> The Guard And His Sword
>  by Himntor
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> My Usual Day as a Royal Guard
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once upon a time, today for that matter, Princess Celestia had tasked Shining Armor with getting rid of a couple hydras down in the forest by Foal Mountain, and he brought me along for the fun. Fun, as in, trying to hold back a hydra trapped in a cave with my enchanted magic sword while Shining Armor was in the distance and running straight for me, another hydra on his tail. I looked back at the cave entrance and gritted my teeth, the enchanted sword covering it as a shapeshifted wall. As the banging from the hydra’s heads crashing into it continued, I wondered whether I should've helped the Captain or stayed put. Yup, fun.
“Come on, Shining Armor, you can make it!”
“It’s too big for the cave!” he said.
His head darted around, and he veered left, heading straight for a chasm. I watched wide-eyed as he led the hydra over the edge.
“Captain!”
In a split second decision, I reshaped my sword into a surfboard and jumped on, pumping as much magic into it as I could and speeding towards the chasm. I heard the previously-trapped hydra roar and start charging me, but I didn't look back.
Faster, faster!
I swooped over the edge, swerved around the panicked falling hydra, and with one last magic burst of speed, caught the Captain, having to dodge both hydras as they plummeted after me. They slammed into the bottom of the chasm with a thunderous sound, and I was out. I hopped off my surf-sword and put Shining Armor down with a relieved sigh.
“Sir, if you don’t mind me asking, have you gone insane?” I asked.
Shining Armor only rubbed his eyes and shook his head. “What happened?”
“You jumped into a chasm, forcing me to dive after you! Do you have any idea what Cadance would say if I didn’t bring you back to her? She’d throw me in a dungeon!”
He stood up and brushed off his armor. “How else was I supposed to get rid of the hydra on my back? You don’t exactly stop a charging hydra with a protection spell. Thanks for saving my rump though.”
I grunted. “Right. I’m sure Cadance will love to hear about this one. Let’s get back to Canterlot already, Princess Celestia will be glad to know those beasts have been dealt with.”
 

*


My name is Swordulan Thunder Shield. I know it's a bit of a mouthful, but I blame my father. He always preferred things on the extravagant side. Most ponies just call me Swordulan though, and that's fine by me. All I care about is doing my job. Not that it’s usually as crazy as taking out a few hydras threatening Canterlot in the forest near Foal Mountain; this was certainly one of the more exciting days since I joined the Royal Guard.
I had joined up only weeks before, and getting assigned to help the Captain on something as big as this was surprising. I could only guess it had to do with my sword-wielding talents. Earth or pegasus ponies usually have to wield swords in their mouths, hooves, or wings, wings being the best of those, but the best weapon experts were us unicorns, capable of any technique with magic, so long as were were talented enough with it.
That was my special talent, sword-fighting using magic. I had a strong tool for it too. My sword—a steel broadsword with a gold strip through the middle and a golden hilt embedded with three cyan colored crystals—was enchanted. I had it forged on the day of recruitment, and as far as I know, I was the only guard who thought to enchant their weapon.
Enchantments can do a number of specific things, like making an item weigh less, or change its density, or even set a constant temperature, but for my sword, it simply made manipulating it with magic easier. Much easier, and in my understanding of magic, far more than it should have. It allowed me to cast spells more powerfully through the blade, change it into just about any size and shape, and as I demonstrated, let me fly on it. On the subject of maximum speed, I wasn’t sure. I was still in the process of testing how much magic and speed the sword, and myself, could take.
I attributed the sword’s strangely powerful abilities to an anomaly that occurred right after enchanting it, an explosion of non-violent magical energy. I wasn’t sure what it was or how it happened. Any enchantment magic textbooks I read told me nothing. None of my old professors at the School for Gifted Unicorns knew anything about it either.
However it happened, I was just grateful that it got me on a mission with Shining Armor. Guarding Princess Cadance’s room was great and all, but it got boring every once in a while. Sitting still for hours also made my legs uncomfortably stiff. I would’ve asked for wall patrol if it weren’t for getting brief but interesting glimpses into the lives of Princess Cadance and Shining Armor.
 

*


Back in the present time, I was preparing our return to Canterlot by using a sight spell on my sword, allowing me to see wherever the sword pointed. It was a simple spell that all unicorn guards memorized to help with monitoring buildings like the Canterlot Archives or certain rooms in the castle. With the spell cast, I began levitating the sword up into the air.
“What are you doing?” Shining Armor asked curiously.
“Flying my sword to Canterlot, I hope,” I said. “I don’t know what the range of my magic is to my sword, but so far I haven’t hit a limit on that. If I can get it to the barracks, I should be able to teleport us both to it. I hope.”
His eyes widened. “You’re going to teleport both of us that far? Swordulan, I’m not sure you can handle that. I don’t want you getting yourself hurt.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll know if it’s too much. Besides, you can put a protection spell around us just in case.” I could see down into Canterlot now. I spotted the Royal Barracks and began bringing the sword down. I wondered how it must have looked to everyone who saw it. Random flying sword and all. “Alright, there. Ready?”
Shining Armor cast a protection spell around us. “This better not explode in our faces.”
“Have some confidence, Captain.”
I locked my magic onto the sword’s position and began channeling between it, myself and Shining Armor. With one burst of magic, it whipped us both off and in a flash we appeared next to my sword and outside the barracks, albeit a foot in the air and upside down.
“Oof!”
I pounded a hoof on the ground. “Ponyfeathers, I hate it when this happens!” I yanked my horn free of the soil.
“Nice job,” Shining Armor said, standing up. I couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic. He'd somehow managed to land on his back and not his horn.
I stood up and dusted myself off. “I must have miscalculated the pull of gravity.”
Shining Armor grunted and adjusted his armor. “Right. I’m going to report back to Princess Celestia. By my account, you’ve earned a break, so feel free to go grab a donut at Joe’s or something, but meet back here at noon.”
I gave a nod and salute. “Thank you, Captain.”
As Shining Armor trotted off, I retrieved my sword and magically began removing my armor as I walked into the barracks, finding the locker room and putting it away. I kept my sword magically strapped onto my waist like a belt though; I didn’t like going anywhere without it.
The first place I thought to go was my parent’s house. I hadn’t paid them a visit for a while, mostly because of… well, I didn’t feel like hearing whatever my dad had to say to me. He’s the whole reason I was here, not by my own choice. I had wanted to become a magician, not a Royal Guard. Not that I wasn’t happy or anything, but I often wondered what life would be like if my father had never been there to make me train day and night.
I couldn’t just forget about my parents though, and a few minutes later I was at their door and awkwardly knocking. I still wasn’t used to knocking on the door to my old home, but it seemed appropriate. It opened and my mother, Sacred Shield, came into view, beaming as she recognized me.
“My little Shield, I’ve missed you!” she said, giving me a hug. That nickname still kills me inside. My mother was a white-coated unicorn with a light blue and purple mane and tail, and her cutie mark was a thermometer. She looked me over with her bright blue eyes in a worried expression. “What happened to you? You’re all scratched up. Did you get in a fight? Come in, let me fix you up.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m fine, Mom. I—”
She grabbed me by the ear in her magic and dragged me inside. “No excuses! You’re a mess. Sit down.”
I sighed and sat down on the living room couch. I couldn’t remember how many times I had been here for her to do a full checkup on me. Not the best perk of having an over-concerned nurse as a mother.
“Really Mom, it’s nothing. Just a bit of hard work I had to do this morning.”
Mom cleaned a sponge and began dabbing at my face. “I’m sure, but you need to be more careful. You could get an infection from one of those cuts.” She began putting small amounts of ointment wherever I had gotten cut while fighting the hydras, making me wince. “There, that should do it. Unfortunately you just missed your father, he’s off to work. Maybe you could stop by later? I’m sure he’d love to see you.”
I shrugged uncomfortably. “I don’t know, I think I have more work. This is just a quick visit.” I was rather glad my father wasn’t here. My last visit when he was didn’t go so well.
Mom sat down on a comforter opposite of me and hummed. “I see. So, how has work with the Royal Guard been?”
“It’s been good,” I said, nodding slowly. “Been kinda slow, but I’ve been getting to know Princess Cadance and Shining Armor more, so that’s been nice.”
“Oh? I ran into Cadance just the other day, she seemed very sweet. I wonder when she’ll get to ruling her own kingdom.”
I shrugged. “She’s been wondering that too, and hoping she’ll stumble across some beautiful land to call home for herself and Shining Armor.”
“I’ll bet. He’s a handsome one. You know if they’re getting married yet?”
I smirked. I always found the whole 'my Captain is dating the Princess I’m guarding' thing a bit funny. “Don’t know. He hasn’t proposed yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened soon.”
“Well, I bet they’re just trying to get ready for something like that. It takes time. Took me and your father three years, in fact. You haven’t met anyone in the Royal Guard, have you?”
I felt my cheeks grow hotter. “No, I haven’t, and haven’t been looking. I’m too busy.”
Mom sighed. “Right. So are you going to tell me what exactly it was that got you in a scuffle this morning? Hard work doesn’t get you cuts and bruises like those.”
“It was nothing, just a couple of hydras over near Foal Mountain that Shining Armor and I took care of.”
Her eyes widened. “Hydras? Goodness, isn’t that a big assignment for you so early? You could’ve been seriously hurt.”
Or dead, really, but she could never believe I’d actually die while at work. I never really thought about that either. “It was a piece of cake. My sword was a big help. Speaking of which, I’m a bit concerned about it and what it can do.”
“Your sword?”
I magically took it off my waist and changed it back into its normal form. “It’s enchanted.”
She looked at it with a hint of disgust in her eye. “You’ve never told me about that. What sort of enchantment?”
“Just a basic enchantment for easier magic manipulation, I don’t know much about that sort of magic to do otherwise. But it seems that the enchantment turned out more powerful than it should have, and it’s made me worried that something might go wrong with it, or I might push it too far and something bad could happen.”
“Oh dear. What have you been doing with it?”
“Just this morning I used it as a wall strong enough to stop a hydra, and to fly at… I’m not sure how fast, and also to teleport myself and Shining Armor back here from Foal Mountain.”
She gasped. “You teleported that far? That’s not safe at all! You need to be more careful, and you should've walked back.”
I sighed. “I know. It’s just weird, it feels so easy. I’m not sure if it’s just my special talent, or there’s something else going on.”
“Hmm. I’m sure your father will want to see it.”
I shifted in place. “Yeah, sure. I’ll have to stop by another time to show him, but work comes first right now. But you’ll tell him I’m doing well, right?”
She nodded. “Of course, but you better come by again soon. He wants to see you.”
“I will, I promise. I better get going though.” I stood up and made for the door, and she followed after me. “I’ll see you later, Mom.”
 She gave me one last hug. “Alright, thanks for coming by. I love you, and stay safe!”
“I love you too, and I will.”
I trotted off with one last wave goodbye and made my way back to the barracks, where I got assigned to guard Cadance’s room for the rest of the day. She was inside with the door open when I got there, simply looking through some papers. I knocked and she glanced back with a welcoming smile.
“Back already? How’d it go with the hydras?” she asked.
I tilted my head in confusion. “Shining Armor hasn’t stopped by to tell you yet?”
Cadance shook her head. “He didn’t want to talk about it for some reason. Did something happen?”
I smirked. “Oh, not really. He jumped off a cliff, I saved him.”
Cadance gaped. “What? What was he thinking?”
I shrugged. “He probably wasn't thinking, and just wanted the hydra that was chasing him to go away. Everything turned out fine though.”
Cadance frowned and muttered, “I’ll have to have a few words with him about that.” She held a hoof to her chest and took a deep breath, moving her hoof forward as she let it out. “The Summer Sun Celebration is in a few days. I’ve been put in charge of the festivities here in Canterlot, but Celestia will be in Ponyville this year. Will you be joining?”
I shook my head. “Shining Armor assigned me to be Princess Celestia’s escort, so I’ll be celebrating in Ponyville this year.”
“Oh, that should be exciting. It’s a lovely town.”
“Yeah. Well, I’ll just let you get to your duties and I’ll get to mine. Call if you need anything.”
She smiled and turned back to her papers. “Thank you.”
I took my spot outside her door and began standing deathly still, as usual. I was slightly anxious about my assignment to escort Princess Celestia, but I doubted anything would go wrong. Just another simple Summer Sun Celebration.
> A Dark Summer's Sun
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

On the day of the Summer Sun Celebration, I nearly fell out of my bunk in excitement as I woke up. It wouldn’t be long until the early celebrations in Canterlot began, but today was the day I escorted Princess Celestia to Ponyville. Shining Armor wanted me to have my own chariot to do so, but I assured him I could fly on my sword instead. During the past few days I took whatever time off I got to practice, and I was already faster than the guards pulling chariots. I could probably have my sword be the chariot, but that might have been pushing the limit. I wasn’t ready to find out.
The day passed too slowly for my liking. Guarding Cadance’s room or patrolling the walls was no way to pass time, and the heat was... actually, it wasn’t that bad up here in Canterlot. The perks of being a city on a mountain I guess. That isn’t to say the heat wasn’t at least a little uncomfortable.
After what seemed like eons, the time finally came, and I met up with Princess Celestia and four pegasus guards that were to pull her chariot. They were all those weird, white-coated guard clones. Or quadruplets, but that didn't make nearly as much sense.
“Ready to go, Princess?” I asked, magically twirling my sword overhead.
Celestia turned to me with a smile and nod. “Yes, thank you. It seems like it’s going to be a wonderful night.”
“I hope so.”
Celestia watched curiously as I formed my sword into a surfboard, hopped on and began hovering next to the chariot. “I must say I’m impressed with how quickly you’ve learned to fly like that. It must take a lot of skill and talent.”
I gave a short bow. “Thank you, Princess. It’s not as hard as it looks, really. The enchantment does most of the work.”
“What sort of enchantment did you use?”
“It was a basic one, for ease of magic manipulation, but it seems to have worked pretty well.”
She eyed me skeptically for a moment but quickly turned to the other guards. “Let’s be off! Wouldn’t want to keep Ponyville waiting.”
We set out as the sun was dipping below the mountains in the distance, and the orange sky gave away to purple, which gave away to dark blue, which finally gave away to black as we arrived uninterrupted at Ponyville’s Town Hall building. I and the rest of the guards followed Celestia inside while she looked at the decorations with a smile on her face, though the main room was empty of ponies.
“It seems my faithful student’s preparations have paid off,” she said. “I’m going to begin my own in the dressing room. This Summer Sun Celebration starts shortly after midnight, so that will leave a couple hours.” She turned to me. “You may guard the door. I shouldn’t be too long, and if somepony comes asking for me you can tell them I am getting ready. The rest of you can wait in here.”
I nodded and followed her up to the dressing room and stood guard outside. After a long, tiring hour of standing there, it began to get uncomfortably warm. It was much hotter here in Ponyville, and the air was thick and stuffy. I looked back at the dressing room’s door anxiously. Celestia surely wouldn’t mind if I took a quick break outside. Only the Mayor and a white-coated unicorn had come to check on Celestia so far. No, she couldn’t have needed anything in the next few minutes.
I found an open window and used my sword to fly out. It was still warm outside, but at least it wasn't as stuffy. I saw lights from the library down the street where a lot of noise was coming from. Somepony was apparently already celebrating. Not unusual, though a bit strange for it to happen in a library.
A minute later I turned back to the Town Hall, when something in the sky caught my eye. The moon had flashed, and that face that had been on it since forever was gone.
“What the hay?” I muttered.
I stared at it for another minute trying to figure out how that was possible, but nothing about it made sense. Faces don't just disappear off of moons. Maybe Princess Celestia would know something about it. I slowly made my way back inside and to the door of the dressing room, when I heard a muffled voice inside that did not belong to Celestia.
“And now, sister, you will know what it is like to suffer for a thousand years in banishment!”
My heart skipped a beat, and I looked at the rim of light at the bottom of the door in panic. There was a flash of light, and in an instant of adrenaline-filled fear I was charging through the door with my sword out. Standing in the middle of the room was a tall, black-coated Alicorn mare, with a mane and tail seemingly made out of pure magic. Celestia was nowhere in sight.
I aimed my sword at the dark Alicorn. “Who are you!? Where’s Princess Celestia!?”
She looked at me curiously and laughed maniacally. “Silly foal, don’t you recognize me? Do you not see who I am? I AM NIGHTMARE MOON, QUEEN OF THE ETERNAL NIGHT!”
I huffed and took a step back. “Never heard of you, but I don’t care if you’re the Queen of Mareland. What—have—you—done—with—Celestia?”
Nightmare Moon smirked villainously. “You are a foalish Royal Guard. Don’t you see? She is gone, forever, banished from Equestria! It doesn’t matter, you’ll never see her again. You cannot get her back.”
I whirled my sword and took an aggressive stance. “Doesn’t mean I won’t try.”
She laughed again. “Don’t be any more a foal. You don’t honestly think you can defeat me, do you?”
I lashed out with the sword, taking a slice at her head, but missing and hitting her magical mane. A small dark lock of it came off and disappeared into smoke. Nightmare Moon gasped and took a step back, then reached out with her mane to grab at my sword, but it only slid off.
She gaped at it in awe and confusion. “How is this possible!? Why can I not take your blade?”
I smirked. She didn’t seem that strong. How in Equestria did she manage to banish Celestia? “Maybe I’ve got a stronger grip than you thought. And you know, using your mane isn't a very effective way to grab an object.”
I didn’t really know how she couldn’t. I could feel the magical power of her mane just coming near me. She should’ve been able to take it straight out of my magic. Not that I was going to complain.
Instead she scowled and aimed her horn at me and fired a beam of magic. As fast as I possibly could, I used a burst of magic to change my sword’s shape into a shield and put it between me and the beam, causing it to bounce right off. Nightmare Moon gaped at it once again, and I took the opportunity to attack, reforming the blade and spinning it at her like a helicopter blade. She formed her own dark sword with magic and struck back, fending off the attack. I repositioned the blade between me and her defensively.
“It seems you know how to fight,” she sneered. “It’s a shame I’ll have to get rid of you though, you would have made an excellent guardservant.”
I snorted. “Not in a thousand years.”
“There is plenty of time to reconsider.”
I launched another attack at her head, to which she gracefully stepped aside and countered with her own. I dodged it by rolling to the side, meanwhile using my sword to strike at her from behind. She seemed to have eyes on all sides of her head and moved her blade and fought it off. Blows between swords and magic continued, until Nightmare Moon fueled her blade with a giant burst of magic and threw it at me. I raised my sword and shaped it into a shield to block, but the sheer force behind the blow was so heavy it knocked me off my hooves.
This Alicorn was really starting to get on my nerves.
I managed to jump up just in time to avoid a second blow. Regaining my posture, I reshaped my sword into a giant, doubled-sided axe and began spinning it in front of me.
“There is only one thing I may reconsider tonight, Nightmare Moon, and that is stopping you. If you bring back Celestia, you have my word that I’ll stand down.”
Nightmare Moon only chuckled. “You are an amusing guard, but still a foal.”
I swung my sword-axe, and Nightmare Moon stopped it short with one wide swipe of her blade.
“I have had enough of this nonsense!”
She began laughing maniacally and channeled a bubble of magic around herself. It burst across the room and knocked me back against the wall. For some reason I now had a terrible headache. With a groan I looked back up at Nightmare Moon, who only towered over me with a scowl.
“I shall deal with you later.”
And with that, she disappeared into a purple mist.
I slowly sat up and rubbed the spot where my head had hit the wall. That was going to leave a mark for a while. Stupid, stupid, stupid! How could I have let this happen? It was all my fault. I should have never left Princess Celestia’s door. Royal Guards don’t get to choose when they take a break, and the one moment I do, Celestia is taken by some evil Alicorn who I’ve never even heard of!
I levitated my sword back to me, reshaping it back to normal. As I mounted it on my back a white-coated unicorn mare with a fancy purple mane and tail ran in.
“Where is Princess Celestia?” she asked. “She is missing her cue! What in Equestria happened in here?”
I shook my head. “I… I don’t know. The Princess… she’s just gone.”
She gasped and ran out just as quickly as she came in. “She’s gone!” I heard her exclaim to the audience.
I reached for the bump on the back of my head again, and the pain was finally beginning to surface. I failed Princess Celestia… I failed Equestria… I couldn’t stop Nightmare Moon, my sword couldn’t defeat her… I fell unconscious.


