//------------------------------// // To Serve With Honor // Story: In the Daylight, the Lone Blades Carve Their Path // by Shanenator //------------------------------// *Italics signify that it is being spoken in the species’ native language, or in the universal language of the Covenant, and that this is the closest possible translation. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! The Ultra looked up from his breakfast of jerky strips, an apple, and a piece of toast in surprise. It wasn’t often that the trio of aliens got visitors while they were in their suite. Despite the ponies’ increased comfort around them, they were still a rather frightening bunch, and the Ultra could only imagine what sort of rumors circulated concerning what they did in the secrecy of their room. Their room also probably smelled. “I’ve got it,” the Ultra said softly to his companions as he stood up from the too-small chair and strode over to the door. Much to his surprise, there was a grinning, blue unicorn waiting for him on the other side. “Cobalt Shine!” the Ultra exclaimed in surprise and glee. “So good to see you!” “It is good to see you as well, friend. It would seem fate has once again seen fit to cross our paths,” Cobalt Shine replied with a grin. “Well, we certainly weren’t expecting you, but do please come in,” the Ultra said as he stepped aside to allow the blue pony access to their quarters. Bok looked up from his plate, containing much the same fare as the Ultra’s, and chirped happily. Pip-Pap appeared to be chugging…something from a bottle he had attached to his facemask. Seeing the blue pony, he disengaged the bottle with a click and a hiss. “Hi, Cobalt Shine!” “Hello, Pip-Pap. It is good to see you,” Cobalt Shine replied. Ever the diplomat, he declined to ask Pip-Pap what exactly he had just been ingesting. He also wrinkled his nose slightly as he entered the room, but again said nothing. He did, however, warily eye the strips of jerky on the two taller aliens’ plates. The Ultra took notice and sighed. They had already had this discussion once before, and it was one of the few sore points between them. “My friend, I am sorry you take displeasure with our diets, but we cannot change our species. We are what we are, and we evolved this way. Take comfort knowing that this creature died a long time ago, a long ways away.” Cobalt Shine scoffed but his reply was even in tone. “I did not come here to criticize your eating habits.” His face brightened. “For today is a good day! One of celebration! I come bringing news of today’s events!” The aliens looked on curiously. “A celebration?” the Ultra mused as he grabbed another piece of jerky. “Of what sort?” “Is it some sort of holiday?” Pip-Pap inquired. “Eh…I suppose it could be described that way,” Cobalt Shine confessed with a grin. “But it’s not any ordinary holiday! Today is a coronation!” “A coronation? For royalty?” the Ultra questioned. “Is one of your Princesses becoming a Queen?” Cobalt Shine chuckled at that. “No, no…I’m afraid Princess is the highest rank among our royalty here.” “A prince or princess, then?” “Precisely!” Cobalt Shine exclaimed excitedly. “And you already know who she is, too!” he added, waggling his eyebrows ridiculously. The Ultra frowned. “Now wait a moment. I only know of three Princesses, and they are all alicorns. I don’t know of any other alicorns to be crowned a Princess, as you claim.” Cobalt Shine’s grin grew even wider. “But you do know her! I promise it’s true!” “Well then who is it?” “Nuh uh uh!” Cobalt Shine taunted. “You have to keep guessing. Where’s the fun if I just TELL you?” The Ultra narrowed his eyes and let loose a low growl. If there was one thing Cobalt Shine had quickly come to appreciate about the Ultra, it was that he was NOT a morning Sangheili. “Cobalt Shine…” he said dangerously. “I’m only going to ask you this once…who. Is. It?” Cobalt Shine pouted. “Aww, you’re no fun. Fine, fine I’ll tell you. Today is the day that Princess Twilight Sparkle is crowned!” The Ultra sputtered and choked on the piece of jerky he’d been chewing on. Pip-Pap gasped. Bok chuckled and used the opportunity to snatch a piece of jerky off of the Ultra’s plate. Finally, the Ultra recovered to the point where he could speak again. “Twilight Sparkle is a unicorn,” was all he managed to say. “Not anymore!” Cobalt Shine chirped happily. The aliens stared for a moment or two. “Let me get this straight…you mean to tell me that Twilight Sparkle, seemingly overnight, became an alicorn?” “That’s about it, yeah!” Cobalt Shine replied cheerfully. More surprised silence followed before the Ultra