//------------------------------//
// I can feel it! Today is the day! 
// Story: To Make Somepony Proud! 
// by Guardsmare Sade 
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"No! NO! Over that way! South! Take the storm clouds to the south! The farmers in the southern region need the downpour! Not the school in the north!  How can you even get that mixed up!? School is north! Farms are south! Farms need water! School needs kids! I only supply one of those to this town, and I sure as Tartarus don't get invited for parent teacher interviews! Now help me pick up this cloud and bring it south, like it said on the notice board in the office this morning, I know you saw it when you clocked in!" 

I facehoofed for what felt like the umpteenth time this morning. "NO! That's east! You're taking it east! You see the town hall over there? The one in the east? the one you're trying to drag the cloud over to? Damnit Jade! I swear, if we weren't already short-hooved..." I shouted over at the blue pegasus mare, pushing the cloud toward the town hall, as she so frustratingly did quite often.

"Jade! You see where my hoof is pointing? You feel where I'm trying to tug this cloud? That is where the farms are located! That is where we are taking the storm, that is where it was supposed to start raining TWENTY MINUTES AGO! and this is only the first cloud! we still have four more to ge-"

"SADE! For once in your life! Shut up! Stop yelling! I'm sorry! ALRIGHT!? I've got a lot on my mind at the moment and you're not making it any easier! I can't focus with all the yelling and ordering and demanding! It sucks enough to be yelled at by another pony when you're making simple mistakes! But it's just degrading and embarrassing when your boss, who is shouting at you is just a foul half-breed striper!"

"You're fired" I calmly said as I took the cloud and started pushing it myself to the north, where it was needed. I could feel the glare from Jade on the back of my neck, trying to burn a hole through me and into my soul. She hated my guts right now, but I don't care. 
Was what I did a little harsh? Sure. Was it unwarranted? Heck no! Do I feel bad about it? Absolutely not. I can tolerate somepony being a tool, an idiot and an all round ass, but if you try to get personal and bring my race into it, I'll let you know something. Sometimes, I'll show you how hard I can hit you, sometimes It's how hot your coffee feels poured onto you, and sometimes it's that you need to start looking for a new job.

I guess Jade got the third option.

"Damnit Sade! I'm gonna tell my father on you! He's the mayor you know, and he's so going to fire you from your job! See how you like that!" 

I roll my eyes at that. Blah, blah, blah. The only reason she had this job in the first place is because her father practically begged me to take her under my wing and give her this job. Besides, she pulls the whole "Daddy is gonna get you unless you do everything I say!" card all the time, its not like he ever actually does anything. She's a spoiled little brat and he (Thankfully) knows it, although sometimes he pretends not to.

The farm district started coming into view as I forced the cloud south. This thing is heavy when you're all on your own, and I still need to lug another four out this way from the cloud pen back at the office.

I sighed heavily as I pushed and shoved the bloated grey mass toward its destination, my mothers tribal rings on my right hind leg were the only noise beside my grunting to keep me company, clattering every time I pushed hard enough on the cloud.
As I listen to my rings, I hear an extra noise, an aggressive flapping and strained huffing.

I felt a heavy thud on my back and a quick twist to my right wing, it took me a second to realize what had happened, until pain shot through my body, like a thousand hurricanes announcing their presence all at once. All I could feel was the pain. My whole world was nothing but the blinding agony. My wing felt as though it had been torn right from its socket, I could feel my primaries resting against the back of my head, a spot they should never be able to reach. Letting out a howl of pain and fear, I flail my legs as I fall helplessly to the ground.
All of a sudden, something fast and angry slammed into the side of my head, and that was it. my whole world shifted from pain, to pure and utter blackness.



 

I awaken slowly to a loud rhythmic beeping noise, constant and annoying! Beyond annoying! Beep... Beep... Beep... ARGH! 
I tried to bare it for as long as ponily possible, but it was just so irritating! 
I slammed open my eyes and angrily flew my right hoof toward my alarm clock to turn off the stupid beeping, only for my hoof to slam onto some sort of steel bar. Once again, my life was full of unnecessary, overwhelming pain!

