Twilight sighed as she looked at the pony across from her. "Are you sure about this?"
Tempest Shadow, or Fizzlepop Berrytwist to her friends, nodded. "I mean it, Twilight. I'm trying to get away from the military. Only a delusional idiot would think I would want to get back into it."
Twilight nodded. She could see the unicorn meant it as well. "Did you at least look at the Royal Guard?"
Tempest rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I did. Frankly, the level of incompetence and stupid at almost every level is beyond even what I thought. And after what you said your brother did during your Sibling Supreme, I question how and why he made Captain. Princess Celestia should not have ruled for as long as she did with these idiots protecting her."
She shook her head. "If I knew more about this... highest tier, then I might be able to say more."
Twilight shook her head. "You know I can't tell you anything about that, Fizzlepop. I'm skirting a fine line in letting you know that it even exists as it is."
Tempest rolled her eyes, but she could see that she wasn't going to get any more out of her friend about it. "Then I stand by what I said earlier. The Royal Guard is a pathetic joke. And frankly, I think your brother only rose as high as he did because of his relationship with Princess Cadance, and that he is your brother."
Twilight sighed. As much as she wanted to fight Tempest on this, and especially about her brother, the facts said otherwise. The Royal Guard was a joke. And not even a funny one at that. "Could it be fixed?"
Tempest shrugged. "Maybe. But it would take years to do so. And by someone who didn't grow up in its culture. More years than I've got, even if I wanted to."
Twilight nodded, a small smile forming. "Well. If you ever change your mind, you are more than welcome to join. And you'll always have a place in Ponyville or Canterlot."
Tempest smiled as she turned to leave. "Thanks, Twilight." Before slipping out the door.
As she left, Twilight groaned. "That's the last time I listen to Cadance about this sort of thing. I told her Fizzlepop didn't want it. But no!" She grumbled, thumping her head on the desk in her Study, which had once been Princess Celestia's own Study in fact.
She sighed as she looked out a nearby window. The sun was getting lower now, and it would soon be time for her to lower it and raise the moon. A task that was becoming surprisingly easy as the days wore on. Maybe it was just her new position or something. Moving the sun and moon hadn't come with an instruction manual.
Her eyes though were drawn to the distant town of Ponyville. From this high up, Twilight could just make out the Castle of Friendship. Her smile grew. It would be great to be home again. A break from the hustle and bustle of Canterlot.
But she still had several things to do before she could head home. No matter how much she wanted to just drop it all and teleport herself and Spike back there right this instant. Right now though, she was supposed to see a Pegasus mare about something.
Twilight frowned as she took out a slip of paper. She didn't know much about who she was supposed to meet with. Only that Blade Dancer, as the mare was called, was only supposed to meet Twilight herself. Which alone was strange. Why was it only going to be the two of them? Spike was off with Raven Inkwell helping to set up everything so that Twilight could rule from both Ponyville and Canterlot and the movement of staff to the Castle of Friendship.
Twilight didn't envy him in that regard. She knew how hard this was going to be to manage. But she had faith in her Number One Assistant.
A knock at the door brought her back to the present, and she shook her head as she put on her best smile. "Come in," she called, readying herself for whatever might come next. What she saw took her breath away.
The Pegasus mare walked with a style and grace that reminded Twilight of a ballerina. Her dazzling blue eyes stood out next to her off-white pearl-colored coat. Her mane and tail were a dark rose red, her tail straight and perfectly flowing off her form, while her mane came down past her shoulders and covered the left side of her face just right. Her cutie mark was a pair of silver wingblades that twirled around each other.
Now, it had never been much of a secret to those that knew her that Twilight had always preferred mares over stallions. And by the way the Pegasus smiled coyly and winked at the princess, she knew the effect she was having on her. "With all due respect, Princess Twilight. I do believe that it is impolite to stare at ponies like that," she said, barely hiding the laughter behind the statement.
Twilight blushed furiously, as she realized she had been staring. Oh, this was off to a great start, she snarked to herself. "Um. Yes. Sorry about that. Can we start over, please? Blade Dancer, I presume?"
The mare giggled as she stood to attention. "Indeed. Blade Dancer at your service, My Lady."
Twilight's blush grew at the use of that title. Her brows rose in surprise as she saw the symbol on Blade's armor. One she had never expected to see. "Should I call you by your full rank then, Knight Paladin of the First Order, Blade Dancer?"
Now it was Blade's turn to blush. "Please don't. It's a mouthful to remember, and I still don't think I deserve it."
Twilight blinked. She hadn't expected that. "Why? Very few ponies have ever worn that badge. And last I remember, no mare ever had. You have to perform something incredible and vital to Equestria to earn it. Or you must go above and beyond what the Royal Guard does. Only a princess can award it. And only a princess can command a Knight Paladin."
Blade nodded, smiling a little. "That is true. Princess Luna gave this to me after I helped put down a rather impudent and really poorly thought out attempt on her life by some deranged cultists trying to bring back Nightmare Moon. But any of my squad could have done the same. I was only doing my duty. Nothing more."
Twilight shook her head. "It's not nothing, Blade. I can't say I know her super well. But if Luna gave you that title, then she meant it from the bottom of her heart. And don't you let her hear you say otherwise."
