> On Duty
>  by The Sumareian
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Halfway decent first impression
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Helm?"

"Check. Armor polish?" A white stallion adjusted his helm before glancing down at his hastily scrawled list.

"Check." Another stallion, his coat a dark grey with a short coal black mane emerged from a nearby room, a trunk levitating behind him.

"Telling you wife what this is all about?" came a third voice from, the armories hallway.

"Che.... Wait what?" The first stallion looked to his grey counterpart.

"Ahem." Both stallions turned their head to the door, there stood a light blue mare, with her deeper blue mane curled up into a bun, had it not been for the cloth apron and the smudge marks from the forges she worked at, she could have easily passed as one of Canterlots most posh and beautiful nobles.


"Oh, Topaz. I thought you were taking the day off to see the coronation of Princess Twilight." The grey stallion trotted up to her and gave her a peck on the cheek.

"Bastion, you and I both know we don't have time for this, I have twenty more sets of armor to make, and you have five seconds before I kick both your flanks. Now what is this all about?" Topaz glared daggers at her husband, as he shyed away from her side.

"We got orders from the captain, well more like an assignment from him." Bastion looked to his partner for some input.

"Yeah we got assigned as Twilights new personal guards, and we are being set to Ponyville so we can do what we do best Amy." The white stallion looked determinedly at the wall.

"Whiterun I told you my name is Topaz, my twin sisters name is Amethyst, and no she is not interested in you. And if you keep calling me that, I will make everyday for the rest of your life a new and unusual suffering that only a mad mare could and would inflict on another pony"  The angry mare glanced back at her husband, and the at Whiterun.


"Whats wrong with Amy, Top-" Whiterun reeled back as a small hammer clanged to the ground between him and the now smugly smiling mare. He raised a shaky hoof, before he fell to ground sound asleep.

"Now honey we don't need to check how hard Whiteruns skull is again, and think of it this way." Bastion rested his hooves on his wifes shoulders. "We will be able to open up that jewelry store you always to have down in Ponyville."

"Wait I though, all of the guards were forbidden from taking their loved ones with them." Topaz remembered the guard-wives always complaining that they couldn't go with their husbands to Neighmaca for the Equestria military retreat, last summer.

"True, but we are stationed in the town of Ponyville. If say our family were to, oh I don't know buy a house in town then it wouldn't be either ponies fault that they were with their loved ones while still being deployed." Bastion smiled to his wife whos eye twitched slightly, from either her husbands strangely sound logic or at his metaphoric burning of the guard rule book.

"Wait so your telling me that we have to uproot the home we have now, to move to some po-dunk town. so at the end of the day you can simply go home everyday.

"Yes, well its either that or we stay at the local sorority house there, nice fillies opening up their home to two handsome stallions far away from the wife and the gossipy elites of Canterlot." Bastion  glanced slyly at his wife her light blue face now a bright red, from either embarrassment of anger, Bastion didn't really care which, as he marked this moment as one of the few victories he has had since his marriage to his beautiful wife.

And three. two. one. Bastion glanced to his partner as he jumped back to his hooves.

"Wait does this mean we don't get to stay with the mares?" Whiterun looked curiously at the other ponies in the room.

"No!" Topaz shouted to the still dazed stallion.

"Oh, okay resuming unconsciousness." he chirped out groggily, before he fell back down to the ground.


***************************************************************

"Excuse me." Bastion called out to a grey pegasus as she loaded more mail into her already large mailbag.

"Yes, can I help you." Bastion was caught momentarily off guard by the mares gaze whit had one eye focused on him and the other staring off to space. He hoped she didn't notice he jump slightly at her condition.

"Yes, could you please tell me where Golden Oaks library is, me and my friend here are..." Bastion trailed off as he glanced back to where their trunks rested, only to find the pony who was supposed to be near them had completely vanished. "You gotta be kidding me."

"Is something wrong mister?" her blonde mane shifting slightly over her apparently good eye.

Bastion sighed. "Yes, but nothing I cant handle thank you. now about that library?" Bastion looked back to the mail mare, who had now some how managed to drop the contents of her bag on the ground. 

"Darnit, why does this keep happening on Thursdays." She hissed as she started picking up the spilled letters.

"Oh, uh, here let me help you with that." Bastion ignited his horn, delicately picking up the remaining letters on the floor that the now flustered mare had not picked up yet.

"Did I hear a mare in need of assistance." Whiterun burst out of the train stations cafe.

"Excuse me for a second." Bastion smiled to the mare, before storming off to the stallion who was now flexing and showing of his muscles to anypony who so much as looked at him.

"Hey there ladies, tickets are free to this gun show." He posed several times not noticing the silver aura surround his ear. "Canterlot is that way." He pointed to the capitol while still flexing. "The standards are this- owowowowowowowow"

Bastion tugged his childish partner towards him by the ear much to his pained protesting.

"Whiterun, we aren't here... well you aren't here to flirt with every mare in a twenty mile radius. Captain Shining wants us to guard his sister." Just as the last word slipped his mouth his partner smiled fiendishly to him. "No, no flirting with the captains sister, I'm not getting sent to some icebox to the north because you think with the wrong head."

"Uh excuse me, mister I have a package that needs to go to Golden Oaks anyway, I could just walk you there." Bastion glanced back to the wall eyed mare , he smiled his best smile or so he thought as several ponies behind the mare looked at him in shock and horror.

"Yes that would be love Miss.."

"Ditzy Doo, but most ponies call me Derpy." she smiled back.

"And my name is Bastion, and the pony I'm about three seconds from strangling is my partner Whiterun." He stated with an eerie calmness.

"Oh, he's your partner. its a shame such a handso-"

"Whoa whoa, not like that, see we are with the royal guard and he is my fellow guard, you know a brother at arms a..."

"Thrust buddy." Ditzy burst out laughing at her own joke.

"I'm married to my beautiful wife, and we plan on starting a family very soon." Bastion felt his face warm up from his sheer embarrassment. 

"I'm just giving a hard time is all, my cousin is in the guard and I do the same to him all the time." Her laughing died down . "Come on I might as well give you a tour of the town before you start your jobs." Ditzy started to trot along happily as the two stallion exchanged a confused look.
> Imminent Domain 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Hello is anypony home?" Bastion looked around the empty foyer of the library. Granted it was around lunchtime and many ponies were, out eating with their friends. "That's weird a public building left completely empty and...." Bastion paused as a small purple and green dragon sleepily walked past him with a bowl of cereal gripped in his claws.

"Hey, whats up?" he said lazily as he began munching on his cereal. 

"Hello, we were sent here to be the princess's new guards by Captain Armour." Bastion looked back to his partner who was painfully struggling with the two large trunks they brought balanced on his back.

"It's there a law about quartering soldiers or something." The dragon lazily waved his spoon at the two new arrivals.His eyes clearly filled with suspicion.

"Yes there is, in a private residence." Bastion reached into his saddle bag and placed a small pair of glasses on his snout. "But seeing as this is a public building that is funded by the government of Equestria, under the newly formatted constitution of Inkwell Penspout, clearly states that. Should a government worker or workers say me and my associate here, be in need of housing of any sort they can occupy another public structure or facility, like this library for no longer then a month. Until said officials are either quartered elsewhere or attain a private residence of their own. Equus Stratia  article six subsection twelve."

"Bastion I don't think he cares you study law in your spare time, and besides The captain already told her about us coming ." Whiterun shrugged off the trunks. before trotting up to his partner.

Whiterun leaned on his partner before extending a hoof to the small dragon.

"The name's Whiterun, and this is Bastion. We are the royal guards Captain Armour sent  to watch Princess Sparkle."

"Okay... well the name is Spike."  Spike nervously shook the stallions outstretched hoof. 

"Spike I'm back did you sweep  the....." The pair of guards craned their necks to see an equally surprised alicorn standing at the door.

"Oh hey Twilight, these are the two guards your brother sent." Spike said as he waddled to the kitchen.

"Ah.... Corporal Bastion Stonewall." Both jumped and saluted their charge.

"And Corporal Whiterun Snowtrot. Reporting for duty you highness. " 

Twilight looked at the two stallions who had essentially barged into her home and were now claiming to be guards. She remembered just after her coronation speech Shining told her to be careful around other ponies since some didn't really agree with how Equestria was being run, and that he would send some guards to make sure she was safe in Ponyville

"Who sent you then?." Twilight looked at the two trunks piled haphazardly in the middle of her foyer. 

"Captain Armour ma'm." Whiterun looked stoically at her not flinching an inch.

"What were his orders then?"

"Ma'm, his orders was to keep his Twily safe at all cost." Bastion, looked to Twilight. "Would you like to see our orders?"

Twilight nodded at the grey stallion, there was something vaguely familiar about him, but she couldn't put her hoof on it. She watched as he presented a scroll with the Royal Guards seal of two crossed spears  behind a shield with the Equestria coat of arms, she cautiously lifted the scroll from the stallion hoof, and unfurled it.

"You are to protect, the newest Princess of Equestria codename: 'Twily' while she lives in the town of Ponyville...." Twilight rolled her eyes, Shining did have a bit of a tendency to be over protective. She was alittle surprised he hadn't sent guards sooner. "Also these orders will act as a writ of Imminent Domain for the Golden Oaks library...... Wait what?!"

Bastion took it upon himself to stand at ease following her surprised exclamation, before glancing to his partner.

"Princess permission to speak freely?" Whiterun asked.

Twilight, how was now cursing under her breath to her brother paused momentarily and took a single deep breath.

"Yes, and please you don't need to ask to speak whats on your mind."

"Oh, no." Bastion glanced to his partner who had a growing smile across his face.

"Well then for starters, I feel that you should know that I like long walks on the beach and unicorns." The white earth pony winked, to her seductively. "But more importantly. I love long walks wit-"

The loud clanging of Bastions helm filled the library. Followed by the pained groan on an nearly incapacitated stallion.

"Sorry about that Twilight its just that.... well my partner is a bit of a pervert." Bastion glanced down at his still groaning companion.

"Your wife still throws harder then you Bastion, at least she would have knocked me out cold." Whiterun moaned. "And we've been over this its not perversion its an intense fascination with the opposite sex."

"In other words a pervert." Bastion looked up from his partner, "You would happen to have a guest room would you?"

"Right this way." Twilight pointed up the staircase.

******************************************************

"This sucks, first we don't get to stay at the sorority house because your to afraid of your wife, then I don't even get to flirt with the one alicorn who is actually my age." Whiterun huffed as he threw his face in his pillow.

"I'm surprised you still haven't got a concussion from all the stuff thats hit you in the head." Bastion levitated an new ice bag over to his partner. 

