To her right sat the only pony in history Celestia could come close to claiming as her flesh and blood; a pony the motherly alicorn had not only watched and helped raise from a filly to a newly crowned princess of Equestria, but the very same pony was now trying desperately to maintain the image of professionalism needed during these long winded talks.
The young princess’s face distorted slightly as she was forced to continue listening to the petitioner trying to justify his greed. Celestia wanted to lean over and tell Twilight she could leave anytime if she wanted to, but she decided against it. The thought itself felt more like selfish desire than a courtesy between friends and colleagues, and this was yet another lesson the young princess needed to experience and become accustomed too.
Besides it was actually pleasant sitting on the sidelines worrying about nothing but looking pretty once in a while.
So when a guard interrupted the audience requesting Princess Celestia’s presence, well, he became the alicorn's savior. It wasn’t hard to feign regret for her sudden departure; a few words of its national importance and the deed was done. The alicorn’s presence was no longer needed but Celestia left them with blessings of good fortunes as a small bonus for the interruption.
The pleading look Twilight was shooting her former mentor would have devastated the unwise and inexperienced when it came to dealing with filly eyes. The snow colored alicorn gave the little princess a playful wink and followed the guard through the large, double oak doors, the creaking hinges just barely covering the petitioner’s renewed efforts whilst Twilight held back the urge to groan as her frustration continued to raise to new heights.
The gesture was meant to be a friendly jab, but Celestia was once more reminded that there was no time for playing in the castle. Once the doors were closed and behind them, their hoof clops echoed in a questionable silence; given given the size of the room and the centuries old masonry, their hoof clops felt oddly quiet compared to the thundering voices she normally experienced everyday.
“Pray tell gentlestallion, what is it that is required me? I do not resent the sudden interruption but-” The guard, in a very rare breach of protocol and formalities, interrupted the princess, his casualness suggested that he hadn't meant to be rude, but that this was a common thing among his inner circle The poor dear had likely forgotten he was speaking to the princess and not one of his friends.
“Actually, Princess Celestia, it was a summon from your sister, Princess Luna. She felt that while there was a new princess to, quote, “forever warm the seat”, it was a good time to start taking advantage of this turn in good fortune.”
“I’m very surprised; I never met a guard with the courage to interrupt me mid sen…”
“DEAR CELESTIA! I’m so sorry! Please don’t sentence me to the “fun” room; I have a wife with twin foals on the way!” The guard pleaded from his new home on the tile, bowing before his boss and sovereign. His abrupt bow caused Celestia to gasp, more from surprise than fear, forcing the alicorn to slam her hooves into ground to avoid trampling him. Her nostrils flared rapidly from the adrenaline and her wings had even embarrassingly presented themselves in an attempt to slow her momentum.
“My goodness…”
“Triple Spirit, Princess Celestia.”
“My goodness,Triple Spirit. What in Equestria took hold of you to just suddenly drop in front of my path?” the sun princess asked to buy herself time to collect her fictitious mask, and to quell her ruffled feathers.
The unorthodox guard remained locked in his new, quivering variation of Parade Rest. Triple Spirit’s eyes drifted every direction trying to hide his fear from Celestia, but after receiving no punishment he relaxed enough to look her in the eye. Her motherly eyes shimmered with concern for his feelings and a worry for his mental state as he collected his body from the floor.
“Please don’t look at me like that Princess.” Spirit asked with the authority of a school foal asking the teacher for extra recess before quickly looking down at his restless hooves. The guard’s request came from nowhere, causing Celestia to take it closer to heart then she normally would have allowed.
The words themselves held no double meaning or ill intent, but it was the tone he used that struck her the hardest. Celestia had heard many a pony converse: whining, complaining, arguing, talking, pleading, and so on. Each used with an equally appropriate pitch that made the old alicorn cringe every time her little ponies spoke.
This guard had unknowingly wounded the one being that many believed could not be hurt...and he realized it the moment the words left his lips.
“I’m..I’m sorry if I have upset you Triple Spirit, please forgive my rudeness.” Celestia responded to automatically for his taste. It was the same mask she (sadly) used all too often when dealing with matters of importance, where feelings acted more like weights than an advantage. The guard was on his hooves the moment she made contact with the floor, his personality and immature ramblings hidden once more as “the guard” took over.
“My Princess! What is it that ails you? Did you get enough rest the previous night, or night before?”
