An Old Guardspony's Last Duty
The sun was setting as the young unicorn stallion briskly trotted down the darkening street. He was slightly taller than average for a unicorn, with the lanky look of a young stallion just beginning to reach his final size. Recent weeks of recruit training had toughened him up and had burned away whatever fat remained on his body. Brilliant green eyes darted from street number to street number beneath his short black mane, searching for the address he had memorized for his destination. The cutie mark emblazoned into his tan flank was a circular shield with a sunburst emblem centered within it.
The address he was looking for was in a lower class district of Canterlot, a moderate distance from the castle itself; on the side of the mountain where the sun’s rays shone less often. It was the kind of neighborhood where the servants and lower level government functionaries lived. It was close enough to the castle for an easy commute to work, yet far enough away for the rents to be relatively inexpensive.
And then he found his destination. From the outside, the bar looked vaguely run down and seedy. It looked like the kind of bar that neighborhood drunks would and could spend all hours of the night carousing. A small hanging sign advertised the place as “The Hitching Post.” The young stallion verified the address he had memorized earlier one last time and sighed to himself. The rest of his recruit class were out celebrating their impending graduation tomorrow. And here he was, assigned by his instructor to report to some hole in the wall bar out in the middle of nowhere, for Celestia only knows what reason. He went inside.
Inside… inside utterly defeated his expectations. The stallion paused with surprise at the door, taking in the sight. A long bar made of rich dark wood, polished and clean, gleamed with shiny brass fittings beneath soft magelights. Small tables and comfortable cushions filled the rest of the floor, most tables surrounded by clients and covered with assorted drinks. The low mutter of pleasant conversations filled the bar comfortably. A grizzled old unicorn stallion tended behind the bar, his horn faintly glowing as a rag polished a mug floating in front of him. The bartender looked up at the new entry and spoke as the stallion approached the bar.
“What kin I get ya’, kid?” the bartender asked.
“Um, I’m here for.. uh…an appointment? Er… I guess?” the young stallion replied nervously – as the bartender seemed to look through him for a long, silent moment. The bartender nodded slightly as he recognized something.
“You must be that new kid Slipstream told me to keep an eye out for.” The bartender nodded towards a door at the end of the bar. “They’re in the back room.” The young stallion blinked, not quite sure how to respond. The bartender paused a moment before continuing.
“So what’s your name, kid? And, what’ll I get ya’ before ya’ head back there?”
“Uh - my name’s Summer Oak. And just water for now, please…” The bartender stopped polishing the mug and gazed flatly at Summer Oak.
“Look… Summer Oak ya’ said? I know you’re new, and I know ya’ don’t want ta make a bad impression on the folks back there. But fer the Toast – ya’ really should have something with a bit more kick than water... if only outta respect.” His voice softened as he realized just how green the kid truly was.
“Besides, the first drink here is always on the house here for you lot anyway.”
Summer Oak looked closer at the bartender, recognizing for the first time the faint scars criss-crossing his chest beneath the hairs of his coat – the telltale signs of magically healed wounds. Summer ought to know; he saw the similar scars every morning when he looked in the mirror. Then, looking lower, Summer realized that one of the bartender’s forelegs ended in a crude wooden prosthetic. The bartender followed his gaze down and answered the unspoken question.
“Rogue wyvern attack up in Stalliongrad back in ought-eight. Invalided out of the service and used the medical discharge benefit to buy the bar.” He broke into a smile that stopped before it reached his eyes – memories of pain never forgotten closed behind those shutters. His horn glowed as an unmarked bottle floated out from under the counter and poured a shot into a cheap shot glass.
“I’ll make it easy for ya, kid. Drink this during the Toast and follow the others’ lead. Oh, and don’t let it hit your tongue on the way down…” The bartender turned away, his part of the conversation done.
Summer Oak carefully lifted the shot glass with his own magic, hovering it in front of him as he made his way to the door to the back room. A large table dominated the center of the room, surrounded by low cushions filled with both unicorn and pegasus stallions and mares of various colors. A lit fireplace centered the wall to his left while the facing wall had a table packed with food in front of it. Well, the table looked like it HAD been packed with food at one point. Now it was looking decidedly decimated.
A stallion’s voice rang out over the din as he entered the room. “Summer Oak! You finally made it. On time, even! Good thing - you’re the last one. Now we can really get started!”
Summer Oak startled at the voice. It was pretty much the first time he had heard that specific voice NOT screaming dire imprecations and commentary on his heritage at ear shattering levels at him during training. “Sergeant, yes, Sergeant!” he replied automatically as he straightened to attention.