"They didn't call me block head at school for no reason now did they." Whiterun laughed to himself as he pressed the ice bag to the side of his head.

"Well dinner should be ready soon and tomorrows Friday." Bastion said happily.

"Dang not even a solid day in this town and I've already been shot down by you. Thats gotta be a new record or something." Whiterun lifted his head to his partner, of all the spacious rooms in the library the lone guest bedroom had to house two stallions, Granted Bastion took the floor and the majority of the extra pillows and blankets Twilight could spare.

"Relax, buddy we just have to make it through one month of this and then were golden, Topaz will have moved in to a house and we wont have to worry about accidentally stepping on each other when we have down time." Bastion cracked open one of his Daring Do books and started to read.


"You'll see once this whole imminent domain thing is over, it will be smooth sailing from here on." he shifted in his make shift pillow/blanket fort. 

"Right and I'm the King of Prance." Whiterun deadpanned.

"The pleasure is mine then your majesty." Bastion chuckled. 
> Overzealous much pt. 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	A/N : This is five days after our brave heroes arrived in Ponyville.



"Take a bite of the ssandwhich." Twilight stared into the face of a massive snake, the only thing separating her and the serpent was a small table with a sandwich resting on it.

"Your just a dream you don't scare me." Twilight tried to step forward bravely but found that both her wings and legs were bound together.

"Take a bite of the ssandwich." The snake hissed again, it blinked curiously at her.

"No you can't make me. Your just a figment of my imagination." She glared at the snake as it slithered closer to the table.

"Ssnake undersstandss you dont want hiss ssandwich. My ssiblingss will undersstand to." As the massive serpent hissed out those last words numerous snakes started to emerge from the ground and slither towards Twilight.

"No.. No noooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!" 

Twilight woke with as start as her bedroom door was kicked in, Bastion charged in with his spear gripped in his magic.

"Princess are you okay? Is somepony else in this room?" He looked around the room as if a manticore was going to jump out at him any second. 

"I'm fine, it was just a bad dream, is all." Twilight finally noticed the sweat on the grey unicorns brow, and his jittery nervous movements.

"Bastion, I told you that you were over reacting." Whiterun looked at the clock on the wall. "Come on its two in the morning, and I believe that the princess likes her sleep like anypony else." He groggily dragged his partner out of the room.

********************************************

Five minutes earlier, in Bastions dream.

"Corporal, this tribunal hereby find you guilty of  failure to comply with orders." Admiral Seafoam of the Equestrian navy slammed her gavel down. "Your sentence is a immediate internment as a permanent student in Magic kindergarten."

"Magic Kindergarten. No anywhere but there, this is cruel and unusual punishment." Bastion felt a set of hoof huffs lock around his forelegs.

"You should have thought of that before you let the princess get hurt." Bastion felt the world fall from underneath him. he turned to the new voice to see his wife Topaz, swooning over his greatest rival since basic training Corvus Stormbreach .

"Honey, you and him?" Bastion pointed a shaky hoof the large grey pegasi next to her.

"I guess she cant deal with her husband being a loser, isn't that sugar flank." Corvus smiled, as bastion felt a set of hooves on each shoulder.

"No this isn't fair. Topaz no I'm sorry." 

"Ahhh!!" Bastion shot up from his small pillow fort. The quiet peaceful sounds of the library was the only thing reminding him that he had just had a bad dream.

"Ughh Bastion, quit shouting." Whiterun lazily kicked in his direction, Unlike most ponies in the guard Whiterun was the only one so far, who talked coherently in his sleep. "Why yes I'd love more strawberries ma'm" for the most part anyway.

"I had that dream again." Bastion said tiredly.

"Oh cool was this the one with the tribunal or every mare being your wife?" Whiterun smiled joyful in his sleep, almost to joyfully for a good dream.

"The tribunal and this time they sent me back to magic kindergarten." Bastion dejectedly threw his head into his pillow.

"Bummer, was Corvus and Topaz there?".

Bastion nodded, it seemed that Whiterun was a completely different pony when he was like this and it surprised him a llitle that he could and would forget this and any conversation you had with him while he was asleep.

"Your silence speaks volumes.Your just over reacting, this assignment is a sintch " Whiterun groaned as he started kicking his hooves slightly.

"Noooo!" 

"Wake up we got a job to do."Bastion hopped to his hooves as grabbed one of the spears. and prodded his partner with its butt.

"More whip cream , are you sure?"  

Bastion rolled his eyes before charging through the upper study room of the library before seeing the princesses closed bedroom door. He griped his spear with his magic and bucked it open. All the mouths at basic and advanced training had prepared him to be an efficient and brave guardian of Equestrias royal family.

He rolled into the room and pointed the spear at all the small dark corners of the room. He took note of his position and his adrenaline fueled hearing as he glanced around, his eyes finally caught Twilight for a moment.

"Princess are you okay? Is somepony else in this room?" He looked cautiously around and turned to the doorway were the tired clip clop of hooves was now originating. 

"I'm fine, it was just a bad dream, is all."  Bastion relaxed slightly at her words now knowing that she wasn't in any danger at all. He felt a single bead of sweat slip into his eye, causing it to sting.

"Bastion, I told you that you were over reacting." Whiterun looked at the clock on the wall. Before trotting sluggishly to his partners side. He felt the earth pony's strong foreleg rest on his shoulders."Come on its two in the morning, and I believe that the princess likes her sleep like anypony else."


****************************************

"Okay, so let me get this straight Spike. Twilight is going to a picnic in the park, so she took Whiterun with her just in case something goes wrong?"

Spike nodded. "Yeah its Ponyvilles annual Barbecue cook off today and she wanted to check it out since she missed it last year."

Bastion looked towards the town park, there was indeed a large gathering around several booths and vendors, he knew that if he searched the crowd long enough he would find his charge.

"Wait, Spike why are you still here then?" Bastion looked to the small dragon.

"Well, see here's the thing I was messing around with some cookbooks we got recently and well I kinda entered a contest and there is a minimum requirement of a hundred dishes, and well Whiterun volunteered you to help me bring it all there." Spike rocked back and forth nervously.

"What did you cook?" Bastion looked behind the small dragon noticing the kitchen was in complete disarray.

"Watermelon burgers, with roasted pineapple sauce." Spike nervously smiled under Bastion ever sterner stare.

Bastion knew he would have to get back at Whiterun later. But first he would have to catch up with both Twilight and him or did he. Bastion smiled as a plan took root. He would still guard Twilight but he wouldn't let either his partner or her know of it.
"Alright Spike, give me a minute to dress for the occasion". He smiled a smile that would have made Discord proud. 

> Overzealous much pt.2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Whiterun smiled he was like a colt in a candy store.He didn't have to worry about Twilight, because she had told him to go enjoy the picnic. After all what was there not to enjoy, from the games, to the cooking demonstrations , to the free food. Nothing could ruin his first day off his new assignment.

He trotted happily to one the picnic tables. He placed the tray of food he had balanced on his head that probably could have feed two stallions his size.

"Good food, good eats, sweet Celestia lets eat." Whiterun grabbed  a spoonful of potato salad.

"Excuse me mister. Have you seen my big sister?" 

Whiterun paused, letting the potato salad fall of his spoon and onto the table. He was hoping he was hearing things, that it was just the wind, or better yet just some of the chit chat that all the ponies at the tables engaged in.

"Excuse me mister?"

He felt a careful tap on his side. He turned to see the a young  filly whose coat was two shades off from being a bright golden yellow and her mane a dark orange, she shrank slightly under his gaze. He looked at the one pony who had single hoofedly taken his time off and basically spat on it, though she was a filly a lost one at that she didn't know he was off duty. Whiterun ran through her words once more, then it clicked.


"Sister." he said to himself.

"Yes and, she told me that if I ever got lost that one of the event staff could help me find her." she looked up to him, her   eyes filling with hope.

Whiterun thought for a moment what would Bastion do right now? Well for starters he wouldn't have left Twilight out of his sight, even if that meant stalking her in one of his ridiculous disguises. Then there was the prospect of the filly's sister, since Bastion had all but forbid him from trying his moves on Twilight and her friends.

"Alright, but first." He pointed to his mountain of food and smiled, as the filly simply facehoofed. "Oh, and my name is Whiterun."

"My name is Sunflare, but my friends just call me Sunny."

********************************************************************* 

Bastion smiled to himself as he adjusted his polka dot tie this was his best disguise yet he pushed up the pair of fake glasses up his muzzle and checked his checkered blue and white suit jacket.

"Bastion you my friend are a genius." he snickered s he slipped into the crowd of ponies.

He had planned out every detail of his undercover operation, first he planed to locate Whiterun seeing as both him and Twilight should be right next to each other, where the first phase of his plan would take place. It was common knowledge that Whiterun could eat more then a starved basilisk especially if the food was free, so all he had to do was wait until he started to eat something.Then he would slip by him and tell the princess and her friends to go to Sugarcube Corner. Thus starting phase two where he would simply sit back and watch his partner panic about the princess, much like he did earlier.

"Ha. Take it easy Bastion, this assignment is going to be easy." He mocked his partners naivety before he was bumped in the side.

"Whoops sorry there didn't mean to...." 

"Oh don't worry about it...."Bastion turned his head, only to be greeted by an all to familiar white stallion with a short blonde mane. "Son of a hydra eating." He started breathlessly as his plan shattered into millions of tiny pieces.

"Whoa there," Whiterun tilted his head to reveal a small filly perched on his back. " tender ears." he whispered to him.

"Wait a second," Bastion looked around for Twilight and saw neither hide nor hair of her. " where's the princess?"

"Oh yeah, well she ran into her friend Applejack, and they started talking. Then more of here friends showed up and she just sent me away saying that i should go enjoy the BBQ and gave me the rest of the day off." Whiterun smiled happily to his partner.

Bastion tried to digest what he was saying however, he knew Whiterun wouldn't lie but he did have a nasty habit of forgetting important information in his stories.

"Nothing more then that Whiterun?" he glanced to the yellow filly. "Nothing more?"

Whiterun smile sagged slightly as he tried to remember. Bastion took a long breath, and let it out slowly.

"Oh, yeah this is Sunny, I'm helping her look for her sister." The white stallion glanced back to his charge.

"So, let me get this straight," Bastion impatiently tapped his hoof as he tried to word his eminent scolding of his partner gently. "you not only left the princess alone with her friends, but you didn't even wait for me to show up to take the next shift. And now your just wondering around willy nilly all because you have the day off!" Bastion fumed angrily, at his partner who stood there a smile still plastered on his face.

"Yes I did, she also gave you the day off for what happened this morning." Whiterun knelled down to let Sunny off his back. "Bastion, don't you remember our first day as guards, you flipped out and the commander had you tossed in the dungeon." 