"FFFUUUUUU!! DAMNIT! ARGH! WHAT THE- GAH! MMPH! AAAAHH!" was all the sophisticated language my brain could muster at this moment of my life.
After cradling my hoof (of what I'm sure was now at least fractured)  for a time, I opened my watery eyes to spy what I had assumed was my alarm clock., only to be momentarily confused at what I saw. 

The steel bar was in fact one of those rails that they put on the end of hospital beds to stop patients from rolling off the edges in their sleep, or during fits.
Then it hit me, I was in a hospital bed, the beeping was one of those heart monitor things. I was hooked up to it because...Uh...

I tried to remember what had happened. Jade was being a bitch, as usual, she stepped over the line, I fired her, I went to take the cloud to the farm district, and then blinding pain, beeping noise, hoof pain... 

Sighing at my memories, I looked back at my wing, sure enough, it was bandaged in the whitest of bandages, no blood at last. that's good. But now that I remembered it, I noticed the dull throbbing pain, much lighter than what I remembered it feeling, but still there. Morphine maybe? Or something similar at least, I can't be sure since I'm not feeling dopey, I'm no doctor though. 
Continuing to look around the room, I could see that it was a fairly plain and standard hospital room, it looked incredibly sterile, like all others. I should know, I've been in quite a few.

There was my bed in the middle of the wall on one side, with hospital Doohickeys and Whatchamagijits crowding around my head, as well as a visitors chair on my left, rarely ever really needed that, but  guess it's stock standard.
Across from me was a closed door, to what I assumed to be the bathroom, and a sink with a mirror above it facing me.
Why put a sink and mirror outside a bathroom? Makes no sense.

As I looked into the mirror a pegasus mare stared back at me, she has a golden dirt colored mane, purple eyes and a white coat marred a little by some scratches and dirt. She's quite fit and built strongly , if I do say so myself, thanks to all the work I do as a weather manager, (and all the other job positions that need doing since my employees are a bunch of lazy bums!). The only thing that really sets me apart from all the other pegasii are my zebra stripes on my left foreleg.

I look down to my stripes. My mothers' stripes. She was a zebra, my father was a pegasus. Heh, and I'm both. When I was a young little filly, I'd often ask my dad how he met my mother,but since it was my dad, every story was different. 
Sometimes he'd rescue her from a tyrant zebra warchief in a one on one hoof to hoof fight, where the warchief would always cheat, but dad would still always win, 'with one hoof and both wings tied behind my back too!' he'd say.
Other times it was the other way around, where my mom would find dad in the desert and take him back to her village to be treated for dehydration or hunger, it was her job after all, since she was the village Shaman.

It was always obvious what one was more likely the real version, but I always liked the heroic dad version better.

As I looked down to my stripes, I remembered my mothers rings, I checked under the covers to see if they were still on my right hindleg. Pleased to find all three there, I checked my tail to find both the rings also still accounted for, still sitting at the edge of my tail. I soon found my thoughts starting to wander to my mother. In all of the photos I'd ever seen of her, she would always wear these very same three gold rings on her back leg and the two gold rings in her tail, just like me, well, actually it's more along the lines of me being just like her. My mother, however, passed away while in labor. She died bringing me into this world, and I never even got to say 'thank you' or 'I love you' for it. Soon after, however, my dad put the rings away until he thought I was old enough, and gave them to me on my tenth birthday when he assumed I would understand how important they were. 
He was correct. They did fit too, although very very loosely, and I never took them off again. They were the only thing I had to really know my mother by.

