Nearly a month passed after the raid on the drug ring before anything noteworthy came to pass. I wasn't idle during that time, of course. Martial was quick to dispatch me on a number of missions that went by easily enough. Escorts, investigations, and further training went by in a blur and before I knew it, we were coming up on a day I had almost forgotten about.
My liberation day.
It took a summons to Martial's office for me to even put the pieces together. It hadn't felt like much time had passed since the day I walked into Donut Joe's and been deemed a vigilante. It was extremely surreal to march into the lieutenant's office for what was going to be the last time. I gave her a salute, “You called for me, ma'am?”
I'd caught Martial during one of her stranger moods. She glanced at me, gesturing for me to sit before clasping her hooves under her chin. A tense, awkward silence stretched on between us. Finally, Martial broke the silence, “Auxiliary Lucky Signs... when you first appeared in my office, I was angry with you...”
She stood, pacing and chewing on the inside of her cheek, strangely enough, “I thought you had no respect for the law. When I first saw you, I saw another pony who was too big for their boots. When you were lead through that door, I saw a selfish colt with something to prove.”
She stopped, sighing and I watched her ears droop, “You claimed it was all luck and when you bested the Shadow Run, I wanted to believe that. I wanted to believe that everything about you was luck beyond luck and so I sent you to a mission that was supposed to be simple and without danger to watch you make a fool of yourself. Instead, you not only discovered a band of cultists but also saved one of my senior agents.”
“To be fair, ma'am,” I interjected, “I wasn't able to find all of the missing ponies.”
“But you gave us the means to start looking for them,” she countered, eyeing me sternly, “don't belittle yourself. If you must, then I will simply move forward to how you broke a stalemate between the law and the cartel acting out of Los Pegasus. Who knows how long the investigation would have continued fruitlessly without you discovering the underground safehouses.”
“By nearly falling into one, ma'am.” I reminded her, earning myself a snort.
“Continue to claim that it was luck if you must, Lucky Signs. Regardless, in sharp contrast to how I felt about you then, I now find myself at the day I used to look forward to. Today was supposed to be the day I was rid of you, but instead it feels as though I am losing you. Take that as you will.”
I blinked rapidly, staring at her. Martial Cadence had been extremely vocal in her displeasure with me up to this point, but now she was singing a different tune. The thestral held out her hoof and I numbly lifted my leg with the band on it. With a few deft movements of a key, she pulled it off and for the first time in months, I was a free stallion.
As she dismissed me and I made my way out of her office, I could only ponder how... strange it felt....
**
I found myself wandering Canterlot in a bit of a daze, confused and lost. For a while, I'd been looking forward to being able to go back home and not worry about anything anymore. I could just go back to being a simple delivery stallion avoiding anything that could trigger the curse that had come with my cutie mark.
So why did the idea suddenly seem unappealing?
Every time I imagined going home, back to my life, it felt like something was missing. It didn't make any sense because I'd hated every moment of being a member of the Royal Guard. I looked up as I heard the sound of running water and my eyes fell on one of the many beautiful fountains that existed throughout the city. With soft steps, I found myself drawn forward until I was staring down at my reflection in the rippling water.
I hadn't truly had time to take in how much I'd changed over the past few months. The soft, sarcastic colt that had come to Canterlot to make a delivery wasn't the face that stared back at me. Instead, a stallion I hardly recognized gazed back at me. True, I could still see the spark of sarcasm and humor dancing in my eyes, but the body around it had become stronger and I was standing a bit taller than I remembered so long ago.
“Admiring yourself?”
I knew that voice. Snapping my head toward it, I spotted Dawn Breeze strolling toward me casually. Crap, come on brain, restart! Witty one liner, witty one liner, something about her being finer! Damn it I was drawing blanks!
“Just... thinking about how much I've changed.” I answered automatically as she stood next to me. Sweet Celestia, I could feel the warmth of her body even across the small gap between us. Thankfully, she seemed to be to busy mulling over what I'd said to notice my internal conflict.
