Chapter 1
Fort Westhoof, Equestria
9 BLB, Gale
Constant Vigilance is 27. Celestia is 14, and Luna is 12.
It’s been 15 years.
Lifting up, lowering down. Heaving, sweating, working.
“Ninety-four… Ninety-five…”
Constant Vigilance was making considerable progress on his morning exercise routine, his set of pull-ups nearly completed. His top bunk made for a durable, if makeshift, pull-up bar.
There was only serenity within the room. At this hour, the barracks were deserted. No disruptions, no distractions-
“Hey, Sarge!”
Shit.
Constant Vigilance paused mid-lift, swiveling his head sharply to face them. The ‘intruders’ were several fellow guardsponies, with positivity evident on their faces. Constant formed such a stern expression that one could’ve cringed at the mere sight of it.
“Levie.” Constant replied stiffly, directed at the pony in front of the group. “Can I help you?”
The hopeful trooper stepped forward, clad in bronze Romanesque armor, signifying his lowly station amongst the ranks.
“We were wondering if you wanted to come with us for drinks later tonight, at the saloon. Sergeant Mead’s paying for the whole round.”
A rumble of accent came from the other soldiers present, with some excited chatter about the planned event burbling above the noise. After a minute, it quieted down.
“So,” asked the Levie, “Will you be joining?”
Constant paused just a touch…
“No.”
…but the Levie never stood a chance.
“If it was not apparent to you,” Constant scolded him fiercely, “I am currently very busy with my morning exercise routine. Need I remind you that I made it very clear that I was not to be disturbed?”
The levie wilted under Constant’s admonishing words and stern gaze, with the prospect of acceptance smashed into the dust.
“Oh… Well, if you change your mind, then… you… know where to… find us…”
The last few words died on his lips as soon as he realized Constant wasn’t even looking at him anymore. The stone-cold stallion had resumed his exercise without a second thought to the poor, dejected soldier that stood near him.
With prior happiness decimated beyond current repair and nothing more to say on the matter, the once-hopeful trotted slowly out of the room.
On the gracious side, his coworkers immediately moved in to comfort him. “Nice try, Barley. C’mon, let’s get out of here.”
The door shut closed behind them, leaving Constant in solitude. The room permeated with the noise of his labors, breath, and sweat.
There were things more important than friendship, after all.
Constant’s workout saw no further interruptions, and once finished, he carried on with his day as if nothing had happened.
By noontime, he had just completed the polishing of his arms and armor when the midday sound-off, the blowing of a horn, emanated through the compound. He immediately clasped on his armor and headed outside.
Soldiers were grouping themselves in a few rows of three-pony columns, the trained and experienced accomplishing this effortlessly, while the younger troopers scrambled to insert themselves. Chatter immediately took place between those adjacent to each other, as guardsponies shuffled about.
“Atten-SHUN!”
The noise died away instantly.
The Lieutenant, an intimidating pegasus stallion in her late-forties, approached the line with a grim demeanor. What the Earth Ponies had once lacked in formal military training, the Pegasi had more than provided with their traditional military values and warrior caste. Their assistance had been a great asset to the E.U.P.
“Alright, featherbrains, listen up! As you know from a few months ago, Starswirl the Bearded and his lackeys convinced the Council of Three Tribes to uplift two newly-found Alicorns to rulership over this country.”
The Lieutenant stopped for a moment as if she were still acknowledging this for herself.
“Furthermore,” she continued sharply, “We’ve just received word that the two of them are presently on a journey and will be heading our direction.”
Another murmur passed over the soldiers, now listening to the Lieutenant carefully, with curiosity peaked and ears alert.
“Since the Princesses have insisted they can manage themselves,
their protection is determined by whatever other forts and outposts are nearby their charted course.”
There was a grumble from some of the other troops, but only a few. The Lieutenant pretended not to hear.
“With that being said, I will be splitting you ponies into teams, and each team will position themselves at a specific base camp near the path, which are all located at key points around the trail.”
The Lieutenant then reached and unfurled a bright piece of parchment, clearing her throat vociferously.
