Two Months after the events of The Cutie Remark
Sitting in the center of a lush green field in the center of the quaint town of Ponyville Equestria, towering over every other building within the town limits, was the great crystal Castle of Friendship. Inside it's massive halls was it's resident, The Princess of Friendship and former student of the Solar Monarch Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle. The young purple alicorn was at this moment taking part in one of her most favorite pastimes outside of hanging out with her group of friends; studying in her personal library within the castle. Specifically, she was studying about advanced unicorn magic. Her recent encounter with a certain unicorn had prompted her to read up on the ancient and powerful spells that she had seen performed by her. She also was reading up on teaching skills, as she had taken it upon herself to teach this gifted unicorn the powerful magic of friendship. She had realized immediately that taking on a student was going to be a daunting task, and she therefore had to prepare herself thoroughly.
"Twilight!" She perked her head up when she heard her name being called from the hallway outside. "Twilight I'm back!"
Twilight levitated her books over to a small table in the middle of the room and set them down in a neat stack. She then trotted on over to the door and entered the long hallway. Looking to her left she saw a light pink unicorn mare with a purple mane and tail with a light blue stripe running down both of them. Her cutie mark was a purple and white star with two blue streams above it. When the unicorn took notice of Twilight, she smiled and trotted over to the princess.
"Hey Twilight."
"Hey Starlight Glimmer." Twilight answered her new student. "How was your time helping Fluttershy with her animal friends?"
"Oh it was fun!" Starlight smiled. "Those animals are just so precious. Fluttershy is just so lucky to have them as friends."
Twilight smiled at her new friend. Starlight had really come a long way in the last two months since their last encounter and especially since her depression induced push for forced equality among ponies by removing a pony's cutie mark and subsequent talent. It had taken Twilight quite a while to convince the unicorn the error of her ways before she permanently damaged Equestria. The hardest part had been convincing the other princesses that Starlight could be taught the values of friendship and could therefore be saved. It had taken a lot of convincing, but they ultimately gave her the go ahead.
"Well Starlight." Twilight continued. "I'm glad you had a good time. Now if you want to go and freshen up, dinner will be on fairly soon."
"Alright. Thanks Twilight. See you in a little while." Starlight said with a smile. She then trotted off down the hallway towards her room.
Twilight then began to head off towards her own bedroom to get ready for the inevitably delicious meal that her number one assistant Spike the dragon had prepared. She had just reached the end of the hallway and was about to open the door into the other corridor when the door swung open on it's own to reveal her number one assistant standing there panting and sweating like he had just been in a great hurry and was clutching a scroll in his right claws.
"Twi....light..." Spike tried to say in between gasps of breath. Twilight quickly put her hoof on his shoulder to stop him from overworking himself.
"Spike. Just calm down and take a few deep breaths." She said calmly. After a few more large intakes of air, the purple and green dragon had finally caught his breath and Twilight stepped back with a smile. "Alright. Now what's going on?"
Spike held out the scroll in his claws. "Important message from Princess Celestia."
Twilight's eyes went wide and she immediately grabbed the scroll with her magic and unrolled it in front of her face and began to read.
Dear Twilight
I do hope you have been well these past few weeks. I am writing to inform you that Luna, Cadence and myself will be coming to your castle tomorrow to discuss with you an urgent matter that we believe has been put off for too long. We will also be accompanied by Colonel Storm Shield of the 1st Royal Guard Regiment as well. If you are wondering why a military officer is coming to speak with you, it will all be clarified tomorrow when we arrive. We will arrive at around 8:00 tomorrow morning. Please give my regards to Spike and all the girls.
Sincerely
Celestia
Twilight's eyes went even wider when she finished reading the letter. Spike looked at her with a look of curiosity.
"Well, what does it say?"
"Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Cadence are coming here tomorrow to discuss something of great importance!" Twilight exclaimed. "Oh my gosh! We've got to prepare for them! Everything needs to be cleaned! The books need to be properly arranged! I've got to go and tell Starlight!"
And with that, the Princess of Friendship raced back down the hall towards her new students room, leaving Spike standing there with a look of worry over how nervous Twilight was getting over something that had happened numerous times before.
"*Sigh*. I'll go get the duster."
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The Next Day
Twilight paced nervously back and forth in the foyer of the entrance to her castle. It was 7:59 a.m., exactly sixty seconds until the Princesses arrived at the castle with Colonel Storm Shield of the Royal Guard. Her mind was going a mile a minute trying to think of a possible situation of reason for their visit.
"What if Equestria is in danger again? What if another enemy has come back for revenge? What if their is another test that I never knew about?!"
"Twilight calm down!" Spike said. He had been standing with Starlight Glimmer and the rest of their friends that had come over when they had heard the news. They had been standing their for the past half hour watching Twilight pacing in front of them. "I'm sure that everything is fine."
"Yeah Twilight." Applejack chimed in. "The Princess didn't sound to serious in her letter. It's probably not that big of a deal."
Twilight stopped her pacing and faced her friends. "But then why are they bringing along Colonel Storm Shield?"