The slim teal pegasus stallion that the voice was attached to was a bit of a surprise, though. He had never actually seen the sergeant not wearing his guardspony armor so he had never gotten an idea of what the sergeant actually looked like underneath it. The sergeant laughed at Summer’s look of astonishment as he approached.
“Relax, Summer Oak. The main rule tonight is that there is no rank in this room. Tonight - we’re all just a bunch of friends celebrating the retirement of an older friend.” The stallion guided him around the table over to a well worn cushion. To Summer Oak’s surprise, it was immediately to the right of the guest of honor’s seat at the head of the table. He wondered briefly again at why he was here before the thought was interrupted.
“So Slipstream? Who’s the new meat? Because he looks like he could be a decent cardio workout for some mare!” a mare’s voice yelled crudely from the other end of the table.
The teal pegasus snorted and cleared his throat. His voice cut through the chatter like an axe through a sapling.
“This, my friends, is one of the latest lost little lambs in the Equestrian Guard. He’s also a candidate fresh from recruit inprocessing. So everyone, please welcome Summer Oak!” Hooves thudded against the floor as the various ponies applauded and cheered. A few even shouted “Hi Summer Oak!” Summer Oak flushed at the attention.
“Oh Celestia, he’s a blusher! He’s going to ruin our aura of respectability!” a voice roared from the crowd. Laughter filled the room. Slipstream grinned as he responded to the outburst.
“The Guard’s respectability has somehow managed to survive YOUR antics thus far, Stonehoof. So I’m pretty sure Summer here is gonna be fine. Besides, if the armor’s glamour can cover YOUR ugly mug - then it’ll have no problem covering any of Summer’s blushes.”
The crowd roared again, this time at the wryly nodding Stonehoof. “You’ve got a point there, Slipstream. You’ve got a point…” The crowd settled back into the usual excited party chatter – friends telling jokes, boasts being traded, and alcohol and food being consumed in significant quantities.
Summer looked around at his surroundings as the thoughts in his head whirled madly. He was surrounded by complete strangers, most of them older than himself and involved in conversations with each other. About the only pony that looked even close to his own age was the pretty white unicorn barfilly with a shockingly pink mane who was busy shuttling trays of fresh drinks about the room with her telekinesis. He pondered her cutie mark a moment, wondering how the heck a unicorn got the mark of the sunbeam shining through a cloud. After a few moments, she twitched her tail his direction and tossed wink at him. He suddenly realized he had been staring at her flank. Summer blushed again. Smiling and satisfied that everyone had a fresh drink, the barfilly nodded towards the head of the table and left the room, carefully closing the door behind her. Slipstream turned back to Summer Oak.
“OK. I know you probably have all kinds of questions about what’s going on. Trust me – everything’s fine. But to be honest, I didn’t come here tonight just to hold your hoof for you. Just listen to what old Starlight has to tell you, follow his lead, and for Celestia’s sake just relax and enjoy yourself.” The teal Pegasus turned and meandered back towards his cushions, “accidentally” bouncing off a slim unicorn mare on the way back. The two grinned at each other with the looks of old close acquaintances, or possibly more.
A quiet chuckle from the head of the table interrupted Summer’s reverie. Summer Oak turned and finally took a closer look at the guest of honor, who had been silently observing the whole exchange.
The unicorn’s coat had probably originally been an off-white cream color, but enough silvery threads of grey threaded through it to make it difficult to tell at this point. His close cropped mane was entirely an aged silver. The hoofprints of age were etched into every line on his face, and he too had the faint tracery of magically healed scars laced across his entire body, including three deep visible scars that trisected his cutie mark.
“Hello, Summer Oak. My name’s Starlight Dancer. I’m the reason we’re having this whole shindig tonight. Well - *we* are, but that’s neither here nor there right now.” He continued.
“We have some things to talk about tonight, you and I, and plenty of time to do so. But first, I have a formality to attend to.” Starlight Dancer slowly struggled to his hooves, his advanced age obviously slowing his movements. The chatter in the room almost immediately quieted to a respectful silence. He cleared his throat.
“All rise.” Anyone who had been seated rose without comment, and everyone turned to face the old unicorn.
“The Toast.” Starlight Dancer took a deep breath, his glowing horn holding a glass steady as a rock in front of him.
“To the Princesses - Long may they guide the Heavens and the Kingdom…” Everyone present repeated the toast, Summer mumbling along a half beat behind them.
