An orderly had insisted that he would push the wheelchair, but an overprotective BBBFF would not stand for it, and demanded he do it himself. The nursing staff bowed as Shining Armor and Celestia passed, Shining Armor pushing Twilight along in her wheelchair.

Is this what it’s like being a princess? Twilight suppressed a chuckle. Not quite the royal procession I dreamed of as a filly, I guess.

As soon as they exited the doors of the hospital, Twilight was glad to get back onto her hooves. She stood with Celestia in the courtyard as Shining Armor returned the wheelchair back to the orderlies.

“Your Highness, Twiley; are you ready?”

After a curt nod from Celestia to the guardspony, he took his position in front of her, adopting the stoic expression all guards were known for. He walked ahead of them in silence, Celestia and Twilight talking amongst themselves.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the rest of the accompanying Royal Guard blended amongst the ponies on their route. The princess disliked being escorted by a retinue of guards; she felt it made her unapproachable, where as Captain of the Guard, Shining Armor thought unapproachable was the very thing a Princess should be.

Two ponies having lunch at a café watched the princess intently as she passed, though Shining Armor paid them no heed. Three mares watched them as they passed through the marketplace, one of them haggling with a fruit-monger about the price of a cherry. Four mares were supposedly warding off the advances of five stallions. Six rowdier stallions sitting in the cider garden of an establishment called ‘The Punch Bowl’ leered at the Princess and her ward. Whilst arguing over a hoofball match, their ciders appeared inconspicuously untouched. None of them paid the slightest attention to their fully-armored Captain, just as Shining Armor would not draw attention to them in return.

He opened the doors to the Golden Oaks Library and ushered the two inside.

“Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!”

The three watched as the small dragon turned tail and fled up the stairs.

“Spike?” Twilight called up the stairs, a slight hint of hurt in her voice. “Spike? What’s the matter?”

“You can’t take it back!” came the little dragon’s muffled shout. “Don’t come up here!”

Celestia nodded as Twilight looked back at her mentor imploringly. The only thing holding back Shining Armor’s laughter was the obvious look of distress on his little sister’s face.

Twilight slowly ascended the stairs. Scanning the room for her dragon friend, she noticed a quivering lump underneath the blankets of her bed.

She reached a shaking hoof towards him. “Spike?” she asked, with a terrified lump in her throat. “Oh, Spike. What have I done?” She crawled on to the bed, the form under the blankets ceased its shivering. She stifled a sob, and drew the still-covered dragon into her forearms. Tears dripped from her muzzle onto the blanket but were quickly absorbed into the fibres.

“Spike, I am so sorry,” she sobbed, pulling the dragon close. “Whatever I did, I am sorry. If I could take it back, I would. Please, don’t hate me.”

“No! You can’t take it back, I haven’t even shown Rarity yet!” Spike wailed.

Silence pervaded the atmosphere for several seconds, as Twilight sat up and composed herself. She breathed deeply, attempting to calm herself.

“Spike, please remove the blanket,” she instructed him, her voice cool.

The dragon slowly extricated himself from the covers, as Twilight burst into laughter, pulling the baby dragon back into a hug. “Oh, Spike! I thought I’d hurt you,” she exclaimed, through bursts of giggles. “I must admit, that is one impressive beard. I think it even puts Starswirl’s to shame.”

The baby dragon instantly stopped his squirming and beamed. The beard was nearly as long as he was tall, stopping mere inches before dragging on the ground. Stroking a claw through the thick black hair that adorned his face, he asked, “Do you think Rarity will like it? I was thinking of going to Barber Joe’s to get it trimmed, maybe even ask him how he gets his mustache to curl up like he does.”

“Stallions either use beeswax, or failing that, ear wax can be used in a pinch,” Twilight answered as she levitated Spike onto her back whilst he made gagging sounds. “Come on, let’s not keep the Princess waiting.”

Twilight descended the stairs when a commotion outside the door caught their attention.

“Hey, gorgeous.” A stallion’s slurred speech could be heard through the door. “Why don’ you come ‘n have some fun wi’ me an my boys?”

“Excuse me, Princess, Twiley.” Shining Armor strode across the room and opened the door. Despite his protestations, Twilight joined him as Spike left for the kitchen.

A single silver stallion with a stained shirt had his forearm wrapped around a small grey pegasus mare with a golden mane. “Come on, darl’, come have a drink wit’ us!”

“What is going on here?” Shining Armor growled. The small pegasus pulled herself from under the stallion’s grasp, and stumbled towards Shining Armor. He managed to catch her before she tripped. “Are you okay, ma’am?”

“Letter for Miss Twilight Sparkle,” the mare sniffled as she put her nose in the mailbag she carried. She pulled out an envelope, ready to pass to Twilight.

