This is it! the white pegasus thought to himself. For the past five seasons, I’ve been working my flank off; to the bone. The ceremony of being enlisted into the Royal Guard is today. This stallion’s name is Serus Starz. He has a short blonde mane and a blue tail. He’s always ahead of his team when it came to training. He earned his cutie mark from inspiration. It contained two adjacent wings with a silver sword shining down the middle.
His father was a Royal Guard under the command of Captain Shining Armor. A few years after his enlistment, his father was considered KIA during the war against the dragons. Neither his body nor his ashes were recovered by his comrades, never giving Serus’ father a proper funeral.
Serus continued looking up into the sky. Father, I thank you for watching over me for all these years. He lined up along with the rest of the graduates, and they waited until their trainer arrives to debrief them and turn them over to Shining Armor, the Captain of the Royal Guard. Within a few moments, doors crashed wide open, as their trainer entered the room with a scowling look on his face.
“Alright listen up, you maggots!” He shouted to the team. “The years of hard work, guts, and sweat has led all you foals up to this day. Right up until Shining Armor gives you your positions, you’re all still mine. I want you foals to stand up on that stage, keep your head up high, and, by Celestia’s holy name, do remember to recite the motto once your name is called. No pony wants to be an ass to himself in front of a crowd.” He continued to lecture the group for about a few minutes until they heard the music begin playing behind two large doors, which led to the stage. “Colts, I’m proud to have fresh recruits like you,” he announced to everypony and then gave the order. “Let’s begin, Graduates. Move your flanks out those doors in a single file line, on the double.”
The team then galloped out the door to see a large cheering crowd calling out to them as they approached the stage. They could see the commander waiting for them on the stage as they lined up. Shining Armor raised his hoof and motioned the families to quiet down; they did so. He casted a spell on himself to make his voice be heard throughout the stadium and began.
“Fillies and Gentlecolts, welcome to the sixty-seventh graduation of the Royal Guard. For many seasons, these tough stallions have faced countless exercises that tested their bodies and minds to their limits. And now, they have passed their requirements to be one of us. I will call up the names of our grads and they will make their pledge to the Royal Guard and receive their uniform.”
Serus waited in silence as the Captain called up names one at a time. He waited for Storm Shower’s name to be called up because he knew that he’d be next. “Private Storm Shower,” Shining called out. This is it! I’m next... “Private Fire Flare.” Serus’ heart stopped almost immediately, watching the stallion next to him moved forward. He was more confused than anypony as some of the graduates cocked their heads. Serus remained still as each and every stallion after him was called up.
I-I don’t understand. he thought to himself as he shook his head. Why wasn’t I called up? Did he skip my name or something? I couldn’t have failed; I passed everything my trainer threw at me with flying colors. So what’s going on?
Shining Armor was finished with his list and congratulated the stallions for their hard work. The ceremony was over and the Captain left the stadium. A bunch of stallions approached Serus, “Woah that was rough dude. What happened, Serus?”
Rage filled the mind of the white Pegasus as he answered the group, “I don’t know guys, but I’m going to give the Captain a piece of my mind.” He stretched out his wings and with a hard flap, he took to the skies like a jet and soared to the Captain’s office.
A few minutes later, Serus Starz arrived in front of Shining Armor’s office and bashed at the door. “I demand answers, Captain! Open the door!” he ordered. In no time, the door immediately opened. He quickly entered and sat down on an unoccupied seat in front of the unicorn. “Why wasn’t my name called out during the ceremony? I know I didn’t fail training.”
“Calm down, Private Serus,” Shining responded. “You’re right, you didn’t fail.”
“Then why didn’t I receive the title I worked so hard for?”
“You’re being reassigned, Serus.” The captain pulled out a letter and gave it to the stallion. “By orders of both Princess Luna and Princess Celestia.”
Captain Shining Armor was leading Serus down the barracks courtyard, and a series of buildings and stadiums. “I still don’t understand, Captain. Why am I being reassigned to a different squadron?” he asked his commanding officer while looking at the letter with the stamps of both princesses.
“Because this squadron has too little soldiers in its arsenal,” Shining answered. “Since it just opened up,” he added. “Don’t worry; you’re going to love this group. They come from very separate backgrounds.” He finally stopped in front of a building with the letter ‘Z’ etched on the side.
“Um I know I haven’t been the Royal Guard, but isn’t that supposed to be a number?” Serus asked cocking his head. He knew that they’ve arrived at the barracks that he’s going to stay in, but all barracks are supposed to numbered, not lettered.
“You can imagine it as a stylish ‘2’ if you want, but it’s a ‘Z’.” Shining lit up his horn and opened the giant doors. “Private Serus Starz, congratulations and welcome to Squad Z.”
The barracks was crammed with a lot of stuff, but the first thing that stood out was a Griffon and Night Guard, playing cards on a small table. “This is it?” he asked.
“Yup.”
“Where are the rest of them?”
“Wait, there’s going to be more of us?” the Night Guard asked gleefully.
“Of course! Here’s the more of you,” Shining Armor replied tapping on the ‘suppose-to-be’ Royal Guard’s shoulder. “Filly and griffon, allow me to introduce you to your new teammate, Serus Starz. Serus, this is Griselda,” he mentioned gesturing toward the griffon. “That is Aknow Twist. So, I guess I can leave you guys alone. You have a lot of catching up to do.” With that, Shining Armor made his toward the door.
