“Then There Was You”

Chapter 1:
“The Guard and the Blacksmith”

Written by
JaydexTheShadowKnight

A beautiful morning had dawned over the illustrious capital of Canterlot. It was still early morning, and the sun was gradually making its way into the vibrant blue sky.

A group of Celestia’s Royal Guards had returned from an early morning patrol. There were four pegasi, each was new to the guard, and had only been on duty for about a month now. Their instructor and the captain were confident in their abilities, which was why they were permitted to perform a standard patrol over Canterlot on their own.

One of them stood at the castle wall, gazing out across the vastness of Equestria. She smiled as she beheld the morning vista and felt the warm caress of the sun’s rays fall upon her white coat and golden armor. It was a particularly humid spring day, and the morning mists still clung low to the ground over the grassy and heavily wooded areas.

Jeannedarc cast out a happy sigh as she continued enjoying the view from where she stood. The sounds of hoof steps made her ears twitch. She turned her head back and saw one of her fellow guards.

The brown stallion trotted up beside her and joined her in looking out over the countryside. “So Jeanne, what’re you up to?”

She looked at him briefly, then resumed her gaze. “Just enjoying the view from the castle, Rampart.”

He chuckled at his fellow guard. “Well, don’t stare too long, or you’ll waste all your free time.”

Jeanne giggled briefly, before turning her sparkling blue eyes back to Rampart. “Oh, I won’t. I just really enjoy taking in the view, whenever I’m here at the castle.”

“Not me!” Rampart announced patting an armor-clad hoof on his chest. “I’m going to hit the town and stop by one of the taverns. After all those patrols and that extra training Shining Armor put us through, I need to blow off some major steam.”

She laughed to herself at his bravado. Rampart wasn’t nearly as gruff as he let on, but it never bothered Jeanne. The two had became friends during their training and always tried to watch each other’s back in order to do their best.

“Tell me, Jeanne, what are you going to do with your time off?” His amber eyes looked at her questioningly as a hoof came to rest on his chin.

Jeanne smiled at him and looked back over the wall. “Well, I’m not quite off-duty yet. I’m going to be heading for Ponyville to get something, and Shining Armor asked that I fly a standard patrol over the town. You know, so I can kill two birds with one stone…uh, not that I’d ever want to kill any birds, mind you.” Her voice became a little nervous. While Jeannedarc typically tried to present herself in a confident manner, her shy side seemed to always find a way to assert itself. At her core, she wasn’t a violent pony, but she still had plenty of good reasons for joining the guard. Most of these stemmed around fealty to the princesses and a desire to protect loved ones and the innocent. It had a lot to do with the way her parents raised her, which was why, despite the saying “killing two birds with one stone” being a typical social norm, she didn’t want anyone to think that harming innocent creatures was something she’d willing take part in.

“Why do you want to go to Ponyville?” Rampart scratched his head, feeling a little confused.

Jeanne smiled again. “Well that’s simple. I know we all were given spears, but I also want a sword. Spears have their uses, but can be heavy and clumsy, not nearly as elegant as a finely made sword.”

Her fellow guard gave her a quizzical look. “But there are plenty of swords in the castle armory. And, even if you don’t want a boring stock sword, why not head to town and pick one up form one of the local Canterlot smiths?”

Jeanne shook her head. “Even though I know Canterlot has skilled smiths, I’ve heard that the swords crafted by the blacksmiths in Ponyville are really impressive, especially from this one smith in particular. So, that’s why I’m heading there.”

Rampart shrugged his shoulders. “Well, suit yourself. I’m off to the pub. Have fun.” He waved at her briefly and then spreading his wings, he took off heading toward town.

Jeanne waved a farewell hoof and soon he flew out of sight. She stood there for a few more moments, continuing to take in the awe-inspiring view. Then, after adjusting her helmet, Jeanne spread her feathery wings, and gave them a quick stretch, before she too took off, departing the castle.

Ascending into the sky, she quickly got her bearings and set off toward Ponyville. She was really excited about finding a good sword to carry at her side whenever she would be on guard duty – be it at the castle or out somewhere on patrol.

* * * *

In minutes she had arrived in the skies over Ponyville. Jeannedarc decided to complete her surveillance of the town, before landing to find the blacksmith she sought.

After soaring over the entire town, the guard pony saw no sign of trouble, let alone anything out of the ordinary. Convinced all was well, she made a mostly graceful landing just outside the north end of town. Usually Jeanne was very graceful when she landed, but the added weight of her armor was still taking some getting used to.

