Dog Days

by Rare Twinkie

4-Job Interview

In Huck's opinion, the city of Canterlot looked even more magnificent up close. He'd heard many stories from Rarity and Twilight about how grand it was, but now that he could see the purple, white and gold spires towering above, and the elegantly dressed ponies that walked around the town, he felt as though he were slightly out of place. He'd never been in a kingdom this fancy before; all of the castles and kingdoms he'd worked in years ago paled in comparison to this.

As the train started to pull to a stop, he felt the familiar nervous jitters start to settle in his stomach, the ones he always got before going in for a job interview. He licked his lips nervously, feeling halfway ready to run back to Ponyville on foot if he had to.

Someone tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned to see Twilight standing there. She looked slightly concerned. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Huck forced a small smile on his face. "I'll be okay. I'm just a bit nervous," he admitted.

"Oh. Well, I can't blame you for that. You are applying for a job in Canterlot, after all," she replied, leading him out of the train.

Huck stared in awe at the tall buildings and the elite of Canterlot, who were practically dripping with jewels. They all laughed haughtily at some joke that a white-coated stallion with a blue mane had made, their heads raised snootily in the air. The other ponies who were walking about gave Huck a once-over before continuing on their way, some snickering rudely. It made Huck boil with anger.

"Don't mind them, darling," Rarity said. "These Canterlot ponies can be quite...snobbish."

"That's one way of putting it," Applejack said.

"So, Huck, how do you feel about the new job?" Rainbow asked.

"Shuckins, well...I feel grateful to Princess Celestia for getting me the job in the first place," Huck noted.

"But...?" Twilight inquired, sensing something else behind Huck's explanation.

Huck sighed. "But...I feel mighty nervous," he answered, "for two reasons."

"What reasons are those?" Pinkie asked.

"One, I'm in a city with a lot of super-rich ponies. And two, I'm afraid I'll screw up on the job," he said, "like every other job I've held."

"Don't worry, Huck," Fluttershy said. "I think you'll do great at your new job."

"Thanks, Fluttershy, but I've never done great at anything," he said. "I'm an utter failure of an employee, just like everyone says back home."

"Oh, Huck, don't believe them! They're just trying to make themselves look better than you," Pinkie said.

"I know that, but...it still gets to me," Huck said. "I mean, y'all all have jobs and positions, which you enjoy. Me...I've never had that feeling when I do my jobs. I always feel so empty and drained afterwards."

"Well, why don't you find something that you like to do and focus on that?" Applejack said. "That's how everypony gets their professions after all."

"I hope I don't sound too rude in asking this," Huck started, "but do those...symbols on your flanks have something to do with your professions?"

"Yep! Everypony here has a cutie mark, which symbolizes their special talents and what they were born to do," Twilight explained.

"Y'all are born with those things?"

"No, darling. Everypony earns their cutie mark by discovering their special talent on their own," Rarity corrected.

"Kinda like how people do it back on Earth," Huck noted. "Only thing is, people don't get signs on their sides telling others what their talent is. They kinda go through different things before settling on one thing. Well, that's how most people decide on a career."

"How do you decide on a career?" Twilight asked.

"Well, ever since I was a boy, I wanted to be a builder. I always liked putting stuff together," Huck said, "and I liked to invent some new things."

"So, why didn't you become a builder or an inventor?" Rainbow asked.

"...A lot of things popped up," Huck said quietly. His tone was sad. "Long story short, it's why I ended up with a lot of jobs in the first place."

"But, how come-" Rainbow started, only for Twilight to stop her by placing a hoof on her shoulder. She inclined her head to the somber expression on Huck's face, and she stopped short of speaking.

"I kinda don't like to talk about it," he said. "'sides, I don't want to sadden y'all or anything." He let out a sigh and gave a small smile. "So, where is Princess Celestia's castle?"

Everyone looked at each other with worried expressions, but it was clear that Huck didn't want to talk about it anymore. Fluttershy finally broke the silence.

"It's actually right up ahead," she explained. "We'd better get going. She'll be waiting for you."

"Right." Huck adjusted his hat and picked up his suitcase. "Come on, y'all. Let's go ahead and go in."

Uneasily, the ponies walked in after Huck.

"I'm glad you were able to come, Huckleberry," Princess Celestia greeted upon Huck's entry.

Huck stood up from kneeling and placed his hat back on his head. "Thank you for inviting me here, Your Majesty," he said politely. "This is one fancy castle. I reckon this place is even fancier than Twilight's castle." He stared at the stained glass windows in awe.

