//------------------------------//
// 06: Equipped 
// Story: Not All That Sparkles Is Twilight 
// by Stellar Light Sparkle 
//------------------------------//

The morning after her return to Canterlot found Stellar walking down to the barracks with Luna beside her. It was still dark outside, but Stellar knew she'd have to get used to operating during odd hours. "The Captains of my Night Guard and Day Guard should be here together, Stellar Sparkle." Luna told Stellar. "Therefore this is the best time to introduce you to them."
Stellar nodded. "This should be interesting." She agreed. 
"Indeed. I do not think I have ever appointed anypony to my Guard personally since it was reformed upon my return to Equestria." Luna informed Stellar. "This should be very interesting." She grinned at Stellar as they entered the briefing rooms. Inside, Stellar could see both Solar Guard and normal Royal Guard troopers were being briefed and assignments passed out. The Lunar Guard's Night Watch were being debriefed on the night's happenings, the Day Watch platoons being briefed as well. A lot of the troopers that were standing about saluted Luna and Stellar as they passed by, both of the alicorns returning the salutes as a matter of course. Stellar was in her completed set of red-and-silver armor plus great-sword, her lieutenant's bars in their proper places so the ordinary troopers knew what her rank was as she passed them. 
Luna led Stellar into a small room and said "Wait here. I shall bring in the Captain and Commander to meet you." She said. 
Stellar nodded, then stood at ease, waiting, as Luna left. It took only a few minutes for Luna to lead two thestrals in slightly-more ornate Lunar Guard armor into the room, as Stellar stood to attention. They stopped before Stellar, with Luna standing to one side between them. Stellar saluted the higher-ranking officers first, as a matter of-course, and they returned the salute. "Captain, Commander, may I introduce your newest officer to you." Luna told the pair. "This is Lieutenant Stellar Light Sparkle. I have taken her on as an apprentice, to teach her my ways of combat and magic." She explained to them. "Lieutenant Sparkle, this is Captain Wingscythe and Commander Duskrunner of the Lunar Guard." 
"Sirs." Stellar replied, bowing to them slightly, as was proper form if not saluting. She noted that Wingscythe was a night-wing thestral, while Duskrunner was a sabrehorn, the thestral equivalent of a unicorn. 
"Lieutenant." They replied together. 
Luna smiled. "The lieutenant will be operating in a semi-detatched role to the Lunar Guard." Luna explained. "While she will be spending a lot of her time with me, learning what I can teach her, she will also be serving with the Guard in both day and night roles. She has had some experience within a military organisation before, so there is not that much she needs to be trained in, save for how we operate, Gentlecolts." Luna told them. "If you saw her duel with Blueblood a few days ago, I hardly need to explain her martial prowess to you both, either." She added. 
The thestral officers nodded. "We understand, Your Highness." Wingscythe replied.
Duskrunner looked Stellar up and down. "Her armor is... unusual, but a very good suit." He said. "But it doesn't exactly conform to Night Guard standards, even if it exceeds them in other ways.
"A new suit in the same style is being made for her as we speak, Gentlecolts. I had it ordered just after the duel." Luna informed them. "It will be colored in the proper colors and adornments for one of My Lunar Guards officers."
Duskrunner nodded. "Then it should suit her well, Your Highness." He commented.
"I will leave her in your hoofs then, Captain, Commander." Luna said. "I have to go attend to my duties with my sister." 
"Your Highness." All three of them said and saluted Luna, who returned the salute. 
"Until this evening, then." Luna said, and left them alone.
Stellar stood at attention as the officers turned back to look at her. They noticed she made the pose look... comfortable, as if having long experience standing this way. "At ease, Lieutenant." Wingscythe said to Stellar, and she shifted so smoothly, it spoke volumes about her experience to them both. 
"One thing." Duskrunner then said "How do we have to address you, Lieutenant? Are you entitled yet?"
Stellar replied without moving. "I have no Royal or noble titles, save for those my family has, Commander." Stellar explained. "Lieutenant or Miss Sparkle are perfectly acceptable. My sister is the princess. I am not." She said in a tone that made Wingscythe chuckle. 
"I take it the thought of bearing a crown on your head doesn't sit well with you, Lieutenant?" Wingscythe asked Stellar.
"I prefer my helmet, Sir." Stellar replied. 
The thestrals both chuckled at that. "Spoken like a true warrior." Duskrunner said. "Stand easy, Lieutenant, and relax." He ordered Stellar, who did so. 
"Thank you, Sir." She replied. 
"So, Lieutenant Sparkle," Wingscythe said, looking her over, "Princess Luna said you have a lot of military experience before now. Do you have any preferences as to where you would serve?"
"Not really, Captain." Stellar said. "I have stood watch for Dignitaries before, as well as doing street patrols. I will serve where you wish me to, until the Princess pulls me away for her training sessions." 
They nodded. "Good." Wingscythe replied. "Being an alicorn... well, you also fit into any grouping we would put you with. I heard how you ordered our troops around the night after your fight, in the incident with the dark unicorns. Twenty-to-one odds, and you killed fifteen of them and captured two personally. That speaks volumes for your skills as a warrior."
"Thank you, Captain Sir." Stellar replied, smiling a little. 
"Be that as it may, Lieutenant, I expect you can take orders as well as give them?" Duskrunner asked.
"Yes Sir!" Stellar said, coming swiftly to attention and saluting them. 
The pair returned her salute and nodded. "Good! Your first duty is to see to your new armor." Wingscythe ordered Stellar. "Once you have been suitably kitted-out, you may return this evening, if possible, for your first patrol with the Night Guard... oh, and you may carry that very nasty-looking weapon of yours as well, Lieutenant. Since you've shown you can use it well, depriving you of it might be to the detriment of any unit you will be placed in command of, and we can't have that." He grinned. 
"Thank you, Sir." Stellar replied. 
"Very well, Lieutenant." Wingscythe said. "Go and see to your armor. Dismissed." 
"Sir! Yes, Sir!" Stellar replied, saluting, and left only after her salute was returned.
After she'd marched out, Wingscythe looked at Duskrunner. "So, thoughts?" He asked his subordinate.
"Well, at least we know we don't have to teach her discipline, military protocol or train her in the basics." Duskrunner said. "And being an alicorn... Whoo!"
Wingscythe chuckled. "Oh yeah." He agreed. "The Solar Guard is going to be so upset they didn't get her." He grinned. "Do you see any problems arising from this?"
"I don't think so..." Duskrunner answered. "There might be a little jealousy from some of the other officer-candidates at first, but then again, if they want to challenge her to a duel, then we just specify to first blood and let them fight it out without weapons." He suggested. "A lot of the others are not going to try and take her on, after the duel with Blueblood the other day."
"Tarterus, yeah." Wingscythe agreed with a grin. "Her reputation alone is going to do her service in that respect." He agreed. "Did you notice she went into the arena without any weapons?" He asked.
Duskrunner nodded. "I did. I think she wasn't really going to kill him, now that I think about it. She smashed his weapons... that's a technique I'd like to learn myself." Duskrunner told Wingscythe. Wingscythe nodded as Duskrunner continued "She was disarming him, then giving him a beating in-between. I'd bet if she'd managed to break all his weapons, she would have knocked him out and claimed that she wouldn't kill an opponent that couldn't fight back." 
Wingscythe nodded. "That's actually pretty common in the older chronicles." He agreed. "It shows her honor, in one way." 
"Yeah. She's going to stand out in any unit we put her with, you know that." Duskrunner told Wingscythe.
"I think that's part of the whole idea." Wingscythe replied, getting nods from Duskrunner.