*


My head was throbbing when I awoke, and I could hear distance voices.
“Seize her! Only she knows where the Princess is!”
“Stand back, you foals!”
Thunder seemed to crack, shaking the floor. I struggled to my feet and hobbled out onto the balcony of the main room, finding it full of ponies running around, screaming and panicking. There was no sign of Nightmare Moon. I had to stop her. I had to do something. There was no way to search for Princess Celestia. Nightmare Moon had escaped to who-knows-where. The only one who could protect Equestria now was Cadance. I had to get back to Canterlot, I had to warn her, protect her.
I made my way back outside, and I looked curiously at the sky. It was still midnight. Eternal Night. I shuddered and painfully used my magic to shape my sword into a surfboard again. I slowly climbed on and began my way back to Canterlot, slower than I would’ve liked since pain hindered me.
I made it back to Canterlot within the hour, surprisingly, and landed at the Royal Barracks. Shining Armor was in the midst of dozens of guards, sending them out one way or another in a rush. When he saw me come in he ran over immediately.
“Swordulan, you’re supposed to be with Princess Celestia,” he said. “What’s happened? It should be day by now.”
I grimaced, teeth clenched in an effort to ward off the pain in my head. “In Ponyville, there was an attack. An Alicorn appeared out of nowhere and took Princess Celestia. Banished, she said. I don’t know where either of them are.”
Shining Armor stared at me wide-eyed. “Another Alicorn? Who?”
“She called herself Nightmare Moon, Queen of the Eternal Night. I think she might go after Cadance next.”
His face paled. “Cadance is in her room right now. Let’s go!”
He rushed off towards the castle, and I followed. We ran up the stairways and through halls until we reached Cadance’s door. Bursting into her room, we found it empty except for a single guard writhing on the floor in horror.
“NO!” we both shouted at once.
“How could this have happened? And right under our noses?” Shining Armor asked.
I stomped a hoof and stared at the ground. “It’s all my fault. I had left Princess Celestia’s door unguarded for only a moment, and when I came back she was gone. I couldn’t stop Nightmare Moon no matter how hard I tried. I failed Celestia and all of Equestria. I don’t deserve the title of Royal Guard.”
Shining Armor put a hoof on my shoulder. “Yes you do. There’s no way you could’ve known this would happen. Judging by whoever this Nightmare Moon is, I don’t think there was anything you or anyone else could have done.”
I shook my head. “I’m not so sure. But I am sure that I have to find a way to stop Nightmare Moon. The only way I can think of is finding out who she is and where she came from. I’m going to the Canterlot Archives. Alicorns never escape the old stories. If I find something that will tell me how to defeat her, I’ll go after her myself.”
Shining Armor frowned. “I can’t let you do that. You’re already hurt.”
I ground my teeth. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me, I can do this. You need the rest of the Royal Guard here to keep everypony safe. Who knows if Nightmare Moon will return?”
I turned out of Cadance room, but a firm hoof stopped me. I looked back at Shining Armor blankly.
“You don’t need to do this,” he said.
I levitated his hoof off of me. “Yes I do. It’s my duty as a Royal Guard to protect Equestria and the Princesses. If I can’t even search for a way to save them, then what good am I? If you need me I’ll be at the Canterlot Archives.”
I ran off and made my way back outside, again bringing out my sword to fly on and heading for the Canterlot Archives. If anypony was going to stop Nightmare Moon, it was going to be me.
> The Search For A Legend Lost
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Canterlot Archives weren’t open, but I had authorized access to it, so the guards let me in. I began pouring over the history section, skimming through dozens of books as quickly as I could. Most of them might have interested me on any other day, but they would have to wait.
A book titled ‘Predictions and Prophecies’ caught my eye, filled with all sorts of interesting tidbits, but so far nothing of use. I was about to close the book when I reached a page marked ‘Elements of Harmony’.
“What the hay are the Elements of Harmony?” I muttered to myself, and read the description. “See Mare in the Moon…” Was that all? Who the buck wrote this? I grumbled and began going back through the book until I found the page for the Mare in the Moon, which I had earlier missed. I did see the moon changing before facing Nightmare Moon, so maybe that had something to do with it.
I found the page and began reading to myself. “The Mare in the Moon, myth from olden pony times. A powerful pony who wanted to rule Equestria, defeated by the Elements of Harmony and imprisoned on the moon. Legend has it that on the longest day of the thousandth year the stars will aid in her escape and she will bring about night time eternal.”
I grimaced in confusion. “But what in Equestria are the Elements of Harmony, and where do I find them?”
I again searched through the book, but nothing more about them was inside. I began looking through the E section of the Archives and quickly found a book titled ‘Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide.’ I opened it up and read.
"There are six Elements of Harmony, but only five are known: Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty and Loyalty. The sixth is a complete mystery. It is said that the last known location of the five elements was in the ancient castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. It is located in what is now the Everfree Forest."
I closed the book and turned to leave. Now I knew exactly how to stop Nightmare Moon. I had to find the ancient castle, get the Elements of Harmony and use them—however that worked—to defeat her. It wasn’t going to be easy though. Searching for a castle in the Everfree Forest would be like searching for a needle in a haystack, and I doubted I could just fly over it to do so. It was too thick. I would probably need help with the Elements, too. Shining Armor and the Royal Guards were too busy. I needed somepony talented at magic. Perhaps Celestia’s star student was already looking for the Elements herself. Yes, Twilight Sparkle could likely help.
I mounted my surf-sword and began heading back to Ponyville, ignoring the throbbing pain in my head. Once there I asked around for Twilight, though it was a bit difficult with the town still in a panic, but was soon directed to the Golden Oak’s library. I flew over to it and knocked on the door. No answer, though a light was still on. I looked through a window, seeing books spilled all over the floor as if somepony was searching for something like I had been. Trying the front door, I was surprised to find it open. Still no Twilight. I hopped off my sword and walked in further, and I started to hear a faint snoring coming from upstairs. Was she sleeping? During this?
Going upstairs I found the bed empty, but there was another tiny bed with a moving lump in it, the source of the snoring. Looking into it, I saw a small, sleeping purple and green baby dragon, of all things. What in Equestria is Twilight doing with a baby dragon?
Apparently my staring caused him to stir. “T-Twilight?” he said, yawning. He looked up at me and blinked, then screamed and fell out of his bed and onto his back. “Who are you? Where’s Twilight?”
I stepped back and held up a hoof. “Calm down there, little guy. My name’s Swordulan, I’m with the Royal Guard, and I’m looking for Twilight myself. Do you know where she went?”
“Oh.” The dragon sat up and rubbed his eyes. “My name’s Spike, I’m Twilight's number one assistant. I can’t remember where she is, though. The last thing I remember…” Spike looked out the window and gasped. “Oh no, Nightmare Moon! We have to stop Nightmare Moon! Oh no, Twilight must have gone to stop her all by herself! There were some other ponies we met today, I mean, uh, yesterday, that might know where to find her. There was Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and… Rarity.” The hearts were practically popping out of his eyes.
“Do you think you could take me to them? I think I know how to stop Nightmare Moon, but I need Twilight’s help.”
Spike stifled a yawn and nodded. “Yeah, I bet I could help you find them. Come on!”
He jumped up and ran down the stairs, and I followed after. He took me throughout Ponyville, searching multiple locations for the ponies who might’ve known where Twilight had gone, but they were nowhere to be found. Rarity’s Boutique was empty, Pinkie Pie wasn’t at Sugarcube Corner, Rainbow Dash was nowhere to be found in the clouds, Fluttershy wasn’t home, and none of her many animal friends knew where she had gone. Sweet Apple Acres was the last place we checked, but none of the Apple folk had seen Applejack since this all began.
As we were beginning to leave a young voice shouted from behind us. “Wait!” Turning around we saw a filly in a red hair-bow running up to us. “I’m Apple Bloom, and I know where Applejack went, as well as Twilight. I saw both of ‘em an’ four others enterin’ the Everfree Forest! Do you think they’re gonna be okay?”
I smiled, though it was mostly fake. I had no idea if they were going to be okay. “Don’t worry, Apple Bloom, I’m sure they will be fine. I’m going to find them and make sure they’re safe.” I turned back to Spike, who looked tired as ever. “Spike, you can go back to your bed. I promise I’ll defeat Nightmare Moon and bring Twilight and Celestia back.”
Spike yawned. “Okay. I would rather help you search for them, but,” he yawned again, “I’m just so tired. Good luck!”
I nodded and left them at a run towards the Everfree Forest. There was a main road that seemed to run through it, and upon finding it I noticed hoof-prints on the ground, lots of hoof-prints. Twilight and her companions had definitely gone in. I sized up the deep, dark forest and charged in, hoping none of the other ponies within were in danger.
I was immediately crowded on either side by trees and couldn’t see further than a couple feet ahead, but I kept on trotting through, until I had to make a quick stop before I tumbled over the edge of a chasm. Staring over it, I saw no easy way to climb down, so I dropped my sword over the edge and teleported to it when it reached the bottom. More hoof-prints were down here, along with a pair of, by my guess, Manticore paw-prints. No sign of a struggle though, it must have crossed here before they had, since it didn’t seem to follow the others. Thank goodness for that.
Continuing forward, the forest went pitch black, forcing me to cast a light spell. I didn’t like the look of the trees, but I ignored them as best I could, and eventually they opened up to a moonlit river. There was seemingly no way to cross other than swimming, or a more pleasant alternative, magic. I levitated my sword over the river and teleported to it again, though apparently I aimed it a bit off since I ended up getting splashed a bit on the other side.
Stupid river. I hate getting unnecessarily wet.
I couldn’t find a trace of where Twilight and her companions had gone. It took me another precious minute before I could find their tracks again and continue forward. Shortly after crossing a bridge stretching over a chasm, the ancient castle came into view. I jumped back on my sword and began flying towards it, but then there was a blinding burst of light from within that forced me to stop and look away. As the light faded, a new light came from the sky. It began turning purple, then orange, and finally the sun burst out from beyond the mountains, shining in a bright blue sky with glory unmatched. I never noticed how cold it had gotten until I felt its warmth again. I couldn’t think about what would’ve happened had it been gone any longer.
A minute later I spotted Twilight and her companions coming out of the castle, followed by Princess Celestia and… Nightmare Moon? No, it wasn’t her, it was a different Alicorn, smaller and blue-coated instead of black. Whoever she was, it didn’t stop me from flying down in front of Celestia.
I bowed as humbly as I could. “Princess Celestia, I’m so sorry. I was not there to help you against Nightmare Moon, and I wasn’t able to stop her from terrorizing Ponyville. This was all my fault.”
Celestia took a step forward, causing me to wince. It was to the dungeons for sure. She raised my head with a hoof and made me look her in the eyes. She was smiling for some reason. “Everything is all right, Swordulan. There was nothing you could have done to defeat Nightmare Moon on your own. You are very brave to have faced her alone.”
I grimaced. That wasn’t exactly what I expected. “I… thank you, Princess. But I still feel like I owe you a debt for failing my duty in protecting you. Is there anything I can do?”
She nodded. “We are going back to Ponyville for the rest of the celebration. My sister, Luna, has returned, thanks to Twilight and her new friends. We will return to Canterlot afterwards, and I want it to be ready for another celebration. Can you tell Cadance to begin preparations?”
“Sister?” I glanced at the Alicorn who was shyly standing behind Celestia. I quickly stood back at attention and saluted. “Yes, Princess. I’ll go right away.”
I took off on my sword to Canterlot. The pain in my head had disappeared, thanks to Celestia no doubt, and I was able to arrive within the hour. I landed at the Royal Barracks and asked a guard where Shining Armor was, and he turned out to be in the castle throne room with Cadance. I rushed off to meet them, and a couple minutes later I was in the throne room. Shining Armor and Cadance seemed to be having a casual discussion about the weather until they noticed me come in.
“Swordulan, where’ve you been?” Shining Armor asked. “I couldn’t find you at the Archives.”
“Has Nightmare Moon been defeated?” Cadance asked. “Is Celestia back?”
I nodded. “Celestia’s student, Twilight Sparkle, defeated her along with her friends. Princess Celestia is in Ponyville for the rest of the celebration, but she wants another one here when she returns.”
Shining Armor gaped. “Really? Twily defeated Nightmare Moon?”
“I’m not surprised at all,” Cadance said. “I always knew Twilight was an amazingly talented unicorn. I’ll start on reorganizing the celebration preparations.”
As Cadance trotted off I looked to the Captain confusedly. “You know Twilight?”
He looked surprised that I had to ask. “Of course, she’s my sister, and Cadance used to be her foalsitter. You didn’t know that?”
I snorted. “Apparently not. Well, I’m glad this is all over, though also a bit disappointed that all this running around after Nightmare Moon was for nothing. I should’ve been there to help Twilight. Anyway, do you need me for anything?”
“By the sounds of it, you deserve a break. Maybe check on your family again. You did the right thing going after Nightmare Moon, even if it wasn’t the smartest choice in going alone. You’ve done the Royal Guard proud,” he smiled and gave a salute, “Officer.”
I gaped and slowly returned the salute. A promotion!? More paperwork to deal with!? “Thanks, Captain.”
I trotted out of the throne room and made my way back outside. Check on my family? I did promise my mother, but… after what happened, what would my father say? No doubt he’d be disappointed, tell me I’m a failure and wish he’d pushed me harder on my training as a young colt. No, I couldn’t face him now. I’d give it time.
I used my break to get some breakfast. I hadn’t eaten in forever. A bunch of fresh carrots from the markets and a tangy fruit smoothie at the local bar was always my favorite way to kick the day off. Princess Celestia and Luna returned shortly after, and the celebration began. Celestia announced the return of her sister in the castle courtyard, and there was a party with mini-cakes, fancy food, fruit punch, music, the typical Canterlot party. I didn’t participate besides standing around like a statue. Parties weren’t exactly my thing, and Canterlot’s were a bit too big for my taste.
As the celebrations continued on, I flew out of Canterlot and found a clear, open field at the bottom of the mountain. This was the spot I usually came to for practicing magic on my sword or when I needed to be more alone than I already was. Hopping off my sword and returning its shape to normal, I sat down and studied the large crystal that sat in the pommel.
How does so much power get packed into such a small thing? It was also strange, as I could make the sword larger, but the crystals always remained the same size and shape. I supposed that made sense though, my magic worked through the crystals and into the sword, not the other way around. One of these days I’d figure it out.
I heard a voice call from behind me. “We’re not interrupting you, are We?”
I jumped up in surprise and turned around, finding Luna staring at me cautiously.
“Oh—uh, no, not at all,” I said, bowing. “I wasn’t expecting—um, is there anything I can do for you, Princess?”
Luna's head slumped and she frowned. “We have come to apologize to you personally, for what We did to you as Nightmare Moon, and also to commend you on standing up to her.”
I blinked. “Oh. Thank you. I—”
“It was a terrible thing We did to you, to everypony. We cannot think you’ll forgive Us, but We hope you are well after our brief encounter.”
I felt the bump on the back of my head. It was smaller than I remembered. “Yes, I’m fine, thanks. And you do have my forgiveness. I don’t believe you were fully yourself.”
Luna shook her head. “We were, but We also were not, but We thank you for your forgiveness. It means much to Us.”
I nodded. “You’re welcome, and it’s the least I could do. If there’s ever anything you need, I would be honored to help.”
Luna gave a weak smile. “Thank you for your kindness, We are most grateful, but We must be going back to the castle. Farewell.” She flared her wings and took to the sky, disappearing back towards Canterlot.
That was… unexpected, but also kinda nice. It was going to take a while to get used to having another Princess around. I had no idea she was Nightmare Moon. But then again, I had heard Nightmare Moon say last night that Celestia was her sister. I was no longer sure if it had been right to attack her or not.
I hopped back on my sword and went back to Canterlot to find Shining Armor. The festivities had finally died down a bit, and he was back to ordering guards around at the barracks. I landed next to him and gave a salute. “Reporting for duty, Sir.”
Shining Armor raised an eyebrow at me. “Back already?”
I nodded. “I have nothing else to do.”
“Did you check on your family?”
I opened my mouth but hesitated. That was too hard to explain. “Captain, can I ask you a personal question?”
“What is it?”
“Are you afraid of anything?”
Shining Armor gave me a surprised look. “Of course. Everypony has fears. I’m afraid that if I don’t do my job correctly, my friends and family might be in danger, and I’m afraid that if I make a mistake, somepony else will pay the price for it. There are a lot of things I’m afraid of, and I’m sure every other Royal Guard has fears like those too, but part of being a Royal Guard is learning to swallow our fears and face them head on. You can’t let fear take over your actions. It’s only a lie that brings us down a dark path.”
I grimaced and looked away. “I’m not sure if I’m able to face my fears just yet.”
“Are you kidding? Swordulan, when I saw you go against that hydra, I saw a unicorn whose confidence and bravery knew no bounds. You flew down into that chasm and saved me regardless of the danger. If you can do that, I’m sure you can face whatever else you fear.”
I shrugged. “I’m just afraid that I’ll be a disappointment to my dad. He was always pushing me to be the best, to be like my grandfather, and for the longest time I was only a failure. I was one of the worst trainees until I learned how to fight using magic. I don’t want my dad to only see me as somepony to live in the shadow of his father.”
“I understand, family matters can be difficult to face. Which is why, tomorrow morning, I want you to go to your father’s home and tell him exactly what happened, and that’s an order. You will report back to me whether or not you could face your fears.”
I gaped and shuddered. “Yes… Sir. I will try.”
He nodded. “Good. You’ve got patrol command on the east wall.”
I saluted. “Yes, Sir.”
> Expectations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The funny thing with expecting something is that if you can’t wait, it feels like it takes forever to happen, and if you really don’t want it to happen, it rushes up and punches you in the face. That was this morning. I slowly sat up in my bunk and looked around. The other guards were already up and putting on their armor.
Most guards had homes of their own, or families to stay with, but some chose to live in the bunkroom for whatever personal reasons. Mine was to keep away from my father, but now I had to go see him. Might as well get it over with.
I got out of my bunk with a sigh and began strapping on my armor. The others were bantering with each other about their accomplishments, whether on duty or in paperwork. It was one of the only things us guards usually had to talk about.
“Hey, Officer Shield, congrats on the promotion,” one of them said to me as I finished putting on my helmet. Swift Wishes was one of the few guards who’d taken the time to talk with me every now and then, being one of those strange white-coated, blue-mane-and-tailed earth pony clones. Really I think he was just part of a quintuplet birth, or something like that. I couldn’t recall how many of them I’ve seen at a single time. They could’ve been some magic experiment gone wrong for all I knew.
“Thanks,” I said. “I still don’t know if I deserve it, but I won’t complain. Except about the paperwork.”
Swift snorted. “Are you kidding? You blaze through paperwork faster than anypony I’ve ever seen. I’d say you’re lucky.”
“I may know how to write fast and organize, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
“Fair enough. You off to your post?”
I sighed. “No, got an assignment to deal with this morning, and not one I’m looking forward to. Wish me luck.”
He gave a salute. “Good luck.”
I returned the salute and trotted out of the barracks, making my way to my parent’s home and passing Shining Armor on the way, who gave me a reassuring nod. Not that I was feeling very assured.
I zig-zagged down Canterlot’s busying streets, having to avoid waves of ponies going to work. I made it to the door of my home, and I anxiously raised my hoof to knock, when it opened with my father, Steadfast, standing in the doorway, staring at me in surprise.
“Hey, Dad,” I said nervously, turning the hoof I was almost about to hit him with into a wave. I put it down and cleared my throat. “How have you been?”
“Fine,” he grumbled. “I was just coming to see if today’s paper had come yet.”
I looked down at the ground and spotted the paper. I levitated it up to him and he took it into his own magic with a nod. “Thank you. We were about to have breakfast, do you care to join us?”
I nodded. “Sure. There’s something I’d like to talk to you about too.”
He grunted and stepped aside. “I’m sure. Come on in.”
I gave a weak smile and walked inside, making my way to the dining room and being greeted by my mom. We all sat down at the table and I took off my helmet. Breakfast was oats, milk and honey.
“So,” I began, taking a deep breath. “There’s been some things I need to talk to you about.”
Steadfast snorted and opened the morning paper. “I should expect so, I haven’t heard from you in ages. A little disappointing. How goes it in the Royal Guard? I suspect you are at least living up to their standards?”
Mom glared at him. “Steadfast, let him continue. He’s been very busy.”
I cleared my throat. I bet it was more than a little disappointing for him. “Thanks, Mom. Things have been good. I was promoted to Officer yesterday for my actions during Princess Celestia’s disappearance.”
Mom beamed at that. “Oh, congratulations! We had heard the Princess was attacked and couldn’t raise the sun, but we didn’t know she had disappeared. Terrible thing, but I’m glad everything’s okay now.”
I nervously scratched behind my ear. “Right, about that—her disappearance I mean—I was on guard for Celestia when it happened. Rather, I was supposed to be.”
Steadfast looked up from his paper. “What do you mean supposed to be?”
I sighed. “I was guarding the door to the dressing room in Ponyville’s Town Hall, where Princess Celestia was preparing for the Summer Sun Celebration. I got distracted for a minute and left it, and that’s when she was attacked. It was my fault that she was defeated and taken away, but I was determined to get her back.”
I continued to tell about my search for Nightmare Moon, my discovery of the Elements of Harmony, and tracking down Twilight through Ponyville and the Everfree Forest to find she did what I could not. My mother seemed to be listening intently, nodding in understanding at why I had done what I did, but my father remained stern and unreadable, seemingly more interested in finishing breakfast than my story. When I finished, he slowly stood up and walked to the door and opened it.
“I’m off to work,” he said, walking out and the door slamming behind him.
My mother and I stared at the door for a few moments in silence.
“I’m sorry about your father,” Mom said, “he’s just been in a bad mood lately.”
I shrugged. “I guess that’s my fault?”
She sighed. “Yes and no. There’s a lot that’s been weighing on him, especially work. Fancy Pants has been giving him a hard time. You haven’t been visiting much either, and it’s been bothering him. He’s wanted to hear from you for a while now, especially after hearing about your sword.”
My mouth hung open for a moment. I didn’t think my absence would bother him. “Oh… I didn’t know. I’ve just been too nervous to face him. I was afraid I would disappoint him, and I guess I have.” I sighed and put my helmet back on. “I suppose I should report back to the Captain now. He’s the one who ordered me to come here to speak with Dad in the first place.”
Mom frowned. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. I’m sure your father is proud of you, he just doesn’t know how to show it yet and needs some time to cool off. Please come back soon to see him again, I’m sure he’d be glad.”
I stood up and nodded. “I’ll try, but I can’t promise anything. Work and all.”
“I know.” She stood up and gave me a quick hug. “I hope I’ll see you soon though. Again, congratulations on the promotion.”
I smiled. “Thanks. See you.”
I left and began heading back for the barracks. The streets were even more crowded than before, and on the way I accidentally ran into somepony. An azure-coated unicorn mare, wearing a cape and a big magician’s hat.
“Who dares bump into the Great and Powerful Trixie!?” she roared, glaring angrily at me.
I took a step back. “Sorry, my mistake, I should’ve been paying attention. I’ll be on my way.”
I moved to walk around her, but she continued to block the path. “Trixie does not take kindly to being interrupted,” she said, stomping her hoof. “Don’t you know who you’re dealing with? Trixie is the most powerful unicorn in all of Equestria!”
Oh dear, it was one of these kind of unicorns. I rolled my eyes. “I’m sure she is, but if you’ll excuse me, I must get back to the barracks.”
“Is that a hint of doubt in your voice? The Great and Powerful Trixie is sure she can do anything a pathetic Royal Guard like you can do, and better!”
You’ve got to be kidding me. I growled and stared her in the eye. “Yeah? Well I doubt you can do anything like this!” In one quick motion I magically brought out my sword, shaped it into a surfboard, and jumped on. The moment my hoof touched the surface I channeled a burst of magic into it, shooting straight upward, leaving the All Powerful Trixie in the dust. I spotted the barracks and dived towards it, quickly touching down and jumping off the sword with a tumble.
Some ponies just can’t take that slice of humble pie, can they?
“That was quite the entrance,” Shining Armor said, staring at me with a wry smile from the barracks entrance. “Something happen?”
I shook my head with annoyance. “Just some stuck up unicorn refusing to get out of my way. Forced me to fly over her, probably making her head spin.”
He chuckled. “I see. What of your assignment?”
“I spoke with my parents, told them everything that happened. My mom took it fine, but my dad… not so much, I think. I’m pretty sure he’s disappointed, but there’s nothing I can do about that. That’s all I’ve to report, Captain.”
He nodded with satisfaction. “Good. I need you back in the castle at Cadance’s door.”
I gave a salute. “Yes, Sir, I’ll get to it right away.”
I made my way to Cadance’s room and met with two pegasus guards who were standing there, apparently discussing archery practice. I listened for a moment before butting in.
“How in the world do you use a bow and arrow anyway?” I asked. “At least unicorns have magic to help them, but with hooves or wings… how do you do it?”
“Well it is a cartoon, Sir,” one of them said.
I blinked confusedly. “What?”
The guards looked between each other. “Uh, nevermind.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Right. I’m relieving you. Report back to the barracks.”
They saluted and said, “Yes, Sir!” before trotting off.
“I heard about your assignment,” Cadance said, her voice muffled by the door. It magically opened and she stepped out, smiling as ever. “How did it go?”
I smiled back and shrugged. “It was alright. Better than I expected, worse than I could’ve hoped.”
“I’m glad. Facing your fears is a hard thing to do, but I knew you had it in you.”
I snorted. “I guess. It was definitely the hardest part. I just feel like it’s easier avoiding my dad instead of confronting him.”
Cadance frowned. “That’s not a good way to live at all. He is your father, and your relationship with him is important. You should try to talk with him more.”
I sighed. Not really what I wanted to hear. “He’s not very easy to talk to. But I’ll try.”
“Good. I need your help with something real quick.” Cadance went back inside her room and pulled out two different dresses. “I’m going out with Shining Armor tonight and can’t decide between these. Which one do you think he’d like better?”
I blinked and felt my cheeks grow hotter. “Um… I’m not really familiar with—”
She rolled her eyes. “Just point to the one you think looks better.”
I looked between the dresses and pointed to the one on the right. “I think the white and purple one would look better on you. Plus, Shining Armor likes white and purple.”
She gave a satisfied nod and put away the dresses. “That’s what I thought. Thanks!”
“Sure thing. Anway, I’ll just get to my post now.”
 
The days began passing by quickly, with little excitement to speak of besides the occasional blink from a Royal Guard at his post. I hadn’t gotten another visit to my parents in yet, and I kept putting it off with whatever excuse I could come up with. One afternoon, though, I received a letter from the castle. Inside was an invitation and ticket to the Grand Galloping Gala, a gift on behalf of my promotion and actions in the Royal Guard. I’d never been to the Gala before. My father had been there a few times and only had good things to say about it, but he was far more social with the upper class than I was.
The Gala wasn’t for some time though, so I put the ticket and invitation away in my locker for now. I supposed I’d have to get a suit when the time came, which shouldn’t be too difficult. My stash of bits was growing a bit large, not having much to spend it on besides food. Maybe it was almost time to get a home of my own.
Days turned into weeks. I was stuck guarding walls or doors while I heard about things like a dragon sleeping in some mountain in Equestria that needed to be removed, or a strange infestation in Ponyville and Fillydelphia, or another hydra spotted in a bog near Ponyville, or a battle between ponies and buffalo in Appleloosa. Even searching for Princess Celestia’s pet bird that one day would’ve been more interesting. But no, apparently at the end of all those ropes, Twilight and her friends were taking care of everything. Maybe we should’ve recruited them.
Eventually Shining Armor noticed how much I had been putting off on a visit to my parents and ordered me to visit, again. I reluctantly headed for their house, and strangely there was a chariot filled with boxes standing outside of it. And I certainly wasn’t expecting Cadance to answer the door, carrying a load of boxes with her magic.
“Cadance, what are you doing here?” I asked confusedly.
My mother pushed her out of the doorway before she could speak, also carrying a few more boxes in her magic. “She’s helping us with moving, of course!” she said, moving to the chariot and setting the boxes down neatly. Cadance followed.
My eyes shot wide open and I gaped, hardly able to speak. “M-Moving? What do you mean moving?”
“Well you see, Fancy Pants bumped up Steadfast’s position and he needs him over in the city of Manehattan. We have to be out of here by tomorrow morning. Dear Cadance here saw me packing up and generously offered to lend a hoof.”
“It’s nothing, really, I’m glad to help,” Cadance said. “I’m really sorry to see you leaving Canterlot.”
Mom gave a long sigh and looked around the street and to the many towers of Canterlot. “Yes, I am rather sad to be leaving myself. I will dearly miss this place and all the friends I made at the hospital, but I’m excited to meet new faces at the one in Manehattan.”
I shook my head, still trying to process everything. “What about me? You’re just going to leave me here in Canterlot?” I didn’t exactly want to be left alone in a city without a fast way to reach my family.
Mom walked up to me and put a sympathetic hoof on my neck. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I wish I didn’t have to leave, but we don’t have much of a choice. And you still have your duties in the Royal Guard, don’t you?”
I reluctantly nodded. “Yeah… I guess I’ll be fine. Just be safe, okay?”
Her eyes widened. “Us be safe? We’re more worried about you! It’s already hard enough for us to leave you by yourself, especially if you keep running into more villains like you have recently.”
I blinked. “Mom, that was over a month ago.”
She sighed. “I know. I’m just concerned about you. Hearing about that dragon, or the recent conflict in Appleloosa, I’m worried you might get sent to deal with something like that and it being too much for you to handle.”
“Mom, I’ll be fine. I’m better at taking care of myself than you think.”
“I know, I know. It’ll just be hard to get used to the idea that you’ll be out here on your own. Well, your cousin Stone is still in the Royal Guard, isn’t he?”
“Stonehenge? No, he was discharged months ago. I think he’s somewhere in Fillydelphia now.” It was surprising that she mentioned him. Truthfully, I had no idea where he was or why he had been let go, or rather, kicked out. Rumor within the 'Guard said something about illegal substances, but that didn't sound like him.
“Oh. That’s sad to hear. Well, was there anything you came by for? I’ve got some of your old books packed up if you’d like to have them.”
“That’s okay, you can keep them. I did want to talk to Dad though, is he around?”
Mom frowned and glanced back to the house. “No, I’m afraid he’s already in Manehattan talking with your Uncle Stock for a place to stay while we get settled. Is there anything specific you wanted to tell him?”
I sighed. “Not really, I just wanted to talk. I did get an invitation to the Grand Galloping Gala though.”
Her eyes brightened at that. “Oh really? That sounds like fun. Will you be taking anypony?”
I shrugged. “Don’t know, probably not. I don’t exactly have a wide social circle.”
“I could always find somepony for you to take,” Cadance said with a smile.
I glanced at Cadance nervously. “Uhh, thanks, but no thanks. Anyway, I wish I could help with your move, but I gotta get back to my duties. I’ll see you later Cadance. Hope you have a safe trip, Mom.”
Mom gave me a hug. “Thanks. You stay safe now, too.”
“I will, I will.”
> Welcome to the Grand Galloping Gala, Please Leave Your Sanity at the Door
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few days later, approaching the end of summer, I was down at the bottom of the mountain again and practicing my sword-flying while on break. I had discovered I could use a binding spell on myself to the sword, making it so I couldn’t fall off regardless of angle or wind resistance. The G-forces were still a pain in the flank, but they wouldn’t have been so bad if I weren’t pushing it today.
I had thrown my sword into the air and teleported to it as it fell, quickly shaping it into a surfboard and casting the binding spell. Speeding downwards, I pulled up and leveled above the treetops. With a burst of magic into accelerating, I reached speeds that would’ve out-flown most pegasi. I remembered going this fast when I saved Shining Armor. While practicing at this speed, I realized how dangerous that had been. One wrong move and it would’ve been over. Another thing I envied the pegasi for, they had much better control. I was being needlessly reckless, and—
Crack!
—now I was spinning out of control. Stupid tree branch came out of nowhere.
In a panic, I shaped my sword so it encased my entire body and cut my magic. It was the worst case of claustrophobia I’ve ever experienced, being completely unable to move. After what seemed like an eternity, the sword crashed, breaking a few branches off trees in the process, and I teleported myself outside of it, gasping when I did. That thing didn’t exactly allow me to breathe either.
Shaping the sword back to normal, I looked up at Canterlot, it shining brightly in the setting sun’s light. Then I bonked my forehead, finally remembering. The Grand Galloping Gala was tonight! I still hadn’t gotten a suit for it.
Before I could start heading back, I heard voices coming from behind me.
“Why exactly are we talking ponies again?”
“And why do you get to be the unicorn, Heaven?”
“I don’t know, why does Elysium get to be the pegasus? This place is strange, but something, or someone, called me to it.”
I turned around and a moment later a group of three stallions and two mares came walking out from behind the trees, all staring at me in surprise. I couldn’t help but return the stare. They all looked completely ordinary—minus the one earth pony stallion with the whitest mane and tail I had ever seen, though he didn't look old at all—but something about them seemed off, like they didn't belong here.
“Excuse me,” the stallion in front said, the only unicorn of the bunch, “but me and my friends are sort of lost. Is this Earth?”
What in… who in Equestria were these ponies? “Yes… and this is Equestria. Where did you come from?”
“See, I told you this was the pony version of our world,” the mare pegasus said to the unicorn.
The stallion with the white mane and tail stared at his surroundings as if fascinated just by being here. “I’m only surprised it has more magic in it than any other version we've visited.”
“Yeah, well Hell doesn’t seem to be here either, so I don't see why it matters,” the last stallion said. “Can we please stop leaking into other universes now, Heaven? We’re not going to find him this way.”
The unicorn looked back and sighed. “We aren’t leaking into other universes, Zion, we’re being pulled towards other people, or I guess in this case, a pony. But fine, I’ll come up with another plan.” He turned to me again. "Sorry for disturbing you."
"Have a nice day!" the pegasus said, grinning.
The unicorn began using magic, and in a flash they all disappeared, leaving me gaping in confusion. That was the strangest lot I’ve ever seen. I shook my head and began heading back to Canterlot.
I made it to the barracks and got my sack of bits. Plenty enough for a suit. After anxiously zig-zagging around Canterlot for half an hour I found the perfect suit—a simple, black tuxedo—and made my purchase. I had never worn such a suit and had no clue how to put it on correctly, so I again I went into a panicked run in search of Shining Armor. After asking around with the guards, I finally found him checking on the walls around the castle and, after asking in embarrassment and him laughing at me, he helped me get into the darn suit. And then I realized I’d forgotten my ticket and invitation, so again I rushed back to the barracks to grab them and all the way back to the castle, where an army of well-dressed ponies were gathering and lining up.
Some random song about how great the Gala was began, everyone joining in like it had all been rehearsed, and then they started going inside. I noticed Twilight and her friends entering among the crowd. No surprise that they had been invited. I got in line and began slowly moving up. I gave my ticket and showed my invitation at the door. Inside I could see Princess Celestia greeting everypony as they came in with Twilight Sparkle by her side, also no surprise.
I made it up the stairs and bowed to Celestia.
“Welcome to the Grand Galloping Gala, Swordulan,” she said with a nod. “So glad you could make it.”
“It’s an honor to be here,” I said. I stepped aside and nodded to Twilight. “Nice to see you again, Twilight Sparkle.”
She blinked and tilted her head. “I’m sorry, have we met? I can’t remember.”
“I saw you and your friends outside the ancient castle after you defeated Nightmare Moon.”
“Oh, now I remember! What were you doing there?”
Trying to save Equestria, but nooo, you had to be two steps ahead. “I was going after Nightmare Moon myself. I had tried to stop her back at Town Hall, but she defeated me. After learning about the Mare in the Moon and the Elements of Harmony, I went looking for you for help and followed your path through the Everfree.” I shrugged. “I guess I was a bit slow.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, I wish I had known. We could’ve used the help.”
I highly doubted that. “It’s okay, I’m just glad you defeated Nightmare Moon. Anyway, take care.”
Twilight smiled. “Thanks. I hope you enjoy the Gala!”
I moved on and entered the ballroom, decorated inch by inch with ponies in some of the fanciest attire I’ve ever seen. A small orchestra was playing music, though nopony seemed to be dancing yet. I took a place in the corner and looked around awkwardly. Well… now what? Everyone already had somepony else to talk to, and no one seemed interested in talking to me. I probably should’ve let Cadance find somepony for me to take. So much for being a Royal Guard from one of the noble houses with hardly any social skills. Not that I’d been allowed much socialization in my foalhood.
I began to stroll around the Gala, wondering where any sort of entertainment could be found. Nowhere, apparently. The only talking I got to do was with Swift Wishes, who was posted as one of the hallway guards, but even then I had to leave him to his job.
Sighing in frustration, I left the Gala to take a walk outside, hoping that when I returned maybe it would be livelier. I found myself stopping at Joe’s Donuts—I was getting a bit hungry, after all—and sitting down at the counter. There was only one other customer, a familiar baby dragon eating a sprinkled donut.
“Hey, Spike,” I said.
Spike turned his head to me confusedly. “Huh? Oh, hey Swordulan. What are you doing here wearing something like that?”
I chuckled. “I was at the Gala.”
Pony Joe came out from the back and noticed me. “Officer Shield, I wasn’t expecting to see you here tonight. Nice tux. Anything I can get ya?”
I smiled with a nod. “I’ll take a glazed vanilla donut, no sprinkles please.”
“You got it.” He put a napkin in front of me and set the requested donut on it. I levitated a couple of bits out of my suit to him and he disappeared into the back again.
“Why’d you leave?” Spike asked.
I took a bite of my donut and swallowed. Delicious stuff. Not that it was hard to mess up a donut. “It was boring.”
“Boring? I thought the Gala was supposed to be amazing. How was it boring?”
“I don’t know, it just was. I had nopony to talk to, and there wasn’t much going on. I’ll go back in a bit, maybe it gets better later.”
“Oh. Well, I hope Twilight and her friends are at least having a good time. I would be with them, but they all split up to do their own things instead of staying together like I suggested.” He sighed and finished his donut.
I took another bite. “Hmm. If you don’t mind me asking, what’s it like living with Twilight?”
Spike stared up at me curiously. “It’s great, Twilight takes good care of me and I assist her with the library. Why do you ask?”
I shrugged. “Just curious. You’re pretty lucky to have a friend like Twilight. Wish I could say the same for myself.”
“Don’t you have friends in the Royal Guard?”
“Not exactly, I’m always too busy to make friends. The Captain is the only one who’s come close enough for me to consider a friend.”
“That doesn’t sound very exciting. Why don’t you just quit?”
I nearly choked on my donut. Quit? That was the most insane idea I’d ever heard. “One does not simply quit the Royal Guard.”
“Why not?”
I grimaced and had to wonder that myself. “I… you just… don’t. I don’t know, it’s complicated.”
I gulped down the rest of my donut and shook my head. Why not just quit? It’s not like I was forced to stay in. Why was I making up excuses about it being hard to quit? It was hard to quit, but… not in the literal sense. What would my father think if I quit after putting so much effort into being a Royal Guard? Most of the effort he made me take, of course, but still. No, that wasn’t it. I still had a sense of duty to Equestria and the Princesses, and I didn’t want to quit under Shining Armor’s command. My life was fine right where it was. At least Spike seemed to accept the answer.
“Well, I better get back to the Gala,” I said, standing up. “It was nice talking to you Spike.”
Spike nodded. “Hope it isn’t so boring when you get back.” As I headed out the door I heard him say, “Hey, Pony Joe! Another donut.”

