//------------------------------// // The Princess and Her Guardian // Story: A Princess’ Conundrum // by CalmNQuiet //------------------------------// Princess-trainee. The temporary title induced an embarrassed blush across Twilight’s cheeks. She pushed her anxiety aside and focused on her book fort. Surrounded by tomes on political policy and laws of governance, she barely had any time to herself. This meant she had even less time to address her other responsibilities. How was she supposed to find a captain for her royal guard when there was so much studying to do? Shortly after the coronation, Princess Celestia provided her with a list of tasks she needed to complete as a new princess. She did appreciate the list, but some of the items on it befuddled her to no end. Line items on specifying a favorite cake, a favorite tea, a favorite royal bathing hall, and most annoyingly, selecting a captain of her guard. She groaned and slammed her head into the weighty tome in front of her. She’d almost forgotten about finding a captain. She didn’t know anyone in Canterlot besides her parents and the Princesses which made the task near impossible. Her wings tingled uncomfortably as her mind listed every single thing she needed to do—the stress, the horror! It’s okay, Twilight. Calm down. You just need to take things one step at a time. Have some tea. That’s what Celestia does. Luckily, close at hoof was a cup of tea and a slice of cake. She’d insisted on just the tea, but Celestia, in her wisdom, suggested the cake would prove useful during the long hours. Her eyes drifted over to the frosting-covered confectionary and her mouth watered. How long had it been since she had a snack? She could’ve sworn she already consumed a slice of cake for the day. Any more and her flanks would slowly trend toward Celestia’s. She giggled. Her friends all noticed the monarch’s slow plumping of the flanks. Not that they looked bad. In fact, they looked very stately. Her hoof eased its way over to the silver plate and pulled the slice of cake close. She deserved this cake. She’d been studying hard all day. Plus, she could go for a flight afterward to stay healthy and to stretch her wings. “Stretch them twice a day,” Rainbow had suggested to her, and she intended to stick by it. Normally, she’d consult a book for such advice. Of course, Rainbow happened to be an all-around fantastic flyer, if her accomplishments hadn’t driven home this fact already. Twilight suddenly realized the cake was gone. She puzzled over how it could just disappear. She ran her tongue around inside her mouth and detected just a trace of chocolate. Ah. I’m running on autopilot. This usually meant it was time to stop studying, especially since she just mused her slice of cake away. She sighed—lamenting over cake was definitely not very princess-like. However, the deed was done and the cake was gone. She sighed again. Her concentration was completely shot. Pulling herself off the cushions, she stretched her limbs and flexed her wings. So far so good. She trotted over to the library balcony and gazed out over the beautiful city of Canterlot. In the distance, she could see the twinkling lights of Ponyville. A surge of emotion washed over her as she started to reminisce. Part of her wanted to stay in Ponyville. The little town felt so safe compared to the bustling city. Her friends would be there for her. Heck, Pinkie might’ve dropped by already with a “cake emergency” package. She glanced behind herself quickly but was disappointed. No Pinkie, no cake. Perhaps she could just fly there and see them? It was a novel idea, but it was a little late. As much as her friends loved her, she didn’t want to drop in uninvited. With that in mind, she took off. The wind whistled against her ears and tossed her mane back. She added a touch of speed with a few more flaps and augmented it with a hint of magic. After a few loops, rolls, and the usual tricks, she felt much better. Flying was a simple pleasure she’d grown fond of. During the first couple weeks, she’d only been allowed to fly with a partner. Rainbow graciously volunteered her time and services. However, after a few weeks, Rainbow deemed her capable enough to fly solo—or, in Rainbow’s words, “Wow, that was awesome.” She blushed slightly. Getting praise from Equestria’s best flyer was quite a boost to her confidence. “Watch out!” Twilight veered to the left abruptly at the shout and nearly smacked into a patch of clouds. A rainbow blur sped past her. Huh. What a coincidence. She righted herself and hovered in place as the prismatic trail looped around and returned to her. “Well, what are you doing out here so late?” She crossed her