A Heart of Silver

Flurry Heart rubbed her head. "But why? I mean yeah, there was that changeling that got into the Empire, but that was Thorax! He wouldn't hurt a fly. There's no need for a guard."

Cadance gave her daughter a disapproving look. "And don't forget when you were kidnapped by Chrysalis." Flurry Heart looked away from her mother and nodded slowly. She remembered that day even eighteen years later. She was scared. Not the horror movie kind of scared, instead the fear of death scared. Cadance wrapped a wing around her daughter comfortingly. "That's the biggest reason. Before your father could watch you on his own but now that you're more likely to go off on your own he wants somepony to be able to watch you for him. It's just one guard and from what I heard from Shining about how he introduced himself and what you just told me, I don't think he'll be too big a stick in the mud to you. So just please try and make this work, for your father and I. Please?"

Flurry huffed before looking at her mother and sighing. "Fine. But remember that I don't want him following me around all the time. I like my privacy."

"That's something you'll have to discuss with him yourself." Princess Cadance gave her daughter a kiss on the forehead and smiled. "Maybe you two could negotiate. Anyway, we're having soup for dinner."

"Ah, soup? Again? Really. We had that last week!"

"Well, you're the picky eater missy." With her last word in, Cadance left, leaving Flurry to think on her own.

I wonder if I really can convince him to not follow me all around. If anything, it's worth a shot. Flurry Heart looked herself in the mirror and tried to give a commanding look. but all she could achieve was making herself look silly- or just pissed off depending on what angle one looked at her from. Dammit. I'm never going to be able to lead this empire if I can't even make a look convincing enough to come from somepony in command.

Sighing and admitting defeat to her reflection, Flurry stepped out of her room and stood in front of the one to Silver Shield's room. Okay. Just walk in and tell him that although he is my bodyguard, he is not to follow me every single second of the day, regardless of my father's orders. Right. No, maybe that sounds too mean. Or he could say no to that and tell me that my dad already told him to ignore me if I did something like this.

Silver finally finished unpacking all his things. Sighing from content relief, Silver looked around the room, wondering what to do. Grabbing the tv remote, Silver turned it on and flipped through the channels. "Nightmare Before Heartswarming -a few months too early for that one, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Jigsaw, a Jigsaw marathon, RCIS Manehattan, don't know that one, or that one. Hmmm. Let's try searching for..."

Flurry Heart paced back and forth right outside the room, wondering how she was going to tell Silver Shield. Maybe asking nicely will do. No, niceties never worked with Gale at first. Then again, Gale is a completely different pony and different circumstance entirely. Okay, Flurry Heart, just go with your original plan. Tell him straight and simple. Steeling her resolve, Flurry Heart puffed out her chest to appear large and in charge but couldn't hold it very long before letting out all the air in one big gasp. Shaking her head, Flurry pushed the door open.

Sliver was still flipping through channels. Flurry felt her knees shaking somewhat and her voice seemed to be caught in her throat. After a few -to her- tense seconds, her voice finally found it's way out, "Silver Shield. I want you to know- I mean I -. Even though you're my bodyguard you don't- you are not to follow me around every second of the waking day."

Without looking away from the tv screen Silver replied, "First, Princess Flurry Heart, just Silver is fine. Second, how old are you?" Silver asked her, but he already knew the answer.

"Uh-ummm. Eighteen, almost nineteen."

"Exactly. You're not a toddler. So I won't treat you like one. I'm your bodyguard, not your babysitter." For some reason, if any other pony had said that to Flurry Heart, she felt like she would just get offended. But the tone that Silver said it in plus the smile he had that Flurry could see, made him seem not insulting in his wording, only matter-of-factly.

"Well, good then." Flurry straightened her stance. "Good we got that out of the way." Flurry turned to leave.

Silver suddenly realized something and spoke before Flurry Heart had left, "I only ask one thing, Princess Flurry Heart."

Flurry stopped and looked back at Silver over her shoulder. "What is that Silver Shield?"

"That when you do go somewhere, you tell me that you're going somewhere and where that place is. Whether or not I accompany you doesn't matter. It is still integral to my job that I can reach you quickly if need be and knowing where you are would help with that aspect. If not, then I will be required to go with you to wherever you go at all times."

"Okay. Okay. No need to be passive-aggressive about it."