sighed and rubbed his temples. “I may not be a scholar among my people, but I do possess a basic understanding of this universe and the many, many laws that govern it. You ponies, my dear Cobalt Shine, have consistently, obliviously, and most cheerfully broken, or at least seem capable of breaking, every. Single. Last. One of them,” he finished, poking Cobalt Shine in the chest between phrases to emphasize his point. Cobalt Shine grinned like a crazy pony. “I know, aren’t we amazing?” The Ultra rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in the air. “Amazing doesn’t even BEGIN to describe it…” “So, remind me where we are going, and why?” the Ultra asked Cobalt Shine as the trio of aliens once again found themselves trailing the blue pony through the halls of Canterlot Castle. “You’ll see,” was all Cobalt Shine had to say in reply as he led the aliens into an area of the castle they were unfamiliar with. Soon enough, the group stopped before a large wooden door that none of them recognized. A faint, smoky odor lingered in the air, almost as if somepony was burning something. “Welcome, friends, to the armory. I imagine you’ll become fairly familiar with this area before too long.” The wooden door slowly creaked open, and beyond the aliens could see the dull flickering of fires and hear the clanging of metal on metal. Stepping through the massive archway behind their guide, they walked past rows and rows of golden helmets, chest pieces, spears, swords, and all manner of weapons and armor. They also passed several forges and fires, where ponies were hard at work pouring, hammering, dousing, or heating metal. The Ultra had to say that he was surprised by such a level of industriousness from the seemingly innocent ponies. Passing all of the loud workplaces, the group entered some sort of office. There, much to the extraterrestrial trio’s surprise, they found the Princess of the Sun herself talking animatedly to a burly orange earth pony with an eye patch over his right eye. The conversation halted immediately upon the new arrivals’ entrance. Celestia smiled. “Why, hello friends. Good to see you.” The aliens all bowed. “Princess,” the Ultra greeted. “I must confess that we were not expecting to meet you of all ponies here.” Celestia smirked at that. “That was the plan, dear Ultra.” She turned to her companion. “I’d like you all to meet our head smith, Fired Forge.” The dull orange pony stepped forward to examine the trio, slowly circling them and muttering under his breath. His one eye sized up their every feature, detail, and movement. It was rather uncanny. Finally, he stopped before the trio and held out a hoof. “Fired Forge, at ‘cha service. Pleased ta meet ‘cha,” he greeted gruffly, shaking the three aliens’ hands in succession. Then he chuckled. “Ohhh, I think dey gonna like wot we got fer ‘em, Princess. All my measurements were jest roight.” Celestia’s eyes sparkled. “I had every confidence, Forge.” She turned to the aliens. “I trust you all have been briefed on today’s proceedings?” “We know that Twilight Sparkle is apparently now an alicorn,” the Ultra replied. “How is that possible? Is it some sort of evolutionary process for ponies?” “You want to know?” Celestia asked, leaning forward a bit. “Yes, I do.” “You REALLY want to know?” The Ultra scowled. “Yes, I do! It doesn’t seem possible!” Celestia looked one way and then the other. Confident that nopony was listening in, she leaned in conspiratorially. “Closer,” she muttered. The three aliens stepped closer to her. “Closer…” she repeated. They obeyed. “Closer,” she whispered, now that they were just a few steps away. They all leaned in to hear what she had to say. “Magic.” The aliens groaned in unison. The Ultra threw his hands up in the air and stomped towards the other corner of the room. “But of course it’s magic! The answer to every known question in the universe! Why didn’t I think of that?!” he shouted in exasperation. The three ponies in the room had a very hearty laugh at the aliens’ expense. Eventually, Celestia calmed down enough to resume speaking. “Well…hehe, hoo… You see, Ultra… Reasons behind Twilight’s coronation aside, I have brought you here to prepare you for your part in today’s celebrations.” The Ultra looked up in confusion. “Our part? But surely this event is…well…important for your people specifically?” Celestia chuckled at that. “Oh, my dear Ultra, you simply must stop thinking like that. Remember, you ARE one of us now. You may not be one of my little ponies, but I still care for you three deeply as though you were. Today’s celebration is as much yours as it is