Anon X Gloom Wing pt. 7

>Oh, this was not fair at all!
>You’ve been flying as fast as your wings can take you trying to stay ahead of all the other guards.
>Looking over your shoulder, you see another trio of guards gaining on you and groan.
>Tilting your wings down, you start to swoop for the top of a nearby tower, bringing your hooves up as you glide in an attempt to conserve your energy.
>Keeping an eye behind you, you slow down so they will be right on top of you when you reach the tower.
>Snapping your wings closed, you drop on top of the tower, the trio flying past you in their haste.
>As quickly as you can, you let yourself slide off the back and snake your way into one of the windows.
>Taking a look around shows that you’re in an old storage room, boxes piled up to the ceiling and other odds and ends laying about haphazardly, with a spiral staircase leading down.
>Moving carefully through the attic, you dart for the staircase, running down it and heading for the ground floor.
>Flapping your wings in agitation, you stop yourself from yelling and dropping the weight.
>It’s not fair!
>You’re being chased by crazed co-workers, split away from your coltfriend, and carrying a stupid weight that’s making your mouth taste like rubber!
>All you did was sleep in!
>Putting down the weight, you flop down to the floor and begin taking deep breaths, trying to let off some heat from all the running and flying.
>You wish Anonymous was here to brush out your coat and wings again. It would really help you cool down to have his hands running over your wet fur.
>Feeling your wings twitch, you decide to abandon that train of thought; no sense getting distracted now.
>Getting back on your hooves, you begrudgingly pull the weight off the ground before approaching the door to the outside as quietly as possible.
>You press your ear against it and wait for any sounds to give away your pursuers. However, you hear nothing but the sound of crickets.
>A sigh of relief escapes you as you raise a hoof and push open the door, your first stroke of luck all night long.
>Luna is standing right outside the door, her mane billowing in the night behind her, a large grin splitting her face and one hoof raised in a regal pose.
>Screeching into her face, you slam the door and start hyperventilating, your wings twitching sporadically.
>Throwing a hoof to your face, you breath hitches as you realize you just slammed a door in your princess's face.
>Eyes wide, you slam the door back open, your face a panicked grimace as Luna holds a hoof to her mouth, holding back laughter.
“Oh I’m so sorry Princess Luna! I didn’t mean to do that, I just got scared because I’m supposed to be running and then you were right there and I panicked-”
>Luna puts her hoof in front of your mouth, silencing you and giggling a little before leaning down, putting her at your height and leaning in conspiratorially.
>”I know, my little pony. I’m here to help you! It’s not really fair that you are stuck out here all alone against all these guards.”
>Sweeping you up in her forehoof, she pulls you close and grins, turning her gaze out to the surrounding area.
>”Now, I want you to pick that trinket back up, and then we are going to lose your extra tail.”
>You feel relief and gratitude flood you as Princess Luna promises to help.
“Oh thank you thank you thank you!”
>Unable to stop yourself, you find yourself pushing your face into Luna’s chest, sniffling and squeezing her as tightly as you can.
>Luna, for her part, awkwardly pats your back, a light crimson painting her face.
>”Yes, um... ‘Tis not a problem.”
>Pushing yourself away from Luna, you swallow heavily and grin at her, twitches wracking your body.
>Taking a deep breath, you calm yourself for now.
>You’ll freak out about bear hugging a princess later.
“One more thing... I’m with my, uh... coltfriend, Anonymous, and we said we’d meet in the gardens.”
>Luna lets a small smile tug at her lips and nods, standing up straight.
>”Really? I’m quite glad you both have found love under the moonlight. It is good to know that my guards are not as statuesque as they seem.”
>Shuffling back and forth nervously, you nod before starting to gaze around your surroundings for any of the guards looking for you.
>Your princess notices your look and grins widely before slowly spreading her wings.
>”Well then, we should take our departure, don’t you think? Places to be and friends to meet, so to speak.”