Scanning her surroundings, Jeanne wasn’t sure where she’d find the blacksmith. She was no stranger to Ponyville, yet she hadn’t visited it enough to be too familiar with its layout.

Placing an armored hoof to her chin, she figured she might as well have a look around. This was a fairly large town, but nowhere as big as Canterlot, her hometown, where she was originally born and raised.

Slowly but surely, Jeannedarc made her way through Ponyville. She did manage to find the first two blacksmith shops, but upon sampling their wares, she knew her search wasn’t over.

After searching a bit more and reaching the western side of town, she noticed a plume of smoke rising up from a nearby building. Drawing nearer to the building, she heard the distant striking of metal on metal. Jeanne could only hope it was the sound of a heavy hammer clanging against an anvil.

She followed the sounds to the last blacksmith’s shop, which was in a fairly sizable building, made of a combination of brick and stone with a tastefully tiled roof. Glancing up, she saw the shop’s sign read: Clang’s Forge. Of all the smiths in Ponyville, this had to be the right one. Walking up to the door, Jeanne peaked inside the shop. A cursory glance revealed no sign of anypony. Judging by the size of the shop, she concluded it was most likely a home as well as a place of business.

Her ears twitched again, in response to more metallic clanging. Backing away from the front door, Jeanne decided to walk around to the back. True, she could have just walked through the shop, but with nopony around she didn’t feel right doing that.

Behind the shop, she discovered the forge, along with a series of awnings, workbenches and tables, a shed, and all manners of tools. There was a strong scent of burning coals and hot metal drifting through the air. While she continued scoping out the back part of the shop, Jeanne noticed an older stallion walking her way. He still appeared to be in good shape, despite his age and the gray beard and mustache clinging to his face. His pale red coat seemed to reflect his age, yet his cutie mark – a hammer raised above an anvil still had a vibrant look to it. He briefly stared at Jeanne with his lavender eyes.

"Why hello there." His voice had an aged but profound quality to it. Giving him a polite smile, Jeanne knew he was a pony to be respected. The stallion gave her another good look. "You know, it's not very often that we’re visited by a Royal Guard. Not to mention a mare half as lovely as you."

Jeanne fought the urge to let her cheeks blush. She took her duties as a guard seriously, and while in her armor, she always tried to carry herself in a respectable fashion. However, she couldn't help but feel a slight warmth come to her cheeks, thanks to his flattering words. She managed to stifle a giggle by clearing her throat. "Thank you, that’s very kind of you to say. Now, I was wondering if you might be able to help me?"

"It would be a pleasure. So tell me, what brings you to my humble forge?" He gave her his full attention and offered a kind smile.

Jeanne returned his smile and gave him a slight nod. “I’ve heard that you’re known for making some of the best swords in Equestria. I’m hoping to find one that suits me and will be useful in my duties as a guard.”

The stallion rubbed his beard with a hoof. “Well you heard right, and you’ve certainly come to the right place. By the way, I’ve been rude. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Anvil Clang, at your service. But my friends call me “Clang”.” He bowed respectfully to her.

Jeanne was fighting to keep her shy side in check, thankfully donning her guard’s armor gave her added confidence, so even though he was a stranger, she didn’t feel as uneasy as she normal did when meeting someone new.

She smiled again in response to his polite gesture. “A pleasure. I am Jeannedarc, but most usually call me Jeanne.”

The sounds of the clanging hammer rung out once more. Anvil Clang glanced over his shoulder and then back to his customer. “Now, if you’re looking for a good sword, I think I should introduce you to my apprentice. He’s quite skilled at crafting them.”

Jeanne’s face lit up; the rumors about this place were starting to prove true. “I thought I heard somepony mention that one of the smiths in Ponyville had a skillful apprentice, but it’s hard to believe everything you hear.”

Clang chuckled at her and nodded. “That’s quite true. Now, I must caution you. My pupil is not a pony, in fact he’s not even a native of our world.”

Jeanne fought the feeling to let her eyes widen. It seemed another rumor was proving correct. “You don’t mean…is he a h-human?” She was well familiar with the fact that Celestia had gone to Earth and set about to bring humans to Equestria, even if she didn’t know the exact reason. In the beginning Jeanne didn’t know what to think about all of this. Like most ponies, she had only known the half-truth about humanity and the brief twenty-year period they spent living in the pony world, a little over 2,000 years ago. While the history books didn't really mark humans as being bad, they did note that humanity had a treacherous side. Personally, Jeanne didn't think it was entirely true, especially since Celestia had allowed their kind to return to the pony world.

