//------------------------------// // Part Five: Private Marigold // Story: Wonderful // by JMac //------------------------------// Part Five: Private Marigold         Everypony in the train car looked at Pansy.  She edged over close to the window, and tried to shrink into the corner between the bench seat and the wall.         “I suppose you all want me to take my turn now?” she wailed.         “Yes, please, Dearie,” said Cookie.         “You haven’t actually picked a life to show Quiz yet, have you?” asked Clover.         “Only because you won’t let me do the one I want!  I want to do Miss Falling Star.”         “No, Pansy.  We can’t show her the future,” said Clover.  “Quiz and Star haven’t even met yet.”         “It would be a spoiler, Pansy,” said Cookie.         “But they’re so important to each other,” cried Pansy.  “Star is Quiz’s first personal assistant.”         “Personal assistant?” asked Quiz.  “Me?”         “Never mind, young filly,” said Clover, sternly.  “Now stop it, Pansy.”         “Pansy does have a point,” mused Cookie.  “Star does become indispensable.  Quiz would have never made it through her first book signing tour without her.”         “Cookie!  Don’t you start, too!”         “Not to mention the lecture series,” said Pansy.         “Pansy!”         “Oh, that is just absurd,” said Quiz.  “If you wish to be taken seriously you shall need a less ridiculous story.  You are, as my friends would say, just messing with me now.”         “We are serious,” said Pansy, sounding a little hurt.  “And it’s not that ridiculous.”         “If they hide the line in another room where you can’t see them you only have to deal with one autograph seeker at a time,” said Cookie.         “And if the stage is lit so you can barely make out only the first row you can lecture…. Blazes, now you have me doing it!”  Clover looked skyward, holding her forelegs wide as if imploring the heavens.  “Pansy, please just take Quiz to her last vision.”         “Very well.  I know where I want to go, I think.  Quiz, in the previous visions you saw how you changed pony’s lives.  This will be a little different.  I’m going to show you a pony you convinced not to change their life.”   Pansy offered Quiz a wing, and Quiz took it.         The world changed. #         It was late at night in the Royal Archives.  The only light came from the lanterns carried by patrolling guards, and a lamp on one table.         A bat pony mare, in a guard’s uniform, approached the little unicorn studying at the table, and spoke softly.  “It’s very late, Quiz.  You should call it a night.  I know you have an early morning class.”         Pansy giggled.  “When the guards start learning your class schedule, it’s a sign you may be spending too much time here.  Clover wasn’t entirely correct about you never using your Royal visitor’s pass.  You used it a lot, but only to get into the Archives at all hours.”         “It is my favorite place in all of Canterlot,” said Quiz.  “I enjoyed working here even more than at Joe’s.  I found it comforting to be surrounded by ancient texts.  And the courtesy and respect I was shown by the guards was nice.”         “They treated you better than your classmates did?” asked Pansy.         “Very much so,” said Quiz.  “Private Marigold in particular was very good to me.”         In the vision, Quiz closed the book she was reading and began loading her papers and quills into her bag.  “You are right, Miss Marigold.  I have accomplished enough for one night.  But you need not worry about me.  I am a functional insomniac.  I need little rest.”         “Never tell a member of the Guard what they should or should not worry about,” said Marigold.  “We like to decide that for ourselves.  I don’t like to see day ponies out all night, it isn’t natural.  Especially growing little ponies like you.”         Watching this, Quiz shook her head and sighed.  “Miss Marigold is one of many ponies who believe my late night habits stunted my growth.  I reject this hypothesis.  I wish ponies would stop worrying about how small I am.” “That ponies worry about you is a good thing, Quiz, said Pansy.          In the Archive, Quiz took her books to a rack for reshelving then turned to leave.  Marigold followed her.  “Miss Marigold, do you mean to walk me back to my dorm again?  It is not actually necessary.” “I’ll be the judge of that, Quiz,” said Marigold.  “It is not the policy of the Guard to allow young Equestrian citizens to wander the streets, alone in the dark.  Besides, if I leave you alone you’ll have your notebook out all the way and you’ll never see the lamp post you walk into.” “That only happened once,” said Quiz.  “I have since become quite good at walking and writing.” Marigold ignored her.  At the exit she spoke to the door guard.  “Sarge, I’m walking the kid home.  Sign me out for a few minutes, will you?” “Take your time, Private.  It’s a quiet night,” said the Sergeant.  “Good night, Quiz.” “Good night, Sir.” They walked along an empty street, Marigold standing close to Quiz.  She was constantly scanning the street ahead, and looking into every shadow. “It seems odd to be escorted,” said Quiz.  “This is the safest district in the city.” “Well, there’s a catch,” said Marigold.  “It’s safe because we patrol here.  If we weren’t here it wouldn’t be so safe.  So, we have to put up with a little boredom so ponies like you don’t get more excitement than you need.” “I notice that you are painting your forehead again,” said Quiz.  “That is a shame.  Your blaze is very pretty.” Marigold had the dark coat most common to bat ponies, but she did sport one patch of color.  She had a bright yellow, flower shaped blaze.  “Yeah, I’d like to show it off, especially since it’s why my folks gave me my name.  