“Sergeant Mead,” the Lieutenant stated aloud as her eyes scanned the surface, “You will be taking Rivers, Kiln, Mudd, and Barley. Your site will be the bridge over the river to the north end of the section of path we’re guarding.”
The five looked at each other before Sgt. Mead, a brown-coated earth pony stallion, nodded determinedly.
“The Princesses have also clarified that they do not intend to cut through White Tail Woods on their way through, so be sure to set up on the eastmost trailhead.”
The Lieutenant adjusted the parchment and continued reading.
“Sergeant Charge. Your ‘charge’ will be Prospectus, Flap, Bolt, and Gaze. Your team will be in our cloud camp overlooking the valley, and with your eyes in the sky, we should ensure our little pair finds their way through without interruption.”
Sgt. Charge grinned eagerly, his yellow wings twitching restlessly. His fellows each gave a small noise of acknowledgment.
“Sergeant Vigilance.”
The Lieutenant’s eyes flickered towards him, followed by a pause. Constant did not look back.
“...Your query will be End, Shields, Twig, and Bric. On the hilltop at the southern end of the trail, you and your group will be making sure the two alicorns don’t hit the door on the way out.”
Sgt. Vigilance affirmed him with a single, short nod. His assigned soldiers stared at him warily, but said nothing, out of a mixture of largely fear and a modicum of respect.
“If the Princesses don’t make it past a few minutes of their estimated arrival,” The Lieutenant added, “Then the team near their last known position will seek them out and notify the garrison before-hoof. If you think they might stop mid-trip, don’t count on it, as it’ll be dark by then and they’ll most likely want to hurry.”
The Lieutenant hacked out another cough. With a hoof to their mouth, they cleared their throat once more.
“Apologies.” They discarded the parchment. “As for the rest of you, you will be stationed here at the Fort, on standby and awaiting further orders.”
The remainder of the soldiers cried out in an uproar, some relieved for being excused from active duty, the others disappointed they weren’t assigned. A loud, clear whistle from the Lieutenant quickly quieted all of them.
“Quiet! Some of your flanks are lucky they aren’t on duty today. Remember, this task is on us, so if anything at all goes wrong then we’ll be the ones to pay for it.”
The Lieutenant glared at all of them. “Is that understood?!”
A smattering of “Yes, ma’am!”s were aroused from the rank-and-file.
“Good!” The Lieutenant told them with a smirk, “These lengthy debriefings tire me out, and I’m sure you’re all sick of being run ragged as much as I am. Now get your flanks in gear and move out!”
With the words spoken, the soldiers broke from their formation and began to cluster around their respective Sergeants, huddling into their teams whilst the remainder scattered around the Fort. Sergeant Vigilance immediately turned to face his own little outfit and stared them dead in the eyes.
“You heard the Lieutenant,” he commanded them fiercely, “Move out!”
The contingent, for fear of being yelled at further by their command, moved out.
By evening, Sergeant Constant Vigilance had whipped his team into shape.
They had set out and established their base camp as instructed. The hill made for a pretty little view toward White Tail Woods to the northeast, and was bathed in the waning sunlight of the hour.
Sgt. Vigilance, since it wasn’t crucial to the mission, regarded it not at all.
While his unit had pitched the tents and stoked the fire, *he* had been watching unblinkingly towards the trail off to their side, standing like a statue.
Now it was getting dark, and as the sun dipped low past the horizon to reveal the star-speckled sky, his gaze was fixed firmly at the north end of the path.
“5 minutes.” he told them, “The Princesses will be here around 1800 hours, remember that. Keep your eyes and ears open.”
One of the soldiers, Sharp End, sighed deeply.
Constant’s head snapped towards the noise, and Sharp End was pierced by an overwhelmingly firm gaze of judgment.
“This is your duty, soldier!” Constant shouted, “So *act* like it!”
Sharp End succumbed to the gaze and nodded weakly, his body arched as far away from the Sergeant as possible. Constant snorted hotly through his nose and turned away pointedly, muttering something about laziness. Sharp End exchanged looks with the others, who shrugged passively.
A few minutes passed in silence. Constant’s eyes had begun to alternate between the rising moon and the road, studying carefully. Waiting. Watching.