“… And to those of us that Stand…” Starlight Dancer again paused while the others repeated his words, tears glimmering in his eyes. His last words were barely more than a whisper in the expectant silence.
“…And to those who have fallen.” There was a pregnant pause.
“And to those that who have fallen!” the entire assemblage repeated – a quiet emphasis shaking the room.
The old unicorn suddenly tossed back his drink in a quick gulp. Everyone else followed suit.
Or at least tried to.
Summer Oak put his drink to his lips and tried to toss back his shot like the old unicorn. Liquid fire poured past his lips and stormed into his mouth – driving everything except a panicky thought of Oh Dear Celestia! The barkeep’s trying to kill me for looking at his leg! from his head. Summer Oak slammed his jaws shut with iron will as the raging fire in his mouth threatened to explode back outward into the room. But he wasn’t going to embarrass himself. Not now, not here, not in front of these people. With an effort that felt like the labor of centuries, he closed his watering eyes and swallowed, the flames pouring down his throat and into his belly like a lava flow.
Then he heard a popping noise. Then two more. Then a cascade of pops and crashes. He opened his teary eyes again to see everyone throwing their shot glasses, mugs and wineglasses into the fireplace. He cast a bloodshot glance over to the aged unicorn, who smiled gently back at Summer.
“Throw your glass into the fire, son,” he whispered quietly. Summer Oak pushed the glass at the fireplace with all the concentration he could muster. The shot glass barely made the distance, but it too shattered in the fireplace. The old unicorn saw the unasked question of why written between winces of pain on Summer Oak’s face.
“Once a vessel has been used for such a toast, it should never be profaned by using it for a lesser task again,” he replied ever so sadly.
Ponies started to sit, eat, and talk again. The pretty young unicorn barfilly reentered the room with more trays of spirits and food. Summer Oak slumped into his cushions and tried to regain the use of his nervous system as the fire spread slowly from his belly towards his limbs. The old unicorn chuckled.
“Let me guess – you let Apple Cider out at the bar pick your drink, didn’t you? It was probably some of that firewater his clan brews out at their farm. Bucks like an apple farmer and burns like Celestia, doesn’t it?” Summer could only nod, still vaguely afraid of what may happen if he opened his mouth.
“That’s ok, lad. It actually says good things about you that you didn’t lose it all over the room.” The wizened unicorn paused, settling himself in on his cushions some more before continuing.
“I'll bet you’re wondering what’s going on and why you’re stuck here talking to a washed up old soldier pony instead of being out on pre-graduation leave with the rest of your recruit class.
“Well, as of tomorrow, this old soldier is heading out to pasture for the last time. And as my last duty, I wanted to spend my time trying to teach yet one more young guardspony what it really means to be a member of Her Eternal Princesses’ Royal Guard. So I called in a favor or two and had you assigned to here tonight.”
The old unicorn waved a hoof around at the others in the room. “The rest of these layabouts? They’re here mostly for the free food and drink. And probably to say goodbye one last time, I suppose. But I think its mostly for the free beer.”
“You wound us, Sir!” a voice yelled from the other end of the table. Summer Oak suspected it may have been Stonehoof, but there wasn’t a way to be sure.
“Hush! What did I tell you about there being no rank in the room tonight? Now shut up and celebrate my impending freedom from you lot.” The gathered ponies all laughed. Starlight looked over at Summer's face and noticed the slightly glazed expression Summer was wearing. He waved over to the barfilly.
“Two waters, please. One for me and one for the lad here. And get him a sandwich or something to help soak up that shot the barkeep fed him.” She smiled brightly at him.
“Two waters and a sandwich, coming up.” Summer couldn’t help noticing that her voice was as sweet as her flank as she bounced out of the room to get the refreshments. Thoughts of possibly asking her out passed through his head before the old unicorn distracted him again.
“Now usually you new recruits always seem to have a few questions for an old soldier like me. Like ‘what’s with that toast and the smashy glasses?’ Or ‘why do all the Guardsponies on duty look the same, since the trainers never seem to answer that one?’ Am I right?” The old unicorn asked gently.
Summer Oak nodded and spoke slowly, still slightly unsure with the potent brew flowing through his veins. “Well, the toast was easy enough to follow. Although I will admit the whole ‘those who stand’ part is a bit confusing to me. And I figured out some of the second one myself, already. The Royal Guardspony armor obviously has a few extra glamours built into it to make everyone who wears it look the same. I’m not entirely sure why, though.”
