“If by my life or death I can protect you, I will.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
It was late afternoon when the first carriage arrived at the Everfree forest palace. A carriage pulled by ponies carrying ponies.
Grey opened the door and the Flower family emerged dressed in their best attire carrying bouquets and baskets of flowers. The palace doors opened automatically for them. More carriages, more ponies. Some Pegasus flew in. A few earth ponies walked. A carriage containing the Heroes of Equestria arrived. They all talked at once. Everypony dressed in their formal wear. Fluttershy was hidden in the centre of the girls.
Grey thought to himself. A little notice would be nice, am I supposed to open all the doors? Should I be welcoming them in some way?
They all ignored Grey and walked right past him. One little filly ran to him and looked up intently.
“Scootaloo, get away from there!” Somepony yelled.
Alone again, naturally. Find a game to play. Count the spokes on the wheels. Done. Probably should have been an even number.
Grey stood with all the empty carriages in front of the palace when he heard a roar of laughter from deep inside the palace.
They’ll be telling that joke for a week. I’ll hear it eventually.
How? You'll never see Ponyville again.
Maybe I could get a Pegasi to drop off a newspaper every so often. I was just reading how important it is to be a well-informed leader.
A leader of one.
The doors of the palace burst open and Rainbow Dash flew through and down the field looped and came back to land in front of Grey. Pinkie Pie bounced down the stairs wearing her pink gala dress. Rarity walked out head held high in her purple cape and dress. The girls arranged themselves to face Grey.
Pinkie yelled excitedly, “Tell him; tell him Rarity, you know how to tell him! This is going to be goooooood.”
Rarity announced, “Dusty Miller, also known as the grey pony. You are hereby requested and required to report to Princess Luna’s throne room post haste.”
The three surrounded Grey and escorted him into the palace.
It's as if they’re cutting off all possible escape routes. Why?
At the entrance the three returned to their position of honour with the other heroes at the base of the dais.
A prank at my expense. Let them do it then I can go back to standing guard.
Show them how strong you have become.
Grey bowed walked to the center of the room and bowed again. Everypony from Ponyville was there on either side of him. They all watched Grey silently. Celestia and Luna stood on top of the dais in front of their thrones facing Grey.
“My sentry will now demonstrate his dance.” Luna proclaimed, “He will perform one of his forms and show us that his mind is as calm as a temple bell.”
Grey got the hint. He performed his pro forma bow. Standing tall, he roared, “JION!” The sound reverberated around the throne room.
He sank into a low stance, blocked high and low simultaneously. Broke an imaginary grip stepped left at forty five degrees kicked with his back leg stepping forward as he landed and voluble front kicked. He attacked to the angles then front and back. He stood tall on his back legs and pretended to fall forward to land in a low stance kicking his front legs to the sides. A small snort of a kiai. A double side kick to the back with a perfect squeak of hoof on stone. He turned to the front and bowed.
Control your breathing. Three mistakes, oh well. Was that a camera?
What say ye, Ponyville? Luna cried.
The audience on both sides of Grey erupted in cheers and applause.
Luna said. “Approach and kneel.”
Grey knelt formally on his knees at the base of the Dias.
“Dos thou vow to selfishly serve Equestria, Celestia and myself until your end?”
“I do.”
“You are not an island. Will you obligate yourself to protect all just and decent ponies?”
“I will.”
“Will you always have the courage to do what is right?”
“I will.”
“Then you have honour. Will you cultivate and nurture your honour?”
“I will.”
“For services you have performed and will perform selfishly for all of us, I hereby dub you Sir Grey, Captain of the Guard of the Everfree forest palace of the Night Princess.”
A broadsword silently unsheathed itself from Luna’s throne.
Oh my, that’s a big sword.
A very long double edged weapon hovered, touched Grey’s right shoulder and flank. Moved over his head then touched his left shoulder and flank.
“Rise as smoke rises. Rise a Knight of Equestria. Ordo Equestris.”
Everypony applauded for a long time.
“There is an old tradition that has not been use in a exceedingly long time. You, Sir Grey, will have the first dance with your favourite.” Luna grew in size. “Name your favourite and dance.” Her mane and tail whipped. “Name your favourite!”
The Six Heroes of Equestria looked to Celestia for direction. She remained motionless.
NAME YOUR FAVOURITE!”
“F-F-Fluttershy.”
Luna turned into her small colt size, landed on the dais with a click of her shoes and said. “Perfect.”
Grey turned and walked staggering in a semicircle to the right towards Fluttershy. (Not as a predator) and bowed.
Fluttershy looked at the floor. “I’m sorry but I think you were supposed to ask Princess Luna to dance.”
Applejack was pushing her from behind. Fluttershy’s hooves slipped on the stone floor as she tried to backpedal.
The band from Canterlot struck up and they danced.
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand. You could have lost everything.”
“I don’t care about things.”
“You could have lost your life.”
“Then the last thing I would have ever said would have been your name.”
They dance quietly for a while. Other ponies joined them on the floor.
“I’m sorry, I have to join my friends.”
“Please Fluttershy, think of it this way. A moment ago I almost died for you. If you let me finish this dance with you I swear I will never bother you again.”
