Fluttershy...

As Noble Blade walked past the bathroom, ignoring the loud, deliberately off-key vocalizing coming out of the shower, his mind was focused on only one thing. When he had first craned his head around Twilight to see who she had been talking to, his heart had disappeared for just a second, then reappeared with a painful jolt. He had seen the most beautiful pony he had ever seen in his life. He was absolutely, completely serious about that.

He was normally stationed in Canterlot, under the Invisibility spell so he could be a silent observer, a hidden protector, an unseen overseer of the city. He was there by Celestia's side unless he was called away to dispel a threat on Equestria's borders. And while in Canterlot, he had seen all of the ridiculously strange fashions, heard their unappetizing accents, observed their snobbish behavior. The mares there were not to his liking at all. Ponies should be kind and eager to help others, not focused on their own selfish ambitions and refusing to acknowledge others that did not meet their standards.

But Fluttershy, from what he had seen, was a perfect and pure paragon of the virtue of kindness. She was unobtrusive, soft-spoken, and didn't insult or degrade others in a way that hurt. He had noticed that on the other hoof, Rarity, the Element of Generosity, had quickly lost patience with Firestorm, who did not share her opinions on clothing's importance. Rarity had screamed at him and called him a disgrace to the male population. It had hurt Noble. Firestorm wasn't perfect, sure, but he was by far no disgrace. He was a friend. A friend who had helped save Princess Twilight. And he had noticed that Fluttershy had had a calming effect on Firestorm when he had guessed her name. He hadn't made some remark about her. Which was strange.

And not just that she was kind. She was also drop-dead beautiful! Noble felt embarrassed because he had looked at her for so long when he first took his helmet off. There was no way for him to turn away from such a beautiful sight! Her long, long pink mane that cascaded down her head on all sides and ended in a curl on the end of it. Her slim golden body and cute little wings on the sides of her body. Her eyes that were so perfectly shaped, and had the most magical, enchanting greenish-blue eyes. Her voice that was so soft and calming, and made his knees weak just to hear it. Noble Blade honestly, actually thought that he had died and that she was the angel sent to lead him to heaven.

Of course, just because she was the most beautiful pony in the room didn't mean she was the only pony in the room. There were others, of course, in varying degrees of beauty. He had meant in full honesty that he trembled beneath all the girl's collective beauty. He couldn't compare. They were the Elements of Harmony, and he- what was he?

He was a knight of Equestria that didn't want to fight. He was an incredible warrior that would much rather talk to and solve problems with peace. He was a legendary protector that would honestly much rather have a year or so off to live in quietness and peace in an abandoned cave or a remote cottage or something. He was a reluctant warrior. A pony not cut out for his line of work but excelled at it anyway. Not at all like the Elements of Harmony, who were made for their respective elements naturally. What did he have to compare to them, anyway? The fact that he had killed other ponies, griffons, and monsters in the name of peace? There was no honor in blood. None at all.

A hot feeling raged at the bottom of his gut. He had said Fluttershy was an angel! Did he really just say that? What if somepony else heard him? What would they say? Would he even stay in Ponyville? He had to go to Canterlot to report for his next mission, after all. And that meant not being with the dear, shy pegasus. He had other assignments, after all.

Spike stopped in front of a section of corridor. There were two doors on his left and one on his right. "These are the empty rooms we've fitted for visitors. You can choose your own rooms and put your stuff down, then come to the throne room so we can all go to Pinkie's welcome party."

"I still have no idea how she managed to set it all up so fast," Noble Blade said. He felt guilty that he would not be permanently staying with them.

"What we've learned with all our years around Pinkie Pie is to just roll with everything she does. Some things in life just can't be understood," Spike said.

Noble nodded. "Wise words indeed." He then turned to look at Freedom Fighter, who was entering the lone room on the right. Freedom Fighter then looked at him expectantly.

"Freedom, you don't need to take off your bodysuit. I know how you feel about that sort of thing. But what I do want you to do is take off every single weapon you have on you. And yes, by that, I do mean every single one."

Freedom did a few gestures in protest.

"Yes, I know that might take a while. But the last time you didn't take them all off, you made our hosts unhappy and almost triggered an inter-country incident at the banquet we attended. These ponies are peaceable and happy. None of them are going to attack you, and even without your weapons I'm sure you can handle whatever they can throw at you. I don't want to see anything on you- your staff, your knives, your explosives, your harpoon launcher, your garrote wire, your two axe blades-"

Freedom Fighter made a surprised reaction.

"Yes, I know about the axe blades as well. Be lucky I'm not ordering you to chop off both your arms as well. I know how dangerous you can be, even unarmed."