Blade only looked away shyly. As much as she wanted to argue the point, her training was too strong, and so she kept it to herself. And there was just something about how Twilight put things into words that, even if she could, she might not want to argue with them. They were so compelling.
After a moment, Twilight seemed to come back to reality. "So, um. Was there something you needed to see me about?"
Blade blinked, remembering why she was here as she rummaged around in her saddlebags. "There is in fact. A matter that you have been ignoring for some time now in fact," she said as she pulled a medal and slid it across to Twilight. "I'm sure you know of what this is."
Twilight blinked as she looked at it. On it was her cutie mark, and below it was Blade Dancer's own. The two seemed to intertwine even as she looked at it, the wingblades folding protectively over Twilight's starburst. As she touched it, she felt a small jolt shoot through her. It didn't hurt. But it confirmed what Twilight suspected.
Mithral, and in its purest form as well. Very few ponies could work it in this form, and it was only used in very select cases as a result. One of which was the medal a princess got from... her...
Twilight looked at Blade dancer again, her heart racing. "Is this what I think it is?"
The Pegasus nodded. "As of now, Knight Paladin Blade Dancer is the Life Guard of High Princess Twilight Sparkle. Until death takes me, or till time itself is unmade, I will stand by your side. None may hinder me in the execution of my duties. None may command me other than Princess Twilight. Thus I swear on the Armor of Eternity and the Prime Magic."
Twilight felt the magic in the room rise. She knew what swearing on the Prime Magic itself meant. Elder Magic, the most powerful magic known to exist. Any oaths swore on it were more binding and everlasting than even the most carefully worded contract written by the sleaziest lawyer.
There was just one problem. "I never asked for a Life Guard," Twilight grumbled, her brows coming together. "Whose idea was this?"
Blade nodded. "Your brother's. He's been worried sick about you since the Battle of the Bell. He assigned me personally."
Twilight pointed a hoof at her, a triumphant smirk on her face. "AHA! He can't do that! Only a princess can command a Knight Paladin like that. And only Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have command over those of the First Order."
Blade nodded, her smile falling as she saw Twilight's reaction. "They gave their consent right before your coronation and gave the order themselves." She shook her head. "Your brother cares about you, Twilight. He wouldn't have done this if he didn't think it was the right thing to do."
Twilight blanched as she heard the hurt in Blade's voice. If she was being honest, her near-death at the hands of the Legion of Doom had made her realize how much danger she was in, and how easily she or her friends could have been killed long before now. "Why didn't they say something?"
Blade rolled her eyes. "Because they knew you would have this reaction, and fight it to no end if you knew about it before it was done."
Twilight couldn't argue with that, for it was true.
Blade shook her head and stood to her full height. "My oath is sworn, Princess Twilight. Whether you like it or not, I am your Life Guard now. That will never change. I can only hope that you see that we all care for you, and only want you to be safe."
Twilight's heart dropped like a boulder as Blade walked toward the door to stand guard. She saw the dejection in the other mare's pace, though she hid it well, and it made her heart break. "Blade, wait," she called, stopping the Pegasus in her tracks.
"Yes, your highness?" Blade asked stiffly.
Twilight's ears fell as she sighed. "Please. Don't call me that. None of my friends should ever have a need to call me that."
Blade didn't respond, but Twilight noticed a slight air of hope to her now. Twilight shook her head. "I'm sorry for yelling at you like that. It's not fair to you or me. And you're right." She sighed as she stood up. "Shinny does care about me. He always has. Heck, he got his cutie mark protecting me as a filly. And I know Celestia and Luna both care about me."
Blade almost held her breath as the princess picked up the medal and walked over to her. "You shouldn't have to be caught in the middle of this, Blade. I'll be having words with all of them when I get the chance." Her smile grew as she held it up between them. "I don't want somepony protecting me because of some duty, or Elder Magic, or whatever. I want them to do so because they care about me. That they care about me, not as the Princess. But as Twilight Sparkle."
Blade looked more hopeful now. "Then?" She asked.
Twilight smiled sheepishly. "I think we got off on the wrong hoof. Shall we start over?" She asked, igniting her horn, and holding the medal between the two of them.
Blade Dancer bowed on her knees. "Then accept my service, Princess Twilight Sparkle. And know that as long as there is breath in my body, no harm will come to you. This I swear."
Twilight nodded solemnly as she floated the medal around Blade's neck, a necklace materializing around it as she did. "I accept your service. Arise, Blade Dancer. Knight Paladin. And Life Guard for Princess Twilight Sparkle."
Blade bowed her head, as the two of them felt the magic take hold and bind them together. After a moment, Twilight and Blade felt the bond lock home before it vanished from their immediate thoughts, though both could still feel it.
By the time Blade Dancer got back to her hooves, both her and Twilight were smiling.
Author's Note
First off. Yes, this is Blade Dancer from The Bridge by Tarbtano. But this story has nothing at all to do with the Almagam'verse. I just used the Pegasus in question. She is owned by MLP_BladeDancer.
Second. This is a complete and utter reboot of my old A Silverlight Kind of Love story. It just wasn't working as it was, as several people pointed out in the comments. So I took it down. Here is, what I hope will be, the better version.