Making it back to the Gala’s ballroom, it seemed there was a song about to be performed. One of Twilight’s friends—the pink one—had stepped up to the microphone and tapped it a few times. This should be interesting.
“Come on, everypony! I know what will make you shake those groove thangs!” She motioned to the band and they began playing.
 

“You reach your right hoof in


You reach your right hoof out


You reach your right hoof in


And you shake it all about


You do the Pony Pokey meeting lots of folks with clout


That's what I'm talking about


You step your left hoof in


You pull it right back out


You step your left hoof in


But you better help him out


You do the Pony Pokey but you'd find a different route


That's what it's all about


You kick your back leg in


You pull your back leg out


You reach your back leg in


Just be brave and have no doubt


You do the Pony Pokey feeling like you're gonna pout


That's what I'm singing about


You tilt your head in


You tilt your head out


You tilt your head in


Then you shake it all about


You do the Pony Pokey even though your date's a lout


You're better off without


You stomp your whole self in


You stomp your whole self out


You stomp your whole self in


And you stomp yourself about


You do the Pony Pokey and you give a little shout


That's what I'm talking about


You do the Pony Pokey


You do the Pony Pokey


You do the Pony Pokey


And that's what it's all about


YEAH!”

 
What. The. Buck?
Everyone else seemed to have the same thought.
A mare in the crowd spoke out. “Young lady, this is not that kind of party.” Maybe it should have been.
“Ooooohhh,” the pink one said. “These ponies don’t wanna party, they wanna paaarTAY!” She began running around and tossing ponies into the air. “Come on, dance!”
I don’t think that was the way to do it…
Suddenly one of the doors swung open and another one of Twilight’s friends came in—the orange one with the hat—pushing a cart into the room with a large cake on it. “Okay all you high-class ponies, here’s a high-balloon apple cake for all yer hoity-toity taste buds!” she said.
Apple cake? Why does nopony ever make a carrot cake? That would’ve been—
“STAGE DIIIIVE!” the pink one screamed, jumping off the stage and landing on the cart the apple cake was on, sending it flying overhead.
A door at the other end of the room opened, and another of Twilight’s friends—the white one with the fabulous mane and tail—walked in with Prince Blueblood as the cake headed right for them. Blueblood quickly moved the white one in front of him as the cake landed, covering her from horn to hoof in frosting.
She turned to Blueblood furiously, her entire face going red. “You, sir, are the most uncharming Prince I have EVER MET! If there is anything Royal about you it is that you are a ROYAL PAIN!”
To that, I could only nod in agreement.
Blueblood recoiled from her. “Ew, stay back! I just had myself groomed!”
“Afraid to get DIRTY!?”
The white one shook herself, causing frosting to fly everywhere and cover Blueblood, who fell backwards and crashed beneath a giant statue of Celestia. It began to tip over.
Uh oh.
Before I could stop it with my magic, a voice shouted out from the crowd. “This is my chance!”
A light blue blur flew past everyone and appeared under the falling statue, catching it. Another one of Twilight’s friends. “Yes!" she said, beaming, but she quickly began to lose control of the statue and wobbled around the room. “Whoooa!” She knocked into one of the room's columns with the statue, causing it to fall into another column and creating a domino effect with the rest. After every column had crumbled, even the statue had given up all hope and split into four pieces.
Wow. It really did get livelier.
Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle came into the room and looked at the chaotic scene, completely dumbfounded.
“Well, it can’t get any worse,” Twilight whispered, the prevailing silence in the room loud enough for it to echo.
The echo seemed to continue reverberating until the room began to shake. Nice going, Twilight. One of the doors going outside burst open and a riot of animals rushed into the room, birds flying, critters running amok. The last of Twilight’s friends was standing in the doorway—the yellow one—looking exhausted and staring coldly at the wild animals.
“Yer… going to LOVE MEEE!” she screamed.
Hilarity ensued, and the next thing I knew I was running out of the castle with a crowd of panicking ponies. Once outside I took to the sky on my sword, which I had shrunken and hidden in a pocket before reaching the Gala. That had certainly been much more exciting than I expected.
I noticed Princess Celestia exit the castle and decided to fly down in front of her. “It seems tonight didn’t go as planned, Princess Celestia,” I said, bowing while still on my sword.
“No, it seems not,” Celestia said with a laugh. “I don’t think the Gala has ever ended so abruptly before.”
“Yeah, well… I’m sorry I wasn’t able to prevent the chaos. If you need any help with the repairs, I’m all yours.”
She smiled. “It’s quite all right, Swordulan. I can clean up the mess. Thank you for coming, I hope you were at least able to enjoy yourself for a while. The Gala can be rather boring.”
I chuckled. “I can’t say I didn’t find a little entertainment in it, though if I’m invited next year I might be a little more reluctant.”
She laughed again. “That’s quite understandable. Have a good night! I must go and find Twilight.”
As she took off down the streets of Canterlot, I flew back to the barracks and put my tuxedo away in my locker then climbed into my bunk with a sigh. I don’t think I’d ever experience a crazier night.
> The Chaos of Moving
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been a week since that chaotic night at the Gala, and I had finally made my decision. I was going to move to Ponyville. I needed a home, but not in Canterlot. For one thing, it was more expensive than I wanted, and for another, I liked the idea of living in a small town. Canterlot was always going to be where I worked, but I didn’t want it to be where I lived. Ponyville was an easy choice, especially since it was within flying distance.
After my shift ended I had all of my stuff packed up in my sword, shaped into a small box… I really didn’t have that much stuff. But that’s why I was buying a pre-furnished home. It was still less expensive than an empty one in Canterlot. I had already found the perfect one the other day and bought it. It had two bedrooms, one bathroom, a small office space, and a tiny kitchen connected to the dining area and a front living room.
The sun was setting as I made my way to Ponyville, the box shape protruding from my sword making flying a bit awkward, but I made it to my new home within the hour. Walking inside, it was completely pitch black. I began searching for the light switch with my magic, when it turned on by itself and I was knocked back against the wall by sheer vocal force.
“SURPRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISE!!!”
“WHAT IN CELESTIA’S NAME!?”
The entire population of Ponyville seemed to be inside! There were streamers, confetti, balloons, games, fruit punch, cake and a bunch of other desserts. It was as if a party-tornado had ripped through here. I could only stare at it in shock, mouth hanging ajar.
One of Twilight’s friends, the pink one, popped out of nowhere. “Hi there! My name’s Pinkie Pie, and I threw this ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ surprise party just for you! Were you surprised? Were you, were you, were you?”
Again I could only stare, eyes and ears twitching.
“Oh, were we too loud? Let me try again.” She cleared her throat. “Surpriiiiise!”
“Pinkie, you broke him!” another of Twilight’s friends said, the blue one.
“It’s not my fault! I thought parties made ponies happy, not break!”
“Well if you weren’t so crazy in putting together these parties right after somepony moves to Ponyville, we wouldn’t have that problem, would we? You invite us to these all the time.”
“Of course I do, how would any of you meet new ponies if I didn’t? We have to be welcoming you know, otherwise new ponies won’t like it here, and then they’ll move away to somewhere like the Everfree Forest and live as a hermit all alone with no friends and they’ll be so sad for the rest of their lives!”
Twilight and the rest of her friends walked into view, except for the yellow one who I didn’t see anywhere. “To be fair, Pinkie, you do throw rather crazy parties,” Twilight said. She looked at me. “You’ll have to forgive Pinkie Pie, she always throws these parties for new ponies in town.” She tilted her head in confusion when I didn’t respond in any sort of way, then she waved a hoof in front of my eyes. “Helloooo, is anypony there?”
“I reckon he’s still in shock,” the orange one said.
“Oh, the poor dear!” the white one said. “Somepony fetch a glass of water for him.”
“Yeah, pour it over his head, maybe that’ll wake him up,” the blue one said.
I gasped and they all jumped back. “NO! Don’t!”
Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh good. Are you okay?”
I nodded slowly. “I’m… fine. What—”
Pinkie Pie jumped back in my face. “Hi! Welcome to Ponyville! Come meet my friends, I’m sure you’ll love them!” The next thing I knew I was standing in front of the orange one. “This is Applejack, she lives over in Sweet Apple Acres and loves apples.”
Applejack tipped her hat. “Howdy!”
Next I was in front of the white one. “This is Rarity, she works at the Carousel Boutique and makes amazing dresses!”
Rarity curtsied. “How do you do?”
Next I was in front of the blue one. “This is Rainbow Dash, she—what do you do again, Dashie?”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “I’m a weather pony, Pinkie. That, and the best flier in all of Equestria!”
I raised an eyebrow. “The best flier in all of Equestria, huh?”
“Thee one and only!” she said, pulling a pose midair.
I magically grabbed my sword and spilled its contents into the corner then teleported it under my hooves in its surfboard shape and levitated myself up to Rainbow Dash’s eye level. “Are you sure?”
Her eyes widened and she gaped. “You can fly on that thing!? Dude, we have to race some time.”
I smiled. “Looking forward to it, I haven’t had any decent competition lately.” None of the Royal Guard pegasi were ever interested in races, which was disappointing. I thought it might have been fun to race some of them.
Next I was in front of Twilight. “This is Twilight Sparkle, she lives in Ponyville’s library and loves magic and books!”
Twilight gave a nod. “Nice to see you again.”
Next I was in front of empty space. “This is—hey! Where’s Fluttershy?”
“Fluttershy couldn’t make it, she had to stay home to tend one of her injured animals,” Rarity said.
“Oh, right. Anyway, we can’t forget little Spike here either!” Pinkie pulled Spike out from the crowd of guests, who rolled his eyes and gave a wave.
“Hey again, Swordulan,” he said.
I gave him a nod. “Hey, Spike. Gotten any donuts lately?”
He crossed his arms and glanced at Twilight. “No, thanks to somepony thinking I need to let up on my eating habits.”
Pinkie continued to introduce me to everypony else, and afterwards I was finally able to introduce myself, since she hardly let me get my own name in. The mention of being an Officer in the Royal Guard brought on a few ‘oohs’—I wasn’t wearing my armor—and Twilight asked me if I knew Shining Armor and how he was doing. Yes, he’s doing just fine. Rainbow Dash seemed excited to test her skills against a Royal Guard for once and also asked how we could keep so still no matter what. Trade secret. Rarity wanted to know about the pony who designed Royal Guard armor. I have no idea. Pinkie Pie wanted to know how many parties I was able to attend per day… Uh... Zero. Always too busy. She seemed intent on changing that, however.
The party seemed to go on and on, talking to everypony, eating dessert, playing some games at their insistence—I wasn’t too opposed to a few games of cards—until finally, sometime around midnight I think, the party ended and everyone left, and Pinkie had some way of cleaning up to make it look like the party never happened in the first place, minus a big 'Welcome to Ponyvil!' banner stretched across the wall.
I made it to my new bed and collapsed, completely exhausted. The next thing I knew, I was waking up sometime long after the sun had come up.
I squinted out one of the windows and muttered. “What time is it? Ugh… Shining Armor is going to kill me, I’m so late.”
I washed the sleep out of my eyes and mouth and fixed up my mane. There were a few carrots in the fridge, which I gladly broke out and began snacking away on as I walked outside, teleporting my sword to me. I hopped on and took to the sky, when a strange pink cloud drifted in front of me and forced me to stop.
I tilted my head. “Um… hello?”
The cloud drifted up over my head and began rumbling.
“Don’t you da—agh! Stop it, go away!”
The blasted thing began raining on me! And not just any rain, chocolate milk! I began flying away from the cloud, but it pursued as fast as I could go. I flew to the ground and jumped off, holding my sword overhead to shield myself. The cloud seemed to stick itself to the sword. I looked at it and gave it a poke. Cotton candy? What in Equestria was going on?
Looking around, I could see Rainbow Dash was having just as much luck with more of these clouds, and—was that a giant rabbit? What was happening!? Why was there popcorn everywhere?
Wiping the cloud off my sword and ignoring whatever chaos that continued to ensue, I ran into the Town Hall and got myself a blank scroll and a quill with some ink and began writing.
“Your Majesty Princess Celestia, there’s something very wrong in Ponyville. Pink clouds, chocolate milk rain, strange critters, popcorn everywhere. Send help? –Officer Shield of the Royal Guard”
I rolled the scroll up and sent it off with a spell and puff of smoke. When I made it back outside, a blinding flash encompassed the entire town, forcing me to shield my eyes. Looking around again, nothing seemed to have changed. We were still swimming in chocolate milk and popcorn.
Twilight and her friends were soon on the scene and trying to clean everything up, which they were making quick work of. They had gathered all the clouds up, having the oddly deformed critters eat away at them. A few moments later they were running off to the train station and getting on the train to Canterlot.
No doubt Princess Celestia had summoned them about this mess, but it only got worse after they left. Buildings began bursting out of the ground and floating into the sky, turning upside down or spinning. It was madness. I was forced to put my sword back over my head to protect myself from more of the pink clouds. Animals were rampaging through town—were those buffalo dancing around in tutus?—and ponies were running around in a panic or succumbing to the madness. Even the Mayor was dancing around now.
Where was all of this coming from? This doesn’t just happen! And why did it have to be the day after I moved here? Why not yesterday, or the day before?
I spotted an unfamiliar dragon-shaped figure skating through the town, though it was no dragon. I remembered seeing pictures of such creatures back in the books I studied at the School for Gifted Unicorns. Draconequus.
I ran after it with my sword raised. “Halt in the name of Princess Celestia!”
The draconequus skidded to a stop and turned around in annoyance. “Oh, what now? Another little pony to try and stop me? Hurry up, I’m missing some excellent chaos here!” He began to skate circles around me.
I frowned and kept my sword pointed on him, though having to keep turning my head to keep my eyes on him was irritating. “Who are you? Are you behind all this chaos?”
“Chaos you say? Whatever would make you think that? Why, this is a work of art! And I am Discord, the Spirit of Chaos. A pleasure it is to meet you.” His paw extended in front of me and stayed there regardless of his position while skating around me. “Would you care for some chocolate milk?” A glass appeared in the paw and a pink cloud filled it to the brim with chocolate milk.
I rolled my eyes and pushed the glass away. “Right, you're the ‘Spirit of Chaos’, and I’m—”
“Swordulan Thunder Shield, more commonly known as just Swordulan, Officer in the Royal Guard, noble-born unicorn of Canterlot, son of Steadfast Shield, son of Captain-General Steel Shield, and so on. Quite boring if you ask me.”
I gaped. “Wha—how did you…?”
Discord chuckled and stopped behind me. “Don’t act so surprised, I know who you are." He teleported in front of me. "I know everypony around here, and I know that there’s nothing I can say that will make you let me go, so go on, arrest me.” He held the back of his paw to his forehead and wailed. “I deserve it!”
I scowled. “I’m taking you to Princess Celestia.”
I shaped my sword into a police box and motioned for him to get inside. If he wasn’t going to put up a fight, who was I to argue?
He held up his claw and paw. “You got me! I’ll surrender with honor.” He bowed and walked backwards into the box. “You should know though, I have a bad case of claustrophobia, so this is incredibly cruel and unusual punishment!”
Before taking the last step inside, he poured his glass of chocolate milk over my head, drenching me completely. How the buck does one fit so much chocolate milk inside such a tiny glass? “Nice… thanks for that.”
I shook off the milk and slammed the box’s door shut. No way he was going to escape. I levitated it into the air and began making my way to the train station… which apparently was still floating in the sky. That was no good.
“Ohh, fascinating,” Discord said, his voice muffled. “Tell me more. No, do go on, I’ve never had the pleasure of speaking to one of your kind before. Mhm. Yes. Really? No kidding, I would’ve never guessed. Did you know they can last for thousands of years? Yes, it’s true! What was that? Ahaha, that’s wonderful! Oh, Swordulan, why haven’t you told me about this lovely fellow? He's absolutely brilliant!”
I raised an eyebrow at the police box. What in Equestria was he talking about? I put the box on the ground and opened the door, but it was completely empty inside. What the bu—
Discord popped out of nowhere. “SURPRISE!”
I jumped and fell backwards into a sitting position, and Discord burst out laughing like a maniac.
Discord pointed a claw at me. “Ohohoh, the look on your face! Sheer terror!”
I growled. “I’ve had enough of this.”
“Aw, but it was just getting fun.” Discord teleported above my head in a puff of smoke, hanging in a lounging position. “Don’t you like to have fun?”
“Not like this.” I changed the police box into a giant claw and snatched Discord with it. “We’re going to Canterlot. I’m sure the Princess would like to speak with you.”
Discord rolled his eyes. “Celestia will see me soon enough.” He teleported out of the grip and into my face, his red eyes staring coldly into mine. “Listen to me, Officer Shield. Equestria is now mine to rule in eternal chaos, along with you.”
This guy was an absolute lunatic. I could only laugh. “You’ve got to be joking.”
He only reeled backwards and laughed himself. “Joking! It’s what I do!” He violently exploded into a bunch of confetti and reappeared above me. “Now try and listen again, my little pony. There is nothing you can do to stop me. Your sword can't save you, your magic won’t help you. Equestria is mine, and all you’ve ever known will be thrown into chaos. This is just the beginning. Just wait until you see what I have planned! Ponyville will become the new chaos capital of the world!”
I changed my sword back to normal and aimed it at him. “You’ll have to get through me, first.”
“Oh please,” Discord sighed. “There’s no need to get violent. I hate violence, you know. No? Fine, if you’re so determined, I’ll leave, but you’ll suffer the consequences!”
He then disappeared into a cloud of smoke, leaving no trace. The buildings came back to the ground and all the madness stopped. Was it really that easy? Was he just trying to get a few kicks out of this before it might turn violent? Well, I wouldn’t complain. I shaped my sword into a surfboard and—
“Swordulan Thunder Shield!” an all-too-familiar voice shouted, nearly making me jump out of my hide.
Turning around I was greeted with my father, Steadfast, breaking through the fog and trotting up to me. Wait, where did the fog come from?
I stared wide-eyed at my father. “Dad, what are you doing here?”
He scowled with a fire burning in his eyes. “What am I doing here? What are you doing here!?”
I took a step back and grimaced. “I don’t understand, shouldn’t you be over in—”
“Manehattan? Yes, I should, but instead I’m stuck here with a failure!”
I winced at that last word. “But… Discord left, I won.”
His eyes only seemed to burn deeper. “You only think you won! Why didn’t you strike him down when you had the chance? You should’ve taken him out like a real stallion would! Shining Armor would be ashamed at how you handled the situation, and don’t even get me started on Princess Cadance!”
“But… I—”
“Failed them! Failed the Royal Guard, and failed Equestria!” He growled and turned away. “I can’t even look at you, or call you my son. You’re on your own. I have to get back to Manehattan and comfort Sacred. She’s even more upset at you than I am, since you’re so ready to neglect her, never visiting or even sending a single letter! You should’ve moved with us, then I wouldn’t have to deal with how much of a failure you’ve become.” He trotted off and disappeared into the fog.
I blinked and sat down to stare at my reflection in a chocolate milk puddle. “I’m… a failure? Even after winning?” What I didn’t see in the reflection was Discord peeking down from behind a pink cloud with a wide grin.
I stood back up and looked at Canterlot. If I was a failure now, then I could only do what failures do. I changed my sword, climbed onto it and started slowly drifting to Canterlot. It was a two hour flight this time, and I could only hear my father’s words repeating in my head, “Failure, failure, failure.”
I landed at the barracks and walked in, finding Shining Armor at his desk. He immediately stood upon seeing me.
“There you are!” he said worriedly. “Princess Celestia made me put the guard on full alert, there’s something very wrong going on down in Ponyville. Where have you been? Why do you look gray? Have you anything to report?”
I scowled. “Report? Why in Equestria should I report anything to you?”
Shining Armor’s eyes widened. “Huh? What are you talking—”
I stomped a hoof. “I just wanted to come in and say I quit!” I turned around and walked out.
He gaped and started after me. “Wait, Swordulan! Get back in here right now, that’s an order!”
I glanced back at him with a cold stare. “I don’t take orders from you anymore.” I jumped back onto my sword and took off into a random part of the city, hoping to find some corner to slink into where nopony would have to care about my failures ever again.
“Failure, failure, failure.”
After a few minutes of mindless wandering, a shadow came across my vision. I looked up and saw it was Princess Cadance. I gave her the same scowl and cold glare I gave Shining Armor.
“What do you want?” I asked.
Cadance frowned. “To help you.”
“Why should you care about helping me? I’m just a stupid failure.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Because I’m your friend, and I know when something is wrong with one of my friends.”
I snorted and moved past her. “I don’t have any friends.”
She flew back in front of me. “Yes you do! You have me and Shining Armor, and I’m sure more than a few Royal Guards.”
“Like I said, I don’t have any friends. Not you, not Shining Armor, and definitely not any of the Royal Guards. If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got things to do and places to go.”
“Go where, exactly?”
I moved past her again. “Home.”
“Why? What's so important at home?”
I stopped and slumped into a sitting position, feeling a few tears coming out of my eyes. “There’s nothing. I don’t have anything important. I’m a failure just like my father said, and my failures haven’t gotten me anywhere or anything.”
Cadance walked over and sat next to me, putting a hoof on my shoulder. “That’s not true. You’re an Officer of the Royal Guard, and you should be proud. You aren’t a failure, and you shouldn’t look for your father’s approval in what you do, or your friends'. You should do what you think is worthwhile.”
I looked at her tearfully. “But what if it turns out they’re right? What if I am a worthless failure? So far I haven’t been able to stop a single catastrophe from happening. The Nightmare Moon incident is all my fault, and now all of Ponyville is in chaos and I can’t stop it. I’m useless.”
“You saved Shining Armor and defeated those hydras, that has to count for something. You aren’t a worthless failure, and you aren’t useless.”
“But what if I—”
I was cut off by her standing up and striking me across the head with a hoof. “No! You aren’t! Get it out of your head!” She began using her magic and cast a spell on me. A thousand images and memories raced across my vision. They were every good moment that made me who I was, every conversation that spurred me to be greater, and every pony who saw worth in me. There were more than I thought. It was all so dizzying.
I shook my head and blinked a few times. “Cadance, what did you… ugh… what happened?” I shook my head again and gasped. “Oh no, Cadance, I’m so sorry… I thought Discord had left, and then my father appeared, but then... wait, did you really hit me on the head just now?”
Cadance smiled. “Sometimes we have to know when to take extreme measures to help the ones we care about.”
I smiled back and stood up. “Thanks.” I finally remembered what I had said to Shining Armor and gasped. “Oh no, Shining Armor, I accidentally quit the Royal Guard. I have to go talk to him!”
Without thinking I jumped onto my sword and flew into the air and back down to the barracks. Running in and finding Shining Armor I gave a salute. “Captain, I’m requesting reinstatement. I wasn’t acting like myself earlier and didn’t mean to quit, and I’m sorry for everything I said to you. It was incredibly disrespectful.”
Shining Armor only smiled. “All is forgiven. I thought you weren’t being yourself, that’s why I sent Cadance after you. You’ve got your rank back, and technically you never lost it. Getting the paperwork done on that isn’t exactly the highest priority right now. Anyway, I need eyes in Ponyville, my sister is down there and it’s become a mess.”
I nodded. “Right away, Captain. I can check on it from here.”
I cast a sight spell on my sword and levitated it out of the barracks and Canterlot, focusing my view on Ponyville. I made the spell zoom in and found Twilight and her friends facing Discord with the Elements of Harmony, but something was off about them. All of Twilight’s friends were gray. They seemed to only give a half-hearted attempt at using the Elements against Discord, and it failed. One by one Twilight’s friends tossed aside their Element and walked off, and afterwards even Twilight turned gray.
“Something’s wrong,” I said, cutting the spell and teleporting my sword back to me.
“What is it?” Shining Armor asked anxiously. “Is Twilight okay?”
I jumped onto my sword and shook my head. “No time to explain, I have to see Princess Celestia.”
I flew off towards the castle and found Celestia pacing around in a hallway. I jumped off my sword and bowed. “Princess Celestia, I need to speak with you immediately.”
She turned to me and eyed me sternly. “What is it?”
“Ponyville is in chaos. I saw Twilight and her friends, they failed to use the Elements to stop Discord. They’re all gray, but I don’t know what to do.”
Her eyes widened and she looked around as if the walls or floor had an answer to the problem. Finally she set her eyes back on me. “I know what to do. Follow me, quickly!”
Celestia began leading me through the castle halls and up winding stairs until we reached her reading room, the walls hidden by endless compartments with scrolls and books in them, old and new. She began looking through them.
“I must send Twilight’s old reports on the Magic of Friendship back to her, maybe it will help her remember to keep fighting. I don’t know what else I can do. Swordulan, help me find all of her reports and give them to me. They should all be on this side.”
I nodded and began scouring through the scrolls with her, giving her any that were signed by Twilight Sparkle. We searched down to the last scrap of paper.
“That’s the last of them, Princess,” I said as I levitated the final scroll I had found to her. “Will it be enough?”
Celestia sighed and sent the scroll off in her magic. “It has to be. It’s up to Twilight to bring back her friends and stop Discord.”
“Is there anything else I can do?”
“I’m afraid not. We can only hope that Twilight and her friends are strong enough to defeat Discord. For now you should report back to Shining Armor, I’m sure he’ll have something for you to do.”
I nodded and bowed. “Yes, Your Highness.”
I made my way out of the castle and to the barracks. Shining Armor didn’t have anything for me to do except stand at the wall overlooking Ponyville. The entire area had changed, and I could see the buildings floating from here. All there was to do was wait.
About half an hour passed, and I had taken to anxiously pacing the wall. I hated standing up here, doing nothing. I should’ve been down in Ponyville to help them. I was about to jump on my sword to fly down there when a bright light appeared from the town. A huge rainbow soared over it and collapsed on either side, forming a dome. The dome expanded and grew as bright as the sun, forcing me to look away, and in a flash it was gone. When I looked back, Ponyville had returned to normal. No more floating buildings, no more chocolate rain or popcorn. It was as if nothing ever happened.
All the guards at the wall who saw it cheered, and instead of going down to Ponyville I flew through Canterlot shouting, “Discord is defeated! Discord is defeated! Twilight and her friends have done it!”
The word spread, and soon Twilight and her friends arrived for a ceremony and celebration in their honor. I decided to sit it out, just glad that I could return home without something crazy happening.
Home… I had a real home now. It was going to take some time to get used to that. I definitely wasn’t going to miss my old bunk though.
> Promotions, Proposals, and Pest Problems.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The months began passing by, and life was back and forth between Canterlot and Ponyville. I mostly stuck with my duties in the Royal Guard, but every now and then I was pulled into some party by Pinkie Pie or challenged to a new race by Rainbow Dash. I never won, but it gave me an excuse to practice new maneuvers on my sword since the races tended to be in some ridiculous places. I was really getting the hang of stunt flying. I did win once though, when I accidentally let too much magic surge into my sword and went spiraling out of control and past Rainbow, crashing into her in the process.
“What the hay is up with your sword, anyway?” she asked back on the ground, dusting herself off and clearly upset at the loss.  “I thought unicorns weren’t able to fly like that.”
“They aren’t,” Twilight said, having been watching most of our races, though she seemed more interested in my sword than the races. “At least not easily.”
I shrugged. “It’s enchanted.”
“What sort of enchantment? I’ve never seen one that lets a unicorn fly well enough to compete against a pegasus, especially against Rainbow Dash.”
“It’s a basic enchantment, just meant for ease of use. I don’t know how it can do what it does.”
Twilight tilted her head. “Have you studied it at all?”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Eggheads. I’m outta here. See ya later, Sword.”
I gave Rainbow a salute as she flew off, then looked back at Twilight. “No, I haven’t. Didn’t really think about it.”
Twilight glanced up at the sky thoughtfully for a second. “Would you mind if I borrowed it to study? I’m sure I could learn something useful about it.”
I glanced back at my sword and formed it into a belt around my waist. “I can’t, but maybe another time when I don’t have as much work to do.” Really I didn’t trust her with my sword. I didn’t trust anypony with it. What if they broke the enchantment somehow?
 “Oh, of course. Another time then.” She turned and began walking off. “I’ve gotta go finish up my costume, but I hope you enjoy Nightmare Night tomorrow! It's gonna be great.”
Nightmare Night… I remembered that holiday. I was never allowed to participate in it as a young colt. As anything, really. I was dressing up as a Royal Guard for tomorrow’s Nightmare Night, since I’d be working. Didn’t much care for the celebration.
That night passed, autumn passed, winter arrived and then passed, all without much interest going on. Twilight had taken charge of Ponyville’s Winter Wrap Up, though I didn’t participate besides shoveling the snow off my roof and around my door with my sword. By the time I arrived in Canterlot, winter had already been wrapped up. I was on wall patrol for most of the day, but nearing the end of my shift Shining Armor called me into his office at the barracks.
“What’s up, Captain?” I asked, sitting down opposite of him.
“I’ve been reviewing your service records,” he said, levitating some papers onto the table in front of us.
“Oh. Is there something wrong with them?” I dearly hoped not.
Shining Armor shook his head. “Not at all. They’ve been quite impressive, actually, which is why I’m promoting you to Lieutenant now.”
My mouth dropped and I twitched my ear, wondering if I had heard right. “Lieutenant?”
He nodded. “That’s right. I could use another Lieutenant, and you were the perfect choice. You make good calls, you can handle paperwork, and I’d almost say you’re as organized as my sister, though that might be pushing it. Can I trust you with this?”
I stood up and gave the most formal salute I could. “Absolutely. What would you have your Lieutenant do?”
Shining Armor smiled. “I knew I could count on you.” He levitated a small, red box onto the table and opened it. Inside was a golden ring with three small diamonds mounted on it. “I need your help with something.”
I looked at the ring confusedly. “What are—wait, is this what I think it is?”
He nodded. “What do you think?”
I looked back at him blankly. “I think you promoted me just to pull me into one of your romantic schemes.”
He grinned. “Did it work?”
I rolled my eyes and sighed. “Yes.”
“Alright, so here’s the plan. Cadance and I are going to dinner at Olive Farm this evening. I want you to be the one serving us. Before we get there, however, I need you to take the ring-case and hide it in the middle of our reserved table, however you can. Use flowers or something, but make it look normal. After you deliver our drinks I’ll do the rest.”
I chuckled. “Sounds cheesy, but I’ll do it. I shall dub the plan ‘Operation PTC’ for ‘Propose to Cadance’.”
“And you call me cheesy. You’ll need to be dressed for this. You still have that tuxedo, right?”
I nodded. “Back in Ponyville. One moment.”
I cast a sight spell on my sword and levitated it out of the barracks and off to Ponyville, faster than an arrow. It quickly reached my home and I slipped it through a crack in an open window. It took me only a few seconds to find the tuxedo folded in my dresser. I had my sword grab it and then teleported it back to me.
Shining Armor shook his head with wonder. “That will never fail to impress me. Anyway, I’m going to get dressed and meet up with Cadance. You hurry up and get out of that armor and into your suit, I’ll want everything to be perfect when we get to Olive Farm.”
I nodded and magically began unstrapping my armor. “You got it. Operation PTC is a go.”
 
