The Guard And His Sword

by Himntor

Summer Sun Disaster

Everything was not fine in the morning.

I awoke to screaming, and for the second morning in a row I instinctively jumped out of bed and teleported my sword to me, only for my magic to go haywire and the sword nearly chopping my head off. Then it began chasing me.

“What the hay is going on?” I shouted, dashing around my home with the sword slicing through some of the furniture.

I whacked my horn, cutting my magic and letting my sword fall to the ground harmlessly. Was this the enchantment’s doing? Wait, ponies were still screaming outside.

I ran to the door and opened it to the most insane sight I’d ever seen before. The sun and the moon in the sky, nearly side by side. It was both day and night at the same time, somehow. What did that mean? Were Celestia and Luna okay? The only way this might be happening is if they had disappeared.

I knew something was going to go terribly wrong.

Besides that, there were black vines growing rapidly from the Everfree Forest and invading Ponyville, entangling homes. There were also black clouds with spikes floating around, the likes I’d also never seen. Rainbow Dash was up in the sky trying to chase them away. Or was it the clouds were trying to chase Rainbow Dash away? It was hard to tell.

I looked back at my sword and tried to levitate it up to me, but I immediately lost control of my magic and had to smack my horn again to cut it. I grumbled and picked the sword up in my mouth and made a dash for Town Hall, slicing whatever vines that got in my way, though it seemed to not do much to stop them from growing.

Inside Town Hall I got a hold of some parchment and a quill and began writing to Captain Morningstar.

Captain, the Everfree Forest is invading Ponyville! Where are the Princesses? –Lieutenant Shield

I paused before attempting to send the letter. Would my magic send it or go haywire again? Well… it’s only one tiny spell. Maybe…

Poof.

Thank Celestia, it worked.

Somepony outside screamed. Right, the townsfolk.

I ran out the building and began hacking at vines that were attacking the homes, sending the ponies I rescued to the train station to evacuate or directing ponies to help get others to the train station. There were no other Royal Guards around to assist, so I was at it for at least an hour. I saw Twilight and her friends in the distance every now and then, most likely trying to learn how to stop the madness. The vines didn’t show any sign of giving up, and I began to wonder how in Equestria this could be happening. Was Discord behind this chaos?

Well, speak of the Draconequus, just as I finished rescuing the last ponies trapped in their home, I spotted Discord waving goodbye to Twilight as she ran off into the Everfree Forest with Spike on her back. I guess if she wasn’t trying to stop him, it must not have been him.

I trotted up to him anyway. “Where’s she off to?”

Discord spun around and held his arms wide as if he were expecting me. “Ah, Swordulan! So wonderful to see you again. Your glorious leader Princess Twilight is off to find her friends and save the day. Why don’t you go after her and give a helping hoof? I’m sure she could use it.”

I rolled my eyes. “I doubt that. You wouldn’t happen to know why the day needs saving to begin with, do you?”

Discord waved a dismissive claw. “Oh, something about the Princesses gone missing and the Everfree Forest attacking Ponyville. I’m not to blame, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“Hardly, otherwise I’m sure Twilight and her friends would’ve blasted you to stone again. How long have you been here anyway?”

“I don’t know, maybe half an hour. Why do you ask?”

I frowned and narrowed my eyes. “Gee Discord, you could’ve helped me evacuate Ponyville and cut the time it took in half. Thanks.”

Discord grinned and pinched my cheek. “What are friends for?”

I pushed him away. “Not much it seems. I guess I’m off to Canterlot, since Twilight seems to have a handle on things. See you.”

Discord waved as I trotted toward the train station. “Farewell, mon petit cheval!”

As I neared the station I looked back at Ponyville and sighed. How could I leave it in this chaotic state? There wasn’t all that much I could really do, and no doubt Twilight and her friends would save the day, but still… a part of me screamed that it was wrong to leave the place like this.

I turned away and boarded the train, which was crowded with the townsfolk. I’d told the train engineer to wait until I gave the signal so I could make sure everypony was safe. I squeezed past the townsfolk to the front of the train and gave him the green light, and off we went.

It was a long ride back. For some reason I couldn’t stop worrying about Twilight and her friends. What if they couldn’t stop the Everfree Forest? Or fail to find Celestia and Luna? Equestria would be doomed! What if they missed one little thing that I might’ve caught if I were with them? I could be the one that made all the difference, and I’m just sitting here on a train, ignoring the whole issue!

But any temptation to jump off the train and fly back I stubbornly pushed away. Twilight and her friends could solve anything, no way they’d need me. I wasn’t important. Arriving at Canterlot only confirmed as much, with the moon disappearing and the sun returning to its rightful place in the sky. I could see that the vines had cleared away too, which I guessed to mean they had been related to the Princesses’ disappearance.

With everything having returned to normal, I shaped my sword around my torso, happy to no longer need to carry it with my hoof or mouth. Some of the Ponyville townsfolk headed back home on the next train, but most remained in Canterlot. Might as well have, with a free ride to where the Celebration was being held. Nearly all preparations were complete. I simply got to my wall patrols and watched.

