//------------------------------// // TCE: Duties // Story: Blooming Days // by Hoofprintz //------------------------------// "The legend of the dog-faced pony! Get it!? Dog-faced pony!?" Shining Armor looked around at each of us with glee. ... "Oh C'mon, girls! Starlight! I know you found that one funny," Twilight's brother cackled like a goofy idiot. I swear, I'm gonna kill him. "You're hilarious, Shining Armor," I replied as sarcastically as I could at the stallion's pathetic attempt at humor. The four of us were walking together through the grand halls of the palace. I was walking right next to Sunny. Twilight and her brother were in front of us. Having just finished in the dining hall, we were on the way back to our quarters. Cadenza and Cantata had stayed behind in the hall to deal with royal business, but they'd sent Shining Armor along with us. According to the Queen, he was the one who'd fill us in on what our tasks would be for the duration of our stay. Apparently, he was the newly appointed Captain of the Crystal Guard and that was the main reason we were here. Or more specifically, -- and unfortunately -- the main reason I was here. Of course I'd have to work with HIM. Dinner had somehow been absolutely chaotic, dreadfully boring, and positively infuriating, all at the same time. With the wedding coming up in just three days the number of diplomats in the palace had to be in the hundreds and it was easy to see the royal family was beginning to feel the pressure. I'd never shook so many strangers' hooves in all my life. Once arriving in the hall I'd decided to stay as close to Sunny as possible, though that might've been a terrible idea in hindsight. Sunny -- being Celestia's only actual student -- had been swarmed by foreign emissaries the moment we stepped into the hall. I might've tried to cling to Twilight instead, but as soon as the three of us had entered the massive room she was swept away by her soon to be "family". She was even more preoccupied than Sunny was, so I made the decision to stay close to the golden unicorn. If I hadn't chosen to remain by her side, I'd have been ostracized the entire night by the pompous "elites". The first couple of randoms that approached us introduced themselves to Sunny, -- and only to Sunny -- despite my lingering presence right next to her. Some had bowed low to the mare. One bold stallion had even kissed her hoof. I had to grit my teeth and bear it. It wasn't like I was just willingly flouting my own responsibilities as a student of the princesses. I'd even gone so far as to smile and try to look approachable, but... it didn't make a difference. Nopony cared. I was overlooked by them all, like I wasn't even there. Like I didn't exist... Like I was a filly again. In the past, I never would've let those plebians show me such blatant disrespect, but it was more than a little obvious that this wasn't Canterlot. In the capital, I had the benefit of having the favor of both rulers. In the Crystal Empire... well, I wasn't so sure. Cadenza seemed to like me, but that didn't mean she'd bail me out of trouble if I did something stupid again. That being the case, I was forced to be "civil", at least when I was in such a large crowd of "influential" ponies. Evidently, my attempts didn't help my likability one bit. But Sunset... Good old Sun... She noticed. After the third or so jerk had completely blown me off, Sunny started introducing me to the ponies that came to greet her. Some of them were clearly displeased at the idea of having to acknowledge me, but when she'd emphatically mentioned I was a student of both of the princesses, they'd changed their tunes pretty fast. Oh miss Glimmer you really must tell me how you get your mane so beautiful! A protégé of Her Highness AND Luna? You must be quite the mare! Could you put in a good word for me with your teachers, miss Glimmer? I would be beyond grateful. After that last pony, I'd completely lost all interest in keeping up appearances. It was one thing to be ignored and treated like a nopony by a bunch of rich horses. It was an entirely different thing when they tried to use me. And so, I set my mind to autopilot. I shook their hooves. I nodded at regular intervals. I shook my head at regular intervals. I laughed when they'd laughed. I'd paid just enough attention to know I hadn't agreed to anything or declined something crucial. After several hours of countless nonsensical interactions, we were finally allowed to eat. Being that dining was much the same as the beginning of the soiree, I was thankfully able to position myself in a seat between Sunny and Twilight. Although Sunny had spoken to me several times during our meal, -- and even Sparkles asked me if I was okay a few times -- I mostly kept to myself and just chose to eat in silence. I didn't like it. I HATED it. But I endured it. Now, the three of us were on our way back to our room and all I had to deal with was the horrendously obnoxious stallion telling his atrocious jokes. "You know, your friend's a real party pooper, Twilight," he guffawed as we walked up to the door to our room. "Or you're just not as funny as you think, Shining," Twilight shrugged. Thanks, Sparkles. "Not you too, Twily," he stumbled around like a drunkard, though it was clearly just showmanship. "Sunset, help me out here." He ended up leaning against the door to support himself. "I thought it was... a joke... that you told?" Sunset was trying her best to be personable, but it was clear she had nothing nice to say either. "Et tu, Sunny?" he held his heart like he'd been dealt a deathblow, a grief stricken look coming to his