With Shining Armor’s ring-case hidden in my tux, I made my way to Olive Farm, one of the fanciest restaurants in Canterlot. I had never eaten there myself, but I remembered that my parents had on occasion. I hoped everything would go according to pl—
“Oof!”
A rock!? I seriously tripped on a rock? Stupid rock!
I quickly stood up and dusted myself off, and panicked when I couldn’t feel the ring-case on me anymore. I looked up and noticed it floating in somepony’s magic—Cadance’s magic.
“Are you all right?” she asked obliviously. “You dropped this.”
I blinked and took the ring-case into my own magic and put it back inside my tux. “I’m fine, thanks. Where are you off to dressed like that?” Like I didn’t know, but it was a beautiful dress.
Cadance smiled. “I’m meeting up with Shining Armor for dinner, that’s all. So, who’s the lucky mare, and why didn’t you tell me?”
I tilted my head. “Huh?”
“Don’t be coy, I know a ring-case when I see one. You’re dressed up like you’re off on some date to propose, too. So, what’s her name?”
Ponyfeathers, why did I have to get caught up in this? Ugh! I was never very good at lying with a straight face. “Nopony, it was just a gift from my mom… she made me promise to use it one day. I was just having dinner with her, which is why I’m all dressed up still.”
She eyed me suspiciously. “I see. Well, I hope you find the right mare one day. Have a nice evening!”
I forced a smile. “Thanks, you too.”
Continuing on, my head nearly blew off. That could’ve gone a lot worse. It also could’ve been completely avoided. I shuddered and quickened my pace whenever I thought of any way it could’ve gone worse.
I made it to Olive Farm. It was very well lit, with colorful raindrop chandeliers and dark, intricate tables and wood-paneled walls to contrast. It wasn’t crowded tonight, which was nice. I walked up to one of the staff and asked for the manager, stating it was for Royal Guard business. The manager came out and I explained the situation and showed him the ring. He loved the plan and was ecstatic of the news. I was brought a giant bouquet of flowers to hide the ring-case in, along with a silver platter to serve Shining Armor and Cadance with.
“If there’s anything you need, just give a holler,” he said. “I’ll let the staff know what’s going on.”
I set the bouquet up on Cadance’s and Shining Armor's reserved table, and a few minutes later they walked in. Shining Armor glanced at me, and I winked in return. Cadance was surprised to see me, and totally suspicious, but Shining Armor explained he preferred to have a friend serving them tonight, and I had volunteered. That only seemed to make her more suspicious.
I took their orders and brought them their drinks, and as I set them on the table Shining Armor cleared his throat.
“Cadance, there is something I’ve been meaning to tell you,” he said.
Cadance took a sip of her drink and looked at him with an oblivious smile. “What is it?”
As Shining Armor continued, Cadance’s smile only widened. “It’s been a long time since we first met each other. The first day I saw you, I couldn’t describe how beautiful you were. I still can’t manage that today. It isn’t only your wonderful eyes or your amazing smile, but who you are in your heart that makes you beautiful. There came a point in our relationship where I knew I wanted to see you every day, to be by your side for the rest of my life.” He got up from his chair and knelt down in front of Cadance, and I could tell there were tears forming in her eyes. “After all the time we've spent together, I truly believe I’ve found the one mare for me.” He levitated the ring-case out of the bouquet and opened it before her. “My Princess, Mi Amore Cadenza, will you marry me?”
Cadance gave a soft gasp at the ring and looked at me. I could only grin like a moron, and I’m sure most of the restaurant staff was watching with smiles too. She looked back at Shining Armor, tears streaming down her face. “Sh-Shining Armor… I don’t know what to say.”
“You could say yes,” I said.
“You won’t only be gaining a husband, you’ll be getting a pretty great sister, too,” Shining Armor said.
Cadance laughed and tackled him with a hug. “Yes, yes, Shining Armor, I will marry you! I love you!” She kissed him, and everyone in the restaurant applauded. I could only breathe a sigh of relief and then go back and bring them their dinner. Operation PTC was a success.
For the rest of the evening Shining Armor and Cadance ate and discussed plans for the wedding. I sat by and was forced to give whatever opinions and answers I had when they asked during conflicting ideas. I wasn’t exactly a master wedding planner though.
 
On and off throughout the next two months they continued to discuss wedding plans. I thought it was ridiculous that it could take them so long, but eventually all the plans were settled, to the relief of everyone. I spent most of my time with my nose buried in the new paperwork that I had to do, now that I was a Lieutenant. Shining Armor was also grateful for the help in keeping the Royal Guard organized while he got wedding plans smoothed out.
Of course I had to work overtime to make sure that happened, while missing out on a dragon attack in Ponyville—thank Celestia my house hadn’t gotten smashed—or Cerberus breaking loose, but luckily Twilight and her friends had that and whatever else happened in Ponyville covered while I was busy. I certainly wasn’t upset about missing Hearts and Hooves day.
Shortly after Shining Armor’s and Cadance’s wedding plans were finished—which consisted of not having any plans and letting Princess Celestia be in charge of preparations and helping her figure it out as they went, apparently—all that planning for nothing—we received word of a threat against Canterlot. We weren’t sure what sort of threat, it was incredibly vague, but it was serious. Cadance was worried about the wedding plans, as was Princess Celestia, so they had Shining Armor put the Royal Guard on full alert and cast a protection spell over the city. A rather impressive one, at that. I didn’t even think I could create as big a one using my sword.
As preparations for the wedding began, Cadance seemed to begin acting a bit off. I was often on duty in the castle, and whenever I saw Cadance out of the corner of my eye, she was frowning and acted generally unhappy. That wasn’t like her, and it made me worried. She seemed to fake her smiles when working with the ponies preparing her wedding, even among Twilight and her friends whom Celestia had invited to help handle the preparations. The only time it didn’t look fake was when she was around Shining Armor.
Bah, she was probably just nervous about the wedding. That made enough sense. I had heard weddings do strange things to ponies. As I was leaving the castle in the evening, however, I overheard Twilight talking to her friends at a table.
“—I’m sure it’s the result of being an awful pony who doesn’t deserve to even know Shining Armor, let alone marry him!” she was saying.
“Think maybe you’re bein’ just a tiny bit possessive of your brother?” Applejack asked.
The rest of them nodded with a unified “Uh-huh.”
“I am not being possessive, and I am not taking it out on Cadance!” Twilight said. “You’re all just too caught up in your wedding planning to notice that maybe there shouldn’t even be a wedding!”
Huh, so Twilight was suspicious of Cadance too. What did she call her? An awful pony who doesn’t deserve to even know Shining Armor? Buck, that’s harsh. Something was definitely wrong with Cadance, but enough to cancel the entire wedding? I doubted that was going to happen.
The next morning I visited Cadance’s door and knocked. “Cadance, are you feeling all right today? You haven’t been acting like yourself lately.”
Cadance’s muffled voice answered. “I’m fine! You don’t need to be checking up on me.” She didn’t even bother opening the door.
“Are you absolutely sure?”
“I said I’m fine. I promise. Now go, I need to get ready for the rehearsal!”
I frowned and walked around the corner then took out my sword. Making it paper thin, I cast a sight spell on it and levitated it under Cadance’s door until the tip came out the other side. I didn’t want to spy on her, but something was wrong, and I spotted a clue as to why. As she used her magic to pick up a hairbrush, the aura around it was green, but Cadance was supposed to have a light blue aura.
I quickly brought my sword back to me. That was convincing enough that she wasn’t the actual Cadance, or if she was, something was seriously wrong with her. Perhaps she was under a spell, or she was sick in some way and didn’t know it. Shining Armor had to be warned.
I made my way to the rehearsal room, but opening the doors I was stopped short by the guards on the other side.
“You’ll have to wait, Lieutenant,” one of them said in a whisper. “Princess Celestia doesn’t want any interruptions with the rehearsal.”
I sighed in aggravation. “But it’s important.”
The guards only shook their heads, so I walked back down the hall. A moment later Cadance strolled by and entered the room, then Twilight came running after only seconds after.
“I’m here!” I heard her shout. “I’m not gonna stand next to her, and neither should you!”
The doors swung closed, and there was silence. I ran back and put my ear to it. I had to know what was going on in there.
“You have to listen to me!” Twilight continued.
“Oh, goodness! Are you okay?” Fluttershy asked.
“I’m fine.”
“Ya sure about that?” Applejack asked.
“I’ve got something to say! She’s evil! She’s been horrible to my friends, she’s obviously done something to her bridesmaids, and if that wasn’t enough, I saw her put a spell on my brother that made his eyes go all—!”
I heard Cadance gasp and start crying. “Why are you doing this to me!?” I heard her galloping towards the doors and—OOF! Why was I standing here again!?
“Because you’re evil!” Twilight teleported into the doorway. “Evil! And if I don’t stop you you’re going to ruin my brother’s life!”
I heard Shining Armor speak up. “You want to know why my eyes went all—? Because ever since I started having to perform my protection spell, I’ve been getting terrible migraines. Cadance hasn’t been casting spells on me, she’s been using her magic to heal me! And she decided to replace her bridesmaids because she found out the only reason they wanted to be in the wedding was so that they could meet Canterlot royalty! And if she hasn’t been on her best behavior with your friends, it’s because with me being so busy, she’s had to make all the decisions about the wedding!"
“I was just trying to—”
“She’s been completely stressed out because it’s really important to her that our big day be perfect! Something that obviously wasn’t important to you… Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go and comfort my bride. And you can forget about being my best mare. In fact, if I were you, I wouldn’t show up to the wedding at all.”
From behind the door, being squished into the wall, I caught glimpses of Shining Armor and Twilight’s friends walking down the hall and around a corner.
“You have a lot to think about,” I heard Princess Celestia say shortly before she walked out of the room and slammed the doors, freeing me with a gasp.
“Ow… thank you, Princess Celestia,” I said, rubbing my head. “There’s something I need to talk to you about Cadance, though.”
Celestia continued to walk past. “Not now, Lieutenant.”
I followed her down the hall and around the corner. “This is important, Your Highness, and I must ask you listen. Before the rehearsal, I noticed the color of Cadance’s magic aura wasn’t right. It was green, not blue. Twilight might be right. The Cadance I knew isn’t evil, but the way she’s been acting, I don’t think that’s really her. I don’t think it’s stress.”
Celestia sighed. “You’ll need proof if I’m to believe that. It’s perfectly normal with the way she’s been acting lately, weddings can be extremely stressful when you want them to be perfect. Perhaps you don’t know Cadance as well as you think.”
I grimaced. “Princess, with all due respect, Canterlot is in danger. With the recent threat and Cadance’s sudden change in attitude, don’t you think it’s at least a little too coincidental?”
“I know perfectly well the danger Canterlot is in, Lieutenant, you do not need to remind me. Shining Armor’s protection spell will be enough. Now if you’ll excuse me, the wedding is going to start soon.”
I stopped and watched as Celestia disappeared down another hall.
Ugh, she doesn’t believe me or Twilight! How could it not be obvious!? It should be so obvious to anypony who’s known Cadance before she began acting so strange. Rrrgh. There was only one thing left to do.
I turned around and ran back to the rehearsal room, but it was empty. Looking through the halls, Twilight was nowhere in sight. Where could she have gone? I was probably the only pony to believe her, and she disappears like this. Maybe she took a walk outside… Nope. Maybe she’s in her guest room at the castle… Nope.
A crowd was beginning to gather in the courtyards for the wedding. It was starting. With some reluctance, I made my way back to the rehearsal room and took a spot at the back just in time. The doors opened, the music began, and Cadance walked up the red carpet to Shining Armor and Princess Celestia. I couldn’t believe this was actually happening.
The music silenced and Celestia began the ceremony. “Mares and gentlecolts, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Shining Armor…”
I didn’t pay attention to the rest of it, I was too busy keeping an eye on Cadance. Her cold demeanor seemed to have vanished, but she didn’t seem as thrilled about the wedding as I thought she should be. Celestia was about to pronounce the two mare and colt, when somepony shouted.
“Stoooop!”
I looked back, and Twilight was standing in the doorway.
“Ugh! Why does she have to be so possessive of her brother?” Cadance asked with annoyance. She looked back at Celestia and forced sobbing. “Why does she have to ruin my special day?”
Cadance—the real Cadance—walked in and stood beside Twilight. “Because it’s not your special day, it’s mine!”
The fake Cadance gaped. “What!? But how did you escape my bridesmaids?”
The real Cadance explained how she and Twilight had escaped the bridesmaids in the crystal dungeons beneath the castle by distracting them with a bouquet.
The fake snorted. “Clever. But you’re still too late.”
“I-I don’t understand,” Applejack said. “How can there be two of ‘em?”
Cadance pointed at the fake and looked through the crowd. “She’s a changeling. She takes the form of somepony you love and gains power by feeding off your love for them.”
The fake began channeling magic, and a pillar of green magical energy burst from the ground and surrounded her. In the panicked gasps, I quickly slipped out the door and began running off to find the chamber of the Elements of Harmony. Something told me they would be needed to defeat this changeling.
I made it outside, jumped on my sword and began flying for the building the Elements were held in. I reached it quickly, but before I could enter, a loud cracking came from above. Looking up, a swarm of changelings were pounding on Shining Armor’s protection shield, and with a thunderous shatter, it broke and faded. Changelings began flooding into Canterlot.
With a panicked burst of magic, I flew into the chamber and rushed over to the sealed door the Elements were stored in and thrust my horn into the keyhole, but it was too short. I couldn’t unlock it. I jumped off my sword and reshaped it to fit into the keyhole, but as I did, a swarm of changelings burst in and rushed me. I pulled my sword out of the keyhole, shaped it into a giant club and swung at them, cleaving swarm after swarm of changelings. There were too many though, and the club wasn’t enough. I was forced back into a corner, so I shaped my sword into a protective dome with air holes. It was all I could do to stop the changelings, though they remained outside hissing and pounding on my sword.
Come on, think! How could I get the Elements to Twilight and her friends? Perhaps they were trying to reach the Elements themselves at this point. At this rate, I could only wait for them.
A few minutes later, the pounding on my sword stopped. I made one of the air holes bigger and peeked outside. The changelings were gone. I reshaped my sword and plugged it back into the keyhole, and the door finally unlocked, when something struck the back of my head.
 
I awoke with a gasp and looked around. The chamber was empty, the door holding the Elements of Harmony hanging open and untouched. No changelings in sight. The one who’d posed as Cadance must still be at the wedding. I levitated the box containing the Elements out and jumped on my sword, racing outside and back into the castle, seeing no changelings on the way. Bursting into the rehearsal room, I jumped off my sword with a tumble and levitated the box of Elements forward.
“I’ve got the Elements, we can stop the changelings!” I said, blinking in confusion as I realized there were no changelings in the room and everypony was staring at me, who then burst out laughing.
Cadance stepped forward with a smile. “It’s okay, they’re all gone.”
Celestia also stepped forward. “The power of true love has proved itself more powerful than Queen Chrysalis could ever expect.”
I blinked again. I hadn't expected that either. “Oh. Good.”
Everyone laughed again, and Celestia looked between them all before settling back on me with a frown. “I must apologize for doubting you, Swordulan.” She looked to Twilight. “You as well, Twilight. Had I not brushed aside your claims against Cadance so quickly and instead listened, this might’ve all been prevented.”
“All is forgiven, Princess,” Twilight said.
I nodded. “What’s done is done. All that matters is that Canterlot is safe and the wedding can go on as planned.”
“Speaking of which, shouldn’t we get this wedding going already!?” Pinkie Pie asked.
Everyone agreed and began helping clean up the mess that remained. It was a scramble to set everything back up, but within half an hour everything was spotless and organized. I even had enough time to fly my sword home to fetch my tuxedo. I had my previous spot in the back as the wedding began, music and all. Cadance—the real Cadance, I was sure!—finally walked up the red carpet with a group of fillies—whom I recognized as the Cutie Mark Crusaders from back in Ponyville—leading the way with flower baskets. Cadance stepped onto the platform with Shining Armor, and Celestia began the ceremony, for the second, and hopefully last, time.
“Mares and gentlecolts, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of the real Princess Mi Amore Cadenza—”
“Princess Cadance is fine,” Cadance said.
“Hm. The union of Princess Cadance and Shining Armor. The strength of their commitment is clear. The power of their love, undeniable. May we have the rings please?” Spike brought the rings forward and Celestia placed them on Shining Armor’s and Cadance’s horns. “I now pronounce you mare and colt.”
The crowd cheered, and Shining Armor and Cadance walked out onto the balcony, looking down at all the citizens of Canterlot. They shared a kiss, and Rainbow Dash flew out and performed a sonic rainboom. I still envied her of that.
With the ceremony over, the reception began. There was music, a song, dancing, delicious food and drink. I got a few pictures taken with Cadance and Shining Armor. I performed a few flying tricks on my sword for fun. In the midst of it all, I had forgotten Shining Armor tasked me to drive their carriage, and finally remembered at the last second as they were climbing in. I dashed into the driver seat and shaped my sword to fit the reins, then magically pulled us off into the moonlight.
Doubtful that this was going to be the last of my crazy adventures.
> Discovering Lost Empires & I Learn How Much I Hate Snow
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

My name is Swordulan Thunder Shield. I was born in Canterlot to a noble family, and I am a Lieutenant in the Royal Guard under the command of Captain Shining Armor. I have faced hydras, the evil Nightmare Moon, the Spirit of Chaos Discord, a changeling invasion, and I survived the Grand Galloping Gala.
So why was I sitting here and towing a wedding carriage with all this giggling going on behind me?
“Captain, we haven’t even reached the honeymoon destination yet,” I groaned.
I heard Shining Armor laugh and a moment later his head popped out the window. “It’s not that, Cadance was just talking about the day I had proposed, how she ran into you as you were on your way to Olive Farm.”
Cadance’s head then popped out of the next window. “I had my suspicions about the ring-case, but you seemed so embarrassed at the time that I actually believed you.”
“Oh, that makes me feel better.” I rolled my eyes. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”
“Nope,” Shining Armor said.
I snorted. “Well, neither am I about saving your rump after you jumped into that chasm.”
Shining Armor sighed. “You just had to bring that up.”
“At least I was promoted for having to deal with my embarrassing case.”
“Yeah, but I’m a Prince now.”
I winced. “Right. I’m never going to get used to that. Anyway, I never got to apologize to you, Cadance. Had I been guarding your side, I could’ve prevented your imprisonment. I wish I had known that happened.”
“It’s okay, Swordulan, there’s no reason to blame it on yourself,” Cadance said.
“She’s right, everything turned out okay in the end,” Shining Armor said. “Like you said, what’s done is done.”
I shook my head. “I said that for Celestia’s sake, not my own. I have plenty of reason to blame it on myself. Just like on the night of the Summer Sun Celebration, I wasn’t where I was supposed to be, and because of it a disaster occurred. I failed my duty yet again.” I sighed. “I’m glad everything turned out all right, but the fact that I could have prevented it still upsets me.”
“You’re putting too much blame on yourself,” Cadance said. “I’m sure that a number of different ponies could’ve been at my side and made a difference, but the fact is, they weren’t. How could they or I have known?”
“The future will always be a constant mystery,” Shining Armor said. “We can’t blame ourselves for not always knowing what will happen. We have to do what we can in the now, to live in the moment and enjoy it whenever possible.”
Cadance nodded. “We all choose how to live, and that reflects on how we feel. Please don’t choose to live in a place of guilt and regret, Swordulan. I know how much that can eat at a pony’s mind, and it’s not good.”
I grimaced. “I’ll… try.”
 
The rest of the week was uneventful. Shining Armor and Cadance had finished their honeymoon, though I hadn’t heard much about it, I had only driven them to it. During that I had to work overtime to help keep the Royal Guard in order, sending out patrols, receiving reports, doing an absurd amount of paperwork. There were other Lieutenants working alongside me, but they were equally stressed.
After Shining Armor returned I was able to take a break and simply stand guard outside the doors of the castle throne room. It was a ways into the afternoon, and Princess Celestia was inside busy with some paperwork of her own, when Swift Wishes came running and burst through the door.
“News from northern Equestria!” he said, quickly stopping to bow. “Uh, Your Highness.”
Celestia looked up. “Yes?”
“I am simply to tell you that… it… has returned.”
Celestia gasped. She turned to one of the guards near her throne, wide-eyed. “Find Princess Cadance and Shining Armor.”
The guard gave a nod. “Yes, Your Highness.”
Swift and two of his clone-freaks ran out and split up down the halls. I glanced back into the throne room, seeing Celestia writing a letter.
“—Twilight, you must come to Canterlot at once…”
Northern Equestria? I had never been up there. I wondered what sort of news it was if it required Shining Armor, Cadance and Twilight. The first two arrived only a minute later, and I couldn’t help but follow them in.
“Princess Celestia, what’s going on?” Shining Armor asked.
“I need your help,” Celestia said. “The Crystal Empire has returned.”
“The Crystal Empire?” Cadance asked.
Celestia stood up and walked off her throne. “Yes. My knowledge of the Empire is limited, but what I do know is that it contains a powerful magic. One thousand years ago it was taken over by the tyrant King Sombra, a unicorn whose heart was black as night. He was ultimately overthrown, turned to shadow and banished to the ice of the arctic north, but not before he was able to put a curse upon the Empire, a curse that caused it to vanish into thin air. If King Sombra has returned, he will seek out to take the power the Empire contains, and with it he could threaten all of Equestria. You two must go to the Empire and protect it. Twilight and her friends will be joining you later as well.”
I stepped forward. “I wish to go, too. I’m sure I can help Cadance and Shining Armor in some way, Your Highness.”
Shining Armor glanced at me and nodded. “I can vouch for him, Celestia.”
“Me too,” Cadance said.
Celestia looked at me and gave a nod. “Very well, you may join them, but you must leave immediately. I have arranged a train to take you there. You may wish to bring snow gear.”
We all nodded together.
“We’re on our way,” Shining Armor said, and we ran out of the throne room.
Cadance and Shining Armor split off to pack real quick, but I headed straight for the train station. I was sure my sword and armor would be enough, and I could always use a heat spell if I got too cold. When they joined me again we boarded the train, and it magically sent us off. No crew on this one it seemed. We’d be going in alone.
It was a long ride. We didn’t speak much beyond figuring out what we’d do when we arrived. Cadance would use her magic to spread her love and light through the Empire, while Shining Armor would cast a protection spell. Afterwards Shining Armor and I would patrol the arctic for signs of trouble.
We arrived sometime shortly before sunset. Not that we could tell where the sun was, it was a raging blizzard outside. No sign of the sky, just dark clouds. Shining Armor and Cadance had gotten into their snow gear, while I shaped my sword over myself like a blanket and cast a heat spell into it. Stepping into the frozen waste, the chill still struck me all the way to my bones.
“Sh-sh-shee-eesh!” I said, though it was only a mutter in the howling winds. “No k-kidding about th-the arctic!”
I put more magic into my sword, heating it up further. At least it stopped my chattering.
“Let’s get to the Empire before the blizzard gets worse!” Shining Armor said, his voice barely audible.
He and Cadance led the way through the blizzard, casting light spells to see ahead. Neither of them seemed fazed by the cold. It took only a couple minutes to find the Empire, which strangely wasn’t affected by the weather. No dark clouds hovered over it, and not a single flake of snow covered the ground. The other surprise was how lifeless it was. There was nopony in sight. Wasn’t this supposed to be an Empire?
“This place seems deserted,” I said as we stepped out of the snow.
The Empire had been gone for a thousand years. Maybe the population died off. I shuddered at the thought.
“We need to get to the castle before we can cast our spells,” Cadance said.
Shining Armor led the way towards giant crystal castle in the center of the Empire. We stared down the empty streets and looked to the windows of houses. I thought I caught a glimpse of a face peeking out from one before disappearing. Every building seemed bleak and colorless. Hardly a Crystal Empire at all.
“This place gives me the creeps,” I said. “I wonder what kind of magic it took to make such a place disappear for a thousand years.”
“I don’t know, but I don’t want to think about it,” Shining Armor said.
“Let’s not waste any more time, we need to put our spells up,” Cadance said.
We accelerated to a gallop until we reached the castle. It was nothing like the one in Canterlot. It was made of blue crystal, for one thing, and simply one giant spire. The castle was elevated by legs, the space beneath being completely open, and the legs of the castle had stairs going up. There was a strange pedestal-thing in the center, but it held nothing.
We rushed up one flight of stairs and made it into the castle. It almost seemed bigger on the inside. Taking no time to look around, we continued upward until we found a balcony that overlooked the Empire. Cadance and Shining Armor cast their spells, surrounding the Empire in colorful shields.
“There,” Shining Armor gasped.
Looking down at the Empire, it seemed to have sprung to life. The color and shine of crystals had returned to the buildings, and lights had turned on down all the streets, causing everything to sparkle.
“Wow,” Cadance said.
I nodded in agreement. “I can see why they call it the Crystal Empire now.”
The sun was going down quickly, so we took the time to explore the castle before we’d go to bed. For that, we found a large hall housing a row of rooms with soft beds. Guest rooms, we supposed. We found the throne room, a large kitchen, dining hall, and near the top of the castle, a bedroom fit for a King and Queen. Or in this case, a Prince and Princess.
“I can’t go to bed,” Cadance said.
Shining Armor and I looked back at her curiously. “Why not?” he asked.
Cadance looked up at her horn. “I have to stay up to keep the spell going. If I go to sleep, it’ll stop. I can’t let that happen.”
Shining Armor nodded. “I’ll stay up with you.”
“Me too,” I said.
Cadance shook her head. “I can’t let you do that. You both need your rest. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine.”
“We can take shifts staying up with you,” Shining Armor said, putting a comforting hoof around her neck. “I’ll take the first.” He looked back to me. “You get some rest. I’ll wake you an hour past midnight.”
I nodded and walked off to the guest chambers. I wasn’t particularly tired, but when a guard knew he needed to sleep, he did, no matter where he was. Picking the first room on the right, I climbed into bed and—Sweet Celestia, this was soft! Even while still in my armor! Where in Equestria had these been made? Hay, I needed one back in Ponyville! Switching off the lights, it was no struggle to close my eyes and drift off. It almost worried me how comfortable the bed was. If I grew too used to it, I might not be able to sleep in anything else ever again.
Almost as soon as I drifted off, I awoke with a jolt, my whole body soaked in sweat. A nightmare. A horrible nightmare, but I couldn’t remember any details about it. Only those eyes, those terrible, green and purple eyes.
Shining Armor opened the door to the room and turned on the light. He seemed taken by surprise at the sight of me. “You’re already awake? What happened to you?”
I shuddered. “Shining Armor… there’s something wrong with this place.”
He narrowed his eyes and looked around. “What is it?”
I shook my head. “Nightmares… nightmares from outside. There were these dark eyes, but I can’t remember anything else. I can still feel them watching me, watching us. You can’t go to sleep, Shining Armor.”
Shining Armor yawned and shrugged. “It’s probably just you. Come on, you’ll be fine after a drink of water.”
I jumped out of bed. “You don’t understand, there’s something wrong here, and I’m going to go find it.” I walked out of the room as he watched groggily. I had to find out what was wrong.
“Fine, just be careful,” Shining Armor said, stifling another yawn. “Cadance is in the throne room, why don’t you go check on her? I’m going to bed.”
I glanced back at him. “Do what you have to.”
I made my way to the throne room and found Cadance, a few rings already sitting under her eyes. She smiled at me as I came in.
“Hey,” she said. “Sleep well?”
I grimaced. “No, and neither will Shining Armor I imagine. There’s something wrong with this place, Cadance.”
Cadance frowned but nodded slowly. “I know what you mean. There's something that keeps trying to get in through my magic, too, but I can’t pinpoint where. Hopefully when Twilight gets here tomorrow… I mean, today, she can find and fix it.”
I grunted. “I’m going to see if I can find it myself. I can’t stand sitting around and not doing anything to help this place. You’ll be okay alone for a while, right?”
She nodded. “I’ll be fine. Just be careful, it could be anything.”
“Hey, I’ve got this,” I levitated my sword up. “Nothing’s gonna happen to me.”
 