Regardless of history, the thought of meeting a human always intrigued her, especially now that they were once again living in Equestria. It’s just she wasn’t sure what to expect. Thankfully, her curiosity was stronger than any reluctance or fear that might make her hesitate. She could only hope that Clang’s apprentice was a human. Her blue orbs fell upon the pony smith as she awaited his response.

He gave a throaty chuckle. “As a matter of fact, he is a human. I should have known a Royal Guard would know about humans living it our world.”

Jeanne shook her head, continuing to focus her attention on him. “It’s nothing to do with my being a guard. I’ve heard a lot about humans from two of my friends in Canterlot. Plus, I’ve seen a few of them on the streets of town in passing. Though, I’ve never gotten to meet one personally.”

“Well then, allow me to change that.” Anvil Clang looked over his shoulder and called out, “Galen! Galen, would you please come here.”

There were a few more bangs of the hammer, followed by a clear response. “Be there in a second, sir!” The two ponies stood there, and after a few more clangs of the hammer, they heard the heavy sound of it flopping onto its side, making a low metallic thud. Jeanne looked up in response to the sound of Galen’s boots brushing along the mixture of grass and dirt on the ground. Her eyes teemed with fascination as she saw the human walking on two legs, appearing to be fairly tall. Galen was dressed in a pair of heavy blue denim pants, a tan short sleeved shirt and was covered by a thick and heavy navy blue apron, which was accompanied with a pair of heat resistant gray gloves. Sweat clung to his forehead as he proceeded to wipe some of it away with his forearm. Just above his face, she noticed his head was covered with short brown hair.

At first Galen didn’t see the guard pony, and only looked to his mentor and friend as he removed his gloves and patted Clang’s furry back. “What did you need sir, I…” his words dropped off abruptly as he noticed Jeanne standing there. Even though she was wearing the armor of a Royal Guard, the human could certainly tell by her build and presence that she was a mare. There was also something rather feminine about her blonde mane as it spilled out from under her helmet, framing the back of her neck and shoulders.

Galen stood there, trying to keep his mouth from dropping. There was something almost magical about this pony – he couldn’t put his finger on it. Though, after living in Ponyville for a little over three years, he was no stranger to mares, especially after having shared intimate relationships with a few. To his surprise, Jeanne’s sparkly blue eyes stared back with nearly the same level of intrigue, directly into his expressive green eyes.

Jeannedarc kept gazing upon the human with quiet awe. She had always wondered what it’d be like to see one this close. His face was dirty, but despite that, she could see a strong yet yielding presence in his eyes. The smile he was now giving her made her resist the urge to blush. While she never gave it much thought in the past, there was something oddly attractive about him, even if she had no clue as to why.

Anvil Clang saw them practically staring at each other, and smiled as he softly chuckled to himself. Patting a hoof on Galen’s shoulder, he turned to him. “This charming lady, and a member of Celestia and Luna’s Royal Guard, has come looking to buy a sword. I told her you could help her with that, my boy.”

Before his eyes could linger, staring at the lovely white pegasus, he turned to Clang. “Yes, sir.”

He patted his apprentice’s back again, harder this time. “How many times must I tell you, not sir, Clang? Don’t make me feel older than I already am.” Clang snickered at Galen.

The human gave his mentor a sheepish look and chuckled nervously. “Of course, Clang. My apologies.” Galen turned his focus back to Jeanne and smiled, offering her a look of confidence. “I’d be happy to help you. By the way, I’m Galen. Pleased to meet you.” Following his words, he bowed respectfully to her. Like many of the residents in Ponyville, he too had the highest respect for those that saw to Equestria’s continued safety and security.

This time, Jeanne couldn’t help but blush a little, her cheeks become a rosy shade of pink from his polite gesture. She resisted the urge to giggle and cleared her throat, just as she’d done with Clang. Feeling her face begin to cool, she looked up to the human who must have stood a few inches shy of six feet tall, which wasn’t that big a difference, given that she stood close to four and a half feet tall, when on all fours.

The guard pony closed her eyes momentarily and composed herself. She was still a guard and needed to behave accordingly, though she didn’t want to come of nearly as cold as some of the guards tended to be, much like Celestia’s Elite personal guards. The pegasus returned her eyes to him. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Jeannedarc, but most just call me Jeanne.”

