//------------------------------// // Barracks // Story: Tiny Twilight Tales // by Foals Errand //------------------------------// Twilight glanced left then right before releasing a deep sigh and sitting down on her haunches. It was official, she had definitely taken a wrong turn past that third staircase. Her ears pinned back as she swallowed hard, determined not to cry. Mommy had always told her to stay where she was if she got lost. But does that count in a big dark scary hallway? She shivered a small sob escaping her. “H-hello! Is anypony around? I’m lost!” Twilight called down the hallway her voice echoing. After a few moments the echos stopped and she was surrounded by silence once more. “Helllo! Anypony!” Twilight called out again, this time though she felt her ear flick. She had heard something and it was coming right towards her! Quickly, Twilight laid down on the floor trying to hide herself. She trembled, her irises shrinking down as she was certain that whatever was coming was a monster. A very hungry monster who liked to eat curious fillies! As it neared she squinted her eyes shut, certain that it was all over! “Well hello there! Why don’t you sit up so I can make certain you are all right, Twilight” Twilight opened an eye. She couldn’t be positive but she was almost positive that monsters didn’t know her name, and she was positive they didn’t sound like.. “Mr. Honed Edge! I’m so glad you are here. I was scared and lost!” Twilight sat up and held tight to the very familiar pegasus guard. The white coated stallion chuckled, leaning down to nuzzle Twilight. A lock of his dark blue mane tickling her cheek and she giggled, his grey eyes bright with humor “You need not worry, Twilight, you are in no danger anywhere in the palace. In fact, you are just a few doors away from the safest spot you could be aside from under Princess Celestia’s wing. Why don’t you come with me to see?” Twilight cocks her head. “See what, Mr. Honed Edge?” Her eyes glanced at Honed Edge’s cutie mark, a sabre. ’Just to make sure!’ as he encouraged her to move forward. Honed Edge chuckled a bit as he walked forward. "Well, Twilight, you are just a few steps away from where I live." Twilight's eyes widened as they walked into a large room with a bunch of different things in it. She could easily recognized the pool table and dartboard. There were three ponies gathered around the pool table, two of them held pool cues in their hooves as the third watched them. They glanced up from the last shot to see Honed Edge enter with Twilight and he grinned at them. “Hey, Honed Edge, good timing. Whirl Wind is just about to lose.” The charcoal unicorn mare motioned towards the yellow pegasus stallion who seemed to be chewing his lip as he gazed at the last shot made. “You guys think you can take a break? I have somepony for you to meet.” Honed Edge gently nudged Twilight into the room. “Twilight, I’d like you to meet my team. This is Silent Shadow.” The unicorn mare bowed, a lock of green mane falling out of the bun she had it in. “Silent Shadow is going to be your guard when the Princess can’t be with you.” Twilight trotted up to Silent Shadow and smiled at her. “I really like your cutie mark. What does it mean?” She pointed a hoof at the almost invisible mark, a small shimmer of silver. A soft smile spread across Silent Shadow’s face. “It means I’m good at blending in. At times, it even seems that I can even vanish.” “Wow! Princess Celestia says mine means I’m good at magic… She thinks anyway.” Twilight giggles a bit. “These too are part of the day guard,” Honed Edge motioned to the other two. “Princess Celestia’s personal guards. Whirl Wind. He’s a bit cocky. I’m told it runs in his family though.” Whirl Wind, gave a cocky grin before raising his wings and sinking the eight ball. “Yo.” He blew a strand of white mane out of his eyes.  “And Royal Resolve.” Honed Edge smiled at the tall white unicorn stallion. “A noble who disgraced his family to join the guard." “Yes. Mother was very unhappy but I think my little brother is noble enough for the both of us.” Royal Resolve shook his head so lightly that, to Twilight’s amazement, every strand of his blonde mane stayed in place. “It’s nice to meet all of you!” Twilight chirped eagerly. Twilight’s eyes traveled to the pool table “Hey can I play? Please can I? I promise to be careful!” Silent Shadow shrugged “Sure, why not. I’ll hold Twilight in my magic I think that practice cue is almost small enough for her to use right, Resolve?” Resolve sized it up, frowning pensively.  “Yeah, that should do. Whirl, show the kid how to hold it?” Whirl Wind shrugged. “Sure, no problem. Okay, kid, take it under your right fore leg.” Twilight wiggled around a bit, floating in thin air, poking her tongue out she tried to hit the white cue ball. She brought her stick back but missed, causing her to flail  into Silent Shadow. The stick just missing her horn as Silent yipped and jerked her head away. The magic holding Twilight faded away and she fell onto the pool table—knocking several balls into the holes with her horn. She rubbed at her horn with a groan. “Ugh… Did I win?” Royal Resolve laughed, lifting Twilight off the table. “Yeah. You win, kid, good job!” Twilight’s ear flicked as she heard the sound of hooves almost racing down the hall before coming to a stop. Twilight looked up to see Celestia’s head in the doorway a look of relief in her eyes. “Twilight! Oh dear, Twilight, here you are you had me worried!” Celestia stated as she walked in the door. “It’s okay, Princess, I was with Honed Edge! He introduced me to his friends!” Twilight raced to her teacher for eager nuzzles which were returned in kind. “Do you think I can play with them more often? They even let me play pool!” Celestia gazed at the four ponies and chuckled. I should’ve known… “Oh yes. I think the four of you will have lots of fun together.”