I flew out of the Crystal Empire and into the dark, frozen waste. The chill as I left Cadance’s magic hit me like a brick wall, and I immediately began pumping heat spells into my sword as I began to circle the Empire. It was hardly enough, and I was forced back into the Empire to warm up. I needed a better way to keep myself warm and out of the snow. Being out in a blizzard in the middle of the night was not the smartest thing ever, but I wasn’t going to let Twilight best me this time. I was going to find out what was wrong with this place and put a stop to it.
An idea struck, and I began to form my sword into a raindrop-shaped capsule around myself. I shaped the interior so I could lay flat comfortably, and sealed the sword around me except for a small hole in the back. This would keep the cold out entirely, although I couldn’t see anything. For that, I cast a sight spell, and now I could see in the direction I flew the sword. It was a bit of a tight fit inside, but after a few more adjustments it was perfect. I levitated myself up and flew out of the Empire once again.
The bite of frost still struck my sword and seeped inside, but using a heat spell was far more effective at removing it. I had to cast a light spell on the sword as well, being unable to see anything in the darkness. Again I began to circle the Empire. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for, but I figured I’d know it when I saw it.
Only ten minutes into the search I began to hear a low-pitched howling in the distance ahead. Not the blizzard. I bet it was what I came to find, and whatever it was, it was growing louder. It became a roar, but this time it came from behind, not ahead. Turning around, I increased the intensity of my light spell. I had no doubt I was like a lighthouse beacon to whatever was out here, but even with how bright my light was, all I could see ahead of me was a wall of black. And then something appeared in that wall of black: giant, glowing green eyes with purple smoke pouring out of them. They focused on me, and my heart skipped a beat.
A mouth formed. “Crystalsss!”
With fear-fueled adrenaline pumping through my veins, I channeled all the magic I could into my sword and took off in the opposite direction of the black mass of shadow. What the hay was that thing!? Whatever it was, I was definitely not staying here to fight it! I heard it roar again as it pursued, but it was falling behind. I made it back into the Crystal Empire and stopped. Teleporting outside my sword to look out into the blizzard with my own eyes, the mass of shadow had stopped at Cadance’s magic. It took a moment to stare at me and hiss, and then it was gone. I could only heave a sigh of relief.
That thing… that must have been King Sombra, still banished to shadow, yet free to roam the arctic. I shivered. Was it him who’d caused the nightmares in this place? I had to wake up Shining Armor. Who knew what those nightmares could be doing to him?
I formed my sword into its normal surfboard shape—I was going to have to remember that raindrop form, it might prove useful in the future—and raced to the castle on it. Galloping up the stairways and down the halls I found the guest room Shining Armor had taken. He was still asleep in bed, but tossing and turning frantically.
I rushed up to him and grabbed him by the shoulders. He was soaked in sweat. “Shining Armor, wake up! Captain!”
Shining Armor gasped, and his eyes shot open, but they were green with purple smoke coming out of them. I reeled backwards at the sight, and Shining Armor flailed, tossing blankets around.
“Snap out of it, Captain!” I said, taking his shaking head into my magic and forcing it still. I didn’t like having to do this, but it needed doing. I struck him over the head with a hoof, and he blinked, the green eyes and purple smoke disappearing with it, though he continued to shiver.
“What happened?” he asked, looking up at me and massaging his head.
“You were having a nightmare, same one I had I’ll bet.”
Shining Armor grimaced. “You were right… there is something wrong with this place. What time is it?”
“Only about two hours past midnight, I think. I went outside the Empire to see if I could find the source of what was wrong with this place…”
Shining Armor climbed out of bed and moved for his snow gear on the sofa. “Did you find anything?”
I nodded. “I think I found King Sombra. Or rather, Sombra found me. He’s still out there, somewhere.”
Shining Armor had all his gear on in seconds. “Then we better get moving. I want to see what exactly we’re up against.”
I shivered. He wanted me to come with him? No way, I wasn’t that crazy! “Are you sure you want to go out there?”
Shining Armor looked back at me, eyes narrowed. “Is that fear talking?”
I scowled. “No, I'm just concerned.”
“Then it’s a good thing I’ll have you to watch my back.”
Shining Armor walked out, and I shivered again. I couldn’t just let him go out there alone. Cadance would never forgive me if he got himself hurt, for one thing, but this was even crazier than him jumping into that chasm. Did getting married do something to his head? I supposed I’d never understand if that were the case.
 
We stepped out into the cold, Shining Armor with his snow gear and hardened expression, me with my armor, heated blanket of metal shaped over my body that bore no resemblance to a sword, and eyes that couldn’t get any wider, nor jaw any tighter. I may have done a lot of stupid things in my life, but this took the cake. What was worse, I knew that I was doing it and still kept going.
Shining Armor led the way, his light spell a clear beacon in the darkness. The blizzard had only gotten worse, but that hardly seemed to slow him down.
“Where did he come from when you saw him?” he asked, shouting over the howling winds.
“I don’t know, he just appeared out of nowhere,” I said, also shouting. In this noise, it could’ve easily been a whisper.
“We’ll have to draw him to us, then.”
“Are you crazy? You have no idea what you’re getting into!”
“That’s a risk we sometimes have to take.”
He really was crazy.
We began circling the Empire, Shining Armor’s light spell as bright as he could make it. I wasn’t too happy about trudging through the snow, but at least my sword kept the cold out, for the most part. So long as he didn’t ask me to take it off, I could tolerate it.
Shining Armor stopped. “Did you hear that?”
My ears perked, but I didn’t hear anything. “No, I can only hear you and—” Wait, there it was. The blizzard had muffled the sound, but I caught a hint of a low-pitched howling, like the one I had heard last time. “—and maybe it’s time to run.”
A mass of shadow appeared in the distance, blacker than night, rushing towards us and howling. I took a step back, and Shining Armor fired a laser at it. The shadow where he’d hit disappeared then seemed to grow right back. Now the adrenaline was beginning to kick in.
“Captain!”
Shining Armor fired another laser, but again it did nothing to slow it. Green and purple eyes appeared in the shadowy mass, followed by a gaping mouth. It roared, and Shining Armor looked back, eyes wide.
“Run!”
Without a second thought, we turned tail and rushed back towards the Empire, but Sombra was quickly gaining on us. Shining Armor was behind me. If he didn’t make it…
I took my sword off and shaped it into a surfboard as I ran, levitating it in front of me. Ignoring the cold, I jumped on and flew right. I could feel my heart racing, but everything else seemed to be moving in slow motion. I came around and cast a light spell, shining it at Sombra and distracting him from Shining Armor. He charged me, and I led him another way as fast as I could. He was still faster. Looking back, I had no choice but to jump, so I did. Mid jump, I twisted my body around and used my magic to enlarge my sword, then swung it out at Sombra. It sliced through his eyes, which disappeared in a smoky shadow and seemed to make him slow down. I tried to teleport my sword back underneath me before I crashed into the ground, but I couldn’t sense it! In a panic, I tried to teleport myself, but the ground came up too quickly. I hit the snow and rolled a few times, and the next thing I knew I was back in the Empire, safe inside Cadance’s barrier.
My sword crashed ahead of me and skidded to a halt. It was still enlarged. What the hay had happened to it? Shining Armor came running from somewhere. At least he was safe.
“Swordulan, are you all right?” he asked, helping me to my hooves.
I nodded and brushed some snow off my back. “I’m fine, just a little banged up.” I looked over to my sword lying under a street light. “Not so sure I can say the same for my sword.”
Walking up to it, I saw little black crystals protruding from the cyan crystals where the enchantment was supposed to be. For the first time ever, picking the sword up in my magic felt heavy, like I was lifting a stack of books rather than a feather. I couldn’t change its shape back to normal, either. It was stuck like this. I slumped onto my flank and began probing at the black crystals.
“What happened?” Shining Armor asked, staring over my shoulder.
“I swung it at Sombra, or whatever that thing out there was. I can’t channel any magic through the enchantment anymore, it’s completely blocked.”
Shining Armor looked back to the arctic, the mass of shadow having disappeared again. He put a hoof on my shoulder. “Let’s get back to the castle, maybe we can find a way to fix it.”
I nodded and strapped the sword to my armor, though I wasn’t so sure there was a way to fix it. It was a drag to haul it back to the castle, trying to keep the tip levitated in the air so it didn’t scratch across the ground. Making it back to the throne room, Cadance greeted us with a weak smile, though it turned into a worried frown when she saw me hauling in the sword.
“Where were you two?” she asked, looking to Shining Armor.
“Just outside the castle,” he said innocently.
“In the arctic, freezing our hides off,” I said, making him wince. Yeah, you deserved every bit of this, Shining.
Cadance’s eyes grew wide. “What? What were you doing out there?”
Shining Armor sucked in his cheek. “We were just patrolling the Empire to make sure it was safe.”
“He went searching for King Sombra and made me follow,” I said. “Instead, Sombra found us, thanks to his light spell.”
Shining Armor glared at me, but it was cut short by Cadance. I couldn’t help but smirk. Not my wife, not my problem.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were going out there?” Cadance asked. “It could’ve been dangerous.”
“It was dangerous,” I said. “Dangerous, crazy and stupid, and because of it my sword’s enchantment is infected with something.”
This time Cadance glared at me, though only for a moment. Her attention moved back to Shining Armor, as if expecting him to answer for everything. I couldn’t argue with that, so I decided to keep my mouth shut.
“I had to know what was out there,” Shining Armor said sternly. “Now we know that King Sombra has returned and he's trying to get into the Empire. I didn’t want you to worry about me, or to risk you trying to stop me.”
Cadance sighed. “I know you meant well, but I have a right to know what my husband is up to. I understand that we need information, but next time I would appreciate you telling me where you go looking for it before you go.”
Shining Armor nodded. “I will, I promise.”
“What now?” I asked. “My sword’s enchantment is disabled, and I’m not sure there’s anything that can fix it.”
Shining Armor looked at me and frowned. “I need you to go back to Canterlot.”
I gaped. “Back to Canterlot? I’m not even sure if I can make it back to the train! What good will I be in Canterlot? I want to stay here to help in whatever way I can.”
“I can help you reach the train, but I need you to get it back to Canterlot so Twilight and her friends can come. You’ll have to stay there, too. If things don’t work out here in the Crystal Empire, I need you in Canterlot to help keep the Royal Guard in order.”
I blinked and turned around with a scowl. “It’s happening again, isn’t it?”
“What’s happening again?” Cadance asked.
I grunted. As if it wasn’t obvious. “I’m being tossed aside so Twilight and her friends can come in to fix everything while I watch from a distance. Fine then! I’ll go, and to Tartarus with whatever point I had in coming here.”
“You’re not being tossed aside for anything!” Shining Armor said, walking up next to me. “I’m glad that you came with us here, and you’ve been a big help already. You even saved my sorry rump again, but—”
I glanced at him. “But my usefulness has been used up, hasn’t it? That’s always how it’s been with us Royal Guards. It doesn’t matter. I’ll take the train back, and don’t worry about escorting me to it, I’ll be fine. I just hope your sister and her friends know what they’re doing when they get here.”
“I’m sorry you have to leave like this,” Cadance said, giving a sympathetic frown. “I wish it didn’t have to be this way.”
I shrugged. “An order is an order. I won’t argue. Just keep safe, okay?”
Shining Armor sighed and gave a nod. Cadance wouldn’t let me leave without giving me a quick hug. With a final salute to my Captain, I was out.
> Cousin Katana and Her Sidekick
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The blizzard had let up somewhat, thankfully, but it was still a cold march that I had to endure while dragging my broken sword on my back. I made it back to the train just fine though, and it gave a few chugs as I started it up. I shoved enough coal into the furnace for the ride back and slept through it all, already missing the comfortable bed from the crystal castle, but certainly not missing the nightmares. I still couldn’t believe Shining Armor made me go back.
I arrived after sunrise and grumpily dragged my sword out behind me, attracting a few odd stares. After stowing it away in the barracks I informed Princess Celestia of everything that had happened so far, leaving out my annoyance at having to come back. She simply said Twilight would be able to take care of it. Of course she will. Since when does Twilight Sparkle ever fail?
I relieved an Officer from wall patrol command and took it myself. The rest of the day moved slowly. The highlights were catching a glance at Twilight and Spike heading for the castle, finding a guard that had fallen asleep at his post, and learning that apples are not all what they seem.
Sometime after sunset, the sky lit up with… were those the northern lights? No, they were different, and I could feel some kind of magical energy coming from them. It made me feel… happy. Happy! It was so strange. It must have come from the Crystal Empire, with Twilight and her friends saving Equestria yet again. Hurray, I guess…
I went back to the barracks and checked on my sword. The black crystals had disappeared, and the blade was its normal size and shape again. I took it out for a flight test, and it seemed to be performing perfectly. That was nice. I finished up some paperwork before signing off at the barracks then flew back to my home in Ponyville for a good night’s sleep, wishing I had one of those beds from the crystal castle. Maybe Shining Armor can send me one.
 
