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Nothing lasts forever.

~

Ike sighed as he looked from his Canterlot window. He was an Alicorn now, considered nobility. It hadn't been more than a week since his battle with darkness had nearly cost him everything, but already he was questioning himself.

"I was nothing before, but here I became a warrior, Defender of the Dawn. Fate brought me here to fight for my friends, to protect them... But that's all finished and Equestria is safer than ever. So what am I now? A warrior with no battle, an eternal guardian with nothing to protect?"

"You are far too young to be thinking these things Ike." Luna, who had overheard him from his doorway, stepped inside. "You are one of our kin now. That means the Alicorn lifespan as well... You still have the duty of protecting the kingdom, just in different ways."

"I know. But how am I supposed to live thousands of years with the knowledge that everyone I know will be gone before one hundred of them pass?"

"One day at a time little one." Luna softly rubbed Ike's mane as she passed to look out the same window. "I came for a reason though. For too long pony kind has stood alone. There are other kingdoms out there besides our own. The Gryphons, for example. They are a strong-headed people with a male centered society. But with your help I think we can ally ourselves with them."

"Diplomacy? I'm hardly the best choice."

"Word of your deeds have spread far, the Gryphons will respect you; that's the most important part."

"Well, at this point I'd do just about anything to get out of this stuffy castle. If anyone else calls me prince or your majesty tonight I might just scream."

"Twilight shares your sentiments. Celestia is sending her with you, along with a small force of guards."

~~~

The next day:

"Small force?" I mumbled under my breath as I looked upon the garrison that was posted on the ocean's edge.

"Celestia said that the Gryphons needed to be shown our strength and commitment." Twilight whispered in my ear.

"This is too much, half of this would still be too much. A force this size could easily be considered an invasion!"

The captain noticed our arrival and stepped forward to greet us. "Princess, prince." He bowed in turn. "We are ready to set sail for the Gryphon kingdom whenever you wish to depart."

"Actually, I need to send a message to Celestia. Her, choice on the number of guards is... Lacking in thought."

The captain took a step back in shock. "You would question Celestia's judgment?"

"My world... My old world," I corrected. "Worked a little differently than this one. But I think they have enough in common that brining a force this size is a bad plan. I know we are royalty... But we need ten guards at most, as few as six if possible."

"Six?" He asked incredulously. "We were prepared to send fifty."

"Then chose five of those and whoever is needed to man the boat."

"As you wish Lord Ike." The commander bowed once again. "Did you still wish to send a message to Celestia?"

"Yes, I'll explain my reasoning to her."

The commander walked off, shaking his head at Ike's demands.

"Are you sure about this?" Twilight asked, starting off towards the boarding ramp to one of the ships.

"Yeah, fifty ponies would at best show that we were worried about looking weak... At worst, it would be a taken as sign of hostility. Taking the minimal amount shows trust and a confidence in the ability of our forces."

"All right, just... Um. Try not to countermand Celestia's orders too often."

I paused, realizing that this captain had just taken my word over Celestia's. I knew I was revered for my recent accomplishments, but I hadn't realized how much until now. Wait, he didn't even call me Prince. He said Lord...

~

The guard commander quickly found us again and placed two scrolls in front of me along with a pot of ink and a quill.

"The first is blank, the second is the list of the guards under my command. I have taken the liberty of marking the ones I think best suited."

"Thank you." I replied, quickly scratched out my message, the quill flying across the page engulfed in a magical aura. When I was done I joined Twilight in looking at the other scroll.

"Ike, is it ok if I pick someone different than the suggestions?" She asked.

I nodded, allowing her to take the quill and put a mark next to the name Flash Sentry. I browsed through the list until I found my way to the bottom of the last name alphabetical list, a name catching my attention. "Kira Zephyr is under your command?"

The guard captain nodded. "A new addition from the crystal kingdom. The position of guardspony is traditionally a male role, but I was urged to accept her application by none other than Shining Armor. Why do you ask?"

"I noticed you didn't have her as a recommended candidate. She helped train me."

The commanders eyes shot wide open and his mouth fell agape. "I.. I didn't know. Why isn't she in a higher ranked position?"

"Beats me, she could likely hold her own against three of your best guards any day, and in a straight fight no magic she would still trounce me." I marked her name and handed him both scrolls. "Sentry, Zephyr, yourself and your choices for the remaining three."

"As you wish Lord I-"

"Just Ike is fine." I interrupted.

He nodded and walked away, leaving us on the deck of the ship with a calming view of the watery horizon.

"So how far is it to get to the Gryphon kingdom?"

"According to sea charts, approximately three days travel with a favorable wind, and a speed of 12 knots. Though there are some islands about halfway between, allow the distance to be flown in two days."

"So, other than the fact that we supposedly 'need' guards. Why not fly?"

"Well... I, um... Twilight tucked her wings in closer to her body. I'm not very good at flying yet."

"Oh, sorry. I didn't know." I had just assumed that she would be able to fly as easily as I had. "Hey, maybe I can teach you a thing or two?"

"No, its fine. It will come to me eventually." Twilight spoke somewhat bitterly at the touchy subject.

"Sorry Twi, I didn't mean to-"

"I said its fine!" She half growled at me, stomping away to somewhere below decks.

"Trouble with the Princess?" A familiar voice varied its way over the sound of waves.

I looked over to see the silver crystal unicorn who had spoken the words, my mood quickly recovering. "Hey Zephyr, it's been a while."

"Well, if you can call less than a week a while." The crystal mare replied.

"It's felt longer, all this royalty nonsense is wearing me down."

"Hey, just be glad you aren't about to explode anymore, take your victories where you can. Too bad you didn't tell me your plans, I would have loved to see you kick Sombra's reincarnated flank. And a demon too! I swear your trying to show me up."

I chuckled at her jest. "You know I couldn't have done it without your training. Besides, if I died you would still find some way to torment me."

"Don't you forget it fumble-hooves."

"Hey! I though we were past that!"

"And I thought we were going to have some fun once, but that fell through..." She referenced my last night in the Crystal Kingdom, when Shining Armor had interrupted us.

"You're really going to pull that? It was your fault for deciding an open air arena was a good place to 'get it on'."

"All right, all right. I'll give you that one, but royalty or not you still owe me."

"That's exactly why I chose you for my personal guard."

"Wait, your personal guard? The captain wont let that fly, he has his favorites, besides there's fifty of us."

"Try six." I said, pointing to the captain who was dismissing a majority of his confused colts.

"Throwing your weigh around, huh. You're moving up in the world." Kira winked, prodding my side.