=======

Stellar made her way from the Guard compound down into the back quarter of Canterlot, where the few heavy industries the city had were located. There, stonemasons shaped and carved blocks of beautiful marble for buildings or statues, gemcutters made adornments for those same buildings, and metal workers and small foundries made the tools of their trades and many others, as well as those with specialist needs. It was from here that Stellar could see the part of Canterlot nopony from the better side liked to talk about: The so-called 'worker's quarter', or to give it its street name, the Slums. She knew the Guards spent a lot of time patrolling down here day and night, making sure the rag-tag of Equestria kept their less-than-legal activities to a minimum, or just kept them hidden more effectively. But she ignored that part for the moment and headed into the industrial area. 
Eventually, she reached a small foundry that had an unusual addition to its usual sign: 'By Royal Appointment', it proudly displayed. Small Rings Fine Armor and Arms had been a supplier for the Royal Guard for several centuries. Luna herself had told Stellar that its founder's ancestor had supplied both Celestia and herself with several types of fine armor for the Diarchs to wear, and had replaced Luna's armor after Nightmare Moon's destruction had destroyed the suit she had been wearing. Stellar walked into the foundry's office, the smells bringing back fragmented memories of being in places like this before...
"Can I..." A stallion at the front desk asked, until he saw whom he was addressing... or rather, what she was wearing. He gasped, to Stellar's surprise, then came out from around the desk and looked very closely at Stellar's armor. 
"Um... can I help You?" Stellar asked. 
He looked up at her. "You must be Lieutenant Sparkle." He said. "I'm Steel Rings, the current senior armor crafter here." He introduced himself. 
"I take it Princess Luna gave you a description of me?" Stellar asked, smiling.
"Oh yes!" Steel Rings grinned back. "I had been hoping you'd get around to coming here, so we could get started on fitting your guard armor for you... but this!" He gestured at Stellar's red-and-silver armor. "I can hardly believe it! Is this... Canopus Star's armor?" He asked, Stellar noting a very hopeful tone in his voice. 
"Yes, it is." Stellar answered, confused. Steel Rings looked like he was in the presence of Celestia herself, he was so entranced by the armor. "Um... is that important?" She asked. 
"IM-PORTANT!?!" Steel Rings yelled, looking almost insulted. Then his face softened. "Sorry, My Lady. I forget you do not know a lot of our history, as Princess Luna explained it to me." He apologised and bowed. 
"Forgiven... if you explain why you treat it like the holiest artifact in Equestria." Stellar replied.
Steel Rings chuckled. "Well, not the holiest, by any means." He replied. "But for Armor crafters like myself... especially for our clan, this armor is one of the forgotten achievements of our foundry."
"So this armor was made here?" Stellar asked. 
"Yes!" Steel Rings said, grinning. "My grandfather worked with Canopus Star to make this suit... but when I saw it in the Archives, it was incomplete. I don't think anypony has seen the full armor since long before Canopus Star retired." He explained. "Where did you find the rest of it?" Steel Rings asked. 
"It was left for me." Stellar answered. "Can you tell me the history of the armor and how it was made?"
"Come through." Steel said, and led Stellar past the office and into the foundry itself. He then led her past the work area and into a small, fairly-comfortable waiting and display area. "Now, I'm not the best to ask that question. However, my grandfather Silver Rings would give his remaining teeth to see the armor complete again and tell you about its history." 
"He's still alive?" Stellar asked.
Steel nodded. "He's not as hale as he used to be, for sure. But he can still get around and teach, which he likes to do." Steel said. He looked outside. "Brass! Come here, please." A young colt, about ten years old, Stellar estimated, came to the door. "Can you go get Silver for me? There's somepony here he'd like to meet." 
"Okay Dad!" Brass said, and trotted off. 
Steel looked back at Stellar with a smile. "He's such an eager young apprentice." He told Stellar. "Follows in his family's hoofsteps."
Stellar nodded. "So... could you make me a version of this armor in the colors of the Lunar Guard?" She asked Steel. 
Steel gave Stellar a funny look. "Well, if you'd asked me this yesterday, I would have said no... but now, after actually seeing the completed armor, I'd say we probably could." Steel grinned. "But the runes... I have no idea about most of them. They were put on there by Canopus Star himself, according to Family Lore. So if you don't know how to activate them, we could emboss them on the armor, but they'd just be decorations."
Stellar nodded. "I might be able to, but I'd have to do them elsewhere." She said. "Would that be a problem?" 
"I don't see how it would be. If you can activate the runes yourself, we can emboss them exactly as they are in Canopus Star's armor and you can activate them as you see fit." Steel explained.
Stellar grinned. "Perfect." She replied. 
Then Brass returned, leading an old Stallion that Stellar thought could have been as old as Granny Smith herself. But he stopped and his eyes opened wide when he saw Stellar in Canopus Star's armor, and his reaction was no less than his grandson's had been. "Bless Celestia herself!" He said in an old voice. "Is that my old friend's armor?"
Stellar chuckled. "Apparently so." She replied.
“Wha..?” Silver Rings looked at Stellar, squinting his eyes and frowning. “And just who are you?” He asked, sounding like he had taken offense to Stellar wearing the armor.
“I am Canopus Star’s great-niece, Stellar Light Sparkle.” Stellar answered. 
That stopped Silver Rings in his careful steps. “Great-niece?” He asked.
Stellar nodded. “Canopus Star left the armor and his sword to me.” She explained. 
“Ohhhh...” Silver said, looking sad. “Yes, I remember now.” He said. “All his family were killed in Hoofington.” And he looked like he’d been kicked in the chest.
Stellar moved to Silver Rings and put a hoof gently onto his shoulder. “It’s... I’m sorry, Sir, to have reminded you of that.” She told him.
Silver Rings sniffled, then pulled out a hanky and blew his nose like a loud foghorn. “Nah, youngster.” He then said. “There’s a lot of good memories in there as well.” He told Stellar. Then he started looking her over with a steely gaze. “Hmmm... that armor does fit you well.” He commented. Then he noticed, and gasped “You’re an... an... Dammit! What’s the word?”
“Alicorn?” Stellar replied helpfully.
“Yes! Alicorn! That’s what I was... oh.” Silver said, then stopped and tried to bow.
“NO! No, no, please don’t...” Stellar swiftly helped him to stand again. “You don’t need to bow to me, I am not a princess... not yet, anyway.” She said with a snort. 
“Not a princess?!” Silver asked, somewhat taken aback by this statement.
“No. I’m not.” Stellar replied. “I’m not ready for that, yet.” She explained to Silver. “I’m just Princess Luna’s apprentice and a lieutenant in the Lunar Guard at the moment.”
Silver looked at Stellar suspiciously, but then he saw the sword on her back as well. “Ohhh... you have THAT with you, too.” He said, touching the pommel of the great-sword with one hoof. “If the sword likes you, then I have to believe you.” He told Stellar. “It doesn’t like it when its wielder tells lies.” He explained. “It gets grumbly.”
Stellar grinned. “I bet it does.” She said back.
“Now, what can I do for the wearer of my old friend’s armor?” Silver asked as he was helped onto a long couch. 
“Steel said you helped make this.” Stellar said to Silver. “Can you perhaps explain how that happened and tell me more about the suit? I’m still trying to figure out some things with it.” She asked.
