BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP
CLICK
Platinum Star turned his alarm off and got out of bed. It was strange sleeping in the light and waking in the pitch black night. Nevertheless, he got himself ready, taking a shower and eating a very late breakfast. Oatmeal never disappointed, giving him the energy he needed for the day, or in this case, night.
Sure he was excited for his first day as a royal guard, but he’d never done anything like this before. He’d made some friends during his time in training, but it seemed like he lost everyone from his original group.
Those placed on the night shift were expected to protect important buildings in Canterlot.
The night guard squad that he was apart of had 8 stallions and 2 mares. The supervisor for the shift was a stallion named Stormy Field, the only name he could remember. He just hoped for a smooth shift with no mishaps.
He finished the bowl and threw on his midnight blue chest plate, helmet, and shoes. Taking one look in the mirror before leaving, he frowned nervously as his ears flopped down.
“At least I look great…I don’t know if I can do this…”
It was nearly time for Celestia to lower the sun, and for Luna to raise the moon. He hastily walked out of his room and into the main hall of the night guard chambers, making his way to the briefing room.
As he rounded the corner to the briefing room, he caught glimpse of two stallions walking inside. Following them, he made it inside on time, taking a seat on one of the metal chairs directly in front of the podium.
Sitting on his left was a mare and a stallion to his right. Suddenly, they all stood at attention, saluting as the supervisor walked in.
“At ease, take your seats.” Stormy Field announced as he reached the podium.
Every-pony in the room was silent, staring up at their commanding officer. He was one of the stricter ponies on the force, but he certainly knew what he was doing.
“Relax, we have some new members of the night guard joining us tonight. Mildew Shade, Platinum Star, and finally Faint Cloud. Welcome to the team and make sure you get to know your new team members. Now, listen closely while I pass out assignments. We’re assigned to the Canterlot Archives building, protecting it from any and all trespassers. When you get your duties for the night and are dismissed from the briefing, you are expected to report to your designated patrol areas immediately. Am I understood?”
“Yes, sir.” The room said in response.
“Perfect, I’ll start with the rookies first. Faint, you’ll be patrolling the North and South grounds with Shadow.”
Faint, the new mare recruit, nodded her head over to Shadow, an experienced Stallion that’s been on the team for nearly a year.
“Mildew, you’ll be patrolling the East and West grounds with Eclipse.”
Mildew looked over towards the mare sitting next to him, who smiled at him. Eclipse was the most experienced out of all the night guard patrol ponies, being on the team for 4 years.
“And finally, Platinum, you’ll be patrolling the hallways from the Star Swirl The Bearded Wing to the Canterlot History Wing.”
Platinum looked around but found nobody looking for him. He nervously fixed his gaze on his supervisor who continued reading out assignments.
After the supervisor was done, his horn started glowing as he fixed the pile of paper in front of him.
"Alright, has everyone understood their assignments?"
Before Platinum could ask his question, he was silenced by the room.
"Yes, sir."
"Alright, you are dismissed. Get to your stations and make sure nothing goes wrong. Good luck, and be sure to use a bright light flash to signal for backup if you need it." Stormy ended, levitating his papers next to him with an aura of magic.
"Well, I guess I'll just wing it...Not much I can do, but I hope I can get through tonight." Platinum thought, starting to leave with the rest of the guards.
"Not you, Platinum, stay here for a moment." Stormy suddenly said, sternly.
Platinum practically thrust himself 180 degrees to face the podium, but came face to face with Stormy instead.
"Oh! Sorry..." Platinum said, quickly stepping back.
"Make sure you keep this with you, since you'll be at the more important archive rooms. This list will let you know about every-pony who who has access to the rooms, and it's your job to let them in. Good luck, though I don't think you'll need it...Are you okay? You're shaking..." Stormy finished, confused at the sudden display of Platinum.
"Wha...huh? Yeah...I'm fine." Platinum quickly responded, tensing himself to stop his shaking.
"Why am I nervous...? It's only my first night, what could go wrong...?" He thought, trying to reassure himself.
"If you say so, take this and be on your way." He said, handing the recruit the list of ponies.
Platinum used his magic to take the paper and placed it safely between his layered chest plate. He left the briefing room and walked outside towards the Canterlot Archives building, admiring the scenery outside.