Galen smiled at her and gave her a thoughtful nod. “Okay, Jeanne. If you’d follow me, I have plenty of swords you can choose from. In fact, I just finished work crafting a few the other day. I’m sure we can find something you’ll like.”

Jeanne’s face lit up, as she followed him back to one of the awnings, not too far from the kiln itself. They weren’t close enough too feel the heat rolling off it, but she could see the glowing embers of the coke and coals that were smoldering in the hearth. Accompanying him the rest of the way, Galen led Jeanne to a stone wall, covered by one of the several awnings. There along the wall were shelves and racks holding easily more than a dozen different swords. She couldn’t help but feel giddy at the sight of so many blades all in one place. Jeannedarc was quite the admirer and enthusiast of such elegant weapons. The fact that these appeared to be well crafted made her smile grow. Now, if only she could find the right sword among these works of art. She placed a hoof to her chin as she pondered that very idea.

Galen walked over to the wall and picked up one of the sheathed blades. “Here, see what you think of this one.” The human had taken a sword resting in a scabbard coated in black leather, adorned with silver accents and rubies on either end of the sheath’s point. The hilt was also silver and both the pommel and ends of the cross-guard were decorated with shiny rubies.

“Oh my.” Jeanne gasped softly, reaching her hoof forward and taking the sword from him. She studied it carefully, bringing it close to her nose, allowing the scent of the leather to enter her nostrils. She sighed, following a short breath and slowly withdrew the weapon from its holder. The blade was equally beautiful. It had a length of about two feet and felt properly balanced. Manipulating it with her hoof, she held it firmly and stepped out into the open grass adjacent to the partially enclosed structure. Jeanne swung the blade around, getting a feel for it.

“That was a sword I made…” Galen placed a hand to his shaved chin. “About a month ago.”

She placed it back into its scabbard, and offered it to him. The human took the weapon, gently, making sure to maintain a kind demeanor to his customer. Jeanne looked at him and then over at the rack. “That’s a fine weapon, but I don’t think it’s the one for me.”

Galen set it back on the shelf with the others. “No problem, I have plenty more for you to choose from. Besides, if none of these swords are to your liking, I could always forge one special for you.”

His proposal met her ears with much delight, and she happily closed her eyes and nodded. “Okay, but let’s see these other swords first.”

“Of course.” He reached up and selected another he hoped she might like.

A good fifteen to twenty minutes went by and before long, they had exhausted his assortment of swords. Galen placed the final sword back onto the rack. “Well, that’s the last of them. So, none of those seem right for you?” He glanced back at her and saw Jeanne shake her head.

“No, I’m sorry. Those are all lovely blades, but I don’t know, the look and their feel just doesn’t quite seem to match me.”

Galen couldn’t help but sneak another brief stare at her, while Jeanne continued looking at the swords resting on the shelves and racking along the wall. He then spied the forge and turned back to her. “There’s no need to apologize. If there isn’t a sword here that you like, I’d be more than happy to make one for you. It’ll take some time of course, but it’s certainly no problem.”

Jeanne smiled happily at him and gave him another brief but endearing look. The two quickly realized they were all but staring at each other again. Galen shook his head and removed his gloves from his apron pockets, setting them on his workbench. Smiling at her again, he stepped closer to her. “Now, if you don’t mind, there is a little strength test I like to do, before I start working on a custom order.”

She blinked her eyes at him, feeling a tad perplexed. “What do you mean, little test?”

He chuckled, hoping to ease the anxiety clinging to her voice. “Don’t worry. I just found that most ponies have different foreleg strengths. I’ve done this for several stallions and even a few mares. It helps me to properly craft a weapon for them. So…if you don’t mind?”

Jeanne stood firm for a moment and felt a little on the spot, but giving it some thought, she made a decision. “I guess not. No, go ahead.” She slowly held up her right hoof. “Oh, wait! Should I remove my hoof guard?”

He smiled at her. “That would certainly help.”

“Okay.” Her voice was a little reluctant, but hardly reflected the number of emotions coursing through her. Nimbly, she slipped her hoof armor off, and let it fall softly onto the short grass below. She remained on her hooves, figuring it’d best help him with his test.

Again, she held her hoof up, and Galen gently clutched it in his hands. Jeanne felt a sudden rush. She’d never had a human touch her before, let alone any species that had hands. The sensation of his fingers along the fur of her hoof was unlike anything she ever expected. It felt oddly alluring to her.

