I am Captain Steel Song (AMA Closed!)

Holy crap, it totally arrived!

Hello,

I'm Captain Steel Song of the Dusk Guard, and I understand that you students had some questions for me; both about being a Guard and about how that's influenced my personal life. I apologize for not being able to make it to speak with you all in person due to the limitations of my job, but Princess Celestia was kind enough to enchant this parchment so that we can communicate back and forth. It's a fairly high-level enchantment, and I'm told that the strain of maintaining it is quite taxing, so please, make the most of the Princesses gift and be sure to thank her for this opportunity the next time she tours the Academy. I can't promise to answer your questions as they come, but I'll do my best to keep my copy of the scroll with me throughout the day and answer when I can find the time. Sergeant Humor should be able to act as a transcriber so that you can all read my responses.

---

So, I know you all have questions. I certainly did when I was at the academy. So what would you like to know?

From there on, it's just signed "Captain Steel Song, Dusk Guard." Alright guys, I've got my pen ready! Let's hope he doesn't realize something is up, and see how many answers we can get out of him!

Now closed. Thanks for the questions, guys!

Comments

[Lexomancer]

Oooh, I have a question.

“He’s already pretty confusing sometimes,” Jammer said, sliding in front of Sparkle. “So maybe. But you seem pretty cool so far, and I’m not worried as long as Uncle Steel’s around. He beat you, he tells us about it all the time!”
Primetail gave Steel a flat look. “Really?” he asked, trying unsuccessfully to keep a grin from his face. “All our adventures together, and you tell them that one?” He began to laugh. “All right then, little ponies, tonight you’ll get a treat! For I, Blademaster Primetail, will regale you with tale of adventures your Uncle and I have shared. And maybe,” he said with a mischievous grin in his eyes, “a few where I beat your Uncle to the punch at something, eh?” Both Jammer and Sparkle were both staring with eager eyes now, drawn in by the griffins promises of untold tales.
“You’re not going to tell them about that one time I—” Steel began.
“Indeed I am, old friend!” Primetail said, cutting him off with a laugh. “Indeed I am!”

What story did Primetail tell Jammer and Sparkle?

[Viking ZX]

1724569
Alright, I had to rephrase this one for you, since you didn't ask him, you just asked a question, I rephrased it as:

I heard you worked with a griffon at one point named Primetail and that you two still tell stories about it. I've heard the one about you beating him in a fight, but what's Primetail's favorite story that I keep hearing about?

Steel's response:

Hah! That would be the first question I get. I'm betting your Sergeant put you up to that, but since you asked.

Primetail and I eventually found ourselves serving under the same clan during the last Kingship war. At a few points, were we granted independent commands, and we had a bit of a rivalry going. Anyway, Primetail's never let me forget this time we were both assigned to track and defeat a clan militia hiding in the Northwest mountains. Long story short—and I'll admit he tells it better than I do—I ended up being completely pulled in by one of the oldest griffon feints in the book. Not only did Primetail end up completely subduing the militia by honorary combat, but then he had to come bail my flank out of the fire when I got my entire squad surrounded. Worse yet, we had a bet going on that, and I ended up having to serve as his personal valet for two weeks.

Now, to make something of this, learn from my mistake. Not only was I overly confident, but I didn't understand my enemy. The misdirection that I fell for was an old trick among griffon strategists, but I didn't know that, and as a result I fell for a trick that any fresh hatchling could have spotted. Fortunately Primetail was there to make up for my error, but I had no way of knowing that. Never underestimate your opponent. Learn everything you can about them before you rush into an engagement.

Next question.

[Lexomancer]

1724622

Ooops. Sorry about that. I was just too excited.

[Templar22]

1724622 What's the most important thing to you about being a guard?

(I can't seem to think of any other questions)

[Viking ZX]

1724743

What's the most important thing to you about being a guard?

Response:

That's a good question, and I hope you aren't disappointed with my answer, plain as it is. The most important thing to me about being a Guard is protecting those around me. It might seem like a bland answer, but that's it. My cutie mark was earned protecting a classmate when I was younger. I've always had a drive to keep those around me safe. I'm a large pony. I've been gifted with a lot of strength, and nothing is a better use of that strength than protecting those who need it.

At the same time, I didn't join the Guard officially until quite recently, as some of you may know. Before that, I served as a private bodyguard and protector for hire. So, what makes my serving in the Guard different then that?

Well, if there's one thing that beats my time as a private contractor hooves-down, it's the camaraderie. In the Guard, you're part of a family. A team, dedicated to helping and protecting those ponies around you. After almost thirty years of private work, being a part of a team with goals similar to my own is a welcome relief.

Next question, assuming that answered what you were asking?

Addendum: Steel apparently wrote a bit more after this question.

As far as this applies to you, if you want to be a Guard, I'd suggest making sure that you know why you want to be one. Do you want to be one for the armor? The respect? Or because you want to help protect Equestria? Do you want to be a personal Guard for one of the Princesses themselves? For me, it was always about protecting those who I could. For you, it might be different, but test that resolve now. Being a Guard is not easy.

[Templar22]

1724815 (yes it does)

How exactly did you earn your cutie mark?
(as soon as you brought it up I had to ask)

[Lexomancer]

1724815
You are obviously well trained for combat, and not an unlearned pony. Of all your teachers/instructors/trainers, who do you feel influenced your life the most?