face. "Maybe you should work on your material," Twilight flicked a hoof at him, wanting him to open the door. "Yeah, you're probably right," he pushed the door open and trotted inside, apparently not bothered in the least. Twilight gave us both an apologetic glance before entering the room as well. "You're doing well," Sunset commented as soon as the two of us were alone. "Honestly, I'm surprised you haven't blown him up." "You and me both, Sun," I agreed. I couldn't explain why if she'd asked, but for some reason being around her was... pleasing. I was still on edge and I still got extremely pissed off, but knowing Sunny was around me... knowing she was nearby... It's... nice. "Well, as long as you keep this up everything should be okay," she lifted her nose towards the door. "Come on, let's see what Shining has to say." I groaned internally. "If you say so, Sunny." I followed close behind her into the room. Twilight was slouched over, sitting on her bed with a look of indifference on her face. She was doing a really good job of keeping her emotions concealed, but such a tactic was a double-edged sword. While it was a good idea to hide her feeling from somepony like her brother or the queen, Sunny and I couldn't magically know how she was feeling either. I wanted to ask her about it, -- I'd wanted to since she first saw him -- but it'd have to wait until the three of us were alone. I wouldn't put it past any of these ponies to have bugged the room. None of them were worthy of trust. Not yet, at least. Maybe Cadenza, but... You told the queen you would, Starlight. ... Ugh! Stupid morality. Shining Armor was standing right next to the door, surprisingly enough, not trying to pressure his little sister into conversing with him. "I'll keep this short," he said once we'd all settled in. Sunset was sitting on her bed as well and I was standing opposite Shining Armor's position. I wasn't about to get comfortable when he was still around. "Don't wanna keep you ladies up too late." "You sure you just don't want to keep Cadance waiting?" I commented snidely. Unfortunately, it didn't have any effect on the stallion. In fact, it seemed to bolster his confidence. "You might be right," he shrugged, his cocky grin growing wider by the second. "She can get pretty... needy at night." R-really!? I rolled my eyes. It was bad enough I wasn't allowed to use any spells on him, but it seemed he was completely immune to my mind games as well. So he has no shame either. "Get on with it, Shining," Twilight sighed. She must not have wanted to deal with him either, or at least that's what I'd gathered from her demeanor. "Right! Sorry," he stood at attention and saluted. "So, Twily, you and Starlight will be helping me with security. Mostly around the palace." "So we're supposed to be nothing more than glorified guards?" There was no malice in Twilight's voice, but I could still detect the disappointment. "Essentially... yes?" he replied. "With the wedding so soon, the dwindling numbers of the guard itself, and the former Captain's sudden disappearance, we honestly need all the help we can get." "Hold on, that's... a lot," Sunny lifted a hoof to draw Shining Armor's attention. "I thought the Crystal guard was scarce because the Empire is so safe. Sunburst told us it was a laid back city. Isn't that why you have so few soldiers?" "Well, he's not exactly wrong," the stallion rubbed the back of his head with a hoof, for once looking somewhat uncomfortable. "It's kind of like a self-fulfilling prophecy." "How so?" Sunny pressed. "The Empire is safe. It's actually crazy how rare crime is around here," as he explained his expression slowly grew more serious. It was a little jarring at first, but quickly became understandable. "Because of that level of safety we're usually short on guards. Most of the time, we just don't need them." "So when you actually need them, you don't have enough," Sunny chuckled with a shake of her head, the irony of the situation clearly bothering her. "I won't lie, it is... regrettable," he sighed. "To be perfectly honest..." he scratched his cheek uneasily, looking completely embarrassed all of a sudden. "We were kiiiind of caught off guard when Princess Celestia said she couldn't attend the wedding. And it was pretty devastating when Princess Luna had to decline." That makes sense. If either of our mentors had attended the wedding, there'd be no need for any of us for safety, much less the Crystal guard. "Reeeeally making us feel special here, Shining," Twilight remarked dryly. "But it does answer why we were asked to come here," I commented reluctantly. I didn't want it to even seem like I was trying to bail him out, but the fact that he'd revealed what he had was information the three of us should be privy to. "You two at least," Sunny pointed out. "I still don't know why I'm here." "You're here because Mo-" he cleared his throat. "I mean, Queen Cantata, wants you by her side for the ceremony." Sunny was completely baffled by Shining Armor's declaration. "W-why?" "She didn't tell me." For a second, he had a confused look himself. "If I had to guess, I'd say it's probably because you're the strongest, right? I mean, you are Princess Celestia's student." Twilight, Sunny, and I exchanged awkward glances, Sunny looking especially sheepish before turning back to face Shining Armor. "N-" "That's right," Twilight interrupted Sunny's confession. "Sunset is the best of us." "That's not-" "If the Queen needs a personal bodyguard, you won't find a pony better suited for the job than Sunny," I cut the golden mare off the second time. "S-STAR!?" she glared at me as if I'd just