A cool stream of water rushed over my face, and I winced, taking in a sharp breath of air as I discovered the water was a little colder than I had expected. I adjusted the dial to be a little bit warmer, then I let my mind go. Showers were one of the few times of the day that I knew I could be alone, and as such, they were also one of the few times that I could let my mind wander and think about whatever it wanted to. Other times I was always so anchored down by whatever I was doing, to keep myself sharp. But I enjoyed the times like this, even if they went against everything I believed in.

Immediately, I thought about what had happened today. Everything had happened so fast! What was a week’s worth of training and exercising had gone by in the blink of an eye, and what had been a highly anticipated and frightening event had come and gone just as fast. Now I sat on the edge of being a member of the Royal Guard, and I had only one thought.

I don’t know if I’m ready...

I had only just turned eighteen, as I had only just been entered into the Qualifiers. Something about this made my gut twist, and I didn’t know what to do about it.

I had never really sat down to think about my future. Living in an orphanage, you spend the majority of each day wondering how the rest of the day will pan out, not the next thirty years. Sometimes I pondered where I was going, but these sessions were few and far between. Now, the possibilities were endless. Schooling, work, the military, relationships, and everything in between. Some of those things interested me, some didn’t. I wasn’t actively looking for a relationship at the moment, but I would welcome one if the right person came along. As for schooling... I would never had had the opportunity in my past life to even dream of going to a college or university, but now, with the Princesses at my back – hopefully – I would be able to think about taking some sort of new course. With my advancements in mental capacity from the elements, I would be free to take practically anything I wanted.

The elements didn’t make us any smarter, at least in the classical sense. Rather, it apparently gave us the ability to retain most of, if not all information we were presented with. If I was present for a lecture, I would be able to recall the words spoke with near perfect veracity.

I really like that word... veracity...

I briefly thought about what kind of course I would take if I were to. Many fields interested me, some more or less that others. Psychology, art, medicine, music. There were more than a few courses that I would simply love to take, but to pick one would be my ultimate test so far. I wouldn’t want to get stuck in something that I don’t have any passion for.

My mind drifted to the length of an average university or college course, then to my... condition. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that it didn’t really matter what kind of course I took, because there would always be more time to take something else, or earn the funds necessary again. This gave me both hope and discomfort, as the thought of eternal life loomed in my mind. I pushed it aside, and my mind fell to other things.

The concept of having a relationship with someone else was still a totally foreign idea to me. Sure, there were the few “fake relationships” that happened in middle and high school, but I had never really found the capacity to love any of those people. Something about them told me that they were not completely interested in my well being, and soon after realizing this, I refrained from pursuing the opposite sex. This, coupled with a somewhat anti-social lifestyle, gave me the feelings of both interest and apathy towards any kind of a romantic relationship. Once again, if the right person came along, then of course I would be happy, but until then, I see no real point in chasing after a relationship.

And of course, this is all in line with the fact that I had finished the qualifiers, and would likely soon be put through a long and rigorous set of weeks with the guard’s trainers. If training is anything like we did, then I would be in for a lot of sore and sleepless nights. Considering the fact that my life had just taken a general turn in the right direction, I was still unsure if I wanted to proceed with the Royal Guard. Something about it was off putting, to say the least.

I slowly and rhythmically rubbed shampoo into my hair, making sure to be gentle, as I always had.

If I join the guard... oh no. My hair...

Though a trivial subject to some, I was legitimately concerned about having to potentially cut my hair. In the time that I had been here, it had grown to be quite long. It easily stretched past my nose, and was pecking at the top of my lips. I of course did not keep it this way. I always had it parted to the side to keep it from getting in my way. I managed to keep my cleaning schedule in check, and as a result, my hair always had a vibrant sheen to it. It was soft, and when I was bored, I liked to gently run my hands through it, just to show myself how soft it was. To some, this may seem, again, likely a highly trivial matter. But to me, this was a large decision, and I did not want to make it hastily.

I shut off the water in the shower and stood for a few moments, letting some of the water drip from my body. After I had decided that I was in the shower for long enough, I pulled the curtain open, and stepped out. I quickly dried off, and changed into a clean set of clothing. I relished in the warmth that they brought, and I opened the door to my room.

Collapsing onto my bed with a large, content sigh, I stretched out as large as my bed would allow, thoroughly enjoying the comfort that my mattress brought me. My bed in Dismith had never been as comfy as this one. This is not to say that my bed was uncomfortable, but simply an acknowledgement that this bed was superior, in every way. I guess even the guest rooms in Canterlot are high-class compared to what I was used to.

I stared at the ceiling with a small smile on my face, debating that my next move was.

...

Crash!

“Daniel!”

And there went any chance of having a quiet evening to myself. I sighed briefly, before sitting up on the edge of my bed.

“Actually, what part of knocking do you not understand! How hard is it to not barge in on someone!” I yelled at my friend. At this point, I had not idea how Austin and I were still friends, but we managed to find a way regardless. Speaking of which, I seemed to be thinking that more and more often as of recently. I’ll have to make a note of eliminating this from my thoughts.