"That we are not quite sure about darling." Rarity piped up. "But pray tell, who is Colonel Storm Shield?"
"He commands the 1st Royal Guard Regiment." Twilight explained. "He was the officer who trained my brother when he entered the Guard Officer Academy."
"Well maybe he just wants to catch up and see how one of his recruits sisters is doing?" Rainbow Dash suggested.
"Yeah!" Pinkie Pie now exclaimed. "Maybe they want to have some sort of PARTY!"
Fluttershy, who was standing next to the party pony, flinched slightly when the pink mare shouted. She then walked up to Twilight and smiled slightly. "Twilight. I'm sure everything will be fine." She said reassuringly.
Twilight sighed. "Yeah. You're probably right Fluttershy. It's just that...."
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
Everpony in the room turned their heads towards the large doors of the entrance when they heard the distinct sound of somepony from the outside requesting entrance. For a few moments, none of them made a move, then suddenly Twilight rushed over to the door and pulled it open, revealing for figures. From left to right was Princess Cadence, Princess Luna, Princess Celestia and a dark grey unicorn stallion with a light grey mane wearing the red jacket of a royal guard officer with the bronze wings of a full colonel, all smiling when they saw the small alicorn open the door.
"Hello Twilight." Princess Celestia said kindly. "It is very good to see you."
Twilight smiled brightly when she saw her beloved mentor. "It is good to see you too princess!" She said happily. She turned to the darker alicorn standing next to the solar monarch. "Hello Princess Luna. How have you been?"
"Quite well thank you Twilight." The lunar princess replied. "And remember, please call me Luna."
Twilight nodded in agreement. She then turned to the pink alicorn standing next to Luna and giggled. "Cadence!"
"Twilight!"
"Sunshine! Sunshine! Ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!"
The two alicorns laughed happily after performing their sacred traditional chant to each other. All the others present smiled and laughed to themselves at the display of such strong friendship. It was at that moment when Twilight and Cadence had finished, that the grey unicorn stallion stepped forward smiling lightly. Twilight, taking notice of the officer, walked up to him, paused in front of him, then gently wrapped her hooves around his neck. This action was mirrored by the stallion.
"It's good to see you Uncle Stormy." Twilight said.
Storm Shield blushed slightly at hearing his nickname and hearing the other ponies in the room giggling in response. However he continued to embrace Twilight for a few more moments before breaking away and stepping back. "It's good to see you too Little Twilight." He said in a deep and gruff voice. "Though I'm not sure if I should say little anymore."
Now it was Twilight's turn to start blushing. Meanwhile her friends were slightly puzzled as to why their seemed to be such a personal relationship between Twilight and this old stallion that until just recently none of them had known existed. Twilight saw their confusion and turned back to face them and explain.
"Everypony, this is Colonel Storm Shield." She introduced him "I call him Uncle Stormy because he and my dad are really good friends. He used to visit and play with my brother and I when we were kids." She looked back up at the guard and smiled. "He's the one that brought me books on defense magic."
Storm Shield returned the smile. "And you learned those spells quickly, didn't you little Twilight?" He ruffled the alicorn's mane, a clear sign that their relationship was familial.
Celestia cleared her throat to get everyponys' attention. "While I hate to interrupt this introduction, we must discuss the subject of our visit." She looked at Twilight. "Twilight, may we gather together in your dining hall?"
Twilight nodded. "Of course princess. Right this way." She led the group towards hallway leading to the dining hall. Her group of friends followed close behind until Celestia stopped and turned to face them.
"I'm sorry everypony." She said "But this is a matter that must be discussed between Twilight, Luna, Cadence, Colonel Storm Shield and I."
Twilight looked back at her former mentor with a puzzled look. "Princess Celestia, what's going on? Why can't they be with us?"
Celestia looked at Twilight with a serious yet caring look in her eyes. "There is something that we must discuss with you personally before anyone else Twilight." She then looked back at the rest of Twilight's friends. "You all shall be informed of what is going on soon, but for now we must talk only with Twilight for it mainly affects her."
Twilight looked uneasy. She stared at her friends with worry. She wanted them to be with her because she trusted their judgement. She then looked back at Celestia. "Can Spike come in with us at least?"
Celestia smiled. "Yes Spike may come with us." Upon hearing this the purple and green dragon smiled and ran over to Twilight's side. He was happy that Twilight, whom he considered like a mother to him, wanted him specifically to come with her into the meeting.
"Alright then." Twilight said. "This way Princess." She then led the royals and the guard officer down the hall towards their destination. Meanwhile her friends sat and watched them leave before looking at each other with curiosity and confusion.
"What do y'all reckon they're gonna be talkin' about in there?" Applejack asked around.
"I don't know." Fluttershy said softly. "I just hope it's nothing bad."
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Meanwhile Twilight and the rest of the group had reached the dining hall. They soon began to take their respective seats around the massive table in the center of the room. Celestia sat at the head of the table with Twilight, Spike, and Cadence on her left and Luna and Storm Shield on her right.
"Twilight" Celestia started speaking. "I first want to say thank you seeing us on such short notice. I do hope we didn't make you too worried."
