Glimmer Shine
I trotted slowly to the cells in the center of Ponyville with Sunbeam quietly following me. I kept my head forward with narrowed eyes as I pushed open the doors of the mayors building. We decided to have them here instead of the castle. It didn’t really scream friendly having cells in the castle of friendship. Besides, there was already cells for drunk ponies in the complex. Might as well use them.
“Here for the prisoner?” Sour Sweet asked as the mare moved her legs off the desk she sat at, setting the book she was reading face down.
“Yes,” I said coolly as Sour Sweet nodded. “Thank you Captain.” Sour Sweet rolled her eyes briefly before saluting me as I lead Sunbeam down the hall to the cells.
“You’re free to go,” I told Pepper Comet coldly as I unlocked the door. He had a bruise on his back as he stood up. Sunbeam and I stepped back as he stumbled out. “We will escort you out. Don’t stop, keep walking.”
“Uh huh,” Pepper grumbled as we flanked him down the hall. Sunbeam opened the door as we all trotted out, the door shutting behind us. “My back hurts.”
“You attacked one of my fellow Guards. You get no sympathy from me.”
He frowned as I narrowed my eyes even further coldly as we trotted to the center of town.
“Now get out of here. Go home,” I said as we turned around. “Don’t come near the castle or you’ll be arrested for trespassing. Am I clear?”
“We will see.”
“No there is no we will see. I’m telling you this is what will happen. And then I’ll lock you in a room with Aria and see what happens,” I grumbled as I adjusted my helmet slightly.
“Are you sure you aren’t related to Sugarcoat?” Sunbeam asked curiously as I glanced at the yellow unicorn mare.
“No. Why?”
“Well you’re both super stoic, cold, lacking emotion. I think you being angry earlier is the first time I’ve seen you show any other type of emotion.”
“Uh huh,” I said in a bored tone as we kept walking. “We aren’t related. Just act similar.”
“So we are just letting him go?”
“Yes,” I said with a shrug. “I don’t like it but good soldiers follow orders.”
We walked in silence as Sunbeam tried to figure out what to say. Or well, I presume that was what she was doing.
“So how do you feel about Princess Twilight and the death threats?” Sunbeam asked curiously as I gritted my teeth.
“I feel she’s being stupid. She’s not taking it serious. There’s a difference between being a hero and being an idiot.”
“Gotta admit, it’s kinda inspiring that she isn’t afraid,” Sunbeam commented as she opened the doors with her magic.
“Inspiring others to avoid real threats isn’t something that I consider to be cool.”
“You need a hobby you know. Come to the bar with us. Off duty of course.”
“Can’t. I’m pulling an extra shift tonight around the town.”
“Oh come on. It might be fun.”
“I don’t do fun. I work, sleep and eat.”
“Girl, even Sugarcoat is coming!” Sunbeam exclaimed as we continued down the hall with her horn glowing as I glanced back and forth down the hallways. “Granted, she and Sunny are trying to make sure Indigo and Lemon don’t get too drunk but she’s still coming!”
“You’re not going to let this go, are you?” I asked and glanced at her bright blue eyes.
“Nope!”
I let out a long slow sigh.
“Fine.”
I sat in a corner booth of a loud bar called Berry’s. A mulberry colored mare who I presumed to be Berry was behind the counter, talking to a yellow pegasus with three raindrops as a cutie mark. Indigo slammed down her mug of what I guessed was her forth or fifth.
“So then I told her, I don’t care. Ya gotta keep your plants off of your neighbors yard,” Indigo slurred and I sighed internally. However I let myself get wrapped up into this, I will never know.
“I feel like we have the easiest post ever,” Berry Blast said as she drank a clear liquid. “Ponyville is so chill. All we really have is the occasional drunk pony, an angry fool and the occasional monster. Could be way worse. We could be stationed at Tartarus, guarding prisoners.”
“True that!” Lemon Zest agreed as she raised her glass before downing it. “Why did you all join the Guard?”
“Decent opportunity to see the world,” Indigo admitted as she swirled the liquid in the mug.
“I went to medical school for a year or so. Got bored. Decided to use what I learned in the guard,” Berry Blast answered as she nudged her sister.
“Same here. Well minus the medical part. That was always Berry’s gig. We went to the same college but for different things. I went for art.”
“Mom and Dad signed me up to help with my anger issues,” Sour Sweet muttered as she folded her forelegs.
“I always wanted to join. Make a difference,” Sunbeam admitted as we all looked at the younger mare. “So far it feels nice. It’s like a family almost.”
Wallflower nodded her agreement as I drank my water.
“Mom said it would be good for me. Get out of my comfort zone. There wasn’t much back home for me anyway,” Wallflower said as she stared at her hooves.
“Go,” Sour snapped as she glared at Sunny and Sugarcoat.
“I don’t know. Sorta a spur of the moment thing. Then seven long, painful exhausting months later and here we are. Never worked so hard in my life,” Sunny said sheepishly as she levitated a wine glass in front of her.
“Pays for my college. Plus the experience is good. And it’ll pay for my kids college if I ever have any,” Sugarcoat answered as everypony looked at me.
“We’re waiting sweetie. Don’t keep us for too long!” Sour growled as she slammed a hoof down.
“Dad was in the guard before me. His dad was as was his dad and so on. Family business if you will,” I said with a shrug as I examined the bar. “I went to Westhoof for espionage training. I can survive in the Everfree for weeks by myself with little food.”
“Wow,” Sunbeam muttered with wide eyes. “Where’s Aria?”
“Twilight needed to see her and Spitfire. She will join us after,” Lemon reassured us as she drank a lemony smelling drink. “Now let’s get wasted!”
I rolled my eyes as I sighed. This wasn’t as bad as I thought.