ours. Remember that.” “I…see,” the Ultra said after some hesitation. Then, “thank you, your Highness. You honor us with your kind words. It feels good to be accepted so readily. Very well, we shall proudly do our part in today’s celebration. What do you wish us to do?” “Well…” Celestia began, nodding to Fired Forge as she did so. The orange pony grinned and started rooting through some sort of closet attached to the office. “I have received your reports from Captain Shining Armor. Despite some…hesitation on his part, he admits that you all received impeccably high marks and should be accepted into the Equestrian Royal Guard at once. I agree with his assessment. Thus, as your first role as Equestrians, both to serve your new country and to learn about the magic of friendship and harmony, you three are to become Princess Twilight Sparkle’s personal bodyguards, a brand-new division of the Equestrian Royal Guard.” The three aliens were stunned into silence at that, completely unsure of what to say, or even how to feel. Honored? Pleased? Grateful? Fired Forge took advantage of the silence by reentering the room with a burlap sack in hoof. The sack clanged and bonged loudly as it moved about. “Har har har, tha’s roight me beauties,” Fired Forge chuckled. “And o’ course, any good guard’s gotta look da part, yeh? So check out what me and my boys whipped up fer ya…” And with that, Fired Forge withdrew a purple helmet from within the bag and held it up. “Fer you, Ultra,” he remarked as he let the helm sparkle in the light. The Ultra gasped in surprise and awe. Very few times before had he seen such craftsmanship, but never did he dream it could be for him. The helmet’s shape reminded him much of the Arbiter’s helmet, with a pointed front to protect his admittedly vulnerable throat. The rounded dome seemed to be the perfect size for his head. Protruding from the top and sides were three flanges, streamlined to a curve in the front but shaped like flames in the back, that streamed backwards ending about two inches behind the back of his head. And the entire thing was painted a deep purple, the same color as Twilight’s coat, with brilliant golden edging. “I…I know not what to say…thank you…” the Ultra breathed as he was handed the helmet. Gingerly, as if afraid to damage it, the Ultra placed the helm on his head with a soft clunk. It was a perfect fit, and he was never even measured! “It fits perfectly. Truly, you are a master of your craft, Fired Forge. This is incredible.” Fired Forge grinned toothily. “Don’t be countin’ yer chickens now, laddie, there’s more where dat came from. It’s jest dat we had ta whip dese up inna jiffy, and only had time fer one piece each. Now, on ta you, Bok.” Again Fired Forge reached into the sack, and again he withdrew a brilliant purple-and-gold helm. But where the first one had been round, this one was elongated, and seemed to be the perfect shape to fit the Kig-Yar’s natural long snout and high cheekbones. The helmet also had a slit in the top to allow Bok’s plumage through. To the left and right of the slit, about two inches away, were two crescents protruding from the top and hooking backwards to give the helmet an extra-intimidating look. And finally, Bok was delighted to see, there were slight flanges around the round eye sockets to hold his trusty goggles in place while he wore it. Bok chirruped excitedly and bounded over to Fired Forge, eager to put it on. It was handed over, and once again the aliens were awed by how well the ponies fit their armor without taking a single measurement. Fired Forge looked on proudly, but not too emotionally, as though he’d seen this several times before and it was no big deal to him. Through the Ultra, Bok communicated his thanks before whipping out his goggles and testing them out with his new helmet. As expected, they fit perfectly. But there was one more gift to be given. Pip-Pap trembled excitedly as Fired Forge reached into the sack one last time. It was still quite full, so Pip-Pap’s piece would certainly be the largest. With a grunt of exertion, Fired Forge withdrew a large, pyramidal object that was quickly identified as a methane tank. Unbeknownst to the aliens, Cobalt Shine had discreetly acquired one of Pip-Pap’s spent methane tanks and brought it to the forges to be refilled. The result was a fully-functioning, bright purple methane tank decorated with golden edges and spirals. The Unggoy squealed in glee as he scurried over to receive his gift. Truthfully, these last few days had been most stressful for the smaller alien as the reserves of his final methane tank dipped lower and lower. The Covenant tanks are designed for prolonged use but even so, they do have a finite limit. “Excellent! Another breathing tank! I was running out! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Pip-Pap chanted excitedly. Taking a deep breath, he popped off his current tank with a hiss and gladly slid on the new one. Fired Forge shoved the old tank into the burlap sack, presumably to paint and fill it, too. Once it was installed properly, he took a deep inhale and then sighed contentedly. “Ahhh…that’s the stuff,” Pip-Pap sighed happily. But then he turned to the ponies curiously. “Hey…how did you fill the tank up, anyways?” he asked. “Do ya really wants ta know?” Fired Forge countered, grinning ear to ear. “Magic?” Pip-Pap ventured with a sardonic tone of voice. “Cow farts.” The entire room erupted into laughter while Pip-Pap looked decidedly perturbed. “…So all you have to do is wear your pieces of armor, step out when you’re told, and walk behind Twilight Sparkle’s chariot for the duration of the parade. It’s that simple!” Celestia explained as she, the aliens, Cobalt Shine, and Fired Forge made their way to the entrance to the armory. “Sounds simple enough,” the Ultra replied. “And so the ponies will know that we are a part of their precious guard…I wonder how that will be received,” he mused. “Well enough. I’m sure most ponies would rather have you with us than against us,” she finished with a wink. The Ultra had to acknowledge the truth of those words with a simple nod. “Oh, and you’ll need to carry these for the parade. It’s for symbolic reasons. And to signify that, without a doubt, you are the newest members of the Equestrian Royal Guard.” The three aliens eyed the rack of golden spears warily. “We have to carry these? We are already outfitted with weapons,” the Ultra questioned. Celestia looked bemused. “It is only for the parade, dear Ultra. I assure you that you can use your current gear whenever it may be needed.” “Very well,” the Ultra relented, picking up one of the surprisingly heavy spears. “We will carry these weapons for the duration of the celebration.” Bok and Pip-Pap grabbed spears as well, the smaller aliens struggling slightly to control the large, heavy weapons. “Remember, this is a privilege, not a punishment. These spears have served our people since times immemorial.” “I understand, Princess. Thank you.” She inclined her head. The Ultra turned to Fired Forge and bowed. “And thank you, Fired Forge, for your immaculate gifts. We shall wear them proudly.” Fired Forge smirked. “Loike I said, there’s more where dat came from. It should all be ready in ‘bout a week or so. Stop back by, and THEN we’ll see what ya has ta say, eh?” “Thank you. We shall look forward to it.” Cobalt Shine cleared his throat. “Ahem. Now that you have all your gear, we should report to the staging area. The parade is scheduled to begin in about an hour or so.” “Very well,” the Ultra replied. “Princess, with your leave?” “Of course. Farewell for now, Ultra. I shall see you after the ceremony for your promised meeting with Twilight Sparkle,” Celestia promised with a smile. “We look forward to it.” And with that, the three aliens and Cobalt Shine left the armory and headed out to the fairgrounds. Thus far, the aliens’ reception to the Equestrian Royal Guard was VERY positive. As they walked through the hallways, purple-and-gold armor and golden spears in tow, guards everywhere would smile, stamp their hooves, and even cheer their approval. Many greetings of ‘welcome to the Guard, fellas!’ and ‘all right! They’re on our side now!’ and other such banter were heard as the group progressed. The aliens couldn’t help but be proud of their new home, and pleased with how well they were fitting in. Eventually, the group found its way outside and headed towards a cluster of brightly colored tents. Singling out a particularly purple one, Cobalt Shine led the trio into none other than Princess Twilight Sparkle’s personal tent. As the group entered, Twilight Sparkle was facing away from the entrance, looking into a mirror and admiring her reflection. Her five friends were gathered around her, as well as her assistant Spike, all chattering excitedly about how she looked and the upcoming parade. The entire group was dressed in admittedly quite stylish clothing. Clearing his throat, Cobalt Shine spoke. “Ahem! Announcing the newest members of the Equestrian Royal Guard, and the newest division of the Guard, the personal entourage of Princess Twilight Sparkle!” The six mares and dragon jolted slightly and whirled around, clearly surprised by Cobalt Shine’s abrupt entrance. The shy