On Duty

by The Sumareian

Greener Pastures pt 2

"So on our first day of training our instructor told us that we would have to be as tough as nails in order to be a guard. So somepony asked her for a bowl of nails everyday. You know you are what you eat." Whiterun smiled. "So figuring she was going to punish us all for that outburst, I asked for acid with my nails."

"You asked her for what?" Pastures asked as they couple made their way to the park.

"Acid. I figured nails alone wouldn't be very good, so I though acid would be a good way to wash it all down."

"So what happened after that?"

Whiterun laughed. "She told everypony but us to go and run a few courses. Me and my partner in crime had to run laps around the castle for the rest of the day. Totally worth it."

"Do you lack a sense of self preservation or something?" Pastures asked as the turned down the street.

"Never really thought about it to much," Whiterun touched his chin in contemplation. "Probably, i guess."

As the couple and foal made their way into the town square. Whiterun noticed that there were more ponies out and about then normal for a cool spring night. He glanced at Pastures who had a similar question crossing her mind. As he followed where they were slowly starting to gather he couldn't help but notice the bulk of the crowd heading into Sugarcube Corner.

"You want to check it out Pastures? Maybe there's even some more food." He glanced back to the mare with the stroller siting in front of her, she glanced at Izzy who was cooing and reaching her hooves to her and back to the bakery.

"Nah, its probably Pinkie doing something crazy anyways, and besides," she patted her belly, "You get pretty full when your not eating for two." Her stomach grumbled back.

"You sure you aren't a little hungry." Whiterun smiled slyly, earning him a swift smack from the mares wing.

"Fine but we're only going in to get something light." Pastures, began pushing the stroller where a now giggling Izzy, tried fluttering her little wings from her seat.

"Right something light and sweet Luna is that a." Whiterun paused halfway in the door mouth agape.

"A what?"

Pastures squeezed by him since he took up two thirds of the doorway, her eyes adjusting to the dim light. There taking up the bulk bakery's seating area was a stage with the most infernal machine in Pastures opinion sitting on stage with a lone stallion happily singing.

"No... Not that not." She glanced at Whiterun, whose eyes both metaphorically and literally sparkled with wonderment at the karaoke machine. "Oh don't do what I think your about to do."

Whiterun started slowly making his way to the stage. Completely oblivious of Pastures attempts at trying to call him back. He picked his way through the crowd that stood happily listening to the singing.

" Oh hey there Whiterun are you enjoying the karaoke party." He turned his head to see the jubilant smile of the one pony who could organize something like this.

"Yeah Pinkie, but I got one question," Whiterun looked the party pony in the eye. "What songs do you have?"

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Bastion, trotted up to Fluttershy's cottage, her bunny Angel frantically pointing at the door. He had followed Angel from the library after he burst in and started stomping around with his cute little feet.

"So in here, but why would Fluttershy need my help," He heard a crash from inside. Bastion let his training kick in once more as he bucked the door open his horn at the ready.

"Bastion, oh thank Celestia, calm that bear down." He saw Twilight peak her head out from behind the couch in the living room, before a vase crashed just above where her head was.

"Just don't hurt him please." Fluttershy poked her head out from underneath the armchair next to Twilights hiding spot.

As Bastion trotted into the room he came face to face with a massive brown bear, it fumed out of its nose angrily as it stood to its full height, before it roared.

Luckily or unluckily for Bastion he was part of Lunas guard entourage until her bat stallions were fitted for their armor, and he had been on the receiving end of one of her royal attempts at small talk. However unlike the princess the bear sent more then just wind and sound into his face, but a small droplet of spit hit him in the muzzle. Being civil and calm about the spittle that had bombarded his face he whipped it off before starring right into the angry animal's eye.

Taking a deep breath, he prepared to fight fire with fire. "RRRWAGGHHHHH!!"

He smiled on the inside as the bear backed up slightly. But he couldn't pin this as a victory yet, because it now got on all fours and roared again, this time however he joined in with his roar.

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Unbeknownst to either Barry or Bastion on the other side of the world in Tiglaias, Silverclaw sat down for her mid-morning cup of tea. She had a stressful morning helping organize all the silkworm gatherers, so that their harvest this year would dwarf all of the harvests in the past fifty years.

As she brought the green liquid to her mouth to gingerly take a sip her cup disintegrated, before the sound of what must have been a volcano blasting itself in half echoed from her paw. Her ears still ringing from her cups rather raucous demise, she swore off drinking tea for the rest of her life.
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"-AAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!" Bastion finished his roar causing his now whimpering and defeated opponent to cower before him, "Now sit in the corner until Fluttershy says you can go." he pointed, Barry simply hurmphed before marching over and plopping down.

"Oh Twilight by the way were out of honey."

"No! Go get some." Both mares shouted.

"What are you talking about?" Bastion felt a burst of hot air blast across the back of his neck. "The bear wants honey, and.... He's right behind me."

He saw both mares nod from their respective hiding spots.

"We'll shucks, I'm still assuming I cant hurt him?" Fluttershy nodded.

"Well then, please excuse me while I scream like a little filly and run away frantically."

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Whiterun trotted up to the center of the stage, the spotlights blinding him for a second before he saw Pastures sitting upright with Izzy in her lap, waving to him. he picked up one of the microphones as it gave its wirry feedback in protest.

