The Story of a Royal Guard: A Shield Contingency [OUTDATED/CANCELLED]

It was all so surreal. Being here, that is. Here at the dinner table with a friend... or rather, a date of all things, here in the Crystal Empire with Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadance. Although I guess being with those two wasn’t that big of a deal, we’d been friends a while now. Still, as I was eating I couldn’t help but sit back and think. Is this really my life?

Dinner conversation snapped me back to reality, and I realized Cadance had asked me a question.

“Huh?” I asked.

“I asked if you were okay,” said Cadance, looking at me confusedly. “You’ve been staring at the ceiling for a while.”

“Oh.” I shrugged. “I’m fine.”

“He’s still shaking off the shock,” said Shining Armor with an amused grin.

“Shock?” asked Summer.

I felt my cheeks burning up. “It’s nothing.” It’s good to let feelings out. Bah. “It’s just I never expected to find myself... here, like this.”

Summer smiled and nodded like it all made sense now. “I see. I’m curious Shining Armor, are all of your guards like this?”

“Only the best ones,” he said. “Although I think with Swordulan it’s a more unique case.”

I grunted. “How so?”

“I thought I talked to you about this before. Must have forgot. Most guards are raised with a rather normal life, so when they join up they must be broken and then put back together so they have the ability to do their jobs. When you joined you had already been broken, though not put back together. You took to being a Royal Guard faster than anypony else I’ve ever seen. I’ve never known why.”

I poked at my plate and shrugged. “I guess I was just… I don’t know.”

Summer was staring curiously at me. “Was it because you were trying to get away from something?”

I grimaced. My father. “I…”

“Don’t worry, Swordulan, you don’t have to say anything about it,” said Cadance. She gave Shining Armor a cold look. “We don’t need to bring up these topics at the dinner table. Let’s move onto something more positive.”

Shining Armor flinched. “I’m sorry, Swordulan. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“Me too, I didn’t mean to offend if I did,” said Summer.

I sighed. “It’s alright, don’t worry. Life was crazy back then, I’m just glad to be past it all.”

Everyone nodded and dinner silently continued for a couple minutes, until Summer spoke up again.

“So how long have you all known each other?” she asked.

Shining Armor sat back and thought for a moment. “Three years? And I’ve known Cadance since Twily was a filly.”

“Twily? Princess Twilight?”

He nodded. “That’s Twily.”

“Twilight and I went to the same Magic School for a while,” I said. “Though I never knew Shining Armor until I began training a couple years after that. It was a while after that when I met Cadance, assigned as one of her guards. Feels like so long ago.”

“A lot’s happened since,” said Cadance. “Nightmare Moon, Discord, the Crystal Empire and King Sombra, Celestia and Luna disappearing.”

“The hydras,” I added.

“Ugh, you had to remind me,” said Shining Armor.

“What hydras?” asked Summer.

Shining Armor sighed. “Here we go.”

I rolled my eyes. “Not long after I had joined the Royal Guard, Shining Armor and I were sent to stop two hydras that were getting near Canterlot.”

“What happened?” asked Summer. “Did you…” She motioned a hoof across her neck. “You know…?”

I shook my head. “We drove them into a chasm. Well, Shining Armor actually fell into it and they fell after him. I had to save him, just barely too.”

Shining Armor grumbled. “It wouldn’t have happened if you’d kept that other hydra contained. I could have perfectly handled one hydra coming at me, but two was too much.”

Cadance stroked his head. “All that matters is that you came back safely.”

Summer looked at me wide-eyed. “How did you save him from falling down a chasm?”

“I flew down on my sword as fast as I could and snatched him before he hit the ground.”

Her jaw dropped. “You flew on your sword?”

I forgot that she didn’t know how powerful it was. Or used to be, anyway. “Yeah, it uh… it’s a long story.”

“Well, go on,” said Cadance. “I don’t think I’ve heard the whole story of that yet.”

I shrugged. “It’s a bit of a mystery even to myself.”

