The Princess' New Bodyguard

Misty stared down at her hooves against the cold, violet floor of her home. In front of her, Opaline paced about in a wide circle in front of her throne. Moonlight stole the green of the windows behind the throne and spread across Opaline’s face like a hood.

For the past five minutes, Opaline had mostly been muttering to herself. Whenever Misty tried to leave, she snapped and demanded she stay in place. Misty was used to being sent away when Opaline was like this.

“I think you’re ready,” Opaline said. “I have a new job for you, Misty.”

“Yes!” Her voice came out a little too strong. “I mean– thank you. Anything for you, Opaline.”

“Sit.”

Misty sat in place.

Dull smoke rose from Opaline’s horn. It curled into a round shape and took form as a floating, round amulet made of light. The amulet rotated between its two sides. On one side, an illustration of the sun outlined an orange gemstone cut like the top of a diamond. On the other, a crescent moon and stars curved around a purple gemstone cut the same way.

Opaline clicked her teeth, staring up at it. “Ever since that Twi-light Sparkle began her rule of Equestria, the Eclipse Amulet was empowered to control the sun and moon by itself. And ever since magic returned, the ponies have kept it within Maretime Palace. Even if anyone reached to take it, the amulet’s power could sense ill intent and blow them to smithereens.”

“But what do you want me to do?” Misty asked.

Opaline smiled. “Well Misty, I want you to save the world.”

Opaline walked past Misty’s shoulder.

“Uh, what?” Misty asked. “Save the world? Me?”

“No, you fool. I’ll be saving the world. You’re a toold I’ll be using to do it.”

“Oh, uh… Right. Of course, Opaline.” Misty straightened out. “But, uh, from what?”

Opaline kept her face turned away. “After many moons, the amulet’s power needs to be recalibrated to match the changes within the cosmos. Only a true alicorn can handle that kind of magic. Their princess, Sunny Starscout…” Opaline faced Misty and flared her wings. “Well, she’s a novice. She doesn’t know the true power of my kind. By the time they realize what needs to be done, it will be too late for them. You are going to fetch that amulet for me, Misty. And once you infiltrate as a palace guard, you’ll have plenty of time to frolic around and find it.”

Opaline walked past Misty again and faced her throne. The light of dawn struggled to reach down its back, but never quite made it to the seat.

Misty raised a hoof in front of her chin. “Um, Opaline?”

“Yes?” she hummed.

“Uh, I don’t think I could fit in as a guard,” Misty said. “I mean, it’s just that, well, you didn’t let me eat for two days this week when I brought back those rotten shadowberries. Which I deserved!” she added quickly. “The, uh, punishment… But, um, I don’t think I’m big enough because I’m sort of underweight right now? And guards are supposed to be big and strong, right?”

Opaline turned the side of her mouth towards Misty. “I don’t care if you have to shove pillows in your shoulder pads. Make it happen.”

“Y-yes Opaline.”

“Good. Now, I have a set of old armor that should work for a pinch. It’s not up to date, but it should get your hoof in the door for tryouts. After that, I expect you to read a book cover to cover on expected decorum, and to remember all of it.” She stomped her hoof and leered down at Misty. “But bear in mind I won’t be there to handle everything for you like I usually do. If this Sunny Starscout catches on, she’ll think you’re trying to destroy the very balance of nature itself. If you get on the receiving end of the punishment that follows, I’m not going to make up for your failure. You have three days to perfect your mannerisms before you set off. Use them wisely.”

Opaline stood in silence.

“Well?” Opaline asked. “Get to it.”

“Right,” Misty said, “It’s just, um, Opaline?

“What?” she growled.

“Can I have a snack?”

“No!”

“S-sorry!”

Misty scampered off.

Misty spent her three days eating, sleeping, and reading. Given that she still couldn’t eat much, after six hundred dense pages, her head felt like it was splitting.

At dinner, Misty stared down a bowl of murky soup on a long table in front of her. Part of her brain couldn’t tell if it was food to eat or words to read. Either way, a fog rolled in through her head.

“No no no no no!”

Misty’s head smacked the table. Soup dripped down her horn to the top of her lips. Opaline rushed over with her mouth hanging open.

“I-I’m okay!” Misty sputtered.

Opaline sped over, reached out her hoof for Misty’s face, and shoved her chair back. “My favorite cereal bowl! Do you have any idea how much that cost?”

“Sorry, I–”

“Go to your room!”

Misty did so, and she passed out on her bed instead.

A clock kept track of the time Misty didn’t have the fortitude to think about. When it rang to wake her up for the third morning, she knew it was time.

Misty had piled up the armor in her room’s corner. Worn patches of gray corrupted large portions of its gold surface. The chanfron fit tight on her face and squeaked when she wrinkled her nose. She stuffed her mane under the crinet and put on the rest. Stiff, dark cloth covered most of her body. Metal surrounded her hooves and arched a short way up her legs in the pattern of flames. Another piece of armor fit around her neck like a long necklace, complete with a faded blue star. The last metal pieces fit on her back and around where her cutie mark would be, if she had one.