Freedom Fighter asked a question.

"No, the pun was not intentional. When you come out, I want to inspect you. Come out in ten."

Freedom Fighter slumped ashamedly but nodded and went into his room, closing the door with a slam.

Noble faced Spike. "There's a friend of ours in the shower. When he's done, show him here, please."

"Sure, Noble."

Noble walked into the room across from Freedom Fighter's, shut the door, and clicked the release on his gauntlet to allow the shield to fall off his left arm. He let it fall to the ground, tossed the helmet onto the shield, then unbuckled the chrome broadsword across his back and leaned it up against the wall. He then ignited his horn and the dull grey overlapping gauntlets were removed with a few releasing clicks. They floated in the air while he removed his breastplate pieces, but he was interrupted by a voice. "My, my. Such impunity from my loyal knight."

Noble, half-undressed, turned to see Princess Celestia on the other side of his bed. Biting back a yelp of surprise, he swallowed and said, "Forgive me, my lady. I did not see thee there before I decided to undress."

She laughed. "Simply teasing, Noble." Her tone then turned serious, and she came over to where Noble was. "You managed to rescue my prized pupil and eliminate the Noxxa as a potential threat by destroying their method of blocking magic and putting Marshal Malice on the run."

"With all due respect, my lady, I had but a small part in it. 'Twas instead Freedom Fighter that did all of that."

She put on an amused face. "I used "You" in the plural, indicating all three of you."

"Oh," Noble said. He blushed.

"I am thankful for your efforts. And that is why your new mission will be given now."

Noble bowed and waited for Celestia to speak.

"Your new mission is to guard over, help, stand by, and protect the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony. You will be stationed in Ponyville, and you will be stationed there indefinitely." She smiled. "You know who they are, I presume?"

"Yes," he mumbled. He was staying! With...with her! Celestia had given him a priceless gift.

"I've noticed that you've known about the existence of them for some time now, but have never before seen them face-to-face. I wanted to change that. I want you to spend some quality time with them and make friends with all of them. I really don't know why I haven't introduced you all to each other before."

"I think we can blame those small, insignificant threats that pop up from time to time," Noble said briefly. "Rather time-consuming, I must say."

"Well, you can start by attending the party Pinkie undoubtedly has planned for you."

"You mean, the emponyment of unpredictability?" Noble asked.

Celestia laughed and flopped on Noble's bed, making a snow angel. "Oh my, this is as comfortable as in the royal chambers. I haven't had the opportunity to just feel the beds Twilight has, you know?"

"My lady," Noble said, amused, "Please restrain thy enthusiasm."

At that very moment the doors to Noble's bedroom burst open and Firestorm was there, carrying his maroon and brown rags and displaying his dark orange coat. He paused as he saw Celestia, who was still on the bed, and Noble, who was half-undressed of his armor. A small sly smirk came across his face, still wet from his shower. "I, ah, hope I'm not interrupting anything between you two," he said in a sultry tone.

Celestia and Noble quickly moved away from each other.

He laughed. "I'm just kidding! I mean, come on! Why would she go for a guy like you," his voice dropped low and sultry again, "when I know she's got the hots for me?" He flipped his wild fiery mane and winked at the princess.

Celestia and Noble sighed in exasperation simultaneously.

Firestorm then flapped up into the air, tossing his rags to the floor. "So 'Tia, what brings ya here? I know ya wanted to see my hot bod, but that's not the only reason, is it?"

"As a matter of fact, she was actually giving me instructions on our next mission," Noble said to him.

"Without me?" Firestorm gave Celestia 'Bambi Eyes' in disappointment. "Do I not matter anymore to you?" He added a sniffle.

"Nope," Celestia said jovially.

"Oh." His 'Bambi Eyes' disappeared. "I knew it." He slumped to the floor slowly. "Soooo..... what's the next mission?"

"We have been assigned to our most dangerous mission yet," Noble said with a look of determination. "We will be stationed in Ponyville for an indefinite time frame, looking after the Element Bearers and Starlight."

Firestorm's eyes bulged. "Oh goodness, that does sound dangerous. Parties, hugs, selling goods in the market, friendly arguments..." He started to shake. "It's going to be more dangerous than Skyworld?"

Noble thought about that. "Well, no, not much can be more dangerous than Skyworld..."

"How about our mission to the Dragon Lands?" he pressured.

"Well, no, not much can be more dangerous than that either-"

"How about the one to Manehatten? The Aratta? Arimaspi Mountain?"

"No, no, and no." Noble looked down. "Wow, it's not as dangerous as I first thought..."

"I have the most sarcastic ponies in Equestria for a private guard," Celestia sighed.