hooves in mock annoyance. “Heh, sorry Twilight, I didn’t expect any pony flying out here this time of night.” Rainbow blushed and rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. “I saw your tricks though. A little basic, but you’re executing them super smoothly.” Her eyes trailed to Twilight’s wings and she blushed a little harder. “I’m a little jealous of your wingspan. You could pull off some pretty amazing moves with them.” “Checking out my wings?” Twilight smirked and leaned forward. “And you still haven’t told me why you’re flying out here at night.” Rainbow blushed and glanced away. Avoiding the first question, she answered the second. “Oh! Well, it’s easier to fly at night when there’s less air traffic. Less chance for collisions, right?” “I don’t think that stopped you from flying in Ponyville during the day. I clearly remember consistent collisions with my library.” “Um...” Twilight smiled and pulled Rainbow into a hug. “Sorry, I can’t help pointing out a logical fallacy when I see one.” She squeezed the pegasus firmly before letting go. “It’s good to see you, Rainbow. If I knew you flew at night, we could’ve flown together.” “Really?!” Rainbow caught herself and toned down her excitement. Calm down, it’s totally normal to want a flying buddy. “I mean, that’s cool. I thought you were extra busy being a princess and stuff.” She shrugged. “I didn’t want to bother you after we wrapped up your flying lessons.” Her eyes met Twilight’s briefly before darting away. Twilight smiled reassuringly at Rainbow and gestured at the moon and stars all around them. “Really, I’d love to fly with you. It can get very lonely in Canterlot. I thought I’d be okay with just my books.” She smiled wryly. “But I guess I’ve grown fond of being around you and all the girls over the years.” She reached out and gently tapped Rainbow on the chest. “So, why are you out here in the middle of the night so close to Canterlot instead of Ponyville?” “Well...” Rainbow swallowed nervously. Her real reasons were embarrassing, so she did the next best thing—a white lie . “I heard the Wonderbolts do a lot of endurance runs. So, I fly a couple laps each night to get myself into top form.” She realized this would also explain why she nearly ran into Twilight. Mentally, she gave herself a pat on the back. “I was flying back so quickly, I nearly ran into you. Sorry about that!” Twilight narrowed her eyes and looked Rainbow over unconvincingly. “Why haven’t I seen you flying back and forth between Canterlot on other nights then?” “Um...bad luck?” Rainbow chuckled nervously. She needed to change the topic before Twilight caught on, and fast. “But, since I bumped into you tonight, want to do some flying?” Twilight’s look of doubt gradually shifted into a smile. “So, you want to go for a flight?” She grinned. “I’ll race you to that cloud over there.” She traced her hoof across the sky and pointed to a fluffy cumulus formation in the distance. “Ready, set, go!” Without waiting for Rainbow to respond, she took off into the night. Rainbow watched Twilight fly off as her mind churned slowly like syrup. Something about Twilight being lonely, her unexpected appearance, and a race. A race! “H-hey!” She shook her head to clear her thoughts and took off after her friend. Many seconds later, she zoomed by Twilight and slowed down just enough to throw out a choice taunt. “Don’t think I’m going to let you win just because you’re a princess now!” Twilight giggled happily. “I didn’t expect you to!” She winked at Rainbow and her horn glowed ever so slightly. Half a second later, she was several lengths in front. “You’re going to have to catch me if you want to win this race!” “Hey! You’re not supposed to teleport in a race!” Rainbow gritted her teeth and pushed herself forward harder. If Twilight was going to make it a challenge, she was more than happy to rise to the occasion and show off her stuff. They jockeyed for position back and forth in their dance across the sky. Twilight always remained a few hoof-lengths ahead with a combination of powerful wing strokes and well-timed teleports. Rainbow started to suspect this wasn’t even a real race. Her friend just needed some fun after long days of endlessly studying alone. Of course, it was still a race to her and Rainbow wasn’t going to lose to Twilight. After fifteen or so minutes, she realized Twilight’s teleports were more than well-timed—they were predictable. Smiling to herself, she lured Twilight over to the cloud formation which served as the finish point through a series of loops, turns, and dives. Her friend followed along, completely oblivious to the trap laid. Right as they passed over the cloud, Rainbow