It was shortly after midnight when I heard it—creaking floorboards. It was normal for my house to make random noises every now and then, but this was different, and my ears picked up on it. There was suddenly a strange feeling of not being alone. My eyes shot open and I stopped breathing to listen. Another creak. Somepony had definitely broken in. I magically felt around for my sword which I’d left somewhere in the front room, then used a sight spell on it. No lights were on, but there was a slight illumination from the moon. I could make out the silhouette of a pony. A mare pegasus with a bulging saddlebag, by the looks. So, whoever it was thought they could steal from me. I wasn’t about to let that fly.
I slowly crawled out of bed and crept up to the door. I could hear the intruder bumping into furniture or walls. I took a deep breath, and in a flash, I levitated my sword behind her, teleported to it, switched on the lights, and had the blade held high.
“Who are you, and what are you doing in my house!?”
The pegasus jumped into the air and hit her head on the ceiling, then flew into the wall and crashed back to the floor. She shook her head and looked back at me and laughed. “Sweet Celestia, Swordy, you scared the feathers out of me! Don’t you know your cousin when you see her?”
I blinked. That certainly wasn’t who I was expecting. “Wha—? Katana, what in Equestria are you doing here in the middle of the night!?”
Cousin Katana—fully known as Katana Lightning Shield, the daughter of my father’s brother—was the bane of my existence. It was a miracle I had the restraint to not run her through as soon as I recognized her. She had a light lavender coat, a darker purple mane and tail, both with orange highlights—I didn’t remember those, but I assumed she was trying to imitate me—and turquoise eyes, which most stallions would go crazy over. Not that Katana let them, since she was apparently ‘too cool for stallions’. And lastly, her cutie mark was a yellow lightning bolt streaking beside a wing sharing her eye color. It was rather funny that she was a pegasus because her brother, Stonehenge, was an earth pony, and I was a unicorn. I inherited more of the noble lineage than them, yet they were always the ones who acted like they were in charge. I wasn’t about to let that be the case this time.
Katana turned herself upright and frowned, evidently at my lack of enthusiasm. “Is that any way to greet your favorite cousin? I was in the neighborhood and decided to drop by.”
I ground my teeth. “Again, in the middle of the night!?”
Katana stood up and shrugged. “It was a surprise visit. Obviously you wouldn’t be surprised enough if I came by during the day.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh no, of course not, because doing anything a normal pony would do is a crime in your book.”
Katana chuckled. “Everypony knows there’s no such thing as ‘normal’, Swordy. It’s all just make-believe barriers. A mare can do what she wants regardless of her cutie mark or ‘social status’.”
I scoffed. “Not this again. Can we just get this over with? What do you want?” As if she didn’t have enough living in Manehattan.
Katana frowned and her ears drooped. “Can’t I just want to visit my one and only cousin for the first time in forever?”
“You’re not that kind of pony.”
“Ugh, fine.” Katana glanced back at her saddlebag. “I need your help with something important.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Important? With you? I don’t believe it.”
Katana scratched the back of her neck nervously. “It is important. I know I could’ve gone to any other Royal Guard, and you probably hate me for coming to you, but you’re the only one I trust. I really messed up this time…”
“And? Spit it out already.”
Katana fidgeted as she continued. “I… might’ve, uh… stolen something. Something important. But not that important! And by accident! Totally an accident, I had no idea what it was at the time, it just came into my hooves on a whim. And I need your help to return it, cause if any other guards catch me, they’ll throw me in a dungeon without a second thought!”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “You don’t steal things on accident, Kat. What was it?”
Katana sighed. “It was this.” She turned to the stuffed saddlebag on her back and opened it with her wing.
My eyes bulged out of their sockets so far I thought they’d fall out of my head. “A dragon egg? Where in Equestria did you get a dragon egg!?”
“I didn’t know it was a dragon egg,” Katana snapped, glaring at me indignantly. “I thought it was some sort of giant gem at first. Only later when I heard a dragon stomping towards me did I realize what it was, and by then I was already running with it tucked away. I didn’t have time to put it back.”
“Wha—so you want me to help you put it back?” I could only facehoof as she nodded. “Sweet Celestia, Katana. A dragon egg… where did you find it in the first place?”
“In one of Foal Mountain’s caves. It’s not too far.”
I buried my eyes in my hooves. “Can’t it wait until morning?”
Crack.
Both of our widening eyes snapped to the egg. The darn thing was already beginning to hatch!
“Nevermind, let’s go! Move it!”
I grabbed Katana in my magic and dragged her out of the house behind me as I floated out on my sword. I wasn’t about to let a dragon hatch and attach itself to me, or her, however amusing that would’ve been. Katana finally got herself oriented and began flapping her wings, and we made for Foal Mountain as if Nightmare Moon were on our tails.
The moon shone high above our heads as we flew, its light strong enough to cast shadows below. With every little crack from the egg, the shadows moved a little faster. I was pouring so much magic into my sword I was surprised Katana could catch up. She looked both determined and startled, an odd combination for her.
“We could just leave it,” Katana said as the egg cracked a little more.
I gaped at her. “Leave it to fend for itself? Alone?”
Katana looked away with a frown. “It would be better than getting eaten by a dragon.”
I scowled. “You took it from the dragon in the first place. You deserve no less.” The time for her to learn some responsibility was long overdue. “Just keep up. I’ll return the egg myself if you’re too scared.”
That ruffled her feathers.
“You keep up!” she growled.
Katana sped ahead of me, wings flapping as fast as lightning. I rolled my eyes, remembering how she always bragged about them. “As sharp as a katana, as fast as lightning, as strong as a shield.” She was definitely fast. I think she once said her wing-power measured around 13.5, only about three points behind Rainbow Dash. It was strange she hadn’t tried out for the Wonderbolts yet. Though at the same time, it wasn't.
Foal Mountain was quickly approaching, and Katana led me to a cave in the cliff-face. She anxiously looked around before landing, and I set down beside her with at least some semblance of confidence. In truth, I was exhausted. Usually when you wake up in the middle of the night to do something you don’t feel so tired, but when the thing you’re doing is using a lot of magic to fly at high speed for a solid fifteen minutes, it drains the strength right out of you. Stepping off my sword was more like falling off, and my joints felt like water.
Katana looked deeper into the cave hesitantly. “You… go first,” she whispered.
I glared at her and shook my head with a soft sigh. “Come on, and keep that loud horn you call a mouth quiet.”
She seemed about to argue but wisely snapped her muzzle shut. I magically attached my sword to my back, it taking more effort than I would’ve liked to admit, and slowly walked into the cave. It was pitch black inside, and I strained to get a light spell out, much harder than it should’ve been. Even keeping my balance was tricky.
The cave was small, almost too small for a dragon in my eyes, and smooth-walled. No stony cave-teeth in sight, strangely. A very strange place for a dragon to live.
“You sure this is the right place?” I asked in a whisper that should’ve been barely audible, yet it seemed to echo.
“Surer than a smug conmare,” Katana whispered back.
The moment she finished, a heated, thunderous roar echoed through the cave, making my legs to buckle and Katana to stumble back in fear. She stared ahead wide-eyed and frozen as the boom, boom, booms of a dragon’s paws drew near.
“Quick, put the egg down!” I said, struggling to my hooves. It was a miracle I could keep my light spell up.
“Who dares steal my egg!?” a deep feminine voice boomed.
Katana yelped at the voice, and the booming got faster and louder. I could feel the heat rising. Katana scurried to get the egg out of her saddlebag and set in on the ground. I got back on my sword and hovered over to her with a glance at the egg. It was shaking, but there weren’t any cracks in it as far as I could see.
“Let’s get out of here,” I said.
Katana was in the air in a split second. “You don’t have to tell me twice!”
As we fled the cave I looked back and caught a brief glimpse of a wall of fire shooting out from the darkness. That shot my adrenaline up, and I poured more magic into my sword. We barely made it out of the cave fast enough, flames licking our hooves. I looked back and let out a relieved sigh when the dragon didn’t come chasing after us, then almost collapsed on my sword to fall asleep right there. I probably would have if Katana wasn’t there.
“Phew, that was a slice,” Katana said. “Hay, I don’t even know why I needed to bring you along.”
I grumbled and began floating towards Ponyville, and Katana followed. “You would have stood there frozen in fear until the dragon had you in its claws.”
“Pfft, yeah right. No dragon can catch me. Anyway, I need a place to crash until I can head back to Manehattan. You’ve got space, right Cous’?”
“Sure, fine,” I said, too tired to deal with her protests if I said no. “Guest room.”
I was only vaguely aware of getting home and shoving Katana into the guest bedroom, then entering mine and falling asleep before I could reach the bed.
> A Visit to Manehattan
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I woke up to the sound of a thousand Pinkie Pie’s yelling “Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun!” in the distance. Or did I wake up to Katana going through my fridge? I couldn’t tell, all I knew is my back ached and I was still tired. I promptly did twenty stretches before walking out of my room to get a glass of water. I splashed half of it on my face without a care.
Katana was still standing in the open fridge. “Do you have anything besides carrots, kale, and pineapples?” she asked. “Seriously, why do you have ten pineapples?”
“Because I like them,” I said, levitating a couple long carrots out of the fridge. “Why else? And I thought you liked carrots.”
“Sure, but not for breakfast.” Katana sighed and closed the fridge. “I’m just gonna go out and grab a hayburger before heading for the train station. Um, you wouldn’t happen to have the bits for a ticket, would you?”
Of course she was going to ask for money. Not that I didn’t have plenty to spare, but I was sure she had enough herself. Just trying to leech more out of me, as always. “Yeah, but I’m coming with you. I’m overdue for a visit to my parents.” Way overdue, by at least a few months. My father was no doubt upset about that. Luckily I had this weekend off from my duties, though I’d probably get back to them later anyway. These carrots were good.
Katana walked to her saddlebag by the door and strapped it on. “Fine by me. Let’s get movin’ already, I don’t want to miss the early train.”
I levitated my own saddlebag onto my back and teleported my sword to me to shape around my torso. The sword felt strangely warm, somehow. It was probably just some magic residue from last night, so I ignored it. We left the house, and without warning were surrounded on all sides by a horde of bouncing Pinkie Pies. All sides. Front, back, left, right, top, bottom, and all there was to hear was “Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun!”
“Is this normal?” Katana asked, yelling over the Pinkies and covering her head, though the Pinkies were barely as heavy as a mouse.
“For Ponyville? Not the strangest thing it’s seen. For Pinkie Pie?” I laughed. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it was!”
The horde passed, and we were free to stand on solid ground and dust ourselves off.
“Not sure how she managed to duplicate herself though,” I continued. “Hopefully she… they… don’t destroy the town, or anything like that. Anyway, you go on and get your hayburger. I’ll meet you at the train station.”
Katana flared her wings. “Fine by me, but don’t be late.” And with that she flew off.
I rolled my eyes and went back inside, remembering that I’d left my armor. I didn’t need it, but something about wearing it just made me feel more secure. I was going to visit my father, after all. Might as well show him how far I’ve come. Once it was all strapped on I headed for the train station.
About half an hour later, having been delayed by the Pinkies until they were all rounded up by Twilight’s friends, Katana and I were on a train to Manehattan. There were only two other passengers sitting across from us in our car: two pegasi, a mare with a peach coat and light blue mane and tail, and a young colt–whom I assumed was her son–with a light yellow coat and bright blue mane and tail. The colt was bouncing around with excitement, trying to get a view out the window, while the mare tried to get him to sit still, obviously anxious about something the way her voice shook as she spoke to him.
“Please sit down, Aster,” she was saying. “I don’t want you to get yourself hurt.” She glanced at me as if she wanted to apologize, but I simply gave a smile and turned to watch the landscape fly by.
Katana chuckled at the two. “First train ride?”
The mother nodded sheepishly. “My son is very excited to see Manehattan. We’re moving into an apartment there.”
“Hey, nice! I live in Manehattan myself, and it’s definitely the biggest and coolest city in Equestria. What made you decide to move there?”
“My husband works there. For the longest time he’s had to take the train back and forth from Ponyville, but he’s finally found us a place to stay.” The mother sighed. “I’ll certainly miss Ponyville, though. Such wonderful folk there.”
“Some crazy folk too,” I mumbled.
“Anyway,” the mother continued, “It’s a bit of a journey to Manehattan. My name is Iris Barkley, and this is my son, Aster.”
The young colt paused from looking out the window to glance at Katana with a wave and smile.
Katana smiled back. “I’m Katana, and this,” she nudged my back, not softly, “is my cousin, Swordulan Thunder-head Shield.”
I rubbed the spot she hit and glanced at her with a frown. “You’re a Thunder-head.”
Aster gasped at the mention of my name and fully turned around to stare at me wide-eyed, as if finally noticing I was there. “Are you Lieutenant Shield?” he asked with awe.
I blinked in confusion and turned away from my window. “You know who I am?” How in Equestria was I known to some young colt? Royal Guards hardly get recognition, even Lieutenants.
“Of course! I read about you in the Foal Free Press at school. The Cutie Mark Crusaders wrote a story about you always being late to work because you were afraid of bugs. I didn’t believe it though, I know Royal Guards are always on time and aren’t afraid of anything.”
I gaped. The Cutie Mark Crusaders did what? I was never late! Okay maybe there was that one morning, but there was a mosquito in my house. No way was I going to let that fly. Besides, most of the other guards seemed to think it was a perfectly valid excuse. How did they even know about that though?
“I didn’t know,” I finally managed to say.
“Aster loves the Royal Guard,” Iris said. “He’s always wanted to meet one.”
Katana muttered something inaudible, though I was sure it was “Can’t imagine why.”
“They’re really cool!” Aster said. “They fight bad guys and keep everypony safe. I want to be just like a Royal Guard when I grow up.”
“I’m sure you’d make a fine pegasus guard,” I said, having to frown at Katana as she rolled her eyes. “They’re great at patrolling cities on their wings, and are usually first to catch the bad guys.”
“Oh.” Aster’s ears drooped and he looked back at his wings with a frown. “I can’t fly yet. My wings aren’t strong enough.”
“Psh, you’ll get there,” Katana said heartily, flaring her wings and giving them a couple flaps to adjust her position. “Most of the best fliers took longer than everypony else to get their wings in the air.” Iris frowned doubtfully at that. “Just keep practicing, work those wings, and don’t give up. I’ll bet you’ll be a great flier. Better than Swordulan, even.”
Both Aster and Iris gave her confused looks, then directed them at me. “You can fly?” the colt asked. “But you’re a unicorn.”
I chuckled. “Yes I am. I have to use magic to fly, using this—” I levitated my sword out from under my armor and formed it into its surfboard shape, hovering it above the floor. The two pegasi looked at it wide-eyed. “It’s an enchanted sword. I stand on it while levitating to fly. You wanna try?”
Aster beamed. “Yes!” He looked to Iris. “Can I, Mom?”
Iris hesitated, staring at the sword as if it were a snake ready to strike. “Is it safe?”
“Of course,” I said, stroking the dull edge of the blade to show.
Iris gave a nod to her son, and he excitedly jumped on the blade. Katana smirked and rolled her eyes as I levitated the colt around the car. Iris watched him with a cautious smile, though it wasn’t like he was going to fall. I couldn’t fly him around very fast or do any tricky moves in such a small space, yet he gasped and laughed with delight all the same.
“So why are you going Manehattan, Lieutenant?” Iris asked as the fun came to an end. “Are you being transferred there?”
“Just call me Swordulan,” I said. Rank was for the Guard anyway, and I found more respect in being called by name than rank. Some guards thought the opposite for whatever strange reasons. “And no, I’m just visiting my parents.”
“Oh, I see.” 
“Then why are you wearing your armor?” Aster asked.
I shifted in my seat for a moment and subconsciously checked my armor’s straps. “Uh… sentimental value, that’s all.”
“He’s afraid of his dad,” Katana said wryly, and I very nearly came to kneeing her in the back not so softly. “What?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at me. “You are. Don’t try to deny it making that face at me. And hay, I’d be scared into wearing armor too if I had a dad like yours.”
“Why would you be scared of your dad?” Iris asked confusedly.
I sighed. Katana would be the death of me, some day. “I’m not. Katana is just being ridiculous. She acts like we’re like rival siblings, sometimes. It’s silly.”
Katana glared at me like she wanted to punch me in the back again, but the continued conversation held her back. We kept on for a short time about our families and roots, but Aster had a dozen questions about what it was like being a Royal Guard, especially a Lieutenant, and some were shockingly specific and complicated. Who in Celestia’s name ever wanted to know anything about the way our paperwork was organized?
About two hours passed until we finally arrived at Manehattan in the Grand Central Station, a building to rival the Canterlot Castle if I ever saw. Goodbyes were exchanged with Iris and Aster, though the colt was sad that he didn’t get to ask more questions. Katana seemed relieved as we left the crowded station.
“I thought he’d never stop asking questions,” she said with a sigh. “That amount of interest in the Royal Guard is unhealthy.”
“I’ll bet my dad would disagree with that,” I said. Very likely that’s how he wished I had acted about training to become a Royal Guard. The thought made me frown.
Katana laughed. “I don’t doubt that.” She began stretching her wings as we made it back under open skies. “You know your way around, right? Manehattan can be a pretty confusing city to newcomers. It ain’t like Canterlot.”
I shook my head as I took in the loud streets and busy sidewalks of the city. Each street seemed to go on and on, and same with the amount of ponies everywhere. Hundreds, if not thousands were constantly coming in and out of Grand Central Station alone. Equally strange, hardly any paid me any attention. Usually Royal Guards in full armor outside of Canterlot Castle brought stares, but not here it seemed.
“You know where my parents live, right?” I asked. “I haven’t been to their place yet.”
“Yeah, no problem.” Katana took to the air. “Follow me.”
I brought my sword out, shaped it, and hopped on to follow. Now that brought stares. Katana led me down and over a dozen streets which I made sure to memorize. If I was ever going to visit again, best I knew where I’d be going. Eventually Katana stopped in front of a large apartment building with a design heavily focused on flowers and vines.
“This one,” she said, pointing to the door on the far left of the building. “They live in one-o-six. You should visit me too, some time. I’m getting tired of having to come to you.”
I looked at her disbelievingly. “You have a place of your own?”
Katana scoffed. “Well, duh. I got one as soon as I got a job at the lightning factory. My parents want me out of their manes as much as your dad wants you in the Royal Guard.”
I grimaced at that last part, and in a way, I felt bad for Katana. Both of her parents were unicorns, like mine, yet she was a pegasus, and her brother Stonehenge an earth pony. Both of them had as tough a time growing up as I did. For me, it was training hard to be a good enough Royal Guard for my father. For them… it was just trying to be good enough. Stonehenge tried by joining the Royal Guard–trying to live up to our grandfather's legacy like me I guess–but he had washed out, then disappeared somewhere in Fillydelphia. Katana tried however she could, but nothing ever seemed to be enough. I was sure she had used me to gain the attention her parents never gave her, though she wouldn’t admit it.
Katana punched me on the shoulder, though not that hard, thankfully. “Don’t make that face, Swordy. I don’t like it. Plus it’s not that big of a deal, so cheer up. You at least got everything you ever wanted.” She laughed.
“Yeah, everything,” I muttered, shaking my head slightly. If only it were as easy as cheering up. Everything I ever wanted? I wasn’t even sure what I wanted, besides making my father proud, and I would make him proud. He didn’t even know I had been promoted to Lieutenant yet. Strange to think that had happened months ago.
“Well, I guess I’m off,” Katana continued, flapping her wings to a hover. “Good luck with your visit. You really should come to see me in the future, there are a thousand different things to do in this city.”
“Maybe I will,” I said, which no doubt she’d take as a promise. “Try to stay out of trouble, Katana.”
Katana smirked. “Yeah, yeah, I know you don’t like having to save my hide. Thanks though. See ya!”
With that she flew off and out of sight. I looked back at the apartment building and took a deep breath. Here goes. Into the lion’s den.
It was up a few levels of stairs and down a hallway, and there was the door. 306. I knocked, and time seemed to stretch. My mother should’ve been home, it was a weekend, and she never missed a weekend to relax at home with a book. I heard movement within, and my heart skipped a beat. Why did I feel so nervous? I softly growled at myself. Stupid to be nervous.
The door opened.
My mother’s face came into view, and she beamed at the sight of me. “Swordulan! I didn’t know you were coming over today. You should’ve sent something. It’s good to see you.”
I let out a relieved sigh as she came forward to give me a tight hug. “Sorry for being away so long. I’ve been, agh… busy.  It’s good to see you too.” I took off my helmet as her death-grip ended. “How’ve you been doing?”
“Good, very good,” she said with a ceaseless smile and motioned me inside. “How about you? I haven’t seen you in months, so something exciting must have kept you away.”
“Uh, yeah.” I walked in with her and looked around. The front room was rather spacious, with minimal furniture, and there was quite a view of downtown Manehattan at the far side. A glass sliding door led to a balcony with a flower-and-vine-themed iron fence. Connected to the front room was a small dining area and a slightly larger kitchen. “I’m doing alright. I was promoted to Lieutenant a few months ago, and a couple days ago I was helping Shining Armor and Cadance in the Crystal Empire.”
My mother made a startled sound and looked at me wide-eyed. “Really? No wonder you haven’t come by. Congratulations! I’m sure your father will be happy to hear it. He should be here soon, actually, but until then I’d like to hear everything you’ve been up to.” She sat down on one of the small couches and motioned me to another one. “I read about the Crystal Empire just this morning. A whole new culture brought back from a thousand years ago. So exciting! But I didn’t see you mentioned anywhere.”
“I wasn’t there for long,” I said, making myself comfortable on the couch opposite of her.
I began telling what had happened from the beginning, and followed it up with Katana breaking into my home. My mother was surprised I had moved to Ponyville, and I realized just how much had happened since she had moved out of Canterlot. The Gala, Discord, my promotion to Lieutenant and involvement in Shining Armor’s romantic schemes, the changeling invasion and wedding… I hadn’t told my parents any of it. I didn’t get the time to tell either, as once I finished talking about Katana, my father, Steadfast, walked in. I felt my body go stiff, and I subconsciously put my helmet back on and stood at attention.
Steadfast walked further into the room and looked at me with a blank expression. “What are you doing here?”
Was he really that upset? “I had the weekend off, so I came to visit.”
Steadfast’s eyes had become daggers, and his tone grew more heated with every word. “You should have sent a message. Actually, you should have sent anything! I haven’t heard from you for months, and now you decide to show up?”
My mother looked between us awkwardly. “I’ll… leave you two alone for a bit.” She got up and disappeared down a hallway, though I hardly noticed.
“I thought you would’ve preferred an update from me personally,” I said, trying to sound calm and confident, though I could feel my stomach churning. My armor was no help. “I thought you wouldn’t want to just read a letter.”
“It’s not about a letter, Swordulan,” Steadfast growled, “it’s about being consistent! How can you expect me to be glad with your visit now when you didn’t even visit for Hearth’s Warming? We had even sent an invitation, but with no response, for all I knew you could have been dead.”
I blinked in surprise. I couldn’t remember getting any invitation, though that hardly seemed the point now. “And what if I was?” I asked too calmly for how I felt. The calmness didn’t last. I felt something snap inside of me, something that had gotten beaten into submission years ago, and then bent back at the Crystal Empire, but now it was broken. “Would you be glad then? Would that be better than being here now? Because as far as I know, Dad, you’ve never been happy with me. You’ve never cared!”
It was full on shouting now. “I cared far more than you think, so don’t you dare say that to me!”
My legs couldn’t have gotten any stiffer. “No! I know exactly how much you cared. Ever since I was born, all you’ve ever said to me was ‘Train hard! Respect your superiors! Honor your parents and ancestors!’, and was I allowed to protest? No. I never wanted any of that, but could I ask you to stop? No. What did you ever expect of me? To become a noble Captain, like your father? I’m not a Captain, and I’m not a noble. Yet you felt the need to weave my path out for me instead of encouraging me onto my own, like a real father should. What I expected was a father who would be proud of how far I’ve come despite my failures, a father who would support and guide. Not force. But I don’t have that kind of father. I may be a Lieutenant of the Royal Guard, and a good one, but don’t think for a second that I’m proud you’re the reason I’m here.”
Forcing my legs to move, I made for the door. I was done. I worked my coat off almost every day so that my father could be proud of me, but if this was how he showed it… I wasn’t going to put up with it anymore. I was done.
“Don’t think I never helped you get to where you are,” Steadfast snapped.
I grimaced and opened the door. “I’ll never forget you’re the reason I’m here. You helped me all right, helped me become the son you’ve always wanted… You should have had more children, because I refuse to be what you want.” I walked out and glanced back at him. He continued staring at me with those daggers, but he also looked tired now. “Tell Mom I love her.” I shut the door with my magic.
For a moment I stared at the wall in front of me, nothing coursing through my mind except for what I had just done. I had just stood up to my father, and given up on him. After years of having to listen and obey him, of hoping one day I’d make him proud, to show him I was a strong Royal Guard like my grandfather… I was done.
I realized I hadn’t been breathing since I closed the door, and took a deep, stuttered breath, exhaling it slowly. It was over. Time to go home.
I was soon back on a train to Ponyville, and I drifted off to sleep as it pulled out of the station, still tired from the night before. I never noticed one of the stars on my cutie mark disappearing.
> To Need A Father's Smile
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The rest of the day passed slowly. I woke up as the train arrived in Ponyville, which was back to having one Pinkie Pie, thank Celestia. I would have gone to Canterlot for work, but after what happened in Manehattan, I needed the rest of the day to myself. I wasn’t needed in Canterlot until next week anyway.
I stared blankly ahead as I made my way through Ponyville, hardly taking notice of the ponies around me or where I was going. I wasn’t sure what a day to myself meant. Was I supposed to do whatever I wanted, like go to a party or get an ice-cream sundae? A pineapple one sounded good right now… but no, that wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted to be left alone to think, because I still wasn’t sure if what I had just done was right. It felt right at the time, but now I wasn’t sure.
Wait, why was I on the doorstep to Twilight’s library? And why was I knocking on the door!? Sweet Celestia, this isn’t where I wanted to go! Yet I could remember my subconscious deciding it was where I’d go. Why in Equestria…
The door opened to Twilight, looking surprised. “Lieutenant Shield? What is it?”
I blinked. Right, I still had my armor on, and was standing here with my mouth agape like an idiot. I cleared my throat, trying to think of an excuse for being here. “I was just looking for a book.”
Twilight smiled. “Ah, I’m sure I can help with that.” She turned aside and invited me in. “What book are you looking for? I have a few of the Tacticians books, if you’re interested, or are you looking for something more like Fence and Form?”
I stepped inside and scanned the high wall of books. Yikes. “Um… actually, I’m looking for a book about enchantment magic.”
“Oh, then you’re in luck! I’ve got at least a dozen textbooks about enchanting. I’ll see if I can find them.” Twilight moved over to one of the bookshelves and began looking through them with her magic. “Is this for your sword?”
“No. Well, yes, but—” Was that the reason I had come here? “—actually, I think it might be better if you studied it instead. I’m not very talented in enchantments.”
Twilight stopped her search and looked back at me curiously, though there was definitely a glint to her eyes. “Really? Are you sure?”
I levitated my sword out and shaped it back to normal. Yes, this was why I was here. I needed time to myself, and for some reason I felt I should be free of my sword meanwhile. There was something about it that made me feel… not alone. Maybe Twilight could find out why.
“I’m on break until Monday,” I said, levitating the sword toward Twilight. “You can study the enchantment until then. There’s something weird about it I can’t put my hoof on.”
Twilight took the sword into her magic. “I’m sure I can learn something about it. Thank you. I promise I’ll take good care of it.”
I gave her a nod and walked out the door. I took a deep breath and sighed. It was going to be weird not having my sword, even if it was only for a day and a half. And what might Twilight find? Maybe the crystals I used were already enchanted in some way, or I underestimated my own spell. Neither seemed likely, I should’ve been able to tell if they already held an enchantment, and only young unicorns don’t know the extent of their capabilities.
I needed some lunch.
I made for Hay Burger, but halfway there I spotted three fillies trotting through town, one on a scooter. The Cutie Mark Crusaders. I glanced at Hay Burger with a frown then moved to intercept the fillies.
They saw me coming and froze, looking hesitantly between each other. Good, they knew what they did. Their eyes went down and ears drooped back as I strode up to them. Good, they knew it was wrong. That would make things easier.
“Crusaders,” I said, making them wince, “I know how much effort you put into getting your cutie marks, and I admire your determination, but I hope you’ve learned that determination can sometimes take you too far.”
“We know,” Scootaloo said, and she and her friends managed to meet my eyes. “We’re sorry for writing that paper about you.”
“Really sorry,” Sweetie Belle said, nodding slightly.
“We promise not to do anythin’ like that again,” Apple Bloom said. “Can you forgive us?”
I gave a nod. “Of course. I’m glad you know what you did wrong. You can go, now.”
The trio sighed with relief and began to trot off.
“And for the record,” I called after them, “I’m not afraid of bugs!”
They giggled as they disappeared around the street, and despite how the day had gone, I smiled. Good fillies.
My stomach grumbled. Right, Hay Burger.
 
I spent the rest of the day subconsciously reaching for my sword and wanting to hit something. There was nothing to do, nowhere to go! I felt so useless. I could have gone to Canterlot and just patrolled a wall, but without my sword it would’ve felt… wrong. So instead I began patrolling the outskirts of Ponyville. It wasn’t the same, but it was something, and…
How dare he be angry at me!? He’s the one who forced me to do all the work, all the training. Did he ever lift a hoof to help? Was it my fault to like magic more than fighting? Hay, I went through every single magic test or exam without him being there, and I passed. I didn’t need anything from him for that! And now he thinks it was all him. Buck that! He won’t even smile that I bothered to pay him a visit. Not one smile, or a greeting, just another sun-forsaken question! What are you doing here?
I screamed and threw my weight into the nearest tree, scratching the bark and shaking leaves free.
I hit it again. “Why,” and again, “can’t you,” and again, “just,” and again, “smile!?”
I slumped to the ground and cried. When I looked up, I searched for the one who was supposed to come and tell me everything was going to be okay. She wasn’t there.
I wasn’t surprised.
> Star and Soul Sword Solutions (Or Lack Thereof)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning I was on a crowded train to the Crystal Empire. Though it had only been days since I last saw Shining Armor and Cadance, it had felt like a month. I needed to see them, to be somewhere familiar. It would be nice to see how the Crystal Empire had changed as well. It was certainly pulling in hundreds of tourists.
It was just after noon by the time I arrived. One significant difference is the lack of snow coming up to the Empire, replaced by bright green fields. The arctic peaks to the north still stood, but they were a strange contrast to the bright and warm Empire.
Bright and warm. How strange that it had been cold and dreary once upon a time. It was livelier than Canterlot, and lacked the harshness of Manehattan. No wonder so many ponies were coming here, just coming out of the train station was enough to lighten your mood.
“Lieutenant Shield, Sir?” called one of the nearby crystal guards.
I looked at the stallion confusedly. “How do you know who I am?”
The guard saluted. “You and the other Officers from Canterlot were described to us by Prince Shining Armor. He was to be informed should they ever come to the Empire.”
“Ah, excellent. Go tell him I’m on my way to the castle.”
“Yes Sir. Would you like an escort?”
“I’ll be fine, thanks.”
The guard nodded and trotted off to the castle, which shone like a beacon of light compared to when I last saw it. I followed after the guard at a walk, taking time to soak in all the changes. The Crystal Ponies were all about, speaking with tourists and selling souvenirs now that their home was the number-one place to visit. I swear I spotted some horses from Saddle Arabia in the crowds.
I finally reached the castle and felt strangely exposed. I wasn’t wearing my armor, and I didn’t have a sword, two more big differences about coming here. It felt like I shouldn’t be here like this.
Thankfully Shining Armor dispelled that feeling as he came out of the castle, also without armor.
“Hey, Swordulan, I’m glad you finally decided to visit!” he said, trotting up to me. “Perfect timing, too. Cadance and I have been working our flanks off the past few days to make sure everything’s going smoothly for the Empire. It didn’t take much, and thankfully Twilight and her friends really helped revive the Crystal Ponies’ culture, but things were still pretty hectic for a while. It’s finally settling down, thank goodness.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Settling down even with trainload after trainload of tourists?”
Shining Armor smiled and gestured towards the distant train station. “The Crystal Ponies are taking care of that. They’re quite accommodating, and they work hard to make sure everypony has the best experience coming here. Doesn’t surprise me, after what they’ve gone through. So, any specific reason you’re visiting? I thought you’d be working today.”
“I’m on break.”
“That never stopped you before.”
I shrugged. “It did this time.”
Shining Armor frowned. “What happened?”
“It’s a long story.”
“You can tell me and Cadance about it over lunch then. Are you hungry?”
I nodded. I’d only had a small breakfast, which was rather poor foresight. My mind wasn’t thinking straight.
We went inside, and after a few flights of stairs met up and exchanged hellos with Cadance in the large dining hall. Lunch was already spread across the table, a mix of fruit and vegetable salads and sparkling apple cider. It all looked delicious, but before I could sit down, Cadance gasped in shock. At me!
“Swordulan, what happened!?” she exclaimed.
“What do you mean?” I asked confusedly.
Cadance pointed to my flank. “Your cutie mark, two of the stars have disappeared.”
I glanced back at my cutie mark, but everything seemed where it was meant to be. Sword, shield, and the four stars beside and below them. I raised an eyebrow at her. “I don’t get it, my cutie mark looks fine. Is this some kind of joke you wanted to try on me?”
Cadance and Shining Armor suddenly looked so serious it was almost frightening. So… they weren’t joking? Or were they trying that hard to convince me?
“Shining Armor?” Cadance said, glancing to him.
Shining Armor nodded. “I’m on it.” He trotted out, leaving Cadance staring at me with a frown.
“Come on,” I said, not buying whatever they were trying to pull. “What’s this about?”
Cadance sighed and began pacing as if she didn’t know how to deal with something. “Swordulan, you used to have six stars on your cutie mark, not four. There are two missing above the shield. This is not a joke.”
I gaped at her, unable to believe it. I never remembered having more than four stars! Yet she sounded totally convinced I used to have six. Was this just a dream? Or the work of some magic spell?
Before I could think of an answer, Shining Armor came back in with a picture levitating beside him. He brought it up to me. It was a picture of us three from their wedding. I had six stars.
I frowned. “This isn’t funny anymore, you two. I remember having four stars at the wedding, four stars ever since I got my cutie mark! What spell did you use to change the picture?”
Shining Armor and Cadance hesitantly glanced at each other for a moment. Cadance walked up to me, desperation on her face and in her voice.
“Swordulan, please listen to me. We didn’t cast any spell, and we’re not joking. Why do you think we would joke about something like this? It’s not funny.”
I opened my mouth, but only a choked gasp came out. I believed them. They’d never pull this sort of prank, and if they did… no way they’d act like they are now. But how? Why!?
“It must be somepony else pulling the prank!” I snapped. “Maybe a spell was cast on me somewhere, something to make my cutie mark disappear and change my memories. I… I’ll find whoever did this to me.”
Shining Armor laid a hoof on my back. “Swordulan, who would even think of doing that to you? Why would anypony?”
“I don’t…” I pulled away from Shining Armor, trying to think. Who would have… no, it was so obvious. “My father! He must have cast the spell. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”
“Your father?” Cadance asked.
“Yes! He’s always thought I was a failure, he’s never treated me with any respect. I had to do everything he told me to do, but I’ve had it with him. I’m done. I just can’t believe he’d go so low to do this to me.”
“But is he powerful enough to change your memories?” Shining Armor asked. “I thought he was just a banker.”
“He is, but—”
“Swordulan, listen to me!” Cadance said, using magic to force me to look her in the eyes and keep my mouth shut. “Your father didn’t do this to you. Nopony did. I know because there’s no such spell that can remove your cutie mark, and I’m sure you know that too! There’s only one thing it can be. Princess Celestia once told me about a self-inflicted disorder that unbalances the magic within one’s self. It can happen when a pony loses focus of their true self, and I think that’s what’s happening to you.”
My eyes widened as she released me from her magic. Losing my focus? But I had plenty of focus! If I didn’t, I’d never get anything done at work. That’s who I was, right? A Lieutenant of the Royal Guard, no more, no less. There’s no way I’d ever lose focus of that, so how could it be possible?
“How can you be sure?” I asked hesitantly, wishing I didn’t have to doubt Cadance like this.
Cadance sighed. “I’m afraid I can’t be. Princess Celestia knows more about these things than I do. You’d have to ask her.”
“I… I guess. Okay.” That was all she could tell me? I’m losing my cutie mark, and apparently my focus, and she isn’t absolutely sure why or how? What if Celestia can’t help me? Oh, ponyfeathers, I wish this wasn’t happening.
“I’m sorry pal,” Shining Armor said, putting a sympathetic hoof on my back. “I wish there was more we could do to help.”
I slowly shook my head. “It’s not your fault. I’ll just… have to see Princess Celestia later and hope she can help me.”
“We’re here for you too,” Cadance said. “If there’s anything you need, let us know.”
Shining Armor nodded. “Are you willing to stay for lunch?”
I looked between them and the table of salads and cider. “Um… sure, thanks. Maybe it’ll help clear my head.”
“Come on and sit down,” Cadance said, pulling a chair out with her magic.
I thanked her and sat down, and Shining Armor and Cadance sat across from me. They were soon discussing the things that still needed attention in the Empire and plans for the day. I kept silent throughout, too occupied in my head wondering about my cutie mark. I was still convinced it had something to do with my father. Maybe he said something that made me lose focus on some aspect of myself, though that made little sense. He hardly said a thing.
I’d just have to wait to see Princess Celestia.
I suddenly realized Shining Armor was looking at me and had asked a question.
“What was that?” I asked.
“Your sword,” Shining Armor said. “You didn’t bring it with you?”
“Ah, that. I left it with Twilight so she could study it.”
“Oh? Was there something wrong with the enchantment?”
“No, it’s just been acting a bit strange. Making the sword really warm at times, and I still don’t know why it’s as powerful as it is. I thought Twilight could figure it out.”
Shining Armor nodded thoughtfully. “Makes sense. I’ve also wondered about its power, as you’ve pulled some pretty crazy stunts with it.”
“Maybe you’re better with enchanting than you thought,” Cadance said.
I shrugged. “I doubt it. I hardly poured that much magic into it.”
“I’m sure Twily will figure it out,” Shining Armor said, standing up and beginning to clear the table with his magic now that we had finished up lunch. “Anyway, I’ve got a routine guard check to do. You wanna join me, Swordulan?”
I quickly drank the last of my cider and also stood up. “No, I think I’m gonna go back to Canterlot to see Celestia. This whole disappearing cutie mark thing is just… a lot to take in.”
“We understand,” Cadance said, already up and pushing in the chairs with her magic. “I hope you’re able to learn what’s wrong and fix it. You’re welcome back any time.”
“Don’t wait too long to visit though,” Shining Armor said. “I could use your help to reorganize the Crystal Guard’s paperwork system soon. It’s still a thousand years behind.”
I gave a weak smile. “Alright. Maybe I’ll come by next week, I’m curious to know how a thousand year old system works. See you guys.”
I turned to leave, but Cadance wouldn’t let me go without a quick hug.
“Have a safe trip back,” she said.
 
It was a long trip back, and I couldn’t stop staring at the blank spaces where stars used to be in my cutie mark. When I realized Shining Armor and Cadance were telling the truth, it felt so wrong. Everything in my memory rejected it. But as I stared at where those two stars were meant to be, it began to feel right. There really was something missing, but I didn’t know what it was or how I lost it. If it didn’t have to do with my father, what else?
After the hours of those repeated thoughts, the train finally pulled into Canterlot. I was about to walk out the door when I noticed a picture on the wall of a past Captain of the Royal Guard—Steel Shield, my grandfather. I had never met him when I was young, as he’d passed away a time before then, but I recognized him from pictures. I hadn’t seen this one before though, and it looked like it had been taken shortly before his passing. His mane had grayed and his coat’s white shine had weakened, but that didn’t take away from his strong presence. He was dressed in a light yellow uniform with multiple badges attached to a blue strap across his chest, signifying his position and accomplishments.
It was strange, seeing a picture of him like that—old and weakening, but still confident and stoic. As inspiring as a Captain should be, and everything I wasn’t. He wasn’t even a unicorn, he had inherited his mother’s earth pony genetics, or something like that. I wasn’t too educated on my family history.
I shouldn’t be struggling like this. I should be like him.
I turned away, no longer able to look at him, and made for the castle.
When I arrived at the throne room, Princess Celestia was nowhere to be seen. The guards didn’t know where she was and directed me to one of her assistants, who directed me to the castle study room. Upon entry, I was shocked to find Celestia intently studying none other than my sword.
Celestia turned to me as I walked in. “Swordulan, I’m glad you’re here. Twilight told me you gave her your sword to study, but apparently she wasn’t able to use her magic on it very easily, so she sent it to me. I hope you don’t mind.”
I gaped in confusion for a moment. “Oh, yeah, that’s fine. Did Twilight say she learned anything though?”
“Only as much as I have learned studying the sword thus far. It is certainly a fascinating enchantment you have, though possibly concerning too.”
“Really? Why is that?”
Celestia levitated the sword up and tapped the large crystal. “The enchantment’s magical properties seem to fluctuate randomly, which Twilight found out immediately upon casting a delving spell on it. There seems to be some kind of magic recognition pattern that only recognizes you, so when she or I have used spells on the sword, the enchantment resists them. You could say that it doesn’t like us.”
I blinked. “Doesn’t like you? How is that possible? Enchantments aren’t supposed to discriminate between unicorns.”
Celestia put the sword down. “Indeed. Twilight and I have come to only one possible conclusion—the enchantment is alive.”
My mind went blank for a moment before I was able to blurt out, “Alive? But it’s just an enchantment! How could it be alive? What does that even mean?”
“I don’t know, but as of right now that is our only explanation to why the enchantment acts the way it does. However, I am very curious to know about where you got these crystals from.”
“I bought them from the market. Why?” This didn’t make any sense.
“From the market? How long ago?”
“I don’t know, a year or two ago.”
Celestia’s eyes narrowed and she turned to an open book on a nearby table which had sketches of different crystals. “That can’t be. Those crystals resemble the kind of crystal that the Crystal Heart is made out of. They are thousands of years old and nearly impossible to find. It’s known that dragons sometimes horde those kind of crystals, but the chances of stealing one, let alone three, from a dragon’s horde is unheard of.”
I rubbed my chin thoughtfully. “Then whoever sold me them must have found them somehow, or gotten them from somepony who did. Maybe they didn’t know how rare they were.”
“It seems unlikely, but anything is possible.” Celestia turned back to me. “Do you remember where you bought them?”
“Yeah, I can go there and try to learn where they came from.”
“Excellent. I will see if I can learn anything more about your enchantment.”
 
