Shadow hadn't moved except for breathing and blinking since he finished his little speech and was still standing tall as he finally gauged the Princesses' faces.

Princess Twilight simply sat on her chair with mouth a gasp with wings flared out and looked like she had shut down completely from not being able to handle hearing her mentor being basically accused of not following her own laws by a flippant borderline disrespectfully Sergeant of the Solar Guard.

Princess Cadence was doing better, she'd managed to keep her wings at her sides but they still shifted with unease, while she gave a nervous lick of her lips as her eyes darted between Shadow and Princess Celestia sitting beside her.

If the Princess Shadow served wasn't breathing or lacked that weird color shifting, never not moving mane he would think that he was looking at a marble statue, that is until he dared to look into her eyes. They scream to Shadow of amusement and pain.

Amusement that would be born of pain that would consume his very existence.

'Ya done goofed,' Other Shadow quipped out with a snicker and amusement before disappearing. Shadow couldn't deny or argue that with himself at this point as his gaze feel on Luna.

'DEAR SWEET HARMONY! THOSE EYES, THAT SMILE! TAKE ME NOW DEATH!' Shadow screamed internally in the pure distilled horror only a pony that knew they were doomed could make. The Princess of the Night simply sat regally on her chair with no notion of anger or hostility, that he could take..., probably..., maybe.., statistically improbably...

No, she sat there with a warm caring and loving smile on her lips and eyes that match with a dash of humor. How was that possible! Why wasn't she screaming and/or making threats or moving to smash him like a thundercloud. Or, or, or things for reasons! Madness is what it was! Shadow could no longer form a coherent though as panic began to grip his heart and mind. However, before its grip could find true purchase and was shattered. Shadow now mirrored the state like that of Princess Twilight, as he couldn't process the noise the Princess Luna was now making.

The noise that escaped from deep within the Princess of the Night was borderline incomprehensible to Shadow. It was a deep bellow that somehow that banished his fear only to replace it with soul numbing terror, oh and confusion.

Luna's laughter seemed to express nothing but shear amusement, joy, and impending doom for Shadow. For the Sergeant in simply stood mouth a gasp as his eyes and face moved in a manner that reflected his mind numbing confusion. For several seconds that's all he did before speaking as Luna kept laughing.

“Ah, should I be feeling terror or relief right now?” He asked keeping his eyes fixed on Luna as he turned his head to point at Princess Celestia.

Celestia seeing that Shadow wasn't looking at her broke a quick faint grin of mischievousness as she thought of a punishment.

“Uhm, the last time I heard my dear sister laugh like this was right before the raise of Nightmare Moon.” Celestia informed Sergeant Walker with a level serious voice as she turn and tilted her head to look at her sister showing concern for her sister.

“WHAT?!” Was screamed out by four of the ponies in the room with different reactions and reasons.

Twilight put her fore hooves on the table and pushed herself in to standing position keeping her wings out, that Cadence matched, as she looked down the table to look at Luna with fear as she remembered her own experience with the Mare.

Luna stopped laughing and she looked at her sister with hurt in her eyes before she caught the look her sister showed and gave a half grin that Shadow couldn't see.

Shadow's instincts and training took control of him and decided for him. His legs moved to a wide stance to provide stability and options to move. His wings snapped out to prepare to let him take flight, either in defense or offense. Walker's face took a grim determined appearance as his head snapped back to Luna. Everything was done to give the image that he was a serious threat not to be trifled with and should be let alone.

“Thou art correct dear sister. It was the last time we laughed as hard,” Luna confirmed as she decided to play along with her sister. “To think a lowly Sergeant would bring back the Nightmare,” Luna continued as she stood and began to walk around the table and face the Sergeant.

At the statement Twilight began to panic at the implication and how under prepared everypony was if it did happen. Shadow's tensed and decided on fight, not flight.

“We hope to take great pleasure in destroying you, either as our self or as the Nightmare,” Luna coolly declared rounding the end of the table moving to Shadow with a predatory grin and movements.

“Doust thou really think thou stands any chance to defend or defeat against either of us?” Luna asked looking down on the stallion walking to stand in front of him.

“What does thou think of that Sergeant Shadow?” she finished with as she came to a stop a few feet from Shadow.

“Princess or not, I'll defend myself from whoever attacks me. Nightmare Moon or any other enemy, I'm still a member of the Guard and will serve to the best of my ability, even if I know I' m outmatched I'll uphold my oaths..., regardless if I want to and if it means my death,” Shadow grimly gave as he tensed his legs and wings in preparation to defend himself.

The three Princesses behind Luna were surprised at Shadow's reply. Even though he knew he stood no chance against either Luna or Nightmare Moon and would almost certainly die, he would do what was demanded. Confusion was also present at his statement of not wanting to uphold his oaths

“So, let's get his over with and end this farce,” Shadow spoke with a confident, fatalist and accepting voice believing they would be the last words he would speak that would have any meaning. He then waited for the alicorn in front of him to make the first move.