spit in her cereal. I returned the venomous look. Quiet, Sunny! "That's good to hear!" Shining Armor was pleased by our endorsements. "But... I'm not really sure why you look so distraught, Sunset. Is something wrong?" he asked. Sunny's gaze darted between the three of us, a look of utter panic on her features. As Shining Armor began to scrutinize her more closely she lowered her head, shaking it slowly. "Star and Twilight are really strong too," she muttered quietly. "And so humble too!" he smiled brightly. "Tomorrow morning Cadance will be swinging by to pick you up, Sunset." "Cadenza?" Twilight was just as confused as Sunny and I. "But I thought the queen was the one who wanted me near her," Sunny asked what the three of us all had to be thinking. Shining Armor merely laughed in response. "You'll come to see Cadance and M- Queen Cantata are together nearly all the time," he grinned. "Most of their responsibilities tend to overlap so they spend most days by each other's side." Guess that makes sense. "I suppose that makes sense," Sunny didn't pursue any further. Twilight seemed satisfied by her brother's answer as well. With nothing left to ask, the golden unicorn quieted down, bringing about an uncomfortable stillness to the room. ... "Shining, you said the old Captain disappeared?" Twilight broke the silence, drawing her brother's gaze. "Can you tell us what exactly happened?" "That's the thing," he shook his head, rubbing his face with a hoof. The look of exhaustion was only there for a second, but I could easily detect it. "We don't actually know." "You don't KNOW!?" I took an angry step toward him. How could he not know!? "That is kinda pathetic, Shining," Twilight agreed with a disbelieving shake of her head. "Maybe it is," he sighed dejectedly. "But it's the truth. A few days ago he was there and the next he just... wasn't." He looked as if he didn't believe it himself. "The queen appointed me the new Captain of the Guard that very same day." That seemed to disturb him just as much as the idea of being Cantata's personal guard had Sunset. "That's a lot of pressure for anypony," Twilight conceded. "Especially at such short notice." "It is what it is," he shrugged. "Sorry... I don't have any more than that." "It is what it is," his sister smirked in response. Her sibling smiled back. "So what are we supposed to expect tomorrow?" I asked a bit more aggressively than needed. I was getting tired, the events in the dining hall a lot more exhausting than I'd initially thought. "Me and Twilight, I mean." "I'll be here at around five to pick you both up," he stated as if I wasn't about to strangle him for such thoughtless words. "I hope that's not too early for you," he sneered directly at me. Just as I was about to ignite my horn Twilight spoke up. "We'll be ready," she said calmly. "Is that it, Shining? If you want us up that early we should probably get to bed." "Yeah, that's it for now," he nodded. "We got a big day ahead of us tomorrow, ladies," he said as he opened the door to leave. "Try to get some rest. You're really gonna need it." As he moved to close the door behind himself he paused for a second, an intense look of determination on his face. "If you uhm... if you use a spell on the ceiling, it'll shut off the light." He still didn't look our way, though his comment did cause the three of us to look up. It was an enchanted stained glass ceiling. It must've stored the light of the sun from the day to power itself and then projected said light at night. Magic like that tended to be programmed for ease of use. Any little spell should be able to do what he'd said. "Thanks," Twilight was already getting under her blankets. "No problem... Have a good night," he said to all of us in the room, or at least I think that was his intention. It could've been only directed at his sibling, but I couldn't be sure. "I love you, little sis," he managed to sneak in right as the door closed. Twilight stared at the door, her expression unreadable. ... "Let's get to sleep," she finally said after a few seconds. I lifted my blankets, getting into my own bed. "No debate here," I replied, snuggling into the warm sheets. I heard the chime of Twilight's mana as she shut the lights off. Though the pale moonlight wasn't very bright, I could still see Sunny sitting on her bed. I waited quietly. ... "Sunny why are-" "Why did you do that?" she cut me off. "Do wh-" "Why did you two say I was stronger than you!?" she was struggling to keep her voice low, the sound coming from her a high pitched hiss. I was taken aback by her anger, but Twilight was apparently unfazed. "Can you do it?" the violet unicorn said from her bed, not even turning to face us. "Can I... can I do what?" Sunny's voice was no longer enraged. Twilight's question had completely disarmed her. "Can you protect the queen?" she bluntly asked, holding nothing back. "I..." ... "I don't know..." The golden unicorn's head and body slumped in the darkness. "That's why I did it," Twilight replied, bringing a smile to my face. "Because I-" "We," I interjected having already surmised where she was going with this. "Because we know you can do it, Sunset. You just have to believe in yourself," Sunny's head raised at the words Twilight had spoken. "Now get some sleep. We're sure you can protect Queen Cantata..." "But waking up early is a whole other story," I finished for Sparkles, my eyes beginning to droop. Despite the dark, -- as my awareness left me and I lost myself to a deep slumber -- I could see the beautiful smile that came to Sunny's lips. "Goodnight girls," she whispered as she too got comfortable in her bed.