A pencil rolled through the air, held aloft by a light purple aura that surrounded it. The being who controlled the telekinetic field was staring off into space, looking out the large window and out over the busy city of Canterlot. The day was not yet late, but neither was it early, the city just reaching that strange twilight that comes between the time when the work day is over, but the evening has yet to begin. It was an awkward time, Twilight thought, a time wherein everyone seemed to be too tired from a long day to do much more than laze around.
The filly remembered times when her mother and father would return home from work after Twilight had finished school, and then simply sat in the living room, too exhausted to move, but knowing full well that they must. Twilight was not a fan of this time, and even less so now that she found herself in that same awkward position she had seen her parents in so many times.
She had finished her last equation for the day, and though there was a part of her that wanted to go over the material one more time, that was a small part and was ultimately made silent by the fact that she knew it all. Indeed, Twilight had gotten considerably better at math over the last few months, to the point that even division, the one thing she hated more than anything, was now easy for her.
Yet, she didn't want to go home, and didn't feel that siren song of relaxation that came with the promise of rest. She knew she would find no rest within those four walls, and neither did she have reason to remain within the ones she sat now.
She sighed and continued to make her pencil float through the air, rolling around on imagined waves as it ventured through the skies. She continued to imagine the many adventures of sky ship number two and its brave directive to go out into the great beyond as she tried not to think of what was coming soon.
That was until Celestia suddenly shattered the fantasy by speaking up, “Would you look at that, it's four thirty already.” The alicorn stretched, lazily from her spot to Twilight’s left. “Did you complete all your work?”
Twilight froze, her pencil falling from the heavens as she hastily closed her books. “N-no!”
Celestia turned her head and raised an eyebrow. “Really now? Because last I checked, you nearly had everything completed. Do you need help with something?”
The filly hastily shook her head. “No, I’m fine. Just got caught daydreaming.”
The alicorn eyed her student carefully, concern evident on her features. “You wouldn't happen to be putting off going home for the weekend, now would you?”
“No really! I just… want to make sure I have this all memorized, is all,” Twilight replied weakly, smiling a little too widely as she held up her math book.
“Well alright, but if you need help, I’ll be right here,” Celestia said, turning back to her own desk and donning a small, dainty pair of reading glasses.
The filly looked down at her own glasses which rested on the desk before her. She was tempted to put them on, as it did fit the look of her new coat rather well. She still didn't have a real reason to though, and without prompting she didn't really want to put them on, no matter how cool it looked.
She lifted a hoof and inspected the copper stitching that held together the button-clad hoof cuff. It was intimidating and pretty darn cool, two things Twilight never really thought she valued until a few months ago. She had been a bit of a stereotypical filly until that point, loving the frills and laces that came with the dresses she owned. Now though, something had shifted inside her, and she couldn't even bear to look at the dresses that filled her closet, a small part of her mind telling her that they were opulent, and useless.
What she had now was useful, utilitarian, even the small visual flourishes serving the purpose of intimidating any viewer if she wasn't the shortest pony in the room, that was. This was something Celestia had initially been concerned about, the alicorn humming and hawwing over the potential looks Twilight might get. Her concerns didn't last long though, the alicorn taking one look at Twilight’s beaming face and choosing to drop any such concerns right then and there.
The rest of her coat fit that same style of copper on black, the buttons, stitching and embroidery all being the same shade of orange. The stark black that the rest of the coat was a perfect contrast, and Twilight knew the first time she gazed upon the finished result that it would be a style that would stay with her for years.
Dropping her hoof, Twilight turned to her textbook and gazed down on it, wondering if she should even bother pretending to work, as Celestia had no doubt already figured out that she was merely putting off the eventual family reunion Twilight knew was coming. Now that she thought about it though, the astute alicorn was rather busy, she probably wouldn't even notice if the filly no longer pretended to work.
Glancing over her shoulder, Twilight looked to where Celestia sat, noticing instantly the way she leaned forward, her entire body pointing towards the small bundle of papers held aloft in her magic. The filly also noticed that she was staring at those same papers rather closely, so intently in fact that she didn't notice that her face was scrunched up slightly. Her jaw was tight, her lips thin, and her brow furrowed, the older mare evidently drawn deep into the contents of the papers.
It didn't take the use of Twilight’s newfound powers to be able to tell that whatever was within the report, was as interesting as it was worrying. The filly didn't even want to think about something bad enough to make even Celestia worry, and yet she couldn't help but want to see it. Morbid curiosity had always been something Twilight easily succumbed to, and with a slight push of her mind, she tried to hear what Celestia was thinking.