waited for Twilight to teleport and aimed herself at where Twilight would reappear. Her instincts were correct as she flew right into Twilight as the princess reappeared. She wrapped her hooves around Twilight and drove their bodies right into the cloud. They impacted together and in a mass of white fluff. Twilight laughed harder than she had in ages in the clouds. She didn’t feel like a princess-trainee anymore. She felt like just another pony with friends who she could have fun with. Rainbow panted heavily above Twilight with an exhausted blush streaked across her face. “Gotcha. No one plays cat and mouse with me and wins. I always get what I want.” “Just like you always wanted me as your flying buddy, right?” Twilight smiled. “What?” Twilight’s smile slowly warmed into a slight blush. “Well, I remember how happy you looked when I first got my wings. And then all the times you snuck glances over at my wings while you were guiding my first few tricks. Now, I find you flying around Canterlot—waiting for me.” Rainbow swallowed nervously. “I wasn’t waiting! I just wanted to be there for you if you were lonely.” She paused and glanced away. “Look. Flying is great, and I love the rush. But, I’ve always wanted to fly with a pony who shared my enthusiasm. That’s why the Wonderbolts are so cool. They live to fly.” She smiled with uncertainty. “And, well, when we went flying together the first few weeks, you were so excited. I’ve never gotten that from any of our other friends. So, I guess I kind of wanted more...if I could get it.” “So...how long have you been flying around Canterlot, Rainbow?” Twilight’s smile grew wider as the truth started to unfurl—along with Rainbow’s wings. “Not that long! Just in the evenings after my weather work. Maybe a few days after I gave you the go-ahead to fly on your own. I just wanted to be there for you, y’know?” “Yeah. I understand, Rainbow.” Twilight reached up with her hooves and rested them gently on either side of her flying buddy’s neck. “Thank you for watching out for me. You’ve been my guardian pegasus ever since I got my wings.” “N-no problem, Twi.” Rainbow fumbled with her words. “You don’t have to get all mushy on me. I’d do it for any of my friends. You just happened to be the one flying the most.” “I just realized something, Rainbow. I’m not so alone in Canterlot. I still have you and the girls. Even if you’re all far away. If I need help, you’ll be there.” Twilight pulled Rainbow a little closer. “Would you be willing to be my guardian?” “What?” “I was out here tonight because I was trying to get my mind off of a tough problem. I need to find a captain for my royal guard. I didn’t know where to look. But it’s so simple now.” Twilight blushed ever so slightly at her silliness. “Rainbow, you’re a natural leader. Brave. Devoted. You would make a great captain of the guard.” Twilight winked. “Plus, an existing position in the military as a captain would look pretty good to the Wonderbolts. “So...what do you say? Will you be my faithful captain of the guard?” Twilight swallowed and closed her eyes. Please say yes. Please don’t let me down. I need you, Rainbow Dash. She felt a hoof touch her cheek. It was so gentle she could scarce believe it was Rainbow’s. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself gazing deeply into her companion’s eyes. She couldn’t tell if Rainbow was receptive to the idea or not, and her heart started to thud with worry. “Rainbow...sorry, you don’t have to. I know you already have a happy life in Ponyville. I just thought—” “I’ll do it.” Rainbow grinned confidently. “I’m not sure if I can stick around forever since I still want to join the Wonderbolts, but you’re right. This will help. As for the weather, I’m not the only pony handling Ponyville’s clouds. They’ll be able to manage.” She leaned down and nuzzled Twilight gently. “Plus, you really need some help right now. I can’t turn you down.” Twilight’s eyes widened as the she processed the good news. She squeezed Rainbow close with her hooves. “Oh, thank you! Thank you! I’ll do everything I can to make this an easy transition. You’ll make a great captain.” “On one condition.” Twilight’s expression dropped. “You have to remember I’m more than just a captain to you. Just like you’re more than just a princess to me.” Rainbow winked. “Can you do that?” Twilight’s face instantly lit up and she pulled Rainbow close. “Absolutely, Dashie. I’ll never forget it. I Pinkie Promise.” As she squeezed her captain and guardian close, she realized things weren’t so bad after all. She may still be a princess-trainee, but she wasn’t alone. No matter what happened... Dashie would be with her every step of the way.