“Art school? You want to go to art school?”
The hulking pegasus stallion grinned. “Yeah, bro! I’ve wanted to explore my artistic side since I was a colt, ya know? It’s like, my dream, you know. Well,” he amended, adjusting the spear propped against his shoulder, “my other dream.”
Shining Armor stared at his fellow guard, trying to keep the grin from his face and failing. “You, you, actually want to go to art school?”
The dark orange pegasus huffed. “Yeah, bro. I do. What’samatter? You think I can’t?”
“Spearhead, I—
“The Guard pays for schooling, and I’m sitting on the whole payout since I don’t have debt. I can attend night classes so I don’t miss my shifts, and now that I’m stationed in Canterlot, it couldn’t be a better time. It’s like fate, bro. Why you gotta hate?”
Shining Armor chuckled, shaking his head and punching the other stallion lightly in the shoulder. The two of them were technically on duty but, since the castle courtyard they occupied was empty of other ponies, they were free to chat as they had back at the Academy. “Hey, I’m not hating, bro. I’m happy for you. I really am. I know you’ve always loved this modern art stuff.” Even if I don’t understand any of it, he added mentally. “I’m just trying to picture a Royal Guard hanging out at an art college. You’re gonna make their hippie heads explode.”
Spearhead gave a distant look. “Art belongs to us all, bro. It is not held alone by any one people.”
“You know, I can never tell if you’re kidding or not when you say stuff like that.”
The other stallion shrugged, his expression at once thoughtful and blank. “Art speaks to me, bro. It speaks, and I repeat what it says, you know?”
“See? Like that. That right there. I can’t tell if you’re messing with me or being dead serious.”
“Is there really any difference between the serious and the ridiculous?” asked Spearhead, his expression not changing. “Can two things co-exist without destroying each other? Is there any separation in the first place? Are destruction and creation simply two sides of the same bit?”
Shining Armor glared. “Spear, I swear, if you start in with that Schrodinflank’s cat is dead, Schrodinflank’s cat is not dead crap I will bust your tail back down to buck private so fast it’ll make your head spin.”
“Well, bro, if I wasn’t an officer I’d have more time to go to art school.”
“Not if I stick you on latrine duty.”
“Ah, the porcelain throne,” sighed Spearhead. “So much art has been born there.”
The Captain of the Royal Guard cocked an eyebrow. “See, once again, I can’t tell if you’re being metaphorical, literal, or just—
Shining Armor hissed in pain as the migraine took him, a lancing pain that seemed to start somewhere in his throat and spear up through his eye. He grunted and held his throbbing head. Instantly, the pegasus was as his side, supporting his fellow officer. “Woah, you good, bro?” demanded Spearhead.
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” replied Shining Armor through gritted teeth. “Just the … prospect of talking philosophy with you gave me a headache, you know?”
Spearhead cocked an eyebrow, not seeming amused. “You need to get more sleep, boss. Between the stress of the wedding and keeping that shield up, you’re looking pale.”
Shining Armor felt another headache coming on, and this time it wasn’t the magical kind. “I’m looking … what?”
“Pale,” deadpanned Spearhead.
The captain stared back at his subordinate for several beats, his face flat. Spearhead stared back, equally expressionless. As usual, it was Shining Armor who cracked first. It started as a snicker, then swiftly built into full chuckling. He was outright roaring with laughter before Spearhead finally joined in. Another twinge of pain brought his mirth to an abrupt halt and he gave his friend a rueful glare. “You’re a terrible pony, Spearhead.”
“Shouldn’t have laughed at my dream, bro.”
“If it was one of your dreams, Spear, it probably merited the laughter,” interrupted a female voice. Shining Armor and Spearhead turned to see two armored ponies entering the courtyard. The speaker, a magenta coated unicorn mare with stark silver mane and tail, wore the armor of a captain and carried a sabre at her side. Her harness had a few more accents on it than typical armor, including etched filigree and red barding that matched the inlay of her sword, but none of it broke regulation. Technically.
Her companion, a dark red-coated earth pony stallion with crimson-brown hair, wore the heavier variant of standard EUP armor and carried a maul. His harness bore a sergeant’s chevrons, and his smile was cheeky as he spoke. “Back here hob-nobbing it with the future royalty, eh, Spear? I see how it is. Gonna leave the rest of us meat cans in the lurch while you move on to new and better things.”
The mare rolled her eyes at her companion’s remark. “Brick, I think you mean, ‘back here hob-nobbing it with the future royalty, Lieutenant Spearhead, Sir,’ don’t you?”
Spearhead snorted. “Naw, Argent. Ranks and titles are for out there!” He gestured to the rest of the castle grounds as though it were another world. “In here, we are all one and the same, united in our shared ponishness.”
Argent Sabre blinked her violet eyes slowly. “Oh, sweet Celestia, has he been getting philosophical again?”
Shining Armor nodded. “Eeyup.”
“No wonder your headaches are getting worse.”
Brick snickered as Spearhead glared at the mare. Shining Armor rolled his eyes, but couldn’t keep the smile off his face. “What did you need, Argent?”
“Your bride-to-be is looking for you. Said something about feeling like she was tripping over all the guards.”
Shining Armor sighed. Argent’s tone made it abundantly clear that she did not agree with Cadence’s assessment, but that she was trying to be diplomatic for the sake of her old Academy friend. “I’ll handle it. Sorry if she’s been snippy. With having to handle all the wedding preparations by herself, she’s been stressed and—
Argent waved him off, her face softening. “Don’t worry about it, sir. I know I can be a bit of a nag myself when I get cranky.”
“A bit?” mumbled Brick, earning a glare from Argent and prompting him to whistle innocently.
Shining Armor smiled, feeling grateful to have such supportive friends. The feeling was accompanied by a pang of guilt. “I wish you all could be in the wedding party,” he said, regret in his voice. “If there were anypony else that I trusted to watch the city during the celebration I would but…” he shrugged.
Spearhead threw a leg over his shoulder. “Hey, no worries, bro. We just want you to be happy on your special day.” He struck a noble pose, head bowed with one hoof over his heart. “If that means we have to pace the castle with the aimless frenzy of a kitchen guard, then so be it.”
“Thanks, Spear. I … think,” replied Shining Armor.
Argent tilted her head towards the exit. “You should get going, boss.”
“Yeah. Never keep a lady waiting,” added Brick. “Ever.”
Shining Armor nodded and started to leave. Before he departed the courtyard he glanced back at Spearhead. “And Spear? When you become a big, successful artist, I expect an invite to your gallery for me and my wife.”
“Totally, bro. Cross my heart when arrows fly, raise a spearhead to the sky.”
Argent rounded on her fellow officer. “That’s not a real swear!”
“It is too a real swear.”
“Is not.”
“Is too.”
The captain chuckled as he left to the sound of their bickering. So these are the ponies watching my back, then.
“Is not.”
“Is too.”
“Is not!”
“Is too!”
None I’d rather have do it.