The Enchanted Necklace

Chapter 2: Ponyville.

The train ride from Canterlot to Ponyville was long and boring, with little for the occupants of the train to do. Rusty sits opposite Twilight in a relatively uncrowned section of the train. The rolling hills of the countryside pass by the window that many ponies are watching with little else to do. Twilight continues to look skeptically at her new guard, Rusty Shield.

“What?” Rusty asks after her burning gaze hasn’t wavered from him in over 10 minutes.

“Nothing…”

“Then why do you keep staring at me?”

“Because I don’t know why you’re here.”

“I’ve told you, Luna has assigned me to be your guard.”

“Why would she think that I need a guard?”

Rusty shrugs, “I don’t know, That’s all she told me.”

Twilight rolls her eyes and goes back to staring at him. He distracts himself from her penetrating gaze by looking around the train car.

Knowing she is still watching him he turns back her and sighs, “Can you please stop staring at me?”

Twilight shakes her head and he let’s out an exasperated sigh. “Fine. Then I’m going to go lie down.” He gets up and trots to his sleeping quarters as Twilight watches him go. Rusty takes off his armor before he climbs onto the top hammock in the small compartment provided for him and Twilight. He lies with his back to the door. After several minutes he dozes off and is asleep when Twilight enters their little compartment. She climbs into the hammock below Rusty’s, ignoring him and soon sleeps as well.

* * *

The train comes to a stop in front of the Ponyville train station, jolting Rusty and Twilight awake. Twilight groans at the sun, barely over the horizon, while Rusty gets up and puts on his armor.

“How can you do that?” Twilight asks, barely able to sit upright.

“Do what?” Rusty asks while sliding on his breastplate.

“Get up so early. It’s barely the crack of dawn.”

“We’re trained to be up early and get moving. It’s part of joining the Royal Guard.”

“Well. I guess it’s time we get off the train then.” Twilight gets out of the cot and cracks her neck a few times as they head for the door that leads to the platform.

Ponies disembarking and boarding the train with their luggage crowd the boardwalk as Rusty and Twilight fight their way onto the loading platform. Twilight leads the way through the mass of ponies, Rusty following right behind her with both his and her bags, having insisted that he should carry her luggage as well, and the necklace tucked under the breast piece of his armor.

Twilights friends are waiting for her when she and Shining finally leave the train station.

“Hey! Twilight! You’re back!” Pinkie pie jumps up and down, blowing a noise maker.

“Yea, and she brought a friend with her too.” Applejack trots up to rusty and circles him, eyeing him skeptically. “Who is he Twilight? He yer colt friend?”

Twilight Blushes a deep red. “He is not my colt friend!“

Rainbow Dash and Rarity stifle a laugh, Rarity managing much better than Rainbow Dash. “Come now Applejack, don’t you think Twilight could do better than… well this” Rarity gestures to the laden down Rusty.

Rusty clears his throat. “I’m right her you know and I’m not def. But no, Princess Luna has assigned me to guard Miss Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilights friends look at her in slight disbelief. She rolls her eyes and shrugs starting to trot farther into town, her friends and Rusty falling in place next to her. Pinkie Pie starts bouncing excitedly the close they get to Twilights home tree.

“Pinkie… is everything alright?” Twilight asks, eyeing her friend with renewed worry.

“Yup! Everything’s just fine.” Pinkie giggles and keeps bouncing.

“Well… Alright, if you say so…” They all reach Twilights house and she leads the way in. Her home is decorated with colorful streamers and balloons. Other ponies from around town are already there, mingling amongst themselves. Six of the seven new arrivals look at Pinkie Pie who bursts into a happy laugh.

“I had to throw you a party! What with you being gone for a week and not being able to see us!”

“Pinkie. I was gone for three days.” Twilight tries to protest but Pinkie is already inside and ignoring her friends protests. Twilight gives up and sighs, walking in followed by her friends and Rusty. Rusty looks around the library and makes his way over to Twilight.

“Uh, Twilight, Where would you like me to put the bags?” He asks, still carrying both their luggage.

“Hmm? Oh, just take them upstairs and set them anywhere.” Twilight walks off to talk to ponies she hasn’t really talked to recently even before her short trip.