Starlight Dancer nodded, a small smile quirking at his lips. “That’s a good start, indeed. Although probably the best answer to both those questions is ‘tradition’. But your answer proves to me you paid at least some attention in training.” The old pony continued. “Now tell me, what are the regular duties of the Equestrian Guard?”
“To protect the borders and citizens of Equestria from all enemies. To keep the peace and maintain the safety of the Equestrian ways.”
The old unicorn nodded as the barfilly returned with their water and Summer’s sandwich. Instead of just floating it across the crowded room, she made her way past the party goers and delivered them herself.
“Here you go, two waters, nice and cold. And an Alfalfa on Rye for you.” The old stallion floated his water from her tray and smiled warmly at her. Summer accepted the sandwich from the bright young filly with a smile of his own. Her eyes sparkled as their two gazes met. Summer looked away first, mildly embarrassed by her attention.
“Perfect choice, my dear. As always.” He faced Summer Oak again. “Now tell me, what is the difference between the Equestrian Guard and Her Eternal Princesses' Royal Guard?”
“Well, according to most of the trainers back at camp, the Royal Guard is really just a special detachment within the Equestrian Guard. The primary duty of the Royal Guardsponies is to directly guard the Princesses in addition to guarding Equestria itself.” Summer Oak stated the rote answer proudly.
“Guard the Princesses from what?”
“Um… all enemies?” Summer said, less confident now.
“Such as?” Starlight probed.
“Assassins? Dragons? Nightmare Moon? Discord? Um... other monsters?” Summer Oak guessed, unsure of what the old stallion was getting at.
“Frankly – and it is kind of embarrassing to admit this - the Princess has been depending on six young mares from Ponyville to deal with most of those types of threats,” said the old unicorn, chuckling. He continued.
“Besides, anything that is truly a physical threat to the Princesses tends to cut through the Royal Guard like a hot knife through butter.” Starlight admitted wearily.
“No, the REAL threats the Royal Guardsponies guard the Princesses from are the citizens of Equestria and Princesses themselves.”
Summer Oak shook his head. “Huh? I… I don’t understand.”
Starlight Dancer sighed. “I know, son. Most recruits truly don’t until the first time they see the dung hit the heap.” He glanced away a moment, emotions flickering across his face.
“Then again, maybe you might.” He continued softly. “I’ve read your file, Summer Oak.
“I know that you were selected to go to Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, and scored rather well during your stay there. I know exactly how and why you finally got your cutie mark; and how that eventually drove you to leave the school to volunteer for the Equestrian Guard instead. I even know that you will be graduating tomorrow with top honors in your recruit class. That's why I chose to talk to you, here and now. Tonight, as my final duty to the Princesses.”
Summer Oak sat stunned for a moment as the old unicorn finished. He had never told anyone in the service the story of his cutie mark, even though he'd been asked about it plenty of times. The events were still too raw to him. His mind went back several years, to a small uncomfortable magic lab in the Princess's school…
~~~~~~
Summer Oak would never know what exactly caused the accident. All he knew was that one moment.
He and his lab partner Dawn Breeze were in the magical studies lab, trying to decipher their hastily scrawled notes regarding spells for a practical exam the next day. Suddenly, the southern wall of the lab was shattered by a massive explosion; flames and debris screaming across the lab like Death's own scythe. For a split second, he wondered if he was about to discover if all those old legends about the Eternal Herd were indeed true.
In a flash of realization, everything just clicked, and he found himself casting a shield spell that he’d never been officially taught. Not only that, but a shield spell powerful enough to save himself and every other student in that room from that initial explosion and the inferno that followed.
Even now, he still had nightmares about the eternally long few minutes that followed. Those endless minutes as he led his five panicking classmates – protected only by his magical shield and will - out of that hellish maelstrom of fire and smoke and blood and the screaming, the SCREAMING of ponies still trapped in the fire. Out to the lawn, outside the building, out to safety and fresh air and freedom. And how as soon as those five were clear, even as Canterlot's emergency response pegasi started herding storm clouds over the flaming building to try to drown the fire with a downpour, he turned around and went back in. Back into the burning hellstorm of someone's failed spell, because there were still ponies screaming, and his shield spell was still holding, and SOMEONE had to do it before they died in the smoke and the fire.
His second trip out of the inferno, he led three more ponies clear. And even as aching and exhausted as he was, he knew there was still one more pony he had to try to get to before it was too late. So he turned and braved the fires one final time...
