Mask of the Rose

"Wrinkles are hereditary. Parents get them from their children." - Doris Day

I hope that Blueblood is faring well with little Twilight.

Princess Celestia looked over her shoulder at the small group of ponies that followed her path down the hallway. There were three large guards, two earth ponies and a unicorn, with multiple pieces of luggage in tow. In front of them walked a dark blue stallion and a petite gray mare. They were a married unicorn couple, Night Light and Twilight Velvet. Twilight Sparkle's parents.

Even though they had spent a short time in each other's company, Celestia knew they were lovely ponies. “It won't be much longer until we reach your daughter's living quarters,” she said. “It's just around the corner here.” Of course, she was true to her word. She had a thousand years of memories invested in Canterlot Castle; she knew exactly where she was and where she was going. The door she sought was immediately within sight when she crossed into the next corridor. “Ah, here it is.” Smiling, she opened the door with her magic—motioning with a slight nod for the other ponies to go in first.

Night Light and Velvet bowed their heads as they, followed by the guards, entered the room. The Sun Princess was the last to enter, gently closing the door behind her. She was pleased to see that the entire room had undergone the makeover she requested. The lackluster guest room was now a warm and vibrant living space worthy of a young filly. Sheer maroon curtains replaced the dull eggshell-white drapes, which complimented the newly-painted walls of peach rather nicely. There were fresh cotton sheets on the large bed—an upgrade from the silk ones that formerly rested there. Lastly, the wooden floor was polished and decorated with a soft oval rug.

“Oh, my,” breathed Velvet. “It's lovely.”

Her husband nodded in an almost languid manner. “Is it really Twilight's?” he asked.

“Yes, every inch of this room belongs to her now,” replied the alicorn. “It's nearly at the heart of the castle, so she won't be far from places like the dining hall and the throne room. Even my own chambers aren't too far off, should she need anything else.”

One of the guards strolled up alongside the pair. “Where would you like these bags?” he inquired.

Night Light stuck out one of his front hooves. “By the bed, if you please.”

“You got it, Sir.”

As the guards unloaded the luggage, Twilight Velvet cautiously approached Princess Celestia. “We can't thank you enough for all of this, Princess. Our little filly is going to love this.”

“It's certainly larger than her room at home,” chuckled Night Light. “At least she can't complain now about not having enough space to store her books.”

“That'll come later, once she manages to fill all that extra space with more books, dear.” Velvet then shared a laugh with her husband, though the matriarch who shared their presence could hear the nuance of sadness held beneath their plastic smiles. When their laughter ceased, and it ceased unnaturally quickly, the gray mare held a hoof to her cheek. “We're sorry, Princess Celestia. It's just that...” Her expression grew taught with melancholy. “It's going to be difficult adjusting to life at home without our Twilight.”

Gently, the taller mare touched her shoulder. “You act as though there will be a continent between you and your child, my little pony. But, you'll never be far from her as long as she's here and you are more than welcomed to come visit her whenever you so desire.”

Velvet managed a smile, albeit one that wasn't completely devoid of sadness. “Thank you.”

Night Light wrapped a foreleg around his wife's shoulders. “Yes, it will get some getting used to, but we'll be all right,” he added. “It's not the first time we've sent a child away from home.”

Celestia's head tilted. “Oh?”

“Our son was recently recruited into the Royal Guard.”

“Well, congratulations! May I ask his name?”

“Shining Armor, Your Highness,” replied Velvet. Briefly, she and Night Light shared a contemplative and apprehensive glance. “We were wondering, if it's not too much to ask, if it were possible to have him assigned to watch over Twilight when she's not under your watchful eye.”

Princess Celestia's gaze rose and fixated on the ceiling. Shining Armor. She recognized the stallion's name from the Captain's last report. The last thing she expected was for one of the new guards to be the brother of her new student. It didn't seem right to keep siblings apart, especially if they were under the same roof. “How long has it been since Twilight last saw her brother?” she asked.

Again, the husband and wife shared a quick look. “It's been about a week,” said Night Light.

“That was only for a few hours, though,” Velvet hastily added. “You see, that was when he got back from his training in Tall Tale. It's all he wanted to talk about, so he and his sister didn't get to spend that much time together.”