“Please relax Spirit, I am fine and nothing ill is affecting me. I was just apologizing for my earlier behavior…”
“Never! You did nothing wrong to warrant an apology from, and if anything I should be the one atoning for my behavior Princess. That is not how a guard should act and above all I shouldn’t have made such a request of you.” Tripe Spirit held the urge to elevated his hooves to his hurt Princess but quickly retracted the thought. He felt something pressuring him to reach out and comfort her, but quickly suppressed that notion. Instead, he fell back into line and began once more leading Celestia to her sister.
Ignoring the elephant following them, Celestia and Triple Spirit returned once more to their original task of being escorted/escorting to the tower that held Princess Luna’s domain. The few guards and various ponies they did pass were given the normal quick nod of the head or salute depending on the pony in question, but talk was kept nonexistent. Even the hall of stain glass failed to converse with either pony which only added to the already depressingly awkward silence.
A silence that would have continued if Triple Spirit hadn’t caught the soft intake of breath coming from behind him. Curious he turned his head just enough to look over his shoulder where he observed a lost alicorn opening and closing her mouth, wanting to smash the silence between them. He wanted help Celestia by asking addressing her first but decided against it, wanting to avoid a repeat of earlier and returned his attention back to watching his steps hitting the floor.
“How did you get your cutie mark?” the question arose like Celestia’s pet phoenix from the dead silence.
“I was starting wondering when that question would pop up.” The guard though silently to himself. He mimicked his action from before and peered over his shoulder as they started ascending their first flight of stairs. Celestia now had all the tell-tell signs of a curious filly that had just asked a parent a question. From her slanted head, alerted eyes, and the increasingly shorten distance between the two of them. If she were just a little closer, Celestia would be right on his hooves.
“My cutie mark?” He asked, casting a quick glance at his flank where three interlocked triangles greeted him. The guard knew his response very well by this point, since most ponies have never seen a good example of a “mysterious, and enigmatic” cutie mark before. From how badly the princess was staring at his flank(much to his embarrassment) he couldn’t resist playing with her just a bit.
Checking the area around them to make sure they were still on track, he turned his head back to Celestia as his bit his lower lip.
“I don’t know about that your majesty... that story is rather boring and not really exciting.”
“Please tell me guardspony, I need to know where and how you received it!” she nearly exclaimed her desire to know the origins of his mark to the world. The raw emotion behind it caused Spirit to jerk from his makeshift power alone and that ruined whatever fun he had played.
“Oh..well honestly I don’t really know what it means. I was a foal when I received, right after I met my current wife.” Triple Spirit paused to see if that was enough, but continued when Celestia opened her mouth again. “ It was during the weekend and was playing with some friends when a new filly appeared and ask if she could join us. We said yes and introduced ourselves, and when we did It just appeared.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that, honest Princess. Granted after that moment our lives changed; we became almost inseparable after that. We barely knew each other but it felt like we did know each other. I’m not sure how to put it but we were comfortable together and if we could help it, chose to stay by the other’s side until we had to go home. After finishing school and leaving home, it wasn’t that much of a stretch for us to start living together and eventually marry.”
His story, while rather sweet wasn’t the one Celestia had wanted to hear. With a sigh and decrease in hoof steps, the alicorn had returned to her original distance behind the guard. By now they were almost to their destination and whatever answers she wanted, Celestia rationed she would never get.
“Why can’t things ever be easy?” Spirit whispered what she had just been thinking. Asking a question that many before have asked but were unable to answer.
“It’s because there would be no challenge, and without a reason or motive to push onward, we would never grow.” Spirit continued looking forward but allowed his ears to swivel to catch every sage soaked word.
“You know that is a very wise answer.”
“Thank you Triple Spirit.”
“No offense, but I didn’t mean it like that. I heard a saying that held truth; wisdom is only achieved from experiencing a hard life.”
“...”
“ Once more Princess, I apologize for my rudeness. I meant nothing bad by it other than you only gain the knowledge through trials, and experience rather than having it presented. ” Spirit added the last sentence as an after thought. He saw the conversation as an opportunity to share a little bit of knowledge and perhaps present himself a bit more as an intellectual, and not as a complete goofball. After experiencing the crushing silence once more, he mentally bashed himself for his lack of respect.