On his third trip out, he carried a crippled, sobbing pegasus draped over his back like a macabre cloak of scorched feathers and broken wings. As they neared the exit, he felt his magical reserves give out, his spell finally failing under the strain of holding away the flames. Those last few seconds became a blur of flame and pain and running and terror. But by that point, the rain was falling heavily and other spellcasters were finally beginning to damp the fires. Somehow, he managed to stagger out onto the lawn; where he could collapse with his precious, precious cargo still sobbing weakly on his back. Summer's lungs burned with smoke and exhaustion, and his hooves and flanks were scorched and raw by the flames.
The last thing he noticed before slipping into the darkness of unconsciousness was Dawn Breeze pointing at his flank and gasping at the one spot on his flank NOT burned, having been protected by the shattered wings of the pegasus he had dragged out of the inferno. At the cutie mark of a shield spell that had saved ten ponies, with the mark of the Princess Celestia’s school proudly emblazoned in the center of it.
~~~~~
Starlight Dancer stopped talking, recognizing the distant look in Summer Oak's eyes. He knew that look well. He’d seen it far too many times, and he'd even worn it himself on more than one occasion. It was a pity to see it on a colt so young, though. He waved over to the barfilly again.
“I’m sorry, but I think the poor lad is going to be thirsting for a good cider in a little bit. Would you be a dear and grab a couple for us? Perhaps another sandwich as well?”
Her face was unreadable as she nodded and left.
~~~~~~
Some time later – Summer Oak was back to present reality, or at least a close approximation. He could still feel a bit of the warm burn throughout his body from the alcohol he’d consumed; but at least the food he was eating was helping. Starlight Dancer was chatting lightly with an old pegasus friend of his. Eventually he turned back to Summer Oak.
“Finally back with us, I see. You might want to talk to somebody about that, by the way. You wouldn't want anyone to think you're going senile or something at such an early age.” The old unicorn commented, in a tone that wasn’t nearly as light as it sounded.
“Anyways, I believe we were talking about how the Royal Guardsponies protect the princesses from citizens of Equestria and Princesses themselves?” he continued. Summer nodded.
“OK. The main thing you have to realize is that for most Equestrians, common sense isn’t common. They’ll go through the motions of their day to day lives, thinking that they have some modicum of control. In reality, the moment anything out of the ordinary happens, they’ll utterly panic. They’ll scream, they’ll whimper, they’ll barricade themselves inside useless shelters, or they’ll curl into fetal positions right in the middle of the street.” He chuckled grimly at a memory.
“I once saw an entire village get paralyzed in terror by a rampaging herd of bunnies. Not monsters, not cows, not even some terror out of the Everfree. Perfectly. Ordinary. Bunnies.” He shook his head sadly.
“Now, a few stalwart souls have the brains and the guts to keep their heads when everyone else is losing theirs. Sadly, there aren't nearly enough of them to go around.
“Even the Equestrian Guard doesn’t have all that many of the ponies who can do that. Sure, with enough training, normal guardsponies can overcome some of their basic instincts and learn to react to certain situations. That’s how they can guard the borders, patrol the roads, and such. When things really get rough or weird, though - when pies and pastries just aren’t enough - that’s when they call in the Royal Guard.
“One of the Royal Guardsponies’ jobs is to be the ones who stand between chaos and those ponies who crumble under pressure. We’re the ones who have to try to stop the monsters, control the mob, and otherwise keep the citizens of Equestria from killing themselves with their own stupid panic.” He took a long pull from his cider mug.
“And that's why part of our traditional toast is to 'those that Stand.' It's to honor everyone who, when the moment comes, does what is necessary to save the lives of all the little ponies that can’t.”
The crystal moment of realization hit Summer Oak like a poleaxe between the eyes. He knew that moment, he knew that moment well. He’d lived that moment, and relived it again in nightmares for years.
He had taken that Stand. When the fires reached out to consume him and the other students in the school, he had reacted and he had saved those around him who couldn't save themselves. But more importantly, he went back in and risked himself again to save the four more ponies who would have died otherwise. The true realization of what exactly his cutie mark meant rocked him to the core.
Starlight read the realization flickering across Summer's face and nodded approvingly before continuing.
“I see you understand now. And rest of the toast? Well, that’s to honor the ones who – even doing their best – didn’t survive the experience. Which, unfortunately for us, happens far too often to Royal Guardsponies. When you go up against the biggest, the baddest, the worst threats Equestria faces – sometimes all the guts in the world in the world aren’t going to save you if you’re just unlucky, or slow, or simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Starlight shook his head.