I continued to tell the story of me forging my sword, enchanting it and discovering the incredible uses it had, with the occasional question from Cadance or Summer. ‘Where did somepony get the crystals from?’, ‘What was the farthest distance you teleported?’, ‘How fast could you fly?’, ‘What was the most incredible thing you’ve done with the sword?’

I didn’t tell them the truth on that last one. I told them what I used it for when I rescued my cousin from Diamond Dogs, but the truth was when I’d, supposedly, created the portal to a parallel universe. I still had no clue how I did it, or if Valhalla, the zebra who went through it, was still alive. That was how the enchantment broke, but when they asked about it I told them it was only the dragon I’d encountered in the woods who broke it. Discord was the only one who knew anything close to the truth. What a strange notion that was…

Dinner concluded and Shining Armor and Cadance left to finish last minute business around the castle. Summer wanted to go to the balcony to take some more pictures of the Empire, so I escorted her there.

It was a magnificent view. Hundreds of lights sparkled off crystals, and the snowy mountains in the backdrop brought it all together. Summer took her pictures and stared at it a while longer, sighing.

“What’s the matter?” I asked concernedly.

“Oh, nothing,” she said. “It’s just nice to be so far from home for once.”

“Oh. You never got out that much before, did you?”

“When I was younger I did. Trips with my parents. Something always seemed to go wrong on every trip, always one thing at least. After a while I began to expect it. It makes me wonder if something will go wrong here.”

I shook my head. “I won’t let that happen.” I nearly jumped from how sternly I said that. I hadn’t meant it to sound like I knew something was likely to go wrong. Katana came to mind.

Summer didn’t seem to notice and only smiled. “Don’t worry about it. I doubt anything goes wrong around here anyway, it feels so peaceful. Can you imagine what it must be like to live here?”

I had to shake my head. “I don’t know if I could manage it. I don’t like cities much, outside of patrolling them.”

“Really? How come?”

I winced, remembering any social gatherings in Canterlot I had been at. “Too populated, which is why I moved to Ponyville once I had the bits. Never liked Canterlot’s customs either. Now that I think about it, I’m more of an earth pony at heart.”

Summer got a thoughtful look in her eye. “I never knew you moved to Ponyville. I heard it was attacked recently, shortly before the Summer Sun Celebration when Princess Celestia and Princess Luna disappeared.”

I nodded. “I was there. Black vines were growing like crazy and attacking from the Everfree Forest. I helped evacuate the town while Twilight and her friends dealt with the vines, as they usually do when disaster strikes.” I finished with an eyeroll.

Summer raised an eyebrow. “You don’t seem very fond of her.”

I opened my mouth to explain my dislike of Twilight’s luck and her becoming a Princess, but thought better of it. “It’s nothing. There are times I just felt like I could have done something more to help during the major problems Equestria’s had. Like when the Empire was discovered, I felt so useless. I was only there to bring back the train for Twilight.”

“And you wish you could’ve been the one to save it?”

“Yeah! Well, sort of. Every time some disaster troubled Equestria, I had to sit at the sidelines and wait until somepony else solved it. Even my sword, with all its amazing abilities, was no help. Do you know what it’s like to just sit there and watch helplessly?”

She nodded stiffly and gave me a cold look, as if I were guilty of something. “Every day. Every day I know there’s somepony out there who needs help, who needs their world to be saved. I’m no hero, I don’t know much magic, I’m just a librarian who loves a good story. But if I can make even one pony’s day better, or give them something to smile about in their life, I’m happy with that. Are you happy with what you do?”

I frowned. I wasn’t. I should’ve been though. It was my job to help others, to protect them, to save them. And I had. Many ponies knew me as a hero. I was a Lieutenant of the Royal Guard, after all. I was somepony who got invited to things like the Grand Galloping Gala, or escorted Princesses, or defended cities against monsters and invasions. Why wasn’t that enough for me? I wanted so much more, more than I should. I was selfish. Was that what she was trying to tell me? I couldn’t think about that.

