I saluted as Princess Celestia strolled past me, a small purple and green dragonet planted firmly between her wings. I blinked.
“Princess?” She stopped, and turned to look at me.
“Yes, Captain Armor?”
“You have a dragon on your back.” She giggled, then nuzzled the dragonet between the eyes.
“This is Spike. Say hello, Spike!”
“Ho.” I suppressed a chuckle.
“Captain Shining Armor, at your service.” I inclined my head towards Spike, who clapped his claws and giggled.
“A-mor”
“As lovely as this chance encounter has been, Captain, I am afraid I must return to my duties. Time stops for no one, not even the princess.” I saluted. “Come along, Spike, there’s work to be done.” She strode off, the baby dragon on her back sucking on his tail. I shook my head, then returned to my patrol of the castle.
Each and every hall was decked out in Hearth’s Warming splendour, and snow fell from the ceiling before dissipating as it touched an invisible barrier.
One of the maids had cornered Private River Hoof, levitating a sprig of mistletoe over their heads. I grinned and quickened my pace, slipping around a corner before either of them noticed me.
As I rounded the corner, I heard a faint sound, like that of a crying foal. I paused, ears perked. The cry came again, and I trotted towards it. As I drew closer to the source of the noise, I slowed, charged a shield spell, then cast a scry spell around the corner.
The scry spell revealed the dragonet from hours before, sitting in front of a closed door, bawling his eyes out. I lowered my shield spell, then walked around the corner. As I approached him, the tears slowed, then stopped when I got within a tail-length of him.
“A-mor?” He cocked his head and sniffled.
“Yep, that’s me.” I sat down beside him, pulling him into me with a foreleg. “What’s wrong?”
“Ca-dan biz.” I puzzled through it.
“Cadance is busy?” He nodded, and snuggled closer to me. “Why do you need Cadance? Why not Princess Celestia?”
“Celst biz. Ca-dan sis. Miz Ca-dan” Celestia is busy. Cadance is my sister. I miss Cadance.
“Okay. I don’t know where Cadance is, but we can go see if A La Carte has any cookies for good dragons.” Spike clapped his claws together. I stood up, and lifted him onto my back with my magic, where he grabbed onto by backplate, working his fingers under the lip to hold on to my slick armor. We set off down the hall, towards the west wing kitchens, Spike burbling on my back.
As we passed through the main atrium, Corporal Sparrow Dawn shot me a look.
“Something wrong, Corporal?”
“No, sir.” He snapped a salute. “Everything’s just fine. No problems here.” His eyes flicked over my shoulder to Spike, who was happily chewing on his fingers, then back to my face. I gave a curt nod. “Good. Keep it up.” I saluted, then continued on my journey for cookies.
A La Carte laughed when I appeared in his doorway with a sheepish grin, explaining why the Captain of the Royal Guard was in the kitchens, and with a dragon on his back, no less!
“Shining Armor? Why, I haven’t seen you since you was a little colt!” He gestured with his hoof, about halfway up to his withers. I had forgotten about that. My father and he used to be as close as two could be.
“Cookie?” Spike looked at the head chef. A La Carte laughed again, and hoofed us each a chocolate cookie, patting Spike on the headfin as he did so.
“Now shoo! If Celestia found out about this she’d demand that she get cakes all the time!” A La Carte made exaggerated shooing gestures at us, and Spike giggled around his treat.
“Carte, before I go, do you know where I might find Cadance?”
“Why do you need her?”
“Spike said she was his sister.”
“Ca-dan sis.” Spike nodded in agreement. A La Carte rubbed his stubble with a hoof, pondering.
“Could be in the east wing. That’s where her room is, at least.” I groaned.
“Alright, thanks Carte.” He clapped me on the shoulder.
“Take care, and don’t be a stranger!”
Spike had finished his cookie by the time we reached the main hall, and had started eyeing my own. I levitated it over to him, and he eagerly grabbed it. I chuckled. Corporal Sparrow Dawn looked over at us, then resumed the stoic royal guard pose. I paused in front of him.
“Corporal Sparrow Dawn?”
“Sir, yes sir!” He barked.
“At ease, soldier. Do you have a family? A marefriend, a wife? Kids, maybe?” He blinked at me.
“Aye. My wife works in Lower Canterlot, and I’ve got two foals.”
“Take the rest of the week off. Spend some time with your loved ones.” I gestured to the holiday splendour of the castle, then to Spike. “Holidays are for spending time with your families.” He saluted.
“Sir, yes, sir!”
Spike yawned, leaning forward against my helmet. Readjusting him on my back, I turned the corner into the easternmost part of the castle, only to run into Cadance, Princess Celestia’s personal student, and the Princess of Love.
“Oops, I’m so sorry about that.” She gasped as she spotted Spike on my back. “Oh, there he is! Celestia was supposed to have him today!”
“She had a meeting of some sort.” I rubbed the back of my neck as she levitated him over to her. “He’s an angel.”
She snorted. “No, he’s a dragon. But he is awfully sweet, isn’t he?”
“He is.” I agreed.
“Thank you so much for looking after him, Captain…”
“Shining Armor.”
“Captain Shining Armor.” She nodded to me then turned back the way she had come from. I hesitated for a moment, then called after her.
“If you need someone to look after him, I’d love to spend more time with him.” She turned.
“I’ll keep that in mind, Captain Armor.”
