Albertus

The morning following Shield Spotter's late night outing with his guard buddies was anything but abnormal. The navy-blue unicorn rose from his bed in his quarters. Unlike the Royal Guard in Canterlot, Lieutenants and anyone with a higher rank in the Crystal Guard received their own quarters as an alternative to overpopulating barracks until new ones could be built. Shield climbed out of his bed and without a moment of hesitation, showered and freshened himself up for work. Normally, work for him would start at eight-thirty, but today he was assigned early to watch over operations in the Spire.

He slowly slipped on his silver armor, it sparkled like a newly polished white diamond, complete with four identical hoof guards and the main piece. Instead of wearing his helmet, Shield left it on his dresser and set off for the palace to begin his duties. He didn't expect to run into any of his friends this morning, knowing they drank a lot more than he did and were probably still snoring in their beds. The unicorn was let into the Spire, no questions asked. The first thing he noticed was decorators setting up balloons and streamers everywhere as if a five year old was having his birthday party at the palace.

"What's going on?" He asked as a blue crystal mare walked by with some balloon strings in her mouth.

"We're getting weady for the Crystal Gawa," she turned and looked at the stallion, her voice slightly muffled by the balloon strings.

"Crystal Gala?" His eyes widened slightly. After only being in the Empire for a few months, he still had not learned everything about what events go on here, other than the Crystal Fair which he attended this year.

"The biggest gawa after the Grand Gawing Gawa. Aren't you excited?" The mare's eyes twinkled as she smiled, continuing to hold the balloon strings in her mouth.

"Oh, um, sure," Shield replied with a faint smile as the mare trotted off with the balloons. His smile dropped into a stoic face as he patrolled around the palace. The decorators seemed to be in every nook and cranny trying their best to prepare the place for the upcoming Gala the mare mentioned.

The thought of the upcoming Gala had the stallion uneasy, knowing that hundreds, maybe thousands of ponies from all over Equestria would all be jam-packed into the Empire for the Gala and whatever other events will be going on. He was used to the hustle and bustle of Canterlot during the Grand Galloping Gala, but knowing how well the Crystal Empire does things, it will certainly bring more of a crowd, not to mention cheaper passes.

"Lieutenant Spotter!" A voice broke his train of thought, his eyes briefly shrinking at the sudden booming voice. Shield snapped into his right mind and puffed his chest out slightly at the sight of a white unicorn, taller than himself, wearing purple armor with gold outlines approaching.

"Captain Armor." Shield tossed up a salute.

Shining Armor proudly returned the salute, before dropping it a moment later. "I am happy to see you here today, Lieutenant. Would you care to know why?"

"Why is that sir?" Shield continued to stare Shining in the eye, like any good soldier would.

"Not only did I wish for you to oversee the progress of the decor going up around the palace, I'm certain you've seen, yes?" Shining kept a stoic look on his face, while cracking a friendly smile to the smaller unicorn.

Shield nodded. "Yes sir, I have. Preparations for the Crystal Gala as one of the decor mares said."

"Well, I would also like to talk to you in private. Come on, let's let them work," Shining turned around and begun walking to the spiral staircase which lead to his office in the taller section of the palace.

Shield followed close behind, not making a single peep in case the captain was serious about something. A few slightly tiring minutes later from the walk up ten flights of stairs, the two stallions arrived at Shining's office.

Shield came to a stop behind Shining as he unlocked the doors to his office. "I'm just wondering, can't somepony install an elevator rather than have those stairs?"

Shining looked back, still flipping through his keys. "Exercise, first lieutenant. Besides, this place is over a thousand years old, one wrong move could actually destroy the place and send the empire into oblivion."

Shield gulped at the thought. "Fair point." He replied as the door unlocked and the two unicorns entered.