“It’s 1800 hours, now.” Constant said briefly, followed by nothing. A few of the soldiers moved from their spots to watch the path with him, wondering if the Princesses would be there.
They weren’t.
Not even a minute afterward, Constant’s expression grew dark, and he gritted his teeth. Two minutes, his eyes diverted toward the treetops. Three, and at last, he moved to face his troops.
“Who’s the fastest of our unit?” he asked, semi-rhetorical.
The soldiers looked at each other perplexedly, unaware of how they should respond. Constant grew angry at this.
“Short Twig, that means *you*! Hurry and sound off to the Fort!” he ordered, “The Princesses are off-schedule.”
An order was an order, and the thinly Short Twig stood up and skittered off. Constant directed his attention to the rest.
“Alright, grab your gear, and on me! We’re going out to search.”
“Are you sure you’re not overreacting, sir?” Sharp End asked him prudently, “This might be a false alarm. They might be coming around the bend any seco-”
“Grab your gear, Sharp End, that’s an order!”
Sharp End and his fellows complied, and Constant hurried them onto the path. The darkness made for low visibility, but the road ensured they didn’t get lost.
They took off at a coordinated dash northward, with their Sergeant in the lead.
“The Princesses should have some form of lighting, keep a lookout!”
The troops’ eyes immediately went to the far horizon, scanning for anything that resembled a light. At last, after a few hundred hoof-lengths, Constant saw a warm glow.
“There!” He yelled, pushing onward.
But upon another few hundred hoof-lengths, Constant stopped short. Immediately, he pushed them all off the road and into a bush, a feat relatively easy considering his strength.
Sharp End was indignant. “What are you-?!”
Constant shushed him forcefully, flicking his head in the direction of the road. Stranded in a ditch, with a wheel missing off the axle, was a royal-looking carriage. Little else could’ve been the Princess’s ride.
Voices could be heard from afar, in the form of harsh, greedy laughter. Constant craned his neck and swiveled his ears to listen.
“Alright your ‘majesties’, if you come quietly now, we won’t cut your pretty little eyes out. Be a fine shame if those royal coats got stained with blood now, wouldn’t it?”
“I’ve heard princesses are rich!” proclaimed a different voice, “We might never have to shake down anymore suckers ever again. We’ll live like Kings and Queens!”
There was a frenzy of elated agreement from multiple other voices. With that being said, they had made their intentions clear as crystal.
Constant had heard all he needed to hear, and dove out of the bushes, running onto the road at a full gallop.
The band of highway ponies, disguised in cloaks and hoods, was surrounding a tall white alicorn with a pink mane. She stood defiantly in front of a shorter dark indigo alicorn with a light blue mane.
The white one spotted Constant racing towards them, and she froze. One robber, hearing the increasingly audible sound of fast hoofsteps, turned around to find a helmet filling his vision. The sheer force of the blow sent him flying to the ground, narrowly missing the alicorns.
Six to go, Constant thought to himself.
The other muggers watched as their comrade kissed the dirt, and then turned toward the direction of the disturbance, filled with shock. A few of them growled in anger.
The mugger nearest to Constant went for their knife, but Constant plowed into him and served him a headbutt to the face, knocking them out of the fight. Five to go.
The third mugger raised a club and swung it at his head, but Constant ducked out of the way deftly and caught it, yanking it free from their grasp. What followed then was a heavy blow to the cranium, leaving the pony unconscious. Four to go.
A pair of them charged in unison at Constant, aiming to slam into him. He spun around and reared his hind legs. Next, they were sent sailing, smashing into the treeline. Two to go.
When Constant turned around, he saw that the last two had gone for the Alicorns with knives raised, eager to use them as leverage. Some quick thinking from Constant allowed him to chuck a sharp rock at one of their heads, the blow enough to stun the pony with a direct hit. They remained standing, yet barely.
This bought Constant enough time to charge in for his pal, who was still reacting to their buddy being hit with the rocky projectile. A quick, hard swat sent them down immediately, followed by a stomp of the head. One to go.
As the other pony recovered, they looked upward in a daze to find a stallion in armor standing over them. What they saw next was an iron-shod hoof, followed by black.
The battle, as short as it had been, was over.
