The search to find the right pony to serve as your bodyguard can take a lifetime. Finding the pony you want to spend your life with can take just as long. Fortunately for Rarity, she finds both of these qualities united in one pony.
Nothing is ever easy, however. And in a way, the journey to happiness is never truly over.
This story was tagged as 'dark' for minor blood, and off-screen death in certain scenes. Not enough to really shock, but I thought it prudent to mention regardless.
This story is dedicated to Monochromatic, who has become a friend to me over this last year.
Enjoy.
Chapters (4)
Oh, when I saw this I thought it sounded like that story of Monochromatic's that I've been meaning to read! I thought it sounded interesting and I'm psyched to see your take on it, Karrakaz! I may or may not wait until this is completed to start reading it--I prefer reading completed stories, but some I just can't wait on. It also depends on how soon I get through the completed stories in my queue. Oh, but this is so exciting! Kudos to you, Karrakaz!
For a second I thought this was Monochromatics Prince Rarity/Twiguard story, or, at least, set in the same universe.
Then I saw it wasn't and was sad until I saw it was Karrakaz.
I am always up for some Twiguard/Princess Rarity fics, dood. Sign me up!
*SLAMS DOOR DOWN*
DID SOMEONE SAY INCREDIBLE RARITWI AU BECAUSE I AM SO HERE FOR THIS I AM SO READY I WANT ALL OF IT
Kaz is already aware of my feelings towards all this, but I think everyone else should know that this story is looking to be extremely awesome.
*SLAMS FAVORITE BUTTON*
Aw yisssssss.
Muthafucking Twiguard.
I'm curious to see what you keep and what you change about raiirity and twilights characters. Twi certainly appears to be more ruthless and with no mentoring Celestia, harbors somekind of grude against authority or the royalty. Must be quite a dislike if shes insulting a princess infront of other soldiers.
you better keep writing this i like it
6055809 With the amount I have planned, I don't know if I'll ever even finish it (There's a lot) But I'm glad you're excited
6058787 That was very much my intention, although I also have Under Her Wings to think of, so it might be slow in updating
This had potential for some world building. Keep it up!
your writing is amazing your politics is flawed however what particular code where you going for unicornia?
in medeval Europe where the idea of knights came about the only reason someone would be punished for injuring there opponent in sparring is if the injured parties family had more political clout then the other parties, and at best the punishment would be something relatively minor.
it was a full blown sparring session for the duty of bodyguard for the princess, brutality and such is to be expected, the fact that she won the fight despite being dead on her hooves tired is astounding and in any ANY regular situation given the gravity of the position they where going for she would be applauded. if the king does anything other then question ageis's sanity in the matter, it well be a miscarriage of justice.
6059211 If you compare it to human medieval times, then yes, it will not jive in terms of politics. Suffice it to say that it's my take on an extremely militarized country, beset on all (or at least most) sides by enemies who wish them harm. I'm not trying to ape any existing form of political rule, past, present, or future, but rather trying to come up with my own in which something like this makes sense.
Sorry if it ruined your immersion though, I hope you still can still enjoy the story for what it is.
6059237 I think I well be able too, just seems more like killing your best warriors cause there better fighters is kinda a bad decision.
6059300 Think of it this way: Generally such things don't happen in mock-fighting. Mistakes? sure. Possibly wounding others? sure. But she might have crippled a guy.
6059300 I think of it like this: In this country, every able-bodied pony who can serve in the military is needed to replace ones who die in the various battles the king sends them to fight. This is an extremely harsh deterrent intended to keep soldiers from injuring each other. Your buddy wanted to go home and wanted you to stab him? Congratulations, you get the death penalty.
A most fascinating alternative version of early Equestria.
The real question is, naturally, what is Twilight more afraid of: Her possible execution, or how much her incarceration is going to cut into her training schedule?
Seriously, I'll bet if Rarity goes down to the dungeon to see Twilight, she'll still be drilling and exercising.