I used to have pictures, but they were lost when my dad was working with storm clouds. He asked the weather office that he was working at, if he could borrow one for one reason or another, no idea why. One day he accidentally let off a jolt of lightning that hit the house. 
One moment there was nothing, then there was fire, so much fire. Me and dad were out of the house faster than I could even look at a picture of mom, let alone save any, but the the next moment, dad was rushing in to save something he swore was very important, told me to wait there while he went to get it.
I never found out what that important thing was, he never came out, and I was left alone.

A frown crossed my face, as the door to the room opened up.
I shook my head clear the thoughts away. I don't usually get so deep into my memories when I think about my parents, I thought I was over it. I guess today must be a special day huh?

An elder purple unicorn nurse with a blonde and grey striped mane and tail entered the room, her glasses clad emerald eyes glued to her chart. It was about me, no doubt.
I'd met her before, a few times actually. More than a few times to be honest. Her name is Kerri. Nurse Kerri. Since I got into all sorts of fights on account of assholes and their issues with my race, through my life. She was usually the one who ended up patching me up afterward. 

"Oh! Sade! You're awake! Good. That's good." She said without even looking up from her clipboard. "How are you feeling?"

"Fantastic. I think I might go for a fly a little later, maybe wrestle a manticore for the fun of it, or even a hydra, just to get my morning stretches done." I deadpanned, rolling my eyes.

Placing her clipboard down, she gave me half a smirk and half a frown as she moved me forward so she could get a look at my wing.
" As your almost exclusive caretaker, I would strongly advise against doing that, but since when do you ever listen to me. I tell you over and over to 'stay out of trouble, don't get into fights, and keep yourself safe; yet, here you are, almost every other day, Sade. What am I going to do with you?"

I winced as she fiddled with my wing. as dull as the pain was at the moment, it still hurt. "I dunno, Stay in business and keep me in top flank kicking shape? Speaking of being awake though, how long have I been out? And what the tatarus happened to me? I remember most of it, pain in my wing, a blow to the head, and then the noise of your beepy heart thing waking me up." 

Pushing me back into a more comfortable position, done with my wing, she noticed the red mark on my hoof where I'd slammed it against the railing and sighed. "You've been asleep for about a twenty two hours. give or take however long you were outside before we got our hooves on you, as for what happened, all I know is that Vinny brought you in after he said that he found you on the ground in a puddle mud, blood and feathers." She said as she moved to take a look at my hoof, gently picking it up and turning it over. 
"Punched the railing I see. Did it make a racial slur against you too?"

I huffed at that. If she wasn't such a good friend.... "No. It looked at me funny. But anyway, you said Vinny found me? Wasn't I near the farm district? well away from where Vinny usually hangs out?"

"No, more along Whinny Avenue I think? Vinny said something about Mane Crossing." She wrote something down on the pad she'd come in with and grabbed some bandages for my hoof. I think my theory about it being at least fractured was somewhat spot on. Go me!

"Mane Crossing? That's miles from the only place that was scheduled for any rain, why was I there? and in mud you said? I mean, sure, there was a storm cloud above me, but those are made so that they only start raining when prompted by a pegasus who knows where to kick, and the only other pegasus up there with me was... JADE!" I bolted up, causing my hoof to slip from Kerris' hooves, causing the bandages to come undone and my nurse to sigh. "I'm gonna beat that girl within an inch of her pathetic spoiled life! The mayor had better know some damn good private detectives! He's gonna need a dozen of them to find all of his daughters damned teeth!" I growled!

"SADE!" Kerri cried, causing me to jump "Calm down! I'm sure what you meant to say was that you're going to go to the authorities to talk to the town guard captain about setting up an investigation to see if it really was her, and then, only then, will you press charges! NO violence at all! isn't that right!"

I had a feeling that that wasn't a question, more like a command. Jeez, Kerri can be scary when she wants to be, and right now, she's not even trying as hard as I've seen her.
"Uuuhhh.. Yeah.. Right. Sure thing Kerri, that is so totally what I meant" That is so totally not what I meant. 

