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        The sun was starting to get high in the sky, illuminating the whole of Equestria. In Canterlot Castle, the Princess of the Sun, Celestia, was impatiently waiting for her younger sister to wake up. Not that Luna could be blamed; she always slept late because of her royal duties. Normally, the Master of the Sun would be content to let her sleep and wake on her own. Today was different, though. Princess Celestia was planning a contest to find a new Guard for Luna.

        Luna's current Captain, Night Banjo, was a good guard in all respects. But he was getting old, and with age comes degradation of skills. Even with Night Banjo in command of the Lunar Guard, Celestia had her fears. The Princess of the Sun felt that something bad would happen. What you're saying Celestia? The day is perfect! Just focus on do your royal duties, she thought.

        “Good morning, sister,” Luna called to Celestia. The latter turned and smiled in greeting as her sister walked into the large dining hall.

        The hall was illuminated by the sunlight through three large windows. The long table in the middle of the room which was able to seat almost 50 ponies. The chairs were decorated with white alicorns. A red carpet extended across the room, sporting the cutie mark of the sisters' mother, an ink pot with a pen inside.

        “Good morning.” Celestia responded.

        “Night Banjo awoke me from my slumber and informed me of thine request to speak with us,” Luna's messy mane and lack of royal shoes were a testament to how long she'd been awake.

“Please sister, don’t talk like that. Remember, modern, casual conversation,” Celestia said before drinking another sip of her banana smoothie.

“Oh yes, sorry Tia,” Luna sat in a chair beside her sister, “What you want to talk about?”

“About a new guard. Specifically, a personal guard for you,” Celestia put a piece of bread in her mouth and continued after swallowing. “Banjo and I were talking earlier about how you should have more guards, and agreed to do a competition to bring a new pony in for the Lunar Guard. You need a personal guard, if only to put my paranoia to rest; I have felt that things are... off, lately.”

“Something off... This coming from the pony soon to be wed to Discord,” Luna snorted amusedly. Before Celestia could retaliate, a gray alicorn came into the room, laughing. He had red eyes with a black mane and white beard, tail, and eyebrows. The new look of Discord. After his second liberation, Celestia had decided, with his consent, to turn him into a pony and try to be his friend again. She had not expected to develop a love affair with the Chaos God, though. Deep in the back of her mind, she saw Cadence laughing, as if part of a prank.

“Tsk, tsk... Celestia, you really should stop worrying so much,” he teleported to Celestia's side. “All these things about Luna and her guard. You haven't stopped talking about it for weeks. Don’t worry about these stupid things; We're about to get married, little Celly! Come on, let's play!”

Discord grabbed some donuts and ring tossed them at Celestia’s horn, actually managing to hook two of them. The rest hit her face and fell on the floor. “Your turn!” he shouted mockingly.

“Discord…” Celestia whipspered, blushing with shame. Luna was unable to continue holding back her laughter.

“Oh Tia, why so serious?” the grey alicorn asked.

“Discord, you can play later. Now, for the love of my mother, sit down and eat something!” Celestia ordered her future husband, who was still laughing along with his sister in law.

Discord stopped and feigned sadness. “Oh, I’m sorry Molly...” he said as he took the donuts from his fiance's horn, pouting.

Celestia smiled, then frowned as she heard the name.

“And don’t call me Molly!”

“That's not what you said last night!” he crooned while taking a bite of the doughnut. Celestia could have made a very convincing tomato at that point.

“Oh you…!” Celestia narrowed her eyes. Luna, who had just finished her breakfast, began to laugh even more at the scene of the couple fighting like foals. “And you don’t laugh!” Celestia ordered her sister.

“Only... when you... stop fighting like... two foals, Tia,” Luna said, gasping for air in between words.

“Discord started this! Besides, it's not thatfunny!” Celestia crossed her hooves, now pouting.

Luna took one look at her and began laughing again, hard enough that she started crying a little.

“What!? It isn't!”

“You have no idea how funny it really is,” Luna said a few minutes later, having finally calmed down.

“What do you mean?”

“Because I just figured out why-” Snicker. “Well, last night I-” Giggle. “I had my guards searching almost all night for the-” Laughter. “See, there was this violent shaking and-” More laughter.

Luna calmed down slightly. “I had my guards searching all night for the source of what I thought was a localized earthquake! The entire east wing was shaking like it was about to crumble!” Luna was reduced to tears once more.

Had there been more blood in Celestia's body, it would have been in her face. As it was, she simply had no more to offer. Discord was on the floor, in hysterics.

“The entire east wing?” Celestia whispered, as if to keep it a secret.

About 10 minutes later, both Discord and Luna had calmed down to normal levels. Celestia was white again, and was looking sternly down at the two.

“Are you finished?” she asked.

“For the moment,” Discord replied.

“Yes, for the moment, dear sister. But we shall enjoy this again later.”