He couldn't see much, being that it was dark, but he could make out faint lights in the distance from other night guards making their rounds. Reaching the main entrance to the large building, he was greeted by two guards.
"Hey there." Platinum said, attempting to stir up confidence in his voice.
"Hey Platinum, right this way." One of the guards ponies said, opening the door with his magic.
"Thanks, have a great night." He replied as he walked into the building.
"Well, time to get to my spot...It can't get any worse from here, can it?" He thought to himself, ears flopping down as he made his way towards the far hallway.
Rounding the corner, he stopped, taking in his post for the first time that night. He was in charge of patrolling a U-shaped hallway, designed to have an archway at the entrance and two halls. The left hallway held the Star Swirl The Beared Wing, while the right hallway had the Canterlot History Wing.
"Phew...it's not that long of a walk around." Platinum whispered under his breath as he made his first walk around the area.
He used his horn to illuminate the halls as he walked around them, turning every so often to examine the darker corners.
He quickly turned around, his ears perking up to hear a faint set of hoof steps approaching him.
”Oh buck…what now?” He thought to himself, nervously walking in the direction of the sound.
His light illuminated the dark hallway, revealing a figure standing in front of him. He walked closer revealing a mare with a brown coat and a gray mane.
He quickly used his magic, levitating the paper from his chest plate and into eyes view, looking over the list. He caught the matching picture, finding her name.
“Hello Mayor Mare, let me get that for you.” Platinum spoke somewhat calmly, opening the door to the Canterlot History Wing, allowing the earth pony to walk in.
“Thank you, night guard.” Is all the pony said as she walked into the endless aisles of paper stuffed cabinets and shelves.
Platinum sighed, his ears drooping down. He wasn’t too tired, but he also wasn’t that nervous anymore. Why was he feeling so gloomy and under confident? He was never this dejected, even during training and the strenuous exercise that he’d done, he’d always made it out feeling purposeful.
But tonight was different; he didn’t feel the same. Sure he’d started his first ever day as a royal guard, which is an amazing accomplishment to say the least, but he simply wasn’t feeling any happier.
He continued walking and made his way into the other hallway on the opposite side of the archway.
”I wish I’d gotten the morning shift…I wish I wasn’t stuck here feeling all lonely and sad…” He thought rapidly, his head lowering as he stopped and started to shiver uncomfortably.
He saw a drop of liquid fall to the floor, and he quickly averted his eyes from it.
”No…I didn’t shed any tears…No…No…NO. I’m a stallion…stallions don’t cry. I’m a member of the royal guard, I’m supposed to be mature and calm and collected and…” His thoughts trailed off, guilt and darkness quickly enveloping his mind as he desperately tried to break away.
But then something caught his eye, other than the tear on the floor; the approaching shadow. Well, it was approaching, but it halted right behind him.
He quickly composed himself, acting like nothing happened. He wiped his face and looked up, nonchalantly.
”Oh horse apples…there she is.” He thought as he took in the purple alicorn’s demeanor.
She had one eye raised, curiously taking in his appearance.
He actually knew her name; it was one of only a handful that he recognized right away. Princess Twilight Sparkle, the element of Magic.
”Aaaaannnndddd she’s judging me…great…if only I’d been assigned the morning shift…” He thought, his ears perking down.
“Your highness, do you need me to open this door?” Platinum said, bowing nervously.
“At ease, and yes, please.” Twilight said, still eying the stallion.
Platinum tried his best to contain his drowning thoughts as he used his magic to open the door to the Star Swirl The Bearded Wing.
“Are you feeling okay…? You’re shivering, and it’s not cold out.” She said in an almost amused way, but she still held her curious look.
“I’m fine, your highness, please excuse me.” Platinum said dully, turning around to walk away.
“Please, won’t you stay with me?” Twilight coaxed.
Platinum Star was a strong stallion, but his strength couldn’t help him here. His ears fell deeper into his head as he turned around to face the Alicorn.
“You’re shivering, are you sure you’re okay? You can tell me, and I won’t tell any pony. You can trust me…Ehm…What was your name, again?” She asked.
“Platinum…Platinum Star, your highness.” He stuttered as he continued to shiver.
”Well…there goes everything I tried to fix…it’s all coming back to me now. And I guess she’s right…maybe it’s not cold out there, but it’s really cold in here…” He thought, his head falling closer to his hooves as he stood in front of the princess.
