A Royal Guard's Tale

by Kind_Of_A_Rarity

Rating: teen
Tags: Sad, Main 6, Princess Luna, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Other, Romance, Adventure, Princess Celestia, Dark
Length: 1746

Little Bright welcomes a visit from his niece and nephew. But being stuck in a hospital room isn't all it's cracked up to be, so, in order to satisfy the duo's need for adventure, Bright decides to reminisce about his past as a Royal Guard.

Little Bright, who has recently fallen ill, is coming to regret what his life has become. A pegasus who was once a member of the Royal Guard, protectors of the princesses and all of Equestria, should never find himself in such a position. But a visit from his niece and nephew could be just what Bright needs to get his hopes up, as they want to hear about his past as a guard, much to his enjoyment. What incredible tale will he weave for them? Surely being a member of the Royal Guard has its ups and downs, but how much is Bright willing to share?

Published 2015-02-15 15:50:02 UTC
Last updated 2015-02-15 15:50:02 UTC

Introduction

The slow and steady beat of the heart monitor pounded against my eardrums. True, it was simply a steady beep, but hours of the constant sound has caused me to grow increasingly agitated. Day in and day out with this monotonous beeping and dripping of fluids, practical torture.

Perhaps I was being too sensitive, though it wasn’t likely. I had inquired about muting the sounds, but that would result in the nurses being unable to tell whether I needed help or not. Ridiculous, but understandable, despite the fact that I’ve been here for weeks and have yet to show any signs of needing assistance.

My thoughts were interrupted by the clopping of hooves against the floor outside of my door. They grew louder and louder at every second, which could only signify one thing. The door slid open with ease as the white-coated stallion entered, a sight that I had become accustomed to over the past few weeks. He had a brown mane and tail, both quickly styled, but having lost their shine over the course of the day. His coat was its typical caramel color, a bit ironic, considering he made it known that he despised the sweet.

“Hello, Mr. Might,” he said as he dropped a clipboard on a nearby counter. I was well aware of what he planned on doing. It was the same every week.

“Hello, Doc,” I watched as he levitated a small, elastic band out from a drawer beside the spot where he stood. It was clean, sterile, and, best of all, not painful in the slightest. At least, that’s what he always told me. Of course, I was happy that it was clean and free of any germs, but it was most certainly not painless. It nearly squeezed the life out of my foreleg at every usage.

The doctor smiled a bit, but it was more of a nicety than genuine enjoyment. “I told you, call me Mr. Caramel,” Yes, I was well aware of his request. He had made it many times before. I had already learned that making a response to this would be in vain, so I settled for a grin and nod as he began his work.

He made no attempt at conversation as he tied the elastic around my leg, tightening it to its limit, I was sure. He then began to draw the blood using a brand new syringe, or so he always told me. A constant scratch on its surface told me otherwise. I watched as the red liquid filled its inside, a queasy feeling enveloping my stomach.

He pulled the thing out and untied the band, placing a small bandage on the spot to stop any excess bleeding. “Alright, I’ll get this tested and make sure everything is well, Mr. Blight,” Again with the wrong names. It’s not even that difficult, Little Bright, that’s it. Still, after weeks of knowing me, he still gets it wrong.

“Thanks, Doc,” I could have sworn he shot a glare back at me as he exited the room. These meetings got less and less personal, and it was beginning to take its toll. I had begun to wish someone, anyone would visit.

“Knock, knock!” Even her. She spoke as she knocked on the door. I couldn’t help but smile.

“Yeah!” I muttered as loudly as I could stand. “Come in!” She did, and I was immediately taken back by how dressed she was. Surely this wasn’t a day that she had planned on surprising me. She would never have gotten dressed up to see me. I suppose she had already been out, but thought she’d swing by and visit an old friend.

“Hey there, Bright!” The training of the guard had implanted itself into our minds, as we still referred to each other by our surnames.

“Yes, hello, Shard,” Icy Shard, a suitable name for a chilling blue-colored unicorn like herself. She was always as threatening as a shard of glass, but she could be worn down much more easily, as ice can.

She closed the door behind her using her magic. “How have you been? I saw the doctor outside and I thought he might have been finishing up your exam. He’s as lively as ever, huh?” No, not particularly. But I couldn’t say that, not to her.

The doctor seemed to have a bit of a... thing for Shard. But I paid it no mind. Our time had passed, and she was free to do as she pleased. “Yeah, I guess. But I’ve been fine, if staying in a hospital bed for the past month counts as ‘fine,’”

“Oh, Bright,” she began, her eyes rolling in her own kind of playful manner. “As sarcastic as always, I see,”

“You see well,” It was true, I tended to be sarcastic when I was uncomfortable. Though, all things considered, I had every right to be on edge.