Come to think of it, that's probably why she was out of breath when all the other soldiers were more or less fine; she was out there since dawn training in the mud.
6059372
6059424
you both make good points but several times in history (samurai, Spartans, knights, conquistadors) it's been shown that one talented solider is worth several dozen talentless ones on the battle field.
6061363 agreed, but some leaders see soldiers as tools alone.
I'm really liking the concept and having to agree with Rarity, I'm curious about Twilight's history. ^^
When I read this I was terrified as the little chapter progress bar ticked down, because I thought it had been marked complete. I can't express how happy I was to be wrong. This is some great stuff. Monochromatic's Rarilight guard saga is my favorite of his work, and you have some amazing pieces to your name. I can't wait to see how this plays out. I've been waiting for a fic like this for more than a year, and now that it's here, it's awesome.
is this all that's written so far? man, i want more! i need to know what happens :s this is so well written, it's almost on a Game Of Thrones level, i am not big on reading normally, but this is the best fanfic i found so far, i really hope the author keeps going with it <3 /)
6071691
I currently have to divide my attention between this and Under Her Wings, but fret not, more is on the way.
6071726 okays :-) i will check out that other story too, Under Her Wings :D
6058940
I really want to read it, but I hate being left hanging by a story! What to do, what to do...
I just reread this comment, and ACK! You don't know if you'll ever even finish it??!
YESSS UPDATE
A series of humiliations for rarity?
I can see what the king and the instructor are getting at, and it's a valuable lesson.
Only, I'm not sure rarity is listening in lieu of being angry. The way the lessons being taught may not help but the king stated it outright in plain launguage.
Heck instead of picking a bodyguard on their ability to protect someone she's aiming to pick one so as to get back at her father.
For someone who's learned military tactics she seems a little... Slow? If she hasn't understood how critical it can be for both morale and political reasons to keep her head attached to her shoulders.
The chapters written well and I didn't notice any big errors.
I'm a little unsure as to what I think of the content but i know i want to see how things develop.
DAM NO TWILIGHT NOW I HAVE TO WAIT AGAIN
An interesting end, But certainly I can see the pairing work well. Given free reign to do what she see's best for the 'princesses' safety, as she is the charming diplomat. A right and a left hand, which do you shake, which do guard against?
Come on Rarity you know you want her.
6143919 The way I see it, Rarity is frustrated about a great many other things stemming from her father. She's ignored for anything other than political purposes. She resents Diamond and considers her personal assistant to be more of a father figure. As far has learning miltary tactics, she openly tells Diamond that she and Sweetie Belle suffer for their experience. For these reasons, she is slow to listen to his advice, because she feels he doesn't truly care about her, and moreso seems to care about his legacy. That's why I think she's being slow. At least subconciously she's subverting her father's commands.
I imagine bladespinner would find the trial with twilight moronic given his opening words there. seriously this entire nation is run by a royal family with the collective intelligence quotient of a rock with a hole through it.
Alright! New chapter! sadly no Twi, but eh, that'll just make it all the better when she shows up and we get to see Twi take on Bladespinner and/or The Bull. Then Rarity and Twi will become good friends and kiss and stuff.
And then Rarity and Twi will be captured by the griffins and brought to their capital where Twi will be forced to watch as Rarity is executed in front of the whole griffin populace.
I mean... there is a dark tag on here...
Maybe I have been watching too much Game of Thrones...
I'm suddenly perplexed that Twilight may be executed for treason.
She may have potentially crippled another pony for life, but it's pretty clear from King Diamond's own behavior that actions like that would likely be encouraged in his soldiers, not punished.
Clearly, he wishes himself to be seen as vicious, but is so paranoid about losing his legacy that he can only see that same viciousness in others as a threat to himself. Bulwark gets a pass on this only because he is an extension of the King.
And I thought it an especially nice touch how Bulwark's portrayal makes him out to be not a pony, but what he actually is: Diamond's attack dog.