~~~

"All... remaining guards accounted for. And with the mandatory crew it brings us to a total of eighteen heads." The captain spoke. "Princess Celestia has sent her approval of your changes."

"Good, you can set sail whenever you're ready."

~

Below Decks:

Equestrian culture is strange... Every time I think I've learned it all something new gets thrown in the mix. And I was expected to read what little material there was on Gryphon culture to learn its intricacies in three days?

Best of all Twilight had, for some unknown reason, taken offense at my offer to help her learn to use her wings? So the library materials stashed in her cabin were definitely off limits for the day.

"Hey Zephy!" I made up a nickname on the fly as Kira walked by.

"Yes?"

"What are you up to?"

"I was just about to go polish my armor, the captain is a stickler for that kind of thing."

"We have three days, does it really need to gleam before we get there? Come on. Sit, enjoy the queasy rocking motions."

"You've got that right. I've never been on a boat before, the floor feels... wrong."

"It's something you get used to. I've been on boats before."

"When?"

"Back before Equestria."

"Ah. You never did tell me anything about your life before you arrived here."

"It would make for a dull history compared to everything I have accomplished here, and there are parts I would rather forget."

"Just pick one thing that's different and start from there."

"Well, there are a million of those. Equestria is so much... Kinder."

"Ha, you weren't around when I was a child. When the crystal kingdom vanished it took its inhabitants with it. We were basically frozen in time."

"I heard about that, I guess I forgot that this world has its own dark times. How bad were things before?"

"Well it all started long before I was even born.

One day the crystal ponies came across the Imperium. They looked a little like us, but were actually something different. Every single one of them harboring darkness in their hearts.

In their prime the Imperium was a force to be reckoned with, they had even conquered the changelings and kept them as pets, or twisted them...

We still don't know exactly what they wanted from us, one day they just attacked. No talks of peace were accepted, no prisoners returned alive... They didn't even want a surrender, just death.

We lost our cities and territories one by one, piece by piece. The gryphons did what they could to help, but even their best warriors weren't enough to make a difference.

In the darkest hours of conflict the gryphon's forged four magic weapons for us to use against our foes. These gifts came with a warning. 'All power comes at a price.'

You have come into contact will these weapons; you know them as the bands of power.

The endless magic inside of each band was so powerful that only an Alicorn could safely harness it. But our people knew nothing of Alicorns. The bands were volatile, granting tremendous boosts in and Strength for Earth Ponies, Speed for Pegasi, and Magic for Unicorn but at a great price. Every pony that wore one would die. Now being an Alicorn you are safe, but you have probably noticed by now that in your new form the band does not provide even one fourth of its previous power."

"Yeah, but its better this way, less threat of exploding and killing everypony."

