While the rest of the Avengers were in Canterlot, Twilight Sparkle had no idea that she too was about to have bodyguards of her own. But there was one matter that she needed to attend to and that was Tempest Shadow accepting her offer as Captain of the Royal Guard. Sitting in her study that night, Twilight could only imagine what was going through her mind at that moment.

Just then, she heard a knock on her front door and went downstairs to investigate. Opening the door, she found Bruce standing on the other side.

"Um, can I help you?" she asked confusingly. "And why are you dressed like that?"

"Princess Twilight, sorry for coming in at this hour," he replied. "I'm Dr. Bruce Banner, a member of the Avengers. I've come to be one of your bodyguards."

"Bodyguards?" Twilight asked again. "Um, why would I need bodyguards? Is this because I am a princess or something?"

"It's because you have been ordered to have bodyguards," answered Chancellor Neighsay, walking towards Twilight with Dr. Strange at his side. "For your personal protection."

This made Twilight even more confused by the minute.

"Okay, why is it that I need bodyguards? I'm perfectly capable of defending myself, you know. Is it that because Grogar has returned that I need protection?"

"Yes, Princess Twilight," said Dr. Strange, still wearing the bandages covering his injuries from the fight with Chrysalis and Tirek. "If Emperor Grogar is seeking alicorn magic, then you and your fellow princesses are in danger."

"And for a princess who doesn't have a royal guard," added Bruce. "That's a bad sign. Now, if you could, can I come in?"

Remembering her manners, Twilight allowed for Bruce to make his way into her castle. Knowing that he was probably freezing to death, Dr. Strange ordered his cape to cover Bruce's bare-chested body.

"Thanks Doc," he remarked, the cape wrapping around his neck.

"I don't want you getting sick on my watch."

"Um, okay," stammered Twilight. "So, what are you all going to do now?"

"For one thing," replied Dr. Strange. "We'll monitor for any activity Grogar is causing. If you are in any immediate danger, we will move you to safety, understand?"

Still unsure, Twilight begrudgingly accepted as she made her way back to her study. Just then, another knock was heard at the door and Dr. Strange opened it to reveal Peter on the other side.

"Isn't it a school night for you, Peter?" he asked.

"Sorry, I just couldn't help but sense that something was going on," answered the teenager. "Spider sense, you know?"

"Go back to sleep, Parker. You've got school in the morning."

"Um, okay. But, if there is any trouble, my spider sense doesn't lie."

…

Meanwhile, Twilight returned to her study and sat down at her desk. She still had an assortment of exams to grade in addition to all the events that were transpiring in front of her. At that moment, she looked up and saw Tempest Shadow standing in the hallway.

"Come in, Tempest," Twilight said and the broken horned unicorn entered her office. "I trust you heard all the voices downstairs."

"Yeah, so I guess you heard that you're getting bodyguards," she remarked, sitting down in front of Twilight's desk. "Something that…you've probably should have had from the beginning, right?"

Sensing that Tempest was about to have another bout of remorse for her actions, Twilight immediately jumped in.

"If you were thinking that having bodyguards would have stopped the invasion, it wouldn't have made a difference. In a sense, you are probably the only bodyguard I can possibly trust right now, Tempest."

Tempest felt her spine tingle upon hearing this. The fact that Twilight would say such a thing greatly boggled her mind.

"I mean, you've demonstrated to a T, Tempest," continued Twilight. "So, I'm glad you accepted my offer, but I'm still trying to think why now would you accept it?"

"I told you because it was foretold to me, Twilight. Dr. Strange said so and he has the power to see into the future. He sees me being installed and…"

However, Tempest couldn't finish her sentence. There was still so much she needed to attend to before even thinking about being installed.

"Are you scared to accept an offer?" Twilight asked.

"Well, a little bit after all I had done to Equestria," Tempest answered.

"It's nothing wrong to be a little scared, Tempest," Twilight replied, walking over to Tempest and placing a hoof on her shoulder. "In fact, maybe accepting the offer of being my captain will somewhat silence your neighsayers who want you dead."

Tempest gulped upon hearing this but realized that Twilight was perhaps more than right.

"By the way," she continued. "I've written to my brother and you are to resume your training first thing tomorrow. And he promises to keep his hooves to himself."

"That's a relief," sighed Tempest.

…

At that moment, having been sent back away from Twilight's castle, Peter returned to his quarters in the school of friendship that he was sharing with Rachel.

"Guess you didn't stay for long," she remarked.

"No, they sent me back," Peter replied. "Spider sense doesn't lie, Rachel. I mean, isn't that the same way you feel with your mom?"

This made the red-haired teenager chuckle slightly as she climbed into bed.

"Pete, you don't know the half of it. Whenever my mom's spider sense tingles, there is no telling how she will react. In a way, it's been both a blessing and a curse, largely because it either makes us closer together or drives us apart."

"And yet, she still co-runs a major company that Mr. Stark poured so much of his life into," said Peter. "Makes you even more lucky. Too bad I don't have a mother to look up to."

Hearing this, Rachel couldn't help but sympathize with Peter. In a sense, little did she know that she was starting to get feelings for him. Nevertheless, they had a big day tomorrow with their first day at the school of friendship just over the horizon.

…

Back in Tambeleon, having placed the Storm King in his service, Grogar turned his attention to far more urgent planning.

"So you see, General Maw," he said, showing his newly minted general, Ebony Maw, a map of Equestria. "There is no better way to start flexing our muscles than by launching a random attack."

"What do you propose to do, my emperor?"

"To strike at an ally of the ponies in order to weaken them," Grogar replied. "Once we weaken each ally, then the ponies of Equestria will have no choice to fight alone, even with the help of the Avengers."

"Yes, I see. But, King Sombra requests that he led a possible attack on the Crystal Empire if necessary."

"Perhaps you forget, Ebony Maw," remarked Grogar. "That the Crystal Empire is protected by a powerful shield called the Crystal Heart. If the heart is destroyed, then an invasion of the Crystal Empire is possible. See if he remembers that."

As this was going on, King Sombra stood on a tower of Grogar's castle looking out at the Crystal Empire out in the distance.

"My Crystal Slaves," he seethed, hungry to regain his former kingdom once again. But, little did he know of the Guardians of the Galaxy, that were now residing in the empire…