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// 1. First day jitters. 
// Story: Princess Luna's Assistant. 
// by PrincessLunas Assistant 
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	I stand in front of the castle; a few beads of sweat generated by the summer heat sapped away my confidence. When there's one bead of sweat, there's a thousand coming. I really don't want to lose a job like this one over sweat and the associated B.O. I pushed my small rectangular glasses up to my eyes and use magic to lift two black leather suitcases behind me. My mane is short, jet-black and combed to the right hoof side of my head. I've always felt my body was odd, a natural jet-black mane and tail combined with my dark red body just looks....weird to me. I have terrible vision; I can see things within about ten to twenty meters, however beyond that I'm basically blind. A few mares have commented on my glasses in the past, they say the glasses make me seem like more of a brainiac than I already am. By the way: I am technically a 'genius'; I use 'technically' because I always felt smart but never smart enough to be called a genius.

Well, now here's a little history lesson. I was born about twenty five and a half years ago to two loving parents. One was a kinda short awkwardly-funny mare named Mist Flicker. The other was a tall and very burly, 'genius', named Red Dust. As a colt I was very, very, very, very, very, (Did I mention 'very'?) shy. I preferred the company of a book or writing up a character of my own, to that of a living individual. In school, I went to school and was born in Baltimare by the way, I slowly grew to be a bit more social than a book reading boulder with glasses. I did have a few fresh and blood friends by the age of ten. Then when I hit the legal age of adulthood I went to college in Manehatten. I studied business management, basic nursing, and a few other things. Most of the 'other things' were financially and politically oriented courses but a few of them are the reason I got my latest job. Okay, so after college I went to Ponyvile lived there for five years then, due to budget cuts, I was let go as the mare's assistant and I had to search for work. A few weeks of searching for work and just a few days ago I received a letter from the desk of Princess Luna asking if I would like to be her assistant and I agreed.

One twelve hour train ride and here I am standing in front of a castle sweating from the summer heat and my own anxiety. I feel my heart beating at about the speed of light (maybe faster).  I take a few steps towards the entrance,two guards in full gold-colored block my path in front of a gold-colored gate with a sun and a moon painted on a metal circle that broke in two when the gate opened.

I clear my throat and speak. "I'm Star Dasher. I'm umm......uhhh....here to work for Princess Luna."

They exchange a glance and nod to each other. "Proceed!" The one to the right grunts as he kicks the gate open with his left rear hoof.

The other one talks instead of grunting. "Her office and bedroom are located on the second largest tower. End of the hallway on the top floor. You may only enter the office, if Luna is not present wait outside the office." He says in a dark tone.

The grunting one comes in to the conversation again. "Her office doors are the double doors on the left. If you enter the right single door bedroom you will be ejected from the castle!"

I took the warning to heart and kept repeating in my mind "Double doors! Double doors! Double doors!". As I mentally shout at myself, I walk through the castle. I stop for directions every fifty to seventy five meters of walking; it was a great pain to do so but the castle is quite confusing! By the time I reached the top floor of the second tallest tower, I am lightly doused in sweat from anxiety, the inside of the castle is kept at a cool temperature via magic, so every drop of my sweat was made by nerves of glass. I enjoy getting out of the summer heat but I am now worried that my nervous sweat would ward off Princesses looking for assistants.

At the end of a long hallway at the top of the second tallest tower is three doors, two doors across from one other door. I go to the down the hall and turn left towards the double doors. The hallway is had a white and black marble floor with white stone walls and a ceiling that is curved. The curve of the ceiling goes up about three meters before it curves back down to the other wall. I look to my right and left along the white walls and see many famous paintings. The Princess and the comedian, a famous one of Celestia on stage with some unknown male comedian. There's also one of a a screaming pony with his hooves on either side of his face, standing on what looks to be a dock or water-adjacent area. There's also a framed piece of parchment, it's the finished work of Equestria first system of laws. Or at least a replica of that paper that stated the original laws and regulations that governed each initial citizen. My heart's temperature drops to absolute zero and every atom of matter that composed it froze in an cold pause. I raise my right fore hoof and knock three times.

A female voice calls back. "One moment please! We....ah I mean 'I' am busy!"

I leaned in close and try to sound calm. "I understand, Princess. I am Star Dasher here to start my first day as your-"

The door opens and hits my nose like an asteroid hitting a glass house.