one, Fluttershy if the Ultra remembered correctly, let out a small ‘eep!’ and dove behind the rainbow-maned one, whose name he couldn’t remember at the moment. The Ultra would’ve thought it polite to knock or something, but Cobalt Shine was either determined to spook everypony he came across today or was in a great hurry. The Ultra wasn’t quite sure which. “Oh my! Cobalt Shine! You startled us!” Twilight admonished, a hoof over her chest. Behind her, her friends’ eyes widened as they took in the three aliens and their new gear. Cobalt Shine was unfazed. “I was simply following standard protocol,” he replied with a shrug. “Yes, well, try knocking next time. It’s just polite.” “As you wish, Princess,” Cobalt Shine said with a bow, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Twilight sighed and shook her head before turning to the aliens. “New members of the Royal Guard, huh? Good for you! It’s only the logical choice, considering your past professions. But what was this about my personal entourage?” she questioned. “It is official,” the Ultra replied. “Princess Celestia has admitted us to the Guard and formed a new division. We are to be your bodyguards, as every Princess has some. It is both to serve our new country and to learn about friendship and harmony.” Twilight’s eyes lit up. “Oh, how wonderful! Yes, there is much I can teach you about the magic of friendship!” The Ultra frowned. “Friendship is not magic. It is a thing.” Twilight and her friends giggled. “Oh, girls, they have so much to learn!” The aliens groaned as the ponies laughed. This was becoming an all-too-common occurrence… The Ultra shifted his eyes to the right, where there was a curious blue pegasus hovering just nearby, inspecting him closely. The Ultra was currently standing at attention outside Twilight’s tent, waiting for her to finish preparing for the ceremony. On the other side of the entrance, Bok and Pip-Pap stood, the butts of their spears planted firmly on the ground as they too stood at attention. “You know…” the pegasus began as she lightly tapped the Ultra’s new helmet, despite his attempts to flinch away. “I’m really digging the new armor. It’s pretty cool.” “I must agree, Rainbow Dash,” Rarity announced as she trotted out of the tent to get another critical look at the aliens. She sized the Ultra up, her expert eyes comparing the purple of the armor to the dark purple, almost black, of his skin. “I think you three look quite fetching in purple and gold, myself.” “Err…” the Ultra began, unsure of how to reply to that. “Thank you, I suppose. The armor was given to us by Fired Forge in the armory.” “Hmm,” Rarity mused. “Yes, quite. They did a fine job. Are you going to be receiving a complete ensemble at some point?” “I believe so,” the Ultra replied. “But unfortunately it will probably be more of the same military nonsense…” she trailed off, one hoof on her chin. The Ultra could practically see the gears turning in her head. “Rarity, you aren’t thinking about dragging these poor guys into all your silly, frou-frou nonsense, are you?” Rainbow Dash asked exasperatedly. “They’re alien soldiers! They do cool stuff like shoot lasers and punch bad guys and fly spaceships! No way would they want to pose in your stuffy boutique for hours on end!” “I beg your pardon?” the Ultra asked in confusion. Frou-frou nonsense? “My boutique is not stuffy!” Rarity huffed. “And I was simply pandering a few ideas of mine. If these gentlesirs decide they are in need of my services, they can find me in my shop at any time, free of their own will.” She sniffed. “I may also offer them a discount, but that’s beside the point.” “What is it that you do, again?” the Ultra asked Rarity. “Why, I’m only the premiere fashion designer in Ponyville! Anything from gowns to suits to costumes, I can do! At Carousel Boutique, everything is chic, unique, and magnifique!” She posed dramatically as she ran through her little sales pitch, giggling cutely at the end. The Ultra raised an eyebrow. Pip-Pap coughed. Bok guffawed and Rainbow Dash snickered. “Basically just boring, unimportant, uncool stuff,” she snarked. “RAINBOW DASH!!” Said rainbow-maned pegasus flew off, cackling madly, a vehement unicorn spewing angry protests in tow. The Ultra rolled his eyes and snorted. His comrades chuckled and joked with each other. Ponies… The butter-yellow pegasus scuffed at the ground as she gazed up from behind her long, pink hair at the Ultra with her large, blue eyes. The Ultra did his best to ignore her. After all, he was on duty, and was determined to make a good first impression with Princess Twilight Sparkle. “So…” she