The other guards stood there, dumbfounded, having watched him in action by the sidelines. He clearly had it handled, after all.
Constant then turned to the two princesses, who stood a short distance away and watched in fear, mouths open and eyes wide.
Constant stepped forward. “Come with me if you want to live.”
They didn’t need him to tell them twice.
The Lieutenant was waiting at the gate for Sgt. Vigilance, who was being followed after by the equally shaken princesses and guardsponies. She immediately badgered him with questions.
“Sergeant! Are the Princesses okay? Are they safe? They aren’t dead, are they?!”
“I have them here with me, ma’am.” Constant replied, showing the pair that were trailing close behind him.
The Lieutenant sighed with visible relief, wiping the sweat from her brow.
“Oh thank the stars, that already takes care of half of my problems. Turns out Charge and his unit chose to pop a few drinks rather than stay on watch, which means I’m in deep horseapples.”
The Lieutenant then turned to the princesses and put on the best smile she could afford for them.
“Your majesties, I sure am glad to see you two safe. Please, rest as much as you need. We’ll sort everything else out by morning.”
The two of them nodded silently, their eyes darting around the confines of the camp, though mostly lingering on the back of Constant’s head.
That evening was not a kind one for the Lieutenant, as she spent it yelling at the failed pegasi, sending out guards to retrieve the princess’s carriage whilst apprehending the criminals, and suffering from having to write a letter back to Canterlot. Somepony had to make a report on what in Tartarus was going on, after all.
Constant lingered no further once his duty was done, and spent his remaining time on an extra-long workout session, to make up for the lost time. Most of the garrison was asleep by now, which was almost as good as when it was empty.
Then, the door was pulled open from the outside.
“...Is he in here?” said a light, feminine voice. “Hello?”
Constant turned his head and found quite the sight to behold: two Alicorns, the proclaimed rulers of Equestria, had wedged their heads through the doorway and were forcing their necks through to get a good view inside.
With a sigh, he dropped from his second set of pull-ups and faced them both. They froze, unaware that he was in here, or that he had noticed them.
“Can I help you, your majesties?” asked Constant, attempting as much politeness as possible and blatantly ignoring their obvious eavesdropping.
The two said nothing, their eyes darting towards each other. The taller one stepped closer, a bit timid, and opened her mouth to speak…
…But, instead, the shorter alicorn spoke first.
“You’re quite handsome…” she said to him bashfully, “You were amazing, kicking the flanks of those ponies.”
“Luna!” the taller one cried, before looking nervously at Constant, whose expression was completely flat; save for a raised eyebrow. The younger one, reprimanded, cringed at the reaction.
“I’m sorry, sir.” the taller one apologized, returning her gaze to him. “What my younger sister means to say… is that we are grateful for your rescue. Without your efforts, we would’ve been robbed, maybe even worse…”
“I was just doing my duty, your Highness,” he replied.
The white alicorn blushed. “You did it very well.”
Then, an idea suddenly came to her. “If you don’t mind me asking, may we have the pleasure of knowing your name?”
“Sergeant Constant Vigilance.” he replied.
The one called Luna gazed up at Constant, her eyes seemingly filled with wonder and awe. “I love your name. It’s wonderful.”
Celestia’s face immediately changed as she looked toward her unabashed sister in abject horror. “Luna, *please*! Have some humility for heaven’s sake!”
Luna faced her sister and frowned sorely. “I’m just speaking my mind, Celestia.” she mock-replied.
Constant watched the two of them bicker for a moment, his eyes narrowed as he remained in silence. “If you two are quite finished,” he inquired of them dully, “Do you have need of me for anything else?”
Celestia & Luna halted mid-arguing, and considered his request for a moment.
“Well, no…” Celestia concluded. “But-”
“Then goodnight.”
The door was slammed in their faces. The lock clicked. Silence.
…
…
“Did he just-?” Celestia asked, appalled.
“-In our faces?” finished her sister, incredulously.
They stared at each other. The stallion who they had been lavishing praises at had not even been a tiny bit flattered or pleased. They both realized that he, as a matter of fact, hadn’t even been smiling.
A gloom fell over them. Celestia pouted.
