“So, now that Princess Twilight has been inducted, we need to assign her a personal guard.” Shining said in a chipper manner as he scanned over the room full of guards. It was the day after Twilights coronation and many, including Twilight herself, were taking the day off since her coronation day was now a holiday, but guard duty is one that knows no such thing as a holiday.
Shining Armor continued to scan the room of silent guardsmen, all of them having at least five years of experience, some even more. All of them called here because of their skill and ability above the other guards they served with.
Shining knew who would do best at the job. Thunder for example had nineteen years of experience and more than once has he put his life at stake to keep someone alive. Swift Wing was another likely candidate, he was younger than most other guards and would likely help Twilight get through the day with someone who had common interests. One thing Shining knew was that he had plenty of good stallions to choose from, so he knew that Twilight would be safe, and so he could focus on helping her with sliding into the daily life of being a princess.
He thought for another moment before resting his eyes on a light silver unicorn. Platinum Rook, a guard of six years and only twenty two, had joined the royal guards when he was sixteen with his parents consent and proceeded to do a many good deed. Though he never went up in rank, staying at Private, whenever he would be brought a promotion he would politely declined. This technically wasn’t a promotion, so Shining thought he’d take it.
“Platinum, how about you, it’s about time we got you off of patrol duty and onto something more suited to your talents here.” Many of the other guards agreed, even Thunder and Swift Wing smiled and nodded at the notion of Platinum moving up in the world.
“Sorry sir,” Platinum stood up, pushing his white mane away from his eyes. “I’m going to have to decline.” He said politely, just like every time he declined promotion.
“Can I ask why then?” Shining cocked his head as he asked.
“I don’t think I’d be suited for the job sir. I not only don’t have as much experience as many of the other guards here, but I don’t think i’d be able to protect the Princess.”
“AH come on kid,” Thunder boomed. “Your cutie mark is a damned shield, if that doesn’t mean you can protect then Celestia isn’t a Princess.” The other guards readily agreed with Thunders statement, clapping their hooves to the ground.
“Yeah,” A guard with multiple medals to his name piped up. “Liked when you jumped in front of the train and pushed the little filly out of the way, and taking the hit from the train. Your made of solid stuff and have a heart of a protector.”
“I”m sorry, I just don’t want to except something I don’t believe I can handle,” Platinum took his seat again, nodding away other guards who told him to get back up.
“Well then, if you don’t think you can handle it, then I can’t justly give it to you,” Shining looked over to Swift Wing. “Swift Wing, will you take the position?”
Swift Wing quickly got onto his hooves and made a sharp salute. “It would be an honor sir!”
“Alright, come with me and we will get you acquainted with Princess Twilight and your duties as her personal guard.” Shining exited with Swift Wing close behind. After they left the other guards funneled out to attend to their duties. A few of the guards stopped to talk to Platinum about how he didn’t take risks.
“It’s not that I don’t take risks, I just don’t wish for others to get hurt for my stupidity, that’s why I stay at this level because I know I can protect the day to day ponies here, but defending the Princess is a totally different matter,” Platinum walked by the guards who stopped him. “That is why I won’t take it, because if I fail, then far too many things will come to pass that this place couldn’t handle. Simple.” With that final word he left to attend to his patrol duties in the gardens.
Platinum sighed as he stared at Swift Wing, Princess Celestia, and Princess Twilight talking as they passed through the garden. He couldn’t hear the conversation nor did he really care to.
“Why did I let this one go Bulwark?” He asked as he turned to address his friend and fellow Royal Guardsmen.
“Beats me Plat, it fell right into your hooves and you threw it away.” Bulwark was a large, even for earth pony standards, he was white furred and red maned and had a very deep voice. “I can’t believe you’d think you couldn’t do it. I mean, you jumped in front of a freaking train to save a little filly.”
Platinum sighed again and shook his head. “You guys like to refer to that all the time.”
“Theres a reason for that, none of us would have done it. The filly was dead to rights and yet you went in there and pushed her out of the way,” Bulwark looked to Platinum. “You’re practically made of your name sake, I don’t know anypony who could have survived that train hit, I still don’t really know how you made it out alive.”
“Bulwark... I was laid up in the hospital in a full body cast for seven months... And on how I lived, well, I just didn’t want to die. Simple really. I just wish they would’ve gotten rid of the null magic zone at the train station, no one would have gotten hurt if that thing hadn’t been there.”