“Mostly good, I hope?” she questioned.
I shrugged slightly, “Guess it depends on your idea of good. I went from a delivery colt who had never even tried to argue with anypony to a member of the Royal Guard. It was actually kind've nice if I'm being honest.”
“Was?”
I lifted my band free hoof, “What can I say, they let me off the hook for good behavior. I just wish it was so easy to take the hint,” a tilt of her head got me to continue, “I mean, I wasn't really having fun. It was a job that sort of got forced on me and yet... the idea of going home and being a delivery colt feels... empty.”
Dawn smirked sideways at me, “That sounds about right,” it was my turn to tilt my head, “I... had a hunch about you, Lucky. A part of me feels that you had a true place in the guard, but the only pony that can make a decision like that for you is you. So, without considering too far into the future, what do you plan to do with your current freedom?”
I sat in silence for a moment, mulling over her words and her question. Was it possible that.... I wanted to be a guard? True, it was the kind of thing that any young colt dreamed of once in a while. Few allowed that dream to continue into their adulthood.
It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows though, as my first few outings had showed me. On top of that... could I really trust my “luck” not to act up in horrible ways if I was putting myself out there like that?
I could only think of one way to answer her, “I'm not sure... I've saved up a fair number of bits lately, so... maybe I'll stick around Canterlot for a few days. See how I feel in the end. What about you,” she jumped a little at my question, “Martial says you work for 'management.' Considering that the guard answers directly to the princesses, might I assume that you work in the castle?”
Dawn stiffened and I saw her jaw set firmly, “I... I'm not at liberty to discuss that, Lucky, I'm sorry.”
I waved a hoof dismissively, “Don't be. I've been working with the lieutenant long enough to know that classified means 'keep your nose out of it.' Plus, that kinda answered it,” I grinned at her, “so, Dawn, maybe if you're able to free yourself up an afternoon, you might like to join me for lunch at some point?”
Loving Luna, she was adorable when she was the one on the backhoof. Her wings snapped open and it was only about that moment what I'd said. Smooth, Roamio, smooth...
She stared at me for a tense silence before she cleared her throat, “I don't think you know what you're going on about, Lucky. It almost sounded like you were... asking me on a date.” She was blushing. Like, bright red blushing. Had she never been asked out before?
I had to make a move here. Smiling, I nodded, “Maybe I was.”
“You hardly know anything about me...” she protested.
“Well, isn't that what the first date is for? To learn more about the interesting pony you're talking to? It doesn't even have to be anything deep. You want to talk about you favorite color over a nice dinner? That sounds fine to me.” Maybe I was coming on a little too strong and desperate. I might have to reel it in-
“...I'll have to check my schedule and find an opening...”
I blinked. She blinked. Nodding dumbly, I said, “I mean, yeah, you're probably busy more often than not. If you could find a day... maybe it would help to unwind a bit?”
Dawn looked into my eyes and she actually seemed unsure of herself, “It... might,” she conceded. In the back of my head, I was very glad that Princess Cadence wasn't there at the moment or I might have blamed her using a bit of magic here.
Clearing my throat to get myself under control, I tried to lean onto the fountain casually and act cool. The result was rather abysmal as my hoof slipped into the water and I went about halfway in. I about died of shame when I heard Dawn's light tittering, but then she spoke, “I'll let you know if I find a day to be free, Lucky Signs.”
Extracting myself from the fountain, I looked after her, “I mean, uh, how are you going to find me?” I received a wink in answer.
“I have my ways.”
Damn could that mare tease a poor stallion...
**
I was walking on sunshine for the rest of the day. Sure, we may not even get to have a date, but she'd at least considered it. That was enough to set my spirits soaring. I was only a few motions short of prancing my way back through town to the small hotel room I'd rented out for a few nights.
I was so happy and unprepared that I never saw my attacker coming. Something struck me firmly in the back of the head and my world faded into darkness...