Ponyville
April 3, 4E 2010
Sugarcube Corner, 12:30
Twilight Sparkle sighed to herself. She glanced at Pinkie Pie. The pink mare was happily bouncing around the room, making sure that all the guests were happy. Twilight noticed Applejack coming over, to check on her. "You alright, sugarcube?"
"Just tired."
"Why would you be tired, Twi?"
"With my coronation, the fact that I'm no longer an average citizen anymore, and that… well… nevermind, I’ve been really tired lately."
"Ah thought alicorns couldn't get tired." Applejack paused, then asked, squinting slightly, “What’s that ‘nevermind’ Ah heard?”
Twilight stammered, “W-well, it’s not-”
“Twilight,” the earth pony deadpanned.
Twilight sighed, “I’ve been an alicorn for roughly two weeks, a princess for less than that and ponies already hate me.”
“You can’t please everypony,” Applejack replied, “Ah’ve learned that the hard way.”
“Hi!”
The two mares jumped and looked at the voice’s owner. Pinkie Pie had bounced over. “Pinkie! Don’t do that,” Twilight said, breathing heavier than before.
“Sorry,” Pinkie apologized, “you just looked sad.”
Twilight sighed, “I know, I’m sorry.”
Pinkie grabbed the alicorn and giggled, “Then let’s fix that, silly!”
Twilight found herself pulled from her seat and to her feet.
Raising to her full height, Twilight surveyed the room.
Big McIntosh and his marefriend, Marble Pie, Pinkie’s youngest sister stood off next to the drink table, talking to Fluttershy. Big Mac noticed Twilight’s sweeping gaze and nodded. Twilight nodded in response.
Cheese Sandwich, a travelling party planner from Manehattan with whom Pinkie had had a rivalry with, and Braeburn, Applejack’s cousin from Appleloosa, were in conversation, likely about the hyperactive party mare. Braeburn, or so Twilight heard from Mrs. Cake, had asked Pinkie to be his marefriend, and she accepted.
Maud, one of Pinkie’s older sisters, sat in a lone chair, away from the rest of the assembled ponies, reading a book, most likely on rocks, as Twilight couldn’t see the book’s cover from where she stood.
Twilight looked over to where Rarity and Rainbow Dash were talking, probably about Daring Do, judging from Rarity’s very slight frown. This implied that the mare wasn’t as caught up as Dash was.
Twilight walked toward the two, smiling slightly.
Dash noticed Twilight approaching and smiled. She opened her mouth and spoke, uttering a familiar phrase. “Heeey, egghead.”
Twilight rolled her eyes at Dash’s remark, smile across her face growing wider. Dash looked up at the mare, and glanced back at Rarity. Dash asked, “See? Despite her size, she moves just fine.”
Rarity said something in Magus, to which Twilight rolled her eyes at. Rainbow sighed, noting Rarity's reaction, murmuring something in Angelus.
Twilight, looked down at Dash, realising what she meant. Standing a head and a half taller than the tall, cyan mare, Twilight was easily the tallest pony in the room, taller than even Big McIntosh and Fluttershy.
The alicorn brought herself down to eye level with Rarity, and smiled. “How do I look?”
Rarity sighed, and gestured at the mare. “Out of all of us, you’re the most endowed, more than Fluttershy, believe it or not. You’re half a head taller than both Big Mac and Fluttershy, and you’ve got a wingspan to put ‘Shy to shame.”
Twilight’s cheeks flushed at Rarity’s evaluation of her bust. She had Rarity measure it in the past, to make sure that her dresses would fit. Twilight, deciding to change the subject, inquired, “And how big’s my wingspan?”
“Oh, ten meters, at quick glance. Of course, Princesses Celestia and Luna both have much larger wingspans than you.”
Dash whistled. “My wingspan’s something like three and a half, four meters. ‘Shy has something like an extra meter on me.”
“And your clothes, darling,” Rarity said, “they don’t compliment you at all!”
“I think she looks good,” a voice said, from behind Rarity.
Rarity started, and turned around to look at the speaker. “Oh,” she replied, sighing in relief, “Fluttershy, dear, don’t do that.”
Fluttershy continued, pointing out the various techniques used in the making of her clothes.
“‘Shy,” Applejack stated, having come up to the small group, “yer knowledge of sewin’ is still pretty freaky.”
The pegasus mare blushed, slightly.
“Hey, girls! It’s time for caaaake!”
Pinkie Pie was calling them over. The assembled ponies gathered around a massive cake, which had a cloth draped over it.
Pinkie grabbed the cloth, and yanked it away from the cake, managing to not damage the cake at all.
What it was though, surprised all of the assembled ponies.
“No way,” Dash muttered.
“Pinkie,” Twilight said, surprised, “you and the Cakes made this for me?”
Pinkie smiled, her already wide smile growing even wider. “Yep! A Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness! Just for you!”
Applejack glanced at the cyan pegasus and smiled. “See,” she said, “Dash? Being friends with a princess does have its perks.”
Dash said nothing, but nodded, a thin line of drool dribbling from a corner of her mouth.