"Good. Now, this hoof, It's not broken, but It is bruised, keep off it for a little. as for your wing, and head-" I did notice my head starting to throb, probably from what hit me, and the ground giving me a high five "-You've got a very mild concussion, likely from hitting the ground as hard as you did, and as for your wing, it was dislocated pretty neatly."

"What do you mean?" I asked, I obviously had no idea what she was even trying to explain to me.

"If you'd let me finish, I'll tell you. You see, your wing was pulled out of its socket cleanly, however, the twist was done in such a way that it didn't tear, snap or break any muscle, bone, tendon, nerves, skin, so on and so forth. Pretty much, all it did was hurt." And then some, I thought to myself. "Now, if Jade really did do this, you're extremely lucky, this could have ended your flying life, if she had pulled it even a tails hair differently, we may have had to amputate.

It took a while for that to set in. I sat there thinking about it for a moment before looking up to Kerri. "So how long till I can fly again? or leave the hospital at least?" I really didn't want to be in here too long. I'd been here so often that this place was becoming like my second home. and that sucked, plus I'm pretty sure I have mail at the post office I need to check on.


"It's interesting how this doesn't even bother you" She sighs at my lack of response to such a serious matter
"I'd say you're free to leave today. As long as the Doctor okays it."

"Great! My chance at happiness is riding on some random doc telling me if I'm having a sleepover or not"

"Shush Sade. It's not so bad out there, there are trees and flowers and-"

"I was talking about being in here being bad"

"I know that!" Kerri sighed. Even if she can be scary, she is pretty much my only friend in this racist town, I'm glad she puts up with me... Most of the time.

"Well then Nurse Kerri, when is this Doctor supposed to visit poor ol' me?"
Looking at the clock on the wall she smirked a little and looked toward the door. She didn't even say anything as it opened like it was just waiting for me to say that.

In stepped a short old stallion with far too little hair.  He was a grey fella with black.. uhh.. strings on his head.. I can't even call it a mane, there are like a total of nine strands on his head. His glasses were thicker than the walls around us, and he had the most sour of looks on his face, not to mention I could smell him as soon as the door opened, smelled like some kind of hard cider, or something less classy.

"So.. This is Sade eh? Luckiest Zebrasus striper in the whole damn history of this pathetic town.. Right." I already hated this guy with a fiery passion, even Kerri had a strong disapproving frown on her face.

"Uh, Doctor?" Kerri perked up "Where is Doctor Jubles? Wasn't he was the one who was supposed to okay Sade or not."

"Nurse Kerri? is it? Please shut up. Doctor Jubles was asked to do something more important and as such, asked me to do this for him instead. So sit down, be quiet and let me look at this here Halfbreed!"
I could feel Kerris' teeth grinding, oh, no.. Wait.. Those are my teeth.
"My name is Doctor Ink, I'm a doctor from Hoofington. I was here on business, but apparently Jubles thinks I am some kind of traveling circus veterinarian he can show off to all his pet freaks. So let me look at you so I can get this over and done with and send you home so this room can be given to somePONY who really needs it, like that nice stallion out there who has a runny nose."

Oooh I'm trying so hard not to show this guy how hard I can kick, I want to pull out all nine damn hairs on his head, punch down those stupid racist teeth of his and kick the absolute sh-
"You're fine. get out" he said as he walked out of the room quickly. He barely even gave me a passing glance. What an ass.
but at least I can leave sooner. Silver linings.

After sitting there in silence for a few awkward, angry, moments, Kerri perked up.
"Wow Sade, I'm so proud of you!"

"That makes one of us!" I said as I just stared death glares at the glob of filth as he pretty much rolled his oily old fat ass out of the room.
"I wanted to hurt him so bad! But I didn't! You know why?"

"Why is that Sade? because he is an out of town doctor? He might have large amount of pull with the government? Because you're a better pony than you were yesterday?"

"No, Because I'm going to arrest that asshole one day, I'm sure he's got something illegal going on!" I said with determination. "At the very least, negligence of care."