“Here, maybe this will help.” She said, walking over to the night guard with her horn illuminated and placing her hoof on his chest piece.
At that instant, Platinum felt a feeling of warmth slowly seep into his body, and his head moved up see Twilight. She was smiling, and her hoof was no longer touching him, yet he still felt the warmth. He never thought he’d ever experience this feeling again, but here he was, taking it in and enjoying every second of it.
He looked down and noticed the blue star on his golden badge was glowing. It was as if something had given him strength, and he actually felt powerful.
He stared back at Twilight who only produced the same grin again.
“It worked, didn’t it?” She said, confidence present in her voice.
“I don’t know what you did…but thank you…thank you very much, your highness…” He said, his ears positioning back upright.
“Don’t worry about that, just call me Twilight.” She said.
“Thank you, Twilight.” He responded.
The alicorn turned around and walked into the archive room. When Platinum tried to see where she’d gone, he took in the nearly empty room, frowning at his loss.
He had to admit, she was perfect in every way. She had extensive knowledge on magic, being the element of magic, of course. But she also had confidence, character and strength, something Platinum thought he had.
”If only I could be as strong and collected as her. She seems like she’s got it all figured out, but why can’t I seem to reach that understanding with myself…?” He thought, the coldness seeping back into his heart as he walked away from the door.
Maybe he’d rather put up with the tourists, because being alone destroys even the toughest of ponies.
"Left alone again...well...maybe that's a good thing. Maybe it's my fault...maybe I deserve this." Platinum thought, coldness continuing to make its way into him.
He wasn't a stranger to this type of sorrow, as it's been continuously following him throughout his life. He'd always been a pony for others to lean on, but when it came to him, he found it impossible to seek help himself.
Lonely and afraid, he tried his best to keep his head up as he walked, but his ears would no longer listen to him. They laid weakly atop his head, unable to be moved.
His chest plate had stopped glowing, and the coldness had returned, this time stronger than before. Whatever spell Twilight had placed on him was no longer effective, or so he thought.
As he started to shiver again, something changed within him. He still felt discomfort over his situation, but he grew warmer, like a fire of hope was still burning inside of him. He looked down at his badge, realizing that the star had started to glow again.
"What the...How is that even possible?" He whispered to himself, his shivering stopping as he continued to walk.
The coldness left him as quickly as it came, though he was confused as to how that had happened. Usually, he'd be feeling emptiness for a few hours, but now it seemed to be on and off switch.
"Well, I guess that helped with the physical dread, but now I just need something to actually fill the void..." He thought, uncertain of his next steps.
He rounded the corner to the wing where he met Mayor Mare, but found that she'd already left.
"Well...I guess its just me. I wonder what the other guards are doing...probably having a great time together...Why was I the only one that was left alone?" The thought nearly making him sick, though he managed to quicken his pace to ignore it.
Turning around to start his walk back to the archway, he spotted another unicorn's light approaching him.
"Another guard...I wonder what I did wrong..." The thought nearly crushed him, the coldness returning and his head drooping.
"Platinum Star, you can take a break, it's time for lunch. I'll take your shift for thirty minutes." A guards pony spoke in a higher pitch.
"Did Stormy say that?" Platinum asked.
"Yes, he told me to inform you and take over your shift for the duration of your break." She said, staring at him.
"Oh, well...thank you...Say, what was your name again?" He finally mustered, trying his best to hide his uneasiness.
"Starry Gaze, from briefing, remember?" She asked kindly.
"Oh, yeah, right...Well, thank you...Do I just come back after and swap shifts with you again?"
"Yeah, I'll be here for now. I have my own list, too, so you can keep yours."
"Alright, I'll see you soon." Platinum finished, walking through the archway and out into the long hallway.
As soon as he left that conversation, every ounce of warmth that was inside of him was lost, and he couldn't shake the feeling of anxiety off of him. He sighed, walking to the front door, but quickly stopped to compose himself before seeing the two guards up front.
He walked through the door, but his head seemed to avert his eyes from theirs. He was confused, as he had no problem speaking to them earlier, but now it seemed that he couldn't muster enough courage to even face them.
They didn't seem to notice, but he never bothered to check, because he couldn't. He wouldn't dare to turn around and see their judging eyes on him; Platinum couldn't bear the weight of it.