"Not sarcastic; the most flippant," Firestorm corrected her. He flapped up into the air again. "So are we going to tell Freedom Fighter about this?"

"He already knows," Noble said. He looked up at the ceiling. "Okay, Freedom, you can come down from there now. We know you're eavesdropping, so you might as well show yourself."

There was a pause for just a second.

Then a large black mass dropped down from the ceiling and landed on the bed, bouncing him up into the air. He flipped once before he landed on his hind legs in a crouch.

"How'd you even get in here, anyhow?" Firestorm asked.

Freedom Fighter pointed at the ceiling. A tile had been moved out of place way in the corner, showing the hollow bit behind it. He fell to all fours.

"Typical Freedom." Celestia smiled and 'tsk'ed softly. "You overheard everything, I presume?"

The dark-garbed pony nodded.

"Then I don't need to bother repeating myself." Celestia laughed softly. She then looked at all three Guardians of the Sun. "Please understand that I want you to get along with them well and protect them. I believe that putting you with them is the right option to be taken. Protect them with your life."

All three Guardians pounded their hooves against their chests and bowed.

Fluttershy stood there in the throne room, rooted to the spot, staring at the door, a hot feeling raging in her cheeks as the words Noble spoke to her reverberated around her head. Did Noble Blade just say that to her?

She had never thought of herself as the attractive type. She wasn't assertive enough to try and make herself attractive, anyway. And yet that light blue stallion had acted like she was the most attractive thing in the world. She wasn't about to insist that she was beautiful- beauty is in the eye of the beholder, after all. But at the same time she felt beautiful because Noble Blade had said she was. It was a strange feeling, one she hadn't felt often before. But she liked that feeling, whatever it was.

"Hey Fluttershy! Come on and talk with us!" Rainbow called. Behind her Twilight and her friends were talking around the table. Starlight didn't have a seat, but she sat in Pinkie's spot. Fluttershy took one last look at the door where he had gone out, then turned and went to her seat around the table.

"So, girls, what do you think about the new guys?" Twilight asked eagerly.

Applejack adjusted her hat. "Well, Ah'm not usually one ta disapprove of new friends comin' inta our lives, but Ah think they're hidin' sumthin'. Ah don't entirely think they told us everything about themselves. They're keepin' sumthin' about themselves secret, Ah know it."

"You think they were lying?" Twilight asked with a look.

"Ah didn't say that. Ah think they were tellin' the truth, but not the whole truth. And dependin' on who ya ask, a lie of omission is still a lie."

"They looked dangerous to me!" Rainbow exclaimed, flapping two feet in the air. "Their behavior was probably just a ruse to get us to trust 'em! They may have acted politely- well, mostly politely," she muttered, rolling her eyes at the memory of Firestorm, "-but come on! Look at their weapons! Look at their armor! Sure, they looked awesome, but who knows what they could do at the drop of a hat?" To emphasize her point, she raised a hoof as if to knock off Applejack's Stetson, but Applejack grabbed her hoof out of midair and was now glaring at her.

"Well, I certainly do not share your reservations," Rarity said to Rainbow. "What about them suggested they might turn on us? Sure, one was utterly lacking in common courtesy, but the other two were absolutely charming." She fluttered her eyelashes.

"The one in black didn't strike me as charming so much as mysterious- and dangerous," Starlight observed. "He looked as though he could beat all of us in a fight combined if he really wanted to."

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Rainbow cried.

"Then you tell him that to his face." Twilight said.

Rainbow looked a little less sure of herself. It passed, however, and she replied defiantly, "Well, I could if I could actually see his face! He's the only one that didn't show himself! If anypony's hiding something, it's him!"

Fluttershy meekly spoke up. "Well, um, he probably has a reason why he doesn't want to show us it. Maybe he's a little uncomfortable around us and we just need to make him feel welcome."

"Either that or he and his friends are hiding more than they're telling us," Rainbow said to her.

"I don't think so. What about the knight? He was rather open and friendly," Starlight spoke to everyone.

"I have zero doubts as to his allegiance," Twilight told her. "He was...he was..."

"Honorable?" Rarity suggested. "He certainly seemed that way to me." She sighed in pleasure.

Rainbow looked at her, fighting back a laugh. "What did it for you, his fancy-schmancy compliments or his rugged good looks?" she snickered.

A bit of color rose in Rarity's cheeks. "I'm not going to answer that," she said haughtily, and turned away.

Twilight coughed. "I was about to say, he was ready and willing to help. He's a knight, after all. Knights are expected to help and protect. He's going to be with us, so we should be nice to him and give him the benefit of the doubt."