“Well, fine!” she said determinately, “We’ll just go and talk with somepony who isn’t so mean, right Luna?!”
Luna gave a short nod, her eyes far away and her posture filled with dejection. As the two began to head back, she repeated the same phrase to herself.
“I called him handsome… I called *him* handsome.”
The two vanished into the darkness of their carriage.
Constant gave another sigh as he heard them go away. What a pain, He thought to himself.
When he turned around, he saw that the entirety of the barracks was not only awake, but staring at him gape-mouthed. Not a breath escaped any of them, there was only quiet.
After a moment; Sharp End approached him, and slowly moved his slackened jaw to say the thing that was on all of their minds.
“Sir… did you just slam a door in the faces of the princesses?”
Constant eyed them all wearily.
“I’m going to bed.”
Soon, word had already been sent back, thanks to the efforts of pegasi air-mail. The troops were assembled earlier in the day for the Lieutenant to deliver the verdict.
The Princesses, unfamiliar with military procedure, watched and examined the other soldiers inquisitively from afar. They did not make a move to leave the side of their carriage.
“The Council has ordered that we are to escort the royals back to Canterlot,” The Lieutenant said to them that morning, “So that they may convene over what has occurred yesterday evening. Sergeant Charge has been court-martialed, and any of those who were on his team will be on latrine duty for the next month.”
A chorus of groans came from those who either liked the Sergeant or had been on his team and been released from the brig.
“I am also inclined to tell you that I will be reassigned elsewhere within the next few weeks, out of my failure to discipline my troops.” The Lieutenant explained starkly, “This is my last order before Captain Lightwing replaces me.”
The Lieutenant’s gaze fell upon Constant.
“Sergeant Vigilance, please step forward.”
Constant did so without a word. Some of the guards stared at him, and others whispered to each other as he made his way. The Lieutenant looked at him with watery eyes.
“Regarding your success with rescuing the Princesses, *you* are the one who will be escorting them. The Council wanted me to send along whomever rescued the princesses… so, I recommend you depart quickly.”
The whispers grew louder, and many eyes were now fixed upon the Sergeant. Constant’s face grew contemplative.
“The rest of us will be going out and securing the countryside,” The Lieutenant added, “So we’ll see you on your way out…”
He gave a short nod. The Lieutenant returned him something like a grim smirk.
“I trust that I don’t need to say anymore, do I?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Good.” said the Lieutenant, “Carry on. Captain Lightwing will take it from here.”
It took only a few minutes for the Sergeant to prepare his things, and even less time for the Princesses. Soon, they were out on the road.
The journey back was uneventful, despite this. All three of them said nothing to each other, the Princesses out of ire from last night, and because Constant had no intent to say anything that didn’t have a purpose.
The duo, however, did whisper to themselves. Constant caught a few words from their conversation.
“...hope we’ll be able to keep traveling…”
“...what do you think they want us for?...”
“...oh, we are in so much trouble…”
Constant said nothing of this. Ultimately, he had a job to do, which was what mattered the most. Soon, the majesty of the Canterhorn stood before them, towering high into the clouds above.
Canterlot was a beautiful, if diminutive, city. A good deal of it was still being constructed, but the Unicorns, Earth Ponies, and Pegasi in power had dreamed of it being the capital of the equestrian world. A place to unite the three tribes in sheer harmony, decked out in marble and gold, as no race had spared any expense.
Personally, Constant thought it was too bright for his tastes. He’d rather be in and out.
The city, for the time being, was still being built. For that matter, many districts were closed off, and worker ponies were everywhere. At the very least, it made the journey from the front entrance to the palace easier.
Upon being directed inside, the trio trotted through the hall, where a secretary awaited them. “The Council has already convened upon word of your arrival,” she told them simply, “Please go on through.”
They did, into a wide antechamber with a high interconnected desk that bent in a circular shape. Three ponies sat centrally in the middle, with several others seated in various other spots, observing the proceedings.
“Welcome to the 102nd Council of Three Tribes convening,” declared a Clerk who was seated below the council members. “Thank you all for joining us.”
“The following Council Members will be presiding: Councilmare Smart Cookie.”
