Many years have passed. Now I’m a twenty-one-year old stallion carrying my duty as a royal guard to Princesses Celestia and Luna. All the while I have done my regular patrol duties around Canterlot, as well as accompanying the Princesses in diplomatic relations. I have met a lot of leaders, which many of them knew and treated me well knowing that I’m the son of the Princess of Friendship.
But lately, I felt stressful. As a guard I have to serve my duties daily, meaning that I could hardly leave Canterlot. Man, how I miss my friends in Ponyville! Occasionally I would run into some of them while doing my patrol duties. At other times, Princess Celestia did give me some days off to be with my friends. Yeah, I attended the annual Grand Galloping Gala to spend time with my friends. I did watch Peanut Butter, his siblings and his friends perform. But these weren’t enough to me. How I wish I’d spend more time with them!
It was one day, when I was doing my regular patrol duty in the castle. Halfway through the corridor, I stopped and started to daydream. I imagined how I spent my times with my friends, being in Sugarcube corner with Peanut, checking out Sweet Apple Acres, trying out Rarity’s fashion, have a race with Greenie Hats and her brother, tame the critters with Honey Drops…
I was deep in my thoughts that I didn’t realize Princess Luna was approaching. She patted my neck.
“A penny for your thoughts, Orion Galaxy.”
“Dah!” I jumped with shock. I recovered and turned around to see Princess Luna giggling. “Princess Luna?”
“You seem to be caught off-guard easily, huh?” she joked. “Anyway, tell me what’s wrong.”
“*sigh* Actually, I feel stressed these days.”
“How come?”
“Well, you see…” I told her the trouble I was having now.
“I see about that,” she said. “That’s not a bad idea, but the thing is that you’re going to neglect your job.”
“I didn’t mean to neglect my job! I mean, I just wished that I can spend more time with them.”
“Then why don’t you tell Celestia?”
“*sigh* I was afraid she might refuse. Not to mention Captain Apollo. I would always expect the reaction from him.”
Captain Apollo is my current captain of the royal guards. He’s a dark black unicorn, and he’s got a strong build with a number of scars around his hooves, has a tough hoof as a cutie mark and he always wears a serious expression on his face. Never before did I see him smile or laugh. Rumor has it that he volunteered to be a guard because of his toughness. Not sure if this was pretty true or not.
“Captain Apollo?” Princess Luna continued. “Yeah, you may be right. He’s just a great boss when it comes to this.”
“Now, if you excuse me, I have to resume my duty.” Before I trotted away, I told her. “Can you keep what I said a secret?”
“Until when?”
“When I tell you so. Right now it isn’t the time.”
“Okay. I promise.”
“Anyway, thanks for easing a bit of my burdens. You’ve made a bit of my day.”
“You’re welcome, Orion Galaxy.”
Upon downstairs, I saw Meadow Charm near the main door. Meadow is the first female royal guard to be enrolled. She was here about three years ago, and she somehow got accustomed to the surroundings. She’s a pegasus. She’s pink, got a silver mane and tail and has a bell with a heart as a background as her cutie mark. We were actually in good terms since the first day we met. I actually served as her mentor. She was quite eager to learn from me.
“Oh, hey, Orion!” She called to me after seeing me.
“Yeah, Meadow, what’s up?”
“You feeling fine?” She looked at me all over. “You seem to be… normal.”
“Normal? Actually, I’m in a dilemma.”
“You’re in a dilemma? How come?”
“*sigh* I wish I had more freedom. I want to spend more time with my friends. It’s been two months I never visited Ponyville.”
“Ponyville? That place means a lot to you, right?”
“Yes. That’s where I was born. I came to live here in Canterlot since a family disaster.” I tried not to talk about my father to her. I just don’t want to be down again.
“I see,” she said at last. “As a prince you really deserve more freedom. But I guess your boss doesn’t allow that.”
“I know. I always expected the same reaction from him so I dare not to.”
“Oh, poor you.”
“Honestly, I liked Uncle Shining Armor better.” Uncle Shining Armor was another of my awesome figures. Whenever he and his family visited us, he would love to spar with me as a purpose of training. Paladin Knight is a very competitive cousin. He just likes to brag anything with me. But actually, if you look at the other side, he still loves me.
“Shining Armor… your favorite uncle?”
“He used to be a royal guard. He was captain. Ever since ruling the Crystal Empire with Auntie Cadance, he still comes back regularly though.”
“Ah, interesting.”
“Anyway, what are you doing?” I asked, looking at a bunch of papers she’s holding.
“Oh, those papers?” She showed one to me. “I’m trying to start a female royal guard training course. Lately the princesses said that they need more guards, and has opened the offer to mares as well.”
I was stunned for a moment. “Why, yes! They talked about it several weeks ago! Damn, how should I forget it? Maybe I was too busy…”
“Oh, Orion,” laughed Meadow. “You’re working too hard.”
“Sorry about that.” She smiled at me. “Anyway did you get permission from Captain Apollo?”
“Well, he did, though he looked a bit disapproved. I just need at least five mares to start my training program.”
“Man, I think he’s got sexual discrimination in his mind. Look at the way he treated you during your training days.”
“Heh-heh, don’t worry about him,” she giggled. “I’m sure he’ll have a sense of change one day…”
“Well, hope so.”
“Calling Prince Orion Galaxy, you’re needed at the hall now!” Captain Apollo’s voice boomed through the hallway.
“Talk to you later. I gotta go now,” I said before galloping towards that direction.
“Don’t push yourself!” She called me.
After a hard day’s work, I was feeling so exhausted that I slumped onto my bed after cleaning up myself. In fact I was too tired to get into Princess Celestia’s room to do some studying.
But soon, weird things began to happen and I started dreaming.
In my dream, I was facing an enormous horde of rebel ponies in the Everfree Forest. I was attacking them with all my might, but in the mayhem, both my wings were severed, making me impossible to fly.
The battle raged on until I came to a cliff. By that time, I was heavily bruised. As I looked down, I began to shudder.
It was full of deadly, burning lava. That must have been the place where my father died!
“What’s wrong, Prince?”
As I concentrated myself to launch a magic attack, suddenly, the ledge where I was standing gave way, and I began to fall.
“This is the end…!” I thought to myself and shut my eyes.
Just as I thought when I met my doom as the heat grew more intense, suddenly I landed with a thud. When I opened my eyes, I found myself in the sky, lying on a cloud.
And who should be hovering beside me, was Princess Luna!
“Princess Luna?” I called her. “Am I dreaming?”
“Why don’t you give yourself a punch?”
A punch? That’s ridiculous! Anyway, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and started aiming my hoof to my nose…
“Ow!” I woke up with a start to find myself, still wrapped in my blanket lying on the floor. I looked around the surroundings. Surprisingly, I was back in my room, with the sunshine shining in.
I got up to see Princess Luna in front of me, smiling.
“Oh,” I groaned. “So this was really a dream, huh?”
“Feels like you’re in trouble, eh?” grinned Princess Luna. Appearing in somepony’s, even my own dream isn’t a weird thing for her, though. It’s her ability.
“Really, I’m stressed up too much,” I replied as I stretched my wings. Thankfully, they’re fine. “Guess I gotta get working. It’s gonna be another tiring day.” I sighed while I donned my suit of armor.
As I left the room, I managed to catch a glimpse of a concerned Princess Luna. She must be thinking:
“You’re working too hard, Orion Galaxy.”