I turned back to the castle and shook my head. “Not happy enough. I should know better, but… It’s getting late, I’m going to bed.”

“Swordulan, wait, I… I didn’t mean to come off like that. I didn’t mean to sound like I was accusing you of-”

“No, you’re right. I’m selfish.” I grimaced. “I don’t mean to be, but I am. I should know better, but I don’t. Shining Armor was right, I came into the Guard broken. I figured everything my father put me through could be fixed by them. It couldn’t. And now he has me here. Even from the grave he still controls me. I never wanted this life.” I looked back at my cutie mark. “I only wanted to learn magic. Where would I be if I had focused my life on that instead of being in the Guard?” I teleported myself around. “Would I have ever met Shining Armor, or Cadance? Would I have grown up with a more normal life, with friends?”

“You wouldn’t be here, with me,” said Summer. “Even if you could change the past, would you?”

I hesitated. I wasn’t sure, there were so many things to reason out. “I don’t know. But it doesn’t matter, I can’t. The laws of time and magic wouldn’t let me. I’d have to create an entire parallel universe, and nopony in history has ever done that, except possibly Star Swirl the Bearded.”

“Do you regret being here?”

Argh, so many questions! Is this mare ever satisfied? I was too tired to answer, so I only shook my head, hoping that was good enough. “I’m going to bed. Goodnight.”

Summer frowned and stared at her hooves. “Goodnight.”

Floating… somewhere. Not space… but not Equestria. A dark room, and a deep voice boomed from all directions.

“Have you made your choice?” it said.

It made me jump, however that worked while floating. I twisted and turned to find the source, but only pitch black stared back. I was terrified. I didn’t know why, I just was.

“What choice?” I asked, throat dry.

“Who are you?” The voice seemed to change direction on a whim. “What is your purpose? What is your direction? Are you soldier, or are you magician?”

“I’m not a soldier! And I’m not a magician either. I am...” My mouth and mind strained to get it out. “I am… I…! Swolrduierciaulan! Where are you!?”

Emptiness filled with screams.

I walked through the cave, something warm on my backside. A body, limp. I glanced back to make sure she was still alright. She was still breathing, at least. I could feel her soft heartbeat. Looking around, there was still no sign of a way out. This was all my fault. I shouldn’t have let her get caught in this.

“Katana? Can you hear me? Wake up.”

She didn’t stir. I kept on walking. The earth broke beneath my hooves, and I fell, unable to catch her again.

I stared at the dirt, a droplet of red falling from my vision and landing beneath my nose. My sword lay stabbed in the ground ahead, its shining hilt towering over me. It was gloating at me. I tried to move, but my body was stiff. Cuts scattered my legs, my cutie mark was only a large scab.

“Know when you are defeated,” said a booming voice coming from the crystals.

“I’m never defeated,” I panted. “Not until I’m down.”

A soft wind blew, and I toppled over. I no longer had the strength to stand or look up.

“Curse you,” I muttered. “Curse you to Tartarus, where you belong.”

The sword began chuckling. There was a bright flash, and the chuckling turned into screaming, then it was gone. I waited, wondering, listening. I felt something soft on my head for a moment, and I managed to turn my head, but there was nothing. The bloodied ground beneath me vanished, replaced with stars, and my cuts and scars were gone.

“Your dreams are most difficult to get into, Swordulan,” said Luna. “It is like you are barricaded inside them. Only now I have managed to break through.”

I looked up, and saw her standing only a few paces away. I tried my legs again, and managed to stand. I felt like I should be dizzy, but I wasn’t. I shook my head and gave her a confused look. “Princess Luna? Wha… this is… is this a dream?”

Luna nodded. “I have been trying to enter yours for some time, with little success.”

I shivered. “The first one… about making a choice again. I thought… I already had.”

“Already had? What choice was that?”