“Sorry, jeez! What got in your cereal this morning?” he asked me while walking over to my desk.

...I didn’t even have cereal this morning...

“Well, for your information, I am terribly exhausted,” I told him, just before he gasped, and rushed over to me.

“Did you pass? What happened?” he yelled in my ear while kneeling down to be on eye level with me. I winced slightly, before moving my hand up to wipe the spit off of my face.

“Thanks. And yes, I passed. Barely, but... yes,” I said nonchalantly. Austin practically jumped out of his skin.

“That’s great! ...right?” he asked. I looked up to him.

“I honestly don’t know yet. Maybe? I still don’t know if it’s what I want to do...” I trailed off, becoming lost in thought.

“What’s wrong?” Austin asked, sensing my discomfort. I thought for a moment, before letting out a loud scoff.

“Hah. It’s probably not even something that I should be worrying about, right?” I laughed to myself. Austin raised an eyebrow at me.

“...if that’s what you think is best...” he told me, trailing off.

“What do you think-” Austin said, but was cut off by the sound of a knock at the door. We both looked to it, before I got up and went over to open the door. I was met with the sight of one of my favourite guards, Lieutenant Bell.

“Hey, what’s up?” I asked casually, stepping out into the hall to meet my friend.

“Did you make it? What happened?” he asked me with a hint of nervousness in his voice. I smiled.

“Surprisingly enough... yes, I did it,” I told Bell. His eyes popped open wide at my words.

“Seriously? That’s... well, you’re right. That is quite surprising. Huh...” he trailed off. I tilted my head in confusion.

“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean? Did you not think I could do it?” I asked him sarcastically. Bell shook his head earnestly.

“No no, it’s just that...”

“Bell, it was sarcasm,” I said with a deadpanned look.

That was the thing about my current sense of humour. I thoroughly enjoyed the dry, sarcastic humour that I spouted so frequently. I always have, now that I think about it. I liked seeing a confused look on a person’s face when they were debating to themselves whether or not I was being sincere. Someone once told me that this was not a good thing to enjoy, as the world didn’t need more sarcasm. I was told that it was tasteless to find comedic value in someone’s confusion.

“Ah, well... I’m glad that you passed! When are you expecting your letter?” he asked me.

“The Sergeant told me that I would be contacted in a few days, maximum,” I told Bell.

Over the time that I had gotten to know the Lieutenant, he had become less of a comrade and officer, and more of a friend, to both Austin and myself. Private Glass had been unfortunately transferred to station duty, as it was called, in Dismith of all places. He and I had a friendly relationship, but Bell and I had known each other for longer, and I considered him a good friend.

“Well, that’s certainly good news! I’m glad for you,” he told me, giving me a prize-winning smile.

“Hey, do you guys want to go and get some ice cream?” Austin said as he slipped out of my room and into the hall with us. Bell chuckled at this.

“I mean... we could. Do you want to Bell?”

“I would love to, but I have to get back to my post. I’m actually on break right now, so I need to get back to work. Thanks for the offer though, have a nice day,” he told us as he turned to walk away.

“Bye Bell,” I said, Austin offering a wave goodbye. I turned back to him.

“We could. Where, just in the castle here?”

“Or, or... we could go and get it from some placer better!” Austin told me, emphasizing the word “better.”

“Or... we could just not,”

"How the hell are you going to tell me that you don't want to go out for ice cream!?"

“I never said that I don’t want to go out for ice cream, I proposed staying here so we don’t have to go so far,”

“So you’re just lazy?”

“Today, yes, yes I am. I don’t need to do anything else today!”

Our argument went on for a few more minutes, with Austin and I going back and forth on whether or not we should actually leave the castle to get our food. I eventually managed to convince him to just get our treat from the castle, and we settled on our flavours. Naturally, I picked the best flavour. Vanilla. Now of course, Austin found it in his little heart to mock the selection I had made, stating that it was “way too plain” for him, and the preferred something with a little more “personality,” as he put it. For references sake, he got almond flavour.

The rest of the night was spent wandering the halls, cones tucked into our grips, trying to find something to keep us occupied. We found some conversation with some of the passing maids and servants, but of course, they were all working, so the time we had to spend with them was limited by how long they could stall their work.

I feel the need to explain my use of the word “servant.” Now of course, as I hope you have deduced, there are not legitimate “servants” in the castle. There are maids, butlers, and sanitary staff, and they are collectively referred to as the castle’s “servants.” Of course, all of the people on the castle staff are employed, full-time workers, working regular hours and getting paid their usual wage. I wanted to state this, in case anyone reading this ponders if the Equestrians condoned slavery. I’m quite sure that no one thought that, but it’s always better to be safe that sorry.

“Have you ever thought about what you want to do once you turn eighteen?” I asked Austin as we walked down the halls of the castle, slowing decreasing the amount of ice cream we each had.

“...not really,” he quickly responded.

“...”

“...”

“...you should probably do that,” I told him.

“And what about you? Do you know what you want to do?” he pressured me.

“No, no no no. Don’t turn this to me. I have something that I am involved with, and I think about what it is I want to do every day. I just... want to be sure you don’t run into the same problem that I did,” I said as I took another lick at my ice cream.