"Just him, or should we exclude the rest of his friends because they aren't like him?" Applejack asked sarcastically. "That'd be a tad hypocritical, doncha think?"

There was a bit of silence at that.

"...So even though his other companions are rather...sketchy, we should try our best to accompany them?" Rarity asked finally.

"Of course! We wouldn't be the poster ponies of friendship if we excluded them just because they're kinda strange!" Twilight said.

"You know, I get the fact that they rescued you. Really, I do. But don't tell me you don't have questions about them, Twilight," Rainbow said bluntly.

"Like how in Equestria one pegasus can be so uncouth and barbaric?" Rarity spoke vehemently. "Did any of you see the way he was acting? He's like a cross between the horse-swapper, the nutmeg-dealer, and the night watchpony all rolled into one with a piece of moldy garnish on the side!"

All the mares looked confused.

Rarity coughed. "Well, anyway, he's rude and flippant," she summarized.

"The pot calls the kettle black," Rainbow observed.

"Do you have to make a comment on everything anypony says?" Rarity asked irritably.

"Nope." Rainbow lounged in her seat. "I just want to."

"Yunnow, he kinda reminds me a bit of you, ta be honest," Applejack said to Rainbow. Rainbow slowly craned her head to look at her. Applejack continued. "Well, as, you know, a stallion instead of a mare. And more of an "Ah don't give a bison chip 'bout ma image" kinda mindset. But apart from bein', you know, eccentric and all that, he actually don't seem all that bad, ta be honest."

Rarity's head whipped to face Applejack so fast she almost snapped her neck.

"Ah know, Ah know, he's a little uncouth and uncivilized. Ah git that. But Ah'm not exactly the image of sophistication, and neither is Rainbow, yet we're still some of yer closest friends. So what makes Firestorm any different?"

"Well-" Rarity spluttered for a few seconds, then said, "Well, he's a stallion! Stallions are expected to act polite and civilized to mares! Like Noble Blade," she emphasized. "But Firestorm...he's just straight-up rude! The least he could do is act polite to those who deserve it!"

"What if he does," Applejack said bluntly, "and you just don't deserve his manners?"

She gaped for a few seconds before answering with, "What? ME, not deserve HIS manners?"

"So stallions are supposed to act polite and civilized to mares," Applejack went on, ignoring Rarity, "but mares can act like complete jerks to stallions like you did ta Firestorm and git away scot free? Who's the civilized one there?"

That shut Rarity up.

"Look, I know that this is strange, but if they all have good intentions, we should allow them the benefit of the doubt. They rescued Twilight. They didn't impose anything on us. They acted like any normal pony would. We should get acquainted with them, and see where that leads us," Starlight pointed out.

A soft voice came in. "Um, I didn't see anything wrong with them. And I, um, liked being with them...it was new and kind of nice..." Fluttershy paused. "And, um, about Firestorm...he's kind of scary, and loud, and a tad rambunctious, but that doesn't mean he's all that bad."

"See? If Fluttershy feels comfortable around them, we all should," Twilight said.

Before anyone else could reply, however, the doors to the throne room opened and the three ponies they were talking about came in. The girls all turned in their seats. Freedom Fighter was still in his black bodysuit, but he was now stripped clean of weapons. And Noble Blade and Firestorm had taken off their combat attire and were now displaying their bodies. Firestorm's was a dark orange color that had a long, fiery red, orange, and yellow mane and tail. And Noble Blade's was a pale, pale blue with a bright neon blue for his mane.

Because they now had their clothes and armor off, their cutie marks were now on display. Firestorm's was a black flaming X that spread out on one side. And Noble's cutie mark was-

Fluttershy gasped. His cutie mark was an upside down broadsword, like a lowercase T, but the blade had two butterfly wings on the sides of the sword. Just like the butterflies on Fluttershy.

She thought dizzily, 'What in Equestria-'

"So shall we depart for our party?" Noble Blade asked happily. He accidentally looked at Fluttershy and he ducked his head quickly before anyone else could notice.

"Oh my, Noble," Rarity gasped. "You truly do look absolutely handsome."

Noble grew a nervous smile and backed down. "Thank you?" he said quietly.

Fluttershy was about to say something to Noble Blade, but she noticed that Noble looked uncomfortable at the compliment of being called handsome by Rarity. She didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable by giving him a label he might not agree with, so she kept quiet as usual.

She noticed Noble was looking at her again, but when she saw him, Noble blushed and looked away again. Was he embarrassed?

"So he gets called handsome and I get...nothing." Firestorm looked depressed. "I see how it is." He slumped to the floor and lay motionless for a few seconds. Then he stood up again. "I think we oughta just go. I don't want to wait for a party when it's calling my name."