Just as Shining reached his hoof to open the door, the golden-maned Pegasus jumped in his way. “Hold on a minute!” he reached his hoof out in front of him to make his Captain stop in his tracks. “So, not only am I stuck with a Night Guard and a Griffon, but I am also stuck with a bunch of girls!?”
“Hey!” Aknow interjected. “That’s really offensive.”
“Does it look like I give a hoof right now!?”
“Well, you smell funny,” Griselda finally entered the conversation before downing her drink whole.
Speechless, Serus turns back to the unicorn. “Captain, please tell me that you’re yanking my hoof right now; I beg you.”
“I’m sorry, Serus,” Shining said, walking around the Pegasus. “This comes from both of the Princesses. You know I can’t disobey an order signed by them. If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.” He slowly closed the door on the three, leaving the room in an awkward atmosphere.
Pulling a chair, the griffon motioned Serus toward it. “Come sit down, new guy. We are starting a new hand, and a new round of hard cider.”
Defeated, the white Pegasus sighed and joined their game of cards and cider. “I guess I’m stuck here,” he groaned. “So what’re your stories?”
“I am stuck doing community service for stealing and destruction of property,” Griselda started. “I have been stealing for about 5 years now. Do you know how long my sentence is?”
“5 years?” Serus guessed, but the griffon shook her head.
“I am stuck doing this stuff for 10 years.”
“Harsh.”
“It’s better than going to griffon prison. We make you ponies look like a bunch of foals when comparing our prisons.” She gulped her cider in one smooth motion.
“How long have you been here so far?” the blonde pony questioned.
“We have been here for about a week.”
“Ouch.”
“I don’t need your sympathy.”
“I wasn’t being sympathetic.”
“Good because I will crush you under my talons if you ever are.” After that she broke her wooden mug with her sharp claws. Fragments of wood flew in various directions.
“Griselda,” the Night Guard whined. “I just bought that… again.”
“Then just steal one from the people next door.”
“There is no next door,” Serus replied annoyed by the idea.
“Then go and make one, buy a mug, place it in the house of our soon-to-be next door neighbors, and steal it.” The griffon explained this idea using the cards as place holders.
“Why would I go steal something that I already bought in the first place?” the Royal Guard asked.
“I don’t know,” she said in a sarcastic voice. “You are the crazy one stealing a mug you already bought.”
“Coming from a thief, that doesn't even phase me,” Serus cooed.
“Coming from a ‘Royal Guard reject’, that’s pretty cocky,” Griselda shot back with a malicious grin.
“Ooh,” Aknow gasped, covering her mouth. “She got you there.”
In anger, Serus was about to buck the griffon in her face, but instead he violently gulped down his beverage and stormed off. “I’m going to bed.”
“Hay aren’t you going to listen to my story?” the grey coated mare asked.
“I’m not in the mood, Aknow.”
He continued towards the bunk room, but was stopped by Aknow’s hoof. “Hold on, I had to listen to everypony else’s story and no pony has heard mine yet. So, you are going to sit your flank down and listen to my story.”
“Fine, I’ll listen to your story,” he groaned as he took a seat.
“Now let me tell you a story,” she began as the white unicorn took his seat at the table. “I started off as a little filly, and I had a mother and father. We lived in a nice village just south of Cloudsdale, and it had the largest amount of cocky stallions Luna could find. Anyways, I was walking to school one day, and I found a jawbreaker on the ground…”
“Wait a minute,” Serus interrupted. “Where, in Celestia’s name, does a jawbreaker relate to the topic we were discussing?”
“It doesn’t.”
“Then why are you talking about a jawbreaker? The story is supposed to be about how you came to be a Lunar Guard.”
“Sorry, I forgot what the subject was, so I thought of a different story that I knew we could all enjoy.” Serus commenced the facehoofing shortly after, and Aknow started over but with the right story. “It really isn’t much on why I became a night guard, really. When I was young it was a lifelong dream of mine to serve, and meet, Princess Luna. From that point on, I worked my way up to where I am right now, and I became a lunar guard for this squadron. I didn’t get to see Princess Luna yet, though, but I had the best conversation with the lunar guard captain.”
Finishing the story, the dark mare made her way over to the fridge and grabbed each of them a drink. She tossed the drink over her head in the table’s general direction. Miraculously, the drinks fell restfully on the table without a chip to their exterior shell. She trotted her way back to the table holding a bag of various sweets.
“Well, aren’t you two successful,” Griselda chuckled. She grabbed a hand-full of candy and threw it into her mouth. Using the drink, she washed down the food before she got the taste of sugar in her mouth.
Sersus took a sip out of his drink and trotted off. “Well I’m off to bed, girls. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Wait!” Aknow exclaimed getting out of her seat. “Aren’t you going to stay up with us?”
“No way, I’m not a nocturnal like you. Besides, I have to get up first thing in the morning to do morning practice. Then I have to go see if Captain Shining Armor has any missions for us.” He took off into an unoccupied room and collapsed on the bed. The other pony and griffon continued to talk throughout the night until the morning sun reached its way across the horizon.