Bastion did remember that day, he had the same dream he had last night.All of the panic of failure had lead to Whiterun and Topaz dragging him kicking and screaming to the dungeons under commander Bulwarks orders.

"Yeah I do," He laughed slightly remembering his attempt at trying to stop Celestia from eating to much cake, with in his opinion a well placed invisibility spell that accidentally hit Sir Barkingston the representative from the Diamond dog kingdom, and almost started a war with the small kingdom. 

"So what do you say partner, lets not freak out to much." Whiterun leaned on his fellow guard.

"How about I panic less and be more paranoid." Bastion countered with a joking punch to his side. "But that still leaves our little lost friend here doesn't it." 

Bastion smiled at Sunny. "The names Bastion, so tell me your sister wouldn't happen to be that pony over there would she." Bastion pointed to a frazzled sandy coated mare who was darting back and forth around the crowd calling her name.

"Woodsong!" She shouted to her. Causing her to pause and look at the filly.

"No fair Bastion, I call hacks." Whiterun glared with mock anger.

"And I call I'm married so shes," Bastion tilted his head to the sandy mare who was now hugging the filly. "all yours buddy."

Whiterun lifted his hoof to Bastion who promptly returned his hoof bump." Thanks partner, oh and also next time try a better disguise."

Bastion looked down at his checkered suit, " What, I only had twenty bits." 

"Well it looks like my grandpas for starters." Whiterun giggled as he trotted over to the sisters.

Bastion rolled his eyes as he turned around to walk away when somepony cried out. "Spider!" He jumped knowing it was Twilights voice.

"For the princess!" Bastion shouted as he ran away into the crowd to help.
> A unexpected delivery
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Whiterun I told you. You just got lucky." The stallion in question a new black eye down playing his smug smile leaned back on the coach a softball balanced in his hoof.

" You say lucky, I say sheer skill." he tossed the ball up.

"You caught the game winning ball with your face." Bastion scooted over to allow Twilight on the coach as she trotted in an ice pack gripped in her magic. 

They managed to convince her to come with them to Derpys house after threatening to hide her favorite quill. Whiterun figured it would be good for them all to bond and make a new friend. 

Bastion admitted it was kinda rude to make her come along ,but at least he didn't have to worry about whether or not she would be safe. Besides, Derpy was more then excited to have her over.

"So, Bastion I take it this kinda thing happens a lot with Whiterun?" Twilight asked as she placed the ice pack in the stallions hoof,saying thanks before he pressed it to his eye.

"Well..." Bastion couldn't help but recall all the times Topaz had thrown anything not bolted down at his partner. "I would say that at the very least he is accident prone." 

"That explains a lot actually." Twilight glanced over to him as he started humming to himself.

"Sorry about the wait everypony," Derpy called out as she shakily marched into the living room with a tea try balanced on her back. She looked more tired then usual, as small bags under her eyes started to become more and more noticeable to everypony in the room, her mane had lost some of its luster as well.

"I got tea and muffins for you guys if you want any." She wobbled slightly causing the tea set to rattle loudly.

"Please let me get that for you," Bastion hopped to his hooves and gently plucked tray off her back, and placed it on the coffee table. "So.. uh Ditzy," Bastion started he still didn't fell like he could call her by her nickname to her face. "you seem rather tired. Is everything alright?" he asked as the mare dejectedly plopped down into the armchair opposite him.

"What's biting at you Derpy? Come on you can tell us, was it that Diamond Tiara filly giving you a hard time at work," Whiterun sat up and pointed at her "I know a few ponies who could take care of her for you."

"No no nothing like that, my sisters in town and well," She smiled weakly. "I guess I'm going to be an auntie real soon."

Everypony froze at her announcement, Bastion almost spit out the tea he started sipping on. Whiterun was just about to bite into a blueberry muffin.

"Congratulations Derpy, when is she due?" Twilight asked a genuine look of happy surprise on her face.

"Any day now." Everypony in the room save Derpy turned their heads to the staircase on the adjacent side of the room.

There careful plucking her down the stairs,was a almost completely pallet swap of the grey mailmare save for her forest green eyes. It became obvious to everypony that she was pregnant when her sleek muscular forelegs and strong wings gave way to the massive bulge of her belly. She glanced shyly at the group of ponies siting in the living room.

"Hello there," Whiterun waved to her.

"Pastures, are you okay sis?" Derpy seemed to perk up slightly upon noticing her sister pause at the bottom of the stairs. Hoping up from her seat, she trotted over to her sister and hugged her, smiling happily though the exhaustion she had was beginning to show.

"I'm fine, I was coming down here for a glass of water was all," She returned her sisters hug. "Besides I didn't mean to interrupt your little get together here."

"None sense, besides the more the merrier right." Whiterun hoped from his seat and trotted over to the mares.

"Oh no," Bastion turned and sipped his tea with a hint of annoyance. "Celestia knows how this will go for him."he grumbled to himself.

"What do you mean?" Twilight whispered to Bastion.

"For starters, he seems to not only have the worst luck with members of," Bastion paused. Mentally chastising himself for talking about his partner and friends short comings was something he never really did aloud. "He just has... well poor social skills at times."

Bastion remembered all his misadventures with Whiterun in Canterlot, all the bars and clubs they were kicked out of. He knew everypony had someone out there for them, it just seemed like Whiterun could never find her.

"..Bastion and that's Twilight." Bastion perked up slightly.

"Hello everyone my names Healthy Pastures Doo." she smiled back to all of them.

"Sis you still want that water?" Derpy asked a hint of concern in her voice.

"I got it Dizzy," Pastures playfully rustled her sisters mane." Besides you already have been helping me enough as it is. I don't want everypony back in Canterlot to think I made my twin sister my personal servant." She giggled as she trotted away slowly to the kitchen.

"I didn't know she was your twin sister," Twilight smiled to Derpy who was once again trudging tiredly to the armchair. "You know come to think of it I hardly know you at all Derpy."

"Well where to start, where to start," Derpy looked thoughtfully into her steaming cup of tea." Well, I guess I'll start with where I grew up. Areosboro you know that town that's a little smaller then here." Everyone nodded their heads. "Well me and my..." Derpy paused as a sound of shattering glass came from the kitchen.

"You alright in there Pastures?" Whiterun called out, only to be met with what seemed like the mare was suddenly out of breath. "Pastures!" He an Derpy sprang from their seats and rushed to the kitchen.

"Sis I think its coming." Pastures was leaning against the counter her wings sagging at her side, as she weakly tried to regain her footing.

"What?! But the hospitals closed and and..." Derpy began to panic.

"Bastion calm her down, I'll get Pastures," He paused and looked at Twilight. "Twilight, we need towels lots of towels, and warm water." Whiterun hefted  Pastures over his shoulder who was now starting to begin the process of labor.

"Calm down Ditzy!" Bastion placed his hooves on the shaken pegasi's shoulders. "We need you right now, you sister needs you right now." He shook the wall eyed mare slightly. 

" Wha huh..." Derpy  looked around the room, her eyes pausing on her sister "Sis, oh no no no no. What happened are you okay?"

"Derpy, do you know any doctors who live nearby?" Whiterun asked as he carefully walked Pastures to the stairs.

"No, but I know nurse Redheart lives on the next street." Derpy followed the stallion up.

"On it." Bastion called out from the bottom of the stairs before galloping out of the house.

Whiterun placed Pastures down on the bed in the guest room. The whole time the baby was constantly reminding its mother that it wanted out. Whiterun along with Derpy were frantically bringing in towels and the warm water into the room.

"Twilight," Whiterun came down the stairs for what must have been the tenth time in the last fifteen minutes. "okay the room is as set as we cam probably get it. There is just one thing." the large stallion blushed slightly.

"What is it Whiterun?" Twilight asked.

He smiled in a almost joking way. "To think you could be at home studying." 

"I kinda wish I did right now," She smiled snidely at him "Do you think Bastion will get here soon?"

"I hope so and with somepony to help delivery that baby, Celestia knows I don't want to." Whiterun looked around the living room there on the walls scattered here and there, and slightly titled. Were several photos with the wall eyed mare and a blonde maned filly. "I didn't know Derpy was a mother."

"Oh you mean Dinky," Twilight smiled at the photo of the mother and daughter pair at a six legged race."Derpy really does care for her." She looked at another picture of the two this one of Derpy her wing set in a cast with her pony express uniform on smiling at her daughter on Hearths Warming day as the filly happily hugged her mother.

"Almost makes you wonder who took all those pictures." Whiterun said glancing to the numerous others on the wall.

A frantic knock came from the door as another pained cry came from upstairs, tore the two from their thoughts. Whiterun went to answer it, as he opened it there stood a winded Bastion his mane scattered to and fro. And next to him a white mare whose pink mane was done up into a bun with a doctors bag  held in her mouth nodded before trotting into the living room and placing the bag down.

"Okay, so where are we delivering this baby?" Redheart looked at the group of ponies as another cry came from upstairs. "I take it shes upstairs." Whiterun nodded before stepping forward, a rather serious look now on his face.

"We set up some towels and warm water, but I cant promise the area is as sterile as it should be." Whiterun led the nurse up the stairs before pausing and smiling to his partner. "Just another day, helping everypony we can right?"

All Bastion did was nod and return his smile.

"Oh and Bastion good luck when its you." Whiterun continued up the stairs knowing what he said would have gotten the nearest lamp thrown right at his head.

Whiterun trotted up to the guest bedroom door and paused.Wait... There are mares inside one in labor. He mulled the though of what could happen if he opened the door before another pained cry followed by nurse Redheart telling Pastures to push.

"Come on Pastures you need to push now!" Redheart shouted.

"I cant.." Whiterun felt his body spring into action as he kicked open the door and went to the mares side, and grabbed her hoof. he then notice that Derpy was passed out in the corner on the opposite side of him.

"Look at me Pastures." The bedraggled mare, looked weakly at him. Whiterun saw something he wished he would never see in anyponies ever,she was afraid.

"Pastures, don't be afraid," He smiled reassuringly to the mare who only a couple hours ago was a complete stranger. "I'm right here beside you, if you need me here or not we still have to get that baby born."

"Thanks Whiterun..... but... I... Ahhhhh" Pastures let out another cry of pain as she used the stallions foreleg for leverage.

"Come on Pastures push, you can do this.Push Pastures push." the only response from the mare was more screaming , then suddenly another shriller cry sounded.

"Congratulations, its a girl." Redheart brought the wrapped foal into Pastures tiredly reaching forelegs.

"Shes beautiful," Whiterun smiled at Pastures "she has your eyes. Have you thought of a name for her."