As I made it outside and towards Canterlot’s markets, I noticed the sky darkening with clouds, and it slowly began to rain. A drop fell on my nose, and I quickly put a magic shield above me. Have I mentioned I hate rain? What I would give to have Shining Armor here to put a shield around Canterlot for it.
I quickened to a trot and soon made it to the shop I had bought the crystals from. I entered and cancelled my shield. It was dark and dusty inside, with only a couple candles lighting the area. Trinkets and antiques lay about the place in an unorganized mess. It was no jewelry shop, which made me question why I had come to it for enchanting crystals so long ago, but I can’t say I was the best at searching for such things in the first place.
The shopkeeper came out from the back room and immediately smiled at me. “May I help you, sir?”
I gave a nod. “A couple years ago I was here and bought three cyan crystals for enchanting. I was wondering if you had any more of those.”
The shopkeeper tapped his chin. “Cyan crystals you say? What shape were they?”
“Diamond shaped, and about half the size of a hoof.”
“Hmm, unfortunately I can’t say I remember selling you anything like those. But perhaps you could be thinking of the Alicorn Amulet?”
I tilted my head. “Alicorn Amulet?”
The shopkeeper smiled and walked over to a shelf and pulled down a glass container. Inside was a small amulet depicting a black Alicorn with a bright red gem in the center, which looked a lot like the gems in my sword’s cross-guard.
“The Alicorn Amulet is one of the most mysterious and powerful of all the known magical charms,” he said. “Quite powerful, and dangerous if you aren’t careful.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Dangerous? Not illegally so, is it?”
“Oh, no! No, no, not at all illegal. Besides, it’s not really for sale.”
“I hope so. I don’t think that’s what I’m looking for, but it does resemble the kind of crystals I bought. I’m curious, can you tell me where you got it?”
The shopkeeper put the amulet back on the shelf. “I’m afraid not. It is an ancient artifact which my grandfather happened by during one of his travels, and since been passed down to me. Strangely he never explained where he got it.”
“I see. Well, thank you for your time.”
I put up my magic shield before going out into the rain then made for the castle. It was really starting to pour now, and to my irritation I was splashing through a puddle with every other step. I caught a glimpse of somepony in a cloak running past me, but I gave it no thought. A few minutes of trudging through puddles later I was back in the castle study.
“Did you learn anything?” Celestia asked as I came in, still casting spells on my sword.
“No,” I sighed. “Nothing that would help. What about you?”
“I have only confirmed what kind of crystals they are—the same kind as the Crystal Heart, and thousands of years old. They do not seem to act in the same way as the Crystal Heart though.”
“How so?”
“Well, obviously they do not have the same radiating power of love as the Heart, and they are not as powerful as it either. At least they do not seem to be. I am curious, has anything strange ever happened to the crystals after enchanting them?”
I shrugged. “I don’t think so. Wait, when I was first in the Crystal Empire with Shining Armor and Cadance, Sombra blocked the enchantment using some sort of black crystals that infected my crystals. I couldn’t use any magic on the sword. When the Heart was restored, the black crystals disappeared.”
Celestia turned back to a book on her desk and began searching through the pages. “I see. I think I may know a way to figure out the source of your crystal’s strong enchantment, but I will have to think about it.” She levitated the sword back to me. “Was there something else you needed? I forgot that you hadn’t been summoned.”
I shaped the sword around my torso. “Yeah, I came because Cadance said you might be able to help me with… well, she and Shining Armor told me my cutie mark is disappearing.” I looked back at my flank. “They said I used to have six stars, but I only remember having three ever since I got my cutie mark.”
Celestia turned back to me with a worried look. “Oh no. What has Cadance told you?”
I grimaced. “Just that it’s a self-inflicted disorder that unbalances the magic within you. She said I’m losing focus of myself, but… I don’t feel like I am. What should I do?”
“That is a question I can’t answer for you, I’m afraid.” Celestia sighed. “I have seen many cases of this, and each had a different answer. Sometimes there is no answer. It saddens me when a pony loses their cutie mark and the magic attached to it, and it saddens me even more so to see it happening to you. All I can give is counsel on things you might do to recover, but I very well may end up guiding you away from the answer.”
“I don’t care.” What else did I have to lose? My horn? “Whatever counsel you have, I’ll take it. I don’t know what else I can do.”
Celestia nodded solemnly. “Very well. From the cases I have seen, it is common that the loss starts from a sudden event that might leave somepony upset or lost and confused. They become disconnected from their self-image. Has any recent event made you feel that way?”
I thought for a moment. “Well… no, I haven’t felt disconnected from my self-image. I’d say my self-image is stronger than ever.”
“Nothing has made you upset or confused recently?”
“I… don’t know. There were some things that happened in Manehattan with my dad I guess, but honestly I don’t see how that would be the cause. I just want to put that behind me.”
Celestia eyed me curiously for a moment. “How many friends do you have, Swordulan?”
I blinked. “Friends? Uh, I guess Shining Armor and—”
“Besides those two.”
“Oh.” Um, did I have friends besides those two? There was… no, he doesn’t really count. Maybe—no, she doesn’t count either. I had… no friends. It felt awkward having to tell Celestia as much.
She raised an eyebrow. “Not even Pinkie Pie? I had heard you moved to Ponyville.”
I shrugged. “I suppose Pinkie thinks of me as a friend, but she does that to everypony. I normally just stick to my job. I don’t have time for anything else.”
Celestia narrowed her eyes. “That is no excuse, Lieutenant. I believe you have been working too much. Take some time to make friends. I am not always in need of your service.”
I took a step back. “Um, alright. I… I’ll try. Anyway, it’s getting late, so I should probably head home.” I bowed and quickly moved to the door. “Thank you, Princess.”
I left and made for the train station, shaping my sword overhead like an umbrella. Celestia’s sudden talk of making friends was… not what I expected. I mean, who really needed friends? I had my job, I was good at it. I didn’t need to make friends. No way was that the solution to my problem, it didn’t make sense.
However, I was curious about what she had in mind to figure out the source of my enchantment’s strange powers. What did she have to think about? Was it some kind of dangerous spell she’d need to use?
I guess I’d just have to wait and find out.
> The Return of Discord
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I was halfway to Ponyville on the train before I realized I had my sword again and could have flown home. No big matter, it gave me more time to think about what I’d do.
First off, I’d start keeping track of how many stars in my cutie mark were left. I had three now, but who knew how long it’d be before I had two? So when I arrived in Ponyville, I went and bought a small notebook to keep track, and afterwards stopped by the library and talked with Twilight about what Celestia had learned about the sword. She seemed as curious as I was about how Celestia was going to learn the source of the enchantment’s power, but couldn’t think of how she’d do it.
After deciding to borrow a book on the history of enchanted objects, I headed home. Tomorrow I’d go back to work, and everything would return to normal. At least as normal as I was used to. So the last few hours of the day were spent reading and snacking on carrots, trying to escape my problems.
The next morning, I was back in armor and commanding Canterlot’s wall patrols. I still had three stars, and it seemed like every guard was talking about it behind my back, but besides that the day passed by as usual, until we got a report of something odd going on in Ponyville. Apparently a gigantic fish bowl had been magically placed over it. Not that I was concerned, since Twilight and her friends were there. I only hoped they could solve it before this evening, as I’d heard some delegates from Saddle Arabia were going there tonight, strange as that was. But it was none of my business where Princess Celestia conducted meetings.
 
A few weeks went by, and life largely stayed the same. The problem in Ponyville was taken care of, and only one more star had disappeared, leaving the two middle ones. I thought they would disappear over only one week, but they didn’t, leaving me a bit confused. By the rate at which the others disappeared, I supposed I’d be completely without a cutie mark in only two weeks.
The only other thing worthy of note in those weeks was a moment where I was patrolling the walls and heard Pinkie Pie’s voice in the distance yell “Don’t forget to write!” so loudly that I swear the mountains were trembling.
I often took spare time to practice magic on my sword, doing my own research and experiments, testing the resistance it had to my magic. It was strange to find that it had no resistance, when compared to any normal object. Anything not enchanted has a different resistance to being manipulated by magic, even by something as simple as levitation. The difference changes based on weight, density, and size, but my sword ignored any of these factors. I could levitate and shape it without any strain on my part, unlike other unicorns that had trouble just balancing it in the air.
It also kept me up some nights with the thought that the enchantment was alive. I wondered if it was aware of its surroundings and watching me, or if it was possible it could seize control of the sword for itself. Ridiculous, but… I wondered.
On the day of the Royal Summit, I was called into the throne room to see Princess Celestia. I wasn’t told why, but I assumed it was about the summit. I made my way there and was surprised to find Celestia sitting with the box that contained the Elements of Harmony at her side.
“Thank you for coming, Swordulan,” Celestia began. “I believe I have a way to learn where the source of your enchantment’s power comes from. It was a difficult decision, but ultimately one that I am willing to risk.”
“Are you going to use the Elements of Harmony on my sword?” I asked confusedly.
I’d imagine the Elements would most likely obliterate the sword, or turn it to stone, or something else that would ruin it.
Celestia laughed. “Oh, no, I am going to have them used on something else. Please follow me.”
I followed as she stood up and left the throne room, levitating the Elements box beside her. She brought me outside to the castle’s garden of statues and headed for the largest one. I recognized it immediately and couldn’t stop myself from scowling.
Discord.
I had to stop before we reached the statue. “Princess Celestia, with all due respect, are you seriously thinking about releasing Discord!?”
Celestia looked back at me with a calm smile. “I have thought about it for a long time, and I believe that Discord can change for the better. I’m going to bring him to Ponyville with the Elements of Harmony and have Twilight and her friends try to reform him. I know it’s a big risk, but if Discord can be persuaded to use his magic for good instead of evil, it would be a great benefit.”
I huffed. “It’s never going to work. You can’t reason with someone like him. He’s called the Spirit of Chaos for a reason!”
“I understand your concern, but I have faith in my student and her friends. If Discord is unable to cooperate, they can turn him back to stone.”
As she finished speaking, two groups of pegasus guards flew in with a pair of chariots and stopped by Discord. Celestia levitated him onto the first chariot.
“I will return shortly,” she said, climbing onto the second chariot. “Shining Armor will soon be here for the Royal Summit. I believe he wants to talk to you.”
I bowed my head slightly. “Very well, Princess. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
Celestia smiled. “Don’t worry, Swordulan. I know Twilight and her friends can succeed.”
She nodded to the guards, and they flew off towards Ponyville. I wouldn’t be surprised if the world turned inside-out within the hour.
I’ll worry about that later.
I headed for the train station to wait for Shining Armor, and fortunately I arrived just as he came out of the Crystal Empire’s train, clad in armor. I wondered for a moment why the Empire got the prettier looking trains.
Shining Armor’s eyes fell on me and he approached with an escort of two guards.
“Good to see you, Lieutenant Shield,” he said, causing me to give a formal salute, which he quickly reciprocated. “Looks like things are going well in Canterlot.”
“As well as they can be, Captain,” I said. “How was the train ride?”
“Boring, and I expect the Royal Summit to be worse.”
We began heading for the castle. “Shouldn’t Cadance be the one attending the Summit?”
Shining Armor sighed. “Yes, but she’s got a lot of other important meetings to attend today, so I had to come in her place.”
“Sounds like you got the better deal.”
“Yeah, but when both deals are boring… well, I shouldn’t complain. How’ve you been?”
I gave a half-hearted shrug. “Fine. Down to two stars. Wall command has been going smoothly. Worrying off my horn about Princess Celestia trying to have Twilight and her friends reform Discord.”
“Oh yeah, she sent Cadance a letter about that yesterday. I guess she must have a lot of confidence in Twilight to have them do that on today of all days.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “You’re not concerned?”
“Nah. If she has that much confidence, I have double that. Twilight and her friends will do just fine. Anyway, I hope you’re not upset about missing the Crystal Guard’s paperwork reform. I had all the old methods documented if you ever want to go through them.”
“That’s alright. I might like to go through them some time eventually. Life’s just been busy.”
“Yeah, I understand.”
We continued on through the bustling streets of Canterlot in silence for a moment, when I remembered why I had met up with Shining Armor in the first place.
“So Celestia told me you wanted to talk to me about something. What was it?”
Shining Armor winced slightly. “It’s about some changes that I need to make in the Royal Guard, but some of the details need to be ironed out in the Royal Summit. I’ll have you called to the barracks when it’s over.”
“Alright.” As I refocused my attention to my surroundings, I noticed we’d made it to the castle already. “I guess I shouldn’t keep you then.”
“I’d rather you did. Ugh, I’m not looking forward to this. Well, see you in a bit, Lieutenant.”
Shining Armor gave a farewell salute, which I returned, and he disappeared into the castle with his guards.
I went back to my patrols on the walls, and kept a keen eye on Ponyville. Discord was out there somewhere, doing who-knows-what. Twilight better know what she’s doing.
 
Some hours passed, and everything thankfully still seemed in order, but while I was watching over Ponyville a bizarre question struck me. What was I doing here? It seemed super obvious at first, but for a moment it rang through my head like a gong that standing here on the wall, waiting, was entirely pointless. I was of no use here.
I violently shook my head. Stupid thought. Of course I was of use, I was a Lieutenant and had the duty of commanding wall patrols, and I did a pretty good job at it. None knew the patrols as well as I. Except Shining Armor, I guess.
Speaking of, I was finally called to the barracks to speak with him. I quickly flew over there on my sword and entered the Captain’s Quarters. Shining Armor was sitting in his chair overlooking some files, looking far more tired than earlier. He looked up as I walked in and smiled.
“Glad you made it,” he said heartily. “Is Ponyville looking alright?”
I gave a nod and sat down across from him. “Yeah, though a guard had spotted at least one house doing summersaults in the air earlier, but it stopped after a few minutes.”
“That sounds promising.” Shining Armor looked back to the paperwork on the desk and took a deep breath. “I guess I should get right to the point. Canterlot needs a new Captain of the Royal Guard.”
I blinked in surprise, but quickly allowed my mind to process the statement before speaking. “You’re resigning?”
“Not as a Captain. Right now I’m the Prince of the Crystal Empire, which makes me its High Captain. I know I left Canterlot in your and the other Lieutenant’s good hooves, but I’m worried about another potential changeling invasion situation. Princess Celestia will need a Captain here.”
I nodded slowly. “Are you promoting one of us, then?”
“I want to, but no.” Shining Armor turned the paperwork around and slid it towards me. “Which is why I wanted to talk to you personally about this. I’ve been reviewing your records again, and as usual your performance is excellent. You were the top candidate for the choice of Canterlot’s Captain.”
I narrowed my eyes at the paperwork. “Were?”
Shining Armor sighed. “Yeah. With your cutie mark condition… Princess Celestia and I agreed you weren’t fit for the position.”
I looked up at him. “Not fit? But my condition hasn’t been a roadblock in my performance. My records show that.”
“I know, but Celestia and I are worried about you. We don’t know what could happen in the future, so we think it’s best to wait until you are ready. Until then, one of my Lieutenants from the Crystal Empire is moving here to be Captain. I’ll be introducing him to you and the others about an hour later. Are you alright?”
I nodded slowly, though I was feeling slightly dizzy. “I understand.” In reality I felt like I had been bucked in the stomach. Not fit for the position? My performance had been solid even with my cutie mark disappearing! There was nothing wrong with me. How could Shining Armor do this to me after all the work I’ve done?
Shining Armor took the paperwork in his magic and put it away. “I know you’re disappointed, but I believe it’s for the best. I have full confidence in the new Captain, and I bet you’ll get along with him just fine. Anyway… how many stars do you have again?”
“One,” I said, glancing at my flank for a moment and grimacing. “Only one.”
Shining Armor frowned. “Well, I hope you find a way to bring those stars back. The Royal Guard could use them.”
“Yeah… I hope so too.” I stood up and gave a salute. “I’ll be getting back to my station.”
Shining Armor returned the salute. “I’ll see you later.”
I nodded and headed out, but as I left the barracks a guard came trotting up to me with a message that Princess Celestia wanted to see me in the castle study. I promptly changed my sword into a surfboard and flew up to one of the castle towers and made my way to the study, where I found not only Celestia, but Discord, standing side by side without so much as an attempt to strangle one another.
So Twilight and her friends succeeded, it seemed. Well, why should I be surprised?
“Swordulan, it’s good to see you,” Celestia said. “Please come in, there’s no need to be afraid. I’d like you to meet Discord.”
I slowly stepped further into the study, my eyes deadlocked on Discord. “We’ve met before.”
“And what a chaotic meeting it was!” Discord said enthusiastically. “But I’m beyond that now. I’ve had a change of heart, truly. Princess Celestia has told me about your little magic crystal crisis, and I’ve promised to help in any way I can.”
“I wouldn’t call it a crisis.” I looked to Celestia. “Are you really sure about this?”
Celestia gave an amused smile. “I am. Shall we see what Discord can learn from your enchantment?”
I looked back at Discord and reluctantly brought out my sword. “You better not perform any funky tricks on it.”
“Cross my heart!” Discord said, making an X with his claw over his chest. “I hold no resentment for the time you put me in a police box.”
Celestia raised a curious eyebrow at me. I gave her the ‘it’s a long story’ look and levitated the sword to Discord. “Let’s get this over with.”
“Down to business, then!” Discord said, grabbing the sword out of the air and crumpling it into a ball like it was a piece of paper, then reshaping it into its surfboard shape, or rather similar to how I shaped it like that. A magnifying glass appeared out of thin air which Discord used to closely examine the crystals.
“How does that help?” I asked.
“How else do you expect me to work with it? Your sword was too small, I needed to make it bigger. Now hush, this requires an extreme amount of concentration.”
Celestia and I patiently watched as Discord continued to study the crystals, occasionally humming to himself. He made more and more complicated magnifying glasses to use, and eventually he began tapping on the crystals, which caused his eyes to widen.
“Swordulan, I need you to stand on the sword and keep it hovering for a moment,” he said in an eerily serious tone.
I gave a confused look and took the sword into my magic and jumped on. “Anything happening?”
Discord eyed the largest crystal closer than ever. “Shush shush shush… yes, I see…” He tapped it one more time and jumped back as a small blast of energy came from within. “Ah! Well that was quite rude of you! Where did you get such a sour attitude?”
“Who in Equestria are you talking to?”
“The magical entity inside the large crystal here, obviously. Weren’t you aware of it?”
“We only knew that the enchantment was alive somehow.”
Discord gave a short laugh. “Of course the enchantment is alive. Don’t you know anything about magic? No, the word which you are really confused about is conscious. The enchantment is conscious of its surroundings because there is a magical entity living inside of the crystal.”
“How is that possible?” Celestia asked curiously.
“I’m not the kind of draconequus that goes snooping in the business of such entities, I’ve had a few particularly unpleasant meetings with some, but I would guess the main way such entities form in the first place, which is crystals being exposed to magical energy over a few hundred, or thousand, years. Are you aware of such crystals containing magic enhancing powers for the unicorns that use them? How certain crystals can influence and often corrupt their users? Like the large crystal here, those also have magical entities inside them.”
I frowned. “Are you saying I’m being influenced by the entity in my sword?”
Discord shrugged. “It’s hard to say. You seem to be the same boring Royal Guard now as you were back at our first meeting. Though even at that time you still had the sword, so perhaps you are.”
“Great… not only a disappearing cutie mark, I’m also potentially under a spell. But how does this all explain why I can do such crazy things with the sword?”
“And why does it resist the magic of others besides Swordulan?” Celestia asked. “That is what most confuses me.”
“The answer to both questions is the same,” Discord said, adjusting a monocle that had appeared over his eye. “You already know what a normal enchantment does. When a crystal with an already powerful entity inside of it is enchanted, it boosts the power of the enchantment and binds itself to the one who enchanted it. It is the entity that resists use from magic sources other than the enchanter. Of course, it was no match for me, and that has made it quite upset.” He poked at the large crystal with an amused grin. “You’re so cute when you’re angry.”
I jumped off the sword and levitated my helmet onto a desk to scratch the itch on the back of my neck. “If this is all true, that entity is one of the most powerful forces in Equestria.” I looked to Celestia, and she also seemed to be thinking the same thing. “It was able to match, and even best, the power of Nightmare Moon. It held against the strength of a hydra. It even flew faster than Rainbow Dash one time.”
Celestia’s eyes narrowed. “Do you think there might be anything to worry about with the entity, Discord? Is it dangerous?”
Discord shrugged. “I believe it’s not quite happy being trapped inside the crystal, especially for so long. However, I’m sure there’s no cause to worry. While its power is great, there’s nothing it can do to escape or take control of the sword, and as far as I can tell, it doesn’t have any ability to influence anypony either.”
Celestia looked to me. “Perhaps it would be best if the entity was removed, Swordulan.”
I nodded slowly and looked to Discord. “Is that possible?”
Discord tapped the crystal a few more times. “Hmm…” He snapped his claw, and then his jaw dropped. He snapped again and blinked in shock. “I don’t actually think it is. What are you?”
Celestia frowned. “What’s the matter?”
Discord scratched his chin. “It won’t budge. My magic has no direct effect on it. Well, this is quite a puzzle. I’m afraid I can be of no more help here. If you want to remove the entity, you’ll have to figure it out on your own.”
I took the sword into my magic and shaped it back to normal. “Maybe it’s not necessary. I mean, I’ve had the sword for over a year now and nothing bad has happened yet.”
“Perhaps,” Celestia said, watching the sword skeptically. “I would prefer to keep it under safe guard, but for now I’ll allow you to keep it. But let me know if it begins acting strange in any circumstance.”
I nodded. “Of course, Princess. I’ll be extra careful with it from now on.”
“Good. I’ll let you get back to your duties. Discord, if you would follow me, please.”
Celestia and Discord left the room, while I remained for a moment to stare at my sword. I wondered what was going on in that little crystal… what was on the magical entity’s mind? I could never tell there was any emotion coming from it while I used it…
Well, I’m not gonna get anywhere just thinking about it.
It was about time to meet the new Captain of the Royal Guard, so I left the study and found the nearest room with a balcony and teleported down without using my sword. It left me a bit dazed upon reaching the ground, having not teleported that sort of distance without my sword in a while. At least I was still in one piece.
For now, anyway. Who knew what the future held? Disappearing cutie mark, powerful magical entity, new Captain... it was so much to take in. Too much.

> Captain Morningstar
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I made it back to the Royal Barracks and found the other Lieutenants grouped out front, as if waiting. Once I reached them, Shining Armor came out of the barracks, followed by a light grey coated pegasus stallion with a golden mane and tail. He wore a blue version of the Captain’s armor, and his cutie mark was a shining battle hammer with two wings latched onto either side. His expression was solemn enough to make a stone shrink away in shame.
“Eyes forward!” Shining Armor said, and the Lieutenants and I snapped into a line position facing him. It was a common routine whenever the Captain said ‘eyes forward’. We had done it so much it was almost scary how quickly we got into position.
“I want to let you all know that I’m proud of you,” Shining Armor continued. “It’s no easy task managing the day-to-day operations of Canterlot’s Royal Guard without a Captain. I am sad that I no longer get to work with you here, but that’s life. Sometimes you get a promotion, sometimes you get married, and sometimes you discover a lost Empire that needs you. But I’m no longer leaving you without a leader.” Shining Armor gestured to the stallion beside him. “This is Justice Morningstar, and I am promoting him to be your new Captain. I believe he has a few words for you.” Shining Armor looked to him. “Captain?”
Justice stepped forward and looked between us as if inspecting armor for scratches. When his gaze reached me, it almost felt as if my soul had been pierced. “It is a pleasure to finally meet all of you,” he began in a soft, southern-accented voice. “Prince Shining Armor has briefed me on each of your profiles, but I look forward to seeing you in action personally. I hope I can gain your confidence as the new Captain, and that I can serve you, Canterlot, and all of Equestria as well as Shining Armor has. Thank you.”
The Lieutenants and I raised our hooves in a brief salute, which Justice returned.
“I have to be going now,” Shining Armor said. “It’s been good serving with you stallions. Take care of Canterlot for me.”
“Yes, Sir!” we shouted back.
I swore there were tears welling in his eyes as we exchanged one last farewell salute before he trotted off.
“Alright then,” Justice said, adjusting his helmet. “Time for reassignments. I’ve reviewed the structure you’ve maintained during the absence of Shining Armor, and while I commend you for the versatility you’ve shown yourselves to be capable of, it’s time to break down into permanent command areas. Lieutenant Spotter, you have the market districts. Lieutenant Arrow, you have the commercial districts. Lieutenant Spar, you have the nobility districts. Lieutenant Frost, you have the upper class districts. Lieutenant Nails, you have the lower class districts. Lieutenant Shield, you have the gate posts and wall patrols. I’ll have the castle and royal points of interest. Am I understood?"
“Yes, Sir!” we said.
“Excellent. I will assist all of you in structuring and optimizing your command. Any questions?”
“No, Sir!”
“Alright then. Return to your previous command posts and prepare to move to your new ones. I’ll check with each of you within the hour. Dismissed.”
The Lieutenants and I split up, and fortunately my previous command was the wall patrols, so I didn’t have to prepare to go anywhere. There was no actual command post for the walls or gates though, it was just assigning guards on patrols in the morning, then one continuous patrol for the commanding officer for the rest of the day, keeping updated on every section of Canterlot, as part of the job was to gather information quickly. While I would’ve liked to have gotten one of the city district commands, the view on the walls was one that’d never get old. The slower days were quite relaxing too, though on the faster days it was one of the most vigorous workouts.
But as I made my way to Canterlot’s front gate—the starting point of the patrol—I had to scratch my head at my assignment. This was one of the most mentally tasking commands. My cutie mark condition was enough to dissuade Celestia and Shining Armor from promoting me, but not from giving me this assignment? Did Captain Morningstar know about my condition?
It was only moments after I began wondering that when I noticed him approaching. I turned to him and saluted.
“At ease,” Justice said. “I’m here to talk.”
I lowered my hoof. “What about, Sir?”
“About you. Paperwork can only tell me so much, but I will say that I’m impressed by yours. Now, about this condition of yours…”
I winced. So he did know. “I won’t let it slow me down, Sir.”
Justice gave a nod. “I believe it. That is why I assigned you to the walls, you still have a keen eye and a quick mind. But there’s more to this than your performance as an officer. I want to know there’s still a pony beyond the armor, not just a shell that knows how to file paperwork. I would rather have a Lieutenant that doesn’t know how to command very well but knows why he has to do it than one who excels at commanding but doesn’t know why. Do you know why?”
“To protect the Princesses.” My answer was a little half-hearted, so I quickly added, “And Equestria, no matter the circumstances.”
Justice frowned. “No, Lieutenant Shield, that is why we are all Royal Guards. As a commanding officer, this is the answer that should be seared into your heart: because there’s nopony else who can do what you do. Nopony else that can command as excellently as you, nopony else that can make the hard decisions you do. You are one-of-a-kind, you are a Lieutenant of the Royal Guard, and most importantly, you are a Shield, and that name carries weight within this line of work. Own it with your head held high.”
That caught me off guard. I wasn’t sure what to say. Did he want more than a ‘yes, sir’? Was this some kind of test? Or an attempt at helping me with my focus, so my cutie mark would return? That made it sound so… shallow. But Justice seemed to be acting genuine.
“Yes, Sir,” I said. “Thank you, Sir. I will do the best I can.”
“Alright then. Truth be told, I am a little uncomfortable with the fact that I was placed as Captain over you. Cutie mark or no, you have more experience in the field than I do. I would rather have your decision making abilities be at the lead, as I’m sure you would too.”
“I don’t know, I’m not much of a leader. I trust Shining Armor’s decision.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, Lieutenant. I’ll bet you’d be surprised how good a leader you are. We Royal Guards lead by example, and yours is one of the purest forms of loyalty and honor. I am glad to have you under my command. I have to go check on the other Lieutenants before sundown, but before I go is there anything you need?”
I saluted. “No, Sir. Everything is in order.”
“Alright then.” Justice saluted back. “As you were.”
The Captain trotted off, leaving me to finish up the last patrol assignments of the day. It was only a couple hours till sundown, and I was already feeling tired. Once my shift ended, I grabbed a donut from Joe’s and took the train home. I was a little apprehensive about using my sword to fly after what Discord had discovered about it.
When I got home, I found a list on my nightstand that counted the number of stars on my cutie mark, starting from five and working its way down to two over the course of a few weeks. I confusedly looked back at my flank. I didn’t have any stars in my cutie mark. Yet… I remember writing this list. I remember checking my cutie mark each night and writing down the number of stars there were, but there were no stars in those memories.
Wait, what was the reason I wasn’t promoted to Captain? Was it the potential danger my sword posed? No, no, it had to do with some strange condition I had… with my cutie mark! Oh Celestia, what’s happening to me? Why can’t I think straight?
I dropped the list, climbed into bed, and turned off the lights. I just needed to sleep on this. Everything would sort itself out in the morning. Yeah, this was only temporary. It’s alright. I’m not going insane. I’m not losing focus! I am a Lieutenant of the Royal Guard, a… a distinguished, important stallion. These things always sorted themselves out for us important ponies. Everything is fine. My cutie mark would come back, or… what it’s supposed to be would.
Just need to sleep on it.