Smart Cookie, a deep-brown-coated earth pony mare with a white mane, nodded in acknowledgment. Constant vaguely recalled that she had held some role in the Hearthswarming of some years ago, but it didn’t matter much to him.
“Presiding: Councilmare Prominent Horn.”
A surly-looking unicorn mare with a violet mane and a scarlet coat was the referred Councilmare. She did not respond to her name being called.
“Presiding: Councilstallion Nimbus Droplet.”
A gray-coated pegasi stallion with a dark blue mane rustled his wings, with a clear desire to be outside rather than indoors.
The rest of the seats at the table were empty.
“The meeting shall now come to order.” Councilmare Cookie announced, “Your majesties, do you have anything to say to us?”
The two princesses stepped forward with severe anxiety. Celestia, shielding her sister once again, was the first onto the podium.
“We… my sister and I did not anticipate any significant dangers during our trip. We had fared well enough upon our lonesome, in the days before we had come to Equestria. Together, we figured we were capable of handling ourselves.”
“Well, clearly, that was false,” said Councilmare Horn gravely. “The two of you failed to keep yourselves safe, and it is clear to this Council that you are unfit to supervise yourselves.”
Celestia’s head drooped under the harsh words, and she stared woefully at the floor.
Councilstallion Droplet frowned, and went to their defense. “Cut them some slack, Horn. They’re still fillies.”
“That may be,” she acknowledged, “But that doesn’t excuse their lack of personal responsibility.”
“Enough.” Councilmare Cookie glared at both of them. “Now… who is the soldier who ensured their safety and dispatched their aggressors?”
Constant Vigilance stepped forward, taking the place of the Princesses on the stand and giving a salute. “Sergeant Constant Vigilance, ma’am. At your service.”
Councilmare Horn stood, lowering her spectacles and surveying the Sergeant. “*You* are the one who saved the Princesses?”
Constant nodded affirmingly. “Yes, ma’am.”
The Councilmare said nothing, but her expression only worsened. She sat back down.
“How did you do it?” asked Councilstallion Droplet, curiously.
“As soon as the Princesses were past their estimated arrival, I notified the garrison at the Fort and gathered a search party,” he explained. “When we arrived, we discovered the ongoing fillynapping of the Princesses.”
“I dealt with the highway ponies and escorted the Princesses back to the fort. The carriage was brought along afterward, as their safety was a greater concern than their transport.”
The Councilmembers took all of this into consideration, musing to themselves. Droplet spoke first.
“Well, considering how outnumbered you were, I would say that is very remarkable. How exactly did you take them out?”
“I ambushed them from behind, sir.” Constant told him. “Took them by surprise and finished them off while they were in disarray.”
Councilstallion Droplet smiled. “Impressive.”
“For an earth pony…” Councilmare Horn muttered, glowering.
Celestia sidled up next to Constant, with Luna close behind. “All of this being said, what about the journey we were going to go on?”
The three looked at each other. This time, it was Councilmare Horn who was first to speak.
“In my expert opinion, I would recommend that they shouldn’t even travel at all,” Horn adjusted her spectacles glaringly. “It’s too dangerous for them.”
Droplet, glancing at Councilmare Horn, disagreed.
“How else will they learn about the land? Or the other species native to it? Their status as Princesses allows us to formulate good relations on first contact.”
“What would you suggest, Councilstallion?” asked Cookie, with a curious eye.
He grinned brightly. “I would assign a permanent guardian to watch and protect them. Somepony skilled, capable, and knowledgeable.”
Horn gazed at Droplet warily. “What would that entail?”
“Well, they would be near the Princesses at all times, to watch over and the protect them. They’d be able to regulate their conduct and provide necessary deliberation, while also making sure the pair are unharmed. Actually, here.”
Droplet began writing down the responsibilities and privileges with a stray piece of parchment, to boot, including unrestricted access to the Princesses. He gave it to Cookie, who reviewed it, before passing it on to Horn. She eyed it suspiciously.
“This is quite the list, Councilstallion.” Horn pushed the paper back to him dismissively. “You surely think their guardian could handle all this?”
“They’ll be trustworthy enough, I assure you.” Droplet smiled.