"What do you mean arres- Oh Sade! You're still not going on about that are you? You've been applying to the Royal Guard academy for three years now! Every month on the first you put in an application, and every month on the fifteenth you get a rejection notice from the previous month. Isn't it time to just accept the fact that you just may not be cut out to join the guard? That perhaps you just don't have the qualifications?"

"Kerri! You know that's not true! You need to be fit! and damned if I'm not fit with all the weather working I have to do on my own because of the lazy assholes I've got working under me! You need credibility, and every time I've said I'm gonna beat the snot outa some dude, I did! You need intelligence! You know I've got that! Sorta. How would I be a weather Manager otherwise? and lastly! you need an ample amount of patience, and did you just see me not savage that Doctor Ink guy? Now that was some serious patience on my part! I'm sure even Princess Celestia woulda decked that guy! Maybe even sent his ass to the moon for good measure!... Then again, maybe not, that would have just doubled the weight Princess Luna would need to life every night, and that's hardly fair on the moon princess."

All Kerri did was place her hoof softly on her face "I know Sade, but we both know the real reason why they won't accept you is because according to the royal court, you're not a full fledged pon-"

"Don't say it Kerri! Do. Not. Say. It! You know as well as I do that I absolutely am a full fledged pony! I put more work into keeping this pony town going than any other 'Full fledged pony' and I'll be damned if I won't be accepted because of some stupid and probably fake law that says only 'purebred ponies' are allowed to join the Royal Guard! Besides! This time is gonna be different!"

"And how do you suppose that Sade? Did you say please? did yo- Oh jeez! Don't tell you tried to bribe them!? or threaten them!? SADE! they'll never let you in if you do that! What were you thinking!? Oh dear! That's illegal!" 

Wow, cheers for the vote of confidence Kerri. Good job! You're way off.
"Relax Kerri, I didn't bribe or threaten them, I didn't say please, none of that, it's just a normal application. I just have this feeling that they will say yes this time! I can feel it! Today is the day!"





After saying goodbye to Kerri, avoiding Doctor Ink, who I still swear smelt like the top of an alcohol shelf, I trotted out of the hospital. Albeit a little wonky and slow, due to my sore hoof. "Stupid hospital bed!" I mumbled.
I began my long solitary limp down to the post office, it was after all, the sixteenth of the month, and I always get my letter from the Royal Guard Academy on the fifteenth, so I'm late. Hehe, the post office mare must be so worried about me. I've never missed a day before.

I walked down the bustling streets of Hoofiter, passing by numerous ponies who were giving me suspicious looks because of my zebra stripes, like I was going to curse them and steal not only their bits, but their soul too. Right now however, I didn't even care. I didn't even have any logical reason why I didn't, I should be beyond mad, but I just felt kinda good. With that Ink guy, I should be ready to kick some flank all over town, with Jade, I should be ready to go on an all out rampage and start smashing her wings to see how she liked it, but for some reason, I just felt calmt, like this was the day I was going to get out of this stupid backwater middle of ass-nowhere town and go be a Royal Guard! Just like my hero!


<"))>{   ---OoO---   }<))">


"Daddy! Where are you? Daddy!" I called as loud as I could! My Daddy is missing! I can't find him! We came to Canterlot earlier today cos he had to talk to somepony! Grown ups are weird! Why couldn't he just talk to the ponies at home? Why did we have to come all the way to this city for daddy just to talk to somepony? "Daddy!"

"Hey there little filly, you lost?" A big bald orange stallion grown up said as he walked in front of me. he looked nice enough, but, there was something off about his smile, and Daddy always told me not to talk to strangers, and his cutie mark of three bits of candy with a chain going through it was kinda unsettling

"Uuh, my daddy is missing, I can't find him, but I can't talk to you mister, daddy always says 'Don't talk to strangers Sade, they could be bad ponies and take you away forever!' So, sorry mister." I apologized, but the big stallion just smiled that smile that I found a little scary.