Galen saw the awe in her sparkling blue eyes as his fingers grazed the velvety soft fur clinging to her appendage. While Jeanne had a rather commanding presence in her armor, the look and feel of her hoof was delicate and very ladylike.

Jeanne felt his fingers twitch hesitantly along her hoof, suggesting he was feeling a bit bashful, much like her. Then she couldn’t fight it any longer. Her cheeks won the battle and started blushing, becoming a strong red. She turned her head to side, trying to hide them.

Galen felt a slight start, realizing he might be embarrassing her. Clearing his throat, he gave her a more focused look adjusting his hands along the base of her hoof. The blacksmith dropped to one knee and remained at the ready. “Okay, then. Go ahead and push your hoof toward me, as hard as you can. I’ll push back, and you try to keep me from overpowering you.”

Jeanne did as he said, starting to understand how this test could help gauge her strength. The shyness left her eyes and the determined guard within reemerged. She pushed her right foreleg against him as hard as she could, adding whatever power she had. Galen didn’t make it easy for her, thrusting his hands toward her with impressive strength of his own, gradually driving her limb back towards her. Jeanne keep resisting, causing his hands to inch back his way.

A few seconds passed, and Galen finally spoke. “Okay, you can stop now.”

Jeanne eased up and felt his hands do the same. “Did I do okay?” She wondered, blinking at him for a moment.

He chuckled softly at her. “Yes, I have a very good idea about your strength, now. Um, do you use your left at all? If so, I could test that one as well. That is, providing I haven’t made you uncomfortable.”

Jeanne could hear the sincerity in his words and the uneasiness in his tone, from what she could only guess was the thought of embarrassing her. She smiled, allowing her other hoof guard to fall to the ground. Then, giving him a calmer and more confident look, she held up her left hoof. “No, it’s quite all right. So, go ahead.”

He reached up and placed his hands on her other hoof, making sure not to linger his touch this time and focusing on the task before them. “Ready?” She nodded. Galen began testing her left hoof, applying a similar force. The guard pony resisted, trying to work his hands back. Galen felt a similar strength in her left foreleg, but unlike her right, it was certainly a bit weaker, still the human could tell she must use this one a good deal as well, just from the effort she was putting behind it.

“Okay, that should do it for your left,” Galen announced. Again, she eased her hoof as his hands came to rest. A smile formed on his face as he rose back to his feet.

“So…did that help you?” Jeanne wondered, while re-equipping her hoof guards.

Galen nodded enthusiastically. “It did indeed. I should be able to craft you a fine sword, thanks to these results.” He walked over to his workbench and grabbed a loose sheet of parchment. Taking a nearby ink pen, he scratched down a few notes, her name and the data of her hoof tests, but nopony other than Clang or perhaps Clang’s grandson would understand what they meant. Turning to her, he gave her an inquisitive look. “Do you have any idea what style or appearance you’d like this to have?”

She walked closer to him and twitched her lips giving the matter some thought. “Well…I’m not sure.”

He chuckled softly. “Do you want the blade to look a certain way, any specific decorations, maybe a favorite gemstone or color you’d like?”

Jeannedarc placed a hoof to her chin and gave his question criteria some consideration. “Well, I liked the blade on this one here.” She pointed her hoof to one of the swords he had shown her.

Removing the sword form the rack, he partially unsheathed it. “Okay. Did you want the same length as this one?”

The guard pony nodded affirmatively. “Yes, that’s a good length, say about three feet?” She glanced at him, wondering if her guess was correct.

He smiled and gave her a nod. “Yep, that’s a three foot blade. You certainly know your swords. How about the hilt, and the scabbard? Oh, and decorations?”

The hoof returned to Jeanne’s chin as she tried to think it over, but sadly, nothing sprung to mind. “I’m still not sure on that.” She shook her head and gave him a slightly dejected glance.

The smile remained on Galen’s face. “Don’t worry about it. Why not give it some time, and think it over?”

“Are you sure, I wouldn’t want to delay you, or hold you up.” Jeanne couldn’t help but be herself. She always tried to be considerate, if nothing else.

Galen chuckled softly. “You wouldn’t delay me. I’ll need time to work on the blade of your sword, and I already know how you want that to be. Besides, I have other things I can do in the meantime. So, it’s no problem at all.” He walked back over to her and gave her another smile.