Or at least she had been about to, but the filly quickly realized what she was doing, and pulled back, mentally reprimanding herself for considering intruding on her mentor’s thoughts without permission. She didn't know how she was able to listen to a pony’s thoughts, but she refused to simply eavesdrop whenever she was tempted to.
“You know reading over someone’s shoulder is considered rude,” Celestia exclaimed without looking away from the pages before her.
Twilight gulped and nervously tapped her forehooves together. “S-sorry, I was just done with my work and was curious. How did you know I was looking anyway?”
Celestia nodded and slowly placed the papers on her desk before turning to the filly, a sly smile on her face. “You are not the only one with unique skills, you know.” The alicorn chuckled, and plucked the reading glasses from the edge of her nose and let them fall to her chest, the small golden chain around her neck keeping them from falling far.
“What are you reading anyway?” Twilight asked hesitantly. “You were looking at it really closely.”
“It was a report from a group I am helping to fund,” Celestia began, her face lighting up slightly. “A talented group of earth ponies looking to protect frontier towns, and help in all aspects of life.”
“Wow,” Twilight muttered, the alicorn’s enthusiasm becoming strangely infectious. “Aspects like what?”
“Aspects as wide as they are groundbreaking,” Celestia remarked while leaning in conspiratorially. “Hydraulics, defence platforms, and even advances in computing and engineering. I daresay they may very well change all aspects of life as we know them.”
“Thats awesome!” Twilight’s eyes sparkled. “How long have you been funding them? This must have been going on for a while if they were able to do so much!”
“Not long, actually,” Celestia explained, giving her butt a slight wiggle as she found a more comfortable spot to sit in. “They have apparently been working on these projects for many years, the group of inventors having formed sort of collective in order to get a better deal. Unfortunately for them some of the nobility caught wind of their advances and ensured investors stayed far away.”
“I guess that makes sense, but why would anyone want to make them not get money if they have the potential to help so many ponies?” Twilight asked, muzzle scrunching up. “‘Cause that sounds stupid.”
Celestia sighed, shaking her head slowly. “I don't know. Some of the old unicorn families have begun to act… strange in recent years, but I never assumed their corruption ran quite this deep.” She stared off into the distance, her gaze lingering over the horizon. “There must be some sort of outside influence.”
The alicorn continued to stare off into the distance for several more seconds, making Twilight become increasingly agitated as the silence dragged on. “What do you think it is?” Twilight asked suddenly.
Celestia shook her head, her eyes refocusing as she looked down on the filly. “I don't know,” she lamented. “These things are strange, and I may very well be reading too far something that may not exist. Politics is never black and white, and only becomes more grey once you throw old noble houses and dogma into the mix.”
Twilight opened her mouth to ask another question, but found that Celestia’s features had grown darker, stopping the words before they had a chance to pass the filly’s lips.
The alicorn quickly wiped away the expression and stood up suddenly. “Now then, you must be getting awful homesick by now.”
“N-not really,” Twilight murmured. “I like hanging out with you.”
Celestia smiled gently and placed a hoof on the filly’s back. “That's very sweet of you, Twilight, but you must be getting at least a little tired of hanging around a stuffy old mare like myself. Come, let’s get your bags packed and ready for you to go home.”
“Do I have to?” Twilight pouted, crossing her hooves over her chest. “I like it here.”
The alicorn sighed and shook her head. “I’m afraid you must go home sometime. You wouldn't want your parents to worry, would you?”
The filly ground her teeth together and pouted vicioucly, but even that wasn't enough to resist Celestia’s gentle pushing. “B-but what about my math?”
“You and I both know you completed that hours ago,” Celestia continued. “Now, do I have to threaten detention or are you going to get up, young filly?”
“Yay detention!” Twilight exclaimed, throwing up her hooves.
“Oh, did I say detention? I meant expulsion.” Celestia smirked evilly. “Three days of no class, no homework and no library access.”
“Nooooo!” Twilight cried, raising her forehooves to the heavens and crying out in agony.
The adult, meanwhile, was busy rolling her eyes at the sight of the dramatic filly, before sighing and gently picking her from the floor. “Come now, don't make me follow up on that threat, I have a fun learning plan for Monday that I think you’ll enjoy.”
“Oh fine,” Twilight muttered, slowly allowing herself to be pushed along the floor by the chuckling alicorn.
Her saddle bags now filled with her things, and her head held high, Twilight paced silently in front of the door to her room, trying to come up with some excuse, or something that would get her out of having to go home. She bit her lip as she thought about it, already imagining all the stares she would get, combined with what was waiting for her at home, and Twilight was left with little desire to make the journey back.
Looking around the room, Twilight breathed deep of the scent of books, ink and her finely pressed sheets. The mix of smells, and subtle comforts was a potent one, and the filly took strength from the familiar scent of her room. A place, she now realized, felt more like home than even her real home.
