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// A Step Closer: 13 
// Story: Star Tracker of the Ship Harmony: 
// by Ponyess 
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	They knew we are here, and it is what we had expected.  It is merely a sign that we are a step closer to what we originally came for.

The way they speak of it only confirmed what I had hoped for all along, these Ponies are friendly.  I have detected no fear amongst the guards I had seen.  A ship the size of Enterprise should instil fear among members of a hostile people, at least unless they had something they believed could overpower the enemy.  What could they possibly have to be more powerful than my Enterprise?

I had come to realise they have Magic, something we are lacking.  Yet, unless they have a larger fleet or ground based weaponry, they could be no match.

If it came to that, we could always try to have an exchange of Hostages, since we currently have our Engineer on their ship, while they have a squadron of their scouts aboard the Enterprise.  I hope it will never come to that, there is no point.

Within the timespan of the days I had been here, I had the fortune to see most of the castle.  The guards may be vigilant, yet they don't really see another guard, so long as he acts within the boundaries.  Maybe it would have been harder for me to blend in, had I been a Unicorn or Pegasus.  They all move around freely, both on duty and on their free time.  It is at least what I saw.

By now, I had figured the Earth Type Pony was known for the Physical strength and durability.  I could stand up for myself, I knew as much from experience.  Just need to know when to stand firm and when to slide to a side.  Good thing I had all the experience with Equines from before, they feels similar enough.  Thanks to the Translator, I know and understand what they say, but I don't relay on it that much.

As it was, I had even had the fortune to see the Princesses of light and dark.  Celestia and Luna.  Interesting People, these Ponies.  Their Monarchy had apparently worked for them for a millennia, with just these two ruling the nation.

Exactly how they managed their longevity had escaped me this far, but maybe I was to be the wiser soon enough.  If so, I hope it was interesting. Who they were in person is yet another detail I hope to learn soon, even if I had seen a glimpse of Luna of the night and dark.

I truly had started to enjoy myself here.  The Ponies are very nice, I think.  Not just that they were nice towards me, since I was so easily taken for a Pony just like any other.  A guard in uniform looks just like any other guard in uniform here.  Something told me it had been intensional too.  It isn't just that Ponies looks the same, or a uniform made you look like anyone else in a uniform.  In this case, there was something more to it.

Being a guard in peace time is a fairly lacy job.  It is little to no actual work, or hazard to it.  You still keep your guards in place, just in case.  Better safe then sorry, as the expression went.  I would know the truth of it.  I had been one of these guards in what is generally peace time too.

I just had never been the Pony before, yet the guard duty feels very much the same, when you scrutinize it deeply enough.  I like to think.  With that, I have been scrutinizing a few things in my day.

Good thing I had picked up a few friends early on, not just for what they told me, but I realised I really hate not to have friends here.  It is more about who I had become as a Pony, they seem to be too nice to be worried about.

Even if I am new here, it isn't as if they would expect me not to know anything.  The problem is in what to say and how to explain how I knew of it.  On the other hoof, after listening for a while, I think I got this just right.  Maybe it is for the better to let them know a few details here and there.  Just so long as they don't know who I am, before I needed them to, it may actually be an advantage.  I could turn their attention where I wanted it and stir their attention where I wanted it. Just as I could change their opinion by giving details suiting my interests.  Mainly denying bad rumours in my case.

Rumours commonly went out on a limb, causing more problems than it could possibly be worth.  I had no interest in that, so I gave them details about the ship.  They were to know these details son enough, from their friends anyway.  I knew as much, since my friends had already invited them and picked them up.

Bit by bit, I had found these Ponies a bit more similar to myself than I had dared to expect, possibly closer then comfort wanted to admit to.  Once you see them and understand them, just like I had come to realise, all too many a time as Captain of the Enterprise.  Maybe it should no longer shock me, when I found the realisation creeping up upon me?

From what I could see, they are an honest, hard-working People.  They just did things very differently in so many places, mainly due to the differences in anatomy.  Yet, there are the things I couldn't blame these anatomical differences for.  If it is culture or history is still up for debate, if it had any real importance I had to consider.

Funny thing, I think I am about to have my first time as Guard in the Throne room.  Knowing where it was and when the Princess was to be there was helpful.  From there, the leap to actually having my duty assigned where I wanted to go wasn't that much of an actual leap, as it turned out.

As great an honour as it may be, having the duty in the Throne room, while the Princess is actually there did not mean it was impossible to switch with some other Pony who may like to have the time for other things.  These Ponies are after all like People are most.  They do have lives too.  Knowing that is very helpful to me.

In two days, then I will have my chance to see her on my own.  The one private moment with her.  In the end, I was slightly nervous, nothing was allowed to go wrong.  I know the Ponies, but have seen little to nothing of the actual elite, the ruling class.  I had just seen enough to know what they are.

In the end, there was no point in prolonging it.  I had to see her.  Then I had to fall back on what I knew and my experince from prior assignments.