Pastures smiled at the foal as she nuzzled it closer to her. 

"No, not really, any recommendations."

Whiterun smiled. "Well shucks, not even a first date and your asking me to name your firstborn." He chuckled, drawing a soft giggle from Pastures. "How about Blizzby Frontiera Doo. The first part was my mothers name."

"Why not," She shifted in the bed so she could be a better look at her foal. "You hear that Izzy, your named after the mother of nicest ponies in Equestria. Oh and Whiterun."

Whiterun turned his head to Pastures only to be met by a tender kiss on his lips. Whiterun felt his legs start to wobble and buckle.

"Thanks for that." Pastures smiled almost seductively to him.

"No problem." Whiterun smiled happily before falling to the floor a blissful smile plastered across his face.
> Mixed news everypony.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	It was a beautiful peaceful morning in Ponyville, the birds chirped and fluttered to the many bird feeders the kindhearted ponies had put out for them. All was peaceful.

Twilight looked out on the balcony of her library home marveling at the aftermath of the sunrise. "The princess really out did herself today." she sighed contently. It had so far been a somewhat stressful two weeks since Bastion and Whiterun had showed up, but things were finally starting to go back to normal.

"Hey, Twilight you got a letter from the princess, and your brother." Spike waddled up to her with two scrolls held in his claws. 

He offered them to Twilight as she picked them up with her magic and began reading to herself. Her expression soured as she finished the last paragraph of her mentors letter.

"What is it Twilight?" Spike knew when the mare was annoyed with some small detail.

"Well, Spike," She breathed in calmly and let it out. " It looks like I'm going to have to miss that meeting with the mayor." She looked at the letter Shining Armor sent and began reading. "Or maybe not." Twilight smiled fiendishly.


************************************************

"Whiterun, come on man armor up." Bastion stepped away from his trunk as he put the finishing touches on his armor. he glanced at the sapphire star on his chest and for the fifth time checked to see if he could see his reflection in it.

"Five more minutes, mommy school wont start for another hour." Whiterun rolled around in his sheets snoring peacefully.

"Thats fine and dandy Whiterun but we might have an inspection on our hooves today." Bastion knew his partner not only feared inspections like an elephant to a mouse, but the implied threat of one was all it took to get him to spring awake.

"Wait," Whiterun scrambled out of the sheets and saluted Bastion, "Sergeant Whiterun Snowtrot reporting sir." As the stallion's senses began to settle he relaxed before glaring at Bastion. "I hate you sometimes, you know that."

"Yeah yeah, we actually have to put in some work today buddy so get armored up." Bastion levitated his helm onto his head and adopting the stern cold stare that came with the image he now made.

Bastion actually liked his armor a lot and since each princess technically got their own personal guard whose uniform was supposed to be unique to them, Bastion took it upon himself to ask his wife to give them two sets of lavender trimmed silver armor. He especially liked the fact that since he was technically pony-at-arms and ergo one of Twilights personal knights he could keep it no matter what.

"Bastion remind me again why we you choose silver armor?" Whiterun asked as he clipped on the breast plate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Canterlot royal forgery: two weeks earlier.

"Call it." Bastion tossed the lone bit into the air.

"Tails no heads heads." Whiterun shouted to the coin in mid air.

As the gracefully fell to earth, its path was intercepted by a stray hammer. which lead both to a nearby smelter oven before it plopped into the molten metal.

"Bullion watch it next time!" Topaz shouted to the golden maned stallion who was smiling guiltily at his superior.

"Well now what?" Whiterun looked at the smelter as ant evidence of his victory of defeat melted away almost instantly.

"I know, the answer." Bastion smiled coyly."My wife is in charge of the forges so I win."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Oh yeah, I still think you planed that from the start." Whiterun remarked as he put on his helm.

" No, just your bad luck or my incredibly good luck decided that fair and square, Now come on we got to get down stairs before." Bastion failed to finish his sentence, As the bell above the front door to the library jingled.

"I'm coming, sorry for the wait." Bastion heard the clatter of the princesses hooves going down the stairs. followed with what sounded like Spike doing after her.

"Come on buddy, were up." Bastion trotted across the second floor study area and down the stairs. He knew the Sumareian Ambassador was bound to drop by eventually, he always had a nasty habit of showing up with the least amount of warning.

As Bastion made his way down the stairs he saw the stallion that had unknowingly ruined his day. There dressed in a black suit with a Sumareian flag patched on his shoulder stood one of the few zebras Bastion had ever met in his life, and he was simply chatting with the princess about books.

"I personally enjoyed her later work, though I'm still a sucker for the Love set Free. trilogy myself." The zebra said with a light accent.

"Well yes but comparing Inkwells style to Bridlemares is well... Difficult to say the least." Twilight looked at the two books in front of her, she knew that most of the ponies she asked about it were really divided about who was the better author. She personally liked both and the fact that they were both students under the father of modern Equestrian literature.

"Regardless, Ms. Sparkle or is it Princess Twilight?" the zebra placed both books on the check out table.

"Please, Twilight is fine. Though I never caught your name Mr.?"

"Atoy,Jako Atoy but please Jako is fine." He offered his hoof politely to Twilight.

"Nice to met you Jako, Princess Celestia said you would be in town for a few days and that you planed on visiting the new princess." Twilight smiled, noticing Bastion slowly inching his way to her side.

"Yes, indeed," Jako glanced over to Bastion and waved him over "Come now there's no need for this sneaking around good ser."

"Apologies sir, I didn't wish to interrupt your conversation." Bastion felt another set of eyes burning into him from somewhere.

"Nonsense, what type of princess wouldn't have security present, I most certainly brought mine." Jako stamped his hoof on the ground twice.

The door to the library opened slowly to reveal a hulking dark grey stallion in jet black armor and a similarly colored beret with two crossed swords patched on it, marched in and saluted.

"Sergeant Flak Jacket of the Sumareian grand army at your service." He said in a booming deep voice.before stepping to the side to reveal a significantly smaller mare.

Bastion did a mental double take of the mare before him, namely because she looked like somepony else he had seen around Ponyville, with her orange coat and magenta mane she reminded him of one Cutie mark Crusaders that tore through the library last Wednesday trying to be librarians, only she looked a few years older then her.

" Petty officer Sky Blitz of the civilian merchant fleet." She fluttered her wings nervously. As she trotted in Bastion noticed her black and red vest with the old pegasi tribe emblem on it, as well as her grey scarf that had her flight goggles nestled against her neck.

"Nice to meet both of you, I'm Sergeant Bastion Stonewall an-" Bastion looked up at the stairs, just in time to see Whiterun tumbling down them noisily before crashing head long into a pile of reference books on magical theory."And that is my partner Whiterun Snowtrot."

"I see, well Twilight I hate to bore you with political chit chat, but I have something to discuss with you in private. Would this library have a study room of some sort?" Jako asked as he watched Whiterun spring to his feet and trot over to Twilight like nothing had happened.

Twilight glanced over to bastion and winked her left eye twice before faking a sneeze. "Sorry about that, The only drawback to living in a library is all this dust," She faked another sneeze  before pointing to another section of the library. "Theres a study room in this section we can go to." she smiled.

"Well alrighty then." Jako let Twilight lead the way to the study room while the  remaining four ponies stood in the lobby.

They all stood there in silence before Flak cleared his throat.

"So tell me something, did she just tell you the firehouse burned down because, my guarded to guardian code last time I checked wasn't that rusty."

Bastion rolled around what Twilight did he remembered Princess Luna stopping him in the hall way once during the early morning guard exchange and doing it exactly like she did. Bastion knew Twilight wasn't  asking for one dozen moon pies to be sent to her quarters

"No, I saw Princess Luna, do that and she just wanted moon pies," Bastion tried to remember Twilights last obsessive weekly scheduling fit. "That's it Whiterun she wants a maneuver Green twenty six."

"A what now?" Sky looked at the two stallions as the high hoofed.

"They're going to get Twilight out of the meeting under the guise of a significantly more important event," Flak leaned down to sky and whispered. " Don't worry rookie we wont have to do a thing."

"Flak, tell me something," Sky looked up uncertainly to her towering partner. "How did a mapmaker get pared up with you and then sent to Equestria?"

Flak smiled happily, "Tell me how two ponies like that were assigned to guard the princess."

"Good point."

"Hey, you two done chatting over there we could use your help coming up with a plan." Whiterun waved the two over.

Bastion looked at the group of ponies around him," Alright so here is the plan."

**************************************

" Thats why we are on such unfriendly terms with the Griffons ." Jako looked Twilight dead in the eye, he seemed real serious about the current political tensions that were threatening his home.

"Oh I see well, but I assume you didn't want to talk to me about that at all." Twilight looked at the zebra as he let out a heavy sigh.

"Yes, well the emperor sends his best wishes and would like to formally name you crown roylar of his court." Jako reached into his suit jacket and produced a scroll. "It's really an honorary title something the Emperor claimed his ancestor Dusk did when Sumareia was first founded. It does come with a few perks however," Jako smiled as he produced another scroll from his jacket. "I really should bring a saddle bag along with me."

"Ah yes, here it is, you are able to withdraw a maximum of thirty bits from the Sumareian treasury a week, as well as being named an citizen of the empire. Oh you might like this part. You are now authorized to checkout and text from the archives indefinitely, unless notified by the head scribe." Jako smiled before looking at the clock it was ten minutes until one o clock. "Oh look that wrapped up real quick."

"Wait, so thats really it." Twilight looked back up at the clock he had hardly taken away from her meeting with the mayor.

"Yep," He smiled "You don't think other ponies have a schedule to keep as well." He winked at her as he trotted to open the door to the study room.

As he raised his hoof to the door knob however, the door was suddenly kicked in and Whiterun looked around the room frantically, before he ran up to Twilight.

"Your majesty, I have terrible news," He smiled slyly and winked at her. "It's just awful terribly tragic news.  News so bad I.... I." He stammered glancing back at Jako who stared suspiciously at him.

"Sergeant, what is this terribly tragic news?" Jako asked in a monotone.

"Well actually the news isnt tragic," Whiterun gulped audibly as Jako stared at him with his peircing blue eyes." Nor is it umm terrible." He smiled nervously.

"Well then lets hear it." Jako slowly trotted towards Whiterun who was now starting to sweat nervously. "Come on."

"Well uh Twilight your umm..... Brother Shining umm is having triplets." Whiterun spit out. 

"Congratulations then, Auntie Twilight." Jako lost all of the creepy intensity he had as he started to giggle to himself. "Oh Auntie Twilight. I got to remember that one." He let out a hearty laugh before poking his head out. "Flak was that your Idea... No your silly you know that."

