The deafening silence, a feeling of dismay, the quiet breaths of the mare that rested in her own hospital bed. Her helmet resting on the small table where some flowers and cards rested.

Austere could only hold his tongue as tears crawled down his face, only to get a soft hoof on the head that soon began to caress his mane. He froze up at the touch and swallowed his tongue refusing to sop as he stared down his grandmother whose gaze had turned to him.

"look who it is..." That ever-familiar tone had spoken, although the quiet it had brought along with it was uncomfortable as ever.

Austere had become quiet for that quick moment as he became lost in his memories, His expression was a weak smile as he thought to the reason he had come to the guard in the first place.

"She was an inspiration and yet there she lay, battered and bruised. When she needed it, she did not have one who could protect her. She merely smiled, looked me in the eye and said. Austere, I have a favor to ask of you." The stallion spoke opting to continue his tale.

The gazes from around softening as they listened intently to what he was telling them, his lips soon curling into a smile that was widening by the second.

"I want you to follow in this foalish mare's hooves and become an inspiration to the masses!" He spoke as a tear trailed down his face while he continued "To protect those who are powerless to save themselves, It will be hard. There will be times where you will feel as if you have been abandoned and broken, Times when you will want for nothing but to cry about how unfair it is. How hard it is to travel this path."

There were a few chuckles in the present crowd, the truth of the words coming to light among the company he now held. "There will be times when you are to do acts that will tear you up inside. Times when you must move past your personal feelings, times you will need to disobey even the princesses themselves...But it is when that happens that you do not lose that spark that you carry inside that precious little chest of yours."

Upon looking up, he had noticed that the dining hall of the barracks were now open. Standing beside Rainbow Dash was now a familiar orange mare, her trademark hat resting on her head. on the other side of the open door. A small collection of ponies and nobles. Friends. Loved ones.

"I had left not long after that, with a heavy heart, a burden on my shoulders. And yet, I would do it all again." he finished.

Another stallion had spoken up from the side, his helmet resting on the table in front of him. His red coat matched only by his fiery personality.

"It was around the time that he had met me, by Celestia. We all thought he be ejected from the guard within the first week." his voice gruff and loud, the pony gazing to Austere with that fire in his eyes. Merely to receive a nod while he sat down allowing the newcomer to continue the story.

The following week was torture to the young stallion as not long after that did his grandmother pass. His confidence stricken by the grief and yet he kept moving on, Nothing was to bring her back, nothing was to prevent such a thing.

He had occasionally visited his grandmother as she was getting off of work in the past, the steps familiar to him as his body carried him to the upper crust of Canterlot's society. Towards his fate. And into the path of his first friend.

The line at the recruitment office was short, for being the jewel of Equestria. There weren't many who would do the dirty work of cleaning the streets for the common-folk. and yet as he stood there, he could hear the nervous shaking of the pony behind him in the line.

"Hey, are you alright?" Austere said as he turned to face the pony behind him, his eyes meeting those of the fire red pony who appeared to freeze up at the interaction.

"H-How can you stand here and not feel anxious?" The stallion asked, his voice almost losing itself in the middle of his words, only to get a brave smile in response.

Austere took a moment to gather the words in his head, he had not thought of the nervousness of those in line. Their bodies tense, pleading for a way for the wait to end, their ears flicking.

"Because as I stand here and wait, I think of why I wish to serve, the reward for doing so. The happiness of the ponies you are protecting. One can only put on a brave face and give their fate a smile." The cyan pony spoke, his thoughts coming from his heart instead of his mind. He opted to continue.

"Because if I leave at the door, how will I be able to face my loved ones and say I tried." the words resonating within his heart as he put a hoof to his chest with a smile. "Everypony is nervous, but who does it help if we don't stand up and carry on."

Wait. Was it just his imagination or did the stallion stop shaking, and why was he staring at him like that? Had he overstepped his boundaries?

"Well spoken." He spoke with the brightness that even Celestia herself could not rival, he held his hoof up allowing Austere to bump his own against it. "I'm Metal Flame. What's your name?"

"A-Austere. Austere Muse!"

"I think it was his words that have brought many of us here today, the reminder of who we are, that we came here to help." Metal spoke as he took his mug in his hoof raising it to the air. "And yet he couldn't back those words up in basic training. the first time he picked up a spear, Celestia forbid anyone was near him at the time."

There was a round of laughter and applause as Metal continued on after drinking from his mug. "I learned that there is no point in hesitation when it comes to one's dream. Because there will always be one who will support you, and push you forward in your goal. The hopes of another are a strong dampener to doubts."

Austere nodded as he leaned his head back for but a moment before he put his hooves on the table before he spoke "Alright Everypony, we have an early morning tomorrow. Let us continue this little story tomorrow, Shall we?"

There were a few disappointed mumbles as they began to file out of the dining hall, Austere not moving from his seat as he stared into his cup, it had been a while since he had thought of this story, his own life story.

His expression softened into a smile as a small group of ponies approach his table before a question was posed by the one at the head.

"Tell me, my little pony. Was this path a blessing? Are you pleased with the outcome."

Author's Note

Funny how the words of one can support the journey of another.

If i had a message for you within this chapter:

When it comes to your dream, do not hesitate. Because only you can keep yourself from continuing down your own path.

well enough of the cheesy quotes from me, do tell me what you thought of the chapter, but i leave you with a question.

Can the words of one person, change the future of another? Can you help someone become the best they can truly be?

the next chapter, the split timeframes will merge as you learn of Austere's journey

what will his answer be to our ever-familiar princess. one can only find out by reading