A Royal Guard and His Filly

“Dingy wake up”

“Dingy”

I could feel tiny hooves start to dig into my side interrupting me from the ever elusive thing I sought, sleep.

“I’m awake Lily you could stop now.”

To my side I heard little wings flutter as they took to the sky. Meanwhile I began to bustle awake and start to clear the gunk out of my eyes.

“Shouldn’t you be getting ready for school Lily?”

“Shouldn’t you be getting ready for your shift? You’re gonna be late at this rate.”

“This is Equestria remember? Nothing ever happens here.”

“The changeling invasion?”

“The elements had that handled besides even if they failed there was still Princess Luna.”

“....Where was Princess Luna during the invasion anyway?”

“She was...she...I don’t actually know. Either way go get ready for school.”

With a quick nod she buzzed off into her room. I was happy to see that Lily was getting better at flying. The teachers at her school were telling me that she was a bit behind flying wise compared to other pegasi filly but that she should catch up to them in no time. Her weak flying is partially my fault, I’m an earth pony so I can’t exactly teach her how to fly. Best I could do was teach her how to run fast and hit things hard, Royal Guard training for you right there.

Oh how rude I haven’t introduced myself or my charge yet. I’m Dingy a Royal Guardspony for the palace. The pegasus filly with me is named Sky Lily. She’s 5 years old and has a cream colored coat with a wavy red mane. Her wings are cream colored too but the tips are tinted with a light red. Her mom had that neat trait too. I know what you’re probably thinking and the answer is no. She’s not my foal, she’s my friends. Lily’s parents passed away when she was pretty young and they asked me if I could take care of her in their place. Naturally I accepted they were my best friends after all but recently I’ve started to doubt myself. Am I really the best choice for her? I can’t teach her how to fly, I can’t drop her off at flight camp, I can’t even nap with her on a cloud. Eh thats enough of that I gotta get ready for work and drop Lily off at school.

As for my appearance well I look like any other Earth Pony Royal Guard, white coat with a blue mane. I used to be a different shade but in order to join the Royal Guard I had to dye them. Maintaining it is a pain in the ass but you get used to it.  I had heard that the Crystal Empire was a lot more lenient when it came to color regulations but thats probably because Shining Armor never liked that protocol. I heard somepony say before that it was because seeing everypony look like him freaked him out a little. Not everypony had his colors though, the Unicorn Guard were dyed dark colors and well thats pretty much it. I miss my colors...oh well though.

I finished cleaning myself up and started to throw on my armor while Lily was making breakfast in the kitchen. Breakfast usually being daisy sandwiches. I gotta teach her how to cook one of these days or at least get her a cookbook or something. I threw my armor on, ate breakfast, brushed her mane and headed out.

Pegasi at Lily’s age could fly to school but Lily being the weak flyer prefers to walk halfway and fly the rest. She’ll catch up to them one day I know she will.

“So at school today they’re gonna measure the wingpower of all the pegasi students.”

She was nervous I could see it, “Scared?”

With a hoof to her chest and muzzle to the sky she answered me, “NOPE.”

She always was good at hiding her emotions. Who knows maybe she’ll get a cutie mark in acting.

She can’t hide them from me though, “You’ll do great Lily.”

Her ears drooped and she started to fidget nervously while beating her wings slowly, “What if the other kids make fun of me for being a weak flyer?”

I was already in full stoic guard mode but this filly always found a way to break through it. She always made me smile, “Then they’ll have to deal with the Royal Guard.”

And there it was, her smile.

She flew up and hugged me, “Thanks Dingy.”

“Its what I do kid. Now off to school with you don’t wanna be late.”

She let go and with a smile still plastered on her face flew off. I started making my way to my post still not worried about being late.

***

“Any minute now Buckler any minute now”

“He’s gonna be late this time watch”

“He’s the fastest runner in the guard he could wake up 5 minutes late and still make it on time.”

“That doesn’t make even make sense……”

“Neither does Twilight Sparkle becoming a princess but that still happened.”

“Bu…...well I guess...honestly shes wrecked Ponyville how many times now?”

“I lost count oh and hey look I was right.”

In the distance you could see a white shiny blur galloping at full speed towards the two guards.

“NOT LATE!!”

I stopped in front of them and started catching my breath

“H hey...Buckler….he..y Shooting..star”

“Dingy”

“Dings”

Buckler and Shooting Star, my two buddies in the guard. Bucklers a unicorn stallion with a round shield as a cutie mark and a short wavy mane. Shooting star is pegasus mare with 3 falling stars as a cutie mark and a trimmed straight mane that she keeps in a ponytail while on duty . Oh and as for me I keep my straight mane short, helmet kind of kills any manestyle you might do, oh and my cutie mark is two round bells tied together by string. I really like bells….and string. I shouldn’t have to describe the rest of their appearance because just like everypony else they’ve had to dye their coats too. I will say that Star has a nice flank though.

I caught my breath before I attempted to speak again, “Whens the briefing?”

Buckler was too caught up in some thought to answer me so Star being the kind mare she is answered me in a very polite and professional manner, “ How should I know you bucking idiot?”

Yep a polite manner, “Buckler?”