She returned his kind smile, while trying to discreetly sneak another glance at him. “All right. How long did you want me to take?”

“Take all the time you need. If you need a day, then come back tomorrow, or if you need longer, it’s quite all right.”

Jeanne closed her eyes and gave him a content smile, almost forgetting she was still in her armor. “Thank you. I probably just need a day to think it over. Oh, but wait, what about payment? How much will I owe you for this sword?”

Galen waved a dismissing hand at her. “Ahh, we’ll worry about the price when the sword’s closer to being finished. Okay?”

Jeanne giggled briefly, and totally forgot herself, enjoying how polite and understanding the human seemed to be. “Well then, I’ll give it some thought, and see you tomorrow. It was very nice meeting you, Galen.”

He smiled back at her, and gave her a thoughtful expression. “It’s been a pleasure, Jeanne. I’ll look forward to seeing you tomorrow.”

She gave him a short nod and then proceeded to depart. The guard pony made her way out of the forge and waved to Clang as she left.

Galen made a few more notes on the paper, then took one last look at Jeanne and smiled again, noticing her lightly flip her long blonde tail contently as she trotted down the street.

Anvil Clang walked up to his youthful apprentice. “So, how did it go? Will we be seeing her again?”

Galen gave him a puzzled look. “Huh? Seeing her again?” Then his expression shifted. “Oh, you mean in regards to her making a purchase?”

“That’s right. What else did you think I meant?” Clang scratched his beard, furrowing his brow at Galen.

The human chuckled nervously. “Nevermind. But, it went quite well. Jeanne didn’t find anything suitable from what I had, but I think I’ll be able to craft her a perfect sword.”

“Ah, so she’s getting one of your special commissions. I’m sure she’ll be very happy with that then. You certainly have a skill at making weapons, and you have come a long way since joining me over two and a half years ago. Seems I’ve taught you quite well.” Clang chuckled from his own mawkishness. “You’ll have to pardon my sentiment. I am old after all.”

Galen shook his head. “Nonsense. You’ve been a fine teacher, and you’re not old, just experienced.”

“You flatter me, my boy.” Clang patted his human friend’s side, looking at him happily.

A content smile formed on Galen’s face. “Oh, you’ll be happy to know, Jeanne will be coming back tomorrow with ideas on how she wants her sword decorated.”

“Jeanne?” Clang questioned. “I find it quite interesting that you keep referring to her by name, rather than just saying “her”.” Galen’s face dropped, he hadn’t even realized he was doing that. “There isn’t a reason you’re doing that, now, is there?”

His apprentice shook his head. “No, no reason. Um…if you’ll pardon me, Clang. I have work to do.” With that, Galen picked up his gloves, secured his apron and walked back over to the anvil.

Clang snickered at Galen. While the stallion may have been old, he certainly could tell Jeanne made quite an impression on him. Anvil Clang could only wonder what things would be like, during her next visit.

* * * *

Following her departure, Jeanne returned to Canterlot, and checked in with Shining Armor. After giving her report from patrolling Ponyville, she took her leave, and was officially off duty. The guard pony made her way to her quarters within the castle barracks.

Jeanne’s quarters were similar to that of a small apartment or a typical room found at a dormitory. It bore a similar motif to that of the palace itself. Aside from the décor, it was basically a modest-sized bedroom. Due to space limitations, all Royal Guards had to share a common living area, kitchen, and of course bathrooms. They could also make use of the castle dinning hall. Despite the limited size, Jeanne was still grateful for her own room, even if the barracks weren’t the greatest source of privacy.

Space had become so limited due to the volume of guards Celestia had been forced to recruit a few years back. Following the changeling invasion that took place a little over five years ago, the princess had been forced to step up Canterlot’s defenses. Her tensions didn’t ease following the harrowing events of nearly four years ago either, when a great evil threatened to shroud Equestria in darkness, under the ambitions of a truly sinister being known as Ghastaloom.

While Jeanne didn’t enjoy the lack of privacy, she still thought it was very generous of Princess Celestia to offer these mostly comfortable quarters and living areas for her guards. It was just one of the many things that Jeanne loved about her, and made her only too happy to serve. Thanks to the princesses, all ponies had chance for a happy and productive life. This fact was one of the key reasons Jeanne decided to become a Royal Guard.

