>Morning Hyperventilating in Equestria.
>You are Gloom Wing, and you have never had to fight to control your wings so much.
>When you awaken with the last of the sun’s rays drifting over the horizon, you find yourself not in your room, but in Anonymous’s.
>In his bed, cuddled into his chest, with his arms draped over you, being spooned.
>Your wings are twitching as quickly as your heart is beating.
>It feels like a fire is raging over your face and body as you try to stay still and calm.
>Anon mumbles in his sleep, his hands holding you against his chest and gently rubbing your fur.
>It takes all of your training as a guard to only whimper.
>You take a deep breath, close your eyes, and decide to take stock of what’s going on.
>Anonymous carried you back; you remember falling asleep in his arms.
>He must have just brought you to his room, tucked you in, curled up beside you, and then slipped off to sleep with you.
>The slight pang of disappointment makes your face burn hotter.
>Taking a steadying breath, you decide to snuggle back into Anonymous. It may have been an unexpected surprise, but it’s a really nice one!
>Curling your hooves up to your chest, you let out a content sigh and close your eyes, relaxing and listening to his soft breathing.
>Your eyes pop back open.
>Anonymous is sleeping right beside you, possibly naked.
>Slowly, your eyes shift to look at what you can of him, turning your head as far as you can. All you can see is a bare shoulder... Which means he’s not wearing a shirt.
>A small burst of heat hits your cheeks. You’ve never seen Anonymous without clothes.
>It was apparently a taboo to be naked in his culture.
>You really didn’t like that taboo.
>Slowly, you push your hooves out against the covers, starting to gently shuffle them off yourself and Anonymous.
>He needs his sleep, of course. It’d be rude to wake him up...
>Plus, he doesn’t need to know that you’re trying to sneak a peek.
>Not that it’s unfair! I mean, you don’t wear clothes, but he wears them almost all the time! It’s not fair!
>Agonizingly slowly, you shift the blankets off yourself, letting your fur touch the chilled air of the room around you.
>Suppressing a shiver and an urge to latch onto Anonymous and steal his body heat, you start to wiggle forward, waving your forehooves as you scoot around.
>This works until you feel him tighten his arm around you, pulling you back into his chest and mumbling.
>To your credit, you only let out a small ‘eep’.
>Normally, this would be great. However, you’ve got a mission to accomplish! Now’s not the time to take advantage of snuggles!
>You feel weird for saying that.
>Regardless, you start to extend your wing to lift up his arm gently. It works until you realize the light pressure pushing back against your wings feels good.
>Very good.
>You bite your lip as you continue to lift his arm with your wing, the weight gently pushing the base of your wing down, before his hand finally slips off, sliding down the back of your wing lightly and sending shivers down your spine.
>Gingerly, you let go of your lip, a shuddering sigh escaping you.
>With Anonymous’s arm out of the way, you begin to scoot forward again, finally reaching the other end of the bed, before rolling over to face Anonymous.
>The blanket has fallen back over him, covering your hard earned prize.
>Muttering under your breath, you roll onto your stomach, and slowly reach out a hoof, watching Anonymous’s face for any signs of waking up.
>After what seems like an eternity, you feel the blanket against your hoof. A lecherous grin and blush cover your face as you lean your head down and begin to lift the blanket.
>”WHERE IN TARTARUS HAVE YOU TWO BEEN?!”
>Letting out a terrified screech, your body spasms as your wings shootout in surprise, the loud yell resounding throughout the room. You whip around, trying to see who caught you... Snuggling.
>Unfortunately, before you can get a good look at the witness, you are punted off the bed by a freshly awoken flailing and sputtering Anonymous.
>The bed sheets, a pillow, and Anonymous himself follow shortly after.
>With a groan, you lift your head, shifting off the bedding, and finally get a good look at who stole your prize from you.
>Captain Sunshine Smiles.
>All the bedding doesn’t protect you from the ice in his gaze. 
>”Two hours late. Two hours that you abandoned your posts. Both of you get into uniform and be in my office in ten minutes. You’re both on punishment detail.”
