//------------------------------//
// Day Three 
// Story: At Her Service: The First Time 
// by WanderingPhysicist 
//------------------------------//

        Tia sighs happily as she lays in bed. She rolls over and snuggles against Night Light’s bare chest, giving it a gentle kiss. The young man sighs as well as he puts an arm around the woman beside him.
        “Tia, I’m sorry.”
        “Me too,’ the young woman coos, “but it seems like three is my limit too.”
        “Not that,” Night Light replies. “Well, technically that but what I mean is, we shouldn’t have done that.”
        Tia frowns. “This is my fault, isn’t it? I forced you into doing something you didn’t want to do, didn’t I?”
        Night Light shakes his head and strokes Tia’s hair. “No. No. I did this to myself.”
        “Well, I think I had a hand in this too” -- she snickers -- “at least until the rest of my body got involved.”
        “Ha ha,” Night Light moans. “I’m sorry, Tia. I shouldn’t have lead you on like this. I let our emotions get the better of both of us. I shouldn’t have done that.”
        Tia sighs and cuddles Night Light. “I’m an adult.” She rolls her eyes. “At least I like to think I am. I fell for you the moment I saw you. When I got to know you, I realized you wouldn’t be here forever. And no matter how attached to you I let myself get, I knew you were going to be leaving me. And when you are gone, I will hate you. Hate you forever for leaving me with a broken heart while you go back to your life.” She rolls on top of Night Light. “Right now, I just wanted to think about how much I love you and screw your brains out. It will give me a modicum of something positive to remember you by when I am sad and alone after you go home.” She kisses him. “Can you give me that much?”
        Night Light smiles. “Are you sure your name isn’t Twilight Velvet and that you followed me through that portal? Because if it is not, I am going to have a hell of a time explaining to her why I am also in love with someone from another universe.”
        Tia laughs, shakes her head and rolls over. “You’re a dick, you know that?”
        Night Light laughs. “So I’ve been told.”
        “You know I am going to snuggle you once you are asleep, right?”
        “Um hm.”
        “And that I am going to screw you before breakfast, right?’”
        “What if Lulu hears us?”
        “She’s a big girl.”
        Night Light kisses Tia on the cheek before rolling over. “I love you, Tia.”
        “I know.”
        They settle down to sleep.
        Tia shifts around in bed. “So, are you good to go again?”
        “Go to sleep, Tia,” Night Light moans.
        Tia laughs and closes her eyes. She jumps when she feels Night Light wrap his arms around her.
        “When you start hating me for leaving you,” he whispers, “feel free to come and find me in my world. I won’t raise a hoof to stop you from rightfully beating the crap out of me.”
        Tia smiles. “It is a date.”
        They laugh and fall asleep, cuddling.

        Night Light stands beside Tia’s car, tying his gauntlets to his wrists. Tia sits half in the car, in the driver’s seat. She is watching the house.
        “I think Lulu is going to be traumatized,” Tia worries.
        “What she saw was completely natural,” Night Light replies. “It is nothing to should be ashamed of or reviled. She’ll get over it.”
        “How can you say something like that about my sister!”
        “Well, now you know to lock the door while you’re on the toilet. It is really your fault that she walked in on you.” He finishes tying his gauntlets. “Just be thankful she didn’t walk in on us after we got up.” He climbs in the passenger’s seat. “Now, let’s stop Discord.”
        Tia moans and gets in the car. “Right. ... How?”
        “Chryssy.”
        Tia looks at her passenger. ‘What?”
        Night Light buckles up. “She knows what Discord is planning. We know that from observing their encounter yesterday. We ask her what he is planning, so we have a better idea what to do to stop him.”
        “And how do we find her?”
        “Aren’t you her friend? You should know.”
        Tia groans and hits her head on the steering wheel. “Ugh. Why does everyone think I am friends with her?”
        “Aren’t you?”
        Tia growls, starts the car and drives away.

        Tia drives around the local mall. She and Night Light watch the patrons from the street as they make a pass around the building.