Rusty goes up the stairs to Twilights bedroom, noticing the bed with a basket and blankets in it at the end of her bed. He puts the bags down next to a dresser and looks around the bedroom slash living area separated only by the shelf holding the bed and basket.

He looks at himself in the mirror and shrugs, taking off his guard armor and storing it with his things, making sure the box with the necklace is hidden safely. Rusty goes back downstairs to join the party.

He meets with the ponies and takes glasses of punch from a purple baby dragon who goes around serving it. After a while he takes a seat at a table with his newest glass of punch. A yellow pegasus comes and sits next to him. He notices that she was among Twilights friends but never spoke and was never introduced to. He realizes that the only pony other than Twilight he knows by name is Pinkie Pie.

He looks at her. “Hello. I’m Rusty Shield.” The mare smiles a little at him and shy’s away slightly.

“I’m Fluttershy…” She forces a smile.

“So, you’re one of Twilight’s friends?”

The mare nods and looks down to the glass of punch in her hooves.

“You aren’t much of a talker… are you?”

“N-no… I’m kind of shy…”

“Oh… I see.” Rusty takes a sip of his punch, thinking that she would make a nice mare to sleep with. He just needs to find out where she lives. “So… Fluttershy, Where do you live? Up in the clouds someplace?”

She blushes more and shakes her head. “N-no, I live in a little cottage on the edge of Ponyville with all my animals.”

“Animals?” He raises an eyebrow.

“Oh yes, I take care of all the little critters and creatures. It’s my special talent.” She smiles a bit.

“That’s nice, maybe I should come and visit some time.”

“Oh, that would be nice i-if you want to come…”

Rusty nods and smiles. “It would be a pleasure. Really.”

Fluttershy smiles, happy for the company. “Won’t it just be nice to meet all my animal friends?”

“Yea, I can’t wait,” Rusty smiles and finishes off his punch. “Say, Fluttershy, you wouldn’t mind filing me in on the name of Twilight’s other friends, would you?”

“Oh of course not. The pink pony one is Pinkie Pie, the blue pegasus is Rainbow Dash, the white unicorn is Rarity, and the orange pony one is Applejack.” Fluttershy fills him in.

“Thank you. It’s just that I was never properly introduced to any of them.”

“Oh… I guess you weren’t… were you?”

Rusty shakes his head. Rainbow dash comes over to Fluttershy. “Hey Shy! You have to come see this, Spitfire is here!!” Dash squeaks and starts to drag Fluttershy away.

“Oh…. Uh, okay Dash…” They leave rusty by himself at the table.

He sighs and sits, looking at the party that’s going on around him. He thinks about the other four of Twilight’s friends he still has to meet and get to know better. He smiles to himself and doesn’t notice the orange mare that sits next to him until she speaks.

“Howdy there. Ya just gonna sit here all night?” She says, snapping Rusty out of his trance. Blinking he looks at her.

“Oh, uh, I dunno… I’m not really much of a partier… Applejack, right?”

She nods. “T’ats right partner, ah saw ya talkin’ to Fluttershy earlier. What ’ere ya two talkin’ ‘bout anyways?” She asks curiously.

“Oh, just that she wanted me to come out and visit her and her animals sometime,” Rusty explains.

“Ah, Well that ain’t like her to be so out goin’ like that. She’s usually a very shy pony ya know.”

Rusty shrugs, this not meaning much to him having not known Fluttershy for more than 10 minutes. “Well, she seems very nice.”

“Yup. Ya goin’ ‘round and gettin’ to know all uh Twi’s friends then?”

“I suppose I should if I’m going to be living her for a while.”

“Ya sure should. Ya should stop by the farm tomorrow. Ah’ll be workin’ but we can talk out in the field.”

“Oh sure… You live on a farm?”

“Yes sir re. Sweet Apple Acers. Just outside Ponyville.” She beams with pride for her homestead.

“Sure. I’ll stop by.”

“Jus’ remember, yer welcome by the farm any time.” Applejack smiles and gets up.

“Thanks Applejack, I’ll remember that.”

Aj tips her hat to him and she re-joins the crowd.

By this time it is starting to get late and it’s already near midnight. The party is showing no signs of dying down and Rusty is starting to get tired so he decides to head up stairs. Seeing no other bed than Twilight’s he decides he’ll lie down on the couch and soon he falls asleep.