“And he was gone for about two months before that. Twilight was so upset when we—”

The alicorn chuckled. “It shall be done, then,” she interrupted. She looked to the trio of guards. “Please locate Shining Armor and escort him here,” she ordered with a soft tone.

In unison, the Royal Guards saluted and exclaimed, “Yes, Princess!” It was then that they trotted out of the renovated room—intent on not making anypony wait, especially their beloved ruler. The only unicorn amongst them, once they were out of earshot, turned to his companions. “The Princess gave her orders, but I have no idea where the new guy is stationed,” he said. “We'll have to ask Captain Bastion.”

Both pegasi nodded.

“Alright, then, let's move out!”

Shining Armor's movements were filled to the brim with confidence as he marched his way down Crowhop Street. The exhilaration fueled by his occupation pulsed freshly in his veins, despite the week of work he already clocked. He had, after all, dreamed of being a Royal Guard since he was a colt. Sure, like many newbies, they placed him on simple patrols, but that didn't mean he wore his set of glistening gold armor lightly. He was one of Equestria's finest and he aimed to uphold the reputation.

The streets of Canterlot, albeit busy, were relatively peaceful. Well, as peaceful as they could ever be, given that they belonged to Equestria's capitol city. No matter what day or time of the year, they were always busy. Amongst the countless shop-lined streets, there were citizens, tourists, and more guards. But, thankfully, the lunch rush passed not too long ago, so there weren't any crowds gathered in front of the restaurants along his patrol route.

As he passed, he was met with more than a few greetings. Every once in a while, there was a cheerful “good morning.” Of course, both of those came mostly from tourists; the ponies of Canterlot's actual population knew better than to bother a Royal Guard whilst he was on duty—not that Shining ever felt “bothered” when such kindness was given. As somepony who was raised within the city's borders, he was aware that it could be a shockingly cold place at times.

He sighed, stopping at the edge of a busy intersection. The civilians there were quick to make room for him—something he had yet to become accustomed. As he watched the carriages roll up and down the street, a commotion on the adjacent sidewalk caught his attention. There were shouts and cries of alarm as a wild-maned stallion pushed and shoved his way through the crowds. Shining wouldn't have thought anything of it, if it weren't for the guard hot on the stranger's fetlocks.

Without thinking, the unicorn ran to his fellow Royal Guard's aid. Unfortunately, that involved throwing himself out into the middle of the bustling traffic. Metal wheels shrieked against the pavement as oncoming carriages skidded to a halt to avoid him. Of course, the disruption also came with the angry words of both pilots and passengers alike. Shining ignored them as he moved in to cut off the running stallion. “Halt!” he yelled.

The fleeing pony, another unicorn stallion, flared his nostrils. “Outta my way!” he growled. He kept running, seemingly intent on forcing his way past the guard in his path.

Shining stood his ground. Then, when the stranger was close enough, he conjured a magical wall in front of him—which the other stallion struck muzzle-first. The impact sent him into a daze, allowing the pursuing guard to swoop in with a set of hoofcuffs. “Oh, praise Celestia,” he sighed. “Thank you so much. I chased this pickpocket down twenty blocks before you came along!”

The unicorn stallion straightened his posture. “No need to thank me,” he replied. “I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.”

“Yeah, well, your timing was perfect.” He reached out a hoof. “Name's Flint.”

“Shining Armor.” He shook the pegasus' hoof.

Flint's eyes widened. “Shining Armor? Say, I'm glad we ran into each other! Everypony's lookin' for you!”

“What?”

“Captain Bastion said that Princess Celestia wants to see you. You better get your flank back to the castle, pronto! I can handle this pickpocket from here.”

Despite his confusion, the young guard merely nodded. “Understood.” It was a miracle that he was able to keep his voice from wavering, as deep as his bewilderment ran, and he kept his trot even as he made his way back to the castle. Only a week had passed, and yet Princess Celestia deemed him important enough for her to personally see him? Or, perhaps he'd done so poorly she instead thought it necessary to personally demote him? His heart began to race, as did his hooves.