>Tittering, Luna takes to the air, her wings rising her up quickly into the night, her mane and tail blending beautifully with the starry sky behind her.
>Excitement starts to bubble up inside of you. No way could you lose when you have Princess Luna helping you!
>Scooping the weight up, you start flapping quickly to catch up with Luna, tucking into formation next to her.
>Luna looks over to you, a determined look on her face, before turning to scan the castle grounds far below.
>”A few of the guards have seen us and undoubtedly will take wing to catch us. However, I do have a bit more to tell you. Some of the guards are going back into the palace. I believe they are hunting your dear Anonymous.”
>A pit settles into your stomach as you imagine all the guards hunting down your Anonymous.
>Bringing a hoof up, you hook the weight around your foreleg and turn to Luna.
“Anonymous won’t break his promise. So, I know he’ll be fine, even if I don’t like it.”
>Luna lets a small smile grow on her face and nods.
>”Also, all this excitement as woken my sister, and she’s stalking the halls as well, though I don’t know what she’s after.”
>You lurch in the air, forgetting to flap your wings before the sensation of falling knocks you out of it. As quickly as you can, you return to Luna’s side.
“What?! Celestia’s up and walking through the castle? We have to save Anonymous and evacuate!”
>Luna laughs and turns to you  before gesturing her head behind her, a playful smirk growing on her face.
>”I’m afraid we don’t have time for that, my little pony. Now, let’s make haste to the northern spires so we can lose our chasers and talk some more.”
>Swallowing, you look back and regret your decision immediately, your ears folding back.
>A swarm of guards has already started taking formation behind you and are steadily starting to close the distance.
>Wait just a minute... They’re going to chase down Princess Luna like this? Whipping your head back to Luna, you can’t keep keep an incredulous look off your face.
“Wait! You’re a princess! Why are they chasing us like this?”
>Spotting a blush sneak onto Luna’s face, she dispels it with a little cough, turning to you with a sheepish grin while giggling awkwardly.
>”I may have told them it was okay before I came and found you...”
>Your mouth hangs open as you fly besides her.
>”Oh! I see you’re still carrying that heavy weight! Let me; it’s no problem!”
>Luna’s horn glows as the weight slips off your hoof, floating to Luna and keeping close to her chest.
>Clearing her throat, Luna offers you an apologetic smile before banking down towards the northern towers.
>Snapping your mouth shut, you follow her, picking up speed during your descent as the spires quickly come into focus.
>The spires themselves are a cluster of towers along the mountainside made of white stone and shooting straight up.
>If you’re remembering correctly, they are a bunch of suites, like an apartment tower for any flying guests that come to Canterlot on diplomatic missions.
>Luna’s reasoning for coming here clicks in your head.
>Just like when you escaped your pursuers earlier, you can use the towers to go up or down, and with so many of them it’ll be hard to keep track of you!
>Smiling, you get close to Luna and quickly examine the the towers as you approach, eyeing each balcony as a possible escape route.
>”When we arrive, we’re going to split up. You go right, I go left. When you lose them, try to get to the main garden, and I’ll meet you there.”
>Nodding quickly, you get ready to split, a tower coming up splitting the path and serving as the entrance into this airborne maze.
>You and Luna look at each other once more before banking off in different directions and starting to loop through the spires.
>Risking a quick glance back, you watch to see how all the guards split.
>None of them go after Luna.
>That may make her a bit upset.
>Grimacing, you turn back, having to focus on your flying, going up a tower and being sure to avoid any balconies.
>Your ears perk up as the sound of wings reaches you. Your eyes flick back, risking a quick look to confirm the mob behind you.
>Deciding it would be best to corkscrew up the tower, you begin making large loops around it, trying to put balconies between you and them.
>Keeping an eye on them, you suddenly stop over a balcony, putting a hoof on the ledge and twisting down
>Hiding behind the thick railing and pillars, you keep an eye up as a few of the faster guards fly right past
>However, after the first few, one of the guards looks down and spots you.
>Your eyes lock as more guards zoom past him.