“That I can do.” Silver agreed. 
“While you’re doing that,” Steel then said, as five unicorns clustered at the doorway to the room, murmuring to each other, “can we get the armor to look at?” He asked. “I need to get every part sketched so we can reproduce it.” 
“Sure.” Stellar said, and as she closed her eyes, the armor retracted again, this time with the helmet remaining on her head, which she removed. Her sword had stayed on her back, though, and as she held the helmet in mid-air, she made the armor extend, thereby having it sitting in mid-air to one side of the room, floating in a cloud of magic. “There. How’s that?” Stellar asked.
“Better.” Steel replied, as the unicorns came in and started looking the fine armor over. “Taking it apart would be better, but I’m not sure we’d be able to get it back together again. It’s so inter-laced it’s not funny." 
“Use the rune, Steel.” Silver then said.
“The rune?” Stellar and Steel asked together, then they looked at each other, grinning.
Silver looked annoyed. “Behind the peytral, there’s a rune embossed at the back of the inside of the main neck brace that connects to the peytral.” Silver said. “When it’s floating like that, the armor will split up and remain floating there if you use the rune.” He explained. “It was to allow us to replace components if they were damaged... not that that was ever likely to happen.” 
Stellar looked up inside, sliding the frontal throat armor up until she saw the rune. “Here it is.” She said, and touched it. Once she was out of the way, the armor seemingly exploded in slow-motion, all the components separating out into a cloud of armored pieces. The unicorns moved back and made sounds of awe, as the pieces stopped moving and hung in mid-air. 
Silver chuckled. “Always gets them amazed, that little trick does.” He admitted to Stellar.
“It’s got me amazed!” Stellar admitted back. “That’s incredible!”
“Canopus wrote that rune himself.” Silver told Stellar. “It was so he could have a suit that protected him completely. The armor we made for him was based on the old ‘Slasher’ heavy air cavalry armor for use against dragons.” He explained. “That rune is how the armor can also retract and deploy the way it can. It makes it so much easier for one pony to put on and take off the armor single-hoofed.” 
Stellar nodded. “Yeah. Makes perfect sense.” She said to Steel. “In the field, such a heavily-connected suit would normally be impossible to get into by yourself, so it makes sense that Canopus would find a way to make the armor put itself on him.” She stated. “But what did he make it out of? It’s so light, especially those wing-covers. I barely feel them when I’m flying, yet they protect all of my wings so well.”
“Ah. It’s an alloy our family makes from some very rare ores we found ages  ago.” Silver said smugly. “As the wearer of the armor, I feel it’s safe to tell you.” He glanced at Steel, who gave a slight nod, Stellar saw. “It’s made from several metals, including one that the ancient archives call Quad-lobed Rinnax, but we call Quadrax when it’s smelted to its pure metal form. It’s what gives the metal that red color and its impenetrability.” He explained to Stellar. “It’s almost as good as pure Adamant, not that you can find that these days.” He sighed. “I know that Canopus knew the location of one of the pure pools. That sword of his is made from Adamant. But he never told me where it was.” Silver sighed sadly. “Now that secret has gone to the grave with him.” 
Stellar had an inkling that Silver’s last statement might not be true. 'Maybe that tome that Canopus left with the armor might have more than just his memoires in it.' She thought to herself. “So, what do we have to replace this... Quadrax in my Lunar Guard armor, if we want it to be as strong as the original suit?” She asked.
“That’s easy.” Steel then said. “We have a batch of ingots Luna left with us, if she needed to have more armor made. She apparently got the metal from the moon.” He told Stellar. 
“Can I see some?” She asked.
“Sure. You’re Luna’s apprentice, so making your armor from her metal seems fitting.” Steel said. He moved past the unicorns and headed out into the workshop area. 
“So... Luna’s apprentice, eh?” Silver asked Stellar.
Stellar smiled and nodded. “It seemed fitting, considering my sister is Celestia’s protégé.” 
Silver’s eyes widened with surprise again. “You’re... a Sparkle!” He said, sounding startled. 
Stellar chuckled. “Well, yeah.” She replied casually. “Twilight Sparkle is my twin sister.”
Silver just nodded, then shook his head and snorted. “Stupid old stallion, me.” He said self-deprecatingly, before he chuckled. “Of course you are. Canopus’ sword wouldn’t give itself to anypony else but Family.” Then he looked at her intensely. “The Sword’s bonded to you, am I correct?”
“I guess so.” Stellar answered. 
Silver nodded. “What about the armor? Have you bonded it to you as well?” He asked. 
“I... have to admit, I am not sure.” Stellar answered truthfully. 
Silver nodded, looking serious. “You have to make sure you do so.” He told Stellar. “Has the sword protected you in any way?”
“Yes.” Stellar replied, her voice firm on that. 
“Then it’s bonded to you.” He said. "But the armor... have you used its powers yet?”
“No.” Stellar admitted. “Not since it’s been completed.”
“Then you’ll have to complete the ritual and bond with it.” Silver told her. "Canopus will have left you notes on what to do and how to do it. I know this for certain.” He stated to her. "If you plan to make your new armor like this one, you’ll need to do the same for it as well.” He added. “That way, the magic the armor contains will be yours to wield, just as it was Canopus’. And no-pony or anything else will be able to take it from you, by any means.” Silver explained.
Stellar nodded. “I understand.” She replied. 
Silver smiled softly at Stellar. “Good. It’s good to see my finest work complete again, and with someone to wield it.” He sighed softly. “I thought the young stallion was crazy, you know, especially putting a hole in the helmet where he did. But... he must have known you’d be at least a unicorn, or that a unicorn would succeed him.” Silver chuckled. “I bet he never even considered you’d be an alicorn, though.” 
“Probably not.” Stellar agreed. “After all, there was only one in those days.” 
Silver nodded. “Yeah... Now there’s how many?” He asked.
“Six, if you count Princess Flurry Heart.” Stellar answered. She looked to where a pair of unicorns were sketching the pieces of the rear-leg armor, the others doing the front-leg armor. “Do you think they’ll get it right?” She asked Silver.
Silver chuckled. “Oh, yes. All the hard work’s been done already. If they copy the design perfectly, it’ll all work like the original does, even if they modify it a little for you.” He said, looking Stellar over. “Mind you, you’re a lot prettier sight than your great-uncle was.”
Stellar grinned. “Flattery of the gallant kind is always welcome.” She told Silver.
Silver grinned lecherously, but then sighed. “Flattery is all I’m up to these days, my pretty alicorn.” He told Stellar. “There’s not much left in these old bones anymore. One day I’ll go to see my beloved wife and children again, and probably find Canopus leading the Elysian Guard, knowing that old colt.” He chuckled. “If the forge wasn’t keeping my old bones warm and my muscles supple, I’d probably have siezed up long before now.” He got up and walked to where the armor still hung in mid-air, nuzzling the helmet. “Good-bye, Old Friend. I’ll see your other old friend very soon.” He said softly. 
Stellar watched this touching moment, a tear coming to her eye. To see an old warhorse like Silver Rings saying good-bye... she wondered how many others she would say good-bye to in her very long lifetime...