Entering her room, Jeanne sighed quietly. She walked over and slid open the door to her closet, preparing to slip out of her armor. She placed the hoof guards on a small rack, then loosened and set her cuirass on the closet floor, beside the furnishing. Finally, Jeanne removed her helmet, setting it on the flat surface on top of the rack. Then, she closed the door, letting out a relieved sigh. The pegasus stretched her back and her wings. It felt really good to get out of that armor. While it wasn’t too difficult to move around in, Jeanne was still getting fully used to the weight of it on her body. At times it did make flying a bit of a challenge, but with each passing day she was adapting.

One might wonder why she chose to keep her armor in the closet. Most guards tend to keep their armor out on display, but Jeanne knew this was more of a macho thing the stallions did, so they could show off to mares that they wanted to impress. Jeanne on the other hoof liked to be practical. She felt her armor, like any article of clothing or personal item would be best kept tucked away in her closet, besides, were she asleep in bed and suddenly called to duty, her armor would be nearby, ready for her to don.

She stepped over to the window in her room, and glanced outside. The sun was almost to its zenith. Nodding to herself, she decided she’d gather her bits and take a trip into town, then she could check the shops of Canterlot, seeing as she needed a few things.

Jeanne, secured her money pouch at her side, and put on a chipper smile. She was still feeling very happy from meeting her first human. She sincerely hoped she could come up with some ideas for her sword, seeing as she was looking forward to seeing Galen again.

Taking a deep breath, she left her quarters, and set off into town, with a happy step in her trot as she wondered where she should stop first.

* * * *

Meanwhile, back in Ponyville, it was early afternoon. Galen had just finished taking a lunch break, and was getting back to work. He had greatly enjoyed meeting the guard pony, Jeannedarc, and was giving plenty of thought to how he wanted to fashion her sword. He also found himself thinking about her. She was indeed quite a unique mare. While she came off with the similar presence the Royal Guards seemed to prize, there was something softer and very enticing about her.

Shaking his head, he focused his thoughts. Her visit was most opportune, seeing as Galen didn’t have too many projects on his plate. Thus, he figured he’d get a head start on her sword. Before lunch, he placed a piece of steel into the forge, allowing it a chance to properly heat up.

Galen walked over to the forge and made use of the bellows, pumping in added air to stoke the fire. The metal had already begun to glow, but he knew it needed to be just a little hotter.

It didn’t take long before the metal started glowing, a bright orange, and was now malleable enough to shape. Taking his tongs, he gripped the metal and removed it from the hearth, transporting it over to the anvil. Carefully, Galen set it down, and secured his grip on it with the tongs. He reached for his hammer, and made sure his fuller was at the ready. Gripping the heavy tool in his left hand, he began pounding the piece of burning hot metal.

Unlike any project before, he was really looking forward to seeing how this one would turn out.

* * * *

Before he knew it, Galen found his workday and evening had come to an end. He had returned to his small, but roomy, house in Ponyville. In the beginning, things did take some getting used to, but every time Galen thought back to life on Earth, he was always grateful for the day that Princess Celestia had arrived and offered him a new life in her world.

The tired human had just finished washing up in the bathroom, and was now dressed down in his underwear. Turning back the covers, he flopped down onto his bed, casting out a weary sigh, enjoying the calm of his bedroom. He smiled, looking back at the progress he’d made on Jeanne’s sword. The blade was coming along nicely. He still had a good deal of work to do on it, but Galen was more than delighted by the results.

He chuckled to himself as he wondered what ideas Jeanne might come up with for her sword’s decoration. Galen also considered some finishing touches he might add to her sword upon its completion.

The human took a deep breath and let his head sink into his pillows. He closed his eyes as he rested in the darkness. For a moment, he let his mind wander, and found his thoughts remained on the guard pony. Though, they weren’t in regards to the sword she requested. No, they focused on their meeting, and then… Galen found himself thinking about touching her hoof – Jeanne’s soft, delicate and very feminine hoof.

He rolled onto his side and let out an almost dreamy sigh. In the little over three years he’d been living in Equestria, Galen had been in several short-lived relationships with some of the local mares. In the beginning, he never would have guessed he’d one day become attracted to a different species. It was most likely due to the fact that Equestrian ponies were sapient and had a very human-like presence to them. Perhaps it wasn’t so farfetched that in time he became so taken with them. Even if he wasn’t completely sure of all the reasons, Galen was happy. In many ways the mares were superior to human women. They were very kind and attentive, and didn’t seem to be repulsed by the fact that he was generally a nice guy and not a jerk.

