//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 - First Shifts // Story: Guardian // by Xrevias //------------------------------// Three days later... Golden Dusk received a letter from Luna via magic fire. It stated that he was to report to her as soon as he had hold of his formal wear. He let a pen he held in his magic rest on his desk. A piece of paper he’d been writing on was in the center. He gave it a once over before he stored it in a drawer. Dusk got up and opened the door to his room. He glanced at the drawer and felt a flutter in his stomach. “I’ll give it to her after the Purifiers are dealt with,” he mused, closing the door behind him. He walked out of his house and locked the door. It was past noon, and the afternoon light seemed dim. Dusk looked up to see that clouds had covered the sun’s rays, making the breeze much cooler that usual.  He started walking through the streets, his destination being the Canterlot Carousel.  Princess Luna also mentioned that the night court was slightly different from the day’s. Nobles from where the thestrals usually reside come over to discuss their reintegration within the society. They ostracized themselves after her banishment, feeling though as if they would be next if they stayed. Thus, there were barely any records of thestrals being in Canterlot. It excited him. His unknown heritage might become clearer once he starts his new job. All he knew was that he has some thestral blood in him, other than that there wasn’t much else.  Dusk made a left onto another street and continued his miniature journey.  He thought of Scarlet, she was going to start her first day as well. Her being able to cook within the Royal Kitchen gave her joy to no end, and he could tell. Maybe they’d run into each other from time-to-time? The castle is a lot smaller than most ponies think.  Immediately, at the thought of his friend, his mind wandered. To the little outings the two had, to the moments they shared in his home. The way Scarlet’s smile radiated and how it would make him smile as well. Her grace whenever she would borrow his kitchen was akin to a dancer performing on stage. The softness he would feel whenever she would embrace him and— “Seems like somepony’s mind is elsewhere.” His train of thought immediately came to a screeching halt. He looked up to see that he was already at the Canterlot Carousel. Dusk stood in front of an open door, with Sassy Saddles in front of him. Sassy grinned. “Now, I am quite knowledgeable about stallions, and something tells me you were thinking about something…” She leaned in closer and whispered, “Or rather, somepony.” Apparently, he had walked all the way to the store and Sassy went out to greet him. Unbeknownst to him, he wore a wistful smile on his face, as well as a small blush. “Pft.” He waved a hoof dismissively. “You can prove nothing.” The slightly darker red hue on his cheeks betrayed him. “Sure, dear,” Sassy giggled. “Come in, you’re here for your suit, no?” Dusk nodded and she stepped aside, the blush he sported slowly dying down. Other employees of the boutique gave friendly nods, which he returned, as he passed by. Sassy and Dusk walked back into the private fitting room, excitement building up within the latter. Sassy closed the door with her magic and approached a rack of clothes. Dusk sat down on the small bench, waiting for her to do her job. “Golden Dusk… G… G... G... aha!” Sassy dramatically pulled out a suit-shaped bag. “It’s in there?” Dusk inquired. Sassy nodded and motioned for him to come over. Dusk stood up and walked in front of her.  She made a show of slowly unzipping the bag, building up the suspense. Sweat threatened to run down Dusk’s head as Sassy continued to torment him. Once the bag was open, she pulled aside its two separate sides and pulled out the suit. Dusk’s eyes went wide with awe. It was a tail-coat suit, a detail that he thought was fitting for a butler of the night. The suit looked like it was a size bigger than his normal one, but that was understandable since he did want it to go over his hoodie. Gold lines trailed across the two sides of the chest and down to the suit’s tail.  Sassy spun it to let him see the back. More lines of gold ran through the cloth, making sure that, even from behind, it would still look stunning.  She floated it over to him, and Dusk reached out for it with his magic. Slowly and carefully, he put the suit on. He made sure that his hood was on the inside, and it seems the suit was tailored with that in mind. He let the tail rest on his lower back, giving him a feeling of elegance. He tried moving his forelegs and it gave him the same range of motion if he just wore his hoodie. Sassy motioned for the mirror and Dusk approached it tentatively.  He had to do a double take when he saw how he looked in it. The suit, despite not having a proper inner, still looked formal. The gold accents really gave it character and matched his eyes perfectly.  “This… this is amazing,” he said in a hush whisper. Dusk turned his form slightly to see how it looked from the side. “And we are glad you think so,” Sassy replied, content that her customer was overjoyed.   