=======

Twilight was resting back home in Castle Friendship after returning there. The events of the last few days had exhausted her, especially becoming pregnant. But the support of her parents, family and friends had all bouyed her spirits and made it easier to bear the burden she'd taken upon herself... with very little preparation, she'd had to admit to herself. Then again, if she'd stopped to think it through, it would have been too late, and the little foal would have been lost along with her mother. Twilight snorted, amused at the change in her. 'Maybe some of Stellar's impetuousness and reactivity has rubbed off on me.' She thought to herself. 'I've certainly got a lot more from her then just memories. Otherwise, I wouldn't keep coming out with phrases that she recognises and I don't in casual use.' 
Twilight smiled as she remembered the reactions of her friends when they saw her all heavy and huge with the foal...

= = = = =

"What in tarnation have ya been up to, Twilight?" Applejack had been the first to speak up after Twilight had gotten off the train, two attendant mares helping her. 
Rarity, of course, had just swooned and fainted. Fluttershy's eyes were so wide with shock, Twilight had first thought that maybe she'd broken her.
Rainbow Dash, though, had just laughed and grinned. "That was fast, almost faster than I am." She'd said with a smirk. Then she'd moved up beside Twilight and put her ear to Twilight's belly. Twilight face-hoofed as Pinkie Pie giggled. 
"Wow, Twilight! Your bun's really cooking fast!" Pinkie said as she gave Twilight a hug. 
"Yeah, an' how did a bun get in your oven, Twilight?" Applejack asked again.
"I'll explain when we get Home, girls." Twilight answered as they all headed for Tallmark's carriage, which was waiting at the taxi rank. They had to wake Rarity up, and Fluttershy had to be gently nudged along by Applejack, but soon they were all in the carriage and heading for the Castle.
The girls were on tenterhooks all the way back to the castle, as Twilight rested up for the effort of getting inside. After paying off Tallmark, Twilight led the other five into her castle and to one of the parlors, where she rested on one of the long couches. Even Spike was wide-eyed with confusion. "Wow, Twilight. What happened?" 
"Could I trouble you for some iced tea, Spike?" Twilight asked with a pleading look on her pretty face.
Spike smiled. "Sure, Twilight, anything." He said, heading to the kitchen. 
Twilight stretched and groaned softly. The others made themselves comfortable, even Fluttershy had managed to regain control of herself as she looked at Twilight. "So... umm..." Rarity began.
But Twilight chuckled. "You're all as curious as Celestia with a box that smells of cake but won't open, right?" She asked.
"Well..." All five replied, then they all broke up into giggles.
Spike came back then with a trolley that had seven pitchers full of iced teas and seven glasses, plus a big mug with a warm drink in it, which he put beside a chair for himself before pouring the six mares their drinks. "Thanks, Spike, really. Thanks a lot." Twilight said to Spike, as the others gave him their thanks, too. 
"No problem." Spike replied as he sat in his chair and waited. 
Twilight sipped at the iced tea and sighed happily. "Okay. You probably heard about Stellar's duel with Blueblood by now, right?" Twilight asked.
There were multiple replies from the girls at that, telling what they'd heard and what they thought about the duel. 
Twilight nodded. "Okay, the night after the duel, Stellar and I were walking back home, when we heard a scream coming from down an alleyway." Twilight told them. "We got to a small square to see a unicorn mare being pursued by a bunch of shadowy figures. She ran past us, while Stellar took them on. I stood against the mare and teleported her to the palace medical unit." Twilight sipped at her tea again. 
"And then?" Pinkie asked.
"When we got to the unit, we found the mare had been wounded by a crossbow bolt to the shoulder." Twilight continued. "As we made her comfortable, the bolt revealed it had a deadly curse imbedded in it. I was able to stop the curse from progressing, but we couldn't work to eliminate it... because the mare was pregnant." 
The five gasped with shock as Twilight sipped her drink again.
"And then?" Pinkie asked again.
"While two of the Palace mages took over the protective circle I'd cast, I invoked a very old ritual that got my body to the same stage of pregnancy as the mother, and then transferred the foal over to me." Twilight explained. "But before we could continue and save the mother, the curse got past the protective circle and reduced her to ash." Twilight said sadly.
The girls all whimpered at that.
"And then?" Pinkie asked for the third time. 
"Stellar and Luna turned up and I explained to them what happened." Twilight went on.  "Stellar had killed most of the assassins, who turned out to be a group of dark-magic-wielding dark unicorns, all stallions. The ones she'd captured all committed suicide using the same curse, then Stellar and I headed back to my parents' home for the night." 
"Oh boy, ah can see what's comin' up next." Applejack grinned. 
"Indeed." Rarity grinned. "Did she yell or faint first?" She asked.
Twilight chuckled. "You lot know my family very well." She said. "Velvet fainted first. Daddy and I talked while Stellar watched Mother, but when she woke, it took Stellar to keep Mother from... I believe the term Stellar used was 'getting in my face'." She told them, eliciting giggles from the Six, including Spike's chuckles. "But Mother came to accept things as much as Father has done, so they're going to be helpful to me as much as Stellar has been." Twilight said, smiling.
"So, how far are you along, Twilight?" Fluttershy asked. "You look well into your third trimester."
Twilight nodded. "At the end of my seventh month." She confirmed. "And girls... she's an alicorn, like Flurry Heart." 
That got gasps and exclamations all-round, even from Spike. "But... you said the mother was a unicorn." Rainbow Dash said to Twilight.
"Yes, she was. But she was unlike any unicorn I have seen before." Twilight answered. "She was tall, very slender and very beautiful, like Fleur De-Lis but even more so." Twilight remembered. "Fleur is kind-of short compared to the unicorn I saved. She... she had to have been at least as tall as Cadance is now." 
"Wow, that IS tall." Rarity exclaimed. "I've never seen a unicorn of that stature."
Twilight nodded. "Yes. It's amazing that she's never been seen before." Twilight agreed. "I must see if the guard can find any trace of her in Canterlot. Somepony must have seen her and remembered her, with her height and beauty." 
Fluttershy had slipped up beside Twilight and had put her head up to Twilight's swollen belly. She crooned softly, making Twilight sigh in resignation. "You ALL want to do that, don't you?" She asked the others, who nodded with big grins on their faces. "Okay..." Twilight sighed. "Take it in turns and please, be gentle." 
"As gentle as anypony can be, Twi." Applejack replied, smiling softly. She actually came up and gave Twilight a nuzzle as Fluttershy checked Twilight over. "Ah tell ya, Sugarcube, that foal is gonna have tha best mother any foal could ask for." Applejack stated without reservation.
"Absotively!" Rainbow Dash agreed, getting a smile from Twilight.
"Thanks for the votes of confidence, Girls." Twilight told them all. "I just love you all so much." Then she went "Glackh!" As Pinkie hugged her tightly around her neck.
"We love you too, Twilight!" Pinkie stated, and everypony there had to agree...