Celestia chuckled. "Indeed, this place is quite grand," she said.

"I feel a little out of place in places like this, y'know. Like...I'm a commoner who doesn't belong," Huck answered. "Well, to be honest, I am a commoner back home..."

Celestia walked over to Huck and gently placed a hoof on his shoulder. Her smile was kind. "Huckleberry, no matter what the other ponies of Canterlot say, your societal status matters little to me," she said. "Commoner or not, I believe that you have a good heart and an even greater work ethic. You'll do well here among the others."

Huck felt heat rising onto his face, and he looked shyly at his feet. He was certain that his whole face was as red as a beet. "Shuckins...thank you kindly, Your Majesty," he answered. "But I still feel weird about takin' this here job offer. I mean, what if I screw up?"

"Huckleberry, everyone makes mistakes," Celestia replied gently.

"Yeah, but my mistakes always end up hurting people. I was always a little clumsy," he said. "And in royalty, that can get you fired, real quick-like."

"I always believe in giving others second chances," Celestia explained, "sometimes more if necessary. So, you won't need to worry about being fired immediately if you mess up. That doesn't mean, however, that I won't call you out for any actions you make on your own."

"Got it, Your Majesty. I'll keep myself in check as often as possible. Or find someone else to do it for me," Huck replied.

Just then, the doors to the throne room opened and a gray-coated unicorn stallion with a silver-blue mane strode into the room, dressed in gold armor and carrying a spear. His gold eyes swept around the room before settling on Huck, which then narrowed into a small, condescending frown.

"So, you are the Huckleberry Hound that Her Majesty assigned to my squadron, I presume?" he boomed, his accent thick and his voice rough.

"Uh...yes, sir," Huck replied. "I came for a job interview and everything, sir."

The male pony gave him a quick once-over before sniffing. "Hmph. Very well. I am Captain Thunderfrost of the Royal Guard. Under my command, you will become an excellent guard," he said. "Have you had any experience in being a guard?"

"Yes, sir. Back home, I was a prison warden, and a security guard," he said.

"And how long was that?"

"Uh...about a few weeks or so. I had to quit since I started several new jobs."

"Interesting. Being an Royal Guard, however, deals with a lot more than simply protecting the royals. As a member, you must also look out for all of the people in Equestria and beyond," Thunderfrost explained. "You are expected to fight to the death in order to protect this country. Is that understood?"

In other words, it's kinda like being a soldier, Huck thought to himself. "Yes, sir, crystal clear!" he said.

"Good. Now come along with me. We have several papers to sign before you can start your training," he said, "and seeing as a new threat has been made against Equestria, I need to get it done within a week."

"A-A week?!" Huck exclaimed.

"It's a lot of work," Thunderfrost answered, "but you'll live."

"R-Right, sir," Huck replied, somewhat uneasy. With a small smile towards Princess Celestia, he made his way out of the room and jogged to catch up with Thunderfrost.

As soon as the doors closed, a familiar voice filled Celestia's ears. "Do you think it was a good idea to set him into the Royal Guard, sister?"

Celestia turned to face her little sister, Princess Luna, who had come in from the other room. Judging from the curious expression on her face, Celestia guessed that Luna had heard the whole conversation. She nodded.

"Yes. I have checked every position that was available, but most didn't want a stranger from another world taking jobs," she explained. "I felt that having Huckleberry Hound join the Royal Guard would give him the confidence he needs. The more confidence he has in himself, the more confidence he will have in his work."

"So, you saw the same thing that I saw, in other words."

"Yes. And knowing my student and her friends, I'm sure they've noticed it as well in his behavior."

"This is a lot of papers to sign," Huck muttered. "There are even some for insurance?"

"Yes, in case you end up injured on duty. We'll compensate you for any damages," Thunderfrost said. "In the unfortunate event that you are killed in the line of duty, who would you like to send your funds to?"

"Well...there's my ma, my girlfriend Desert Flower, and my five brothers," Huck said, naming off the people he knew. "I'd leave some to my friends, too, but I don't have that much."

"I see." Thunderlane watched as Huck signed the paper that he'd been talking about. As soon as he'd finished, he took the papers and stacked them. "Thank you for signing them, Mr. Hound. I expect to see you here bright and early tomorrow morning, at 7 A.M. sharp."

"You're welcome, and thank you, sir. I look forward to working with you and the rest of the squadron," Huck said, extending his paw.

Thunderfrost extended his hoof to meet Huck's paw, and shook it firmly. "Likewise."