Misty checked herself over with a little spin in front of the mirror. The armor didn’t leave many features visible. It cut off the view of her eyelashes, obscured her freckles, and let her make her curly tail look more like an unnoticeable nub. If someone with a few matching traits replaced her, anypony watching might not even notice. It turned her into a ghost.

She liked it. No one would look at her this way.

With everything settled, Misty approached Opaline’s throne for one last check-in before she left. She stared down at her hoofs, acutely aware of every metallic click her steps made.

“Oh my, aren’t you just gorgeous!”

Misty’s ears flicked. She looked up wide-eyed. “Uh…”

Opaline laid on her side on her throne with a mirror in hoof. She angled her face to check how her own smile appeared at different angles. Misty tilted her head.

“Honestly, how do I do it, Misty?” Opaline sighed wistfully. “This truly is the picture of perfection.” She set the mirror aside and glowered up and down at Misty’s form. “Oh… That’s hideous. You’ll fit right in. Now, show me your bow?”

Misty raised her front right hoof, lowered her head, and shuttered her eyes. After a few seconds, she returned to standing.

Opaline smiled. “Well Misty, you are marketably less irritating this way.” She frowned. “But be warned, that material may be outdated as well. If you want to fit in, pay attention to what other ponies are doing and adapt to your surroundings. Be smart for once. And try not to bumble around like you usually do.

“And remember, Misty, if I can’t fix the Eclipse Amulet, nopony else can. If you do this for me,” she glanced past Misy’s face, “I’ll grant you that cutie mark.”

Misty’s heart soared. “Yes, Opaline! I, uh, won’t let you down!”

“You’d better not.”

With that final warning, Misty set off.

Past the bridge into Opaline’s castle, thick woods cornered it off from the rest of the world. Misty followed a dirt path carved out of the weeds by her own hoofs. No one ever came out to here, but beyond the woods, ponies could be anywhere. If Misty wanted to blend in, she’d need to figure out the details about tryouts quick; conversations could get strange if she didn’t.

Luckily, Opaline planned out the day Misty left. Tryouts took place en masse around the start of spring, Misty had been too afraid to ask how long Opaline had planned this, or how much time she had to complete her mission. “As quickly as possible,” would probably be Opaline’s answer, knowing her.

Maretime Palace loomed over a town from a cliff’s edge. It stood as a stone behemoth against the view of the sea. The flag of Unity blotted out the sun, and its towers cast shadows along marble walkways leading to its gates. Even though a long grassland stood between Misty and those gates, their imposing arches felt like they would crush her for a dirty look.

Misty wouldn’t head there yet. Tryouts took place in the town below, and they were known for being picky. From what little info the book offered about them, they always accounted for what the current ruler wanted from those in their service. Sunny Starscout was new. Misty had to be ready for anything.

Some type of festival was going on; streamers with the Unity Flag lined every brick street. Misty measured every step to avoid smacking into another pony. Instead of wandering around, she locked in on other ponies in armor and followed them through winding streets and mazes of storefronts.

The ponies in gold armor gathered around a fountain. A lavender unicorn with a long, blue mane paraded on the fountain’s wall. Her high voice reached every set of ears nearby, but in the back, not even Misty could make out enough words to know what was going on. She turned to a dull-red stallion next to her.

“Is this tryouts?” Misty whispered.

The pony nodded. Misty nodded back her gratitude. She could figure out what it was about by following along.

Everyone around her, some in armor, most not, aligned into rows. Little white boxes were drawn with chalk on the ground. When Misty looked around and imagined how the scene would look from the air, it seemed like some kind of race. After a loud snap, ponies around her started to jog. Misty joined them.

Ponies split into running groups fast. Within the first two minutes, Misty watched everyone else fall behind, except for a bunch of armored ponies around her. With fewer ponies around, she could see the wide streets their path took and the rows of cones and barriers that marked it. Ponies on either side of the street waved from behind barriers. Misty kept her eyes pointed ahead.

The path wound to a forested, quieter area.

Shadows of leaves passed over Misty’s hooves as she stared at them. The constant jangle of the other racers' hooves on the soil guided her onward. Misty started to sweat under her armor’s black cloth. None of the other ponies had the same cloth coverings. It ruined how well she blended in, but no one had cast her a dirty or strange look for it yet. It hid more of her features than their armor. Maybe that would help.

This was nothing compared to the miles Misty had to run for Opaline whenever she screwed up. She could pick up the pace, but to fit in, being the best wouldn’t help. It was hard to tell the requirements to qualify, but given the small amount of ponies around, maybe fourth or fifth place would make it.

“Gah!”

Metal clanged. Misty looked up from the ground.