Ultimately, everything that we see gives us very keen insight in King Diamond's character and what he is, and what he is, is not a King, or an Emperor, or a Prince, or even a Don, but a gang leader.
Diamond is only a King because he possesses all the trappings of royalty; take those away, and he's just a thug who finds joy in the humiliation of his inferiors.
6145084
Not really a bad comparison, and there is a certain hypocrisy here with him, that only grows more apparent the more this story goes on...
Still, it is worth considering, what kind of world creates individuals like him and puts him in power.
6144772
None of the royal family are really stupid. Even the King, many faults he might have, is not truly lacking in intelligence. Rarity herself is very smart, but her adolescence is definitely showing, and this is not helped by her father being an unreasonable dillhole. Her talents, as we see here, lie in diplomacy and politics, two things her father sees more as necessary evils than anything. He values military might and strategy and tactics, things she feels are barbaric, if likely necessary to ruling. They are opposites, and lack a real understanding of the other. That said, it falls on the father to understand the child, not the other way around, and he completely fails in that regard. He doesn't even try.
Bladespinner is basically a drill sergeant, but he at least shows that he is trying to teach, rather than simply attacking someone to make a point. Is he grating? Sure, but he is not unfair.
6145856
The same kind of world that we live in.
The one where, in any conflict where greed is involved, the only prudent thing to do is to count on greed winning. You see this in Diamond's character; he is an expansionist. You don't have a expansionist mindset unless you're greedy, because you aren't just trying to increase what you have; you're trying to increase what you have by by finding someone who has what you want and then taking it away from them by force, or by finding what you want, and then using force to keep anyone else from taking it, even if it makes more sense for them to have it rather than you.
That's largely why he's being unreasonable the way he is, and why he wants to seem vicious even if he doesn't seem to encourage this behavior in those around him, why he's paranoid of his lords conspiring against him. He wants to expand his kingdom as much as possible, being sure to die of old age and not assassination, and have everything set up so that Rarity can rule once he's dead, and then Sweetie Belle after her, and then their children, and so on. It has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with wanting what's best for his family or his subjects.
Expanding his kingdom and then making sure it lasts at that size or grows even bigger for a thousand years is how he intends to become immortal: By making sure that his name is remembered as the one who conquered the world. That is, of course, exactly why Filthy Rich's very obvious coup is going to work.
Because even if you're a genius leading an unstoppable army, or if you have the means and intelligence to conquer all the known world in one fell swoop...
You can still be a chump.
6146066
Wait, what coup? How is earth pony meant to take control over the army/ the lords to stage his coup when in this setting he is seen as inferior to unicorns?
That said iI didn't see anything about a coup in the chapter, I'll re read it later.
6144535
Ah yeah I can see that. Its not exactly a happy family set up.
6146244
Oh, there was nothing stated about a coup. There wasn't really even an implication of one; I had to read into the text of the chapter to even reach that conclusion, and I will be the first to admit that the problem with reading into things is knowing when to stop so you don't read too far. As far as the official story goes, there is no coup planned, and if we're being honest, there probably isn't going to be one.
But I'm still putting my money on it!
6146360 ah OK thanks.
6146244
Just because unicorns have a racial bias against other tribes, absolutely does not make it so, and there is nothing more dangerous, than an underestimated enemy, save perhaps an under appreciated friend.
6146490 that's not what I was saying, it's more that I doubt that generals or lords are gonna band together under an earth pony when they are biased against them.
I'm not saying the bias is correct, just that it will affect things.
6146490
"Under appreciated" is a far more generous descriptor than I would've used.
6146509
Ah, my dear friend, you have not learned yet. but you will.
As is the case with most things, when it comes to the conflict between bias against non-unicorns and love of money... bet on love of money.
Greed always wins.
You dangled the Rarity and Twilight scene this whole chapter. Normally that would annoy me, but you did it very well and it was a better read for it. Anticipation built successfully
6146509
It is surprising what a sufficiently skilled orator can convince individuals what is in their best interests.