The moment Huck stepped out of the office, a very familiar voice squealed in his ears, "What happened? Did you get the job? Did you?"

Huck chuckled, turning around to face Pinkie, who was bouncing happily in place. "Yes, Pinkie. I'm supposed to start tomorrow," he said.

Pinkie gave a big cheer, and then she started to shudder violently. Huck immediately became concerned. "What's the matter, Pinkie?!" he shouted.

Pinkie launched into the sky like a rocket, two streams of pink and magenta trailing behind her. The force blew Huck into the walls of the castle, and he shook his head, watching as Pinkie cheered in midair, fireworks exploding around her.

"WOOHOO!" she called. "You did get a job here after all!" She then zoomed over to where Huck was standing, grasping his face with her hooves. "You know what this calls for, right?!"

"No," Huck replied.

"A PARTY!" She then released his face and started to do cartwheels out the door. "Come on! We've got to meet with the rest of the girls for lunch, and then it's off to Ponyville so we can throw you a big party!"

Huck stared, utterly bewildered by what he'd just seen. "And Spike said I'd get used to this sort of thing?" he muttered aloud.

An hour later, Huck found himself sitting outside with the rest of the girls, who were all chatting excitedly about many things. It hadn't taken long for Pinkie to blurt out the news that he'd gotten his new job, and Huck had gotten rounds of congratulations from all of them. Rarity insisted on celebrating at one of her favorite bistros, which was the one of the best in Canterlot.

The nasty look the waiter had shot him when he'd ordered a ham sandwich had quickly told him that the cuisine wasn't catered to dogs, however.

"So, where are you going to stay in the meantime?" Twilight asked.

"Are you staying in a suite in the castle like Rarity did for Twilight's birthday?" Fluttershy asked.

"I'm only staying in the suite for a little while. Princess Celestia offered it to me so that I'd be able to attend the training sessions on time," Huck answered. "I told her that she didn't have to be so generous, but she insisted."

"The same thing happened to me, darling," Rarity said. "I was eternally grateful to the princess after she offered me a stay in that private suite."

"I can't thank you enough for helping me get this job, Twilight," Huck said. "If there's anything I can do to repay you-"

"There's no need, Huck," Twilight interrupted, lightly waving a hoof. "It was nothing."

"That's a whole lot of nothing! If you hadn't told Princess Celestia that I needed work, I would've been stuck doing nothing the whole time. And for that, I'm truly grateful, Twilight," Huck said.

Twilight smiled. "You're welcome, Huck."

"Hey, are we done with lunch now? I want to get back to Ponyville and prepare the 'Hooray! Huck got a new job and new friends in his new world' party!" Pinkie cried.

Huck chuckled. "Alright, Pinkie. We'll get goin' soon enough," he said. "I just want to finish up this daffodil sandwich." Just as he started to take a bite of his sandwich, something hard and pointy struck him in the head. He turned around to see something tall and gangly crash into a nearby table full of Canterlot nobles. Horrified gasps rang out through the bistro as the figure sent a teapot crashing onto an elder mare with a curly blond mane. Her face went beet red, and her entourage glared at the figure with disgust.

"Well, I never!" she grumbled, before abruptly getting out of her chair and leaving. The other ponies left soon afterwards, muttering something about a "stupid human who should've never been let in".

"Grrr...Muttley, you blundering fool! Look what you made me do!"

A snickering, whistling laugh filled everyone's ears, which only served to stupefy the other ponies.

"Who in the blazes is that?" Applejack asked.

"I don't know," Twilight said. She then noticed out of the corner of her eye that Huck's eyes were wide with surprise as he watched the figure get up. "Huck, do you know who that is?"

"I...I sure do," Huck answered. "Dick Dastardly and Muttley?! Here?!"

Standing up to his full height, Dick Dastardly towered over the fellow ponies, giving them all cruel stares as he looked at them. A mangy brown dog wearing a pilot's helmet appeared next to him, snickering still at his master.

"Ah, Huckleberry Hound," he said, spitting out the name as though it were poison.

"Dick Dastardly," Huck answered curtly, his expression curled into a frown and his voice cool. "What brought you here to Equestria?"

"That's none of your business," Dastardly snapped.

"Nice to see you again, too," Huck replied.

Pinkie looked from human to dog and back. "So...you guys know each other?" she asked.

"A little too well," Huck said. "Dick Dastardly and his dog Muttley are nothin' but trouble. You'd do best to stay away from them, Pinkie."

