canterlot train station: 3:29 AM
Sparkler was checking over the things she packed for the trip to ponyville as she waited for the train. When she latched the saddlebags and tugged them on she noticed she wasn't alone. There was an eerie silence, then she heard a growling sort of noise coming from past the train tracks.
"the hell?" was all she could say before the train horn sounded, alerting the creature.
As the creature ran off the train came to a stop, when the conductor climbed off of the train and yelled the train to ponyville she trotted to the night train. Once inside the train car she noticed she was the only pony aboard the train, or at the least, in the train car she was in.
When she felt the train move she sat down and rested, waiting for the long trip to ponyville to be over. She soon after fell to the embrace of sleep.
***
PONYVILLE TRAIN STATION: 6:29 AM
sparkler awoke as the train slowed down. Noticing the change of scenery and the town up ahead, she got up and started to stretch and try to get the kinks out of her neck. When the train stopped she made sure she didn't leave anything on the train before she got off. feeling the familiar extra weight of her armor and remembering what she was here for and what the princess said.
***
" you must guard twilight sparkler, for these are troubled times, as you know by now we are having attacks from the griffin kingdom and zebrika. im afraid that there will be attempts to attack my personal student as a way to make me drop my guard. and if i station to many guards their ponys will get suspicious. so you, sergeant major sparkle stars, shall be twilight sparkles guard until further notice."
"as you wish, princess." was all she said in return "i will not fail you"
***
As sparkler was trotting through ponyville, getting questioning looks by what little ponys that were out during the night.
"hey, whats a royal sun guard doing here" sompony whispered
"you think there is a criminal on the loose?" asked another
"no i dont think so, at least there wasent a mention of one on the news." said a third pony in a whisper.
A mint green unicorn stepped in front of sparkler blocking her path
"hello, what are you doing in ponyville?" she said.
"im here on direct orders from princess celestia, i need to find a pony named twilight sparkle, rumor has it she lives in the library?"
"you heard right, names lyra by the way." lyra said, "just follow the path your taking and you will get to a big tree, that's it."
"thank you miss lyra"
Sparkler continued along the path like she was told, to find a large tree. This confused sparkler untill she noticed a door.
Unsure of herself, she trotted to the door and knocked on it.
"ugghh, who could that be, at a time like this." said somepony from inside.
"i dont know, want me to get it?" asked another voice, much younger sounding.
"no spike, you go to bed." said the older, sounding voice.
"alright." said 'spike'
Hoofsteps was heard as the pony approached the door, when it opened the pony gasped in shock.
"your a royal guard, why are you in ponyville? has something happened? is my brother ok? has something happend to celestia?" said the pony.
"uhh..i presume you are ms. sparkle?"
"yes i am." said twilight
"alright, to answer your questions...ill tell you if you would let me inside, yes, yes, and no."
"oh, ok then" twilight wore a look of uncertainty as she steped aside to let the guard in.
"ok my name is sparkler stars, i am your guard untill further notice, under direct orders from celestia herself."
twilight still looked unsure. "well, i have a spare bedroom" she pointed to a door. "right next to it is a bathroon."
"thank you ma'am, im sure to not be a burden."
as twilight went upstairs sparkler opened the door to her new room, it was a simple room, much like her own. she pulled of her helmet and saddlebags and set them down, then slowly started taking off her armor. when she had it all taken off and organized on a small table she layed down in the bed. it was a simple bed, not the most comfortable, but it will do. she slowly fell asleep.
'This morning was like any other for sparkler. She got out of bed , drank a cup of tea,then did some stretches. She headed for the front door before she noticed a letter on the chair. She then enveloped the letter in her pearlish white glow and broke open the royal seal.
Dear Sparkler, You are hereby summoned to a meeting with celestia. please hurry for it is of great importance that you get here soon.
-royal guard
Sparkler laid the letter down and trotted to the front door, then opening it to reveal the busy streets of canterlot. She immediately headed for the barracks to suit up in her royal armour. she got to the barracks and sighed, the captain of the guard was outside talking with a new guard member.
“Hello captain.”, said sparkler.
“hello yourself sergeant, late again are we?”, said shining armour.
“well it isn't entirely my fault my wake-up call never came”
“yeah yeah, go get your armour on and get to the castle to see celestia.”
“alright I will, say do you know what she wants with me?”
“no, nothing besides that its rather urgent”
“think it has anything to do with the attacks we have been having from the griffin kingdom?”