        “There,” Night Light says, jumping from the car.
        “Wait! Night Light!”
        Tia starts looking for a parking spot as her friend rushes away. He catches a person by the shoulder.
        “You’re a tough one to find.”
        Chryssy groans and turns around. “Listen, I don’t know how those ended up in my purse.”
        Night Light reaches into her purse and pulls out a knife. “And this is just a toothpick.” He tosses the weapon into a nearby shrubbery. “Anyway, I want to ask you about Discord.”
        “Ugh.” Chryssy rolls her eyes and faces her accuser. Tia jogs up behind him. “The less you know about him, the better.”
        “The more we know, the better chance we have to stop him.”
        Chryssy scowls and looks past him. “What is your part in all this? Trying to get on the good side of our teacher by having your knight in shining armor bust me for something?”
        “His armor’s not that shiny,” Tia pants. She catches her breath. “We saw Discord acting strange at school yesterday. We know he is up to something.”
        “And you turn to the campus punk because you think she is in on it,” Chryssy growls. “You know you have a lot of nerve assuming that!”
        “Hey!” Tia shouts back, pushing past Night Light. “We saw you with him too. You know what he is up to. Just help us out, and we’ll forget you had anything to do with it.”
        “My prize for tattling is getting nothing.” She throws her hands up. “Great. Yeah. That is what I really want!”
        “You’ll be doing good for good’s sake. That is more than enough reward.” Tia groans and turns away. “You are always like this!”
        “Me! You’re the one trying to control everyone!”
        Tia turns back and gets in Chryssy’s face. “I do not try to control everything! I am trying to help everyone else have a better life.”
        “Bossy, know-it-all control freak.”
        “Skeevy, two-faced delinquent.”
        The young women growl and butt heads.
        “All right! Stop it!” Night Light groans and forces them apart. “This is unproductive. Discord is causing trouble, and you’re squabbling like foals.”
        Tia glares at Night Light. ‘Why are you grabbing our breasts?”
        Night Light looks at where his hands are placed and backs away.
        “I didn’t say stop,’ Chryssy pouts. She smirks and glances at Tia, seeing her looking upset too. “Oh. My… You have a crush on him!”
        “Shut up!” Tia snaps.
        “Did you..?” -- Tia blushes -- “You did! I’m so jealous.” Chryssy looks at Night Light. “Jealous of you too. I mean, I’ve known her since I was a kid.”
        “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Tia leans towards Chryssy and whispers, “You have a crush on me?”
        Chryssy pouts and a holds up her hand. Her fingers are held a couple centimeters apart. Tia blushes brighter red.
        “Thank you for putting our romantic lives on display,” Night Light grumbles. “But I think we have a more important issue on hoof.”
        Chryssy gives him a confused look. “Why are you talking like that?”
        “I’m from out of town.”
        “Whatever,” Chryssy sighs, rolling her eyes. “You want to know what Discord is planning? He wants to trash the school during the big game today. Some stupid reason. I wasn’t paying attention. He wanted me and my followers to do it for some deniability.” She snorts and looks away. “Like I would do that. That is my turf. We might not be the best students or always act like it, but we’re protecting it from worse threats.”
        “What can be worse than you?” Tia huffs.
        “Naiad,” Chryssy replies. “She isn’t right in the head. Perfect fit for Discord.”
        “Do you think he went to her after you turned him down?” Night Light asks.
        “Very likely.”
        “When was the game?”
        Tia looks at her watch. “This afternoon. That gives us… Get to the car.”
        “Where did you..?”
        “Go!”
        Night Light sighs and starts searching the lot. Tia turns to leave, but Chryssy catches her.
        “Hey. You’re not really going to try stopping Discord on your own, are you?”
        Tia looks back. “Someone has to. If he is going to harm the school, we can’t let that happen.”
        “But he can just turn the whole thing against you,” Chryssy argues. “Can you really take that risk?”
        “To defend everything I hold dear, and yes, that includes school too, I will fight with everything I have.”