He'd accomplished little more than simple patrol routes since his recruitment, but what if it wasn't enough? Sun consume him... What if there was some sort of quota he was supposed to fill? Did he not catch his assigned number of miscreants!? Sweat began to dampen his mane and coat. Yet, once the castle finally came into view (and, at his speed, he was almost there), the currently-being-refurbished tower of the School for Gifted Unicorns sent his mind reeling in a different direction.

His little sister took her entrance exam that morning... and she was scheduled to be there around the time the explosion occurred.

Oh, Celestia, no!

As Twilight Velvet placed yet another worn tome on the shelf, she allowed herself to release both a sigh and a groan. “Oh, where is he?” she muttered, looking to her husband. “He should have been here by now, shouldn't he?”

The cobalt stallion, who was in the process of unpacking one of his daughter's suitcases, gave her an amused smile. “Dear, I'm sure he's on his way,” he replied. He magically handed a few stuffed toys to Princess Celestia. As the matriarch was helping them organize Twilight's belongings, she then placed the toys neatly on a nearby shelf. “He's right, Missus Velvet,” she said. “Many guards are out looking for him, including the Captain. It won't be long now, I assure you.”

Now, the Sun Princess had plenty of practice when it came to judging certain situations to determine their outcomes; there were few instances when her predictions were... less than accurate. Needless to say, the last thing she expected was for Shining Armor to plow right past his fellow guards to reach them—nearly knocking the newly-varnished door right off its hinges in the process. “What happened!?” he all but shouted. “Where's Twily!?”

His parents rushed to calm him. Velvet pressed her hooves against his shoulders, while Night Light remained by her side. “Shining, honey!” she soothed. “Settle down! What's wrong?”

The young stallion's eyes darted wildly around the room. “Was Twily hurt? Oh, stars, she was hurt in the explosion, wasn't she?”

“Shining, son,” replied Night Light, “she's okay!”

Velvet nodded, giving her eldest offspring a nuzzle. “She's being entertained elsewhere right now, but she's fine.”

With a kind smile on her face, Princess Celestia approached them. “Nopony was harmed in the event,” she said, hoping to add to Shining Armor's ease. “Twilight Sparkle is being watched over by someone I trust, but they'll be joining us shortly.”

Shining Armor allowed himself the comfort of the following silence at that moment. His panting slowed—the news of his little sister's safety washing over him like a gentle breeze. Whilst the fog of fear cleared from his head, however, the nature of his current location dawned on him. From the vast collection of books to the colorful stuffed toys, he recognized them all. “Hey, why is Twily's stuff here?” he asked, glancing between his parents.

Night Light held a hoof to his chin. “Oh, yes, that.”

“Well, honey, we have wonderful news,” said Velvet. “Not only did you sister get her cutie mark this morning, but she's going to be staying here at the castle as Princess Celestia's personal student!”

The guard turned his head towards Princess Celestia. “What, really?” he gasped.

She nodded. “It was actually Twilight who caused that explosion,” she replied. “It wasn't her intention to do so, but it's clear she possesses a great deal of power. I want to help her control that power. Unfortunately, it will be a full-time commitment, hence her new room here.” She extended a wing—draping it over Shining Armor. “It would put your parents' minds at ease if you would kindly act as her personal guard.”

Of course, his answer was “yes,” but that didn't stop his parents from interrupting him before he could speak. “Oh, please do this for us!” pleaded his mother.

Night Light wrapped one of his forelegs around Shining's neck. “You have no idea how much this would mean to me and your mother, son.”

“I mean, we have absolute faith in Princess Celestia—”

“—but she has all of Equestria to lead and it would be nearly impossible for her to watch Twilight every hour of every day! No offense, Your Highness.”

The Princess of the Sun gave them a curt nod. “None taken.”

Shining Armor couldn't help but roll his eyes, though he was subtle about it. His parents seemed almost desperate for him to take the job. As such, it was far too tempting to mess with them. He held his tongue for a few seconds. Those seconds soon stretched into a full minute, during which his mother and father began to fidget nervously; Princess Celestia watched all three of them with a bemused smile tugging at the corners of her muzzle. At last, before his parents began to sweat, he said, “I'll happily do it, for Twily.”