"You're one to talk, you mangy hick. You and your crazy friends caused me nothing but trouble during those treasure hunts," Dastardly growled.

"Maybe if you weren't tryin' to steal them for your own evil purposes, we wouldn't have had to run into you," Huck counter. "I was glad when we had collected all of those treasures, since it meant that I wouldn't have to worry about seein' your ugly face again."

"What was that?!" Dastardly roared, going almost as red as his hat.

Muttley once again let out that snickering laugh, which only served to infuriate Dastardly. He slapped the mutt upside the head, which made him growl in anger.

"I've said it for years, and I'll say it to your face," Huck answered. "Dick, you're the greediest, rudest and just plain annoying human I've ever met. Nobody likes you or your bad-tempered, snickering dog. I reckon you got tired of people telling you that, but it's the truth, no matter how much it hurts."

"Alright, that's enough!" Twilight turned to Huck with a very severe glare. "There's no need to be rude, Huck. He didn't even do anything!"

"This doesn't concern you, pony," Dick Dastardly said, glaring at Twilight. For a moment, the alicorn became slightly unnerved. The anger coming from his eyes was almost paralyzing. The other ponies noticed this, and Rainbow, Rarity and Applejack slowly stood up from their chairs, locking eyes with the human. Pinkie "oohed" at the sight, while Fluttershy shrank in her seat. Huck sat in his chair, arms crossed and looking unimpressed and angry.

For a long moment, nobody spoke. Even the bistro went silent, as all eyes were glued on the scene at the table across from them.

Finally, Dick Dastardly stood up and turned away from Twilight. He gave an aside glance to Huck, who focused on him with that same unimpressed, angry look.

"Stay out of my way while you're in Canterlot, dog," he snarled, "or else you're going to pay for it. Dearly. Are we crystal clear on that?"

"Trust me, Dick, you don't want to do that. Because if that involves hurting my friends, you're going to be the one paying for it, dearly," Huck answered back, his tone low with anger. "Are we crystal clear on that?"

A chorus of "oohs" arose from the other ponies. Dick Dastardly said nothing, but the veins in his head looked ready to burst. With a jerk of his head towards Muttley, he made his way out of the bistro, almost kicking over a few other patrons. Muttley pointed his fingers towards his eyes and then at Huck's, and then he left as well. Excited chatter arose moments later.

"Phew, that's a relief," Applejack muttered, sitting back into her chair. "I was worried that things were going to get physical."

"I'm glad it didn't," Fluttershy squeaked.

"Huck, what was it with you speaking so rudely to him?" Twilight asked.

Huck turned towards her with a somewhat surprised look. "If you knew half of the things he did to me and my friends, you wouldn't be talking to him all polite and lady-like, Twilight," he said.

"So...this Dick Dastardly is from your world too?" Rainbow asked.

Huck nodded. "Yeah. Everyone knows who he is, and everyone hates his guts. He and his dog ain't nothin' but trouble," he said. "I wouldn't be surprised if he was here to stir up somethin' in Canterlot."

"Even so...I don't think threatening him was a good idea," Twilight replied.

"He threatened to make me pay dearly if I got in his way. I may not be a genius, Twilight, but I know that he's gonna go after what friends I have here in Equestria," Huck answered. "And at the moment, he meant you six."

Spike coughed from his position near Fluttershy.

"Well, seven, countin' Spike," Huck added quickly. "And I'm not going to let anybody hurt any of y'all, especially that freak."

"Whoa...you're mad," Rainbow remarked, looking both surprised and cowed at Huck's angry look.

"Of course I'm mad! He shouldn't have threatened my friends!"

"Huck, take a minute to calm down," Fluttershy advised. "Getting worked up about it isn't going to help matters."

Huck turned towards the yellow pegasus, who came out from under her seat and flew over to him. Her expression was gentle as she looked at Huck.

"But, Fluttershy-"

"But nothing," the pegasus said sternly. "I understand that you're upset, but I don't think you need to get too worked up over him. If he bothers you again, you have us. We'll stand up to him and tell him to back down. There's standing up to a bully, and then there's being one." She looked down at the ground, sadly. "I know. It happened to me once."

Huck paused, considering what Fluttershy was saying. After a moment, he sighed. "You're right, Fluttershy. I didn't mean to get that nasty with Dick Dastardly, but he's...he's just so annoying. I reckon he likes to get a rise out of folks."

"I think from now on, you should just ignore him," Fluttershy suggested. "That way, you won't have to worry about saying really mean things to him."