Like with all good things, this too had to end, and a heavy knock on the door to Twilight’s room alerted her to that fact. “Twilight, are you ready to go?” the gentle voice of Silver Bulwark asked through the door.
“N-no! I just have to… use the washroom!” Twilight yelled back.
“Twilight Sparkle, you used that same excuse ten minutes ago. Now are you going to come out here or do I have to come in there?” Silver replied, her irritation getting the better of her.
Twilight sighed and kicked the floor. “I’m coming,” she muttered as she made her way over to the door, pushing the heavy object open.
“There she is,” Silver remarked with a smirk, gesturing down the hall. “Ready to get going, Twilight?”
“Can I talk to you first?” Twilight whispered, standing firmly on the threshold of her room.
“Sure, what about?” Silver Bulwark replied.
“Can I maybe, walk home by myself today?” Twilight asked nervously, shifting from hoof to hoof. “I know the way, and I have money for the trolley. You don't have to waste your time.”
The guard lifted an eyebrow, and looked down at the infested filly curiously. “Are you worried about getting too much attention again? Because you can't let them get to you, Twilight. Once we go back and forth a few more times ponies will get bored and won’t gawk quite as much as that first time.”
“I know, but it's just…” The filly looked down at the ground, pawing the floor awkwardly. “I’m already a freak and walking with you makes so many ponies look and it doesn't feel very good.”
The guard sighed, her knees cracking as she kneeled down before the filly. “Twilight, is this another head thing again?”
Twilight nodded awkwardly. “Even if they don't say anything, I can still hear what they want to say and I was thinking that maybe if you weren't there, I wouldn't get so much attention.”
Silver Bulwark sighed. “Twilight, I know I don't have to bring you home, but there are ponies out there that well, they wouldn't be kind to you.”
“I know,” Twilight said sternly. “But I feel like I would be able to hide if I didn't have a royal guard with me.”
The guard stared down at her charge long and hard before sighing once more and standing back up. “I can't force you to do anything, but just remember what I told you, okay?”
“Always stay in well-populated areas, no back alleys, if someone approaches start screaming, and never ever accept anything from strangers,” Twilight replied, rolling her eyes. “You only told me like a million times.”
Silver chuckled and ruffled the filly’s mane. “That just means I’m making sure it sticks in that noggin of yours.”
Twilight grumbled silently, hiding her smile while she fixed her mane. “Well, if you are done wrecking my hair, I’ve got a trolley to catch.”
“At least let me walk you to the gate,” Silver interrupted, a strangely hesitant smile on her face. “You can handle walking with me that far, right?”
“I guess,” Twilight replied with a hint of snark. “And before you ask, yes, I have everything in my saddle bags.”
“Good,” Silver muttered, her gaze oddly distant as she stared down the hall. “We better get moving.”
Twilight frowned, noticing the odd look that suddenly overcame her guard. “Is something wrong, Bull?”
“No, it's nothing. Just a bit of a tickle in my throat is all,” Silver lied, gulping down her trepidiation before turning and walking away.
The filly easily kept pace with the guard as they trotted the halls of the castle, Twilight’s mind trying to reach out and discover what exactly was wrong with her companion, ruling that her privacy wasn't that important when compared to the help Twilight might be able to give her if the filly understood what was bothering the guard. Even without the use of her powers Twilight knew she was lying, as Silver was simply too honest of a pony, and her tells were numerous. That being said, even Twilight’s newfound powers couldn't manage to eke out a hint as to what was truly going on. All she could find was a haze of distrust, guilt and worry that seemed to hang over the guard’s mind like a fog, her thoughts too random for Twilight to truly grasp.
The flickering thoughts were simply too difficult to grasp, leaving Twilight with little to do but follow the silent mare as they walked through the halls, slowly making their way towards the exit. Throughout it all the various guards they passed eyed Twilight with mixed emotions, most being able to hide what they felt behind a mask of indifference. To Twilight though they may as well be shouting their opinions, as most guards didn't have the mental discipline to hide their thoughts from the filly.
By the time they reached the enormous gates of the castle, Twilight’s heart was fluttering in her chest, her emotions all over the place. Some guards liked her, their thoughts and expressions displaying this admiration or appreciation. More than that, most guards simply didn't care, seeing her as nothing more than another charge and a VIP they may have to protect if the time ever came to that. Some though, they were a truly terrifying, their thoughts and emotions expressing such a depth of hatred and disgust that shook Twilight to her core.
This may not have been a new thing for the filly, but it was not a part of her new life that she had time to adjust to yet. Leaving her confused and oddly angry by the time Silver stopped just inside the gate.