= = = = =

Twilight sighed softly as she moved to her bed for the night. The girls had rearranged her bedroom to move her bed closer to the bathroom door, so she didn't have as far to travel when the foal started playing hoofball with her bladder. Twilight rolled onto the bed and onto her side with relief. But as she gently stroked her very pregnant belly, she smiled tenderly. Even with all the adjustments and difficulties, she knew she'd not do anything different again... save for maybe having the mages brought in earlier. They might have saved the mother, they might not, but it was the only thing she would have done differently. 
As Twilight slipped into a peaceful slumber, thoughts of maybes and regrets vanished as she dreamed of having the foal playing with her and Stellar as she grew up...

=======

Eventually the unicorns finished their sketching and left, then Steel returned with a bar of a dark-blue metal that Stellar didn't recognise straight away. "This is the metal Luna gave us." He told Stellar. "It's quite hard to smelt, but we have a single furnace that can get hot enough to do the job. It is also easily as strong as the best of the old metals, besides Quadrax and Adamant, but easier to get, since Luna can bring us a supply any time we ask her." 
Stellar touched it, and her inner senses gasped at what she saw. Her memories contained images of a lot of things that were having new light shone on them with her alicorn abilities, and having a feel for metals was one she was still discovering. "This... this is an alloy. It's got a lot of titanium in it, as well as silicon blended into it. There's tungsten, and some other metals, but it's quite rich with titanium." 
"Titanium, eh?" Steel asked. "Never heard of that metal before, but if you say so." 
"It's partially what gives this alloy its blue color." Stellar explained. 
Steel nodded. "As you say." He replied, and then said "It'll take us a while to do this, but it's easier than it was when your great-uncle made his suit. Now we have unicorns working with us to help shape the parts using metal straight from the furnace." 
"Oh, I'd love to see that." Stellar said, grinning. 
Steel nodded. "Sure. But get into your armor again." He suggested. "It'll protect you from the heat of the furnace and any splashback that might occur." 
Stellar nodded, moved to where the armor was still floating in its exploded form, pressed the rune and watched the armor reassemble itself. "Never going to get used to that." She said to herself, as she made the armor retract then put the helmet on. Another thought and she was wearing it again, as if it had never been disassembled. 
Steel Rings watched, nodding approvingly. "Hopefully, you'll be able to empower the rune that does this for this armor in your new armor." He said. "Otherwise, it'll just be a bunch of component pieces that will take a very long time to put together."
"I think I know where to look for the answers I seek to these runes." Stellar told Steel as they left the waiting room. "I just have to take some time out and read it."
Steel smiled as he led Stellar towards the furnace building. "Now, if what Grandfather told me about this armor is correct, it will protect you from the heat of our furnace area." He looked over the helmet. "Can you close that face-mask?" He asked.
Stellar nodded, and it slid closed over her muzzle, only leaving the bridge of her muzzle and her eyes exposed. "I don't know about the visor in the helmet."  She told Steel. "I got it from the Guards stores."
Steel nodded as he checked it over, and slid it out of the helmet. "It's fairly basic, this one." He said. He moved behind Stellar and started looking over the recovered sections of armor that Stellar had managed to attach to the rest of the suit. "Ah, here it is." He said, sliding a piece of armor that Stellar had been unable to find a place for from where she'd secured it. 
Stellar saw what Steel had in his hoofs. "Hey! I'd wondered what that piece was for." She said. 
"This looks like the original visor for this helmet." Steel told Stellar as he gestured for her to remove her helmet. Stellar opened the face-mask and slid the helmet off her long horn, then handed it to Steel. He handed her the visor-piece as he looked over the forehead armor section. 
Stellar gasped with surprise as she took the visor in her forehoofs. "This is Adamant!" She declared.
"Really?" Steel asked, looking at the visor. "But... it's transparent!" He exclaimed. 
Stellar nodded. "You can make metal transparent. The modern visor's like that: a transparent piece of alloy steel." She pointed out.
"Well, yes. But I have never heard of Adamant being transparent before." He replied. 
"How's that done, anyway?" Stellar asked as Steel fitted the proper visor to Stellar's helmet.
"As you might expect, it's a spell we cast on the metal while it's still molten." Steel explained. Then he looked at Stellar. "Are you interested in learning how to be a metal-worker as well, then?" He asked.
Stellar grinned. "I'd love to." She answered. 
Steel nodded, chuckling. "That's a lot of trade secrets, you realise." He told Stellar, who looked a little disappointed. "Normally, we'd never share them with anypony outside our family, but... knowing Canopus Star by reputation, he probably recorded everything he learned from my grandfather for you to learn anyway." He snorted, then laughed. 
"Probably." Stellar agreed, seeing a chink in Steel's reluctance.
Steel thought about it as he finished securing the visor to the helmet. "Tell you what: you're Luna's apprentice, so you'll probably be exposed to more secrets than we could ever teach you, and sworn to secrecy as well." He told Stellar. "If you also swear an oath to our family never to teach anypony what we teach you while our family still lives, then we'll apprentice you to us as well." Steel Rings said to Stellar. 
"I'd be honored." Stellar answered. "And I'll swear an oath to you and your clan, Steel, as sacred an oath as that I swore to Celestia and Luna when I joined the Lunar Guard: I swear by Faust upon my honor as a warrior that I will never reveal the secrets of your clan to anypony as long as your clan exists here." She said, her voice using that same seriously-deadly tone she used whenever Stellar was being absolutely honest or threatening. 
Steel shuddered just a little at Stellar's tone of voice, but he realised just how serious she was being when she swore that oath. He nodded to her and handed Stellar back her helmet. "Then come. You can watch as we start working on your new suit of armor." He said, leading Stellar on after she'd sealed her suit. 