"Wait, he knew?" Whiterun whispered into Twilights ear.

All Twilight could do was nod as Jako turned around "Oh Twilight about those books."

	
> Greener Pastures pt 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Whiterun smiled into the mirror, toothbrush in hoof as he careful and meticulously brushed at his gums. He paused when he heard somepony knock at the door.

"Whiterun your going to be late if spend an our cleaning each tooth." Bastion called from the other side.

"Yeah whell," He spit into the sink. "Who got two root canals last winter." He smiled to himself after hearing a long pause from the door. He reached for the mouth wash and began to swish the minty liquid.

"At least I have the decency to call this a date Whiterun." 

Whiterun did a spit take right into pristine mirror. Apparently Bastion heard his reaction and started laughing hysterically from the hallway. 

"I told you Pastures just wants to go out for some tea," He grabbed his towel and started dabbing at the mirror. "Besides, shes bringing Izzy along."  

"Oh yeah, I forgot she's the one whose got the hots for you." Bastion cracked open the door. "And besides," He sniffed the air before a smug smile spread across his face. "You only wear that fancy prench cologne when you go on dates."

"You know, if this is what its like having a brother I'm real glad I had five sisters instead." Whiterun rolled his eyes as Bastion trotted up to him. Whiterun had hardly seen his partner so happy before.

"Sorry buddy, I'm still getting out of the only child mentality," He picked up another towel and started dabbing at the mirror as well. "Besides, I'm just well kinda giddy right now. You know why?" He practically vibrated with joy.

"No idea." Whiterun deadpanned.

"I just got a letter from Topaz, and well she'll be visiting next week ,and... and." Bastions happy smile dropped slightly" We get to go house shopping." he grumbled. "But otherwise I'm happy you know how long its been since I've seen her?"

"Two weeks five days six hours and ten minutes." Whiterun turned around and started for the door.

"Why, yes how did you." Bastion looked genuinely confused.

"Dude, you talk to me in my sleep, some of it just gets through." Whiterun paused for a second and smiled. "Black licorice."

As Whiterun trotted out of the bathroom leaving his mortified partner standing there utterly stupefied at his parting words. He was actually a little happy he got to see Pastures again, after all their first meeting and later kiss were under some less then favorable circumstances, and this time he had an ace up his sleeve or more literally in the mail.

He looked at the clock and smiled smugly as he trotted to the library door and waited patiently.

"Package for you Whiterun." Derpy announced as she happily knocked on the door. 

Not wasting a moment he opened the door and received a wayward hoof to his muzzle.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Derpy looked at her still raised hoof and shyly slipped it behind her back. "You okay Whiterun."

"Firstly, ow and yeah I'll be good," He smiled to her. "I've been hit by worse."

Derpy smiled back to him one eye filled with genuine happiness. " So ... Whiterun," She started as she pulled out the package and handed it to him. "Whatcha order? I mean after all it's not everyday that somepony has a date with my sister and a package shows up for them an hour before said date." She eyed him suspiciously, well as good as a pony with one non paralyzed eye could.

" Oh nothing really, just something I had my eye on for a while." He looked at the grey pegasus. " So Derpy, I thought you didn't have mail duty on Fridays." He returned her suspicious stare tenfold.

"Well... uh, you what its like in the pony express with buget cuts and," She started to hover off the ground slightly. "Great griffons greyhair whats that." She pointed towards a group of colts playing jacks, before bolting away as fat as her wings could carry her.

" What a strange mare," Whiterun said to himself as he closed the door and trotted into the kitchen.Placing it down on the table he pulled up a chair and got ready to open it .As he inspected the package he noticed a sticky note attached to its side.


Whiterun, don't forget Jasmines tea shop at five thirty.

P.S. You hurt my sister in any way and I will end you.

-Derpy. :)

"Well that's a little foreboding." Bastion  whispered into his ear. "So what did you get there any way?" Bastions silver aura started to slowly open the package.

"A surprise," Whiterun flicked Bastions horn causing his aura to dissipate. " Besides aren't you supposed to be guarding Twilight or something?"

Bastion brought his hoof to his chin."Well I would but I cant seem to find her anywhere."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile at Fluttershy's cottage.

"Oh my goodness, oh my goodness." The timid mare. hovered in the middle of her living room as Barry the resident grizzly bear flipped over her coffee table.

"I didn't think he would mind if I used the last bit of honey." Twilight shouted over the roaring beast, from her hiding spot behind the couch.

"Dont you have somepony who could get you more honey?" Fluttershy watched as the bear stomped around the room shooing away the other critters so none of them would get hurt in his hissy fit.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Well regardless," Bastion cantered up to the pantry and used his magic to pull out a jar of peanut butter and a new bottle of honey. "You only act this mysterious when you think you have an ace up your sleeve."

"I do not," Whiterun opened the box. "And besides you only get like this when your hear from you wife after awhile, remember Neighmaca."

" You know what, I'm not letting you knock me off my high horse right now." The grey stallion scoffed at him as he started making a sandwich.

"Didn't know you thought of your wife that way." Whiterun smiled as he heard the clanking of a butter knife against the wood floor.

" I hate you sometimes."

"I know," Whiterun pulled a smaller wrapped package out of the box, and slipped it into his saddle bag before standing up. "Well look at the time, I better get going."

**********************************

" Whiterun over here." The golden mare waved to him from the her seat. 

Turns out Jasmines tea shop was not only a place for ponies to just buy tea but also enjoy it in peaceful ambiance. Whiterun looked at numerous aromatic and colorful leaves in the glass jars that lined the shelves in the store.

"Hey there Pastures, Sorry for being late." Whiterun sat down, and smiled, before a soft giggle caught his ear."Hey there Izzy." He cooed the the foal who simply giggled more in response.

"Don't worry about it I had a hard time finding this place to," Pastures fluttered her wings slightly."Though I heard of all the tea shops outside of Canterlot this one is the best hooves down."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that ma'm, but thanks for the compliment." A mare balancing a large jar of tea on her back trotted by. "I be with you folks in a sec." She smiled before turning of down one of the aisles and disappearing amid the shelves.

"So Whiterun, how have you been?" Pastures picked brushed the small menu in front of her to the side.

"Pretty good all things considered. Works been uneventful," He smiled remembering all the stress he was in last year before the changeling attack. "How about you?"

"Good, good although the docs say I wont be able to fly for another week," She stretched her wings tiredly. "So I guess I'm grounded, still."

"Well Pastures, if it makes you feel any better I'm afraid of heights." Both of them started to laugh.

"So tell me something Whiterun," Pastures glanced happily to Izzy who was silently watching the two ponies with curious eyes. "Do you have a special somepony?"

"Well no not really." He peaked over to Izzy who reached her hooves out to Pastures. who started digging into a colorful  gym bag and pulled out a bottle and put it in the foals expectant hooves. He caught himself in his thoughts, Pastures reminded him so much of his mother, raising not only him but all his sisters after his fathers tragic death.

Pastures pushed a playful hoof into his shoulder. "Really a strong handsome stallion like you, come on not one mare." 

"Not a one," He shrugged "Though nopony anywhere can say I haven't tried."

He heard the mare from earlier start to canter up to them.

"Sorry about the wait there, what you two have?"

"I'll have the Jasmine house special with lemon, and some apple slices." Pastures slide the menu across the small table to Whiterun.

Panicking because as he read the menu he couldn't tell the different teas apart Whiterun looked for something familiar."I'll take the Strawberry ice tea with uhh...apple slices."

"Will do and might I say sir your foal has your eyes." The tea pony smiled as she picked up the menu from the table.

"Actually, I'm not the father." Whiterun noticed Pastures stifle a laugh as the tea mare looked at both Whiterun and Izzy.

"Well ma'm your foal has very beautiful eyes." She smiled before trotting off to what must have been the kitchen.

"Well you know the saying about ponies in a long relationship." She smiled. "That the start to look alike, do you know why?"

"Because they grow old together?" Whiterun guessed.

"No silly, because they're happy."  she giggled as she started tickling Izzys belly causing her to squeal in laughter. 

"So.. Pastures, about Izzy?" Whiterun braced himself for a well deserved slap only to hear the foals giggles die down.

"Well," Pastures brushed her grey mane to the side before letting out a sigh." You know how sometimes you meet that one pony who you think is really the one you were meant to grow old with." 

Whiterun nodded as the mare continued her story." I met him out in Manehattan, we had a little place nothing special. you know just starting out, I left my job with the Equestria Explorers, they were good ponies, even gave me a good luck bonus."

She leaned over to Izzy and brushed her mane."Life was good you know I just found out our little family would get a little bigger. But when I told him the news, he just." She paused as a tear started to form in her eye.

"Pastures, I'm sorry about that." Whiterun now realizing he had reopened some freshly healed wound.

"No worries, I mean after all that jerk gave me the best thing in my life.Although without you.... " She smiled at him a hint of red starting to grow in her cheeks.

"Oh.... Well I uhh.... No problem, my dad said that if anypony was ever in need of help and I could help, that I shouldn't give it a second thought and do what I can." Whiterun scratched the back of his neck. "You said you couldn't push any more, so I pushed you to push and well." He smiled as he tilted his head to Izzy.

"He certainly raised a selfless gentlecolt." She glanced to the front as the waitress came with a cart.

"Jasmine house special with lemon," She placed the steaming cup on the table "Strawberry Ice tea." She put the cool glass in the middle of the table and two straws along with a small plate of apple slices. "Enjoy you two," she winked before trotting away as somepony else walked in.

"He did, of course I wish he was still here at times." Whiterun paused as Pastures sipped her tea.

"I'm sorry to hear that, what happened if you dont mind my asking." Pastures reached a caring hoof to his side.

"Life, happened and things no pony could control, you see believe it or not I grew up on a rock farm up north." 

Whiterun smiled. "Snowrun Stones, it was my grandpas land but he willed it of to my dad you see. Well one winter apparently a wild windigoo strayed to far south and snowed us in," he picked up an apple slice and bit into it.

" My mother had just given birth to my youngest sister Fria, and she was starting to get sick, we didn't know what it was but we were real worried about Fria catching it." He dipped his straw into the ice tea and took a sip."Fearing that he would loss both his wife and newborn baby, my father started for Colterburg, twenty miles away. He walked alone, nonstop through one of the worst blizzards ever into town and got my mom some medicine."

"Love makes some ponies do crazy things." Pastures picked up the other straw and placed it in the ice tea.

Whiterun shook his head. "He certainly was crazy, the first thing he did when he got back was go right up to my mom and kiss her right on the lips. The crazy part about that was he was half frozen the entire time, he even didn't stop for a second to warm himself up at the fire."