"That's cute kid. My name is Briggs, but all my pals call me Big Red!" I wonder why? He's orange, not red.. I don't get it.. "I work at the candy store just a few minutes to the east of here." He smiled at me again in that way that felt kind of wrong. "See, now I know your name, and you know mine. We're not strangers anymore. Want to come with me to my shop? You can wait for your daddy there. I'm sure he'll look for you inside of candy shops, after all what little colt or filly doesn't like candy?"

I gave it some deep thought, the math made sense! He was right! We weren't really strangers any more and daddy did promise me that we'd go to a candy store after! so it made sense to me! "Sure mister Briggs! I'll follow you!" I said as I smiled and skipped up to the grown up.

He chuckled and started walking out of the crowd,"Just Big Red or Red will do. So how old are you Sade? You look a little young to be floating around Canterlot."

"I'm three and a half! that's almost four! and I am not too young to float! I can already fly! I've been able to fly since I was two! See!" I flapped my wings hard and left the ground, only to bump my head on Reds' side, making him chuckle.

"Haha, that's great kid. Hey, I know a quicker way to my shop, its just down this here alley, and the best part is its totally secluded No pony knows about it, so it'll be like a super secret between just us! Doesn't that sound fun? Sure it does! Come on Sade!"

I looked down the alley that Red was talking about, it looked kinda dark, even in the middle of the day, and kinda dirty too, "I dunno mister, it seems kinda scary..." This response caused him to chuckle again.. I don't get what is so funny?

"It's alright Sade, I'll protect you, here just pop yourself under my barrel and we'll go together? sound good?"

That kinda scared me, even my own daddy never told me to walk under him, Red was a weird and creepy guy.
"Uhh, No thank you Mister Red, I think I'll just go back to the street and look for daddy on my own, I'm sure he's worried about me, and It might be easier to see me if I'm not inside a shop."

This caused Big Red to seem kinda mad, but he soon started smiling again, I saw that look before when I yelled back at a bully who teased me about my stripes, that was just before that bully attacked me... Big Red was scaring me.

"Sade, If you come with me now, I'll let you have all the candy you want, for free!" 

Now that I think about it, daddy also said to never accept candy from strangers either, and Big Red was still kind of a stranger, even though I knew his name, and he was offering me candy, I didn't like it.

"No thank you Mister Briggs. It was nice to meet you, but I think I'm going to go this way now. Thank you for your help though. Bye."
I waved at him then started quickly trotting off toward the crowd, I then however, felt a large hoof around my head and extend over my mouth, only to feel Big Red trying to drag me into the scary alley! Red was Trying to steal me! NO! I don't want to be stolen! This is bad!

Trying to get free, I opened up and bit down on the large orange hoof covering my mouth as hard as I could! 

"YEOUCH! DAMNIT! YOU HALFBREED ZEGASUS STRIPER BITCH!" He roared as he pulled his hoof from my mouth. I tried to yell for daddy in the moment that I had, but Big Red put his hoof back faster than I could scream anything! He continued pulling me into the alley way, this time faster than before as to get me in there before I could bite him again. I started to tear up as I was pulled further and further away from finding daddy I don't want to go in there! I don't want to go with this pony! I want daddy! I want mommy! I want help! Somepony please!

"HEY! You! Stop right there!" 

There was a loud yelling, and a jolt, Big Red let me go, and I fell to the ground, I hit my nose on the ground hard and it started to bleed, but I wasn't gonna cry because of that, like some other kids would. I'm tough! I'm so used to blood noses from all the fights I get into at school! 
I pulled myself up into a sitting position, as I did so, I heard some more thumps, bumps and bangs as if ponies were fighting. I turned around to see what was gong on, only to see a white pegasus pony in golden armor fighting with Big Red! The pegasus pony was a Royal Guard! My daddy always said they were the good guys!