“To be a friend first, guard second. I’m still struggling with that, but… I didn’t think there were any other choices to make.”

Luna shook her head in an almost motherly fashion. “Oh, Swordulan, there are always choices to make, for good or ill. They control the flow of our lives, and a single choice may change one drastically, forever. What choices might have spurred these nightmares you face?”

I sighed. “Everything’s just falling apart. I don’t know where Katana is, she might be hurt or in trouble. Cousin Stone is still out there somewhere. I don’t know what I’m doing with Summer. I feel like something inside of me is breaking, something that hasn’t broken, and I don’t know how to fix it. What do I do?”

“It sounds like you are struggling with parts of yourself and the choices that lay before you. Conflict always brings out who we are in the choices we make in response to it. Many times it comes down to two outcomes: Doing what serves others, and doing what serves ourselves. There is always a right and a wrong, but harm and consequence can still come from either.”

“So what do I still have to choose? How do I know what’s right or wrong?”

“That is something you must learn for yourself. Think of what you want, it will help you take action.”

I nodded slowly. “I want this date to go smoothly… I want Summer to be happy. But I also want Katana and Stonehenge to be safe. I want to help them. I know I can’t have all of those things, though.”

“No. You must always sacrifice the other choices for one. It then comes down to one last question: What will you do?”

I frowned. “I will do what’s right. I am a Royal Guard, and Royal Guards always do what’s right. There is no other way. I’ll tell Summer the truth and go to help Katana. She’ll understand.”

Luna nodded. “Then I wish you luck, Swordulan. May your nights be restful and dreams peaceful.”

I woke up to a knocking on my door with a gasp. I looked to the door slowly, partially unaware of my grogginess..

“Come,” I said, a little bit slurred.

The door opened and a guard trotted in. “A letter for you, Lieutenant Shield.”

I nodded and the guard levitated the letter onto the bed and left with a bow. I took the letter into my own magic, opened it and read.

I know you’re here. I need your help. Meet me in the crystal caverns at noon. -Stonehenge

My eyes widened at the signature. He really was here, and going to be at the caverns. Maybe I wouldn’t have to leave Summer, or tell her. Did Katana know? Where was she?

Another knock came to the door.

“Come,” I said quickly.

The door opened to let in another guard. “Lieutenant Shield, Shining Armor requests to see you in the throne room.”

I nodded. “I’ll be right there.”

The guard bowed and left with the door closing behind.

I climbed out of bed and magically reached for my sword and… right, Discord has my sword. I looked around the room for my armor confusedly... I didn’t bring my armor with me. I was still in the Crystal Empire. I was not at all used to this.

I left my room and headed straight to the throne room, taking only a minute to get there. Shining Armor was standing to the side of the room, alone. His ears picked up as he saw me come in.

“Swordulan, there you are,” he said, walking up to me. “I got news of Katana last night, but you had already gone to bed and I didn’t want to wake you. One of my stallions found her staying at The Crystal Horseshoe bed-and-breakfast.”

I blinked in disbelief. “Is she safe?”

“Yes, as far as I know. Do you want me to bring her here?”

I rubbed my chin and shook my head. “No, she’ll only throw a fit. Just have an eye kept on her, make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid. I’ll deal with her later.”

“Alright. Breakfast is being prepared. I can show you and Summer around the Kingdom afterwards, if you’d like.”

“It’ll have to wait until later. I got a message from Stonehenge, he wants me to meet him in the crystal caverns at noon.”

“Really? Do you want me to have some guards go with you?”

“No, I doubt anything will go wrong. How long is it until noon?”

“About two hours. What about Summer?”

“I haven’t told her anything yet. We planned to go to the caverns together, so if she wants to come I won’t stop her. She doesn’t need to know about Stonehenge though, I’m sure I can talk to him without her worrying.”

“If you’re sure. Just be careful with her, I don’t want to see you make any big mistakes. I’ll see you at breakfast.”

I nodded and made my way back to the guest hall.