An Old Friend's Return

by Thunderblast


Sharpblade, Sergeant Royal Guard

One week later, the warm, gleaming sun rose over Canterlot with small clouds dotting the sky here and there. A cool, refreshing breeze blew through the street grid of the mountainside city as the inhabitants of it made their way to work or to enjoy the day in town.

At his quarters in the Canterlot Palace, Night Shadow had been awake for the last couple of hours—and was busy preparing for the day ahead. For him, there was no time for sleeping in. There was work that had to be done that he preferred to have finished before his friend Sharpblade's re-graduation ceremony from the Royal Guard.

After the accident a few months prior, Sharp's record in the Royal Guard was put with the rest of the deceased officers from over time. This was the first time in history that a guard's record had to be pulled back, but of course, it meant he had to be sworn in all over again. It was a long process, but Night was willing to help Princess Celestia and her guard's high ranking officers with the work and had been up since five that morning finishing it up.

By almost eight that morning, Night was just wrapping up when there was a gentle knock on his door. Too focused on the work, he stayed where he was.

"It's open," he said loud enough for whoever was outside to hear.

The door opened slowly, in walked a dark blue alicorn mare with a white crescent moon cutie mark sitting atop black splotches of what was thought to be the night sky. Her mane forever shifting about in an infinite, ethereal wind, the stars sparkling like every calm, cloudless night. The Lunar Princess walked regally up to Night's desk and gently nudged his side politely, hoping not to startle him.

Night jumped in the slightest bit, quickly snapping his head to the side in surprise. He immediately calmed himself when he realized who it was, and smiled warmly.

"Morning your highness, I didn't expect to see you up this early," he turned his chair to face her.

"I didn't expect to see thou up this early either," Princess Luna looked over Night and his desk. "Still working on Sharp's graduation work?"

Night nodded and yawned slightly. "Been working on it since around five."

"And ho-"

"Before you say I should go back to sleep, I went to bed early last night. I got plenty of it," Night smiled more. He was tired, but not enough to make him fall back asleep.

Princess Luna eased herself. "If thou says so. But, that wasn't what I was about to ask. How do you plan on spending the day after his graduation?"

Night shrugged. "I don't know, I was hoping to spend it with Sharp and the rest of my friends. We haven't all been in one spot at once in...sheesh, I don't know how long it's been. But, today is Sharp's special day."

Princess Luna nodded. "We understand, thou has a great bond with sir Sharpblade and Thunderblast."

"And a few others. Hey, you're welcome to hang out with us. You're a friend too."

Princess Luna cracked a warm smile. "I would love to, Night Shadow, but I am afraid I cannot stay around for long after Sharp is sworn in," she said with a sigh.

Night's smile faded into a frown. "Aww, shame."

"I know. But, a princess has her duties. If I wasn't to have a spot of tea with the Duke and Duchess of Maretonia in Manehattan, I would have been more than happy to spend the day with my friend and his," Princess Luna levitated the same mane brush from before and began slightly straightening out Night's mane where small strands stuck out still.

Night's cheeks flushed a pale pink against his dark grey coat. "But, there is always other times, of course."

"Yes, there is," she smiled and kept brushing his two-toned purple swept back mane. After a few more strokes of the brush, she set it down on his nightstand. "I mustn't keep thou for long if thou wishes to have sir Sharpblade's graduation work complete."

Night shrugged. "It's almost done, so it doesn't matter to me if you stay a little bit longer. I would appreciate the longer company."

Princess Luna smiled again. "We will try to hold ourselves back from brushing thou's mane any more than we already have," she walked over to Night's bed and sat down on it.

Night let out a soft chuckle and turned the chair back towards the desk. "You won't have to wait long, I just need to organize the papers and then you can do whatever to my mane. Just remember it won't stay that way when I go to take a shower."

Princess Luna laughed. "Very well. I shall make your mane as beautiful as possible before you bathe!" She said, levitating the brush again.

***

Standing in front of a tower mirror, Night slipped the gold buttons through the small holes of the jacket and made small adjustments to make sure nothing was off after quick examinations of his dark blue uniform. On his left shoulder was Luna's white crescent moon, just below it his rank insignia in a bright white.

Finishing up, Night looked over the uniform, checking for anything off one last time before giving himself a salute in the mirror, followed by a soft, quiet chuckle. He hadn't worn his dress uniform since the Fall Gala, and to his surprise, it still fit perfectly. When he turned to walk away, he quickly turned back to the mirror and looked closer, now frowning.