        Chryssy smiles. “You were always the crazy, idealist leader type.” She leans in and gives Tia a peck on the cheek. “Be safe, okay?”
        Tia blushes. “I, uh… I wi-... I’m sleeping with Night Light!”
        “Yeah, it took you ten years to realize how I feel, but you bumped uglies with some guy you just met. What kind of person does that make you?”
        Tia growls. “We’ll talk at school. Just don’t chicken out from it.”
        There is a loud whistle from the parking lot. Night Light is standing by Tia’s car. “Are we going to school or what?”
        Tia laughs. She runs off, waving to Chryssy. The other woman laughs and shakes her head. She leans against a wall and watches the others drive off.

        Discord stands in a doorway overlooking the spectators gathering for the football game. He writes in his notebook and turns around. Behind him, a dozen teenagers, all wearing black and yellow clothing, chat and goof off.
        Discord sighs heavily at the youth in front of him. “Listen up, you riff raff. You have a job to do. Chaos to cause. Your targets are the library, science and computer labs, faculty offices… Basically, anything not nailed down or on fire.” -- the teens cackle -- “No fires.” -- the youth moan -- “Okay. Maybe a little fire.” -- some of the youth high five -- “I’ll only allow a minor amount of stealing. Mayhem is more important. Do you have your graffiti stencils?” -- he gets mumbles in response -- “Good. With any luck, we’ll get that ‘Chryssy’ girl too…” He turns. “Anyway. I have a game to watch. You have about forty-five minutes until the first half is through. Have fun.”
        Discord walks away, leaving the teens alone. They get up and head into the school. Some start beating on the lockers. They laugh and are starting to break into groups to spread throughout the school when someone walks out in front of them.
        “All right, boys and girls,” Night Light declares, adjusting his gauntlets, “time to go home before I send you home.”
        Some of the teens get out weapons. One holding a bat steps forward. “Out of the way, old man,” he hisses.
        Night Light puts his helmet on. “Now you hurt my feelings.”
        He walks forward. The lead teen runs at him and swings. Night Light blocks the attack with one arm, cracking the weapon on his armor, and punches the kid in the gut. He steps past the fallen teen and motions for the others to try their luck.
        The teens rush Night Light. The soldier blocks the attacks with his armor and counters the attacks. A young girl slips behind him in the swarm and tries choking him. He backs her into a wall to daze her then throws her at a comrade. That distraction allows another teen to sneak up and try to stab him.
        Night Light turns to face his attacker. “Really? You thought I wouldn’t be prepared for that?” He shakes his chain mail under his shirt. “Say goodnight.” He headbutts the attacker. He turns and wipes his helmet clean. “Next?”
        The few remaining teens look at Night Light and their fallen comrades and run off. Tia peeks around a corner.
        “Is it safe?” the young woman asks. She sees the battlefield. “Geez! There are girls here!”
        “Yeah? And they swung first.”
        Tia rolls her eyes. “Okay. Now what?”
        “Tie them up and wait for the police? I don’t know.”
        “Excuse me?” a voice calls. “Are you there? I had a couple more concerns.” Discord steps into the hallway. He quickly notices his fallen crew and the people standing over them. “Oh crap.”
        Discord tries running, but Night Light chases and catches him before he can get outside. The young man drags the teacher back.
        “Get your hands off me!” Discord shouts. “I’ll have you arrested! Help!”
        “Calm down,” Night Light sighs. “You’ll have your chance to talk.”
        “Talk? About what? I was just coming to use the washroom when I found a gang war in the halls.” Discord fakes surprise. “I am shocked! Simply shocked!”
        “What a load of bullsh-”
        Tia steps forward. “Mr Discord, may I ask why you arranged all this?”
        “Me? This is all an independent affair,” Discord denies. “I’m innocent.”
        Night Light raises a fist.
        Discord glares at the other man. “Hit me and I’ll make sure you’ll never get out of jail.”