=======

In the rich suburbs of Canterlot, shadowy figures moved from the mansion that had belonged to the Blueblood family, disappearing into the night without being seen. A little while later, a series of small explosions woke the neighbors, and flames leaped from inside the mansion and several other buildings on the property. 
The local fire brigade and several patrol units of the Night Guard raced to the scene, but after an assessment, the Chief of the fire brigade herself swiftly concluded that the buildings were beyond saving. Chief Red Shelter ordered her teams “Keep the fire from spreading through the gardens towards the neighboring properties! We have to contain them here!” She called in the commanders of the various brigades and despatched them to cover particular buildings, keeping the best units for the main house, which was becoming a blazing inferno. Luckily, being at the center of the property meant it was a little less likely to spread out towards the boundaries of the estate, something that Red Shelter found a blessing.
Pegasi and thestrals from the Night Guard brought in clouds heavy with moisture and started dumping the water on the fires and the surrounding landscaping. Captain Wingscythe arrived as well, having been alerted by one of the Night Guard units, and he surveyed their efforts from the skies as the firefighters did their best to bring the blazes under control. Once he was assured the fires were contained to the buildings, he landed near the Fire Chief as she ordered arriving units to help. "What's the situation, Chief?" He asked as he reached the mare. 
"Lousy." Chief Shelter replied. "We've got the fires contained, but whatever's causing them is refusing to be put out." She told Wingscythe. "We concluded that the fires are magically maintained, and probably started that way, too. I've sent for some of the elemental mages from the guild, but they're taking their time getting here." She explained. Just then, the structure of the main house collapsed, the stone walls undermined from inside, dropping the walls into the interior and crushing the structure down into the substantial basements. 
"I see." Captain Wingscythe answered. “I’ll see if the Palace mages can come as well. They might get here more quickly than the Guild mages.” He ordered one of the Night Guard night-wings over and told her to fly back to the Palace and bring back as many of the mages as she could. After she flew off, Wingscythe moved back to Chief Shelter and started helping to co-ordinate the relief efforts.

= = = = =

It took less than half-an-hour for the mages from the Palace to arrive and to start trying to subdue the magical fire. They were joined twelve minutes later by the Guild mages, and they spread out, trying to stop the fires in the remains of the four buildings. Red Shelter and her firefighters managed to get the outlying buildings finally smothered after another hour, but the main house burned until after Sunrise. With the other buildings doused, the mages were all able to concentrate on the old mansion and finally got it out two hours after Celestia slid the sun into the sky. 
It was midday before most of the firefighters and mages headed back to their stations and Red Shelter took a rest. Wingscythe was still there as well, and he treated her to a cup of coffee from a mobile stand that had set up two hours before sunrise. “Here, Red.” Wingscythe said as he handed her the cup of coffee. “You probably need this more than I do.” He said. 
Red smiled as she took the cup and sipped at it. “Thanks, Wing.” She replied. “At least with the Guild mages here, they can start the investigation right off the bat. And we don’t need to explain to them what we’d seen: they were here and saw it for themselves.”
“Yeah, a big advantage for this one.” Wingscythe agreed. “Do you think this was deliberate?”
“Personally... I’d stake my next foal on it.” Shelter said. “But whether or not we can prove it... that’s another thing.” 
“As is usual.” Wingscythe agreed. 
Red Shelter sighed with some frustration. “And with the fire being so intense, there’s not going to be much we can find to say what truly happened. The basement areas don’t match the plans from the Palace archives, there’s tunnels leading from the mansion to other buildings, and some that go right outside the estate. We’re still trying to track where some of the bigger ones went to, both inside and outside the estate.” She sipped her coffee. “It seems old Blueblood was up to something big... or his ancestors were. Some of those tunnels might be older than Cantelot itself.”
“Huh.” Wingscythe said, frowning. “Who knew?” 
“That’s another big question.” Red replied. “But I don’t have to ask that one. That’s for the Princesses and others.” 
“Yeah. I get the feeling my ponies are going to be the ones who ask those questions.” Wingscythe told her. 
“Good luck, then.” Red wished for him, then drank the rest of her coffee. She headed back into the estate, as Wingscythe regrouped his guards and they made ready to head back to the palace, to pass control to others for the Day. 