"Hmm...perhaps silver buttons would look better," he said. After a pause, he shrugged and trotted away from the mirror and headed out into the hallway, out of his personal quarters and to the throne room where ponies, mainly guards, gathered.

On his way there, he passed by a stallion's room and a mare's room, stopping when he heard the quiet voice of Sharpblade—talking to himself. He walked up to the door and put his ear against it, listening closely.

"You can do this again, Sharp. You've...done it before. No, no I can't. Yes, you can. No!"

Night's ears fell back slightly. He stood back and took the handle in his hoof, twisting it and entering the stallion's bathroom where Sharp stood in his black and red-collared, gold-buttoned uniform, talking to himself in a mirror and shaking like a leaf in the wind.

"Sharp."

Sharp snapped his head to the side, eyes widening. "Night!"

"Are you okay?" Night walked up to the grey unicorn, worry crossing his face.

"Yeah, sure. Are you okay?" Sharp asked nervously.

"I'm just fine," Night sighed. "You're nervous, aren't you?"

"I don't do well in front of crowds."

"I don't know many ponies who do. Hey, just think of it as your first graduation, pretend you're the next in line to be sworn in."

"But Night, that's not how it is. This whole gathering is for my graduation, not the next class fresh out of the academy," Sharp shook still.

"Hey, look at me. Sharp, look at me," Night motioned his hoof for Sharp to look him in the eyes, which he gradually did. "It'll be alright. You'll be up there for...five minutes, no more. Then everypony will be on their way. You hear me?"

Sharp took a moment, and after a lengthy pause, he nodded slowly. "I hear you."

"Good," Night smiled and let out a breath. "It's almost time, we'd better get to the throne room."

***

As the final ponies seated themselves, Night had a final word with Sharp and made his way up the aisle, seating himself in the front beside Thunderblast, Shuriken, and Caspian, the three dressed in their red and black uniforms as well.

"Well?" Thunder whispered.

"I talked to him, he's nervous," Night whispered back.

"I don't blame him."

"I told him he would be up there for five minutes and no more."

The two quieted down when Princess Celestia, Shining Armor, and even captain Cloud Skipper walked to the podium where they stood.

Clearing her throat, Princess Celestia spoke, "Thank you everypony for coming on this wondrous occasion. Today, a great stallion will be sworn in to the Royal Guard. Today, for the first time in Equestrian history, we will be pulling a great royal guard officer's records from the deceased file, back to the active file. Sir Sharpblade, if you would please, walk the aisle."

The doors to the room opened slowly, the crowd turned around and watched as the tall grey unicorn walked slowly down the red-carpeted aisle. The crowd clapped their hooves as he did, bringing a slight blush to his cheeks. Sharp walked up to the podium and stopped, kneeling down and bowing to the Sun princess.

Princess Celestia smiled warmly, bowing her head back, then stepping to the side and taking a seat. "Captain Armor and captain Skipper will now do the honors of swearing Sharpblade in."

Shining Armor, dressed in an all-red suit with a blue ribbon stripe crossing, down his chest with a button of his cutie mark aligned perfectly over it walked closer to Sharp, stopping just before him. Sharp stood up, hooves together and head straight. Then followed a white pegasus with a blonde mane, dressed in a similar uniform to Sharp and the rest of the guard in the room, but with a medal rack over his right chest.

"Sharpblade," Shining Armor said, nodding once to the grey unicorn.

"Captain Armor," Sharp nodded once back.

"Sharpblade," Cloud Skipper nodded.

"Captain Skipper," Sharp nodded.

"If you would please repeat after me," Shining Armor cleared his throat, Sharp nodded in response. "Of honor and duty."

"Of honor and duty."

"Nay for valor."

"Nay for valor."

"Or thirst for blood."

"Or thirst for blood."

"We serve the crown."

"We serve the crown."

"A crushing flood."

"A crushing flood."

"Every's duty."

"Every's duty."

"To protect each other."

"Less we fail."

"Less we fail."

"And lose one another."

"And lose one another."

"On this day, I take the weight."

"On this day, I take the weight."

"Of Equestria on my shoulders."

"Of Equestria on my shoulders."

"And carry with my brothers."

"And carry with my brothers."

"The safety of others."

"The safety of others."