The Guard pony swung his hoof at Big Red only for him to move at the last moment, but Mister Red jumped! The Guard Pony saw this and hit the orange stallion in his boy parts. I knew then that the Guard pony had won. I'd hit colts in the boy parts before when they said mean things about me, and that would always stop them.

I watched in awe as two more golden armored ponies came into the alley way and picked up Big Red in their magic. They were both unicorns so they were able to pick up a pony as big as the bad pony with ease. The Guard pegasus pony said something to the other two and they did that salute thing I saw them do sometimes. It was cool! it was like the pegasus pony was the boss! he could even tell unicorns what to do! that was amazing!

"Are you alright kid? Did he do anything bad?" The pegasus guard pony said as he walked to me when the others had done as he had told them. Daddy said these guys were like knights in shining armor! and knights in shining armor always rescued the princess! that means I'm a princess! yay!

"yes sir, I'm okay! And Mister Briggs didn't do anything bad except say mean words and try to take me somewhere I didn't want to go!" I said. I was feeling funny in my tummy, like butterflies were flying around inside me.

"I'm glad you're okay, kid." The guard sat next to me with a grunt and a lot of clanging from his armor. he then looked at me eye to eye.
"Hello, My name is Captain Captain, But everypony just calls me CC, whats your name little lady?"
I giggled at that. CC. that's funny. 

"My name is Sade. I'm lost. My daddy and I came here so he could talk to somepony, that's silly if you ask me! We have ponies at home to talk to! Anyway! We got seppar... seper... sap....  we got split up, and then Mister Briggs over.. uhh-" I looked for the orange stallion, but he was gone already, same with the two unicorn guards (oh yeah!) " -there.. somewhere-" I said waving my hoof toward were he had been a moment ago. "-said he'd help me, but then he started acting weird, so when I said I didn't want to go with him anymore, he tried to make me go with him anyway, then you came in and were all like 'Hey you! and then wham! pow! doosh! bang! and then here we are! Thank you!"

I leaned in and gave him a hug. He chuckled at that. There were those butterflies in my tummy again.
"Alright kid, well, lets get you back to barracks, I'll alert the guards to be on a lookout for your dad, when you tell us what he looks like of couse. Haha, and then I'll get my men to escort him to you and me. How does that sound?"

"Yes please" I said.


<"))>{   ---OoO---   }<))">


I thought back to the past, how dad had come rushing into the guard barracks, his fur was marred and he had tears down his cheeks, he was huffing and puffing too. turns out he'd pretty much been tearing down the whole of Canterlot to find me. He was about to go to the princess herself and everything, demand that she help him find his lost daughter, until that is, the guards realized that this was in fact the pony they were looking for.

I'd never seen dad cry before that day, or get so furious when he found out what happened. He immediately demanded to meet Big Red, CC of course, wouldn't let him. Not in a million years. I think he knew that my dad didn't want to use words to 'talk' to Big Red.
I chucked at that thought.

It's all because of CC that I'm here today, and he is the whole reason I want to be a royal guard. I'll be accepted this time for sure, I know it! Then, one day, I'll be posted under his command and I'll make him so proud! And today! I know the letter is going to be a yes! 

As my memories and aspirations faded for the time being, a large wooden building appeared in front of me, the words 'Hoofiter Post Office' were etched into an old redwood board, dangling from an iron bar attached to the roof. Time flies when you're reliving the past. Go figure.

I eagerly opened the door, savoring the smell that hit me, of old wood, ink, paper and soon to be acceptance!

"Oh! Jeez! and here I was hoping you'd given up, or died" came a voice from inside the post office.

And there goes some of the good feeling I had. "Hello Letter Opener. Is there any mail for me today?" I said in a bored monotone voice. I really didn't like this mare at all.

"Not this time. Doesn't even matter if there was! It's always rejection! and it's always gonna be rejection! Heh! Maybe they finally wised up and stopped sending you responses in the first place, save themselves Ink, paper, and the time and effort it takes to send a no to a halfbreed who won't even be allowed into the guard because she's not even a proper pony!" the older grey mare responded. She looked way passed retirement age, what was she even doing working here? I can't wait till she retires.