Dusk continued to look himself over for a few moments before his horn glowed and a bag appeared in front of him. He held it with his magic as he turned to face Sassy. She shook her head. “Your fees are already paid for,” she smiled. He did a double take and loudly said, “By who?!” “Well, there was this excessively blue unicorn the other day…” she giggled. Blue… unicorn… “Was her name Night Sky?” “Why yes, yes, it was!” Dusk felt his heart sink slightly. He didn’t want to trouble the princesses in any way, shape or form! And yet, Luna went out of her way to buy the suit for him. He mentally swore to himself to pay her back. Though, he probably shouldn’t mention it later tonight. “Well… okay then…” he reluctantly said. “Do I put it back in the bag or…?” “Unless you plan on walking around in a suit, yes.” Sassy levitated the bag towards him. He chuckled lightly and nodded. He took off the suit carefully, making sure not to wrinkle it. He zipped it up and floated it by his side. Sassy Saddles lead him out the door, and outside the shop. Before Dusk left, he turned around to face her once more with a small smile. “Here,” he whispered while levitating a small bag of bits. Her eyes widened and she shook her head. “There’s no need, dearie, your satisfaction is more than enough,” she smiled. He floated the bag closer. “I insist,” he pushed. Sassy looked unsure. Sighing, she accepted the offer. Contented, Dusk departed with one more wave goodbye. The bag followed closely at his side. Sassy Saddles walked back in and opened the small bag he gave her. She gawked when she saw more bits than she was expecting. She smiled and murmured: “How generous of him…” ~~~ “Okay, now just use the…” Scarlet Gem stood in the Royal Kitchen. The whole thing might as well be as large as a house! A plentiful amount of stoves on one side, different tables in the center for plating and ingredient prepping, and of course a storage room just off to one side. The silverwares were polished and reflected an extremely clear image of its surrounds, the plates had no signs of dirt on them, and the plethora of tools would bring joy to any chef. The Royal Cooks were filled with variety. There were no signs of any discrimination among them, only competition. Each one of them wore a white chef coat with some purple tailored on their sleeves, chest, and shoulders. A chef’s hat just completed the entire look. Scarlet held a piping bag filled with pink frosting with two hooves. She stood next to one of the counters, her muzzle scrunched in concentration. Beside her, a blue pegasus was giving her guidelines on this particular cake recipe. He was the head chef, Royal Palette. Credited for his skills, he has served many foreign ambassadors within his time. Thus, he is quite knowledgeable on different cuisines and flavors. She put the piping bag down. Standing on four hooves again, she wiped off some sweat with her wings. She successfully piped a three-layer cake evenly. Not one of the hardest things she’s done, but it looked rather impressive to her. “Nicely down,” Royal Palette commended her. “Usually, our interns have a much harder time with this particular cake,” he chuckled. Scarlet smirked. “Well, I’m not an intern, am I?” He snorted and asked for another chef to take the cake she frosted. “No, I suppose not.” The entire kitchen was abuzz, preparing food for the princesses and the other castle staff was quite tasking. Making sure that the nutritional value of each food was proper, and making them taste heavenly? The staff sure was lucky to be working in the castle. There was a small cafeteria-like area opposite the kitchen. There, most of the staff gathered and ate the lunch prepared for them, even Royal Guards! Scarlet remembered her time as a recruit. Before each day of training, she, along with her peers, would take advantage of having access to the area. She discovered new flavors and secretly took note of every detail she could find in the food. After wholly enjoying it, of course. She also remembered how she originally met Golden Dusk. Even though the unicorn was rather quiet, he was still her greatest rival back then. He was the only one who could even hit her with a magic beam while she was in the air! Not to mention, he didn’t slack off with his CQC either.  However, he often ran out of magic very quickly. Despite facing magical exhaustion, he would still be able to stand tall with only minimal effects to his physical capabilities.  The two had never engaged in conversation often. Only during team exercises would she even hear him talk.  Then, one time, his teammates were being uncooperative and extremely close-minded. They, apparently, didn’t want an ‘inferior unicorn’s’ ideas. Before Scarlet could intervene, Dusk suddenly let off a dense aura of hostility. She remembered the grim smile on his face as fangs grew from two of his teeth, and his eyes changed into a thestral’s. His teammates were immediately cooperative, and Scarlet took the lesson to heart. Never ever get him mad. What really got her curious, though, was his ‘transformation.’ Dusk often dined on his lonesome in the cafeteria, so she decided to eat with him. Not only to ask her question but to also see if she could form a bond more than just silent rivals. To her surprise, he talked much more than she’d expected. Apparently, his father was a pegasus and his mom was a unicorn. He speculated that his dad may carry thestral genes, and they somehow carried onto him. He rambled on about his school, and asked his fair share of questions as well. She also mentioned his gender wrong, and after he feigned indignation, Dusk admitted to her that he’d gotten rather lonely. Apparently, he didn’t have the courage to approach the others unless it was training related. Her heart sunk slightly when she heard that. He seemed like such a fun pony to be with! Quicker than she expected, she offered her friendship to him. She could remember vividly the sparkle his gold eyes had, the smile that grew on his face, and his reply. “I’d love to be your friend!” she heard his voice echo. A few years flew by quickly after that. The training got repetitive, but its effects were noticeable. She remembered being tested by Emerald Melody, their captain now, for the Specialist program.  Emerald studied her daily routine. She placed herself in a dangerous situation just to see how Scarlet would react. Pretending to be mugged, Scarlet took care of the two robbers and helped Emerald to safety. Once they were alone, her persona shifted into a calm, and collected pony who wasn’t shaken at all by what just happened. She explained that Scarlet caught her eye and that she was offering her to become a Specialist. More specifically… A Guardian. At the time, she heard rumors of a group of Specialists who rivaled the power of the alicorns. Ponies who could do almost anything, and who could take down armies, and quite possibly, kingdoms if they so desired.  Scarlet accepted the offer, and found that Golden Dusk was offered the same. They mused on how the two were chosen, and went right into having extra training by the end of their regular days. They were still recruits at the time, about a year or so before they were scheduled to become actual guards. Then… that happened. Back in the now, she shook her head, no need to remember that in the middle of work. She idly stirred a pot of soup and added some more vegetables with her free hoof.  When Golden Dusk left for his mission, she felt like she was missing something. Only then did she dwell on how she truly feels towards him. The radiance of his smile, the sparkle in his eyes, and, of course, his rather cute appearance? It all made her feel a flutter in her stomach. “I know that smile,” Royal Palette smirked. “Who’s in your thoughts, Scarlet Gem?” She shook her head, a light blush adorning her cheeks. “Nothing, chef!” At his comment, she fought down the tingle in her stomach. She continued stirring as her goofy smile shrunk into a soft one. Scarlet giggled lightly, she can think about him later. Right now... They had an entire castle to feed! ~~~ Later that evening, Golden Dusk found himself entering the castle gates once more. It was his first day on the job, of course he’d arrive early! The pair of gate guards nodded at him, and the gates creaked open. He flashed them a small smile of thanks and entered.  Dusk already wore the suit he had tailored. The sheer formality of it kept other nobles who were walking around from scoffing! The gold lines reflected light to a certain extent, and wearing it on top of his hoodie? Super comfy! He opted for keeping his fangs and eyes hidden, he didn’t want to attract more attention than he already was. When he entered the castle itself, different workers and guards alike spared glances his way. The suit he wore caught their attention rather quickly. Dusk made sure to not look overly arrogant, he kept his gaze forward and not up high like some nobles. He turned a corner and passed by the hallway where the kitchen and cafeteria were. The cafeteria had a few staff members dining together, and the kitchen was rather noisy. The muffled sounds of clattering of dishes and running water reached his ears. The kitchen door opened, and he saw a familiar pegasus with scarlet eyes wearing a chef’s outfit walk out tiredly. She looked to her left, her scarlet eyes meeting his. A smile grew on both of their faces as they approached each other. “Heya, Gem,” Dusk greeted. “Hey,” Scarlet replied.  “You finish your first day?” He asked. She nodded, the two making their way to the throne room. “Yeah, they let me off earlier with how helpful I’ve been.” Dusk chuckled. “Getting commended on the first day already?” “Would you expect anything less?” “Nope.” Scarlet eyed her friend’s outfit, not trying to make it subtle at all. She hummed softly taking in how he looked.  