=======

It was close to the time Stellar knew she'd have to get some sleep, when she watched as the metal crafters finished putting her suit together. The beautiful dark-blue metal contrasted with the silver they'd laid over the edges and certain sections, especially the big crescent moon on the peytral, a small Sparkle Star to one side of it. She had managed to activate one rune out of all those they'd impressed into the body, and that was the rune that allowed the armor to assemble itself, then retract and extend itself over her body. She'd been studying that rune for a good portion of the night, once she'd watched them moulding several pieces, including her new helmet. She'd also watched as they turned a small amount of the metal transparent for the helmet's visor, noting the spell they'd used. 
It was to Stellar's surprise that the assembly rune was very simple. Most runes encompassed several major spells in their constructions, to make the spells easy to activate with as little mana as possible. The assembly rune had four very easy spells woven into it, spells that even Stellar was able to cast with ease as she empowered the rune. "Then again, it was written by Canopus Star, and he wasn't even a mage, as such." She said to herself. "I must ask Twilight if she knows anything about writing runes..  maybe Princess Luna as well." Stellar added as she watched them lay out the pieces of her new suit on a table, using the red armor as a guide. The red armor lay on a table beside the blue armor, and once they'd finished arranging the pieces of the blue armor and making sure they were identical to those from the red armor, Stellar looked at Steel Rings. "Ready then?" She asked him.
Steel took a deep breath and exhaled. "Yeah, I guess." He replied. "The runes we put on the pieces are identical to those on the red armor, and all the pieces are identical as well." He told Stellar. "If we did it right, and if you actually managed to figure out the assembly rune, then your new suit should come together the same as Canopus Star's suit does." 
"Only one way to tell, then." Stellar said. She moved up to the peytral, slipped her hoof through to the neck brace and touched the rune, shunting some of her mana directly into it. She was amazed at how much she had to put into it, however, until it finally glowed brightly. As she moved back, the armor's pieces floated up from the table and assembled themselves into the new suit, but it took a little time before they'd all locked into place properly. Stellar also reactivated the red armor's rune as the blue armor sorted itself out, and it assembled far more quickly than the new suit. And as they stood together on their tables, Stellar nodded. The blue Lunar Guard armor they'd created looked every bit as awesome and protecting as Canopus Star's original suit. "Damn, but they look good, standing there like that." Stellar said to Steel Rings.
Steel grinned. "Oh yeah." He had to agree. 
The winged Sparkle Star on the forehead guard of the red armor had been replaced on the blue armor with the crescent moon and the Sparkle Star that also sat on the peytral. Little lock-points for Stellar's lieutenant's bars also were there as well, and Stellar pressed them into place. She could feel a lot of the runes the armor had were dormant, rather than active as they were on the red armor, but hopefully she'd be able to fix that soon enough. "Okay, now for the final test." Stellar said. She touched the helmet symbol, and grinned as the armor folded in on itself, until only the helmet was left floating there. She picked it up and put it on, the padding inside fitting her perfectly and comfortably. Then she gave the mental command, and the armor extended and encompassed her. Instantly she felt the difference between the two suits. The leg armor and other pieces seemed to fit her a lot better than the red armor, but then it had been tailored to fit her this time. She tried walking around, and it all moved smoothly. 
Steel Rings watched, nodding his head as the armor moved and adjusted as Stellar walked and moved, twisting herself around and trying out certain moves. Stellar then opened her big wings and the wing-covers extended out over the leading edge of her wings smoothly, the pieces opening up to lie along her wings as well. Steel then noticed the tail-armor had extended down and closed up, trapping her tail inside it and completing the rudder-like extension without getting hair entangled in its pieces. "Good, that seems to be working well." He said as he checked over the wing-armor. He grinned at Stellar. "Okay, furl your wings again." He told her, and Stellar did. The wing-covers flared out and closed over Stellar's wings once they'd furled properly. Steel chuckled. "I daresay we're probably going to have orders for suits like this from all the officers of all the guard branches, once they see yours, Stellar." 
Stellar chuckled. "A good bit of business for you, then." She agreed.
"Can we use the assembly rune on any suits we make?" Steel asked.
"Sure. I mean, the suits are cumbersome without it." She replied. "But just the assembly rune, if you would. I'll teach some of your artificiers to activate it as well." Stellar told Steel. 
"Thanks. That will be perfect." Steel replied. 
Stellar then brought her sword out and strapped it over the back of her armor. It fit the same as it did with its original suit. "Just as I'd hoped." Stellar said, grinning. 
Steel then looked at Stellar as she retracted the red armor back into the helmet. "Lieutenant, could we make a copy of Canopus Star's armor for the Museum?" He asked her.
Stellar looked surprised. "Um... sure. Just without the runes and made out of ordinary metal, if you can."
"Oh sure." Steel replied. "It would just be for display. There's several sets of armor from famous generals and others on display, even one from Celestia herself." He explained. "I just think Canopus Star's armor deserves to be there amongst them." 
“I won’t argue against that.” Stellar replied, grinning. “I think he’d be both proud and mortified at the thought that he’s remembered the way he is today.” 
Steel just nodded and walked Stellar out the front of the armor works. "Remember, any time you get the time, come back and we'll continue your training here." Steel reminded Stellar.
"I'll remember." Stellar replied. "And thanks again."
"Our pleasure, Lieutenant." Steel waved with a grin as Stellar headed back to the Palace. 
“Been in there a long time.” Stellar said to herself as she noticed it was almost mid-day.
On the way, she noticed the pall of smoke hanging over the part of the city where, she realised with a shock, that her parents' home was located. Taking to the sky, she flew quickly to the scene, and breathed a sigh of relief when she found it wasn't the Sparkle mansion that had gone up in flames that night. Landing, she saw several of the Night Guard and the Day Guard were keeping ponies away from the scene. She walked up to the ranking Guard on duty, a sargeant, Stellar saw, and asked "What's the situation, Sargeant?"
He looked Stellar up and down before realising who she was, then saluted. "Lieutenant!" He replied. "Ma'am, there were a series of explosions here earlier in the night, and every building on this estate was set on fire." He explained. "It's mostly under control at this point in time, with only the main building still smouldering fitfully. Captain Wingscythe is in attendance, ma'am." 
Stellar nodded as she took this in. "Where is he, Sargeant?" She asked.
"That way, Ma'am, with Fire Chief Shelter." He gestured with a wing.
"Thank you, Sargeant." Stellar replied, and returned his salute before walking towards where Wingscythe was located. 