Plus, if I didn't need her for mail, I'd soooo knock her false teeth in. Guard training Sade, pretend its guard training for patience.
"Wait? No mail? since when are they late? they've been here on the fifteenth of every month for three years! how can there be nothing from them? that's not right!"

"Tell someone who cares! Now do you want to actually post a letter? Not that there would be anypony out there who wants a letter from you. If not, get out! I don't need you stinking up the place!
I growled under my breath. Pretend that this is good patience training for being a guard Sade, pretend really hard! I mean, you can't just beat the living tartarus out of some pony if you're a guard because he or she said something offensive about you, no matter how bad you want to.

I sighed, turned and opened the door to the outside, only to be greeted with a full body slam and a tumble to the floor.
"Ugh.. What is it with the attacks these days? Did I piss off some cosmic power or something recently? Is Celestia sending assassins or something?" I asked in a sarcastic tone. I'm so sick of getting hurt!

I turned to face the attacker only to be met with a pair of nicely toned grey flanks in my face. It would seem that the other pony worked out.
Ugh, now isn't the time. "Oi! You alright?" I asked having noticed that the mare on the ground was dazed. I assume she didn't mean to crash into me, but in this town, you can't be sure.. then again, if it really was an accident, I suppose it was either me, or the door... I myself would have preferred them hit the door, but I guess that can't be helped right now. 

"Hey! Grey mare! You alright? You need some help?" I asked again as I stood up, groaning in pain, and moved toward what I could now see is a pegasus mare. she had a medium length blond mane and tail, and her cutie mark was... Bubbles..? What the hay has that got to do with anything? I thought, before looking to my own, a crooked seven and three dashes.. Yeah.. I guess I'm one to talk about nonsensical cutiemarks. Zebra marks... whatever mine is meant to be.

"Uh.. I.. I'm OK! Did anypony catch the license plate of that muffin?"

Muffin? what? "Hey! Mail mare!" I said after noticing her official mailmare bag, now half full of mail, as the rest of it was all over the post office... well.. what better place I guess, and her official mailmare cap, given only to those who are truly dedicated mailmares!... pfft, yeah right.
I moved toward the mare and helped her up, careful to also take care of my own injuries. "Easy there, you flew into me pretty hard, you sure you're alright?"

The mare rubbed her head and her eyes shot open, revealing two large golden eyes, they were really pretty and full of life! Except that they were facing two different directions.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I'm always crashing into things! I'm sorry! are you OK? I'm sorry! I didn't mean to crash into you so hard, I'm sorry, it was an accident! I'm so sorry about that!"

I think she was sorry.

"Yeah, I'm fine. The real question is, are YOU OK? I mean, you did slam into me pr-" 

"Would you two shut up! You're driving me mental! You! Halfbreed! Get out! You! Wall-eye! Deliver the mail and then get out too!"

I started grinding my teeth again, this can not be healthy for my dental hygiene.
Calm down Sade, It's all guard training, its all guard training. Calm down.

"Oh! sorry! Yep! Here you are! sorry it's late, the usual mare who delivers this was sick, it took me a day to get ready for the long tip here." The mailmare said as she passed the bags over to Letter Opener, who obviously wasn't listening. she then noticed something sitting on the top of the piles and piles of letters spilling out of the mailmares' bag on the bench.

"Oi! Halfbreed! the mail here has something for ya. Seems kinda heavy. Maybe they accepted you or something. HA! As if!" Letter Opener bellowed as she passed me my mail, the latter part of what she said didn't phase me, the former part did. It's heaver? I KNEW IT! This is the day I get accepted! I'm so excited!

Without waiting another moment, I tore open the letter to see what was inside it, both of the other mares in the room were watching me, and as they did, they watched the stars in my eyes vanish as the words on the letter I'd been waiting for, had been stated.




REJECTED