The captain's office was much bigger than his old office back in Canterlot, and had wraparound windows which gave a one-hundred and eighty degree view of the empire. Inside, there was a polished fine wooden desk with some stacked papers on it, a tiny Crystal Empire flag sticking out of an old ink jar, with the Equestrian flag sticking out at an opposite angle. The walls didn't have much, other than a wooden frame with a steel sword facing straight up, on the opposite side stood a stone statue of a Royal Guard missing his hoof guards, holding a real spear and staring proudly forward.

"Have a seat, soldier," Shining sat in his leather chair, shutting the door with his magic.

Shield sat in the chair opposite of Shining Armor, and looked forward at the white unicorn.

"As you know, we're still struggling to recruit, even after the Empire being back for a year. Right now, both me and Cadence have come to a decision where we will be transferring reserve guards from Canterlot to the Crystal Empire, like we did with you eight months ago." Shining put his hooves together on the desk, eying the navy-blue stallion.

Shield nodded, a sign he was listening. "Yes, sir."

Shining then pulled a drawer open and dug through it, moments later pulling out a folder and setting it in front of Shield, turning it around so it was not upside down for the lieutenant. Shield opened the folder and read through the papers.

"These are my papers," Shield's eyes narrowed further as he flipped through the papers.

Shining nodded. "Yes, they are."

Shield glanced up at the captain. "Is something wrong?"

"No, of course not. You're my best first lieutenant in the empire, Spotter," the white unicorn smiled.

"Then what's going on?" Shield levitated the papers into a neat pile, sliding them back into the folder and levitating it back to the captain, who put it back away and shut the drawer with a pink magic aura.

"You were only supposed to be here for nine months, just until we can recruit more ponies. But, recruiting levels have been abnormally low for the guard recently, and we've only recruited about fifteen ponies for the Crystal Guard, nowhere near the two-hundred we expected," Shining began, his smile fading.

"...What are you saying?" Shield eyed Shining.

"I'm asking you to stay...just until recruiting season is over, or until we have enough men," Shining stared at Shield with a blank expression.

Shield thought of things to reply back with at that moment, which took him about a minute. "I-I can't sir...Minty's expecting me back in Canterlot. She's expecting me to be back home next month."

Shining Armor sighed. "I'm afraid you don't have much of a choice, lieutenant. We need you more than anything, and with the Crystal Gala fast approaching, we need more men than ever. Especially if all four princesses are going to be here at once, with perhaps the Duke of Ponyton,"

"But, sir-."

"Please, Spotter. We need you to stay, I need you to stay. If we were recruiting as many as we originally hoped, I would gladly let you go home to your marefriend right this minute, but I am extremely sorry to say, that can't happen...at least not yet," Shining continued to stare at Shield.

Shield struggled to hold back tears, knowing no matter what, it could be up to a year before he sees the green mare he loves so much.

***

"So, you're staying?!"

Shield hesitated, but then nodded slowly as he faced a large white pegasus. The stallion wore a complete set of golden Canterlot guard armor, but instead of the typical blue mane and tail, his mane remained it's normal purple color. "Yes, Strat, I am."

Stratus jumped for joy and fluttered his wings. "YES! YES YES YES!" He yelled, acting completely like he just won the lottery.

Shield sighed and lowered his head and ears moments after. Stratus noticed and slowly landed, the bright smile fading from his face.

"Hey...are you alright?" The pegasus slowly approached the unicorn.

Shield looked back up at Stratus, his head remaining a bit low. "No...I wanted to go back to my marefriend...I-I wanted to propose to her."

"Oh..." Stratus' ears lowered. "But hey, don't be sad...you get to stick around for a little while longer!" Stratus smiled.

"More than a little while," Shield slowly walked around Stratus, his voice down and depressed.

Stratus' smile once again faded, his ears drooping as his friend walked away with his head down. He didn't like seeing him sad, but he also didn't want to bother him, after learning the hard way a few months before.

The unicorn walked the streets of the empire, looking around at the different assortments of stallions, mares and foals of all races. Of all of the ponies, he was most likely the only one with a down mood.

"I just want to go home...to propose and start a family. I miss Canterlot," Shield mumbled to himself, before stopping and gasping. "What will Minty say when I tell her?"