“I really appreciate all the advice for setting up here Applejack,” said Travel Quill as Applejack lead him to the Ponyville Guest House, with Pinkie Pie hopping along next to them.
“Aw shucks, t’weren’t nothin’,” replied Applejack automatically.
“I mean it! I’m not exactly the greatest with new situations, if you haven’t noticed, and this definitely counts,” countered Travel.
“Ah don’t know, ya caught on quick as a mouse at Pinkie’s party,” replied Applejack with a smile.
“Wasn't it just the most super awesome thing you've done since last month’s second Wednesday?!”
Travel paused for a moment and answered honestly, “It was a lot of fun, it really was.”
“Wait a second! How do you know about…” Travel paused. His brain was definitely hurting right now.
“Know about what?” asked Pinkie without a hint of playing games. In fact she looked a bit confused now.
“Er, never mind. It’s not important.”
A familiar accented voice provided a welcome distraction.
“Well, I was going to do my part as an upstanding citizen soldier, but it looks like you’ve already got the most dependable pony around to get you set up.”
At this Applejack sighed and lowered her hat over her face for a moment before pushing it back up. “As Ah was just tellin’ Mr. Quill here, it ain’t a big deal, I’m just helpin’ him get set up in town, Warden.”
Warden didn’t miss a beat. “Ha Ha! Yes, of course! I was merely stating the obvious. I already met with Travel here, when he made his way into town earlier today. I was, in fact, going to locate him and do the very thing you’re doing now, by the looks of it. Did you have fun at Pinkie’s welcome party, Travel?”
“I did,” Travel repeated.
“Excellent! I’m sure you did a superb job as always, Pinkie,” remarked Warden as he turned to the Mare of Many Parties.
“Yeppers!” Came her reply.
Warden turned back to Travel Quill. “You said you travel and write of places, ponies, and experiences. I’d bet you already have a few stored up in the old noggin and ready to go!”
“That’s certainly the truth,” Travel said wryly.
“Well then, I’ll let these two show you to the guest house. Hopefully our paths cross again soon. Enjoy your time in this most interesting of Equestrian towns!” said Warden, then turned back to Applejack and Pinkie Pie. “And a good evening to each of you as well.
“Wait! I have a spare cupcake from the party, Warden!” Exclaimed Pinkie Pie.
“Was that in your mane? Just how- right, never mind,” finished Travel Quill as Warden gave him a look.
Warden once again stood alone outside the little guard house on the edge of Ponyville. It was fairly early, and so far three ponies had passed by his post: a pair of simple merchants and the town mailmare, who passed by with a cheerful, “Good morning!” as she carried her outbound mailbag.
Spike may not have made a very good Rainbow Dash, but I’ll bet she could fill in for Pinkie. Thought Warden, idly.
Any further idle musing was interrupted.
“Yo, Warden! Watch the town for us!” shouted the voice of Rainbow Dash as she rushed past him.
“Think of the speedster and she shall rocket past you… hm, no, that barely makes sense at all.”
Warden then became aware of the hoof steps behind him, and turned back towards town. “Hi, Warden!” Said Pinkie from behind him. She wasn’t alone. With her were the rest of the Element Bearers minus Rainbow Dash.
“Ah, the whole team is assembled with supplies for a journey, I see. Which road will you be taking out of here. It can’t be that far if you’re not taking the train.”
“Actually, darling we are taking train. Quite a ways north east of here, in fact. We’re just waiting for Rainbow to remember this amidst her excitement and return to us so we can get underway,” clarified Rarity with only the slightest hint of exasperation. “But as she said, be a dear for us and watch the town while we’re out.”
Warden put on a mask of surprise. “Me? Was there not a small detachment of actual Royal Guard stationed here ever since that unpleasant business with Tirek. I should say, it’s about time we got some real guardsponies here to supplement us weekend warriors!”
Twilight Sparkle, of course, didn’t buy the act for a moment. “Maybe the other town guards could say that, but you were an ‘actual Royal Guard’ before some of them even signed up. You were a peacekeeper in an Equestrian trade settlement on one of the islands right up against the Gryphon Kingdom, right? That’s farther than most of them have ever been.”
“Or us, come to think of it,” Applejack added.
“Ak! The Princess of Books strikes again.” This earned a eye roll from Twilight, but there was a light smile on her face. The sound of pegasus wings could now be heard, heralding Rainbow’s return to the group.
“Oh, Rainbow, it’s nice to see you back,” said Fluttershy in her quiet tone of complete and utter sincerity.
“Of course you’ve read my file, as it were - you read everything. Not only that - you managed to make me feel old. I’m not old! I’m maybe a decade older than you lot, give or take a year or two. Yes, I did serve at Blackperch for a time,” continued Warden, reminiscing a bit. “Me and my old Guard crew had a few adventures worth telling about there… and elsewhere.”
“And you were mighty helpful with gittin’ folks to stay inside when Tirek showed up, we barely had to say a word and you were takin’ charge and leadin’ ponies to safety,” Applejack chimed in again.
“Sounds like you might have some pretty sweet stories! Did you ever fight any monsters back then?” Asked Rainbow with obvious excitement.
“We may have dealt with one or two. Nothing on the scale of what you girls face every other month or so, I assure you,” Warden admitted. To himself he quietly mumbled something about “wretched spiders.”
Rainbow Dash puffed up her chest a bit at the compliment, but the confirmation that Warden had, in fact, fought monsters of some description was enough to gain her approval. “Awesome! You’re definitely in charge until we get back!”
“And what about the mayor?” Inquired Warden, in a teasing tone.
“Whatever, you know what I mean,” Rainbow fired back.
“Alright girls, let’s get moving,” said Twilight, bringing her friends back to the task at hoof.
“Farewell, Operative Sparkle, may your foes be felled by the power of your friendship!” exclaimed Warden with a dramatic swipe of his right foreleg.
At this Twilight had to stop and turn back around. “Operative?” She asked with a raised brow.
“Hmm, perhaps ‘Agent’ would work better. What would you call somepony who leads a small, tight knit group to accomplish important missions all the time? It certainly rolls off the tongue better than Her Serene Highness, Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship.”
Ooh, he’s totally got you there, Twilight,” commented Pinkie. “Can we all pick codenames? It’ll be just like back in the Crystal Empire! I should get my night vision goggles!”
“Er, I think ‘Twilight’ is enough, without the extra titles,” returned the Princess.
“Suit yourself, Twilight,” said Warden.
“Can we pleeease get moving now?” Rainbow asked.
“Alright, for real this time. Let’s go everypony!”