves here."

"And we're sorry for that by the way. If I knew she was planning this I would have kept her in bed longer."

Playing along, he seemed to break rank and give a smile and a little laugh at that. "Not to worry your highness, I know how to deal with commander Edgelord Shadow here."

Fizzlepop played it up, laughing derisively at that. "Oh, is that new brass on your chest going to your head? When exactly did you get so bold?"

He shot back. "I don't know, when exactly did you get so fluffy?"

The three shared a small laugh between them, until the sound of a giggle joined them. Fizzlepop smiled wickedly as her second in command disappeared from in front of her. She turned to find him in the face of a familiar dark coated mare. 

"DID I TELL ANY OF YOU THAT YOU COULD LAUGH!"

The tall mare had obviously been caught off guard and struggled to reply. Her eyes seemed to bulge but her mouth did stop abruptly as he raised a hoof to quiet her. 

"It would appear I have some work to do here. If I may?"

"Proceed as you see fit Captain," Twilight replied. 

"Give em' tartarus," Fizzlepop flashed a wicked smile to the formation. 

Twilight gave Fizzlepop an incredulous look as they exited the courtyard. "Did you two plan that?"

"Of course, but you made it work even better sweety." Fizzlepop leaned over to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. 

Twilight stuck her tongue out before responding. "Well if we're late and have to take a later ship, I'm making sure all the dignitaries at the conference know it was your fault."

Fizzlepop rolled her eyes. "Yes, because the peace conference is the real reason we're going."

"Fizzlepop Berrytwist, how many times do I have to tell you that peace conferences are very important. The fact that it is taking place on an island paradise with some of the most beautiful, secluded, and historically significant beaches in the world is completely irrelevant."

Fizzlepop openly chuckled at the serious face Twilight attempted to put on. "You got me an academy for one of our anniversaries, now this. How exactly am I supposed to keep up with that?"

Twilight now dropped the act and smiled as she nuzzled her marefriend as they walked. "It's only our third year together, I'm sure you'll think of something someday."

Fizzlepop laughed darkly. "Pretty sure I already have."

Twilight now seemed confused and interested. "This doesn't have anything to do with the letters you and Shining Armor have been sending back and forth does it? Because you know he still owes you for that last stunt you pulled on him and he's not above getting his revenge through me."

The laugh Fizzlepop now gave sounded downright evil. "Guess you'll just have to wait and see."

Twilight let out a sigh. "Why do I put up with you?"

"Because if you were to ever break up with me I'd probably try to conquer Equestria just so you can reform me again and honestly who needs to deal with all that paperwork?"

"That can't be it, I like reforming villains and doing paperwork." She pretended to give her own question some thought. "I guess it must be love."

The look Twilight gave Fizzlepop at that moment made her smile. "Yeah, I guess so." She raised a hoof to check her jacket pocket, and smiled wider.