Around them several ponies moved about, guards searching visitors, while a group of nobles walked towards the castle, speaking animatedly about a play they had seen the night before. When Twilight looked up, she noticed that Silver Bulwark had another strange expression, this one was oddly serious, as if she was intensely concerned about something.
“Twilight I need to talk to you about something,” Silver Bulwark announced suddenly, motioning away from the gate and towards a small area off to the side under the shade of a large oak.
“Err, okay Bull,” Twilight muttered, following the guard over to the spot.
Who in turn looked around nervously before leaning in close. “Do you remember that silence spell I taught you?”
“Yeah?”
“Can you cast it on us?”
“I guess,” Twilight muttered before lighting her horn and going through the motions necessary to cast the silence spell over both of them.
When the spell completed Bull lit her horn and inspected Twilight’s handiwork. Finding the spell work acceptable, Silver Bulwark sighed. “Twilight I know that you can feel that something is wrong in the castle.”
“That's one way of putting it,” Twilight muttered, kicking a chunk of dirt in irritation.
Silver Bulwark frowned, and placed a hoof on the filly’s shoulder. “Most of us are uninvolved and trust me when I say you can trust the old guards to protect you if you ever needed it. But that's not why I wanted to talk to you now.”
“What's wrong?” Twilight inquired. “I know you are worried, and guilty, but whatever it is, I forgive you!”
“Oh, my sweet little filly,” Silver murmured. “It's not something I’ve done, but something that some ponies are trying to do to do me.”
“Well whatever it is, it's not your fault!” Twilight exclaimed in an almost panicked tone. “It's the bad ponies, not you, Silver Bulwark!”
The guard gulped down a lump that had formed in her throat. “It's not that easy, Twilight. I haven't always been the best pony. When I was young I made mistakes, and some ponies are using that to try and…” She sighed, guilt weighing heavy on her shoulders. “Try and make me resign.”
“W-what, why?” Twilight muttered, the filly falling on her butt.
“I don't know. All I know is that it's what the bad ponies want, and I refuse to give that to them.” Silver Bulwark flashed the filly a winning smile and pulled back her hoof. “It's important to never give the bad ponies an inch, Twilight, if you do that, they’ll take a mile.”
“I don't understand,” Twilight whispered weakly.
“I know you don't, but just…” The guard took off her helmet, revealing her silver mane. “I won't be here in the castle for you as long as I’d like to be.”
“B-but you can't go!” Twilight exclaimed, grabbing the guard’s hoof and hugging it tightly. “You are not allowed to go! I still need you!”
“Oh I know, dear,” Silver whispered, hugging the filly tightly. “But there may come a time where I will not be able to serve you as a guard. But that doesn't mean I can't keep helping you.”
“What do you mean?” Twilight asked nervously, looking up at the guard through tear-strewn eyes.
“It means that I’m promising you that no matter what, I will always be there for you.” Silver set her jaw and banged her hoof against her chest. “In my hometown a promise is a sacred thing, one that cannot be broken. And I’m promising you that no matter what, I'll be there for you.”
“But thats wrong! You can't give up yet, Celestia would be able to help, right?” Twilight asked weakly, squeezing the mare’s leg tightly.
“Celestia can't be everywhere at all times, and even an alicorn is bound by rules.”
“B-but thats stupid!” Twilight exclaimed, releasing Silver Bulwark’s hoof and stomping her own tiny limb in anger. “They can't do this!”
“It might all turn out to be nothing, so let's just pretend like I’ll be here forever, okay?” Silver Bulwark reached forward and gently picked up the filly’s chin, forcing their eyes to meet. “Can you do that for me, sweetie?”
“Fine,” Twilight mumbled, pouting as hard as she could.
“Thank you.” Silver pulled Twilight in for a short hug. “Just remember that the old guards, or at least the ones with balls, will also help you day or night so don't fear, just remember their names, okay?”
“I will, Bull,” Twilight announced confidently, putting on a brave face for the guard.
“Remember, you just say the word and old Bull will come a-running, got it?”
Twilight nodded, a small smile crossing her face. “I remember.”
“Alright.” The guard stood, only to wince half way up, her knees cracking audibly. “Holy guacamole, these joints are going to be the death of me one day.”
“Are you okay?” Twilight asked hesitantly, her horn already glowing. “Should I cast a healing spell?”
“I’m fine, Twilight, it's just another joy of aging that you have to look forward.” Silver stood fully, stretching her back. “Now then, don't you have a trolley to catch?”
“Yup.”
“Then you better get moving.”
“I guess so,” Twilight muttered, looking up at Bull with wide eyes. “Oh and Bull?”
“Yeah kiddo?”
“Thank you.”
“Just doing my job, little miss.” The guard smiled. “Just doing my job.”