>You nod numbly; Captain Sunshine Smiles didn’t exactly hold to his name.
>He was not a large pegasus, just slightly bigger than you, but he was lithe and dangerous, like a jungle cat. With muscles rippling under his fur and armor, he carried with him an air of lethality that was complementary to the claws attached to his armor.
>He lets out a deep sigh and turns, stalking off, the low sound of grumbling echoing back into the room even after he fades from sight.
>Anonymous sits up beside you, letting out a groan, rubbing his face with a hand.
>”Fuck, overslept... Alright, go get suited, Gloomie. I’ll meet you there; we need to hurry.”
>With a yawn, Anonymous begins to stand up, shifting the blankets and covers off himself. Your eyes open slightly as the blush from earlier comes back. You subtly flick your eyes to his crotch and wait.
>As Anonymous rises, his joints popping, your hopes go up in flames. One infuriating piece of clothing clings to him around his waist, mocking you with the button in front, keeping the window to your prize closed.
>Anonymous shuffles into his bathroom, barely awake, and closes the door. Soon the sound of rushing water tries to sooth your sorrows.
>Standing yourself, you shake off the rest of the bedding and begin to trot towards your room. You need to get armored up and to the captain’s quarters as soon as possible. Still, as you return to your room, you can’t help but let out a sigh.
“Cock blocked...”

>You are now Anonymous, and you are dreading talking to Sunshine Smiles.
>His name is so misleading. You really don’t ever remember him smiling.
>To be fair, you did see him not grimacing once.
>You let out a sigh and tighten your armor, hustling towards your commander’s office.
>It shouldn’t be a route you have memorized.
>As you approach his door, the sound of galloping hooves reaches your ears. Turning your head, you spot Gloom Wing running down the hall, dressed in her full uniform. Skidding to a halt beside you, you kneel down and give her a quick hug and take a deep breath.
“What do you think he’s going to have us do this time?”
>The dread in your voice causes Gloom Wing to wince.
>”Honestly... I don’t know... I doubt there is a potato left in the world that needs peeling... Besides, it’s not too bad for you...”
>A small chuckle escapes you Nodding, you turn back to the door.
“I know this sounds bad, but... I’m curious. We have to have gone through every kind of punishment by now...”
>Gloom Wing scuffs her hoof on the floor, a small blush painting her cheeks as she looks at anything but you.
>You laugh and pat her on the head, a grin stretching across your face.
“I’m not mad about it, Gloomie. I was, but... At least it kept things interesting around here.”
>With a small laugh. you fully straighten and let out a deep sigh, resignation settling onto you as you face the door.
>Gloom Wing lets out a deep sigh, her wings clench at her sides before she turns to looks at you.
>”Well... let’s get this over with.”
>With a nod, you reach out and grab the door and pull it open quickly; like pulling off a bandaid, it’s better to do it quickly. Squinting at the light inside, both you and Gloom Wing step inside.
>Captain Sunshine sits at his desk, diligently working at a typewriter, somehow...
>You’ve stopped questioning these things.
>He continues to clack away until he finishes his current line with a ding. With a small nod, he gently pushes the machine aside and gives both you and Gloom Wing a level look.
>”So, you’ve both made it, and in time for once. What a surprise.”
>Hopping off his chair, he walks around the desk and eyes both of you up slowly, before snorting derisively.
>”You even managed to dress yourselves. Both in rare form today, hm?”
>Trap. It’s a trap to talk back, don’t take the bait. You shift your eyes to Gloom Wing and meet hers. You both give a tiny nod and remain silent.
>Both of you learned this lesson the hard way.
>Captain Sunshine chuckles softly and walks back behind his desk and jumps into his chair, leaning back in it.
>Folding his forehooves in front of his chest, a ghost of a smile tugs at his lips.
>”How many times have you two stood before me like this? I’m sure it’s on a record somewhere...”