“Here, let me get that.” Shining Armor grasped the envelope in his aura, lingering as he passed it to his sister. “Thank you ma’am. I’ll have a talk with this lout and make sure he doesn’t bother you again.”

The mailmare smiled, then walked away with a slightly awkward gait. Shining Armor watched as she took to the air and clumsily flew towards her next destination.

“Twiley, why don’t you go in and chat with the Prin–”

“Oh don’t give me that rubbish, Shiney. Don’t think I didn’t see your aura change when you scanned the envelope.” Twilight scoffed, glaring at her brother. “You really think somepony is going to send me something dangerous?” She laughed at the notion.

“It’s a possibility,” Shining Armor answered sternly. “I am not going to take chances.”

Twilight turned away from her brother, taking the letter and joining the Princess again.

“What part of low-key did you not understand, Private?” Shining Armor glowered at the stallion before him.

“Sorry, Sir.” The stallion cowered much lower than necessary, keeping up the act for any bystanders. “Had to act fast, Sir. She dove pretty fast for the library, had to improvise.”

“Very well. It was a good intercept, and it did alert me that something was up,” Shining Armor’s voice was harsh, but the private could hear the compliment despite the tone. “Though next time, if you are pretending to be drunk, I suggest you use a little cider to stain your shirt. You don’t smell… drunk. Tell the others to rotate, your position has drawn too much attention.”

“Sir, yes sir.” He answered quietly.

Shining Armor stomped his hoof on the ground and spoke loud enough for other ponies to hear. “Get out of here and sober up, you lout! I don’t want to see you harassing anypony again, got it?” Shining Armor closed the door and returned to the table.

Ж

“It just seems silly, Princess.” Twilight gave her brother a look as she set the get-well card on the table. “Nopony would try to hurt you while you’re here.”

“I’m sorry to put you through this, my faithful student,” the Princess answered, drinking her thoroughly-inspected tea from a thoroughly-inspected cup. “Some of the citizens of Ponyville were… less than happy… about what happened at the show. Shining Armor is only looking out for you.”

“For me?”

Celestia nodded. “Until he deems it safe, Shining Armor will be remaining here in Ponyville. He would not entrust your safety to any other, and I tend to agree.”

“Until it’s safe?” Twilight laughed nervously. “It’s Ponyville, how unsafe could it be?”

Celestia and Shining Armor silently exchanged glances.

“How unsafe could it be?” she repeated nervously. When no answer was forthcoming, she looked pleadingly to her mentor. “Princess?”

“There could be hostile reactions in response to your surge,” Shining Armor explained. “We need to make sure nopony acts upon their fears.”

“Why would anypony fear me? That’s just silly.” Twilight shook her head with an exasperated  laugh. “I mean, I get along with everypony here in Ponyville; they’ve all been very welcoming.”

Celestia nodded to Shining Armor. “Show her the note, Captain.”

Shining Armor paused, as if to question the Princess’ request, then conceded. Pulling a sheet of paper from under his armor, he levitated the note to his sister. Twilight unfolded the sheet, revealing a single line.

Go back to Canterlot, freak! You don’t belong here!

“T-This is a joke right?” The note wavered in Twilight’s magical grip. Celestia placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder, and the note fell to the floor as Twilight’s aura vanished. “Right?”

Tears dripped down her muzzle as her ears flattened against her head.

“Right?” she whispered, eyes imploring her mentor.

“My dearest Twilight Sparkle, could I protect you from such realities I would.” Celestia spread a wing and pulled the small unicorn into an embrace. She did not pull away as tears dampened her fur. Seeing the pained look on Shining Armor’s face, Celestia ordered, “At ease, Captain.”

Shining Armor pulled his little sister into a hug as Celestia let go. “Don’t worry, Twiley. I won’t let anypony hurt you.”

“Somepony wants to hurt Twilight?” Spike dropped the platter of sandwiches he was carrying from the kitchen, tripping over his ridiculously long beard as he ran towards her. “Why would anypony want to hurt Twilight?” Twilight gently grasped him in her magic aura, and lifted him into a hug.

Ж

Shining Armor, Twilight Sparkle, and Spike stood out in front of Golden Oaks Library as the Princess boarded her chariot.

“I am sorry I must leave so soon, my Faithful Student. Just remember, I am only a letter away.” Celestia turned to Shining Armor, a stern look in her eyes. “Captain Shining Armor,  I am entrusting the safety of my student to your care. You will protect her as you would myself or my sister. Should any threaten her…”

“I will take up the sword for her.” Shining Armor responded.

“And should the need arise…” Celestia continued.

“I will lay down my life for her.” Shining Armor saluted.

“By the Sun and the Moon, I hold you to your oath, Captain Armor.”

With no more than a nod from the Princess, the pegasi pulling the carriage took to the air.