“Take the Summer Sun celebration in Ponyville a few years back, for example. Nightmare Moon came out of nowhere, kidnapped Princess Celestia, and started terrorizing the town. Only the Princess’s traveling escort of three pegasi were there.
“It should have been a slaughter. All of the legends of Nightmare Moon indicate that EVERY SINGLE PONY in that building should have died horribly. As far as we can tell, the three pegasi saw her charging up a spell that probably would have killed everyone in the room and did the only thing they could. They charged Nightmare Moon, a Goddess of the Night incarnate - a foe they knew they had no chance AT ALL of defeating - to try and cover the retreat of the civilians.
“And they succeeded. All the civilians escaped, including the six who later became the Elements of Harmony to defeat Nightmare Moon, free Princess Luna, and eventually defeat Discord some time later.
“No one else remembers their sacrifice. What happened to those guardsponies never seems to cross the minds of the citizens of Ponyville anymore. It’s like they have blocked out the memory of three Royal Guardsponies being swatted out of the air like horseflies. But we know. And with the Toast, we will always remember and honor them and everyone like them.” Starlight Dancer looked away from Summer, memories of the faces of three laughing pegasi at a party similar to this floating in his mind.
Summer looked around the room, uncomfortable in the moment. All the other ponies in the room were laughing and joking, drinking and celebrating. Yet he recognized now they all carried a similar weight within as the sad old unicorn sitting next to him, memories of friends and comrades lost. Memories of sacrifices forgotten or ignored by the rest of Equestria. And then he saw the barfilly. She was walking across the room with a cheery grin, levitating yet another tray of refreshments. For some reason, he felt better in that moment. He caught her eye and nodded his head towards Starlight. She acknowledged him and started over in their direction.
Starlight Dancer started speaking again, his voice stronger again.
“You could say that is also a small part of the tradition of why we ALL look the same when we're wearing our armor, too. Ponies in a panic often have trouble recognizing anyone including their own mothers; let alone any other figure of authority. So the chance that they’d remember that any specific unicorn or pegasus actually has the authority of the Princess behind their actions is pretty slim.
“However, when all the Royal Guardponies are so easily recognizable in their armor, there’s at least SOME chance that maybe they might listen to us when push comes to shove.” Starlight smiled up at the barfilly as she brought more drinks for the two of them. “Thank you, m’dear. You are indeed a gem beyond price.” The barfilly giggled as she went off. Summer shook his head and smiled at the exchange as Starlight continued. He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something about her that was naggingly familiar.
“I suppose another minor reason we all look the same is for security reasons. It hasn’t been nearly as important in recent times as it was in the earliest days of the Her Eternal Princess’s Royal Guard, when Celestia ruled by herself. In that distant past, though, there were actual attempts on the Princess’s life. So as a security precaution they decided we should all look alike on duty.
“There truly are a bunch of advantages for it, if you think about it. First, it's rather difficult to get an accurate count on exactly how many guards are present in any one place at one time if we are all moving about and looking identical. That throws quite the monkey wrench into enemy planning. Secondly, it's really tough to bribe a guard to allow something to happen on duty if you have no idea if you are actually talking to the same guy you bribed earlier.
“Finally, the armor of Her Eternal Princesses' Royal Guards also serves protect the Princesses from themselves. Or, to be more precise, it serves to try to protect them from their own emotions and their immortality.” He drank deeply before continuing.
“I’m an old pony. I've probably had this discussion hundreds of times, and I've seen more than a few comrades fall in the line of duty. Each death, each pony lost – they all hurt me deeply inside.
“Now imagine that you are one of the Princesses responsible for all of Equestria. Magnify that pain and loss by a thousand lifetimes. That’s the price of immortality. Constantly seeing your friends and loved ones die.
“Our armor is also to partially armor against that loss. You have to understand - we are the ones who spend the most time with the princesses. We are always present, always within a few dozen yards at all times. The Princesses don’t get to spend more than a fraction of the time that they spend with us with their friends, their closest allies, their students or even each other. We Royal Guardsponies are the ones who Princesses see nearly every waking moment of every single day. One could not help but become close to someone they see so often.
“Now imagine the agony of watching friend after friend age, grow old, and die. Or even worse, sacrifice themselves to save you or one of your other subjects in a moment of desperation because someone HAD to do it, and we’re the ones trained to do exactly that.” Starlight shook his head.