Setting his debate aside, Galen realized his need for both intimacy and sexual release were most likely the two key reasons he ended up becoming so enamored with the ponies. That’s most likely why his thoughts began focusing on Jeanne. There was something about her, and while many mares in Equestria were intrigued with the presence of humans in their world, he could only wonder…would Jeanne be interested in a human?

Galen laughed to himself. He’d only just met Jeanne. There was no need to go getting ahead of himself, and it was never his desire to rush things. He just felt delightfully excited from having met such an intriguing mare. It wasn’t hard to see why he eagerly awaited the chance to see her again. Thankfully she would need to stop by the forge a few times, in regards to the sword she requested. Hopefully, if nothing else, Galen could engage her in a few conversations.

As he continued to think, Galen also began to wonder what Jeanne would look like without her armor on. While he could easily see her eyes and most of her mane, he didn’t get much of a look at her cutie mark. All he saw was something resembling half of a blue circle with something white and gray he couldn’t discern. It didn’t help that he had to mind his eyes as he sneaked glances at her.

His thoughts about her began to calm him, as his mind began to grow fuzzy. Galen’s eyes drifted shut, and giving his covers a good tug, he finally fell asleep.

* * * *

The barracks within Canterlot Castle were silent. The day to day activities of the guards had calmed. Most were either in bed or out on night patrol. There were a few stragglers silently meandering about the common areas, either suffering from mild forms of insomnia or just out for a late night snack.

Jeannedarc was within the welcomed isolation of her quarters, resting on her side, curled up on her bed. She hadn’t covered up yet, and was just letting herself wind down. Her trip to Canterlot was rather enjoyable, but nothing topped her visit to Clang’s forge in Ponyville. Meeting Galen and ordering her sword was the highlight of her day, hooves down.

Adjusting her head along her pillow, Jeanne gave some more thought to her sword’s style. She knew she would tell him that her favorite color was blue, and she was keen on the use of gold trim on the hilt. Given his talent, from what she saw in the other swords Galen had created, she was going to trust him to decide the rest. While one of the other swords might have worked, Jeanne really liked the idea of having one fashioned specially for her.

It was then that Jeanne held up her right hoof. She stared at it as she thought back to the test that Galen had her do. She closed her eyes and remembered the intriguing sensation of his fingers brushing gently across the end of her foreleg. His touch was so gentle, and left her feeling intrigued. There was also something strong and very masculine about Galen as well.

The pegasus lowered her hoof, and began to wonder what it might be like to be in a relationship with a human. Her own experience in relationships was quite limited, but she was quite aware that a number of mares, both in Ponyville and Canterlot, had been open to the idea of dating a human. Some in fact, were even in serious relationships with Galen’s kind.

It was also common knowledge to most ponies that both Princess Luna and Princess Celestia had human companions of their own as well. Jeanne often wondered if that didn’t have anything to do with the reason Celestia began bringing humans into Equestria in the first place.

Jeanne sighed as she continued to picture Galen in her mind. His short muddy brown hair and expressive green eyes. There was certainly an attractive quality in him, but there were quite a few questions swirling about her mind. She could only wonder what he’d think of her, plus would pursuing a relationship with a member of another species be such a good idea? Well, she knew other mares seemed to think so. Besides, nothing was in stone, surely it wouldn’t hurt to at least learn more about Galen, before she made any major decisions.

Perhaps the one fact that had Jeanne so excited about this whole matter was a mounting loneliness she’d been feeling. Despite being surrounded by fellow guards and having both her parents and friends living in Canterlot, the guard pony just felt like something was missing in her life. Maybe it was just her imagination or the results of her feeling fatigued from all of her recent training and patrols.

Sadly, the more she pondered, the farther away the answers seemed to roam from her. Though, she still held onto that delightful feeling, which almost seemed to settle around her heart. Jeanne smiled as she pulled up her covers and lightly fluffed her pillow. Resting her head back down, she let out a quiet yawn and closed her eyes. Before too long, she drifted off to sleep, still eager for her next trip to Ponyville.

Author's Note

Aside from this chapter, I have chapters 2, 3 and 4 already drafted. In case any of you are wondering, chapter 4 will feature the first of the mature content and the first clop scene. I'll be working on a few of my other stories as I see how this one does, but it won't be hard to edit the other chapters of this and then continue to outline new chapters for this story down the road as well. I hope you enjoy it!

• Jaydex