"Wow, sounds like he cared more for his family then himself." Pastures commented before taking a sip of ice tea.

Whiterun nodded. "Needless to say my mom got better, but my dad started feeling weak and started coughing. in two days he was in a worse state then my mom and the medicine we had just didn't seem to work. We lost him later that week in his sleep."

Whiterun smiled as he felt a tears start to form under his eyes. "You know, he's the reason why I joined the guard."
> 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?"


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.

++++++++++++++++	
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.
++++++++++++++++

"-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."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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."
> Magical Field test 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	It was just a boring day, not boring in the since that nothing was going on, but boring in the since that it was just bland. The sunrise was bland, with none of the spectacular colors Celestia usually added. Even the library hadn't been visited by anypony at all in the last four hours.

"Bastion, why are wednesdays so boring?" Whiterun whined as he flopped on the bed.His partner was laying comfortably in his pile of pillows that he had arranged to be a fort.

"I don't know," He turned the page in the equestrian unabridged dictionary that he had levitating above him. It was the only book he figured wouldn't leave him wanting more in a couple of hours.

"There has got to be something other then," He waved his hooves at the air. "This."

"You could oh I don't know read a book, we are in a library after all." Bastion turned the page finally starting on the C's.

Both stallions sat in silence for a while until Bastion loudly closed the dictionary. 

"Okay, lets see what Twilight is up to." he hopped out of his pillow fort. "I mean after all, shes got to know some way to kill some time right?"

As the two causally walked to the basement door where she had decided to hole herself in. As Bastion knocked on the door he waited for a response. He knocked once more, to again be met by silence.

"Just open the door." Whiterun said impatiently as he started for the handle.

"Whiterun, have you no shame, what if she was.....was in a compromising situation, you would just barge in without her knowing." Bastion looked at his partner a slight blush on his cheeks.

"Bastion, I have only sisters the rule is knock once for a response, knock twice to be nice. Now if she is in the predicament you suspect she could be in isn't our jobs as her guards to help her." He started  for the handle again as he slowly opened the door.

They were met with the sounds of machines printing out easily a forests worth of paper all covered in data. There standing in the middle as Twilight trotted around her looking completely uninterested in all the buzz and chaos happening around her was Rainbow Dash.

"Compromising situation my horn," Whiterun remarked snarkily to Bastion as he brushed past him.

"You don't even have a horn you..." Bastion massaged his temple as he let out a gentle sigh as he followed his partner down the stairs. Realizing that it just might be one of those days where everything goes wrong for him.

"Hey there Rainbow. What have you been up to?" Whiterun smiled diplomatically to her.

"Well me and Twilight were going to practice some tricks today, but she got some egghead book different magics and," She tilted head to Twilight who was deftly placing another roll of paper into the chart machine."Someone thought a few experiments would be a good alternative to having fun."

"Wait experiments?" Bastion asked the sky blue mare simply nodded.

"Rainbow, you make it sound like I'm going to create Frankenstallions monster or something." Twilight trotted up to the group a curiously joyful smile on her face. "Bastion, Whiterun would you care to help me test a theory I have."

"And what pray tell is this theory of yours?" Bastion looked at the lavender alicorn as she prepared to lecture them all.

" Not more of this egghead stuff." Rainbow groaned as Twilight slide a chalkboard behind her and erased the series of notes and equations on it.

"Right, so well all know that we ponies are magical in some way," She drew a group of three ponies one a pegisi the other a unicorn and finally an earth pony."The only thing is we ponies display varying levels or forms of the same magic."

Both Whiterun and Rainbow were doing their best to seem mildly interested.While Bastion watched Twilight draw a set of lines under the three ponies. 

"Now we all know that the raw magical energies in the world are in the leylines, each and everypony, and most other intelligent species can draw magic from them, each with varying affects like Zecora and her illusions or griffons and their fire magics," Twilight hastily drew a zebra in a smoke cloud and a griffon holding fire in his talons. "This is all fine and dandy but unlike griffons and our zebra cousins we have a large variation as to well us, we ponies can be broken into three subspecies." Bastion raised his hoof and waited for Twilight to nod to him.     

"So does this theory of yours relate as to whether or not we ponies are actually using the same magic?"

"Yes, seeing how varied our magics are, Pegisi with their flight and ability to manipulate weather. Earth ponies with their significantly more passive magic that allows plants and animals to flourish where they have been even sometime after they have gone. Finally there are unicorns we can quite literally hijack a leyline and draw from it with our horns." she tapped her hoof a her forehead. "Ours is really the only active form of magic with varying levels of passiveness for pegisi and earth ponies."

"Uh Twilight, pegisi can fly because we have wings." Rainbow flared out her wings.

"Actually, no." Twilight cleared the board and drew a bird and a pegasus. "You see Rainbow, pegisi wings are too small to allow them to fly, with what we know of aerodynamics, that and birds can only fly because they also have mostly hollow bones.  Ponies don't have hollow bones, because we like oxen are beasts of burden." Twilight started to jot down similarities that birds an pegisi did have. "The one thing that is keeping a pegisi in the air is a magical burst that they produce that is similar to an anti-gravity spell, earth ponies have similar bursts, though theirs is less dramatic and it dissipates slower." 

"So your theory relates to whether you could make say a pegisi manipulate leylines like a unicorn?" Bastion looked at Twilight who was smiling joyfully.

"Yes and that is where you come in Bastion, I need you to help me create a leyline connection for Rainbow, and Whiterun here." 

"Wait did we just get volunteered as test subjects?" Whiterun looked to Rainbow Dash who nodded. "Oh hay n...."

Whiterun slumped to the ground as Bastions stun spell kicked in. "Well we are both sworn to protect you with our lives and well... I guess we're more expendable then one of the elements of harmony." Bastion poked Whiterun in the back of his neck prompting the white stallion to spring to his hooves.

"Firstly ouch," He stared daggers at his partner. "Secondly, is this safe?"

Twilight smiled, "I did my research the worst that will happen to the both of you is a mild headache." 

"Well are we gonna get this done now, or when I'm old like Granny Smith?"

"Well before that we should probably take this outside."

*********************************************************************

The group of ponies finally, finished their rather short hike to the a field, not a stones throw distance away from Ghastly Gorge. Twilight and Bastion were still discussing magical theory and whether or not there was a unknown magical wavelength that had yet to be discovered. While Whiterun and Rainbow Dash on more then one occasion wondered how their friends were for lack of a better word and out of mutual unspoken consensus between them. 'super nerdy.'

"Well its like my magic kindergarten teacher always says." Bastion stumbled slightly over a rock.

"The moment you stop wondering is the moment you stop learning." Twilight smiled back, to the Bastion. "Ms. Trotsworthy?"

"Wait a sec, you were TinkilingTwi?" Bastion looked to Twilight as a vibrant blush grew to her face. 

"That was one time okay." She blurted out as she looked down at the ground in shame.

"Oh come on buck up," Bastion nudged her reassuringly." Remember that colt who kept on making fun of you about it, well lets just say he's a sewage disposal expert now. " He smiled as Twilight nodded and chuckled slightly "But the little filly who humiliated herself on her first day of kindergarten grew up to be a princess. Now if that ain't the universe righting some wrong then I don't know what is." She looked up to Bastion and smiled.

"Or he became a royal guard, and is now guarding the pony he used to pick on." Twilight playfully shoved Bastion in the side, and winked at him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile in the Canterlot Castle armory.

Topaz paused in her step, she had felt a tingle in her horn, a tingle she hadn't felt since the five years of her and Bastions marriage, but she knew the tingle all the same.

"Quartermaster Topaz, are you okay?" one of the new recruits who was supposed to be getting fitted for her armor asked as she cautiously approached the petrified Quartermaster.

"Competition." Topaz mumbled under her breath.

"What ma'm?" The mare recruit stepped closer trying to hear.

"BASTION!!!!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bastion felt a cold tingle run down his back, as he got ready to cast what Twilight had dubbed The supercharge spell.

"Alright Whiterun your up first," Twilight waved him over. " On three Bastion you hit him with the spell, while I record  the results."

"Is this going to hurt, because my doctor says that I severely allergic to pain and bodily injury, especial the types that come from unicorns."

"One." Twilight raised her hoof.

"Okay we have started counting that's fine. But that doesn't change the fact that-"

"Two"

"Oh sweet Celestia, please I only just now got a special somepony and now this why?" He fainted dramatically. Causing both Twilight and Bastion to roll their eyes.

"Three."

Bastion was admittedly an average magic using unicorn, learning spells that he knew he would need in his life, not learning those that he would rarely use in his life, but taking one of the literal veins of magic in equestria and connecting it to a pony it seemed almost to simple as the raw magical power he focused on his partner began to stabilize.

"Ughhh...... Why does everything taste like red?" Whiterun, either through his earthpony durability or of sheer and total Whiterunedness got to his hooves like he had only slipped on a banana peel.

"Okay, now that the difficult part is out of the way," Twilight levitated a clipboard an pencil from the bag she made Bastion carry. "Try bucking that boulder over there." She pointed to a large boulder that had Tom caringly written in chalk on it.

"Okay, but I don't see why I had to get zapped in order to buck a rock." Whiterun cantered up to Tom, and began running his hoof on its surface. He then brought his ear to it and started knocking on it.

"Your not taking it on a date, just hit the thing." Bastion rolled his eyes at his partners strange behavior.

Whiterun nodded to the stone before turning around and bracing himself. He lifted his hind-legs and kicked them back with all his might, it didn't feel like he hit anything more then a big pile of sand.

Bastion felt his jaw drop at what he just saw, he looked to Both Rainbow Dash and Twilight who were both equally as shocked at what they just saw. Twilight numbly started writing something down on the clipboard, as she tried to compose herself.

"That was awesome!"  Rainbow zipped over to Whiterun, who was just now turning around, to see a light grey pile of dust that was once Tom,

"I did that?" He looked numbly at the dust pile then back at his legs which were coated in a fine layer of light grey dust.

"Yeah you did, that rock didn't stand a chance." 

Whiterun not missing a beat started polishing his hoof of his chest. "Well, you know how it is strong devastatingly handsome." He smiled.

"Yeah, yeah next thing you'll tell us you have a soft spot for mares with blue coats." Bastion who unbeknownst to either Rainbow Dash or Whiterun was poking around the dust pile with Twilight.

"Everypony look at this," Twilight held up her hoof  there gripping valiantly to the loose grey dust was a decently sized sprout growing slowly with the faintest glimmer of magic sparking around it. "So Bellsmiths theory about earth pony magic is true." Her horn lit up and she quickly jotted down some notes.