softly began, hesitating slightly before pressing on. “You’re to be…Twilight’s personal guards?” “Yes,” the Ultra replied shortly. “Oh.” A silence followed. “So…you’ll keep her safe?” “Yes.” “Do…you like being a guard?” The Ultra sighed internally. Bok chuckled lightly from the other side of the tent. “Yes.” “Well that’s…good.” “…Yes.” More snickering. More ground-scuffing. “I…just don’t know how to feel about Twilight having guards. This is all happening so fast…” “I KNOW!!” shouted a voice from right next to the Ultra’s right ear. Said alien jolted in surprise, hefting the spear and leveling it at the offending…blob of pink? Oh. The crazy one. Pinkie Pie simply bounced in place, completely ignorant or uncaring of the spear pointed right at her face. “I just CANNOT believe how super-duper-amazawesome this is! One day Twilight’s just regular, old Twilight, but then the next she’s super-powerful, feathery, Princess-y, needing-personal-guards Twilight! It’s almost too incredible to be true!” The Ultra resisted the oh-so-strong urge to facepalm. There were so many questions he had but he settled for, “where the blazes did you come from?” “From the tent, silly! Duh!” Pinkie cheerily replied, bouncing over to the frozen Fluttershy. Behind the Ultra, Bok roared with laughter while Pip-Pap chuckled lightly. “C’mon, Fluttershy! Twilight wanted our opinion on something, and what kind of friends would we be if we let her down? Come on, let’s get to it!” And with that, she picked up Fluttershy, whose limbs seemed locked in place, and carried her bodily into the tent. The Ultra just stared at the strange scene. “Whoops! Sorry, AJ!” came the cheerful voice of Pinkie Pie. Just seconds later, Applejack stepped out of the tent, a rather confused look on her face. This was exacerbated by Bok and Pip-Pap’s antics, but she quickly shook her head and turned to size up the Ultra as well. By this point, the Ultra was beginning to feel like an exhibit in a zoo or something. “So yer Twi’s personal guards now, huh?” she asked. “Yes!” the Ultra snapped. “We already said so!” Applejack flinched backwards, wrinkling her nose. “Well what’s got yer tail inna knot?” The Ultra finally looked down at her, staring in confusion. “I don’t have a tail…” was all he could say in response to that. Applejack let out a guffaw of laughter. “Hah! Course ya don’t. Sorry, just an expression. Ya seem ta be in a foul mood, though.” The Ultra snorted. “I suppose I am being a bit short-tempered at the moment.” More snickers. The Ultra made a mental note to scold Bok for his lack of professionalism later. “Ya wanna talk ‘bout it?” Applejack offered. The Ultra stared for a moment in surprise before letting loose a long sigh. “It’s just…here. This place. You ponies,” he added, pointing at the orange mare. “Sometimes it’s just too much. Your species is so…strange. Stranger than anything I could’ve ever imagined.” Applejack chuckled at that. “Ah suppose it probably is. Ah could say th’ same ‘bout y’all probably. But hey, that don’t mean we ain’t gonna help ya fit in. If ya ever need mah help, or just wanna talk, ya know where ya can find me.” The Ultra was silent for a moment. “Thank you for your offer. I’ll be sure to take you up on it should I feel the need.” Applejack nodded. She then stuck out her hoof. “And because Ah doubt anypony else has done it, here’s an official welcome ta Equestria, an’ congratulations on becomin’ Equestrians!” The Ultra stared at the hoof momentarily before finally making up his mind and reaching out to shake it. “Thank you, Applejack. You are most kind.” She chuckled at that as she turned to the others. “Don’t mention it. Welcome to Equestria, y’all!” Bok and Pip-Pap both expressed their thanks as the apple farmer turned back towards the tent. “Don’t git too comfy, now. Ah think we’re headin’ out in just a moment or two.” “We shall be ready,” the Ultra affirmed. “Oh, and Ultra?” The Ultra turned to face her once again. Her gaze hardened. “Don’t ya dare let anythin’ harm mah friend.” “She is in good hands, I assure you,” the Ultra swore. Applejack simply nodded and headed back into the tent. The Ultra sighed and shook his head. Ponies! “We are gathered here today in celebration of a momentous occasion…” Princess Celestia’s regal voice carried through the twin doors leading to the room where the three current princesses, Twilight’s friends, and a good portion of Equestria stood and waited. The Ultra stood stock-still behind the small procession, spear in hand, as Celestia’s voice continued to drift through the door. After leaving the tent, the group had been hurried into the