“like I said, I have no idea. now get that armour on sergeant and get going.”
“sir yes sir”She then saluted and walked in the barracks to strap on her armour. When she had her armour fully on and the short sword strapped along her side she then made her way out of the barracks and toward the castle of canterlot. She was only half of the way there when she noticed another guard patrolling close by, there was something off about him though, she just couldn't put her hoof on it.She shrugged it off and kept trotting toward the castle through the main road,
when she finally got there she noticed that there was a lot more guards posted here than last week. Roughly twenty more along the front gate.
“state your name and business.” said one of the guards.
“sergeant major, stars, sparkler. im here on request from celestia.”
“ah, so your the blank flank sergeant that the guards have been talking about.” another guard said.
It was true, sparkler has not yet obtained her cutie mark, albeit her age she has not found her special talent yet. She has tried an assortment of things while younger in attempt to gain what her future deemed her special for. But alas, she never found it.
“yes im the one, and if you got a problem with it you can go shove a stick up your flank, now move out of my way private.”
“and whose gonna make me, your just a mare.”
“that would be me” said cadence from behind the private.
“ahh princess I was not aware you were behind me, I was just talking to sparkler here an-” was all he said before he was shoved out of the by sparkler.
“ah nice to see you cadence.” said sparkler.
“likewise. celestia is expecting you in her quarters. she seems, worried, about something.”
“I will head directly their then and see what it is that she wants.”
“thank you sparkler.”
Sparkler then left with a simple goodbye and headed into the castle. Then she took the staircase up. When she arrived at the corridor that celestia’s room was at she noticed that the door was slightly open, upon getting closer to the door she could hear whispering.
“ok when she opens the door you hit her over the head with the club. then we bag her and hold her for ransom for more precious gems.” said something with a strange accent.
“you sure about that though? Im not sure it may work, and what is it with you three and gems?” said a young sounding stallion.
“that is enough questions, hurry into position, i hear hoofsteps, she’s coming. quick, get into position!” said the accented voice again.
Sparkler looked down the hall and spotted Celestia. Sparkler quickly teleported a couple feet behind the princess.
“you wanted to speak with me princess?”
“yes as a matter of fact i do.”
“well could we please speak here for a second? its of great urgency.”
“go on, im listening.”Sparkler leaned in close so she could whisper. It wasn't so hard for her, being slightly taller than everypony else, but she still had to strain to get close enough.
“I believe there is a group of ponies in your room that is going to try to capture you when you walk in.”
“do you have any evidence to support this acclaim?” Celestia asked, a bit awestruck at somepony trying to capture her. In her own castle no less!
“I heard voices from your room plotting to capture you, you should call the guard for reinforcements ma’am.’”
“but dear, aren't you forgetting, you are the guard, and a high ranking one if your patch says true.”
“yes ma’am, i shall deal with it. and if it comes to the point of them attacking me?”
“easy, you kill them.”
“yes ma’am.” without another word she crept toward the door and enveloped the grip of her sword in her magical embrace. “Royal Guard, come out with your hand up!”
no reply.
she quickly pulled out her sword and ran into the room dodging the poorly aimed club strike. What she then saw made her stomach jump, a royal guard, the one she saw during the trip to the castle, stood before her standing next to three large dog type beings.Before she could ask what they were they attacked, bearing claws and one with a club. Sparkler sliced at one and it howled in pain as its limp hand fell to the ground, spurting blood from the wrist the hand once was at. Another one attacked with a club. She dodged the first strike and parried the next, she then sliced with her sword, striking it in its leg. Another defining howl was heard as she then sliced its head off clean.
The last of the three creatures that remained was probably the leader, he had armour and a sword. she ran up to it and slashed at the creature, but the sword didn't leave even a scratch. the beast howled in laughter.
“Silly pony, your steel is not strong enough to cut through this gem implanted armo-” thats as far as it got before a lightning bolt struck it square in the chest, sending it flying and crashing into a nearby desk.
“Now that leaves you, traitor.” she then looked at the guard pony with pure hatred. “Just looking at you makes me sick, betraying the princess, bah! You don't deserve death.”
celestia then walked in and noticed the two dead bodies and the one in a corner gripping its wrist trying to stop the bleeding from its severed hand.
“I guess you were right, anyways we have important things to discus. You are going to ponyville to guard a unicorn their.” said Celestia
“Who might this unicorn be? might i ask.”
“Twilight Sparkle.”'