"Wait I did that?" Whiterun cautiously poked the plant, causing it to grow into a small sapling almost instantly.

"Whoa." Rainbow watched as a silver field surrounded the sapling and planted it into the dust pile.

"This is just amazing, I cant believe that a active leyline in an earthpony could do that." Twilight looked at Whiterun. "Whiterun I want to go to that patch of dirt," She pointed to a bare disappointing patch of dirt where the withered grass crinkled in the breeze.

"Right here?" Whiterun trotted to the middle of the patch and harmlessly kicked a rock.

"Right there, Bastion can you give me the Arcanoscope."

Bastion reached into his saddlebag and delicately pulled out the small telescope like tool and gave it to her.

"Now lets see here," Twilight extended the scope and with her magic carefully started rotating some sections of it."There we go, amazing." 

"What is it?" Rainbow Dash asked as she hovered over her friends shoulder. "I mean, what does that egghead thingy say is going on?"

"It looks like the spell didn't work, instead of connect a new leyline to Whiterun, it looks like Bastion just became a mid point for it."

"Wait, so he's using my magic? then why don't I feel tired or sick?" Bastion looked at his partner who was now sitting in a healthy growth of green grass, smiling as a butterfly fluttered up to his nose.

"I think I know why," Twilight collapsed the scope and put back into Bastions saddle bag. "Earthpony magic is subtle and very passive, the magical burst he used to break that boulder, should be the about the same as a young unicorn picking up for the first time. To him it was a massive surge of magic, but to you and me especially considering the fact that we're older that was almost a trivial little burst of magic." Twilight smiled smugly as she jotted down her discovery on her notes.

"Hey Bastion Check this out, I'm a living super stallion." The three ponies looked up to see a sight that would have put both Discord and Pinkie Pie to shame in the department of sheer ranbomness.

Whiterun was juggling three boulders about twice the size of the one he disintegrated  in one hoof while doing pushups with out breaking a sweat, he then found a convenient placed anvil and slammed his hoof on it breaking it clean in half.

"This is awesome." Whiterun hoped over to several other barren patches of dirt and started a jig, which caused a plethora of flowers to sprout and blossom before their eyes.

"So Twilight remember, when I made fun of you for being an egghead." Rainbow Dash nudged her friend in the side.

"And how both you and Applejack tied for last place at the running of the leaves."

"Yeah, yeah. That's in the past but could you say oh make me fly better with this spell of yours?"

"On it, Twilight if you would please step back." Bastion prepared the supercharge spell once more, only this time it wasnt as easy as before, since what magic was in Rainbow started to repel the leyline connection. Eventually he over powered the stubborn magic and connected Rainbow Dash.

"Ugh... Red tastes awful." Rainbow stuck out her tongue trying to get the taste out of her mouth.

"There you go, all super charged and ready to go." Bastion wiped the few beads of sweat from his fore head. "You got any water."

"I'll do you one better," Rainbow stretched out her wings getting ready to take off.

"No wait." Twilight called out as the sky blue mare shot into the sky screaming. leaving a set of rainbow Dash shaped holes in the clouds. "Pegisi take off with a burst of magic."

"You think she'll be okay?" Bastion trotted up with a canteen a few inches above his head. Twilight nodded as she saw a rainbow colored shockwave higher up. "Don't tell me I got to cast that on somepony else today, Rainbow was exhausting."

"No you wont have to cast it again, I have a question though. Bastion are you one of the more powerful unicorns in the guard?"

"Oh no by no stretch am I really good with magic, I  actually was one of the weakest unicorns in my unit when we started and finished basic training I got in because of my hoof to hoof combat skills" Bastion scratched the back of his head. "Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering what would or could happen if a princess used that spell... Oh and cover your ears." Twilight smiled as the shockwaves of three successive rainbooms shook the ground, causing Bastion to topple over dropping his canteen.

Twilight just laughed as she watched the grey stallion scramble back to his hooves.

"Ha ha laugh it up." Bastion sadly lifted up the empty canteen and pouted. "That isn't fair at all."

"Here," Twilight flew up to a nearby cloud and took a piece of it. "Cant have one of my favorite guards/ number 2 assistants go and pass out now can I." She stuffed the cloud wisp into the canteen and shook it.

"Thanks," Bastion smiled to Twilight who gave him a playful shove as he started gulping the cool water.

"So that spell really took that much out of you then?" Twilight looked to the sky as a rainbow streaked across at breakneck speeds.

"Not really, its just afterwards is the real dozy, and if that arcanoscope is right I should be getting tired from them doing well," Bastion pointed to the rainbow that was now looping and doing tricks in the heavens high above, and them to Whiterun who was causing massive blooms in the once dry and barren dirt. "That."

"Don't worry, it will wear off, in about an hour or so." Twilight said as she trotted over to a shady tree and sat down. Bastion quickly realizing how much casting the spell twice did on him, tiredly and lazily trotted next to Twilight and sat as well.

"Well, you know what they say, too much sleep after the job never hurt nopony." He yawned before resting his back against the tree and closing his eyes. "Wake me up when Whiterun starts dropping things please." 
> Barnyard Brawl
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Bastion looked up, he knew he was dreaming because he was at the one place he swore never to go back to. It was the one place where he experienced so much pain, so much suffering, but at the same time triumph and a cold sense of pride. He looked up to the Tiga mountains and took in a calm breath, he was in Tiglaias, or more specifically the monastery of the weeping stripes

He turned his head to see an old tiger in silk robes staring daggers at him through his one good eye. "You dare come here and challenge me." He watched as the decrepit tiger got to his paws. Bastion knew that he may have been old but that he could take on a dozen of the royal guard with a paw behind his back and still win, then again it was this same tiger who taught him the lunar claw forms.

"Master Bengalus, I have no wish to fight you," He watched as his master started stalking around him, waiting for an opening. "But if I must defend myself so be it." He mirrored the tigers low predatory stalk, only instead of circling him he waited.

"You never did learn anything he taught you." The heat of another tigers breath kissed his right ear.
****
"I'm tellin you Twi, whatever did this must have been mighty fierce." Applejack commented running her hoof over the claw marks that one f her apple trees now sported. Bastion had gone with Twilight when Applejack showed up in the library earlier asking about some claw marks.

"Hmmm..." Twilight looked at the marks with the same intensity as Fetlock Holmes. " We still cant rule out timber wolves, but then again they don't sharpen claws on trees."

Bastion focused on everything else around them quietly surveyed the area, he did find the marks appearing on one tree really fishy. As his turned his head back to the two mares who were investigating the marks, his eyes fell on a little slip of white in the grass two trees away.

"Well, if it is timber wolves we won't be able to harvest this part of orchard till they move on." Applejack angrily flipped over a rock.

"No, not timber wolves," Bastion said to the two mares, keeping the white slip in the corner of his vision. "They wouldn't venture this far from the forest at night. A manticore maybe, but." He trotted up to the tree and looked carefully at it, whatever it was it wasn't sharpening its claws since the gnashes in the tree were too clean for that.

"But manticores wouldn't go this far away from the Everfree," He heard Twilight gulp nervously. "Would they?"

"Tell you what ladies," Bastion looked at the two mares and smiled. "You two should head on back to the farm, and I'll find what did this and shoo it away for you." Bastion hoped that playing of their paranoia would get them to clear out, he didn't want to risk their safety if she was here.

"Are ya sure Bastion? I could get Big mac to help you out." Bastion smiled to Applejack.

"No need, and besides," He started stretching his shoulders, "I could use the practice.I don't want to get rusty after all."

"Then be careful Bastion," Twilight pointed her hoof at him. "I don't want to explain to the Princess how one of my guards became a manticores snack."

Bastion chuckled. "Will do Princess Twilight." He saluted her as he let his laughter die down.

**

Bastion waited a few minutes after the two left before he headed over to the strange white thing he saw a few trees away. As he got closer to it, he noticed that it wan't some random piece of paper but rather an origami swan.

"So, Bastion who are the new mares?" He jumped slightly at the voice. As he looked around for its source, the faint sound of purring filled the air. "I mean after all, there was no way you could be content with just one pony for the rest of your life."

"They aren't any of your concern here," Bastion angrily glanced around himself half expecting anything to jump on him from anywhere. " I thought, we settled this in Manehattan."

"Ha, you cheat me out of my birthright and say we're even," Bastion heard a loud thud behind him. Turning around he came face to face with one of the most dangerous creatures on the planet. "And you, know the old saying. Once a tiger sets her eyes on her prey she wont stop until she or her prey is dead."

The tigress plodded out of the shadows of the apple trees, her brilliant orange and black striped coat were complemented by her dark blue eyes that were focused solely on him, as she flicked her tail the entirety of which was a dark grey. Bastion knew those eyes, though beautiful and kind, those were the eyes of a power hungry killer. On her neck dangled two pearls one red the other yellow.

"Tell me, Stonetail. Do you really want that treasure that bad." Bastion started to circle her.

"That treasure would connect me to the empress of Tigalas." She locked her eyes on Bastion watching his ever move, counting his breaths and watching how his muscles moved under his skin.

"So you, destroyed the weeping stripes just for power." Bastion, knew that she would come for him again, she was just like that persistent. Then again the last time she they met was the night before his wedding with Topaz, he only survived that encounter because Whiterun tackled her right before she could deliver a finishing blow. He cursed his luck this time around since his partner was on a date with Pastures.

"Correction Bastion, you are the last member of the weeping stripes." She pointed one of her claws straight at him. "You were the one master trusted with the blue pearl. You were the one he wouldn't allow to undergo the rituals of denial." She started to purr as she dug her claws into the soil. "You were the one who never learned the Astral paw forms."

With that she charged at him, the soft dirt was being tossed up every time her deadly paws slammed into the ground. Bastion braced himself as she barreled right into him, sending the two of them rolling through the orchard. Stonetail viciously clawing at him every opportunity she had as the two began to slow down.

The two stopped as Stonetail slammed Bastions back on the ground, as she raised her paw to strike him down Bastion quickly brought his hind legs up and bucked her straight in the air. He then quickly rolled out of the way, as the stunned tigress crashed to the ground.

"Raghhh!!!" She sprang to her paws and swiped at his head once again. When she missed however she dug her striking paw into the ground and pivoted her entire body on it, giving Bastion a vicious strike from both of her back paws. Bastion felt three new cuts cross his left cheek as he was thrown by her punishing move, his flight was cut short however  when a bush caught him.

"Give up Bastion, your idiot friend isn't here to save you this time." Stonetail, panted as she made her way over to the grey stallion. As she grew closer to him she noticed the that not only was Bastion smiling, but laughing none the less.

"You know, Stonetail," He chuckled as he turned his head to look at her. "Whiterun may be an idiot sometimes."