“Oh, no we won't!” Celestia warned. “This is never going to be discussed again!”

Luna snickered. “And quit laughing!”

“When you and your husband-to-be quit acting like foals and making me laugh, I will.” Luna retorted.

“Discord started it!”

“Did I?” the Draconequus-turned-alicorn questioned.

Celestia looked at him, eyebrow raised. Discord looked innocent. Rolling her eyes and laughing, Celestia walked over to him.

“Will you continue to behave like this after I'm officially your wife?”

“Of course I will! Alicorn or not, I am still and always will be the Lord of Chaos! Besides, you know you love my mischievousness.”

Celestia opened her mouth, trying to think of a retort, but none came. She closed her mouth.

“Yeah, see? Besides, I can do this too,” Discord took a large drink of his chocolate milk and pulled Celestia in for a wet kiss. Luna laughed at Celestia eye-popping while the two continued to kiss for a few seconds.

“Discord!” Celestia said after ending the kiss.

“I’m howlin' at the moon and sleeping in middle of a summer afternoon!” Discord began singing. As he sang, he rose and wiped the table clean with his magic, the dishes and food disappearing to who knows where.

Celestia sighed and turned to her sister. “Come Luna, I need to talk with you more.”

The two left the room, ignoring the husband-to-be who was still singing joyously, eyes closed. The Princess of the Night giggled quietly. Watching her sister go through these trials was amusing, to say the least.

Celestia opened the door to the great hall. Luna couldn't help but be awed by it, despite the number of times she'd seen it. The grandeur of the architecture, the pure white marble of the pillars, the large, stained glass windows, the great purple carpet that lay on the floor, and, in the center of the carpet, a large shooting star, the cutie mark of the sisters' father, Artemis.

Perfectly golden and white, the royal carpet makers, known as The Three Carpeteers, had stitched it entirely from memory. Even after death, the sight of the cutie mark brought back their father's memory to them, exact in every detail.

Having passed through the great hall, and onto a large balcony, Celestia turned to her sister.

“What do you wish to talk about, sister? The guards? The contests you have arranged?” Luna asked.

“Yes. I have very important things to tell you, dear sister.” Celestia faced out, looking at the beauty of Canterlot. “I've been thinking-”

“Have you?”

Celestia stared flatly at Luna.

“Apologies. Go on.”

“As I was saying, I've been thinking. With my wedding coming up, there is a good chance something will happen. Perhaps you recall what the Elements and I told you of Shining Armor and Princess Cadence's wedding?”

“Yes... You fear something like that will happen again? Chrysalis attacking Canterlot?”

“In essence, yes. Perhaps not Chrysalis herself, but another. The point is, I fear something will happen. You know how quickly word travels here in Equestria. The public knew about my wedding before even you knew about it!”

“To be fair, I was asleep.”

“Yes, well... Anyways, now that you've become a bigger part of the Equestrian government, someone may try and harm you or attempt to get to me through you. I do not want that to happen. This is the reason I have decided to get you a personal guard. He or she will have the best training in every field, from cooking to medicine, taught by only the most skilled ponies we have in those fields.”

“Celestia, sister, I know you care for me, but I do hope you think I know how to defend myself properly.”

“I know this, Luna. Still, I feel it appropriate to have someone else there... You know, just in case?”

Luna looked at her sister carefully. “I shall defer to your wisdom in this manner, even if I think it unnecessary.”

“Thank you. You know I love you, right?” Celestia pulled Luna into an embrace with her wings, which Luna returned.

“Yes, I know. And I love you as well.”

“I just... I don't want to see you end up like mom. That would be too hard for me to bear; I refuse to lose you again.”

“I understand. But what of yourself?”

“I have too many guards as is. Besides, I have a fiancé who would be most... displeased, should anything harm me.”

After a few moments, Luna spoke again. “Do you really think someone will try something on your big day? Especially after what happened last time. I would hope they'd know better.”

“I'm simply trying to prevent that, Luna. You know how often something like this occurs for us.”

“Unfortunately...” Luna grumbled.

The sisters stood there, gazing over their city. Ponies walking about and doing business, not a care in the world. It was peaceful. A peace they wished to sustain.

“I must be going; I have much to see to if we're going to hold this competition by tomorrow. Should you wish to see your future guard before their assignment to you, simply wake up early and come watch the competition. We'll also be starting training the same day, which should be interesting.”

“Very well, sister. We- I mean, I, shall be there.”

Celestia smiled. “Good. See you then.”

She walked off. Luna opted to stay on the balcony, thinking about the times ahead. While she didn't really want, or care for, a new guard, it was a subject which Celestia was clearly concerned with, and she didn't really want to disappoint her. Sighing, Luna made her way back to her chambers, intent on finishing her nap.

Soon enough, she would care. Very, very soon, she would.