She laughed that sort of laugh you would expect a long-time friend to manage. Sure, we had been friends for a long time, but that was before, back in the guard. Things were different now. I was “sickly” and she had a life of her own. “And I’ve been wonderful, thank you for asking,” A bit of sarcasm in return, as expected.

“Really now? And how’s the new job going?”

“Well, I can’t complain, of course, but...” She trailed off, but I could understand why.

“It’s just not the same,” I diverted my eyes to the ceiling, longing to return to those days. But they were long behind, and could never be re-lived.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed her face brighten at its mention. “No, it’s not,” We stayed quiet for a few following moments. But she must have been thinking, because she attempted to break the silence that filled the room. “Look, Bright, I-”

The door opened, and in walked my sister, along with her two little foals laughing alongside her. “Uncle Bright!” They yelled in near unison.

“Hey, guys! Ooh! You got big!” That last line was due to the fact that they jumped onto my bed, nearly crushing me in the process.

“Hey, Bright,” she said after entering the room. “Hello, Shard.”

“Emerald,” Shard said, meaning for it to be an introduction. They had very harsh feelings towards each other, but kept them hidden (mostly) for the children’s sake. “Well, Bright, I do believe I should be going now. I’ll be sure to visit again soon,” And with that, she took her leave.

“Bright, you know how I feel about that mare. I wish you wouldn’t see her anymore. She’s bad for you,” And, truly, she may very well be.

“Emerald, I’m not a little colt you have to protect anymore. I can fight my own battles,” Emerald Vine, my older sister, had a tendency to “protect” me, although she was well aware of my service.

“I know, but-”

“Uncle Bright!” Melody shouted from my lap. Her purple bow was tied neatly against her black mane. At least, it was before she began playing with it. “When are you gonna get better?”

I smiled. “I promise it won’t be much longer, Melody,” My answer seemed to spark an interest in her, along with her brother.

“How much longer?” Ashe poked in from beside me.

I looked to Emerald, who made a half-hearted attempt at a shrug in return. “I-I don’t know, buddy,” Things went quiet again, for a moment.

“Well, I really wish I could stay, but I must get back to work,” Emerald said from the chair beside my bed. “I was actually hoping you could watch the children for me, just for a few hours.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “You’re really trying to make me feel like I’m back at home, huh?”

Emerald smiled in return. “It was my intention, yes,” She began her way towards the door. “You wouldn’t mind, would you?”

I shook my head as well as I could manage. “Not at all. You go ahead, we’ll have a blast, right, guys?”

“Yeah!” was the general response.

Emerald smiled. “Listen to your uncle, you two. I’ll be back later. Bye!”

“Bye!” The three of us shouted in response. The door clicked, and I immediately regretted my choice.

The pair of trouble-makers began rushing around the room, playing with this and that, much to my despair. They searched through the drawers and inside of the jars and around the counters, playing with whatever they found. They then proceeded to make their way towards the machine that beeped beside me. “No, don’t mess with that!” I practically shouted at them, causing them to pause in their spots.

They lowered their eyes, looking down at the ground. “Sorry,” Melody muttered.

“Yeah, sorry,” Ashe followed.

I sighed. “It’s alright. You’re just bored, huh?” They nodded. “Alright, come sit beside me,” They looked back and forth between each other before fulfilling my request.

“What is it, Uncle Bright?” Melody asked as she jumped onto the bed.

“Yeah, what?” Ashe mimicked as he hovered just over Melody, touching down on the opposite side of my torso. My father was a unicorn, and my mother a pegasus, resulting in a unicorn daughter and a pegasus son. Emerald married a pegasus, and as such, had Ashe, a pegasus, and Melody, a unicorn. A lot of our relatives claim that we are the embodiment of the magic of flight, and I’ve begun to accept it myself.

“You both know that I was in the Royal Guard, right?”

“Of course!” Melody shouted.

“Yeah, Mom tells us all the time!” Ashe claimed from opposite Melody.

I laughed. “Yes, but has she ever told you the story about my time there?” They shook their heads. “That’s what I thought,” I said as I slid down under my blanket, getting as comfortable as I could manage with the two foals tuckered down beside me.

“Will you tell us?” Ashe questioned with wide eyes.

“I don’t know... Do you think you’re old enough to hear it?”

Melody bounced up and down on the blanket. “Yeah! Yeah!”

Ashe began to take flight. “Tell us!”

I raised a hoof and patted Ashe into landing. “Alright, alright! Settle down. I’ll tell you all about it!” The pair of siblings made themselves comfortable on either side of me as I began my tale. “Alright, I should probably begin on the day I was accepted into the guard... I was so excited...”