[Tankenstein_PhD]

Have you ever encountered a case where a pony really did want to work as a guard (royal or otherwise) but couldn't because of their cutie mark or a physical impairment?

[Viking ZX]

1724826

How exactly did you earn your cutie mark?

Response:

I was actually wondering when this question would come up.

When I was seven years old, I was enrolled in one of the Canterlot Public schools. I was already a large colt for my age, to the point where I was often mistaken as an older student by visiting parents or substitutes. Anyway, the highlight of that year was an overnight field trip to the woods at the tail end of the Unicorn mountains just west of us here. It was a pretty big deal. The school hired a bunch of carriages to take us there and we left first thing in the morning. The trip took a few hours, but by around noon we were all there and ready to start our wilderness adventure. Our teacher had set up a bunch of exercises for us to do, and we were all paired off in groups to go out and apply what we'd learned in class that year.

Well, the Equestrian Rangers were on hoof to keep an eye on everything and make sure that none of us wandered off or that nothing bothered us, because as safe as the woods are generally, they are still wild, and a bunch of young colts and fillies tend to tempt fate. In our case, we did. Somehow, one of the Rangers ended up checking the wrong section of the forest, and a young manticore started stalking a few of my classmates.

So I was sitting in a clearing with a group of my friends talking and trying to decide if the flower we were looking at was the right one for our worksheet when we heard some of our classmates start screaming. The next thing we know, all four of them come crashing into the clearing with this young manticore right behind them. Now, I don't know how many of you have ever seen a manticore outside of pictures, but even a juvenile can be larger than an adult pony. To a colt, it's a giant.

One of the colt's tripped, and before I'd even thought about what I was doing, I'd jumped in between him and the manticore. It jumped, I guess expecting a quick meal, and i just put both my hooves up and knocked its paws out of the air like it was the easiest thing ever. I'm not sure who was more shocked when in slammed into the ground, me or him, but I didn't wait. I stomped it's head for good measure, and the next thing I know there's Rangers everywhere and everypony's shouting, half at me and half at each other, but most of them can't believe that I'd knocked out a manticore.

So a few minutes later, once everything had somewhat calmed down, one of the Rangers asked my why I'd done it. And I told him that I wasn't sure, I just knew I couldn't let someone else get hurt if I could have stopped it. The next thing I knew, I saw a flash on my flank and I had my cutie mark. One of the proudest moments of my life.

I still got grounded though. Next question.

[Viking ZX]

1724903

You are obviously well trained for combat, and not an unlearned pony. Of all your teachers/instructors/trainers, who do you feel influenced your life the most?

Response:

Of all the instructors who influenced my life, the one who did the most was probably Dauntless Diego, or "Old Dauntless," as most of the students called him then. He was old even when I entered the Academy, but he was part of the reason I never joined the Guard myself until recently.

Before he'd retired and become a teacher at the Academy, Old Dauntless was an adventurer. He'd gone to the Academy himself as a colt and then joined the Rangers, but eventually he'd resigned because he wanted to travel. Quite often his class was less "World History" and more "wild tales of places I went and adventures I had," but it really sank into me. His goal was that no matter where he went, he refused to forget who he was, always did his best to help and had always left where he'd been equal or better than when he'd found it And with all the adventures he had along the way, well, it's part of the reason I wanted to go see the world myself rather than be a Guard. He inspired me to seek out trouble rather than sit and wait for it to come to me. He had a saying that he'd repeat after almost every story: All that needs to happen for evil to win is for a good pony to do nothing. It really stuck with me.

He died a few years after I graduated, so he's not around any more. Age finally caught up with him. I'd bet if you ask around though, you'll find someone who still remember's his stories. He claimed to have even taken on Ahuizotl himself a few times. That's right. The immortal.

1724917

Have you ever encountered a case where a pony really did want to work as a guard (royal or otherwise) but couldn't because of their cutie mark or a physical impairment?

Response:

I've heard this question a few times before, and I'd bet that whoever asked this one either has a cutie mark not associated directly with the Guard or a friend that does. Well, let me reassure you: no pony will ever be turned away from a place on the Guard just because their cutie mark doesn't match somepony's idea of a "Guard-cutie-mark." No matter your talent, there's a place for you on the Guard. One of the Lieutenants on the Night Guard that I know of, for example, has a bookkeeping cutie mark. Believe me, if there's a missing bit somewhere in the Night Guard's budget, he knows about it. But if you visit the Night Court during certain hours, you'll find him guarding the door just like any other pony in the Guard. If you want to be a Guard, you can. Your special talent, no matter what it is, will never hold you back if you have the desire to serve and protect along with the rest of the Guard. Does that mean it might be a little more difficult for you than a pony who has a natural talent with a spear during drills? Yes. But as long as you both have the drive, that's what matters.

A physical impairment, on the other hand, can hold you back. When I was a cadet, several of my classmates dropped out because they either didn't have the drive or simply couldn't maintain the physical requirements of being a Guard. Being a Guard is a physically demanding position. Now, having a natural physical impairment doesn't automatically mean you won't make it as a member of the Guard, but the physical requirements are steep.

So those of you who keep saying that it's going to get easier, that one day you won't have to wake up and run five miles before class ... it's not. In fact, those numbers will go up, and if you can't meet them or are unwilling to, then you will not be a Guard.

Next question.