//------------------------------// // Intermission: Guardian // Story: Land of Friendship and Magic // by Archmage Ansrit //------------------------------// The heiress was... different. She was unlike any other member of the family. She was different. She was softer than the clouds, and gentler than a breeze. Different. She would come home crying because foals could not appreciate her uniqueness. This upset them; even grandmother, for all her steel, could see her and love her for the sweet blossom she was - yet, they did not dare raise a hoof against her detractors, becuase she would not bear the thought of causing others pain. Soft, but delicate. But not alone. Never alone. There was one other - a younger foal, but in some ways much wiser than even some of the adults. At first glance obsessed with her image and absorbed in her own 'greatness'... yet capable of recognizing the greatness of-and-in others, never putting them down for the sake of her own ego. Somepony who doesn't 'get' bullying - and yet so young! Somepony willing to admit the talents of others, even where they surpass her own! It was heartening. But the young heiress still required a protector. He was chosen among many. He was everything she would need in a protector - stern, but caring; aggressive, but loyal. He was turned into a familiar by some of the older friends of the family; a couple of retired Academy professors that studied arcanobiology. He had been a humble Category One creature - if an exceptional specimen of one, nearing Two of his own merit; he was elevated to a high Category Two, and had his mind sharpened further, and lifespan expanded a hundredfold to better match that of the heiress - should nothing strange happen to her to lengthen it, and he had been chosen precisely so that nothing will threaten to shorten it. He had trained among others, and he was chosen, for even a pony (Category Seven at the minimum) would find it difficult to contend with him. He was accepting of this destiny, because he knew that, if Friendship really was the Magic that permeated the tapestry of the world, he would see them again. To the determined one, he... might have been less-than patient, but his wisdom and strength (both of character and body) were always appreciated. To the wise one, he respected his intellect, and would miss the passionate discusions of philosophy, no matter how much he groaned and complained about how long he could talk with the others. To the aggressive one, he would miss the sparring sessions; she really was the only one who could give him a run for his money. To the silent one, he never understood him and thought he was weird, but he was fun to be around. He was chosen for her, because her own nature was ill-suited for a more traditional means of protection (well, traditional for the family, given that familiars were another old tradition). She loved him with all of her tender little heart, as was her nature, and brought him with her to her abode - another peculiarity of hers, as her chosen residence was so unlike those of the rest of the family. He, in turn, loved her, as her own shining soul was a beacon of peace that made him feel content. She even gave him the name that should have been hers. He knew he did not deserve such a name, it suited her better than it did him. Her purity of spirit and deed had earned her that name thousands of times over. Nonetheless, she called him Angel.