>The captain smirks and seems to drift off in his memories, a deathly silence filling the room, with only the thunderous ticking of the clock to challenge it.
>That, and the nervous shuffling between you and Gloom Wing.
>Every time you and Gloom Wing had been in this office, there was yelling.
>A lot of yelling.
>This was a lot worse than the yelling.
>”By now, you two have gone through every standard punishment, and despite that, here you both are.” He leans onto the desk, resting his head on one hoof and idly tapping the top with the other, staring at both of you with a lazy gaze and smile.
>”So, I thought to myself... ‘How can I make those two into proper guards? Standard procedures just seem to bounce right through their thick, empty, skulls.’ Well, if ‘standard’ doesn’t work, I decided to think outside the box, so to speak.”
>You feel your stomach drop. With a growing sense of horror, you realize what’s happening.
>Captain Sunshine Smiles thought of a punishment cruel enough to make him smile.
>You swallow the lump in your throat and turn your head to look at Goom Wing.
>Eyes wide, knees trembling.
>She’s come to the same conclusion. Fuck.
>The captain clears his throat and you whip your head back to him, a smug smile now covering his face.
>”So, after some thought, I finally came up with way to get some discipline into your skulls.”
>A full blown grin on his face, he makes a grand gesture to the corner of the room behind both of you, a malicious glint in his eye.
>Slowly, you turn around, ready to face whatever horror he’s concocted, your body tensing subconsciously for the pain to come.
>Only for it all to bleed out of you the instant you see what it is: A cube of metal with two handles on either side and a bright red ‘fifteen’ on top.
>Creasing your brow, you turn confusedly to captain Sunshine, unsure if he’s finally snapped from stress.
>”That weight belongs to me and it’s very important, and it’s going to be very important to both of you, too.”
>His grin twists into something evil and he leans forward over the table, his wings spreading out.
>”Oh yes, very important indeed, because if somepony else brings me that cube—that you two are going be carrying—they will get the next night off, and you’ll be carrying it again.”
>Oh, that’s his game.
>Taking a shuddering breath you feel a cold sweat begin to form on your brow and your hands start to sweat. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Gloom Wing step forward, licking her lips and eyeing the weight with dread.
>”How...How many know?”
>Captain sunshine leans back in his chair and starts laughing, long and loud, his body heaving with his laughter.
>Once he finishes, he brings a hoof up to wipe the moisture from his eyes.
>”How many? Well, all of them do, of course! They’re good guards, that listen and show up for briefing! They all loved the idea, really; who doesn’t want a paid vacation day?”
>He’s a monster. A demon escaped from Tartarus.
>You feel Gloom Wing press up against your side. Swallowing your fear, you put on a brittle smile and look down at her.
>”Anon... We’re screwed.”
“Hey.. It’ll be okay. I’m sure this won't be so bad. It’s just a day off, right? What’s the worst that could happen?”


>Right as you and Gloom Wing leave Captain Sunshine’s office, the weight held in your hands, you both see what looked like a wall of glittering, golden eyes down the hall.
>With a grin splitting his face, Captain Sunshine looks out and spots the wall of eyes, before turning back to both of you.
>”Well, I have to get some work done. Remember, get that back to me tomorrow night.”
>With that, he withdraws his head, his door slowly swinging shut, the slight creaking of the door the only noise in the otherwise silent hall.
>Seemingly in slow motion, you see the door slide shut, the light click as it latches shut ringing in your ears like thunder as you turn to face the eyes of your coworkers.
>Eyes...and grins.
>You hear the light scraping of armor and hooves as your co workers start to surge forward, spilling out of the shadows like the tide.
>The sound of galloping hooves behind you causes you to whip around, trying to spot the source of the obvious pincer attack.
>Instead, you see Gloom Wing’s white tail flicking out behind her as she gallops off down the hall.
>She fucking ditched you!
“You fucking ditched me!”
>She turns her head to look back at you as she runs, an incredulous look in her eye.
>You also notice she’s holding the weight that you were supposed to protect.
>Oh yeah, no time to zone out.