It is as 6146582 says. Bias is strong, but greed is stronger.
And from the look of things, Filthy knows the game very well, while the other nobles only think they know the game.
Looks like Rarity knows the game pretty well too, but she lacks experience. I'll grant her father one thing. She needs a bodyguard, and a good one. It's just a shame his idea of a good bodyguard probably means another borderline rabid beast. Which makes his condemnation of Twilight seem all the more ironic, considering how her actions are viewed.
Does anyone else feel reminded of El Tiburón from Black Flag when they see Bulwark?
6147078
You'll need to remind me, but while the Captain of the Guard has spoken condemnations of Twilight, I don't think that Diamond himself has said anything yet.
He still might, though, even though that kind of violence seems to be what the King likes. As I said earlier, Bulwark is an attack dog. Twilight, however, is more like a wolf. Both can be vicious when they need or want to be, and both can certainly be loyal, but that's about where the similarities end. An attack dog, if well-cared for and given what it considers to be "appropriate" affection, is unlikely to turn on its master, because it is domesticated. The same cannot be said of the wolf, because it is wild.
Twilight is a wild wolf, and while she possesses some of the traits Diamond might look for in a bodyguard, the critical one is absent. But then, he promised Rarity that he would support her decision, so it doesn't really matter if that critical trait is absent. It is, after all, possible to get on very well with wolves, so long as they are respected as what they are; sometimes vicious, sometimes loyal, but always wild.
In short, I now have myself psyched up hoping the relationship between Rarity and Twilight will be, even if only in its earliest stages, intense.
6146582
6147078
Fair point. Money can be very persuasive.
I can't wait to see what happens.
6147169
I really, really like your description of Twilight and how she differs from Bullwark. I really hope you turn out right with that.
6147169
I had assumed that the Captain was stating the sentence that was handed down. I wouldn't think he could declare treason himself. Then again, maybe I am remembering it wrong.
What gets me about the whole sparring match, is that the other guy was using attacks that are expressly forbidden during these kinds of maneuvers (thrusting attacks) due to how easily they could result in severe injury or death. He had already put Twilight's life on the line. Twilight was pushed into an extreme defensive maneuver, and because she hurt the other guy, she is in trouble. The captain was ENORMOUSLY blase about the possibility of injury, but once it actually happened, he freaks completely out. I can't help but think he is butthurt because it happened right after he bragged about how an accident would never occur.
6144886 Winter is coming, my brother. and yes, my Game of Thrones interest is actually what got me curious about this fanfic, it very vaguely reminds me of it, at least in some aspects ^_^
i am happy there is a new chapter of this finally, thank you Karrakaz
i want you to know that you truly are my favorite writer by now, no joke, and i almost thought i was becoming a fan of Kkat's Fallout: Equestria, but i've been having issues with some of his rushed plot and plot-holes, i don't get that with your writing though, not really, which is why i am so thankful you exist and you write all these wonderful stories, from your more innocent series, to your more saucy series, i can't find anything that i dislike.
even though i figured this is most likely a Twilight x Rarity ship story, this is way more than that, and the pacing sets up the world fairly well so far, and you get to see the different sides of Rarity in this and how she is in this fiction, i like this Rarity more than the MLP canon Rarity
though, this is too early for speculation, and it's an awkward question to ask, but is Rarity bisexual in this story? or should i just wait until more chapters elaborate that aspect of her? i don't explicitly recall her showing romantic interests in either stallions or mare so far in her thoughts, unless perhaps i'm forgetting something, but oh well, it's just a minor detail, i was just curious and getting ahead of myself
i am so excited, i can't wait to see how Rarity's encounter with Twilight is going to be like when she finally visits her in the jail, until then, i shall keep reading the rest of Under Her Wings, and maybe check out another story, since there's seems to be no such thing as a bad story by you
have a great day Karrakaz, your stories make me so happy ~hugs~