They danced quietly again. Suddenly Grey said, “Hang on.” Grey dipped Fluttershy as a pink flash flew over them.
“May I cut in?” Pinkie Pie said just before crashing into a group of digniponies. “I taught him that.” She snort laughed.
Celestia and Luna watched the festivities from the dais.
“Sister, I thought myself familiar with all traditions regarding knighthood but I fail to recall this ‘name your favourite’ one.”
“Oh that. That was just a challenge for my new guard pony. Is he not brave to stand up to me?”
“And if he said your name?”
“Then the two of us would be dancing. I know that you are very familiar with the ‘no win scenario’, this was a ‘no lose scenario’ and a chance to do a little matchmaking. He needs a girlfriend and he picked one of the loveliest there is.” Luna smiled to herself.
“Sister please, stallions are not that difficult to manipulate.”
“I trust I did not upset you?”
Sister, you did not see me interfere. Now let us devour cake.”
Wherever Grey moved he was congratulated. Every pony wanted to shake his hoof. Or slap him on the back.
The mayor was exceedingly proud. “The first resident of Ponyville to make it to The Guard. Soon Rainbow Dash will be the first to get into The Wonderbolt Academy.”
Three fillies in burgundy capes finally got their chance.
“We are the cutie mark crusaders. Our mission is to ‘work together to find out who we are, and what we're supposed to be’. We have a question for your Mister Sir Knight. We never heard of a cutie mark changing. How is it possible?”
“Sorry girls I never heard of it either.”
“Nu-hu we all saw it. Is it a Dusty Miller flower?” they were looking at his flank.
Grey slowly turned his head, looking at one side then the other.
His broom mark was replaced by a grouping of small flowers. A stack of five then seven then five over three leaves surrounded by a horse shoe laurel.
“That’s not right, that’s not right at all.”
“What does it mean?”
“It’s an old symbol from the east. It is the highest rank a civil servant can obtain without being royally born. Please Crusaders do me a favour and continue your research on this and report back to me. I have to talk to Luna.”
The Crusaders snapped to attention and wobbled a saluted.
It took Grey a while to get through the crowds of admiring ponies.
Grey bowed to Luna and said. “Princess Luna I don’t understand, you said that I would never be promoted.”
“Oh it’s all about you today is it not?” Luna smiled, “At least you remember my little speech. I am continuing to give you what you need to serve me. You have confidence and self-esteem. You need to belong and you require friendship. You have achieved something great. It is essential that you be respected and to respect others.”
“But I've done nothing heroic. I haven’t even passed the Guard Entrance Exam. It’s not like the stories.”
“Finish the quote, ‘It is not yours to question why...’”
“... ‘It is mine to do or die’”, Mumbled Grey.
“Every Guard is a knight. I cannot be seen with a guard pony that is not a knight. I’m having fun, are you not having fun and dancing with the pretty girls? As for that cutie mark, I was getting tired of looking at that broom on your buttock.”
“If there is any way I can reaffirm my loyalty to you I will do it instantly.”
“You just did, thank you Sir Grey.”
Luna thought to herself. This does not change the condition of the game. It brings it to the next level. I have your loyalty. Thus, I have great leverage.
/]*[\
The sky was starting to lighten. Grey pranced out his moss nest under the oak tree. He curled up and flopped the tip of his tail over his nose.
Everything cleaned, everything put away. Hopefully everypony thanked for coming. What a strange feeling. Being the centre of attention and not because I did something wrong. Everypony smiling at me. So comfortable, drifting, falling. Zzzzzzzzzzz.
“What does thou think thou art doing?!”
Grey jumped into the air, legs splayed tail straight out.
Land at attention. Too many legs. Where’s my tail?
“Pony, you are a constant amusement.” Luna smiled down at Grey.
Grey stood at attention, trying to focus his eyes and brain.
“I cannot have my new guard pony sleeping on the ground. I have prepared quarters for you.”
Grey had gathered his wits enough to say. “Thank you your highness, but I like it outside. I don’t think I like walls and small rooms and the only time I slept in a bed was when I was sick.”
“I am offering you a place to live in the palace. A place to belong. All Royal Guards have their own home. You do not want this?”
“I’m fine here, I can guard from here. Royal Guard Pegasi sleep outdoors on clouds in Cloudsdale.”
“Are you debating me? It is fine Grey, anything you wish today.”
“One more thing, do you know what a favour is?”
“Princess, I will do any favour for you in the blink of an eye.”
“You are a delight. How about confetti?”
“I dislike confetti.”
“How about a bomboniere?”
“I have never heard that word before.”
“It is like a thank you gift or a remembrance. Some pony dropped this on her way out. You were meant to see this but you were so busy being socially unbalanced that you missed it.”
Luna used her magic to pull a large yellow feather from under her wing. Grey’s eyes widened.
“This is for you. I can see that you will treasure it. Would you like one of my own?”
“I don’t know.” Grey gazed at the feather hovering in front of his face. His mind swirled.
“Princess, did you just call me ‘Grey’ and say that I’m home? Anything for you Princess, anything.”