>Slowly, you raise a hoof and attempt the only thing you can think of.
“Shh.”
>The guard gently glides down and lands on the railing before looking past you into the darkened room.
>Nodding to himself, he turns to you and gives you an apologetic smile before raising his head and letting out a screech, snapping everyp0ny else's attention back to the balcony.
>Groaning, you turn and leap off the side of the balcony, swirling around the tower before breaking off and starting to fly around others.
>The sound of flapping wings once again alerts you to their presence. Rounding one last tower, you decide to land on a balcony and try running up to lose them.
>Diving for the nearest balcony, you alight on it and immediately open the glass doors, closing them behind you as you scurry into the darkened room.
>Unfortunately, the sound of snoring alerts you that somepony is in this room.
>You feel your hair stand on end with your frustration mounting, barely containing a panic attack and an unladylike stream of words.
>Using all the stealth you have, you begin to shuffle towards the door, hoping to get out before you wake up whoever is sleeping.
>However, you feel your stomach sink as you hear a latch open behind you.
>Clenching your teeth, you turn your head and see some guards landing outside the window and starting to come in, moving as quietly as a shadow across the carpeted floor.
>This is insane! It’s just a day off!
>Turning back towards your escape, you move as quickly as you dare, a devilish idea coming to mind as your lips turn up into a grin.
>Reaching the door, you hook the handle and push it open, walking into the darkened hallway and turning back, eyeing the guards with a large smirk adorning your face.
>Noticing your expression, the guard in the lead holds out a hoof, stopping the procession.
>With a barely audible gulp, you see him sink down and then bring up his two forelegs, silently begging you.
>Shaking your head, you loudly slam the door closed, rattling the frame.
>What you hear next puts a skip in your step as you move to leave.
>A falling and breaking of a vase, the sound of scrabbling hooves, and the unsheathing of a sword, it sounds like.
>”Who goes there?!”
>Feeling better, you start to climb the tower at a brisk pace, conserving what energy you can.
>Luckily for you, the halls seem deserted so your ascent is actually peaceful, allowing you some breathing room.
>As you climb the last set of stairs and enter the topmost storage room, you let out a sigh, leaning against one of the crates.
>No time to rest; you have to make it to the garden.
>Stretching your wings, you begin to flap, looking for the hatch in the ceiling.
>After a little bit of looking, you find the hatch to the roof and poke your head out and look around.
>Noticing that the coast is clear, you wiggle all the way out and slowly slide to the edge of the roof, keeping yourself low.
>Looking back down the tower, you see the reason why.
>Lights are starting to come on throughout the towers and the guards are trying to do damage control for being caught stalking through towers.
>Holding back a giggle, you spread your wings and fly away from all the commotion, gliding silently through the night until you land along one of the side halls to the garden.
>Carefully leaning into the hall, you examine the last leg of your journey and feel your heart soar.
>You can’t believe your luck! The halls are totally empty.
>Practically skipping into the hall, you make your quick journey into the garden.
>Stepping onto the soft grass and dirt, you breathe a sigh of relief.
>Despite how crazy this night has been, you made it to the garden in one piece.
>Still, no time to relax just yet.
>Stalking over to the nearest shadow, you begin to sneak through the garden with nothing but the sound of crickets and running water to keep you company.
>On second thought... You and Anon never said where you were meeting in the garden...
>You can’t stop yourself from facehooving.
>Taking a deep breath, you decide to check the middle of the garden and spiral out.
>Snaking your way through the garden, you follow the sound of the water splashing in the center fountain to reach your goal.
>However, once you reach the fountain you finally come across somepony.
>Princess Luna.
>Approaching from the shadows, you feel a nervous smile plaster itself on your face.
>Princess Luna is lounging along the edge of the fountain, an annoyed look plastered onto her face as she idly paws at the water.
>Blowing a stray piece of her mane out of her eyes, she sighs and stands up, approaching you and floating out the weight from behind her.