"Oh it was no trouble at all Princess." Twilight shook her head. "Though I am very curious as to what you want to talk to me about."
The serious look returned to Celestia's face. She then looked to Storm Shield. "I think it would be best to let Colonel Storm Shield start."
Storm Shield in reply, then looked across the table at Twilight. "Twilight as you know, I command the 1st Royal Guard Regiment in Canterlot correct?" Twilight nodded. "You also know that I am in charge of the selection process for volunteers to Princess Celestia's, Princess Luna's, and Princess Cadence's personal guard detachments correct?" Again Twilight nodded, even more curious now. What did this have to do with her.
Storm Shield pulled out a few scrolls from a saddlebag next to Celestia with his magic and levitated them over to himself. "I have been assigned by Princess Celestia to assist you in the formation of your own personal guard unit."
Twilight's eyes went as wide as dinner plates and her draw nearly hit the floor. Her own guard unit? She had never even considered that idea, for one single reason.
"But I don't need a guard unit Princess." She looked back at the solar monarch. "I'm perfectly fine by myself."
"That is absolute nonsense!" All heads in the room turned towards Princess Luna, who had her fore hooves up on the table and looked very angry. "My dear Twilight, just look at this place!" She gestured to castle. "You cannot possibly hope to cover this whole complex simply on your own. And quite frankly you haven't! What with the Trixie incident, Tirek, the bug bear and the blatant breaking and entering by Lady Starlight not two months ago! These grounds are not secure!"
"Luna!" Celestia interrupted. Luna snapped her head over in the direction of her older sister and saw a look that looked similar to one a parent gives when scolding a child. Luna immediately calmed herself down and looked down at the table in embarrassment.
"We are sorry. We should not have yelled." She murmured.
Celestia sighed before looking back at Twilight. "What she is trying to say is that we are simply concerned for your safety. You must understand that even though you wish to remain so, you are not just another pony anymore. You are a member of the Equestrian Royal Family and therefore must be protected. You must understand that their have been threats made against the royal family in the past."
"WHAT!?" Twilight was shocked. Who would even think of harming the Princesses? "Who are they?! What have they said?!"
"Don't worry Twilight." Celestia quickly reassured quickly. "We are quite safe. And that is thanks to no small part from our guards. You see Twilight, our guards not only protect us physically, but they also do investigations into the threats received and advise us on how best to react to them. They also act as a sort of symbol of our titles as monarchs. This is important when meeting with foreign dignitaries."
"Exactly." Cadence now spoke up and looked at Twilight. "When foreign officials visit the Crystal Empire and see the members of your personal guard, they are impressed by the fact that there are ponies willing to lay down their lives for us and therefore deserve respect."
Twilight's ears went flat against her head when she heard the last part. "But...but I don't want anypony to have to die for me." She whispered.
"And nopony is asking you to Twilight." Celestia again reassured. "We have never asked our guards to die for us. But they have. And it is sad but also courageous. That sort of dedication is definitely a rare quality."
"Absolutely." Luna now cut in. "The ponies in my guard are some of the most loyal ponies I have ever met. It is truly an honor to have them."
"Understand Twilight." Storm Shield started again. "We just want you and your friends to be safe."
Twilight looked down at the table in deep thought as she considered the arguments. On one hoof she had never liked the idea of showing off her new higher status to anypony. But on the other hoof the Princesses made some good points. There had been a lot of close calls in the past that definitely had some cause for concern. Also the idea of some creature coming and hurting one of her friends made her sick to her stomach. She then felt something squeeze her right hoof and she looked down to see Spike grabbing onto it, looking up at her with a pleading look in his eyes.
"Twilight." he said softly. "Please do it. I don't want you to get hurt."
That was what did it for Twilight. She looked back up at the other occupants around the table with a look of conviction on her face.
"I'll do it." She said firmly.
Storm Shield sighed. "Alright. Then I guess the next order of business would be to set up the selection process to see which members of the royal guard will be..."
"I don't want all of them to be royal guards."
All heads in the room turned to Twilight with confused looks on their faces. Celestia cleared her throat to break the silence. "What do you mean Twilight?"
"I only want a few royal guard officers to be in the unit so that they can provide experience and training to the recruits. I want the unit to be open to all volunteers so I don't seem to favor the guard. Any creature and yes I said creature should be allowed to join as long as they prove that they are capable. Also I want the unit to be small. 20 members maximum. I don't want to be the head of a grand army."
Everypony else in the room looked at each other in wonder. Twilight certainly seemed to already have a grasp on what she wanted. But they were reassured in the fact that this was just normal Twilight Sparkle. Once she set her mind to something she pursued it with every cell of her brain.
Storm Shield then brought out a blank piece of parchment and a quill from the saddlebag. "Alright then. All that appears to be left is to decide upon a unit name."
Twilight again went into brainstorm mode. She though hard about what would best represent what she and her friends stood for. What was the thing that held Equestria together. When she finally after a few moments came to a conclusion, she smiled.
"Harmony." She said. "The unit shall be called The Harmony Guard."