"We witnessed such fiery demises time and time again as we used their powers to push back the imperium. It seemed none but Time and Death could stand against the divine might the Gryphons had graced us with.

The fighting stopped when the imperium's king mysteriously died, by then hundreds had sacrificed their lives for power; and thousands more in combat. Realizing that the bands were unsafe for continued use we hid them away with a warning, praying to never need them again.

But then a new king rose to power, Sombra. He renewed the conflict, swiftly bringing the remains of our once great empire to its knees. But we had one city left, and we wouldn't give up so easily. What you know as the crystal kingdom used to have walls. Large, impenetrable. We hid behind them and fought with a determination to protect those who remained. Families, friends, children.

It seemed like the fighting would finally be tipped in our favor but then everything went silent, the calm before the storm. Sombra had made an unspeakable deal with darkness, sacrificing his entire people to the void for the sake of power. A terrifying power

He destroyed our walls and killed anypony who stood in his way, demanding utter servitude from those who remained. Those who had hidden away the bands of power were slain and without the knowledge of how to find them the remaining ponies were unable to fight back. Instead they were forced to wait for this monster, the last of his kind, to die. But it seemed fate was cruel and his powers also included immortality. I was alive for most of the last two decades of his 130-year reign.

Something had happened in Equestria in the meantime. We don't have many actual records of the events but the Alicorn sisters were brought into existence. Sombra had somehow grown weaker over the years and was almost entirely defeated by them.

The battle ended with Sombra being banished, but in his last moments he pulled the city into the void with him. Time was frozen for us, and when we returned and awoke we could hardly remember what had happened."

-

"I've heard the rest of the story from there but you said the Gryphons created the bands of power?"

"Yes, they may not use magic but they guard its sanctity."

"Will they take offense to my likely permanent connection to the Shackle of Dawn?" I absentmindedly touched my foreleg where it had fist been attached."

"They gave them to the crystal ponies to be used, I doubt they will take offense to you saving Equestria. Besides, Celestia and Luna have had theirs for over a thousand years, I don't think the gryphons have said anything yet."

"I hope your right."

~~

That Night:

"Princess? You sent for me?"

"You know you don't have to call me that Flash Sentry."

"Yes your majesty."

Twilight sighed. "I specifically requested to have you protect me, but... there's a reason."

"Not this again, princess. I already told you, whatever happened through the portal has no effect on this world."

"But-"

"No Twilight! I asked to be taken off this assignment when I heard you asked for me specifically. We have to stop running into each other like this, it only makes you feel worse each time."

"But I love you!" Twilight blurted.

"No, you loved him, a parallel version from a different world. My duties come before emotion, he may have had feelings for you but I don't share them. Tomorrow I will be trading places with one of prince Ike's guards, you will not countermand the order."

"Oh, but I will." Twilight spoke defiantly.

"Princess, you cannot act so childishly! I'm sure Ike will have a clear head on the matter."

"No, you stay here."

"I'm sorry, but I fear I cannot comply." Flash Sentry took a step towards the door, only to have it slam shut in his face. He pulled against the handle, getting thrown back by a mild electric shock.

"Princess, cease at once." He spoke brushing himself off. "I will use force if necessary."

"That's a lie, you swore an oath. The same one all of the guards are forced to swear."

"Celestia taught you too much..." Flash sighed, "Fine, what is it that I must say to be freed?"

"Promise that you won't trade places with another guard."

"Fine, agreed. May I go now?"

"No, you must also swear that all of our conversations and interactions be kept unspoken to any other pony."

"I see, you don't want me telling Ike either. I swear this. Now please release the door from your magics."

"One more thing..." Twilight bit her lip. "I want you to. No I order you to bed me."

"I could never do such a thing!"

"Obey your princess." Twilight exerted her magic, levitating him away from the door and over to her bed. Twilight's exposure to the Dusk Armlet, the band of power she had fused with in an effort to help Ike, had enhanced her magical powers. The magic required to hold Flash captive, which would normally take all of her concentration and strength, was now easier than ever.

"This is a mistake."

"Don't worry, you'll learn soon enough that it's your fate to love me."

"I'm gay." Sentry spoke with a dead seriousness in his tone.

"What!?" Twilight's hold on the magic sputtered out and he dropped to the ground.

Flash quickly bolted to the door and threw it open. "Goodnight Princess," he spoke, swiftly shutting it behind him.

Author's Note:

Hope you got a small chuckle out of the resolution to that.

Twilight is stubborn, and quite pervy, she won't give up this easily...

~~

Thanks for reading!

I am in the process of writing this story but I am also quite busy with other matters. I will try to aim for updates once every two weeks or every single week if I can manage. The first clop will be found in chapter 2, and then on average half of the chapters.(give or take)