= = = = =

Wingscythe was making ready to return to the palace, when he saw a suit of armor that wasn't that of any of the regular Lunar Guard walk towards him. The face in the helmet then reminded him of earlier in the previous day, when Luna had brought him a new officer... "Lieutenant Sparkle." He said, moving towards Stellar.
"Captain Wingscythe." Stellar replied, saluting him. 
Wingscythe returned the salute, then looked her up and down. "At ease, Lieutenant." He ordered, and once Stellar was at-ease, he walked right around her. "That's one hay of a suit you've got there, Lieutenant." He commented as he looked Stellar over. "Is it new, or did you have them re-color that suit you were wearing earlier? Because I swear it looks identical to it." 
"No, Sir. This suit is all-new, just made to the original pattern of my other armor, Sir." Stellar explained. 
Wingscythe nodded. "That's a very good suit." He said. "Was it hard for them to make?"
Stellar smiled. "No, Sir. They were the original armorers who made my Great-uncle's suit in the first place. So it was fairly easy for them to repeat the construction of it." She explained.
"A good bit of luck, that." Wingscythe replied. "I don't know of many businesses from that time period that are still operating. They must have backing to be still going."
"Their sign says 'By Royal Appointment', Captain. They are the ones who made Celestia's and Luna's armors too." Stellar informed Wingscythe.
That got an impressed look from Wingscythe. "All right. That's definitely something to remember." He said, nodding. “Maybe I should get them to make me a new suit of armor as well.” Stellar chuckled with a big grin on her face. “Something funny, Lieutenant?” Wingscythe asked.
“Yes, Sir.” Stellar answered. “One of the comments their head crafts-stallion said was that he expected there might be others in the Guard ordering more armor from them, once the officers started seeing my new armor.” She explained.
Wingscythe looked surprised, then chuckled as well. “First time I ever got a ‘yes’ answer to that question.” He said, grinning. “And indeed, his statement seems to be prophetic.”
“He knows the market, Sir.” Stellar said back with a grin. “And this armor’s about as good as it gets, for protection and movement.” She said, opening her wings and showing Wingscythe how the wing-covers folded over her wings after she’d opened them up.
Wingscythe looked the covers over and whistled in appreciation. “Okay, must get new armor.” He said. “Ve-ry cool, Lieutenant.” 
“Thank you, Sir.” Stellar replied, grinning widely as the wing-covers spread out and closed again as she furled her wings, enclosing them completely within the armor. “The foundry is Small Rings Fine Armor and Arms, Captain.”
Wingscythe face-hoofed. “I should have known.” He muttered. “There’s nopony else in the armor business with that endorsement .”
Stellar smirked with a big grin. “Just going to the best, Captain. Luna recommended them, after all.”
Wingscythe nodded. “Well, Lieutenant, I am going back to the Palace and hand things over to Commander Duskrunner. You’re welcome to accompany me and sign out for the night, if you’re not willing to do the Day Shift for the moment.” He offered.
“I’ve got some research to do, Captain, so I’ll leave off for today.” Stellar replied as they walked towards the gathered Night Guards. 
“Fair enough.” Wingscythe said. “Must be tough being Princess Luna’s apprentice. I bet there’s a lot to learn.”
“All part of the fun, Sir.” Stellar answered with an even-bigger grin on her face. “And nothing I’d rather be doing, to be honest.”
Wingscythe nodded. “Then I wish you all luck, Lieutenant.” He told her as they reached the Night Guard, who were in ranks and came to attention as the officers reached them. “Guards! Move out!” Wingscythe said, and they all took to the wing and headed for the Palace, Wingscythe and Stellar in the lead.

=======

Stellar settled in her quarters near Luna’s tower, her armor retracted and with her freshly showered and groomed. The servants had left her with a nice breakfast and she ate absently as she pondered the tome she’d found with Canopus Star’s armor. The casing was metal with Adamant edging, and the lock on the case was an almost-solid piece, with no obvious keyhole besides a very small series of four slots around a central hole with no space for a key to be inserted. “Okay... if a key isn’t meant to open you... what is?” Stellar asked herself. 
Stellar then looked at the two chests that had contained the armor and frowned. She’d been all through the chests looking for a key to the tome, but there was none to be found. Then something struck her. The chests had been easy to open, with the winged Sparkle Star acting as the lock’s key-and-catch each time. She looked back at the tome, then got up and moved to the chests. She tried to see if either of the winged stars could be removed, but they didn’t budge. “Okay, maybe a bit too obvious.” She said to herself. “Now, if I was a crafty old warhorse like Canopus Star, where would I hide an emblem like that?” She asked. 
Stellar moved to the door and summoned one of the maids. “Yes, Miss?” The blonde-maned white unicorn mare asked. 
“Can you bring me a pair of mannepones about my size, please?” Stellar requested.
“Of course, Miss.” The maid said, and within five minutes they’d been brought in and set up. “Is that all, Miss?” 
“Yes. Thank you.” Stellar said, and after they’d left, Stellar took out the helmet of Canopus Star’s armor and extended the armor over one of the mannepones. She looked at the three smaller winged stars on the armor, but none of them wanted to budge. “Okay, this is getting annoying.” Stellar said to herself. “Am I wrong? Maybe something else is the trigger mechanism...”
Then she remembered: There were two more winged stars in Canopus Star’s gear. “The sword!” Stellar exclaimed, then pulled it out of the pocket she kept it in. A shimmer of power ran through Stellar as she drew the great-sword out of the scabbard, something she’d felt every time she’d taken it out, then she looked at the cross-guard as the sword floated before her. There were two winged stars on the sword, one each side of the cross-guard. Stellar studied them closely, then noticed one was slightly bigger than the other. She tried to move the bigger one, and nothing happened. “Yeah, should have figured that one.” Stellar admonished herself, then she pressed the smaller one. To her relief, the wings moved back on it and it clicked. Stellar then turned it forty-five degrees and it dropped off onto her hoof. “Way to go Grandfather.” Stellar said, then blinked. “Why do I keep referring to him as ‘Grandfather’?” She asked herself as she moved to the tome. 
Pressing the winged star into the little hole, Stellar turned the wings until it clicked again, then she pressed the wings. The lock popped up, and as she let the wings go, the lock and clasp dropped open. “Sneaky old stallion.” Stellar said with a grin as she opened the tome’s casing, to find the tome inside wasn’t actually attached to the case. She drew it out and looked the beautiful book over. There was, as expected, a large winged star on the front cover, as well as something that made the hairs on Stellar’s withers stand on end: underneath the winged star was a single vertical great-sword with a round shield behind it. “Just like my cutie mark...” Stellar said, in awe of what it could mean. 
She opened it and, to her astonishment, a magic image appeared. “Greetings, my granddaughter.” The image of Canopus Star said to Stellar. “If you are seeing this, I have gone to my final reward. I hope that, by now, you have either graduated from the Royal Guard Academy, or are at least a student there. Within these pages, I have written as many of my secrets and as much special knowledge as I could, so that you might follow in my hoof-prints if that is your destiny. So, let us begin, if you are ready...”