A yellow stallion a few paces ahead had fallen on the path. Ponies around him shifted to the sides and jogged past. Misty’s hooves stamped down on the dirt next to him and stuck in place. She looked between him and the path ahead, where the rest of the ponies were running.

A red stallion paused with his legs trotting in place. “Hey, newbie!” he called. “If you wanna be one of us, you’d better focus on what’s really important here.”

The stallion continued one and caught up to the rest of them. If Misty didn’t want to fall behind, she needed to follow.

The yellow stallion next to Misty’s hooves shifted around. As he tried to stand up, Misty caught a clear view of a dark, purple mark on the side of his leg. His leg buckled under any amount of weight. Misty trotted up next to him.

“Are you okay?” Misty asked.

The stallion took off his helmet. A wave of a green mane fell behind his head. He squinted up at Misty and shaded his towny eyes from the sun.

“Not really,” he admitted. “Think you can help me get back to town?” he flinched again. “Oh, wait. You’re in the race. It’s alright. I can try and get back myself…”

Misty wished that were true. That way, she could continue the race with a clean conscience. But she didn’t believe him.

Opaline would be so mad.

“I’ll help you!” Misty said. “I mean, i-if you want…”

“Are you sure?” he asked. He looked down the forested road towards the disappearing group. “You’ve got to keep up with them to get a good grade for this activity. That’s your chance.”

Misty knew that, but she imagined what it’d feel like to be left out like this by everyone, in the dirt and hurt. Living with Opaline, it wasn’t a far leap from what she was used to.

She had to. “Y-yes!” Misty said. “I’ll help you back. Uh…”

Misty paced between different angles in front of him. Leaning against his shoulder to balance his weight might seem weird, and she couldn’t think of any other position to help from. Maybe the simplest way would work.

Misty bent her head down, slid her horn under his side, and lifted. With the help of a little magic for balance, the stallion ended up square on her back and easy to walk with.

“Wow,” he uttered. “You’re a tough one.”

He was half the size of Opaline’s purse, even if he was bigger than her. “It’s no problem,” Misty said. “So, uh, I’m not from around here… Do you know where the hospital is?”

“I know someone who can patch me up fine. I know an easier way back to the fountain thataway.”

The stallion raised a hoof and pointed. Past a wall of bushes, Misty noticed another path through the woods. She used her magic to push the bushes aside and squeeze through. Branches and leaves poked at her sides, but the path served well enough.

“I really appreciate this,” the stallion said. “What’s your name?”

Should she lie? “It’s, uh, Misty.” She answered before she could think it through. No going back now. At least he didn’t know Misty was her real name.

“Well, Misty, congratulations!”

“Uh… On what?”’

“You passed the test!”

The path opened up to a small clearing. The lavender mare from the fountain stood there, along with the red stallion Misty saw during the race just moments earlier. The yellow stallion hopped off Misty’s back and walked forward. This time, his leg didn’t buckle.

“W-what’s going on?” Misty took steps back. She’d been tricked.

The stallion she carried turned his head back. “You passed the test!” he repeated.

“Uh, the test?” Misty asked. “For what?”

“Well,” the lavender mare started, “the race itself is to test how well ponies can complete the challenge. But if you want to be a guard inside the palace, you have to complete the test of character!”

“Test of character?” Misty’s shoulders eased. “Uh, what’s that mean?”

“It means the type of pony willing to take responsibility for another pony in need is exactly who we’re looking for.”

Misty stared. Everything she read about tryouts talked about the feats of strength. Either the pony who wrote it didn’t pass, or times had changed. She got lucky.

“Nice to meet you, Misty,” the yellow stallion said. “I’m Captain Hitch. That’s Captain Izzy.” He gestured to the lavender mare. “And that’s Sprout.”

“It’s alright,” Sprout said, “Now that the test’s over, you can just leave him next time.”

Hitch nudged Sprout with his shoulder and smiled.

“But, wait, what about all of those other ponies who were running?” Misty asked. “I mean, some of them may not have stopped only because I did…”

“We have more tests set up for them.” Hitch smiled. “We’ve only done this for about two years, but we’ve got a lot of ideas set up. No need to worry about opportunities for the others.

“Like I said,” Sprout said, “have to keep focused on what’s most important. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to stick a ketchup packet in my nose.”

“I’ll walk you back to the fountain,” Hitch said. “Both other years, we haven’t had someone pass on the very first test like this, so, you’ll have to wait a bit for the others to finish. We’ll take new recruits to the palace this evening. I’ll put in a word with some shopkeepers and get you some food in the meantime.”

Misty’s ears flicked up. “Food? What kind of food?” She lowered her voice. “I mean, uh, thank you.” She giggled at herself.

Hitch continued to smile. His eyes flickered with an odd emotion Misty couldn’t parse out. “Anything you’d like, Misty. Welcome in.”

Misty followed Hitch out of the woods, back on the path to the town. From here on, every step forward took her closer to the Eclipse Amulet, and her cutie mark. She wouldn’t fail this time.