>You dart after Gloom Wing like lightning, following the white streak of her tail in the dark hallways as the sound of a stampede slowly rolls up behind you.
>With your stride, you pull ahead of the tidal wave of ponies chasing you, and start catching up to her.
>That weight slows her down quite a bit.
>Both you and Gloom Wing were actually the best runners in all of the guard, night or day.
>All the laps you two have had to run made sure of that.
>Eventually, you catch up, the sound of running hooves filling the hall, reverberating through the castle, shattering any possible illusion of silence and peace.
>Not wanting to waste any more breath than you need, you reach out and grab one side of the weight, helping her carry it.
>Darting her eyes to you, she gives you a barely perceptible nod before smiling around the handle.
>You’re in for a long night.

>You are Celestia, and you can’t take it anymore.
>The constant racket and noise of running hooves is driving you crazy.
>Worse still is the yelling, the orders, the commands, bouncing through the castle, waking you whenever sleep is about to claim you.
>Every single day for hundreds of years you spent every waking moment working obsessively for your little ponies’ well-being.
>Over the years you had sacrificed everything for them; your time, your freedom, even your sister, as painful as it was.
>The only thing you asked for in return from them was sleep.
>Blissful, wondrous, sleep.
>Being denied your one indulgence made you feel just a bit cranky.
>Grinding your teeth, you slowly, reluctantly, leave the comfort of your bed.
>Another loud crash rewards your efforts.
>Wings slowly rising in irritation, you begin walking to your door, the sound of hoofsteps and heated chatter just beyond the portal.
>You could be being invaded; there may yet be an excuse for all this noise.
>Stopping before the door, you force your wings back down and plaster a smile on your face before gently swinging it open and clearing your throat.
>The pack of guards turn and smartly salute you before bowing.
“Excuse me, what is all the noise about?”
>The guards exchange a quick series of looks before the one up front raises his head and clears his throat.
>”Well, your majesty... Anonymous and Gloom Wing are carrying a trinket, that... If we return we’ll get...a...night...off.”
>Your eye twitches involuntarily.
“A day off, is it?”
>The mask you put on is crumbling. 
>Taking a step forward into the hall, the guards quickly back up, shooting looks between each other worriedly.
“I can understand wanting a day off. Why, I’ve wanted one for a few hundred years!”
>With each word, your eyes grow more manic, as you continue to step into the hall. The guards look ready to flee.
“So I’ll give you three a nice vacation so that maybe I can get some sleep and go to work like I have been for centuries!”
>With that, you light your horn and envelope all three stallions with your magic, holding them in place as the air distorts in front of them. A tear suddenly rips into the air, eerie music leaking out.
>The three stallions look on in horror as a skeletal arm reaches out and plucks them up into the alternate dimension.
>Before the tear closes you smirk and decide to give them a piece of advice.
“Keep your forehooves inside the cart at all times!”
>With that taken care of, you walk off, ready to finally get some peace and quiet.
>One way or the other.

>Skidding around a corner, you and Gloom Wing keep running, exhaustion starting to grip the two of you.
>Normally, you could run a lot longer, but you had to take the weight from Gloom Wing, who was starting to get too hot under her fur and armor.
>You could just sweat the heat off. Gloom Wing, however, was not so lucky.
>Even so, your lungs still felt like two giant sacks of pain in your chest.
>Shortly after you began, the guards had started to get more clever, coming at you from both directions, setting ambushes, and setting up blockades.
>They would tire too, you had to believe that.
>Gloom Wing raises both her wings, signaling you to stop.
>Sliding to a stop, you clutch the weight to your chest, breathing heavily.
“Why... Why did we stop?”
>”I... I couldn’t run... I need to cool off...”
>Taking a closer look at her, you grimace and nod.
>She’s practically drenched in sweat, and panting, tongue hanging out the side.
>Reaching down, you grab her, ignoring the small squeak of embarrassment and the gross feeling of wet fur, pull her to the window, and begin using your hands to wipe the sweat off her coat and wings while fanning the air against her.