It was a stupid random tibet of information he said without even thinking how she would take it. Having lived for such a period of time Celestia was bound to have her share of skeletons in the wardrobe, and he had inadvertently brought some to light.
“Another glorious example of your narrow mindedness.” he chastised himself. Not only among his fellow guards, but throughout the entirety of his life, Triple Spirit felt more like an outsider in every social group. School being the his first true taste of its clingy claws interfering with every aspect of his daily existence.
A feeling Triple Spirit could barely recall since meeting his wife. Sunset Royal’s arrival into his life could compare to the shore lighthouses of the Equestrian coast, lighting the path for the lost to find their way home. Two haves brought together by unknown forces, Sunset being the warmth and emotion while Spirit was the provider and stability in a union that could not be more perfect.
So image his surprise when Celestia actually responded to his "glorious example" of his narrow mindedness.
“No my guardspony, you are indeed correct. Wisdom and knowledge isn’t something that can be given, but obtained only through the growth of one’s mind and body. So, I say again Triple Spirit, you have nothing to fear from me. In fact, it is somewhat refreshing to be reminded I am a pony just as much as the next; not a goddess or a deity perched high on my throne, out of reach nor out touch.” In yet another display of her life experiences, Princess Celestia demonstrated her philosophical potential.
The older of the pair had finally kicked herself out of her funk, and took notice to the other pony present. The guard, while somewhat out there had only the best intentions, having been trying his hardest to not only entertain, but to create a pleasant atmosphere for their brief escort. Most if not all of Celestia’s other guards would have remained silent, feeling the act of conversation would be sacrilege.
Hardly.
“So… does this mean you’re not going to report me, Princess?”
A black sheep if there ever was one. It had been a good while since Celestia felt this unsure of anything, especially a situation involving matters of the heart and soul rather than the lives of her ponies. It felt like the right thing to do and while the courage still gripped her, Celestia reached out to the caring stallion and began constricting him with her forehooves. His startled yelp quickly turned the alicorn’s frown right side up, adding more fuel to the gesture.
“Princess I’m sorry! Don’t crush me!” Triple Spirit desperately cried in the hopes his goddess would be merciful. Instead it had the opposite effect, causing her to giggle in delight as the pressure around him increased.
“You my little pony are perhaps the most unorthodox guard to ever grace these halls. How you managed to pass the training is miracle in itself. A miracle I am grateful for this very moment.” A confession that would have crippled normal ponies from such a revelation, but Triple Spirit being the black sheep he was took it like a compliment.
“Gla..glad I’m here to make your life easier princess.” His almost smart aleck remark earned him a light chuckle before the pressure on his back dissipated, allowing the poor stallion the opportunity he needed. In a feat to shock a cat, the guard managed to arch his back to the point it resembled somepony folding paper before slowly sliding forward. Triple’s front hooves sailing over the castle marble floor with no trouble as he stretched his knotted back, a faint series of pops confirmed the success of his actions.
“Just where did you ever learn such a… on second thought Spirit, I would rather forget such a thing. In my long years I can honestly say nothing until now as ever “ruffled” my feathers so much.”
“Really? My wife seems to enjoy greatly, makes me look exotic or so Sunset tells me. She even goes as far to tell other ponies I was raised by wolves, which isn’t true Celestia. I was born a little further east toward the mighty Missy River.”
Celestia held no reservation to this news, in fact, it drove her to ask even more questions than before. But when the rather loud shock wave of her sister’s voice collided with the twin doors a little ways in front of them, it was their signal to end their conversation. Giving her signature nod, Celestia gave the quirky guard one more hug goodbye.
“It was a pleasure Triple Spirit, and thank you for sharing more about yourself.”
“It was no trouble at all Princess, and I’m sorry for the...lack of protocol earlier.”
The alicorn disengaged from the hug before raising a hoof dismissively, passing off the whole event as water under the bridge. In fact she had actually enjoyed their time spent, finding the whole ordeal a bit fun even!
“Think nothing of it, in fact I will admit it was nice to be reminded I’m still much a pony then I tend to think I am. Farewell guardspony, and I wish you and your wife the best of luck. If you feel need to talk or make a request, please feel free to ask me.”
“Oh..ahm… I don’t know what I did to deserve such a privilege, but I won't question it. Thank you.” He finished all of this off with a quick salute, before turning around to return to finish the rest of his assignments he still had left to complete
Celestia was left smiling. More so than she had in the recent past; enjoying the feeling of a lighter weight currently on her shoulders. She made no attempt to look way as her sister’s doors opened to greet her.