"Well, my chest plate's star isn't glowing anymore...I guess I'm just gonna have to eat my feelings." He thought, looking around as if he were being watched.
He reached the barracks and walked inside, seeing nobody around.
"I guess I can make this work...I just hope no-pony sees me like this." He thought as he entered the mess hall.
He frowned as he saw two other guards sitting inside, talking with each other.
"Well, I'll just sit on the other side of the room, then...They won't notice me...not that they would care or anything..." He sighed as he walked over to the buffet-styled counter.
Grabbing a tray, he quickly glanced over the various platters of food, if you could even recognize it as such. Frowning at the unknown solid cubes on his tray, he sat down at the table farthest from the others.
Poking at the food with his hoof, he carefully sniffed at the biggest cube on his tray. The blue one smelled like nothing, and when he bit into it, he swore it tasted like nothing as well.
His stomach growled as he finished the monotone meal, unsatisfied with its contents. Even worse, he felt even worse about himself, the coldness making him shiver uncontrollably.
"Ugh...Why me? Why can't I be like every-pony else? I'm stuck here and I can't do anything about it..." He thought, sighing deeply.
As he looked up to survey his surroundings, he saw something that made him want to curl up and hide. Both of the ponies had made their way over to his table and sat next directly in front of him. If that wasn't bad enough, they were also staring at him, something that he highly disliked.
"Platinum Star, right?" Mildew Shade asked, attempting to strike up conversation.
"Yeah...that's right. You're Mildew...Mildew Shade, right? And you must be Eclipse?" Platinum asked, on edge due to the sudden appearance of the two.
"Yup...are you feeling okay? Out of all my years of training recruits, I've seen sick ones. Are you cold or something?" She asked in a concerned tone.
Platinum looked down at the table, his ears pushing down against his head in embarrassment and shame. They knew, they saw, they judged.
Though he wanted all the interaction he could get, he always got it at the wrong times. If he was feeling depressed, he wouldn't want to talk, but some-pony would always find him at those exact moments. He couldn't fathom feeling so alone and out of touch, yet being surrounded by others who somewhat cared about him. He couldn't tell anyone what was on his mind, because quite frankly, he didn't know himself.
"How am I supposed to tell them something that I can't even understand? Oh for bucks sake...No!" He thought, suddenly taking his attention off the metal table and onto his star badge.
The star was illuminated in a dark magenta aura as he stopped shivering. He tried to cover the star but it was too late; the display had been seen by the other guards. They both wore surprised and curious looks, studying the recruit hard.
Platinum's eyes shot between his star and the two guards as he tried to think of a way out. He looked at the door, took another look at the two ponies, and quickly got up.
"Hey, would you look at the time...I gotta go, have a good shift!" He whimpered, fearing the outcome of the scene that he'd somehow caused.
But nothing happened; rather, he was able to leave the barracks and no-pony followed him. Maybe they didn't care enough about that, or maybe they did. Whatever this magical spell was, it certainly could read him well. It knew when he felt draining sadness and helped calm him down.
"This can't be possible...I've heard of healing spells but never something to the extent of this one...Hopefully I can get through tonight and then I'll think of a way to mask it..." He thought, wearily walking back inside of the Canterlot Archives building, keeping a hoof over his star as he entered.
As he walked into the archway, he used his magic to emit light to navigate the hallways easier. It wasn't long before he caught up with Starry.
"Hey, I'm back. Thanks for taking my shift, Starry."
Starry turned and smiled at him, which filled him with warmth. It wasn't much, but it was something.
"Hey, no problem. I'll head on my break now, but then I have to get back to my post." She said, walking past him.
As soon as she turned the corner to the archway, his breath was nearly taken away from the penetrating feeling of loneliness.
"There goes the only other pony I'll see tonight...I hope she wasn't the only one...What's wrong with me? I can't get help even if I wanted to. I keep pushing ponies away left and right...what now? When will this be over?" Thoughts stormed in his mind as he continued to walk weakly around the U-shaped hallway.
Suddenly, as if on cue, he rounded the corner and felt warmth surge through his body. The star was illuminated, glowing brighter than it ever did. His ears perked up as he picked his head up to look around. His light landed on a purple alicorn.
"Wow, how lucky can one stallion be. Thank Celestia she's here..." He thought, actually excited to see some-pony else in the dark halls.