castle, hidden away in a room for about half an hour, and then rapidly rushed out into this hallway and arranged just so for the big moment. “…has done many extraordinary things since she’s lived in Ponyville…” Princess Twilight Sparkle was of course closest to the door. Behind her were four blonde-maned, white mares bearing banners with Twilight’s…what was it called, again? Cutie mark, that’s right…on them. Then there were four gray unicorn guards, none of which the Ultra recognized. Finally, there was him, with Bok on his left and Pip-Pap on his right, all bedecked in their new purple-and-gold armor and gold spears. “But today, Twilight Sparkle did something extraordinary…” Twilight Sparkled fidgeted at the front of the line, clearly slightly nervous about her big entrance. One of the mares softly murmured something to her and she calmed down. The Ultra took a deep breath as he prepared to walk out before a good portion of his now-fellow citizens. “Fillies and gentlecolts, may I present to you for the very first time, Princess Twilight Sparkle and her entourage!” The doors opened. The procession began to move. All of a sudden, the mares and stallions began to sing as they walked. The Princess Twilight cometh, behooold, behooold~ The three aliens frowned in confusion, but nonetheless held their position in the queue as they stoically began to walk, holding themselves as upright and still as possible. Their steps were measured, steady, and in time with each other. The Ultra could literally feel the gazes of several hundred ponies upon him as he stepped into the small amphitheater. There were many gasps and exclamations concerning Princess Twilight Sparkle, but his sharp ears detected several directed towards him and his comrades as well. Clearly they were quite the sight to behold. Behoooold, behoooold~ The singing and walking and gasping continued. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Twilight reached the raised area where Celestia, Luna, and Cadance all waited, their wings outstretched and their faces adorned with smiles. A tiara was levitated from a pillow that Spike was holding, and slowly descended onto her head. The rest of the procession parted and moved to the side, still singing. The three aliens turned around before the steps and stood at attention, simultaneously slamming their spears into the ground, as instructed. There they were, then. Standing in front of hundreds of ponies, wearing armor the same color as Twilight’s coat, and carrying the tell-tale spears of the Equestrian Royal Guard. But the Ultra did not see many of the reactions he expected. There was very little fear or doubt or disdain. Instead, there was acceptance painted on many ponies’ faces. Maybe even excitement or glee. Despite the fact that they were undoubtedly cheering for the princess, a small part of him felt as though the cheers were for him. The Ultra’s spirits lifted as he scanned the crowd before him. The ponies truly were a very accepting race. Should he have malicious intents, he could easily hurt them quite badly. Like the Minor did… he thought, recalling his kin’s heinous crimes. Pushing such thoughts away, he focused on the present, and promptly turned around when it was time and followed Twilight Sparkle out onto a balcony, taking up a post near the entrance and standing perfectly still. The Princess iiiis heeeeere!~ The song finally finished, and the crowd below, which was at least ten times the size of that inside the castle, erupted into massive cheers. The Ultra could hardly hear himself think over the din. He was even more shocked, however, when the cheers instantly died down as Celestia held up a hoof. “Say something!” she whispered to Twilight. And so she did. The Ultra stood there and listened as Twilight poured her heart out about how she loved her friends, and couldn’t have accomplished all that she had without them. The Ultra doubted the truthfulness of these statements, but she sounded most sincere. He just didn’t really understand, he supposed. All his life he’d been mostly successful operating on his own. He depended on squadmates, sure, but on friends? He couldn’t really say that he had many of those. “Thank you, friends! Thank you everypony!” she finally finished, and the crowd erupted into cheers once more. The Ultra and his comrades simply waited patiently for the next phase of the ceremony. As they headed back inside, however, the group was confronted with none other than Captain Shining Armor. “Twilight!” he called. “I’m so proud of you!” It was then that the Ultra noticed something on his face. “Are you…crying?” Twilight asked