My name is Fallout Shield, I'm a pegasus pony within Princess Celestia's castle guard. I'm twenty five years old, and I've been serving in the guard for about ten years. Yeah I've been in the guard since I was fifteen, and I've served proudly ever since. I'm nothing special, and I haven't seen action since the royal wedding a year ago between Princess Cadence and my former captain, Shining Armor. I'm a bit taller then most stallions my age, and I guess that's because of my northern heritage, I have some shetland pony in me, and also some bat pony because I have canine teeth also, which had some ponies making fun of me.
I've ignored it for the most part, and I'm able to hide my teeth. Occasionally I run my tongue across my canines, prodding them for a second or two. It was a nervous habit I've picked up over the years. Something I was doing now as I watched the royal guard march past me, the 7th Armored Core of the Equestria military. Anytime I heard those heavily armored hooves marching I cringed on the inside, mostly because I've heard they were some of the toughest ponies around. I contemplated joining the, but I've seen their training protocols... just no.
My father wanted me to become a florist like he was, because he was so certain of it. Everypony in his family and my mother's had something to do with flowers, so you can imagine their surprise when their loveable colt got a shield with a hazard symbol for a cutie mark. He was so disappointed in me... it hurt to be honest, but my mother still loved me, and scolded my father something fierce. So, I ended up becoming a guard, this was something that I wanted to do for a long time.
So here I was, a guard within the castle, guarding... a vase, of all things. I've been in this spot, going to and from this spot for ten years... I won't lie, I was expecting something a bit more... exciting I guess? Guarding this vase is boring. I have no friend to talk to, and this vase, - from what I looked up, yes I looked it up - its twenty years old and Celestia bought it from a pawn shop in the Griffon Empire... and there's millions of others like it, so guarding something like it was, grating and a bit disappointing.
Being a guard is fun, but sometimes it was tough. Having to go through training on the weekends, cleaning our armor and the patrols were long and tiring, but I did them anyway. But you're not here to hear why I was a guard are you? No, you're here because you want to know my secret. Yes, I have a secret, everypony has them. But mine... mine is a secret that could destroy who I was, one that could very well ruin my career as a guard and get me thrown out. This was one of the reasons being a guard was tough, and grating.
"Hello Sir Fallout Shield."
But it wasn't all bad, at least.
I smiled when I caught sight of one of the castle maids, a sweet and beautiful mare by the name of Petal Drop. She was young, just now turning twenty and reaching her third year as a servant of the princess. She was a pretty young thing, baby blue eyes, golden locks that curled at the end and a beautiful groomed cream colored coat of fur. She always came by this way on her daily cleaning duties, always taking her sweet time to clean the vase carefully, slowly and deliberately.
"Miss Drop." I greeted, we were alone so thankfully I could drop the whole stone faced thing. I looked at her and smiled. "How are your duties coming along?"
She returned my smile with one that was twice as sweet. "They are coming along nicely, thank you or asking." She paused in her dusting, then asked. "How are you doing?"
"Oh... nothing too interesting." I mused, gesturing to the archways in front of me that led outside into the gardens. "I saw a squirrel a few minutes ago that looked like he was scheming something dastardly." I informed with a warning tone to my voice. "You might want to watch out for the little critter."
She made a gasp noise, holding a hoof to her mouth. "I'll be sure to keep an eye out, no telling what he's planning!" She nodded.
There was a moment of silence, before she broke down into giggles, each one for pleasant than the last. My own deep chortles joined her, both seemingly fitting together in a way that was music to my ears. I could listen to her laugh for hours and never get tired of it. A sigh escaped me as she continued sweeping the vase, when she was done she nodded once more and trotted past me. "Goodbye for now Sir Fallout Shield." she said, waving a hoof at me as she disappeared down the hall.
I could only sigh again... she was my secret. Yes, my secret was the pretty maid named Petal Drop. She was the only highlight of my day during this watch, the way she cantered down the halls fulfilling her duty, her angelic humming filling the air, it was like listening to a pleasant tune that I couldn't get out of my head. Every time I laid eyes on her my heart would skip a beat, and I just felt happy whenever she was near.