She definitely approved~ “Looking good,” Scarlet smirked. “I’m surprised none of the maids have approached you yet.” Dusk blushed. “Thanks.” He gave her a bashful smile. “A chef uniform really suits you.” Scarlet felt warmth form around her cheeks. “Please, it might as well be a lab coat.” She gestured to the coat she wore. He rolled his eyes. “So? I still think it looks good on you.” Her wings fidgeted, the compliment gave her a small tingle. “How we look in our uniforms aside, do you know what you’re supposed to do?” He shook his head. “Luna said that Nightingale would tell me.” “Are you excited?” “Nervous,” he admitted. “I went into this with the idea of being some sort of undercover guard. I don’t know anything about being a butler!” Scarlet giggled. “You’ll be fine. We’re trained to do pretty much everything, right?” She bumped her flank with his. Dusk returned the action with a laugh. “True.” The two arrived in front of the throne room doors, a pair of Lunar Guards standing in front. A different and uncommon sight for the two. They were rarely in the castle this time of day. “I feel like we’ll both see Lunar Guards more often,” Scarlet giggled. “What, need more batpony in your life?” he raised a brow. “I dunno, I think one’s more than enough.” She gave him a small nuzzle. Dusk blushed and gently returned the gesture. Scarlet pulled back and also had a slightly pink hue to her cheeks. The two Lunar Guards watching them smirked, both clearly holding back their mirth.  “Alright, I’ll head home, I need to get an early start tomorrow.” Scarlet turned to walk away. Dusk stopped her, holding her by her right foreleg. She turned to face him to see a rather anxious look on his face. He glanced around nervously too... “Is… something wrong?” she asked, concerned. “Just… stay safe, okay?” he whispered and gave her a hug. “With the whole Purifier thing…” Scarlet mentally cooed. “Don’t worry, I can take care of myself,” she giggled as she returned the embrace. Dusk smiled. “I know…” She caught the smirks of the throne room guards. “You might wanna head in, before those two over there get any wrong ideas.” She let go of him with a pink tint to her cheeks. He turned around to see the guards and blushed. He faced Scarlet once more and said with a slight squeak, “Okay, I won’t hold you up any longer.” She nodded, and with one more farewell, left Golden Dusk to the mercy of the guards. ~~~ Golden Dusk entered the throne room as a stammering mess. The two Lunar Guards teased him lightly before he entered. His face was covered in a deep blush, his ears folded back, and his fangs and eyes showing. His ears flicked up when he heard a melodic snicker in front of him. Dusk looked up to see an amused Princess Luna sitting atop her throne.  “This is not the first time I have seen our Hunter act this way,” she mused. “Though, I believe it is for a much different reason.” Her knowing smirk made him shrink back slightly. “I-I… um…”  Luna was more than thoroughly amused. He took a few deep breaths to reassert himself. “Whew, okay.” The night princess giggled and Nightingale said, “Golden Dusk, shall we get down to business?” Luna pouted, her fun was cancelled. Dusk couldn’t mentally thank his now-colleague enough. Nightingale approached him with a small box held in his leathery wings. Dusk stood motionless, waiting to see what it was. “Here.” Nightingale gave him the box. “It’s yours.” Dusk sat down on his haunches, making sure his suit’s tail wouldn’t get dirty. He opened the box with his hooves, to reveal a bowtie. It was similarly colored to his suit’s gold accents and had a makeshift collar. He didn’t really understand why it was being treated so specially, though. He turned it to its back and saw why. There was a stitching of Luna’s signature, marking him as an official butler. “Thank you,” he smiled at the two ponies in front of him. He carefully put it on, the faux collar making him look twice as formal. Nightingale added, “For tonight, we’ll just have you observe how court usually works. We’ll assign you personal tasks tomorrow.” “So… I just stand like… over there?” He pointed to a corner at the bottom of the throne stairs. “Precisely.” He gave him a deadpan stare before shifting it to Luna. “I might as well be a regular guard.” Luna laughed. “One night, Golden Dusk, just for a night.” He sighed and nodded. “I can do that.” Dusk briskly walked to the spot to which he gestured to. He turned around to face the adjacent wall, to see Nightingale gesturing for him to move slightly to his left. Slowly, he followed his hoof until the aide gave him a nod of approval.  “When will the nobles arrive?” Nightingale was about to speak, but Luna answered, “We have a good amount of time before their arrival.” He sighed, he’d probably have to stand still for— “Giving us ample time to discuss the event that took place right behind those doors.” Nightingale facehooved as Dusk slowly turned his head to meet the princess’ gaze. The impish smirk on her muzzle tormented him to no end.  Yeah… this was going to be worse than standing completely still. He coughed into his hoof, ignoring the pinkish hue to his cheeks. “What event, princess?” She snickered. “The one that caused our Hunter to enter the throne room in a questionably embarrassed state.” Dusk gave her an innocent tilt of the head. “I really have no idea what you might be talking about, princess.” Luna rolled her eyes. “Perhaps, a trade?” “Meaning?” “We will provide each other with… enlightenment about specific topics of interest.” She looked down upon him, a grin on her face.  “I get to go first, though!” Dusk cried. Luna snickered. “Very well.” His mind raced and searched for different questions he could ask. He’d have to make this count! After a few moments, he settled on one. “Why do thestrals have tufts on their ears?” “Allow me to answer that with a question,” she replied. “What changes do you feel are apparent to your senses once you shift?” “Well, my hearing’s sharper, and I can see in the dark better. My fangs are really sharp too.” he answered. “That has nothing to do with the tufts, though.” Luna giggled. “That is not all of the changes, Golden Dusk. How about your sense of touch? Does it change anywhere at all?” He hummed for a moment. “Well, when a breeze passes by, my ears twitch. I guess they’re more sensitive.” “You have your answer,” she said cryptically. Dusk frowned, he’d prefer a straight reply rather than one he’d have to think on. He shifted and closed his eyes, focusing more on what he’d feel from his ears. The tufts sent a tingling sensation that changed directions every now and then. Probably the wind, but— “They’re for sensing wind direction?” He looked to Luna with wide eyes. “Precisely,” she nodded. “The usefulness of this should not be questioned.” She looked to Nightingale who bobbed his head as well. With how sensitive the tufts were, he might be able to tell if something was flying towards him. The dissonance in the wind would be the indicator. “Now, it is my turn, Golden Dusk,” Luna grinned. “What. Transpired?” Dusk gulped and gave her a nervous smile. “Surely the princess of the night would be merciful enough to spare me from my fate?” She laughed darkly. “We had a deal, Hunter.” Oh no, she was using titles now! “T’would be unwise for you to… breach it.” He sighed, there was no way out of this one. Just when he was about to speak up, the throne room doors creaked open. “Princess, the Duke of Hollow Shades and his son have arrived,” a Lunar Guard called out. Luna clicked her tongue in annoyance, things were just getting good! Dusk was more than relieved. The guard nodded and two thestrals entered with their own small entourage of guards. Instead of the dark blue and purple color, the armor they wore was grey. The two ponies they were in charge of were dressed regally.  “Princess, it is good to see you again,” the older-looking thestral said and bowed. His dark blue mane not moving in the slightest. “Of course, Duke Moonstone,” Princess Luna said.  Duke Moonstone nodded and smiled. “Princess, my son—” “Moon Strike,” the younger thestral finished. Dusk sensed arrogance from him. His bow was not as low as his father’s was. The Duke took notice of Dusk’s presence. “You have a new servant, your highness?” he inquired. Luna nodded. “Yes, it is his first night as of now. I can assure you, he will not be interfering with us.” To her side, Nightingale nodded. Duke Moonstone scrutinized Golden Dusk. “I must ask, but are you a half-breed of us thestrals and a unicorn?” Dusk looked to Luna as if asking for permission. She nodded and he replied, “Yes, my father was a pegasus who harbored thestral genes, and my mother was a unicorn,” he replied solemnly with a slight bow. “Ah, the wonders of genealogy!” the Duke chuckled. “Thank you, for sating my curiosity.” He smiled, he might actually like this Duke. “I live to serve.” He bowed. Then, his son snorted, “A half-breed with no wings.” He turned to the princess. “Princess, if I am correct, your servants should also be capable of protecting you should the time come?” Luna nodded, keeping her amused smile invisible. “Yes, of course.” He chuckled. “Would he be able to accomplish that task?” He pointed at Dusk. The Duke looked irate. “Son—” “I heard that thestral-unicorns have weaker magic than most.” “Do not question the princess’ choice!” his dad bellowed. “Her personal servants are chosen by her and her alone!” His eyes widened and he looked to the princess. “My deepest apologies. For mine and my son’s behavior.” Luna shook her head. “‘Tis no problem. We understand his concern for our safety, and I can attest to my newest butler’s capabilities.” Moon Strike snorted and his dad forced his head lower. The guards they were with cast curious glances at Dusk, some of which were looking down on him. The princess smirked. “If you’d like, we could run a mock test for your… reassurance.” The Duke raised his head. “How would we do that, princess?” “The throne room is quite spacious,” she said. “Position yourselves in a defensive formation. You and your son at the rear with your guards in front protecting you.” Dusk internally sighed. She was toying with him. “I will agree as long as no lethal force is used,” the Duke replied. “Of course.” The Duke nodded and sighed. He and his son walked to the opposite end of where Dusk was standing. Dusk could see that he was nagging his son rather quietly for his behaviour. The six guards