>Gloom Wing let’s out a groan of pleasure and slumps against the window sill.
>”Oooh... Sweet Luna that feels amazing...”
>You get a feeling that she’s not just talking about the cool air if the blush on her face is any indication.
>Letting out a small cough, you feel a small blush grace your cheeks, too.
>The entire time you can feel Gloom Wing purring under your hand as you do your work, a low, barely audible rumble leaving her throat.
>You quickly finish brushing down Gloom Wing with your hands, shaking the sweat off onto the ground or wiping it on whatever was nearby.
>Neither of you can afford distractions right now.
“Feel better, Gloomie?”
>A small whine escapes her as you stop, but she nods, standing straighter and breathing normally again.
“Good. I’m going to look for a safe route. Stay here unless you have to go. We’ll rendezvous in the garden; the soft dirt will muffle our footsteps there.”
>With a curt salute she grabs the weight and spreads her wings, ready to dive out the window should anyone approach.
>As silently as you can, you creep forward and around the corner, going down the hall. You try to get your bearings; with all the running you’ve been doing, you have a hard time figuring out where you are.
>The sound of hooves on stone makes you dart into the side of the hall, ducking behind a curtain and pressing yourself as flat as you can get.
>You hear the sound getting closer and you grit your teeth. This could be it; no way a trained guard would miss you.
>You shift your head and look down the hallway, and see a fast approaching night guard, running down the hall at full speed. 
>However, the only thing you see on his face is abject terror. Without so much as a glance, he rockets past you, the sound of his hoof falls disappearing around the corner towards Gloom Wing.
>Well, with that noise she’ll hear him coming and get out, at least. You have to make it to the rendezvous, now.
>However, with his hooves gone, you hear another set, slowly walking down the hall.
>A feeling of dread grips you as you shift your eyes towards whatever was making the noise.
>Coming down the hall is none other than Celestia, but not as you had ever seen her before.
>Like a pale ghost, she slowly stalks down the hallway, her white coat reflecting the moonlight into a pale brilliance in the light and washing it out to look like bone in the dark.
>Her mane and tail still billow in the aetherial wind, but it now holds the colors of a setting sun: deep crimsons, burning oranges, and a pale, dying blue.
>What draws your attention the most, however, is her eyes.
>The majestic purple that graces them seemingly burn with an inner fire, framed by the red lines of bloodshot eyes and the black, sunken bags underneath.
>You don’t even dare breath. 
>Every single night guard is warned of one thing above all others.
>Never wake Celestia.
>Clutching the curtain tightly, you wait for her to pass, the steady sound of her hooves passing you and slowly fading into the distance.
>You wait until nothing but silence reigns in the hall until you have the courage to step out from behind the curtain.
>Swallowing the lump in your throat, you cautiously begin down the hallway, darting between shadows.
>If Celestia is prowling the hall, the game has changed.
>You could not afford to be found.
>As quietly as humanly possible, you continue to slip down the hall, shadow to shadow.

>The night sky is beautiful tonight, but what’s below is far more fun to watch.
>You are Luna, and you’ve been watching your guards cause trouble through the whole castle below.
>Perched on a cloud, you watch Anonymous and Gloom Wing run around, giving your guards the slip, and the rest of them slowly organizing and setting up blockades and traps.
>Not for the first time, you giggle into your hoof.
>This is a very fun game indeed!
>However, something interesting happened. Your sister has awoken, and the dynamic duo is forced to split up.
>Anonymous stays in the castle, no doubt sneaking around with his quiet feet
>Gloom Wing, however... she leaps from the window and is currently flying through the spires of the castle, trying to shake the few night guards that saw her take to the air.
>However, she couldn’t keep ahead of them while carrying that weight.
>A grin growing across your face, you stand and spread your wings, feeling the wind flow underneath them.
>It’s hardly sporting, that many against one.
>Taking a leap, you level your wings and soar towards the young mare.
>If Celestia is playing, even by accident, then you will too.