But I don’t want to stand out.  I still want to get into Princess Luna’s honor guard.  A perfectly dressed line of guards looks sharpest when they all look alike.” “But Princess Luna has said she does not discriminate based on coat color,” said Quiz. “Yes, but that’s for honored veterans.  A pony like me, who hasn’t won any honors yet, can’t afford to stand out.  We thestrals are traditionalists, we don’t change our attitudes very quickly.  And honor guard commanders are especially old fashioned.  But it probably doesn’t matter.” “Is something wrong?” asked Quiz. Marigold shrugged.  “I can’t get into the honor guard, I can’t get transferred out of Archive duty at all.  And it isn’t satisfying anymore.  In all the time I’ve been there we haven’t had a single intruder.  Some of the scrolls may be priceless, but they’re too well protected to try and steal.  No when anypony could read and copy them just by filling out an application.  The Archives are for the public, after all.” “I am sorry that you are unhappy in your work, Miss Marigold,” said Quiz. “Don’t be sorry,” said Marigold.  “You’re giving me a welcome break.  I signed up to protect ponies, not scrolls.  This is a more satisfying duty.  Don’t get me wrong, the Archive is a national landmark.  It should be guarded.  I was proud to do that at first.  Just not anymore.  Anyway, I have a cousin who’s starting an orchard.  He’ll take me on as a partner if I want.  I’m thinking of doing that instead of re-enlisting.” “Oh,” said Quiz.  “But being a guardian is in your nature.  All the while, as we walked and talked, you have remains constantly alert and scanning everything.  That is a part of what you are.  Would you be happy if you gave that up?” “Well… probably not,” admitted Marigold.  “I’ll have to give it more thought.” They came to Quiz’s dormitory.  Marigold used the door knocker to summon the night porter, who unlocked the door for Quiz.   “Thank you for walking me, Miss Marigold,” said Quiz.  “It is safe, and I am not afraid to be alone in the dark.  Yet it feels good to be escorted.  It is comforting.  I would miss this service.” Marigold waited until Quiz was inside and the door was again closed and locked.  Then she spread her wings and flew back to the Archive. The world changed. # “It continues to amaze me that the Archive guards troubled themselves walking me home,” said Quiz.  “Yet every night I worked late one of them would leave their post to escort me.” “Well, Quiz,” said Pansy.  “What a soldier wants very badly is a sense of purpose.  Protecting a quiet, unchallenged building does not provide that.  Protecting one little pony does.” “I… believe I understand that.  I must make… darn it, where is my notebook?  I have been trying to summon it all night and it does not come to me.”  Quiz began hunting through her bag. “I took it from you,” said Clover.  “And I’ve been blocking your teleport object spell.  We wanted this to be a notebook free evening.” “Bother,” grumbled Quiz. “But back on topic,” said Pansy.  “Marigold decided not to muster out.  Do you know where she is now, Quiz?” “Yes.  I have heard that she was transferred to the guard unit at Big Butte.  She is part of the night patrol at the aerospace center…” Quiz went pale.  “Oh, dear…” “Oh, now don’t you worry,” said Pansy.  “Military personnel are never close to any accident, not the way the civilian experimenters are.  It’s the opposite, in fact.  If there’s an accident, guards are there to act as first responders.  Many ponies might be saved.  Marigold might have an opportunity to demonstrate her bravery and valiantly come to the rescue. She might even win a commendation, and be awarded a medal…” “Pansy!” snapped Clover. “It’s not a spoiler, Clover.  I said it might happen, not that it would.” Clover snorted with disgust.  “I suppose you think you’re being clever.” “A little bit,” said Pansy.  “Anyway, we have to make one more stop.  Quiz must see what happens if nopony tries to talk Marigold out of leaving the service.” The world changed. # Marigold flew over the fence line of her orchard, the setting sun reflecting orange-red off her wings.  She stopped and hovered at a tree she picked at random, and inspected the leaves for insect infestation.   “Hay, cousin!” called Flying Fox.  “You’re up before sunset, as usual.  And still patrolling the perimeter?” “Yeah,” said Marigold, settling to the ground beside him.  “But these days all I’m guarding against is caterpillars and chinch bugs.” “Maybe.  So you don’t have much to guard against, look at all you have to guard!”  Flying Fox swept the acres of fruit trees with a wing.  He picked a ripe pear and bit into it.  The fruit deflated like a balloon, and Fox discarded the rind.  “It’s a good life, Marigold.” “I guess you’re right,” said Marigold. The world changed. # “And it is a good life,” said Pansy.  “Marigold isn’t satisfied, but she has hard work keep her mind off that.  Eventually, she’ll start a family.  She’ll have many little foals to protect.  As alternate realities go, it isn’t bad at all.  But this is not Marigold’s best destiny.” “I see,” said Quiz.  “I have a question.  But I am afraid it will anger Miss Clover if I ask.” Clover grimached.  “Oh, fine, go ahead.  Pansy’s already put the idea in your head, so I guess it can’t hurt any more.” “Thank you, Miss Clover,”  said Quiz.  “You say Marigold might someday rescue ponies from an accident.  If she never goes to Big Butte what becomes of them?” “Oh, dear,” said Pansy.  “Well, Quiz, if their rescuer is not there then these ponies… um… er… will not be rescued.” Quiz shuddered. “Oh, and you should remember that Marigold has a long career ahead of her,” said Pansy.  “This is just the first of many acts of valor she might someday perform.” “Pansy!” “I said might, Clover.”