"...alright. I'll try and do that," Huck answered. "Thank you, Fluttershy. I kind of needed that. It takes a lot for me to get angry, but when I do get mad..."

"It's hard for you to pull it back, right?" Fluttershy asked. Huck nodded. "You just need to keep practicing at reigning it in, that's all. That's what I have to do all the time."

Huck smiled, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see the rest of the ponies smiling back too. He was glad that Fluttershy helped him control his anger in time, or else he might have done something that he would have surely regretted. And he certainly didn't want to do that to his new friends.

"Even so, I gotta admit, the way you stood up to that Dick Dastardly guy was pretty cool," Rainbow remarked. "He had just threatened us and you didn't even bat an eye when you told him off."

"Well, it's nothing I'm proud of," Huck said.

"Are you kidding? I would've been in a shouting match with that guy," Rainbow said.

"How about we talk about this on the way back to Ponyville, girls?" Twilight said, standing up from her chair. "We can't miss our train."

"That's right! Come on, Huck! We've gotta go!" Pinkie cried. Before Huck could even say anything, the pink pony was already dragging him single-hoofedly to the train station, much to the confusion and the amusement of the Canterlot elite.

"Come on, girls," Twilight chuckled as she paid the tab. "Knowing Pinkie, she's not going to wait for us forever."

A few hours later, Huck found out quickly that Pinkie hadn't been kidding about being the town party planner.

When he'd arrived at Sugarcube Corner after dinner, he was shocked to see the townspeople alongside Pinkie and the others. The pink mare smiled brightly as he walked in, slightly awed.

"Here he is! Let's give him a warm welcome, everypony!" she cried.

Everypony stomped the ground in applause, some even shouting their approval. Huck didn't know what to do other than wave shyly. Back home, people never threw parties this festive.

Just then, a small glass of honey-brown liquid floated into his paw. He looked up to see Twilight standing there, levitating a glass of her own.

"What is this?" he asked.

"It's apple cider, silly! I only bring out for super special parties like this one!" Pinkie said. "Applejack's family made it!"

"Thank you kindly, Applejack," Huck said.

"You're welcome!" Applejack replied.

"Well, Huck, we're all happy that you've settled into Equestria and have made some new friends," Spike said, "and, on top of that, getting a new job. I hope you really come to like it here!"

"Shuckins...I don't know what to say," Huck said, beaming. "Thank you, everypony. I hope to be friends with all of you!"

"I'll drink to that!" Rainbow called. "Cheers!"

"Cheers!" Everyone clinked their glasses and drained their glasses of apple cider. Huck was almost knocked back by the strong, sweet taste of his drink.

"Wow! That's gotta be the best apple cider I've ever tasted!" he said.

"There's plenty more where that came from!" Applejack said, pouring him another glass. "Enjoy to your heart's content, Huck!"

"You bet I will," the hound replied, drinking the glass.

The festivities continued long into the night.

The next morning, Huck woke up to find himself covered in icing and confetti, and laying on top of Rarity. He looked all around the room, which looked like a hurricane had come in and swept everything across the whole store. Cake, confetti, streamers, and ponies lay everywhere, some snoring loudly, others moaning as they slowly got their feet.

Huck got up slowly, feeling his muscles start to ache. It had certainly been one wild party. There had been food fights, truth or dare and all sorts of party games. There had even been a karaoke session, which Huck enthusiastically joined in. Although not everypony appreciated his singing, he didn't care, as he enjoyed the songs that were being sung and had wanted to sing them himself. After that, everypony had danced until the wee hours of the morning, at which he'd decided to turn in for the night in one of the chairs. Huck guessed that he must've rolled off and ended up sleeping on top of Rarity.

He looked up at the clock and saw that it was a quarter till eight.

A quarter till eight. And he was supposed to meet Thunderfrost at seven.

His eyes widened. "I'm dead." He shoot up from the floor, barely avoiding tripping over Rainbow Dash as he ran out of the building. "I'm deader than dead!"

The cyan pegasus slowly opened her eyes, seeing Huck disappear through the doors of Sugarcube Corner through double vision. "What the hay?"

"Dagnabit...I knew I'd miss the train, but still...." Huck resisted the urge to swear as he came to the empty train station. After he'd realized that he'd missed his train, he'd run back, woke up Rarity, and asked her if he could use her bathroom to clean himself up for his job. Although she did have a headache from all of the apple cider, she was willing to let Huck inside her house in order to let him get ready for work. It had taken two washes to get the frosting and confetti out of his fur, and then he had thrown on the travel outfit she had made for him.