Perhaps you're wondering why my affection for her was something I kept a secret. Well... in the guard, you're good to go out and date ponies outside the castle, but within... that was strictly a forbidden thing, and could cost a pony his or her job. It was some really old guard law passed down from ancient times that was put into place to keep guards from fooling around on the job, it worked and nopony has done any such thing for nearly three thousand years... at least, nopony was caught that is.
So, you can see why I keep such a thing a secret, I really liked Petal... no... that was a lie, I loved Petal Drop. There was no doubt in my heart that I did, from the first moment I laid eyes on that mare, I knew she was perfect. I know it seems a bit sappy for me to be one of those stallions who's all love at first sight. But that's really what it was for me, love at first sight. You'll eventually see what I mean.
A couple of days passed since me and Petal talked, and a part of me was hoping, praying she was going to come visit me today. I waited patiently at my post, on the outside I was that same stone faced white furred golden armor clad guard you see everywhere in the castle, but on the inside I was as giddy as a school foal, waiting to see who he got to pay hoofball with. Then I heard her before I saw her, the mare's melodic voice carrying down the halls and filling my heart with joy. Soon I saw her head pop up from around a corner, carrying her duster in her magic. She trotte over to the table holding the vase, and it was just like yesterday all over again.
"Sir Fallout Shield."
"Miss Drop."
A bit of silence passed us by, then I heard her speak to me. "Did you hear about the Elements?" She asked, dusting the vase.
"Mmm... no I can't say that I have." I replied, I haven't seen a newspaper in a while nor heard anything from my fellow guardsponies. The Elements, if you didn't know, were six really well known and powerful ponies living in the small town that this castle overlooks. Princess Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy.
Petal hummed a small tune, dusting a few inches of the vase before turning to me. "Well, I heard that one of the Elements has gotten into a relentionship with one of the Wonderbolts, Soarin." She giggled, sighing softly to herself. "I hear its that Rainbow Dash mare, isn't that interesting?"
I nodded, while not a big fan of the Wonderbolts myself, I knew all of their members. "You don't say? I would have thought she'd gone with Spitfire to be honest." I commented, getting a stupified look from Petal.
"Why do you think that?"
I shrugged. "I'm not sure, Rainbow doesn't seem like the type to go for stallions to me, but eh, I've been wrong before." I admitted, I was wrong about a great many things. Petal laughed lightly at my comment, dusting off the vase still. I noted she was taking her time again, but going slower this time. "I take it your rounds are going smoothly?" I asked, my eyes locked on hers.
Petal smiled once more, and I couldn't help but smile back. "Yes they are," she told me, the melodic tone in her vocal cords filling my ears again. "You?"
I nodded, I decided to be brave and say. "You have a lovely singing voice, you know." I froze, as if my body was afraid of how she would reply. A part of me wondered if she thought I was being weird, but it was just a compliment, so I think I was overreacting a bit because she smiled bigger than I've ever seen her smile before.
"Thank you, that's sweet of you to say." She hummed lightly, filling the hall with her beautiful voice once more.
"Did you..." I paused... wondering if I could go this route, stop overreacting! I told myself. "Did you teach yourself how to sing? Or is your special talent?"
Another sweet and soft laugh. "No, my mother taught me how to sing when I was younger." She said, still humming that same tune.
I just stood and listened to her voice, the light tones erupting from her throat in a wonderful musical fashion. But, like most good things in life, they all must come to an end.
She sighed, alsmot regretfully and turned to me, flashing me a quick smile. "It was nice taking to you Sir Fallout Shield." She nodded, and before she could leave I stopped her.
"You can just call me Fal, my friends call me that." I smiled back, she nodded to me.
"Okay, Fal, you can call me Petal then." With another sweet smile she cantered off, leaving me to my post once more.
