The First Morning, the Train Ride, and Tour of the Castle.
"Andrew? Andrew, honey, wake up."
"Mm-hm..." the young stallion mumbles to the gentle voice in his head.
"Andrew, you've got to get up. Today's your first day as a guard!" the voice says, somewhat firmer this time.
Andrew shoots out of bed and goes to his dresser. He pulls out his hat Applejack gave to him on his 13th birthday. A classic black cowboy hat. He puts it on. He turns to his mother, who was still in shock from his sudden speed. He chuckles. "Sorry, Mom. I'm just so... EXHILARATED! Can you believe I'll be protecting the PRINCESSES? I mean, it's the most important job in the history of Equestria! And..." he says, going closer to his mother. "Some of their servants are extremely cute."
His mother stifles a laugh. "You're not really... fancy enough for a royal servant to love you. No offense, of course."
He smiles. "Why would I date somepony that hoity-toity? I'm just sayin' I could maybe get Lime a girlfriend. He's kinda fancy!" He says. He thinks about his brother, a waiter at one of the best restaurants in Ponyville, who was indeed fancy. But he was extremely shy around any mares that had royal ties, so it was a very rare possibility. Andrew would try anyway. His brother was one of the most important people in the world to him, so he always tried to make sure Lime was happy.
"Maybe. Don't get hurt, my darling. If you do, I'll never forgive you." His mother says. She then bursts out laughing. Andrew does too.
"I'll come home in three weeks to check up on things. Don't burn down the house while I'm gone." Andrew says.
He walks downstairs and out the door to the train station. He bought his ticket and went to a seat. A blue mare with a yellow mane sat down across from him.
"Hi, sorry if I'm invading your privacy, but I need somewhere to sit. And the rest of the seats are full..." She says, extremely quickly.
"Oh, no problem." Andrew says.
"I have to go to a wedding..." the mare says.
"You don't sound happy."
"I am, it's just that I'm bored out of my freaking mind."
"I understand." Andrew says. He stretches out on the seat and goes into a prone position. He pulls his hats brim over his face. He quickly went to sleep, and began to dream...
Blood spattered on his armor. The drops slowly go down the steel, causing red streaks to appear. His spear was completely covered in blood. The six other stallions standing shoulder to shoulder next to him were covered in even more blood than he was. They were the first to fight. The first to die, possibly. This was their war. Their battle. The rival side charged towards the seven warriors, and the seven charged forwards as well.
Andrew is awoken by the shock of the dream. The stories his grandfather had told him were terrifying, to say the least. Those stories were of war. Of loss. Of death. He hears a voice, asking him, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah... Just having a bad dream."
"Well, Rookie, I would get those dreams out of your head!" the voice says again. Andrew opens his eyes and takes off his hat. A large, white stallion wearing the typical royal guard attire was standing over him. He was smiling, and seemed to be a friendly sort.
Andrew nodded, and gets up. "I guess you're my CO?"
"Nah, you don't have a CO! We're not at war, Rook!" he says. He then laughs. A hearty, infectious laugh. Andrew starts laughing too.
"My name's Andrew, what's yours?" Andrew asks when he finally stops laughing.
"Barrel. Probably named after the fact that I barrel through any threats to the kingdom! Most ponies just call me B." He says, smiling.
"Well, glad to meet you, B." Andrew says, extending his foreleg. Barrel does the same and they shake hooves.
"Likewise, Andrew. I was told to show a rookie around the castle, so I guess we should get started. Follow me." Barrel says. He then starts walks off the train with Andrew following him. They walk into the castle.
Two hours later, Andrew and B had gone to every room in the castle, and were going to the guards quarters. Andrew clears his throat, and starts saying, "This castle is beautiful. Why'd you become a guard, anyway?"
"Father was, and so was my grandfather, and every stallion in my family was one. Kinda the family business, in a sense. Why'd you join?"
Andrew thought for a second. "Two reasons. I wanted to make my grandpa proud, bless his soul. The second is kinda embarrassing."
"Ooooh! Don't worry, I can keep a secret!" Barrel says, leaning closer.
Andrew starts blushing, before saying, "I kinda have a crush on Princess Luna. And, lucky me, most of my shifts are during the night."
"Really? Hm." Barrel replies. "I thought you were sleeping with one of the royal servants, or something."
"No." Andrew says. They enter the guards quarters. "So, this is where we sleep?"
"Yes. It ain't the Ritz, but it's home. Your bed is over there. Get some sleep, your shift begins at nine." Barrel says. Andrew nodded and walked over to his bed and laid down. He started drifting off before he heard Barrel's voice. "By the way, Luna's on the moon currently. Something having to do with the Changeling attack. Sorry, pal."
"It's okay." Andrew says. "I kinda knew it would be too much to hope she would be here."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm just not lucky at all." Andrew says, smiling. He then drifts off to sleep.
"Hello, Andrew."
Andrew looked around the black void, trying to see who was speaking. "Who are you?"
"I'm the keeper of the satellite."
"What?" Andrew asks, still looking around.
"I'm the queen of the moon."
"Princess Luna?"
"Yes."
"Why are you in my dreams?"
"The question is why you allowed me here."
More cliffhanger. Whoopdeedoo.