“Instead, the armor allows us - nay, almost FORCES us - to be faceless and anonymous with identical looks, coats and voices before the Princesses. Within it, we can be a steady presence, an always faithful companion... no matter WHAT happens. A constant reassuring presence in their eternal life. And yet we… ” The ancient unicorn looked Summer Oak in the eyes. Summer saw the pain etched them and realized that the closeness was a knife that cut both ways.
"We too will all eventually grow old and die. And if being anonymous is the only way to spare the Princesses at least some of the pain of our passing, well, that is the burden we must bear.
“Protecting the Princesses is the first, last, and only goal of the Her Eternal Princesses' Royal Guards. Some ponies have given up everything in the line of duty. Their names, their titles…" he paused. "...their hearts." A ragged moment of silence hung in the air as Summer realized what Starlight was saying.
"Sometimes even their honor and dignity.” Starlight took a deep breath and let it out slowly. The corners of his lips curled up in a smile.
“Being the supreme ruler of the kingdom can be a massive headache. And some days, a Princess just needs to relax. So there have been times that the Royal Guardsponies have been called for.... duties… other than protection.” Summer gave the old unicorn a quizzical look.
“Like having us perform a giant conga line through the Royal Court. Or be the pieces in a life size chess set while she entertains a draconic ambassador. Or even being the targets of opportunity in a three day running food fight between her and her sister…” Starlight smiled at the fond memories.
“All to bring a smile to the Princess's face and lighten her heart for just one moment.” He paused. “Don't get me wrong. I don't think Princess Celestia has ever given a truly capricious order. Usually she has her reasons. Sometimes those reasons can seem a bit … odd… to us non-immortals, though.
“But even if she didn't have her reasons... even if what she asked for made no sense whatsoever.... we Royal Guardsponies would do it anyway. Because even then, we are still performing our primary duty. Protecting the Princess. Not from any external threat, not from her citizens, and not even from any loss, but from the boredom of an eternal life and eternal duty to Equestria.” Starlight drained his mug and called for a refill from the barfilly once again.
Summer Oak noticed the party was beginning to wind down. Individuals and small groups were slipping over to the old unicorn to give him a nod, a hoofshake, or a smile, and make their way out of the room. The unicorn inevitably nodded, smiled, and spoke back at each, before turning back to Summer Oak.
“And that, my boy, is why I'm here, tonight, doing my final duty to the Princesses.”
“I'm here to make you an offer, now that you hopefully understand what being a member of Her Eternal Princesses’ Royal Guard may entail.” Starlight looked into his refilled mug of cider before taking a long swig.
“You can choose to say no. We never force anyone to join us. If you said no, you'd graduate with your recruit class tomorrow and probably be assigned to a border outpost as a member of the Equestrian Guard. With your skills, brains and guts, you'll probably go far. If you are in the Equestrian Guard for glory or fame, that's what I would suggest you do.” Starlight Dancer passed the freshly emptied mug to the barfilly as she started cleaning up the room.
“No more for me, dearest, although the lad here will probably want one more for the road. Please get him one.” The barfilly flashed her brilliant smile at Summer again and left the room to fetch his refill.
“Being a Royal Guardspony is an often thankless job, full of long hours, exceeding boredom, and sporadic moments of life or sanity threatening situations. Not to mention the occasional pie to the face or other royal practical joke. And the pay isn’t nearly high enough for what any of us suffer.
“But to be honest, I think that you have all the qualities needed for the Royal Guardsponies and I'd like you to join us.”
Summer Oak had been expecting a line of that nature for a while now, but he paused for a moment before speaking. “Before I answer, may I ask you one personal question?”
“Certainly, lad.”
“What rank do you hold in Her Eternal Princesses' Royal Guard?”
The old unicorn smiled. “There's still no rank in this room – but until tomorrow afternoon, I am Starlight Dancer, Knight Captain of Her Eternal Princesses' Royal Guard.”
“Um...” Summer stammered.
“No rank in this room tonight.”
“But...”
“No. Rank.”
The barfilly returned with one last mug. The room was finally empty of all but the three unicorns at this point. She spoke.
“We about done here? It's after closing time and this place still needs a thorough cleaning.”
“Just waiting on an answer from the lad, here; but you can start tidying things up if you wish,” he said smiling. “We’ll stay out of your way.” The barfilly glared at Starlight for a moment and then started removing table clutter with an annoyed look. Summer spoke a question that had been on his mind for hours.
“Um… why me? Why spend your last night as Knight Captain talking to a fresh recruit like me? Don't you have more important things to worry about?”