Applejack smiled larger and laughed, soon joined by giggling from Marble, Fluttershy, and Rarity, who were amused at Dash’s reaction to the cake.
************
Canterlot, The Imperial Capital City
The next day
Military Offices, 12:45
The sound of footsteps echoing down the hall alerted the two Palace Guards to the approaching figure. The figure was a pony, a unicorn stallion. The two stiffened slightly as they noticed who the stallion was.
Coated in olive fur, a pair of mauve eyes doing subtle checks for any hidden threats, and slicked back crimson and light blue hair denoted that this officer of the Special Naval Landing Forces, for an officer he was, was one of the many ponies of the Empire of Imperial stock.
His uniform, about as impeccable as could be expected from a member of the SNLF, was a standard issue SNLF Officer’s uniform, with a few minor additions for his rank.
He wore a jet black coat-its standing collar done up and web belt buckled-and ebony trousers with a broad byzantium stripe down the outside seams. A white barracks cover with golden oak leaf embellishments on its visor sat atop his head, the visor resting against his horn. A small scarlet half-cape hung down his back from his left shoulder, reaching down to his mid-thigh. A pair of white gloves covered his hands. His sidearm sat in a holster on the right side of his belt, along with a combat knife.
He snapped his right hand up into a salute, and reported, in a clipped and mellow voice, “Commander Blazing Halcyon of the Special Naval Landing Forces, here to see Prince-General Blueblood! I am expected by the Prince-General!”
The two Guards exchanged glances with each other from behind their visors. The one on the left of the door spoke up and said, “I’ll let the Prince-General know he has a visitor.”
***
The Prince-General looked up from his work and saw one of the two Palace Guards assigned to protect him leaning into the office. He prompted, “Yes, Lieutenant?”
“Sir. A Commander Halcyon is here to see you.”
“Ah, Commander Halcyon! Send him in. He is expected.”
The Guard nodded.
Blueblood smiled, noting the Guard’s cautiousness.
The Palace Guards were indeed very cautious. They had to be. Everyone who knew anything about the royalty of the Solarian Empire knew one thing: Do not mess with the Palace Guard.
The Palace Guard wore signature white Stormwinds Mark Five Armor with ornate gilded embellishments, along with gold-trimmed white cloak and winged helm. On the chestplate of their armor was the Imperial Eagle, making them one of the few Royal Guard units allowed to display the Eagle, a rare honor. Their weapons, a M93 battle rifle and a S-335 combat sword, were also white with ornate gilded embellishments.
Despite their ornate decoration, the Palace Guards were scarily competent when it came to combat. Blueblood had seen the Palace Guard in combat once before, years ago, when he was a colt.
The door opened again, jolting Blueblood out of his reverie. Commander Blazing Halcyon entered the room.
The officer snapped a salute with a small smile forming on his face.
“Blaze,” Blueblood said, “it’s good to see you again.”
“I feel the same, Marius.”
Blueblood gestured to a chair in front of his desk, and said, “Come, sit.”
Halcyon nodded, and sat in the indicated chair. He removed his white barracks cover and placed it in his lap.
“So,” Halcyon prompted, “why did you call me here?”
Blueblood had grabbed a bottle of sake and a pair of glasses from his desk’s alcohol drawer and was pouring both of them a drink. He held one of the glasses out to Halcyon, who took it.
Halcyon took a sip from the glass. The sake was smooth and pleasant on the tongue, with an undertone of orange. It smelled faintly of apples, however.
“Is the sake not to your liking?”
Halcyon blinked, realizing that his face had betrayed his feelings. He quickly shook his head, replying, “What? No. No, it’s actually rather good for a wine. I just prefer lagers.”
Blueblood nodded, and, addressing Halcyon’s question, said, “Well, I’m in charge of planning the security for the Coronation Banquet that Princess Celestia is putting on in celebration of Princess Twilight’s Ascension to her current station.”
“And you want my input on your choices?”
Blueblood nodded again. He stood, gestured for Halcyon to follow him, and walked over to a table with a map spread across it. “This,” he said, gesturing to the map, “is a map of how the Banquet Room will be arranged for the Coronation Banquet. The Guard patrols are marked in green, the stationed Guards are marked in yellow, and the various entrances and exits are marked in red.”
Halcyon sat his glass of sake down on one of the map’s corners. He studied the map for a few moments. “I take it that these white marks are the relative positions of the Princesses when the Banquet begins?”
“Yes, they are.”
“I’d station some Guards close to them, but not too close as to make any of the guests feel that they can’t approach the Princesses.”
Blueblood nodded. “I can’t see any other ways to add to your placements,” Halcyon added, “but, I would keep a sharp eye out for any suspicious guests.”
Blueblood nodded, adding the recommendation to his thought processes, and spoke again, “The Banquet will be on the fifteenth.”
Halcyon nodded, and downed the rest of his sake. “I’ll be there. And I’ll be wearing my medals, too.”
Blueblood smiled at Halcyon’s statement. “Right, right, I will be as well.”