“And what’s that?” Austin asked me suspiciously.

“I... this whole thing with the guard. Again, I probably don’t need to be worrying about it, but it’s just so... AHHH!” I yelled. Austin jumped at my outburst.

“What? What happened?” he asked nervously.

“I don’t know! I don’t know what’s wrong! I just... it’s all happening so fast, but it doesn’t matter, right? Why would it matter at all!” I vented. Austin looked me up and down.

“What does that mean?” he asked me.

“You... don’t worry about it,” I said darkly, walking faster, making my way back to my room.

“I’m going to worry about it if you keep yelling,” he said as he caught up to me. I started walking faster to stay ahead of him.

“Don’t worry Austin, I’ll be fine,” I seethed through my teeth.

“Where did this even come from? You’re usually on top of everything, so why is this so bad all of a sudden?” he pressed. We rounded the corner to our rooms, and I quickly slipped into mine, dropping my unfinished cone onto the floor.

“Oh, sorry, goodnight!” I said with a mock smile as I shut and locked the door behind me, pressing my back against it. I heard Austin sigh, before he gave up and went to his room. I slid down the door, landing on my bottom with a large sigh. I brought my knees into my chest, wrapping my arms around them to hold them. I put my head into my knees... and just sat.

...

I briefly thought about some of the outbursts that I had been having lately. The first... with Windy. It was completely unwarranted, unexpected, and unnecessary. The mirror? The book I threw? The same, and what had just happened with Austin...

I was completely calm before all of this had happened, with no sense of anger or uneasiness in me. Yet for some reason, my emotions seemed to surface – almost randomly- in violent displays of either anger or aggression. There was no reason, no pattern, no trace of any idea.

A heard a ringing from my left, and I glanced over, only to see the edge of my bed. I thought for a moment, before the ringing in my ears suddenly became very clear, loud, and intrusive. I lowered my head again, closing my eyes in attempt to stop the ringing.

...stop...

All I could do was wait, so that’s what I did. I waited.

...stop...

The ringing started becoming more than simply annoying, and started moving into the realm of aggravating.

...stop.

I pushed myself up from my sitting position, and started walking towards the bathroom. Upon moving so suddenly, I found my vision starting to turn, and my head starting to ache. I grunted, gritting my teeth in pain.

Stop.

The word echoed throughout my mind, seemingly bouncing off of my brain to repeat itself over and over again.

I pushed open the door to the bathroom, stumbling over to the sink while I tried to keep my balance. The ringing was now deafening, and I gripped onto the sides of the mirrors to keep from falling over completely. I shut my eyes to keep the light from hurting me.

“...why the fuck... are...” I seethed through my teeth. I had no idea as to what was happening, but at this point, I didn’t really care. All I cared about was stopping the ringing.

I looked up, opening my eyes and glaring at my reflection.

Stop!

I looked down to my hands. I hadn’t realized it, but I had the sides of the sink in a death grip. I was clutching them as hard as I could, and I had no thoughts about letting go. Before anything else could happen...

“...what the fuck?” I managed to get out. Something was wrong with my hands. I looked back up, noting a slight glint in my eyes. My hands were...

There was magic, gathering around them, seemingly clinging to my fingers. I lifted one of them up, and the magic went with it.

Suddenly, some of the magic on my hand shot out as a ball, and collided with the bathroom wall, leaving a large singe mark. Immediately, I noticed some of the ringing stop. It got a little bit quieter. I gazed between my hands for a moment, before connecting the two ideas. I looked down to my sink, taking note of where my toothbrush, paste, and other amenities were. I threw a levitation spell at the paste, and once I felt it connect, I lifted. The paste went flying into the air, hitting the ceiling with a loud bump.

I turned, falling to my knees, and felt more and more magic starting to build up on my hands. I quickly realized that I needed to expend some of the built-up magic. I threw another levitation spell at my dresser, hoping that the weight would allow me to expend a large amount of magic quickly. I straightened out my back and threw both of my arms up. To my immense surprise, I found the large, wooden, solid dresser easy to lift. I held it in the air, noticing that the magic that had been building up on my hands had started to fade away, and was now retreating to somewhere I could not see.

I sat, on my knees, casting a levitation spell through my bathroom door on my dresser. Not the most ideal situation, but the ringing was slowly going away, and by this point, almost all of the magic that was on my hands had dissipated.

After an unknown amount of time, I felt the weight of the dresser becoming more and more apparent. When I had first cast the spell, it felt like I was lifting a feather. Now, it was becoming more and more obvious that I was lifting something that would likely crush me if I were to let it fall on me. It was with this thought in mind that I slowly began setting the dresser down, careful to not tip it over in any direction. Once I felt it connect with the ground, I let go of my spell. Suddenly, everything went black...

The only sensation that I had before I blacked out was my face colliding with the tile floor of my bathroom.

Author's Note

Believe it or not, I do try to write everyday, but the stress and business of college is really hindering my ability to deliver new chapters in a reasonable manner of time. Sorry for the long wait.