Twilight was smiling at the approaching stallion, a proud look in her eyes.
"How are you feeling, Platinum Star? I see the spell's working well." She said, examining the bright star on his badge.
"Yeah, it's working great! I can't thank you enough, your highness." He said in response, smiling.
"Please, call me Twilight, I favor my name over position." She said calmly.
"Thank you, Twilight, but...how are you still awake?" He asked, confusion filling his voice.
"Well...I'm not that great at sleeping at night. That's why I came here; I usually read until I can't keep my eyes open anymore, falling asleep from exhaustion. I guess I've gotten used to the insomnia..." She said, her ears drooping down as she frowned slightly.
"Oh...well...isn't there a spell for that?"
"Not exactly...I've tried everything I know and researched for other solutions, but I can't seem to find anything. Reading helps, but it takes a while. I should go back to reading...I hope the spell serves you well. It should last for a few more days, and hopefully by then, you'll be past whatever's making you feel uneasy." She explained.
"I'm sorry, I wish I could help you, but I don't know any advanced spells other than those for combat. I wish you the best of luck in overcoming your insomnia, and I thank you again, Twilight. Goodnight." Platinum said, turning around to leave.
"Wait! Do you think that...you could stay with me while I read? Maybe hold a light for me?" She asked, a shameful look on her face as she played with her hoof on the floor.
Platinum turned around to look at the alicorn, before smiling.
"Of course I can, no-pony besides me will be coming through these halls tonight anyways." He replied, the warmth continuing to stay within him.
The two ponies walked into the Star Swirl The Bearded Wing, closing the gate behind them and walked to the center of the room. Platinum observed dozens of books already laid out in scattered patterns, ranging from small almanacs to colossal journals.
Twilight wasted no time in laying down in front of a massive book, beginning to read to herself. At the same time, Platinum dimmed the light on his horn to allow for reading and, hopefully, sleep.
"Ehm...Is it okay if I...Nevermind..." She sighed, looking down at the text to avoid looking at Platinum.
"Please, tell me. I'll be happy to do anything, after all, you've helped me so much." He spoke with a tone of both confidence and calmness, smiling at the alicorn.
Twilight slowly looked up at him before sighing deeply, a slight blush appearing on her face.
"Can I...lay against you...? The floor isn't really that comfortable, and It's really cold..." She asked softly, embarrassed at her own question.
"Cold...I've felt cold all day. I can't let her go through that alone...I can't even deal with it alone, so why should she have to go through it alone?" He thought while regaining his confidence.
"Yes, of course I can...You don't have to be afraid to ask." He whispered, an assuring smile on his face as Twilight looked up at him.
A bright smile was her response, which met Platinum's eyes as soon as he laid down next to Twilight. She slowly shifted her body to lean on the warm armor of the guard next to her.
Suddenly, Platinum felt a stronger warmth on his body, and he looked down to see Twilight's wing pulling him in closer to her. She still wore an embarrassed blush, but she was smiling, and that was all that mattered to Platinum.
In that moment he felt more accomplished and purposeful than ever before, but he felt drained. The obvious lack of sleep weighed his eyes down like weights, but he fought to stay awake.
His ear perked up as he turned to see that Twilight had fallen asleep in a matter of minutes. This was strange, considering she was walking around mere minutes ago seemingly full of energy.
"She looks adorable sleeping...but I should really be going back to my patrol. I let her lie against me, but what happens if someone catches me? I'd surely be fired...or worse..." He thought, slowly standing up to avoid waking the sleeping pony.
As he tried to escape her wing's warm embrace, he was suddenly pulled in tighter, hearing Twilight sigh contently before her breathing returned to normal.
"Buck...How am I supposed to leave now? I can't just run away, she'll wake up. But I also can't stay here, or else I'll get yelled at! What do I do...?!" Thoughts fired through his mind as he tried desperately to stay awake.
Against his better judgement, he stayed underneath Twilight's strong grasp, sighing deeply. He couldn't move enough to stay awake without the risk of waking the alicorn next to him, so he laid motionless on the floor.
Unfortunately, his efforts were in vain, and he slowly drifted off into a deep sleep. This marked the first time he'd been happy since the start of his guards training a few months prior.
If only he was awake to take it all in for a little while longer, though. He would’ve enjoyed every single second of it.