>Raising a hoof, you idly scratch at the back of your head, an awkward giggle escaping you.
“Thanks for the help, Princess... I’m sorry none of them chased you?”
>Luna’s head sinks low, her frown creasing further, before tilting her head back and groaning.
>”Tis fine, Gloom Wing. My guards would of course think their princess delicate. I shouldn’t be shirking my duties, anyhow.”
>With a sigh, Luna splashes the water with her hoof, sending ripples through it before using her magic to float the weight over to you.
>Reaching down, you grab the weight, hooking it on your foreleg again and shuffling your wings before nodding to yourself.
>You are going to help cheer Luna up!
“Princess, I kn-”
>You’re cut off mid sentence as you’re violently yanked from your hooves.
>Flying into the nearby bush and tumbling through it, something clamps over your mouth to stop your screams.
>In your panic, your wings jut out only to smack into what feels like cold metal armor.
>Bringing your forelegs to your chest, you try your very best to hide the weight.
>No way were you letting Anonymous down after all the work you’ve done tonight.
>Eyes shut tight, you curl up and struggle against your attacker, trying to shake him or her off and escape.
>”Shh, Gloomie, it’s me! Calm down!”
>Your eyes popping open, you take in your surroundings.
>Through the bush, you see Luna turn quickly, her eyes wide and searching for you, likely having just heard the scuffle.
>Anonymous is pressed up behind you, holding a hand over your mouth and another around your barrel, pressing you against his chest.
>Relief floods your as you realize Anonymous managed to get to the garden and is safe.
>As you calm down and relax, he takes his hand off your muzzle and you tilt your heads towards her.
“She’s been helping me. We can trust her, I promise.”
>Anonymous takes a deep breath and nods, looking a bit perturbed at the idea of approaching Princess Luna.
>Stepping out of the bush, you wave happily at Luna, a grin splitting your face.
“Princess, I’m right here, and Anonymous is here too!”
>Turning to look at you, Luna smiles as she sees you and then juts her head backwards, eyes widening.
>”What... happened to you?”
>You close your eyes and breath through your teeth.
>It couldn’t be that bad.
>Opening your eyes, you take three paces forward, then abruptly turn, looking Anonymous over.
>His armor is gone, leaving only his normal clothes, but even those look roughed up.
>To your horror, his “Pink Floyd” T-shirt is tattered and stained with what looks like... blood?!
“W-what happened to you!?”
>Rushing forward, you tackle him to the ground, nosing up his shirt and looking for any wounds. You are trained in first aid, you could help!
>Frantically running your hooves and eyes over his bare chest, you don’t find anything.
>Looking up, you spot Anonymous giving you a deadpan look.
>”You just stripped me in front of Princess Luna.”
>Oh
>Heat surges to your face as all the events of the night sweep back up to you.
>You jumped out a window, slammed a door in Princess Luna’s face, bear hugged her, ran through a sleeping guest’s room and slammed the door on all those guards and him, then made Luna carry the weight that was your responsibility all this time, right before tackling your coltfriend and stripping him in front of Luna before he could explain what happened.
>All this comes back to you while you’re releasing a high pitched whine from your throat, your face turning beet red.
>Rushing over to the fountain, you dunk your head underwater, the cold water making your fur stand on end as your mane flows through the water.
>Pulling your head back out of the cool water, you begin gasping for air, the cool water helping you calm down.
>Once you catch your breath, you turn back to Princess Luna and Anonymous, who is now dusting off his shirt.
>Anonymous looks back at you and sighs. In an attempt to calm you down, he walks over and sits on the fountain next to you, bringing a hand down and pulling you close to rub at your ears.
>By the night, you love it when he does that.
>Calming down, you lean against Anonymous and smile happily, looking up at him.
“So... What happened?”
>Luna steps forth and nods, confusion painting her face.
>”Yes, tell us. I find myself quite curious.”
>Anonymous lets out a long-suffering sigh before bringing a hand up to rub at his face.
>”It’s been a bad night.”