With speed Bastion barely knew he could achieve he shot backwards, in a cartwheel letting his his hoof strike the tigress squarely in the chin. Gracefully landed he kept his eyes locked on her as she fell to her back. He knew he wouldn't get another good blow like that on her for a while.

"But, no pony calls him that but me." He smirked to himself, knowing now that he had made her angry. She sprang back to her paws, and fixed him with a frenzied stare.

In an instant she was tearing through the air her razor sharp claws glinting elegantly in the sunlight. Bastion sidestepped hoping to avoid her deadly leap. He felt a painful streak across his side as he quickly noticed he moved to slow. He curled up and fell over, the pain was utterly unbearable. As Stonetail landed with a loud thud, she started to cackle like a hyena.

"Don't tell me that that wife of yours slowed you down," She turned around, a calm twisted smile shown on her face. "Last time we fought you were... Shall I say a bit more agile. She really must have fattened you up then." Her eyes filled with a manic drive as she plodded up to him. "Or maybe today, is the day I get to become Empress." She smiled as she raised her paw each of her claws now with the slight reddish tint, that Bastion guessed was his own blood. 

"Bastion!" Both of them paused as they turned their heads to the new voice.

Bastions eyes widened in horror as he quickly recognized the pony staring at the two of them, her light blue coat and darker blue mane sending a shiver up his spine. Even Stonetail shuddered for a moment as she fixed her angry green eyes between the two of them.

"Hey there," Bastion felt a lump form in his throat like uttering her name would unleash something that even the gates of Tartarus could hold. "Honey."

Stonetail flicked her tail in annoyance as she returned her stare to him. "Good, I thought just killing you would make for a rather bor-" She was cut off as a hammer struck her in the side of the head.

"Look here missy," Topaz trotted up to the tigress, who was still reeling from the blow from the hammer. "I don't know who you are, or what you want. But when you sit there and call my husband fat." She titled her neck over her shoulder resulting in a few loud cracks. "You crossed the bucking line."

Bastion struggled to get back to his hooves."Honey, she's not your ave-"

"Can it," She turned her head back to him. "We'll talk about this later, but right now. I have a kitty who needs to be taught a few things." both of them turned their heads as the tigress started to chuckle.

Stonetail, who was now getting back up. She fixed the two of them with the wildest bloodthirsty gaze, her fangs gleamed in little sunlight that was now going through the trees.

"So, this is your wife Bastion?" She smiled wickedly as she started to circle the two of them. " Real shame. I always thought you could do better, with your little fling Star Talon." Her paw snapped a twig.

"Honey, we should get back to the barnyard." Bastion looked around the clearing they were in, he knew that it was too small for him to make sure Topaz wouldn't get caught in all the fighting. He was taken out of his tactical thoughts as his wife pressed up on his side.

He looked over to his wife, he wasn't sure who was scarier at the moment, the crazed tigress who he had trained with when they were younger or his wife who was wearing a calm face her eyes fixed on her stalking adversary. Her horn lit up, he noticed the air crackle slightly as magic filled the air.

"Silly pony," Stonetail stopped moving. "You think I don't know how to counter your magics." She scoffed at the two of them. "Unicorns really, so reliant on a ability that is more show than it is potent." She raised her paw casually flicking the dirt caught in her claws. "Ever wonder, how we Tigers get our names." She flicked her tail, the grey tip of her tail seemed to be getting bigger. 

"It's because your name reflects some ability that is unique to your family." Topaz let her horn glow with a bit more intensity, "So tell me something. How ignorant do you think I am?" And with a blinding flash both her and Bastion were gone. Leaving an extremely annoyed and slightly bloodied tigress in their wake.

**
Bastion smiled nervously as his wife, who for the last minute was pressing him for information about what he has been  up to for the last three weeks.

"And who was she?" She pointed to the orchard. Bastion looked out there knowing that at any moment Stonetail would burst out of there.

"She.... she ,"

Bastion looked down at the wooden floor. He still had to make sure Twilight, her friends family and more importantly his marriage was not in danger because of something his parents forced him into doing. He knew he had to at least tell his wife about that chapter of his life. 

"When I was younger my parents went to Tiglaias with one thing in mind." He felt his throat run dry as Topaz raised her eyebrow. "They wanted a son who could redeem the Stonewall houses name among the Canterlot nobility," He looked up to his wife. "We both know there are only two ways to do something like that." 

Topaz nodded,Bastion hated to admit it, but him joining the guard and becoming a commander for one of the princesses units was his only choice. Unlike his wife who grew up as a noble because her family had wealth and influence in parliament, he remembered when he found out how rich she actually was, and when she discovered his families less than reputable history of piracy and in some cases treason just to get a fraction of what the other noble houses such as hers had in terms of wealth and power.

"So at the urging of my grandfather I was sent away to train in a tiger monastery, in hopes that when I returned I would become possibly one of the best guards in the History of Equestria." He looked back to the trees where a group of birds scattered in the distance.

"But that doesn't explain her though." Topaz followed his gaze to the trees.

"We were... friends for a while, but when she discovered that she was the Empresses daughter. She went mad, for the last twelve years shes been hunting for a piece of evidence to prove her birthright." A ferocious roar tore through the air as another group of birds scattered, "A piece that I happen to have." 

"Then why haven't you given it to her?" Topaz looked at the barnyard, granted that she too was a member of the royal guard; a decision that didn't sit well with her father. She didn't see any way that the two of them could fend her off.

Bastion sighed as the sound of angered growling started to faintly reach their ears.Trotting down the stairs he used his magic to pick up a rake, inspecting it he started to wish it was his spear.

"Honey, you should go inside with the others." Bastion grabbed the rake with his hooves.

"Did you forget something Bastion." She trotted up next to him a determined look on her face. "Sickness and health."

"I don't remember there ever being anything about a tiger though." He smiled to her, which prompted a jab to his side. "Ouch."

"Bastion!"

Stonetail roared as she burst into the front of the Apple families barnyard. A frenzied manic look in her eyes, as she scanned the area for her prey. Bastion whistled over to her as he reared up on his hindlegs the rake gripped in both his forelegs.

He smiled cockily at her, she was losing it which meant even with the few bumps and bruises she had gave him, he had the advantage. Adjusting his stance slightly so he could keep his balance a few moments longer, he got ready to fend off the deranged tigresses onslaught.

"Rrraaaaa!!!" Bastion felt time itself slow down as Stonetail made her furious charge to him, He had a brief flashback to Manehattan, where the same thing was happening, only instead of on the roof one of Equestrias most prosperous banks, with his partner hanging on the edge for dear life. He smiled as he used his his legs to spring up into the air.

As he somersaulted in the air he saw Stonetail land flat on her face. Landing right behind her he grabbed her tail with his magic and flung her towards the pigpen. He smiled to himself as she once again landed face first into the wet mud. As she scrambled back up to her paws, mud now tarnishing her stripped coat she huffed a angry breath to him.

"Surprise." Topaz popped out of her teleportation a few feet in the air giving her  the chance to buck Stonetail in the side, causing both of them to land in the muddy puddle. Before the tigress could recover from the blow Topaz had jumped on to her and was trying to do a headlock, to no avail.

Bastion trotted up to the edge of the pigpen where his wife and former childhood friend were struggling against each other.

"A little help, here honey." Topaz called out as she was flung around in the air, she manged to get her hooves on the ground long enough to roll Stonetail down to the ground.

"And miss the chance to see my wife mud wrestle for free?" He smiled as she glared daggers at him, her horn lighting up for a brief moment before a wad of thick mud hit him in the face.

"It really isn't the time for this Bastion," She said as Stonetail tackled her to the ground, her hooves the only thing from keeping the tigress from mauling her to death. As Bastion started to charge into the pen as she flicked her tail, which was now a slightly darker grey than his coat.

He ducked as her tail zipped trough the air to were his head was. He bumped Topaz in the flank, before looking up to her eyes and smiling"Miss me honey?" as Topaz rolled her eyes Bastion pressed his hind legs into Stonetails belly, and shouted.

"Come on push, you can do it." Bastion gritted his teeth as he pushed with all his might once more, lifting the tigress several inches above the ground.

"Hey Stony, looks like you could afford to loss a few pounds yourself." He hissed as he lit up his horn, preparing a stun spell. All the tigress did was lift up her back right paw and kick him in the face, causing his spell to misfire and hit Topaz.

His eyes widened in horror as the tigress rolled over to the side. As he got back to his hooves he looked over to Stonetail, his wife dangling limply in her vicious jaws.

"Looks like I win this time Bastion." She said as she dropped Topaz in a heap at her paws. "Try anything and her death will be on your shoulders. Now give me the scroll."

Bastion looked at his wife, wondering how he messed up so bad, but more importantly why he had let her get involved in this. He looked at Stonetail, she had nearly killed him on multiple occasions, he knew that she would hurt anypony just to get at him.

"Fine," He relaxed his pose, knowing that no matter what he tried Topaz would get hurt before he even got close to Stonetail. "I'll give the scroll." He lit up his horn causing an old ornate scroll to matterialize in the air, it bore the seal of the Empress on it. "You do know why master kept this from you."

Stonetail sniffed the air and smiled wickedly at Topaz. "Do you know what your wife has been keeping from you."

"What do you mean?" Bastion looked over to Topaz as Stonetail calmly plodded over to him.

"Oh, nothing. Now give me what is mine." She reached out with her paw.

"The master kept this from you because." He flashed back to his dream, quickly realizing something horrifying.

"Because what?" Stonetail asked impatiently as the scroll touched the pads of her paw.

"He was... was your father, and he feared who would try to hurt you for that scroll. But more importantly how it would hurt you." Bastion looked his onetime friend in the eye. "He didn't want your mother to find out you were still alive." He felt the world fall out from underneath him as he looked into her eyes, a look of shock filling them.

"Y... your lying." She said defiantly as she broke away from his stare. "I...I must go," She shuddered for a moment. "And claim my birthright." 

Bastion turned and watched as the tigress disappeared in the trees, wishing her well one her quest. Looking back to his wife he tiredly trotted to her, nudging her in the side with his muzzle.

"Mmmm.... five more minutes." She mumbled as she curled up and quietly started snoring.

"Bastion, are you okay." his ears perked as he heard Twilight call out from the porch. He had almost forgotten about her and Applejack, heck they probably saw the whole fight. He waved over to her.

"What in tarnation  was that about?" He turned his head to see Applejack and her brother follow Twilight out of the house.

He waited for the them to get a bit closer, not wanting to shout and possibly wake Topaz up. He smiled as they got closer, standing back up and saluting the two mares.

"Well for starters, it was not a manticore."