that walked in with them took a defensive formation. A simple division into three pairs of ponies, each one positioned around the three weak points of their charge. The Duke and his son stood in front of a wall, meaning that Dusk would have to break through the guards to get through them. “Should my butler break past your defenses, we shall win. Should my butler falter and give up, you win,” Luna stated. Dusk weighed out his options. Going for the middle pair would end up in him getting pinched by the other two. Going for either side would still end up in him in a tight escape. What if he separated the groups? “Use of lethal weapons and force not allowed.” A simple earth-magic spell should do the trick. The floor was made of fancy rocks, right? “Begin!” Golden Dusk stepped forward calmly. His suit’s tail waving slightly. His eyes thought of each approach and how much he would reveal. After all… A fight was all about tricks. The guards readied their stance. Each one kept themselves grounded and their wings were spread should they need to fly.  “If I attack they’ll just take off,” Dusk thought to himself. “Should be easy enough.” His horn blazed with gold magic as he fired off a spell into the ground. The castle floor shook and a wall made of rock formed between the three groups. The middle pair was forced to fly, while the other two remained in their spots, making sure that the Duke was safe.  The two guards flew towards Golden Dusk at impressive speeds. They readied their hooves in front of them to strike him once they were close enough. The two dove downwards and Dusk fired off two spells that hit both targets directly. The two ponies’ flight paths were messed with, and they found themselves unable to move. The guards hit the ground and were going to stay there for as long as Dusk wanted. The earth spell had withdrawn, and the ground was back to its original state. Dusk calmly walked closer as the last two pairs took up a different formation. One of the pairs flew and the other remained on the ground. The ground pair wielded staffs, they removed the head of their spears! They pointed the weapons at Dusk as he approached.  He responded by firing off the same spell, only to be blocked by a flourish of their weapons. The two ponies charged and used an overhead thrust to strike him. Dusk blocked the attacks with one hoof each, now he was standing bipedally. The two guards retreated back into their old position, wondering why he wasn’t hurt. Dusk’s sleeved forelegs and entire body suddenly had a gold aura of magic ripple through them. He covered his entire body with a magic barrier! The aerial pair attempted to get around him to no avail. He saw them maneuvering earlier and already prepared a trap-spell behind him. A large circle of magic revealed itself on the floor, and gold ribbons ensnared the two flying thestrals. They were pulled down until they hit the ground. Golden Dusk looked at the two thestral guards in front of him. “Just surrender, you already lost.” One of them scoffed nervously. “Nothing is stopping us from avenging our comrades.” Dusk sighed. “Yes, yes, there is.” He gestured to the staffs they wielded. The guards looked at their weapons quizzically as suddenly, a smaller circle of magic activated. It sent out mists of minor paralysis spells that incapacitated the guards.  The Duke was not surprised at all, whereas his son stared at the butler with his mouth agape.  Luna grinned as she said, “T’would seem that was the end, Duke Moonstone.” Duke Moonstone nodded, slightly ashamed of the quality of his guards. “Yes, princess, it would seem so.” He turned to look at his son. “Now, keep your mouth shut.” “Yes, father...” Golden Dusk felt the expectant gaze of Luna. He cancelled out all the spells he casted. The paralysis on the four ponies receded, and the ribbons dissipated into the air, joining the ambient magic around them. Those weren’t the hardest spells he’s casted, but the ribbons he casted were usually for incapacitating large targets or groups. And he had used them on a pair of ponies. He’ll tinker with it sometime soon. The six guards stood up and hung their heads in shame. They were bested by one pony. Golden Dusk spoke up, “Don’t look so dejected, you’re still way stronger than most guards here.” One guard looked up and asked, “How could you say that?” “Because discrimination is still present in the Celestial Guard,” he replied. “Their teamwork was mostly formed through tolerance for each other. I could tell that you six had something more than that.” The guards’ moods brightened, clearly affected by the compliment. The Duke gave Dusk an appreciative smile and asked, “I haven’t heard your name yet.” “Golden Dusk. Just, Dusk, for short.” The Duke nodded. “Well, you’re no doubt a worthy butler of our princess, Dusk.” He glared at his son. “Isn’t that right, son?” Moon Strike glanced nervously at Dusk and gulped audibly. “Yes, father.” “Well, now that’s settled, shall we get straight into business?” Luna more told than asked. Duke Moonstone nodded. “About the reintegration of thestrals to Canterlot…”