Just take it slow, no need to rush things. I told myself when I watched her leave. Petal and I had been talking for weeks, ever since I met her three years ago. We talked whenever we got the chance, she was actually pretty shy about working here and talking to anypony, but she eventually broke the shell that was a introvert and became more social. It was uplifting to see such a young mare overcome something like that, overcoming introvertness is not as easy as one thinks, but she did it. And here she was now, talking to me on a daily basis.
As much as I wish I could just tell her how I feel, I don't think it's time yet. I don't know how she feels about me, for all I know I entered the friend zone... but as long as she's happy, that's all that matters to me. But if there's a chance, even a slim chance I'm able to tell her how I feel, I'm going to take it. Damn my post, if it gets me thrown out of the castle and out of the city, then I'll do it.
But... I'm a coward. Give me a changeling and I will kick its butt, but tell me to admit my feelings and I will cry like a heartbroken colt eating ice cream hiding in the closet listening to DJ-PON3 at full blast sobbing his heart out. Such is the way of love. That was true, more true then you think it was.
I think a few more days passed by, and to my disappointment, I hadn't seen Petal at all. She hadn't come by today, instead it was another mare who paid me no mind. But when I asked her where Petal was, she had this look of recognition on her face before she said Petal had some kind of emergency and had to leave the castle for a bit. Now, obviously that worried me to no end. I stood there, in the same spot as always, worrying my heart out for Petal.
Days passed and I still haven't seen hide or hair from the mare, my worrying hadn't ceased either, in fact it increased. The other maid ponies who passed by me when they did her rounds would look at me and ask if I was alright, I woud say i am, but it was a blatent lie and they all knew it. I could tell some of the mares that they were worried about me, I guess Petal told them about me and her being friends. It wasn't strange for guards and the staff to befriend each other, and for me and Petal to be friends wasn't odd.
One maid kept stoping by on her lunch break, a Glass Rose to see if I was alright. I would tell her I am, but she would see through my lie every day. I wondered if she knew how I really felt about Petal? I would hope that, if she does, she keeps it to herself for now. But so far, she hadn't shown any outward signs that she did know. But my mind wasn't too occupied on her, all of my thoughts were on Petal.
How was she?
Was she alright?
Did somepony in her family pass away?
I didn't know, and that angered me more than you'd think it would. I wish i knew more, but I couldn't unless I left my post. And I'd get myself chewed out for leaving without telling anypony. So I had to wait... and wait.
It was nerve wracking.
Another week had passed, and... she came back, but she was different than how I remember she was. Her neatly groomed mane and tail was messy and ragged looking, her coat was messy and her eyes were bloodshot. A closer look would show she had been crying. She trotted down the hall, completely missing the vase she'd alays clean. My instincts as a soldier just told me to leave her be, but my instincts as her friend told me to comfort her... guess which was stronger?
I left my post and stopped her, she didn't put up a fight and only leaned up against me. She had been quiet when she came into the hall, but Petal started crying softly before falling against me, I didn't hesitate dropping my spear and holding her. We had never hug before, or even touched one another, but doing so now. I could feel just how soft she was, even though her fur was a mess and her mane ragged, it was silky to the touch. I sat down next to her, my massive frame easily dwarfing her body by half a foot. I held her and asked what was wrong.
She told me her mother had died, a heart attack, but she had been on the stairs at the time and she had fallen down and broken her neck. I couldn't hide my shock from that, Petal cried and cried, her face buried in my armor. I knew it had to be uncomfortable, but she said nothing. So I tightened my grip on her, rocking softly back and forth stroking her mane and whispering assuring words to her. Petal calmed down after a bit, and we just stayed in the embrace for the longest time.
I would have been worried about being spotted if this was something else, but nopony ever came down this way save for Petal and the other maids. I'm sure if one of them did they'd understand the current situation.
Eventually her cries quieted down to soft whimpers, and she pulled away, a light blush on her features. A sniffle, and she said. "T-thank you." her voice softer then I thought possible.
I could only smile and nod. "No problem, what are friends for?" I asked.
It was at this moment I noticed I was a lot closer than I thought I was to Petal, our faces were inches away and I could just barely smell her breath. It tasted