He snapped out of whatever thought he was in to answer me, “Oh in uh 20 minutes”

“Lets get going then I actually wanna get some coffee this time.”

With that said we all started making our way over in a fit manner that any guard would follow. Star with a wing to her nose mining for some gold, Buckler with a blank face and mind most likely on some other world and me with a goofy face remembering the lyrics to some song I heard on the record player the other day. Excellence at its finest.

You’re probably wondering how we got stationed here at the castle huh? Well a few years ago when we were all still recruits in the Academy a manticore appeared in the castle gardens and unlike the rest of our class, who turned and ran like little fillies, the three of us stayed behind and fought. Sure we nearly died in the process but we managed to hold it off until Princess Celestia showed up and sent it back to the Everfree. Captain Shining Armor scolded us for our stupidity but also commended us for our bravery. To be fair we thought we could take him. Anyway as a way of saying thanks he assigned us to the castle guard upon our graduation. Recruits fresh out of the Academy never get assigned to the castle guard right off the bat. Instead they have to work somewhere else like the Gryphonian and Minotaurian borders and then apply to be transferred here after they’ve spent a few years there. So we got a really sweet deal and as for where the manticore came from that was Twilight Sparkles doing. Apparently she was concentrating on a teleportation spell when she suddenly freaked out, something about not following the checklist, and somehow teleported a manticore into the castle. Yea, shes a princess now…..A year after I got assigned here is when Lily’s parents died. So I’ve been here for 3 years. I was 19 when I got her. Oh how the time flies.

“Dingy we’ve arrived”

Ahh Buckler always the courteous unicorn, its gotta be that noble blood in him. We all took our seats somewhere in the middle and listened in to this mornings report. Nothing out of the ordinary really just our assignments for the day and that the day and night court would be postponed until Saturday. I pulled Library duty while Buckler got Garden duty. Star got kitchen duty which she hated with a passion because of that old “get back in the kitchen” joke that me and Buckler always made. A joke which we will use again today on break.

Working in the castle is a pretty different experience compared to other posts but thats mostly because the Princesses are here. Princess Celestia and Luna only hold their courts once a week the rest of time is them doing paperwork or talking with their guards, mostly talking to their guards. They like to get to know their guards and have fun with them. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t had my share of fun with Luna pranking my guardmates or enjoyed a nice lunch with Celestia. It’s nice working here, your bosses and coworkers are cool, the hours are reasonable, and in times of crisis you get to kick some flank and look like a complete badass.

It was a pretty slow day today, well aside from dodging Stars attacks for the get back in the kitchen jokes, Luna did stop by and glue somepony to a chair though so that happened. He was not a happy camper when I pulled him out, Celestia thought it was hilarious though even if she was irritated at Luna. I finished my shift up bid my buddies farewell and started to head towards Lily’s school. She’d probably be tired since she flew to school and did the wingpower test. Plus picking up a filly from school while decked out in Royal Guard armor is always a bonus for her. Gotta intimidate those snarky little assholes somehow.

“H hey Dingy”

“Hey Lily….how was school?”

She kept her head down and wings tucked to her sides, “It was..nice we had zap apple jam for lunch and I got an A on my spelling test.”

Something was bothering her, “Yea? That’s great we should celebrate how about we go to Donut Joes later and pick up a box?”

“Y yea that sounds nice”

“....How was your wingpower test?”

“...bad..I only got a 1.2”

“That doesn’t sound too bad for a filly.”

She just shook her head while still refusing to make eye contact with me, “The average in the class was 2.9, somepony even managed to get a 4.3”

That kid’s probably on steroids or something.....I should punch his Dad, “Lily...that doesn’t matter it just means that kid likes to fly. If it was a painting contest you would probably get a 10 and he would get like -7.”

There it was, her smile. It still had hints of sadness in it but it was there. Lily always did like to talk about painting. It would always cheer her up. It even got her to raise her head and perk up those ears.

“Can we go see Ms. Star for more flying lessons later?”

“Yea for sure we just gotta wait a little while. You know Star needs to take her afterwork nap in order to pony to right.”

She giggled at my dumb joke, “Yea! Can we go get donuts now I’m hungry!”

With closed eyes I just nodded, “of course we’re gonna have to save them for later though since you gotta eat dinner first.”

“awwww okay, UP!”

Up, universal Lily cue for let me get on your back mule we are thoroughly tired….I gotta teach Luna how to talk right one of these days.

“Alright sweetheart”

I lowered my head and let her climb on up. I heard her giggle as she tickled her underside with my helmets mohawk. Once I felt her plop onto my back I raised my head and headed for Donut Joes, Lily telling me about her day the entire time. I may not be the best guardian for her but I’ll be damned if I’m not the one who loves her the most. Besides she always makes my days, and my friends, fun.

“Thanks for making me feel better Dingy, the other kids were mean to me after they saw my wingpower.”

She nuzzled my neck affectionately, “Its what I do Lily and as for those kids they’re gonna have to answer to the Royal Guard after this.”

She just giggled,” Thanks Dingy that’ll s..how..thos..e..dork face..ssss…”

Lily must of have been tired. She just fell asleep on my back. She had a long day though she deserves it.

“..D..ingy”

Dingy, I hate that name.