Bulwarks tone became more serious, his face taking a darker turn. “You know why that’s there. If we let it down then all hell could break loose, and we all know Canterlot cannot handle the kinds of things we keep at bay.”
Platinum looked up at the sky and then to the two princesses who were laughing quietly. “I know,” Platinum dipped his head down before looking back at Bulwark. “There was something you wanted to tell me?”
This time it was Bulwarks turn to sigh. “Yeah,” The massive earth pony clenched his eyelids shut and then reopened them, looking Platinum square in the face. “You can’t stay at my place anymore.” He said solemnly.
Platinum looked at him with an almost knowing stare. “Why?”
“The wife, it’s not that she doesn’t like you, and you’ve paid your rent on time, well accept for like... four times but for the past two years that’s not bad,” Bulwark sighed again. “She’s just worried about the foal on the way is all, we need the room and even though you’re good company she doesn’t think two ‘rough and tumble’ stallions would be a good influence, to put it in her words.”
Platinum stood still for a few moments, mulling over Bulwarks words. It wasn’t that he was mad, far from it actually. He knew that she was thinking about asking him to leave, and he knew that he’d probably have to. It was more of a what now type of thought process, he’d saved some money but he thought he’d have more time to save up.
“Heh, all those promotions and the request to being Princess Twilights personal guard are all looking pretty good right now.” Platinum chuckled.
“Look i’m sorry, I can give you some extra-”
“Don’t worry about it, I’ve got this covered, if anything i’ll just have to sleep in the barracks for a while until I can find an apartment or something. There are plenty of college students looking for a roommate and such, it would probably only take me an hour to find something really quick inside my budget.”
“Are you sure, I mean, you can stay for another day if you need.”
“It’s fine, trust me,” Platinum smiled. “Besides, it’ll be a good change of scenery.”
“Can’t you stay with your parents?”
Platinum glared at Bulwark, who was now shrinking back. “Don’t you remember what I told you, I cut myself off from their money and their help, and i’m not about to go crawling back so early,” Platinum huffed angrily. “Not now, i’ve gotten this far on my own and i’m not about to turn around and throw it all away.”
“Alright alright, it was just a suggestion.” Bulwark turned away for a few moments, his ears flattening slightly until suddenly he jerked his head up. “Hey I know a pony that might have a spare room.”
“You’ve got my attention.”
Bulwark smiled as he spoke. “Yeah, she’s had it up for rent for a while and she told me she might have to move to another apartment soon if she doesn’t get a roommate. The rent isn’t that bad but being a musician doesn’t really rake in the big bits anymore, or at least that’s what she said.”
Platinum began to match Bulwarks growing smile. “Huh, think she’d open the door on such short notice?”
“Absolutely! Hell my patrol goes right by her apartment building, I could tell her you’re coming and you’ll be all set!” Bulwark exclaimed giddily.
Platinum laughed lightly. “Hey calm down, you seem more excited that i’m leaving than I am.” He took a more serious face when he thought of a major hindrance or two in the grand plan. “Wait... Does she mind me being royal guard? And how much is she asking for rent?”
“I doubt she’ll mind you being a guard, it’s not like she’s a criminal, though I don’t really know about anyone else in the building. I never really got around to doing background checks. As for rent, I think about one fifty bits per month if I remember correctly.”
“Eh that’s not bad, I can’t wait to see it in a few years, with the worth of bits going up it’ll probably be about one hundred by the time i’m thirty.”
Both Platinums and Bulwarks attention was diverted when the two princesses began to laugh loudly. After a moment of watching they saw Swift Wing pull himself out of the pond that was by where they were talking. “Why would Shining pick somepony that’s afraid of bugs?”
Platinum chuckled as he saw a large dragonfly fly by him. “No clue, though he can get over it when he needs to, heh must have been that dragonfly. Well, if you’d do that for me Bulwark it’d be great.”
“Of course, it’s the least I can do for kicking you out on such short notice. Besides,” Bulwark winked. “She might like the company.”
“Really Bul... Really?” Platinum clonked him on the head with a hoof. “No... Just... No.”
After a second both the guards began to laugh heartily. After a set of goodbyes they went on their patrols, Platinum to go by the statues, and Bulwark to start his route through the city and to his friends building.