When night fell, I stayed in Canterlot. The Summer Sun Celebration was one of the few days us Day Guards stayed through the night, unless the Celebration was held elsewhere, like last year. I joined the Captain and other Lieutenants and shared a few mugs of cider over a couple long games of cards. Nearly won the first, but of course Lieutenant Arrow had to get a lucky hoof, and then Justice destroyed us all in the second game.

It was weird to think how quickly everything went from total disaster to perfectly normal. I almost felt like all that vine business in Ponyville never happened, but I guess that’s the way it goes here in Equestria.

The time for the raising of the sun came, and everypony gathered together at the stage which had been set up for the Princesses. The moon shone overhead as the Night Guards sounded their trumpets and Celestia and Luna stepped forward.

“Citizens of Equestria,” Celestia began, “it is no longer with a heavy heart, but with great joy that I raise the summer sun, for this celebration now represents not the defeat of Nightmare Moon, but the return of my sister, Princess Luna!”

Luna flew up and began lowering the moon, followed by Celestia raising the sun. As they passed each other, Twilight flew up with an explosive sparkle to dazzle the crowd. With that, the celebration was over.

Before returning home to Ponyville for a bit of sleep, I checked my desk in the barracks. There was a letter from Manehattan on it, which I assumed was from Katana. With a sigh I sat down and opened it up, and for twenty minutes I held it in my magic before my eyes, staring without reading beyond the first line.

It was my father’s will concerning my inheritance. He really was gone for good, and with that thought, I became aware of a deep emptiness inside of me. I didn’t have a father anymore. It was like I was alone in the world now, with nopony there to catch me if I fall or lift me up when I go down. Had this void always been inside me? I never felt as though my father was filling it, he wasn’t the one I turned to when I needed help, it was my mom. All I wanted from my father was acceptance and affirmation that I was good enough, yet to him I seemed to fall short of his every expectation.

Looking through his will, I was left with a hefty sum of bits, my grandfather’s shield, and another letter written by my father, which had been included with this one. I put the paper with his will aside and began reading his letter.

To my son, Swordulan,

At the time I write this, you are but a young colt in training. In fact, just yesterday you earned your cutie mark, but by the time you read this, I expect you to be a fully grown stallion, strong and tall like your grandfather, and for me to be long gone. I don’t know how you’ll feel about me when you read this, but right now, I just want to take the time to say I’m proud of you. I hope by now you are a proud Royal Guard as well, and for now I assume you are, because I know you’re destined for great things. It’s in your blood.

If you are not, however, then still I hope for you to know that I am still proud, and that I want you to live your life to its fullest. Which brings me to my current concern that I believe will have an effect on your future. Lately you haven’t had much time to be socializing and playing with the other young colts and fillies, and I fear social activities will not be in your interest as you grow older. Even more I fear that you will not be interested in finding that special somepony in your life. I’d like to convince you to—

Dad, no…

—go out there and find the one—

No, is he really going to…?

—that’s right for you. Love is a special thing that—

He is…

—everypony needs. It’ll get you through the hardest of times and also give you the best of times. I may not be able to help you with this now, but I would like to make a suggestion. Do you remember the Dawns a few houses down from our home? They had a young filly, about your age. Summer, if I recall her name right. I’m sure you remember her. I don’t want you going through your life alone, and I hope that you will take my advice and look her up, in your own time of course. If not her, then at least try to keep looking. Never forget that you have the potential to make somepony very, very happy.

Live a good life, son. I love you.

I stared blankly at the letter for a few minutes. How was I supposed to handle this? I could probably burn the letter, put its ashes in a container, put that container in a chest, chain the whole thing up, attach an anchor to it, and drop it into some lake in the middle of the Everfree Forest, but… maybe that would be too extreme.

Why did he have to write this letter to me? Even after he was dead, he still was trying to control me, to get me to do what he wants. I didn’t want to, yet a voice inside my head was screaming yes! to what he wanted. So maybe I should.

Summer Dawn… I did remember her. She was the cream-coated, red-headed filly who I used to see playing outside every now and then. If I remembered correctly, I believe she became one of the librarians at the Canterlot Library. Hay, she was probably there right now, I could easily head over there and see herrr…

Blaugh, I’m not, I just, no! So quickly after reading my father’s letter? That seemed so ridiculous, I wasn’t even ready for something like that. Talking to somepony in an effort to… I hardly want to think about it. Over a year in the Royal Guard, having faced some of the most terrifying villains and monsters to ever walk upon Equestria without breaking a sweat, and the mere thought of trying to court a mare sends ice up my spine. I wasn’t prepared for this sort of thing!

I suppose I could talk to Shining Armor about this, now that there were no disasters or celebrations getting in the way. Yeah, he could probably give me some pointers, already being married and all. Then I’d be able to talk with Cadance like I’d planned before being interrupted by the annual major disaster.

Right after I took a four hour nap.

With some concentrated effort, I teleported my sword and then myself back home and collapsed on my bed.