“You know sister, I heard Triple is quite the maestro.”
“You don’t say?”
“Indeed. He takes a stick and waves it almost madly in the air. The entire display by itself is chuckle worthy but its funnier when you add your own commentary to it. I think he does to swat a breezie.”
Celestia had to quickly use a wing to cover her mouth to retain some measure of politeness, but honestly it was fooling nopony. A rare moment to hear about let alone witness, a princess acting not like a princess but that of a common pony. Sadly all ponies but those closest to them are able to take that next step and see their sovereigns as something less than a powerful deity, but a pony trapped in a lie while wanting to live a dream.
A dream of no social standing and obligations mudding a pony’s desire to just live.
“Well Luna, I heard he was raised by wolves.”
The older siblings statement was unexpected. Luna’s head recoiled back in thought as the conversation turned full circle once more, challenging her to make a counter. Celestia watched as her sister spaced out, diving deep into her thoughts to find the right words. Until than, the older alicorn opted to watch the…
“But isn't his wife expecting two foals, twins no less? I wonder how his foals will turn out.”
_____________________________________________________________________
“AHH! MONSTER!” cried the blue filly as she continued backing away from the spawn of Discord himself. The monster snickered as it watched the filly cried in fear of it. Standing perhaps almost two feet of the ground, it practically towered over its victim which was a couple inches smaller than it.
“Somepony save me!” the filly cried again, desperately hoping somepony would not only be close to hear her pleas but come to her rescue.
“No pony will hear your whining! We are not only in the most scariest place in all the land but a spooky ruin that nopony will ever set hoof in.” The little monster gloated. “Why it would have to be a completely random chance somepony would come to your rescue.”
The two shared a brief pause, waiting for something to happen. Nothing. The monster looked around once more before putting her hooves near her mouth to amplify her voice. “I said it would have to be a COMPLETELY RANDOM CHANCE for somepony to come to your rescue.”
The pair waited once more, listening to the silence as once again nothing happened. The monster and the filly were about to continue when suddenly a shadow fell over them. Before they could even look up a massive body had landed between the pair, its lovely sky blue eyes piercing the monster with an unspoken declaration.
“What are you?” The blue earth filly behind it asked in awe and shock, unable to comprehend its massive size. The four legged beast casually turned its head to meet the filly’s eyes, giving her its version of a toothy smile.
“I am here to rescue you.”
“That’s it? What happened to the old tales of the knight saying something romantic before rushing off to fight the evil monster?” the little monster asked, breaking her character in the process. The unicorn, and earth filly both looked expectantly at their father who looked back and forth between the pair.
His body told the tale of a confused father failing to understand his daughter’s logic, but his eyes said otherwise. Link’s rough growl caught Flare and Star’s full attention as they now wondered what was causing their father to laugh. The fillies watched him lower his guard before casually raising to all fours once more.
“So, I’m suppose to declare my love before facing the monster...is that so?” the wolf asked, causing him to smile when both fillies were enthusiastically nodding.
“That’s right! You are suppose to declare your love to me before fighting Solar Flare.” the blue filly said with enough conviction to end the discussion right there and then. If filled the wolf’s heart to witness her adorable stubbornness, while a bad habit at best it did give him a peace of mind knowing at least one of his daughters will be able to stand up for themselves.
He just hoped it didn’t come back and bite either of them later on in life.
“And after that, we finally have our death defying battle that will decide the fate of the world!” his little unicorn exclaimed while happily dancing in place. Her sister, Star Light soon joined in on the fun and both were dancing in place while singing a wordless tune.
Feeling slightly left out, Link fell to his haunches and raised his muzzle to the sky to offer an underlying melodic howl to their song.
_____________________________________________________________________
Celestia blinked. That action was enough to finally break the spell placed over and rejoin the present. Her sister, Luna was still present beside her as they watched the last bit of the Triple Spirit disappear around the corner. The alicorns said nothing for the brief moment before the younger one turned around and started walking back to her room.
“They’ll be fine.” Celestia blurted out.
Luna paused mid stride to give her sister the courtesy of her attention. She waited to see what else Celestia would do or say, but when she failed to act, Luna took the hint. “Who will be fine sister.”
“A wolf raising foals...I think they’ll be just fine.”