"That wasn't passive-aggressive, at least, not intentionally. I honestly need to know that stuff, its all in what they drill into us during training. Either you tell me where you're going when you go somewhere or I accompany you, those are your two choices, Princess Flurry Heart." Silver looked over at the princess, the first time he'd done so during the entire conversation. For a moment he forgot how to speak. She was gorgeous. He knew that the princess's all had a certain standard of appearance to abide by, but either Flurry Heart's standard was extremely high, or she was just that beautiful. Stop staring Silver! You're her bodyguard, she personally chose you! You are to guard her, not date and certainly not gawk at her. At least try to act professionally!

Flurry Heart didn't like having to tell Silver Shield here whereabouts all the time, but she supposed it was a better choice than having him follow her around constantly. "I was just kidding about you being passive-aggressive. Well, I'm heading out to a cafe to eat with some friends of mine." Flurry Heart noticed the staring. Why is he staring? Is he trying to get a read on me?

Once again disguised, Flurry Heart entered the cafe again. Her friends were still sitting and chatting away at the same table they were at when she left earlier. "Good news," Flurry Heart said, taking a seat next to them. The three mares halted their conversation.

"Oh Skyla, back so soon?" Ruby asked her.

"Yeah. But good news, so even though I've been promoted the workload isn't very different. Or different at all now that I think of it."

"That's great," Lemon clapped her forehooves together and smiled. "But let's get down to the juicy stuff. So what was that group of new guards the captain was leading earlier about?" Lemon had the look of a cat playing with its food on her face.

"Just some new guards." Flurry waved the question off like it wasn't of any importance. Lemon's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Oh no, there is definitely something more to that. Tell us, oh, and think you can hook one of them up with me? They all looked like some prime material there. I bet some of them have some serious mileage with their spears." Lemon Zest waved her abdomen in a circle before her head was beset by a book dope slap, curtsey of Ruby.

"Lemon Zest, we're in a restaurant. A public restaurant. There are kids around." Chalk Dust hissed at her inappropriate friend. Lemon Zest looked hurt, emotionally, way too much; and offended.

"What? I said spear, not like I said-" Lemon Zest looked around to see how close the closest kid was before continuing, "-dicks. But of course, that's what I meant." Lemon Zest crossed her hooves and smiled triumphantly. Ruby just gave her another whack on the head with her book. "Okay, okay, fine." Lemon then leaned her head against Flurry's shoulder. "So, how about that offer?"

Flurry Heart rolled her eyes and pushed her friend's head back. "I told you, it's just a new set of guards."

"You heard her, Lemon," Chalk Dust told Lemon Zest. "However, there was that one guard that was trailing behind."

"You mean the one that had different looking armor?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah. What was up with that one, Skyla?" Chalk Dust asked Flurry Heart quizzically.

"I don't know. Like I said, they're just a new group of guards. Maybe I'll have something more about them and why they're here later, but for now, I don't know a damned thing." Flurry Heart closed her eyes, raised her hooves in a shrug, shook her head, and sighed. "Hey, am I right to assume that you girls haven't had the chance to tell Gale yet?"

"You are correct," Chalk Dust replied in a teacher-like tone of voice.

"Okay, well don't. It isn't needed now."

"Thank you captain obvious," Lemon Zest joked at Flurry. "We sorta figured that one when you told us that nothing really changed from your promotion."

"Thanks. Anyway, what are you girls working on at the moment?" Flurry Heart said, wanting to keep up with her friends. "You girls have heard my career news, so tell me yours."

Chalk Dust practically beamed with joy at the suggestion. "Well, I'm being considered for a position at CEU." Chalk Dust said it with an air of obvious faux royalty. She loved to talk about her dream of being a professor. The four mares clapped, oohed, and awed at her announcement. "Of course it's only an assistant teacher aid, but you gotta start somewhere," Chalk said with a shrug and a smile.

"Sorry to let you down girls, but I'm still just a garbage girl at the restaurant." Lemon Zest shrugged. "Wait. Skyla, Chalk Dust. Both of you, rub me now. Maybe your good luck will rub off on me." Lemon leaned onto the table. "So rub me good," she added in an explicit manner, earning yet another book-powered dope slap from Ruby. "Hey. What about you Ruby?" Ruby put down her book and looked at the others, who were all looking at her expectantly. "Or have you ever gotten one yet?"