mischievously. “Of course not!” Shining Armor professed. “It’s…it’s liquid pride! Totally different thing!” Bok snorted. The Ultra and Pip-Pap just barely managed to keep themselves entirely under control. Twilight and Shining chuckled as they exchanged a hug. Then, while Twilight and her friends engaged in more mushy, emotional stuff, Captain Shining Armor trotted up to the three aliens, still standing at attention. “You’re doing a mighty fine job, you three," Shining Armor complimented. “I’m sorry I ever had my doubts.” “Thank you, sir,” they chorused. “I also really like the armor. It suits you well.” “Thank you, sir,” they repeated. “Carry on,” he dismissed them with a wave as the group moved towards the door. They then hurried down a flight of stairs, where Twilight Sparkled hopped into a chariot pulled by two white pegasus guards. The trio of aliens clambered onto the tiny platform in the back, just as planned. Twilight’s six friends hurried off, probably to go get good seats for the final part of the procession. The Ultra sighed as the chariot began to move, slowly inching towards the daylight and the crowds awaiting them. “Well, at least the hard part is over,” he said to his comrades. “Yeah, it’s getting hard to hold these spears,” Pip-Pap complained. “They’re so big and heavy, I’m glad we don’t have to use them all the time…” Bok chirped his agreement. As the chariot rolled through the crowd, Princess Twilight Sparkle herself began to sing once again. The aliens groaned and rolled their eyes. What was it with Equestrians and their songs? It was really most odd. The chariot happily rolled on its way, passing five mares and one little dragon trotting along the path of the procession. …Wait, what? That wasn’t part of the plan. And weren’t those Twilight’s friends? And then Twilight Sparkle jumped out of the chariot. … TWILIGHT SPARKLE JUMPED OUT OF THE CHARIOT!! “What’s going on?” the Ultra roared as the chariot plodded further and further away from their charge. “What’s she doing? This isn’t part of the plan!” *“No plan now! Must follow Princess!” Bok yelled as he jumped out of the chariot after her. His two compatriots were quick to join him. They quickly ran towards the Princess, but then stood aside as she and her friends trotted past, still engrossed in song. The three aliens hurried after her, calling her name and imploring her to get back to the chariot, but she completely ignored them. They probably looked like total fools running after her, shouting and pleading with her. They probably looked like even bigger fools when the party suddenly veered off course, entered the castle, paraded through the hallways, and ended their journey, and thankfully the song, on a bridge between two towers. The entire group then broke out into giggles and hugs. The three aliens panted as they stood off to the side watching the scene unfold. But before they could say anything, Twilight suddenly took off into the air, and flew away. Her friends cheered and giggled as they moved away from the aliens, their voices fading away as they headed off to…who knows where. The Ultra, Bok, and Pip-Pap just stood on that bridge and gaped helplessly as their charge flew off into the sunset, with not a care in the world. The Ultra slowly turned to his comrades and finally managed to ask, “what in the name of the Gods just happened?” The others just sadly shrugged and shook their heads. A chuckling could be heard behind them. They turned to find Captain Shining Armor standing there. “Lose track of your charge, guys?” he managed between snickers. “Yes, sir…” they dejectedly chorused. At that, Shining Armor broke out into full-blown laughs. Finally regaining his composure, he spoke again. “Hehe…I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Truth is, I don’t envy your jobs. Twilight Sparkle is going to be one tough pony to keep an eye on.” The Ultra had a million questions he wanted to ask in response to that, but only managed one. “She can already fly?” Shining Armor chuckled again. “I was wondering about that myself. Probably just some fancy spell she found, if I had to guess. I know from friends that learning to fly takes months of practice.” “I…see.” The Ultra sighed. “Well, I guess that just happened.” Shining Armor laughed. “Like I said, don’t worry about it. You handled everything else very well.” The group sighed again. “Well, I suppose we better find Princess Celestia,” the Ultra muttered, and the three began to trudge off in search of the regal, white pony princess. As he walked, the Ultra only had one thought on his mind: Gods save me from these confounded ponies!