The Equestrian Honor Guard
Chapter 21
By Honored Service
For my last supper with the Apple family, Granny Smith made an amazing feast. Apple tarts and the staple apple salad that I have come to love. She also made an apple pie of epic proportions. It was the picture perfect apple pie. Light buttery flakey crust and a filling of the sweetest apples ever. A great way to end my brief time in Ponyville.
"So when exactly are y'all heading out?" Applejack asked while carrying a stack of plates to the kitchen sink.
"I'll be leaving first thing in the morning. A chariot is going to pick me up outside the farm." I said as I scrubbed another plate clean. How did non unicorn ponies do this stuff? They would have to hold the brush in their mouth but then how would they hold the plate? Whatever, thank God for hands.
"Well shucks, when do ya think we're going to see ya again?" Applebloom asked, looking up from her school papers she was working on.
I turned away from the sink to the little filly. "I'm not sure Applebloom. I don't think it will be to long though." I finished with a smile, so she wouldn't get sad again. Applebloom and I had gotten close over the last few days. She was a lot like the little sister I had left behind on Earth. I wonder how she was doing?
"Aw now don't be sad AB." Applejack trotted to her younger sibling, "Honored here will come and visit us soon as he can." She looked at me for something else to say.
"Yeah! I sure will. And maybe I'll bring back a sword or something for you." Applejack shock her head back and forth quickly. But it was too late. Applebloom's eyes lit up and she bounced up onto the table.
"Awesome! Then me an’ the girls can try and get our cutie marks in sword fighting! Or maybe in evil creature slaying!" The little earth pony galloped off from the kitchen with Applejack close behind yelling "No!"
"I reckon y'all gone and started something." The deep voice said behind me.
I sighed and turned around. "Yup, my bad, Big Macintosh." He gave a calm smile and slowly plodded off in the direction of what sounded like some WWE smack down coming from the other room.
I made my way to my small bedroom and got ready for another night of sleep before heading off to training in Canterlot.
*******************
I woke up to a small beeping coming from my wrist. "Okay I'm up. I'm up." I silenced the watch and sat up. Today was the day. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous about being trained, but I had just trained on Earth for the last 6 months as a freshman at the military college. So I was ready for whatever these little ponies could throw at me.
I rolled out of bed and stood up stretching up to pop my joints. Let's try on my new armor. That would be my regular clothing from now on. Sorry army uniform, but this one was made by a magical unicorn. It wins.
I put on some new boxers and an under shirt. Picking up the armored chest piece I slipped it on. It fit snugly on my body covering my entire chest and part of my stomach. I latched it in place to the back piece and clasped the straps on my sides. Once that layer was on, I put my tactical vest on over it. This would add double the protection and storage room. Okay, one part down, three to go.
The pants went on next. They were the dark gray material that felt like metal yet was soft like cloth. Magic I guess. That's the only explanation.
I picked up the multi part belt and slipped my ammo pouches, canteen, and knife onto the waist section of the belt. I put it on and attached the shoulder holster next. I pulled my Berretta out of the old holster and put it into the new one under my left armpit. Wow I felt bad ass already.
I made sure everything was secured and in place before tying the knife down to my left thigh. It wouldn't move around or get caught on anything this way.
And now to add the piece de resistance. The duster. I slid my arm through left sleeve and then the right arm through the right sleeve. I pulled it up and aligned the collar so it would fit comfortably over the under armor and tact vest. And it did. I moved my arms in various directions to make sure that I wasn't constricted in anyway. Better find out now rather than in a fight of I can't move.
Once I was happy that I could move everything, I stepped back and looked in the bathroom mirror. Wow. I felt like I was staring at an in rebuilt hot stranger. A stranger that looked a lot like me. I don't have an ego problem.
I examined my new deadly, yet sharp, looking apparel. It was perfect. The armored brown duster really brought everything home.
"I forgot to piss before putting this all on."
Fuck me.
After removing everything and using the bathroom and then putting everything on again, I put on my near empty backpack and slung my rifle. I double checked my room to make sure I left nothing behind. It was spotless.
I quietly made my way down the hall and through the kitchen. I noticed a small brown box sitting on the kitchen table. There was a note attached to it,
Johnson, here's something for the road.
Love,
Applejack
Applebloom
Big M
Granny Smith
Inside the box were three apples, an apple fritter and a slice of apple pie. I closes the box and tucked it into my backpack. That was sweet of them I would definitely have to bring them all something back from Canterlot.
I walked down the road away from the farm. I knew that the chariot would stop somewhere along this way to pick me up, but where. I saw a group of ponies not to far away. I guess this was them. They may have parked the chariot in town.
As I got closer to the group of ponies, I noticed a lack of armor. Then I began to see some details. Purple and pink, white and purple, orange and yellow, yellow and pink, pink and more pink, and blue and rainbow. Haha well what do you know, the mane 6 had come to see me off.
"Wow Honored, from far away, that outfit makes you look pretty scary. That's cool!" Rainbow rocketed forward and began to examine the baddassery that was my new outfit.
"Yes darling, I do believe it is, what did you say, 'bad flank'?" Rarity covered her mouth and giggled at using a 'bad word'.
"Oh yes....very um scary." Fluttershy didn't back away from me, but she definitely wasn't going to be getting much closer.
The girls walked with me till a golden chariot appeared off in the distance. It came in fast and low till skidding to halt in front of our group. Four pegasus guards pulled the chariot. They stood proud and with a stern look; never changing. A tall, white coated blond manned unicorn stepped down, but not until a red carpet had unrolled from the side of the carriage. Fucking Blueblood.
Rarity gave a little snort and turned away from the approaching Prince.
"I am Prince Blueblood" A collected sigh was heard from my group of friends. "I was sent by my aunts, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna to retrieve the one called Honored Service, Equestria's only human."
The dumb prince looked around. Twilight slapped a hoof to her face and then pointed at me. I took a step forward. Prince Lameblood was at my eye level, I stared him down. "That would be me."
He took a step back towards the carriage, brushing off himself as if I had just thrown dirt on his chest. "Ah. Well then let's not keep me waiting." He sat back onto the chair in place on the chariot.
I turned back to the girls. "Thanks for everything girls. I'll come back as soon as I can to see you!" before I could stop them, I was tackled to the ground in a wave cuteness and hugs.
"Go on and get out of here ya human."
"Do write to me darling!"
"Stay cool in Canterlot!"
"Have fun... If you want to."
"I'll be sure to ask the Princess about your progress."
"Get back soon so we can have a huge party celebrating your new job and graduation as a guard pony. Guard human. I said human!"
I waved goodbye to my new friends as I stepped onto the chariot. Blueblood looked at me and levitated a scroll into my hands. "Auntie said to give you this once you were on the chariot."
I unwrapped the scroll as the chariot began to move forward. I could hear my friends shouting final good byes over the guard's wings flapping.
Honored Service,
Enjoy the flight.
Celestia
What does that mean? The chariot took off into the sky. This wasn't so bad. FanFics had always made it seem like chariots were scary. But this was cool, I could see for miles on end. Everything was so green and vibrant with colors.
"Now that we are away, I'll tell you of how I got my mane to stay this gorgeous. Because honestly, yours needs a lot of work."
Oh right. Enjoy the flight.
Fuck you Trollestia.