“Lad, the reason I spent the time talking to you tonight is BECAUSE it's the most important thing for me to worry about.” Starlight paused, collecting his thoughts.
“A long time ago..." He snorted. "A VERY long time ago, I was a new recruit much like you. And I was told an important truth by an old pegasus at an affair very much like this one. That truth was as simple as this: the ultimate duty of any soldier is to make sure that the next person yoked to the mantle of service is worthy of the task.
“The protection of the Princesses is the most important duty in all of Equestria. I wanted to make sure that at least one more worthy soul is taking up the task that I will be leaving behind tomorrow.”
Summer Oak stared down at his hooves for a long moment, wondering if he could bear the yoke of that responsibility. Then he realized the answer had been on his flank all along. He drained his last mug of cider in long convulsive gulp.
“I accept.”
The old unicorn smiled a sad smile, knowing the weight of the decision the colt had just endured, and would endure for the rest of his life.
“Excellent. Let me be the first to welcome you to Her Eternal Princesses' Royal Guards. I shall see you at your graduation with your new orders tomorrow.
“Now trot along back to barracks, lad, and try not to get in trouble on the way. I don’t want to have to bail out the Princesses’ newest Guardspony on his first day on the job.”
Summer Oak got to his feet.
“Thank you, Sir!” As he turned to leave, he paused a moment, looking closely at the busy barfilly one last time. He finally recognized what a little voice in the back of his head had been trying to tell him most of the night. A small grin crept to his lips.
The barfilly squeaked as she felt a telekinetic pinch to her flank. She whirled about and looked at the two of them. Summer Oak grinned impishly at the old unicorn, pitching his voice carefully for his next words.
“Oh, that’s right, I forgot. No rank in the room tonight.” He turned back to the barfilly, smiling broadly.
“G’night, miss. I suspect I will be seeing you again soon enough.”
Summer Oak whistled into the night, leaving behind the old unicorn and the young barfilly - whom he strongly suspected wasn’t nearly as young as she looked.
~~~~~
Starlight Dancer chuckled as he watched Summer Oak go out the doors. He turned back to the barfilly.
“You know, Princess, I really should be annoyed at you for crashing my goodbye party. Part of the point of me retiring is NOT having to be on duty guarding your shapely flank anymore.”
The barfilly shimmered a moment as the illusion fell away. Princess Celestia stood before him in all her glory, chuckling as well.
“So, when did you figure it out?” Celestia asked.
“Did you REALLY think that a bright white coat, pink hair, and a 'sun covered with a cloud' cutie mark was that subtle a disguise, Princess?" Starlight asked dryly. "I'm positive even the lad figured it out, and he doesn't have nearly enough experience with you yet.”
“Indeed, I believe you are correct.” Celestia’s wing unconsciously rubbed the spot where she’d been pinched. A wry grin blossomed on her face. “I guess that also explains why I was getting such lousy tips tonight from the rest of your lot, doesn't it.” She paused and looked at him expectantly.
“So, what did you think? Do you think he'll work out?”
Starlight answered without a pause. “For the Royal Guard? Certainly. He already has the right skill set and attitude. Although he really should talk to someone about that incident in your school before he gets much worse. But otherwise, I think he'll do a fine job.”
“Good. I like him. He reminds me a lot of a certain other young unicorn I once knew," giving Starlight a pointed look. She continued. "Although, I was actually thinking about his suitability for that OTHER mission we discussed a while back. The one I needed a single Royal Guardspony for?”
“Oooh. You do realize she'll be rather upset if she ever finds out. But you’re right. He probably would be an excellent choice for that mission as well.”
“Don't worry. Remember, you’re going to be retired in few hours. Any problems she has will be my responsibility after that.”
Starlight Dancer smiled sadly at her words, silent as he realized that his days as her chief guardian and stalwart companion were over at last. Emotions long suppressed threatened to burst from him. He looked down at his hooves and closed his eyes in an attempt to hide them.
Celestia slowly walked over next to him, draped a wing over him, and proceeded to nuzzle his neck. She whispered into his ear.
“Thank you, Starlight Dancer. For your loyal service all these years, and for being there for me all that time.”
“It... was my honor, Celestia.”
The two of them simply stood side by side, enjoying each other's company, letting there be no rank in the room for one last time together.
~~~~~~~~
As always – this is a piece of fanfiction.
I neither own nor lay claim to any portion of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It's Hasbro's universe – I just play in it. All mistakes are my own.