"Hey there, everypony so this song is one about that somepony who was there when you needed them, but they might not be here any more." He snickered slightly. "Well the thing is they never left you because their right here." He pointed to his heart and smiled.

There was a day when I missed you touch.
There was a day where I missed beside me.
But to you told something, that made me miss you no more.
You told me something that made me sure, that no matter where I'm you'll always be there.

Whiterun closed his eyes before allowing a smile to cross his face.

You told me that you would always be in my heart, and me in yours.
Always right beside me.
You would never leave me.
So long as you were in my heart.

And no matter where you go, in this life or the next you told me.

You told me that would always be in my heart, and me in yours.

And me in yours,

Always right beside you.
I would never leave you.
So long as I was in your heart.

until the day we're back together.

and onto to forever. and onto forever.

Whiterun finished, to be greeted by the applause of the ponies in the bakery, many of whom were standing close next to somepony else. He bowed before stepping off the stage and into the crowd of party goers. Many of whom patted him on the back as he made his way to where Pastures was sitting.

"Wow, I mean seriously wow." The golden mare gently clapped her hooves together, Izzy mimicked her mother before giggling wildly.

"Thanks," He brushed his hoof against his chest before smiling smugly at her. "So you still want that bite to eat."

"No I'm actually pretty full," she smiled as she offered a croissant to him. "Where did you learn to sing like that anyways?"

"Well to be completely honest with you," He took a bite of the croissant. "The shower."

"Really, all that came from the shower?" Pastures pointed to the infernal machine on stage with a duo of ponies singing next to it. To which the stallion nodded as he took another bite.

"Of course then again I almost didn't drown myself when I sang.... Did I do that all wrong?" He glanced worriedly back to the stage.

"What no, microphones and water, they oh never mind." she rubbed her hoof on her forehead.

"Now I'm worried, what if I didn't do as good as all those ponies said I did?"

"I find your lack of self esteem disturbing. You did great." Pastures put a reassuring hoof on his back.

"Wha whan." Izzy started clapping her hooves together tiredly but happily.

"And it looks like you got a fan,a little sweepy fan." she playfully poked, the infant in the belly causing her to erupt in giggles, followed by long yawn.

"Think it's about time for her to turn in?" Whiterun asked, as he watched Pastures put the dozing foal in the stroller.

"Yeah its way past her bedtime, I'm surprised she stayed up this late as it is." She stood up and started pushing the stroller out of the bakery.

The two walked silently from Sugarcube corner back to Derpys house. As Whiterun opened the front gate to the small front yard Pastures paused in front of him and smiled.

"Thanks for... well the date, Whiterun." she leaned in timidly.

"Any time Pastures." He leaned in timidly as well only stopping when their foreheads were touching gently.

"Tell me something Whiterun," she looked seductively in his eyes. "If you don't have a special somepony, are you in the market for one?"

"I don't see why not." He looked into her eyes as a content smile spread across his face. They sat there for a moment, neither one moving. It seemed to them like everything in the world was right there all the beauty of life mirrored in their eyes.

"Will you two kiss already, seriously I ran out of popcorn like ten seconds ago." Both of them looked to the front of Derpys house to see the mare with an empty bucket of popcorn in her hooves.

"Well... uh," Whiterun stammered before a set of lips shut him up. Now to anypony who wasn't there to see this kiss, it seemed like both ponies love had defied gravity as the both hovered a inch off the ground. As Pastures pulled away from what was quite literally the most blissful moment of the two ponies lives.

"See you around Whiterun." Pastures winked at him before trotting up to her sister who was teary eyed cheering and demanding an encore.

"See... you later." He stood there stunned for a minute his mind racing, he had to tell somepony anypony what just happened, he looked around to the houses all were dark all but a small cottage not to far away.

Fueled by his new found love, and still defying gravity he whisked away to the cottage.

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Twilight hugged Fluttershy close, both of them where terrified of the angry grizzly bear now looming over them. The only thing standing in between them was Angel a wooden spoon held in his paws, swinging with diminishing results at the bears shin.This was how it ended for her, mauled to death by her friends bear oh what a cruel world. She brought her friend closer to her as she saw the bear lift up its paw.

Just as Barry was about to swing his massive paw at the two ponies the door to Fluttershys cottage blasted open. there stood or more accurately floated a white stallion with a well groomed blonde mane. a joyful smile on his face Twilight quickly recognized Whiteruns three shield cutie mark. As he floated up to Barry he ascended to his ear and started to whisper in it. Barry seemed to calm down before turning to him his paw still raised as the both engaged in some type of paw hoof shake.

"Thanks dude. Here's to celebrate." Whiterun dug through his saddlebag and produced a bottle of honey, which Barry happily accepted. Smiling he smoothly descended down to the ground as Barry was happily slurped the golden liquid like a baby would from a bottle.

"Whiterun! Thank Celestia, I thought we were done for." Twilight looked at the bear who was starting to tidy up the demolished living room.

"Twilight, Twilight. I have to tell you something." Whiterun momentarily defied gravity with his sheer excitement."Me and Pasture are... are Super special someponies now."

Author's Note:

Okay I'm not musically inclined at all so that song was probably all the musical talent I can muster up. (Back to looking at instruments like some type of unknown piece of technology.)