        Tia paces behind her friend. “You try recruiting Chryssy, but she turns you down because it would have hurt the school. So you turned to an outside gang. Why is that? Why are you targeting this school?”
        “Oh, I don’t know,” Discord groans. “Maybe because it should burn?”
        “What was that?”
        “You heard me,” Discord growls. “Snobby, elitist brats like you. Always looking down on everyone else. I became a teacher to go back to Everfree and help raise it up. Instead, I was assigned here to babysit you brats. I could have been helping students that really need it.”
        “Really?” Night Light scoffs. “That was your plan? You get sent to the wrong school and decide to trash it as revenge?”
        “I could make a good case for unfit working conditions and request a transfer to Everfree, where I belong.”
        “You belong in jail.” Night Light grabs Discord. “Come on. We’re turning you in.”
        “Right, and how do you explain this?” Discord forces himself free. “You tell them what exactly? That a gang of delinquents was attempting to vandalize the school, you stopped them and I just happened to be in the area at the time? Good luck convincing anyone that I am the big bad masterminding all of this.”
        “He has a point…” Tia huffs.
        Discord looks at her. “Oh, and wait until they hear you were involved. Kiss your valedictorian goodbye.” He laughs. “You have no proof of your claims, and I get everything I want.”
        “Did someone ask for proof?”
        Everyone looks. Chryssy walks down the hall. She has a camcorder in her hands.
        “Good thing I showed up when I did,” Chryssy states. “I might have missed your whole confession.”
        “You don’t have anything,” Discord growls.
        “What are you doing here?” Tia asks.
        Chryssy holds up her camcorder. “I thought I would tape the game. I didn’t know I would be taping more.” She stops by Tia and whispers, “You owe me.”
        Discord snorts angrily. “So, what? You’re going to rat me out? There is still the matter of this mess.”
        “Simple,” Chryssy replies. “You take credit for it.”
        “What?”
        “I get it…” Tia agrees. “Discord found Naiad’s gang destroying the school and fought them off. He gets credit for saving the campus, but it still looks unsafe for him here, so he can go anywhere he wants.” She smirks. “But there is one little problem…”
        “Which is?” Discord groans.
        Tia grins evilly. “You didn’t receive enough damage to have fought off all these thugs on your own.” She puts a hand on Night Light’s shoulder. “Care to help him out?”
        “With pleasure.” Night Light raises a fist again.
        “Not the face!” Discord begs.
        “Pfft. Be a man.”
        Night Light swings his punch. Tia and Chryssy step away while the soldier goes to work.
        “Why did you really come back?” Tia asks.
        “This school is my turf,” Chryssy replies. “I was just helping defend it.” She looks back to see Night Light knee Discord in the chest. “Besides, I couldn’t let you have all the fun.”
        Tia laughs. She turns around to see Night Light helping Discord up and tending to his black eye. Discord’s suit is torn, and he is holding his gut, but he looks otherwise unscathed.
        “Someone order a ‘hero’?” Discord grumbles.

        Tia, Chryssy and Night Light stand by the statue on campus. They watch as police escort Naiad’s gang out of the school. Discord stands by front of the school, holding a bag of ice on his eye and giving his statement to an officer. He keeps looking over at the group by the statue. The officer finishes collecting Discord’s statement and walks away. Discord glares at the group and heads to his car.
        “Looks like we won,’ Chryssy comments, ‘for now.”
        “The school year is almost over,” Tia replies. “He gets to make his move, and we walk at the end of the year.” She turns around. “We’re set.”
        “That’s what you thought about your Fall Formal candidacy,” the other woman counters. “Look where that got you.”
        “I thought I said to never bring that up again.”
        Night Light laughs. “Ladies, as much fun as I have had, I think I should be going.”
        Tia pouts and takes his hands. “Do you have to? You can stay here and make waffles. We’ll go bowling.”
        Night Light smiles and shakes his head. “I have to go. I’ve been gone too long.”
        “Will you ever be back?”