"No," Ruby said quite simply and resumed where she left off in her book.

"No? Really Ruby. Okay, put the damn book down," demanded Lemon Zest. Ruby complied if only to get this over with. This happened every time the conversation shifted to their careers- or in Ruby's case, lack of career.

"Why not?" Chalk Dust asked, hooves crossed and a disappointed scowl on her face.

"Still looking for one. But no pony's hiring right now." Ruby told them and raised her book but Chalk Dust trapped it under her wing.

"No, there are businesses hiring, you just haven't been looking."

Even Flurry Heart got in. "Ruby, you can't just live off your parent's forever."

~Next Day~

Silver smacked his lips. He looked over at the clock. "9 in the morning! No, vait, that's 6." Silver yawned and dropped from his hanging sleep. Silver slinked quietly to his bathroom. After letting the sink fill itself with water, Silver dunked his head into the sink. The cold water fully kicked him awake. Reaching over for a towel, he dried off his face. In the mirror his eyes were narrow and his mane and tail were messy, like a bunch of tied cords and cables messy. Taking the brush, he brushed down his tail and mane. Even after that, large parts of his mane and tail still spiked out around the edges. Gelling his mane and tail, Silver tried to not gag. "Hate this stuff."

Continuing through his morning routine, Silver brushed his teeth, stared at the mirror until his eyes dilated, and covered his lisp. "I vant that apple. I vant that apple. I. Want. That. Apple. I want that apple." Finally, Silver started to pop his neck, wings, and hooves. After content that his morning routine was finished, Silver put now his armor. He opened his door but was stopped in his tracks by a rumbling in his stomach.

"Sounds like somepony's hungry."

Silver looked towards the voice. It was Princess Flurry Heart. She was wearing a robe and sipping from a levitated mug of coffee. "I just got up."

"Me too," Flurry Heart spoke in midst of a yawn. "I'm going to get something for breakfast, you coming?"

Princess Cadence, Shining Armor, and Princess Flurry Heart sat at the dining room table. Countless castle servants whisked in and out of the room, taking empty plates and cups, and leaving filled cups and more for in their place. Silver meanwhile stood a bit back, trying to keep his eyes open. He felt like it was too early to be up yet. Come on Silver! You have a job to fulfill now, protecting Princess Flurry Heart. Oh, why did she pick me?

"Stuck on another word, honey?" Cadance asked, looking over her husband's shoulder at the crossword he was doing.

"Yeah," he said dejectedly as if this was that common of an occurrence that he couldn't try to fake that he knew the crossword's answer. "It's 'Well who are you going to believe, me or your own eyes?'"

"Oh, that one's tricky. It sounds familiar but I can't put a hoof on where." Princess Cadance tapped her head lightly, thinking.

In a moment of sudden wakefulness, Silver couldn't help but blurt out, "Duck Soup." Cadance, Flurry Heart, and Shining Armor all looked at Silver. A red blush of embarrassment spread across his face. "It-its from Duck Soup. 1933 by the Marx Brothers."

Shining looked down at the crossword and counted out the blocks. "It fits, entirely. That's it," he said

"1933? How did you know that Silver Shield?" Flurry Heart asked perplexed.

"I-uh, watch way too many movies." Silver answered while trying his best not to look at any of the three royals in the eyes. Shining Armor looked almost angered that Silver Shield spoke so abruptly but was curious how much Silver actually knew. Princess Cadance was one step ahead of her husband though.

"Feather Duster, bring me that special movie quote crossword puzzle from last month." One of the maids nodded and trotted off to retrieve the paper. "So, how well do you know movies Silver?"

"Umm, too well, your highness."

"Oh, just Cadance is fine." The maid returned with the crossword puzzle and Cadance cracked a smile as she started. "There can only be one."

"Highlander."

"Frankly, my dear, I-"

"don't give a damn. Gone with the Wind.

"Love means you never have to say you're sorry."

"Love Story."

"A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti."

"Silence of the Lambs."

"Stella! Hey, Stella!"

"A Streetcar Named Desire."

"DRY LAND IS NOT A MYTH! I HAVE SEEN IT!"

"Tricky one that is. While many ponies have famously attributed it to the 1996 film Waterwold, it is never actually spoken in the film."

"He's right." Princess Cadance felt herself smile, maybe her daughter will get along with this new guard quite nicely.