“But whoever would we even find that fits such a description?” Horn asked, raising an eyebrow dismissively. “Starswirl the Bearded is out on his business, and the EUP guard is already of a limited scope, no further beyond the patrols and encampments we’ve managed to establish.”
Councilmare Horn pushed up her specs importantly.
“With our supply lines unsecured and our minimal forces, what are we supposed to do? You expect us to expend resources on scouring the land, in search of a worthy candidate?”
“I don’t.” Droplet leaned on his chair with a wry look in his eye. “In fact, I don’t believe we have to look that far at all.”
He gestured to the stand below them. Horn and Cookie looked to Constant, who stood there quietly with moderate curiosity on his stony face.
Horn flashed a look that could be interpreted as sheer disgust. “Him? The guard who just so *happened* to have rescued them only once? Droplet, have you taken leave of your senses?”
Droplet shook his head, still smiling. “You just said it yourself. He’s already kept them safe, so… who’s to say he can’t do it again?”
Horn scoffed at this. “Well, how do we know he’s even capable enough?! It could’ve been just a mere fluke!”
Droplet nodded and leaned back in his chair. “I thought you might say that,” he answered, “Clerk Inkwell? Please bring us the report on Sergeant Constant Vigilance, the one from Fort Westhoof.”
The report was hooved over to him, and he in turn hooved it over to Councilmare Cookie. She flipped it open and looked it over.
“Spotless record, no discrepancies whatsoever.” Cookie read aloud carefully, “Fantastic work ethic, dutiful, and capable. Ideal soldier noted for his drive and determination. I’m not paraphrasing, this is all quite literal, Councilmare.”
Horn became highly indignant. “But… but he’s just an earth pony!”
“So were Rockhoof and Mage Meadowbrook,” Droplet countered smoothly. “The stories of their deeds have been spreading pretty far. Starswirl already has them along with him, something pretty prestigious in and of itself. Constant has done nearly as much as they have accomplished recently in his entire career.”
“He’s right,” Cookie remarked, still examining the report. “Multiple accounts of notable missions executed flawlessly. High praise. His superiors have written that his capabilities are significant, and his success rate is high.”
Cookie closed the report, giving a resolute nod of approval. “Earth pony or not, he gets things accomplished, and that’s good enough for me.”
Horn sputtered in protest, but could not come up with a proper counterargument. She settled on turning away with a loud ‘hmph!’
“Let’s put it to a vote,” said Cookie. “All in favor?”
Droplet raised his hoof.
Cookie raised her hoof.
Horn initially kept her forelegs crossed tightly around her midsection, but upon her seeing the two votes, she relented. She raised her hoof with the others.
“Understood.” said Councilmare Cookie proudly. “The vote is in favor of appointing Sergeant Vigilance as bodyguard. Congratulations.”
The Princesses gasped. Constant dipped his head with contemplation before at last, he gave yet another firm nod. “Of course, Councilmare. I will carry out my duty as necessary. Thank you.”
Despite this, his face betrayed no overt joy at this assignment. The Princesses, unsure, piped up.
“So…” Celestia asked timidly. “Does this mean that…?”
“Yes, your highness.” Cookie smiled at her. “Your journey may proceed as planned.”
The two fillies shrieked with joy, prompting some looks. They danced around the room, held each other in their hooves, and chanted in excitement. Constant watched the whole affair silently.
The Councilmare, slightly mystified, errantly slammed her gavel against the desk. “Ahem… well… meeting adjourned!”
The ponies present began filtering out as they discussed the decision and their own going-ons.
The Princesses finally began to calm down, but then something suddenly occurred to them. The pair stared at each other worrisomely, uncertain as to what to say. They realized that the very pony that had been so rude to them on that night what with slamming a door in their muzzles… was *now* their assigned protector. It inspired no confidence, that was for sure.
Luna, looking back to her new bodyguard, swallowed hard before speaking.
“I have a bad feeling about this, sister.”
Celestia was certain of the same. “As do I, Luna.”
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I'm confused... Is that good or bad?
A platonic relationship is when a relationship is romantic, but not sexual. If it’s hardly ever platonic, then that means the opposite.
Basically, ancient dark days = allusions to crude behavior
The highest honor any pony worth his salt can aspire to!