        He closes his eyes and looks away. “I don’t know.” He gives Tia a weak smile. “If I ever can, you know what to do, right?”
        “Can I borrow one of your gloves?”
        They laugh and lean in to touch foreheads. Tia gives Night Light a peck on the lips. She flashes a quick smile and leaps into his arms. He leans against the statue to support them during their makeout session.
        “A! HEM!” Chryssy coughs.
        Tia breaks the kiss and backs away. She adjusts her jeans and rebuttons her shirt. Night Light tucks in his shirt and pulls up his pants.
        “Got a little carried away there,” Tia apologizes.
        Chryssy just rolls her eyes.
        Night Light touches the portal to make sure it is still active. “Keep an eye out for anything. If this is active and I don’t come through, watch out if you cross over yourself,” -- he smiles -- “Princess.”
        Tia is shocked. “Princess?”
        “You think I didn’t notice?” Night Light turns and bows. “It is always an honor servising you, Princess Celestia.”
        “Serving,” Chryssy coughs, failing to cover a laugh.
        Tia growls at her friend, glowing red. Night Light blushes and laughs as well.
        Tia gets ahold of herself and looks back at Night Light. “What should I tell Lulu?”
        “Tell her that her second controller’s d-pad sticks, and no, that is not an excuse. You can test it for yourself.” He shakes his head. “My console back home has none of those problems.”
        “I thought you didn’t know what anything about our technology.”
        Night Light smiles and sticks his arm in the portal. “I never said that. I’m a fi-” -- he laughs -- “a pony out of water, not an idiot.”
        Night Light enters the portal, heading home. Tia and Chryssy watch him leave. Tia reaches out and takes Chryssy’s hand.
        “So… Pony, eh?” Chryssy says.
        “Yeah. I guess,” Tia replies.
        “Was he..?” Chryssy makes a motion with her free hand. Her fingers are held several centimeters apart.
        “You’re disgusting.”
        Tia tries leaving, but Chryssy holds tight. “So, uh, about owing me…”
        “Yeah?” Tia huffs.
        Chryssy leans close and whispers. “What are you doing next Friday?”

        Night Light steps out of the portal. He looks back and sees his reflection in a mirror, a blue unicorn with messy darker blue hair. He turns around to see a white alicorn towering over him. He immediately bows. “Princess.”
        “You had us worried, Mr Night Light,” Princess Celestia states. “A little longer and you would have been stuck there for quite some time.”
        “Very lucky, Princess.”
        “So, what did you see?”
        Night Light closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “I’ll have a full report written by the end of the day.”
        Celestia nods. “Very well. I will leave it in your good hands.” She smiles to herself and starts trotting away. “Oh! Be sure to take some time to see your marefriend. I am sure she is worried about you.”
        Night Light nods and trots away.

        Night Light falls onto his bed in the barracks. He closes his eyes, ready for sleep. His bed is tapped.
        “What?” the tired stallion grunts.
        “I wish to speak to you about your report,” Celestia states.
        Night Light bolts upright. “Princess!”
        “Please. Just ‘Celestia’.” She smirks. “Or ‘Tia’ if you prefer.”
        The unicorn blushes. “Sorry, Celestia.”
        “That was quite the adventure you had,” the princess comments. “I assume your commander doesn’t believe a word of it.”
        “It is all true.”
        The princess sits on the bed next to her knight. “Even the mating?”
        Night Light looks aside and coughs.
        “Would you like more of that?”
        The unicorn slides away. “I-I am already in enough trouble with Velvet as it is. I-I-I…”
        Celestia gasps and blushes. “Oh! I did not mean that,” -- she grins evilly -- “though I know a few memory spells that might help any further messes.”
        “Princess!”
        She laughs. “I kid. I mean, would you like further adventures? There is space open in the special services for you. You would get a promotion, pay raise, more time for your studies, other benefits. What do you say, Mr Night Light?”
        Night Light ponders the offer for a moment. He gets up and bows to Celestia. “I am at your service.”