Luna stood silent for several seconds as she looked down and over the guard with narrow examining eyes that chose to stand up to her in more ways then one before turning to look back at her sister.

The two looked at each other before each gave a small simple nod to the other as if they had decided that this had gone on to long and far. Luna turned back to look at Shadow before she spoke.

“We wish to apologize to thou Sergeant Walker, we... we hath taken this to far,” she told him as she avoided eye contact with him with regret and hope.

“Indeed, Sergeant. I did not see this happening as it has, so I also offer an apology,” Celestia added after her sister finished with her's, with a tone matching.

Cadence and Twilight were realizing what just occurred wasn't an actually threat but seemed to be a joke or prank gone wrong as they slowly sat back down in their chair and looked at the royal sisters with shock and disbelieve.

As the two princesses not involved sat down and the other two awaiting a answer, the Sergeant that thought he was about to die was still processing the last few minutes.

Shadow's thoughts were a frantic mess as he tried to overcome biology and training as he made sense of what he just heard. For several seconds only his eyes moved in a manner reflective of his thoughts before his body started to show a change.

His stance didn't change but the tension and aggression began to melt off as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. As he opened them again he moved out of his aggressive into a more relax posture.

“So, I'm not about to die?” Shadow asked with a shaking confused voice that seemed to not yet fully understand what was happening as his eyes still darted between the princesses and his body began to shake.

“Nay, Sergeant, thou art not.” Luna said with guilt clear in her voice as she shifted her wings against her.

After Shadow finished processing and accepting Luna's reply he responded, physically and verbally.

“FUCK! ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS?! I THREATEN YOU WITH AN UNPLEASANT AFTERNOON AND YOU FUCKING THREATEN ME WITH DEATH?! FUCK YOU AND FUCK YOU!” Shadow started screaming with anger and panic as he started to walk around the room at random as his chest heaved and eyes darted around looking for a threat. He pointed accusingly with his wings at the Princesses of the Sun and Moon to drive his point home.

“SHIT! HARMONY DAMNIT! SON OF A BITCH, FUCK Y'ALL AND FUCK YOUR APOLOGY, FUCK!” He continued moving around in circle now in front of the four princesses before sitting down on his hunches trying to stop his heart from pounding and chest heaving.

“Son of a bitch, I need a drink.” He spoke with exhaustion and shaken voice as he moved his wings to rub his eyes, not paying attention to the four princesses during or after his rant, as his body trembled.

Cadence was shocked at how angry, foul, and violently Sergeant Walker had responded, but after a little thought she understood why he was acting the way he was, even if she didn't agree. The Sergeant had thought he was moments from death only to be told it was false. She soon felt anger towards her aunts at what they had done and seemingly played with a Guards life, who she felt sorrow for. She decided to wait patiently and present a neutral front trying to prevent from making the situation worse.

Princess Twilight had gone through several states of mind and thought processes as the events unfolding before her, but now she had settled into one. She felt much like her foal sitter and addition to confusion. Had her own brother gone through something like this and how did he react. She wasn't able to match Cadence in her appearance and clearly showed her confusion and distress not knowing how to proceed.

The Princess of the Night immediately took several steps from the Guard she had threatened out of fear, horror, and terror, all present on her face. It wasn't fear of harm but what she had done to him. Luna had threatened him trying to simply punish him but had failed miserably by making him believe he was facing his death and grimly accepted that. It reminded her briefly of actually slaying members of the Solar Guard during her rebellion and that was not her fear but terror and horror. She only stopped backing up when she hit the table behind her causing her to stop.

The Elder Ruler of Equestria showed revulsion and disgust at what she had heard and saw unfold in front of her. It wasn't from the actions or words of Shadow Walker but herself. She had thought that simply threatening him with just the idea of facing Nightmare Moon would be enough of a punishment for the Sergeant's actions and mouthing off in the chow hall and conference room.

Instead, she had played a large part in convincing one of her guards, one of her little ponies, that she was about to have him killed for trying to keep order as he was asked. She should never have done what she did.

However, a small part of her felt different. She felt pride for the Sergeant, even faced with his end acted with honor and determination. He wasn't going to abandon his oaths to save himself, he would serve her throne until his end.

All of this had occurred between the time Shadow had used his first profanity and wanting a drink.

For several minutes no pony move or spoke, except for Shadow. He was mumbling profanities and curses to himself as his wings dropped from his side as he continued to shake on his hunches.

Author's Notes:

Not as many laughs this chapter and more suspense and drama this time around. Took me some time on how to do this chapter. I started it out with more humor and a lighter tone but decided it would be a good place to help characters, plot and story. So I went with the serious route to setup what I've got planned later.

Thanks for taking the time out of your day and giving the story that time.