He sighed. At this rate, Thunderfrost must surely be reconsidering having hired him...

"Hey, what's going on, Huck?"

Huck turned to face Rainbow Dash, who was standing there looking bewildered. "Well, I missed my train and I'm running late for work!" he said. "And the next one doesn't come for another hour!"

"Hmm..." Rainbow scratched her chin with her hoof, squinting slightly. Then, her eyes widened as she came up with an idea. "No train? No problem!"

"What in the Sam Hill are you talkin' about? It's a really big problem!"

"Hop on!" Rainbow said, leaning down so Huck could get on. The coonhound's eyes widened in surprise. "Look, if you want to get to your job without some serious consequences..."

"Oh, alright." Huck made his way over to Rainbow Dash and climbed onto her back. She let out an "oof" as she tried to adjust his weight on her back. "Are you okay with my bein' on you, Rainbow?"

"Heh, Rarity wasn't kidding when she said you were heavy," Rainbow said. She tossed him a pair of goggles from out of nowhere, right before unfurling her wings. "You may want to put those on."

Huck put the goggles on his head, but barely had time to adjust them before Rainbow took off, so fast that he was certain his fur would rip off. He frantically grabbed Rainbow's mane in an effort to hold on, and she shouted back, "Hey! Quit pulling my hair!"

Whatever else Huck had been about to say was drowned out by a thunderous boom as Rainbow went supersonic, the force almost throwing him off. He dared a look down at the ground, and immediately wished that he hadn't. Ponyville was rapidly disappearing, replaced by the dark green fields and the side of the mountain where Canterlot was. If he didn't hold on tight enough, it was going to be a long fall, and he'd be nothing more than a splat on the fields.

"WHY DIDN'T I JUST TAKE THE TRAIN?!" he screamed.

"Has Huckleberry Hound arrived yet?" Thunderfrost asked.

"No sir, not yet," one of the guards replied. "We searched his suite at the castle, but he wasn't there."

"Hmmm." Thunderfrost looked at the clock. It was only ten minutes until eight. He tapped his hooves impatiently as he looked at the front door. Tardiness in the Royal Guard just wouldn't do under his watch; Huckleberry Hound would do good to learn that in the future, if and when he showed up.

"Sir, should we conduct another search?" the guard asked.

"Head into Ponyville. From what Her Majesty has told me, he's made some new friends there," Thunderfrost explained. "Perhaps they could explain where he is and what he's up to."

The guard nodded, but no sooner had he turned to open the doors than a multicolored blur streaked through like a bullet, followed by several pegasi guards. The blur crashed into a heap, revealing it to be an exhausted Rainbow Dash and a very wild-eyed Huckleberry Hound.

"I-It seems I'll be calling off that search now, sir," the guard responded.

"MR. HOUND!" Thunderfrost's voice boomed across the room. "What in Equestria are you doing?!"

Huck didn't answer, only turning to face the panting Rainbow, who was gulping down air greedily. He sat up uneasily, his expression concerned. "Are you okay, Rainbow?!" he asked.

"Not...really..."

"Shuckins, I'm mighty sorry about this," he muttered. "Also, I'm mighty sorry about being late, Mr. Thunderfrost, sir. I promise I won't do it again, sir."

"Is there a reason for your being late?"

"Not a very good one." Huck gulped as he looked up at Thunderfrost, who was glaring at him. "I spent the night partyin' away with my friends in Ponyville and I overslept. I had to rely on Rainbow Dash to get me here, or else I might've been here an hour late. Once again, I'm very sorry for neglecting orders, sir."

Thunderfrost leaned back from Huck's face, glowering down at him. "I'm only going to let you off the hook this once, Mr. Hound. But if this happens again, you will be discharged without delay. You would do well to remember that I'm not always so forgiving in the future."

"Y-Yes, sir..."

"Very well, then. After you help your friend back to the train station, I want you to come back here so we can begin your training. Seeing as you were almost an hour late, we're going to have to work three lessons in one day," Thunderfrost said. "Do you have any objections, Mr. Hound?"

"N-No, sir."

"Good. Get her out of here and meet me back in twenty minutes," Thunderfrost ordered. He turned to three of the other guards, who were whispering and laughing at Huck. "You three are still on duty! Quit gawking and start working!"

That got them to stop laughing. With a quick salute, the guards made their way to the throne room.

Huck sighed. "Some first impression I made," he mumbled.