> Soul Crushing Orders
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Falling. Couldn’t see. Pitch black all around me. My sword directly above me, pointed at my throat. Magic didn’t work. Couldn’t yell for help. Had to stop falling, had to find somewhere to land. Only the abyss below.
Help! I cried in my thoughts. Heeeeeeeeeeeelp!
My sword inched closer, its tip beginning to press against my coat. I couldn’t raise my hoof to move it as it began piercing my neck. Then it vanished and I stopped falling. I felt something turning me back onto my hooves and the abyss surrounding me disappeared as a glimmer of blue and white light took place. It was as if I were floating in space.
“What’s happening?” I asked, finally able to speak.
“Fear not, Swordulan,” a voice said. A silhouette appeared before me and approached, revealing itself to be Princess Luna.
I took a cautious step back. “Princess Luna? What’s going on?”
Princess Luna smiled. “You are dreaming, Lieutenant, and dreams are my domain. Tonight, yours called out for my help, and it truly seems like you needed it. For a dream so frightening there must be something weighing heavy on your mind.”
I rubbed my neck, expecting to find blood on my hoof, but there was none. I breathed a sigh of relief. “A dream… thank goodness. Princess Luna, I feel like I’m losing my mind. My cutie mark is disappearing, and I don’t know what to do.”
“I have heard. Perhaps I can be of some help. How many friends do you have, Swordulan?”
I blinked. “Friends? I don’t know, two or three. What do friends have to do with my cutie mark?”
Princess Luna looked at me solemnly. “I have seen many ponies go through the loss of their cutie mark, but most of them were able to regain them through their friendships. Were it not for a certain group of friends, I would have remained as Nightmare Moon. There is a power in friendship that can solve almost anything, even a disappearing cutie mark. Think of your own friendships, and why you have them.”
I grimaced. “I don’t know. Princess Cadance and Shining Armor have been the only ponies I think I could call friends, but they’re busy off ruling an Empire. They happened by circumstance, mostly. Shining Armor was my Captain, and I spent a lot of time guarding Cadance’s chambers. We worked together a lot.”
“Is there nopony else you have to call friend?”
I shrugged. “I guess not.”
“What about your family?”
I scoffed. “Family? Well, one cousin disappeared, another cousin is the bane of my existence, I hardly ever see my aunt or uncle, my dad can’t stand to look at me, my mom… is really the only pony who’s ever seemed to care about me.”
Luna gave me an almost motherly look. “Oh Swordulan, I think it’s time you stepped out of your comfort zone and made some friends, and go see your family. Even if you only see your mother, it may help you more than you think. When you wake up, you will tell Captain Morningstar that I have ordered you to take a break to make some friends.”
I gaped at her. “What? No, I can’t take a break, the Royal Guard needs me!”
Luna smiled. “Yes, but not as much as you think, Lieutenant.”
“But I have obligations, I can’t just call it quits for a while to make some friends. I have a job to be loyal to.”
Luna raised an eyebrow. “Surely your career does not outweigh your own needs. Your job is to listen and obey, and as your Princess I command you to speak with the Captain and take some time off! Go now, Swordulan Thunder Shield.” She flew off, and in a flash, was gone.

I awoke with a jolt. It was early Friday morning, and… I had to talk to the Captain. Ponyfeathers, things couldn’t get much worse, could they? Take a break… make friends… ugh. I didn’t need more friends. I doubted my cutie mark would come back the moment I made a friend. Maybe I should just call in sick.
No, I can’t fake that. Besides, Princess Luna probably already told Justice. Bah.
I reluctantly strapped on my armor and grabbed my sword. After a quick breakfast of carrots and pineapple juice I went outside and transformed my sword to fly. It didn’t seem to be acting up at all, so I figured it was safe. I hopped on, cast a bind spell to keep me from falling, and flew off towards Canterlot.
I looked back at Ponyville with a sigh. Who would I go to for help in making friends? Pinkie Pie, maybe. But then again, she’d probably just throw a party for me, or tell me a way to make friends I just couldn’t do. Maybe I’d start with visiting my mom. I don’t know.
Canterlot and the Royal Barracks soon came into view. Justice was nowhere to be seen outside, so I landed and walked into the barracks. I found him in his quarters struggling with a quill over some paperwork. He looked up as I entered, and I saluted.
He put the quill down and saluted back. “Good morning, Lieutenant. You’re looking unusually troubled. Out with it, then.”
I blinked. Was it that obvious? “Uh… I was commanded by Princess Luna to ask for time off during the weekend.”
Justice raised an eyebrow. “Really now? Well you don’t seem very enthusiastic about that.”
“No, Sir. I don’t see any point and would rather work.”
“Was there a point to the Princess’s command?”
I pursed my lips and reluctantly said, “To make some friends.”
“Ah, I see. Is that what you intend to do?”
I remained silent. What was I supposed to say? I had no idea.
Justice nodded. “Alright then, I suppose I have no choice. Lieutenant Shield, you are hereby relieved of duty for the weekend, under the order to socialize with at least three individuals during this time.”
“What?” I blurted in surprise. “No, you can’t do that to me! What about the wall command?”
Justice clasped his hooves. “The Officers can handle it. And yes, I can do that. If it is the Princess’s best interest for you, then it is mine too. You’re dismissed, Lieutenant.” He smiled. “Have a nice weekend.”
I groaned. “Yes, Sir.”
With a flash, I teleported myself outside. What else was I going to say? I knew better than to try to argue with orders, especially if they were from Princess Luna, but what was I supposed to do now? Three whole days of no work, though I suppose trying to find three ponies to socialize with would be work. Not that I wanted to do it. What was the point?
I was about to take out my sword to fly home when Lieutenant Arrow came walking up to me with a concerned look.
“You alright, Swordulan?” he asked.
“I’m fine, Arden,” I said bluntly. “Just going on a break for the weekend.”
“Ah, that explains it. What are you gonna do?”
I sighed. “I have no idea, but I have to socialize with at least three other ponies or something like that.”
Arden nodded. “Well, good luck with that. I gotta get myself to the commercial district, but you hang in there. Remember, your fellow Lieutenants are always here for you.”
“Thanks.” I gave a salute. “See you Monday.”
Arden saluted. “Until then, Lieutenant.”
He flew off in one direction while I got on my sword and began flying back to Ponyville.
What in Equestria was I going to do?! I hated being on break, it made my life feel meaningless. I didn’t want to socialize, there was no schedule to keep to, and I had no hobbies. Well, I guess studying and practicing magic was a hobby. I could do that, more magic practice on my sword and testing its limits. Yeah, why not? I needed to experiment with it more.
With that in mind, I shaped my sword around me into its raindrop shape and cast a sight spell on it. I cast anti-inertia and low-gravity spells on myself to remove the impact of acceleration and cut my levitation magic, letting myself freefall for a moment, and before hitting the ground I poured as much magic into my sword as I could, shooting straight upward. Almost immediately I was higher than Foal Mountain, and my ears plugged up from the air pressure change. I had no idea how fast I was going, and I was quickly disoriented even with the anti-inertia and low-gravity spells. I had to cut all my magic and let myself fall again. It did not help my disorientation, so I closed my eyes and tried to focus my mind on my home in Ponyville. I pictured it clearly, and I began to channel my magic through the sword to its location. With a flash, I and the sword teleported. When I shaped it back to normal, I was in front of my house.
I staggered and fell on my hind legs, still dizzy. “Well, that’s the last time I do that.”
“Do what?” a voice asked.
I looked behind me and blinked. “Katana? What are you doing here?”
Katana raised an eyebrow. “What am I doing at your house in Ponyville? Oh, I don’t know. Certainly not looking for you, because I never come here for that. No, I just wanted to enjoy the architecture of the simple little houses around here.”
I shook my head and got back on my hooves. “Let me guess, the baby dragon came after you and won’t leave you alone.”
Katana scoffed. “Yeah right. Actually, I wanted to ask you something. Did Stonehenge say anything to you before he disappeared?”
I looked at her curiously. “Stonehenge? Nothing right before he disappeared as far as I can remember. I believe the last thing he said to me was, ‘You’ll fit in just fine as a Royal Guard.’ Why do you ask?”
Katana shrugged. “I guess I just hoped there might be something that would tell me where he is. Lately I just can’t stop thinking about him, you know? I’m worried something bad has happened to him.”
“He knows how to take care of himself, I’m sure he’s okay.”
“Yeah. I keep telling myself that too, but it’s just… yeah. Anyway, what are you up to today?”
“Following orders.”
“Why are you home, then?”
I rolled my eyes. “Because I’ve been ordered to take the weekend off.”
Katana stared blankly at me for a moment then burst out laughing. “You were ordered to take the weekend off? Sweet Celestia, Swordy, how do you even manage that? Wow! That’s got to be just soul crushing.”
I pursed my lips. “I’m supposed to socialize with at least three others during the break, or ‘make some friends’ for the sake of my mental state or something like that.”
“Make some friends!?” Katana laughed so hard she fell over. “Stop, that’s too much. Next you’ll tell me you need to have a special somepony by the end of the month.”
“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. I was thinking of asking you how you made friends, but I think you’ve had about as much luck with that as me.”
“Pfft, I’ve made plenty of friends.” Katana stood back up and dusted herself off. “I have friends all over Equestria. Making friends isn’t magic science either, it’s just spending time with somepony and talking about stuff.”
“What stuff?”
Katana snorted. “Any stuff, whatever you want to talk about or whatever comes to mind. You really don’t get out enough. How about we take a walk around town? I bet I can help you make some friends.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Why do you suddenly want to help?”
“Because,” Katana laughed, “it’s both depressing and hilarious how badly you need it. Come on.”
I sighed. “Fine.”
We turned to go into town, but stopped short to stare at the sky. There were clouds organizing into a grid formation, and they were all either raining, snowing, or throwing lightning bolts.
“What the hay?” Katana said.
I shook my head. “Something’s definitely not right.”
There were ponies angrily gathering around a bridge where all the clouds seemed to be gathering over, and I motioned Katana to follow me. We got close enough for me to see that the crowd was gathered around Rarity, who… wait, was that Rainbow Dash’s cutie mark? What in Equestria…
“Is that unicorn controlling the clouds?” Katana asked.
“I… think so,” I said, too confused to say anything else.
“Ponyville sure is a strange place.”
I spotted Twilight talking to Rarity, and a few moments later she and Spike walked off. I noticed Twilight’s cutie mark hadn’t changed and was inclined to follow and ask her if she knew anything, but I thought better of it. There could only be one with the power to be causing this sort of cutie mark switching. Discord.
“I have to go,” I said, taking my sword and transforming it into its raindrop form again. “I think I know what’s going on. Friend searching can wait. Not sure what you want to do, Kat.”
Katana nodded slowly. “Yeah, I’ll just head back to Manehattan where things make sense, thanks. Have fun.”
She flew off towards the train station while I got inside my sword and burst off towards Canterlot to find Discord. He had to be behind this. Who besides him benefitted from messing with the cutie marks of the wielders of the Elements of Harmony?
> A Wasted Day
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I wasn’t sure where Discord would be, but I figured somepony would know. First, I went to the royal barracks (did the guards standing outside it just exchange bits when they saw me?) and found Justice still inside.
“Back already?” he asked. “Swordulan, look—”
“Where’s Discord?” I asked.
“What? I’m not sure, you should ask Princess Celestia. Why?”
“Something or someone is switching cutie marks around in Ponyville, and the only one I know who might be able to do that is Discord.”
“Ah. Well, I can have one of the officers inform the Princess, you don’t need to—”
I began trotting out. “Nope! I’m going.”
Not like he could do anything about it, I was on a break, hah!
I went to the castle and found Celestia in the throne room carefully looking through a scroll about the length of a flagpole. I was glad I never needed to do paperwork that long.
“Princess Celestia,” I said with a bow, “Do you know where Discord is? I think he’s stirring up trouble again in Ponyville.”
Celestia turned her attention to me. “That can’t be, I have Discord busy with something in Manehattan today. What’s going on in Ponyville?”
“Well, for one thing, Rarity has Rainbow Dash’s cutie mark and is controlling the weather with her magic.”
Celestia smiled. “I see. Thank you for informing me, I will look into it.” She returned her attention to the scroll. “Have a wonderful day.”
I gaped at her. That was it? Uh…
I awkwardly turned around and left the throne room. What else was I supposed to do? If Princess Celestia was going to look into it, she’d look into it. Yet it didn’t seem like a great concern to her, so… should I be concerned? The changelings had been defeated, so… that really was Celestia’s answer. Who else but Discord could be switching cutie marks though? Unless there are some new magic spell shenanigans going on, or maybe something from the Everfree Forest. Everfree has always been worth investigating when strange things are happening.
As I made my way out of the castle, I happened to cross paths with Princess Luna, unfortunately.
“What are you doing here, Swordulan?” she asked curiously. “You are supposed to be taking a break.”
“I know, I’m going back to Ponyville,” I said half-heartedly. “Gonna find somepony to talk to and everything. Should be easy enough.”
“I’m sure it will be. Are you feeling alright?”
“Oh yeah, just fine.” Give me five thousand stacks of paperwork. “You wouldn’t happen to have seen Discord around, have you?”
“No, I believe he is in Manehattan. Why do you ask?”
“Just wanted to, uh, chat with him about something. I’ll be off now. Good day to you, Princess.”
I walked past Luna, but not two seconds later, I slammed into a magic wall and was levitated around to face the Princess again. She simply stared at me.
“What?” I asked, but she only continued to stare. “I am taking a break, you know. Not wearing this armor for any reason, I just haven’t had the time to take it off. Why are you still looking at me like that? I have to get back home, there’s a book I need to return to Twilight, and—” Twilight! What if she could have been the one who changed Rarity’s cutie mark? That seemed… no, that was stupid, she’d never do that on purpose. Couldn’t be her. “—and… there’s a… sweet horse-apples, would you please stop looking at me like that!?”
“Swordulan,” Luna said sternly, “what did I tell you?”
“When? Just now or last night? Well I guess in both cases you told me to take some time off.”
“Not only that, I told you to make some friends and go see your family. I’m aware that Captain Morningstar has ordered you to socialize, and though I understand his intent, I disagree with such discipline. Making friends does not quite work when under pressure like that, and there is more required than just socializing. For that reason, I am rescinding the order. You are free to do as you please in your time off.”
I blinked. “Really? Even go back to work?”
Luna sighed. “If that is your wish, yes, but Swordulan, I hope you take the time to consider what would be best for you to do. I must go now, but please think about it.”
Luna walked off, and I stood in place for a moment, confused about what had just been said. I was free? I could go back to work? That was what I wanted, but… how could I now? Luna asked me to think, probably hoping that I’d choose to try to make a friend or go see my parents, and if I chose to go back to the walls, would I have let her down? What would she say? What would Justice say?
I couldn’t bear to think about it, so I left the castle and began flying back to Ponyville. I wasn’t sure who I’d talk to, but maybe it would be easier than I thought. After all, I was a Lieutenant of the Royal Guard, so perhaps somepony would want to talk to me on that sole basis.
As I neared Ponyville, I looked to the Everfree Forest. Maybe it was still worth checking out, just in case. I did have three days to kill, so it couldn’t hurt. I veered left and flew down to the edge of the forest. Flying would be no good, so I hopped off my sword and shaped it around my neck like a collar and cast a light spell on it. It was always eerily dark in Everfree.
I walked into the forest and began using my magic to scan for any abnormal… abnormalness. The forest sure had a strange way of being strange like that. I doubted that anypony had ever discovered everything or even half of what was inside of it, and to call this place a mystery was such an understatement that it sounded like an insult.
Aaand I’m lost.
Why in Equestria did I come in here?
There’s a tree… there’s a rock… there’s a mushroom… is that a different tree? I couldn’t tell, so I transformed my sword, flew straight up and out of the forest, straight in one direction, then back down and in. Yes, this place was different. Kind of. There were still trees, rocks, and mushrooms, but it was somewhere else at least.
I continued wandering with nothing being picked up by my magic, and it was starting to get late. At least, I thought it was. I had lost track of time. Before I could fly out of the forest again to check where the sun was, I heard a twig snap, and it was not my hoof that did it.
“Is someone there?” I asked, aiming the light from my sword in the direction I heard the snap.
A Timberwolf jumped out at me, followed by two more. I blasted them into oblivion with magic and frowned.
“No friends to make among the wolves I guess.”
“No wolves for Lieutenant Shield,” a voice said, making me nearly jump out of my coat, “but for this zebra will you yield?”
I turned around and found Zecora standing not far behind me. I breathed a sigh of relief. “Sweet Celestia, Zecora, you nearly gave me a heart attack.”
I had met the zebra only once before. It was on a weekend while I was doing some grocery shopping in Ponyville when Zecora came into town, and Pinkie Pie happened to be around to introduce me.
Zecora looked at me curiously. “For the wolves you are so bold, but a familiar voice scares you cold?”
“Hey, it was an unexpected familiar voice. I was ready for a Manticore to jump out when I heard that twig snap. Timberwolves are nothing.”
“Fair enough to say, but what brings you into Everfree today?”
“I was looking for some sort of magic anomaly that might have swapped somepony’s cutie mark, but I haven’t found anything. Probably looking in the wrong place, and I guess I got a bit lost.”
“Of cutie mark switching magic I have not heard, and truth be told that sounds quite absurd. The magic here does not have malicious intent, it would not strike out to cause torment.”
“Perhaps not, but I figured it would be worth a shot. Oh well. Maybe it is Twilight’s fault. Anyway—” My stomach interrupted with a loud growl. “—uh… what time is it?”
“An hour until the sun will go down. Might I invite you to dinner to ease your stomach’s frown?”
“Yeah, I’d appreciate that, thanks.” I really had lost track of time. Just another one of Everfree’s mysteries.
Zecora led me through the forest as if she had the place memorized. Her home wasn’t far, which surprised me considering that I’d heard it was only a few trotting minutes away from Ponyville. How far into the forest had I gone? Did I simply loop around? Ponyfeathers, oh well.
“Interesting masks,” I said, dimming my light spell. “They for scaring off the wildlife?”
Zecora smiled. “No, treasures from my homeland. This one speaks ‘hello’, and this one ‘welcome’.”
“Huh. So, what’s for dinner?”
Zecora let me inside. “I am making salad and stew. I hope you do not mind the brew, some ponies say it is too strong, and others say altogether wrong.”
“I’m not picky.”
It was actually delicious, though it did leave a strange aftertaste I didn’t understand. Zecora said it was because of the mushrooms.
“You have your own cutie mark problem I see,” Zecora said as I was finishing up. “May I ask how that might be?”
I glanced at my flank and frowned. “I don’t know how. I’m told I’m losing touch with who I am, but I don’t understand how that’s possible. It’s clear to me who I am. I’m a Royal Guard.”
“Oh? Is that all?”
I tilted my head. “What do you mean?”
“Do you not see yourself as anything more than a career?”
“Uh… I guess I’m also a unicorn, but I mean, everything about me is obvious.”
Zecora clasped her hooves together. “So everything about who you are is on the outside? As I look at you now, there is nothing more I could learn that would tell me who you are?”
“Well… no. That’s not what I meant though.”
“Then what did you mean?”
Ponyfeathers, that was a hard question. Of course there was more to me than the outside, but… “I meant that everything important about me is just… plainly seen. Why bother with anything else? It’s not important, I only need others to know I’m a Royal Guard that will do his duty.”
Zecora grimaced. “What is within yourself is more important than you realize, my Lieutenant friend. Putting who you are to such shame may have consequences you do not intend. It is not humility to think of oneself as such, you have been hard on yourself too much. I perceive that what you seek is not found without, but within, for you must answer one simple question therein: what sort of pony are you?”
I stared at my empty bowl. What sort of pony was I? That didn’t make any sense, I already knew that. I was the sort of pony that any Royal Guard ought to be. Loyal, obedient, brave, use… less. Incompetent. Slow. Out of our depth, and…
I sighed and pushed the bowl away. “I don’t know anymore. Thank you for dinner, Zecora. I think I’m going to head home and get some sleep.”
Zecora stood up with me and followed me to the door. “Before you go, there are a few more things you must know. Think of the things you admire, and change them if they are not what you desire. Forgive the one you fear, the one you hate yet hold dear, and remember those who give you cheer.”
I looked at her uncertainly. “I’ll try. Thanks again.”
I recast my light spell and began making my way through Everfree again, this time on a recognizable path. The trek gave me time to think. For the most part, I was upset about what Zecora had said. Think about what I admire? Find out what sort of pony I am? What did that even mean? And I wasn’t being hard on myself, I was just being honest. There’s no shame in that. And what was all that about forgiving the one I hate yet hold dear? That didn’t make any sense, there was nopony in my life like that. How could any of this solve my problem?
Rrgh. I bet Twilight never had to deal with this sort of thing. She had probably solved the cutie mark issue in half an hour while I just wasted my day away. Ever the unfailing, powerful, intelligent unicorn to save Equestria.
I finally made it out of the forest and headed for home, taking to the sky on my sword. I needed to sleep and think about what I’d do tomorrow, but a short way into town I stopped. A bright sparkling light had appeared out of nowhere overhead, and in a blinding flash, it changed into… Twilight’s cutie mark? It descended to the ground and flashed once again, then was gone.
What the hay…
I slowly flew forward to see where the light had landed and stopped over the roof of a house, finding a group of ponies standing around the spot, only there was no longer a light, but instead what looked like the silhouette of… an Alicorn? Suddenly I recognized the group of ponies as none other than Twilight’s friends. What were they doing here?
"Twilight? Is that you?" I heard Applejack ask.
My eyes darted back to the Alicorn, and I squinted to see if Applejack was right. But that couldn’t have been… that was imposs… by Celestia, it was Twilight! I gasped in sync with the rest of her friends.
“Wha… I-I’ve never seen anything like it!” Applejack said.
No bucking kidding! Nothing like this had ever happened before! At least to my knowledge, I couldn’t recall any history books with such a tale. There were only theories and myths.
I stopped paying attention to what the others were saying as I tried to think how it happened. Was it related to the cutie mark issue? No, that didn’t make any sense! You don’t become an Alicorn by solving some random cutie mark issue. Or if you do… I better get some wings after I figure mine out. But how? Maybe I was just really tired and hallucinating, or I had already fallen asleep and this was a dream. I flicked my horn, but nothing changed. I wasn’t dreaming. This couldn’t be happening… Twilight looked like a bona fide Princess for Celestia’s sake.
“That’s because she is a Princess,” an all too familiar voice said.
Princess Celestia had appeared out of nowhere. I couldn’t believe my eyes or ears. Celestia herself saying that Twilight was now a Princess?
“A… a Princess?” Twilight asked confusedly.
Yes, Twilight, a Princess. Congratulations, you’ve somehow done the impossible.
“Since you’ve come to Ponyville,” Celestia continued, “you’ve displayed the charity, compassion, devotion, integrity, optimism, and of course, the leadership of a true Princess.”
“But… does this mean I won’t be your student anymore?” Twilight asked.
That was seriously what she was most worried about? Then again, I guess she was really close with Celestia, but that still seemed silly to ask.
“Not in the same way as before,” Celestia said. “I’ll still be here to help and guide you, but we’re all your students now, too. You are an inspiration to us all, Twilight.”
Celestia knelt down and bowed to Twilight, and the rest of her friends followed.
My jaw almost ran through my sword. I couldn’t handle this, I flew off in a burst of magic to my home. I was done with today. I put my sword away, drank a large cup of cold water, shed my armor, jumped into bed, made an effort to not think about everything that just happened, and fell asleep.
> Twilight's Coronation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I awoke the moment the sun shone fully across Equestria. My usual morning routine began, rubbing the dust out of my eyes, grabbing a glass of water and a carrot to eat while I strapped on my armor. Then I stopped. There was something different about today. What was it?
Oh yeah, I was on a break. I sat down and looked at my sword, levitating it into my hooves and feeling the cold metal. I never really held the thing to take a good look at it, always having worn it around me like a belt or using levitation. It captivated me in some way, though that was not surprising with how precious it was. Equestrian steel and gold made in the best forge Canterlot had to offer, and the crystals holding the enchantment, perhaps as ancient as the Crystal Heart itself. Those crystals were like eyes, forever watching, unblinking. No living creature would ever win a staring contest against them.
The sound of commotion outside snapped me out of my trance. I shaped the sword around my waist and went outside, finding the town alive with the talk of the coronation in Canterlot that everypony was preparing to go to.
Coronation? What coronation?
The answer came as I made my way through town. I was barraged with variations of “Did you hear that Twilight’s getting a coronation?” or “Twilight Sparkle is being coronated as a new Princess! Aren’t you excited?” from everypony I came across. All over again I couldn’t believe it. I had nearly forgotten everything from the day before. Last night really had happened. It was all so surreal.
Well, I might as well go to Canterlot like everypony else.
Rather than flying there on my sword, I cast a sight spell on it and launched it towards Canterlot at ludicrous speed. I’m pretty sure there was a sonic boom. Once overhead the city, I brought it down to the royal barracks, locked onto its position, and teleported myself next to it.
This thing was ridiculous. Less than five minutes to travel from Ponyville to Canterlot. Absolutely ridiculous. And now that I think about it, I could have done it in less than five seconds simply by teleporting the sword where I wanted and immediately teleported to it, though it would be riskier because I wouldn’t know if there might be somepony where I’m teleporting it to, not to mention teleporting weapons within city limits is frowned upon.
What a terrifying sword. Thank Celestia it resisted other pony’s magic.
Everything around the barracks was in a frenzy. Guards were constantly trotting around, all preparing for the coronation. Captain Morningstar stood outside the barracks doors, issuing orders to the other Lieutenants and Officers. Sweat was pouring down the side of his face, and I swear he was trying to avoid looking at me. Probably because he knew I could help, but he couldn’t order me to.
I could help, and I probably should, but I’m not going to. I’m not going to disappoint Princess Luna. Instead, I’m going to check my locker in the barracks if there’s any important letters or paperwork, and then I—wait a second, there’s a letter of personal invitation to Twilight’s coronation in here.
What the buck.
Me? Really? Why? I was just a Lieutenant. I guess I was a once-considered-to-become-Captain too, but I didn’t seem notable enough for such an occasion. Maybe Twilight or Celestia considered me close or important enough to invite? I don’t see how that could be.
“Hey Arden,” I said as the Lieutenant came in, “did any of the Lieutenants get a personal invitation to the coronation?”
Arden raised an eyebrow and began checking his own locker. “A personal invitation? Not that I know of. We’re all too busy coordinating things to be part of the audience.”
I scratched my head. “So not even the Captain got one?”
Arden shrugged. “You’d have to ask him.”
I promptly did so, and he gave a quick no, so that answered that. Which meant I must’ve been the only Royal Guard in Canterlot to receive a personal invitation. How strange. I suppose there could be multiple reasons why, or the culmination of all the reasons, yet I still felt like I was an odd pick. Oh well, guess I was going. No reason not to.
Before the coronation began, I spent the time watching what seemed like all of Equestria gather into the castle courtyard. When the time came, I went inside the castle and presented my invitation and went into the room where everyone else had gathered. It was the same room that Cadance’s and Shining Armor’s wedding had been held. I stood at the very back, almost in the same spot I stood before Chrysalis appeared. A sense of déjà-vu overcame me, though I heavily doubted anything would go wrong.
Princesses Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and all of Twilight’s friends stood at the front, and once everyone was in place and ready, Celestia began.
"We are gathered here today in celebration of a momentous occasion. My most faithful student, Twilight Sparkle, has done many extraordinary things since she's lived in Ponyville. She even helped reunite me with my sister, Princess Luna. But today, Twilight Sparkle did something extraordinary. She created new magic, proving without a doubt that she is ready to be crowned Equestria's newest princess. Fillies and gentlecolts, may I present for the very first time, Princess Twilight Sparkle!"
Wait, that was what she did to become a Princess? Created new magic? Whoa…
The doors opened and everyone turned to see the new Princess. Twilight Sparkle entered, dressed in an amazing white outfit, fit for a queen. A choir followed her, singing to behold the new Princess Twilight. Even some of the Royal Guards were part of it. Everyone looked at her in awe as she came forward and was crowned with one of the Elements of Harmony. I could see Shining Armor near the front with a few tears in his eyes.
I was probably the only one in the room who didn’t share the sentiment. This was merely the natural way of things—Twilight gets everything she ever wanted while I lose all I have. No big deal.
Ponyfeathers. I can’t take this anymore.
I teleported my sword above the castle and made sure it was shaped correctly before teleporting onto it. As I looked at the unbelievably massive crowd, Twilight came onto the balcony and addressed them.
“A little while ago, my teacher and mentor Princess Celestia sent me to live in Ponyville. She sent me to study friendship, which is something I didn't really care much about. But now, on a day like today, I can honestly say I wouldn't be standing here if it weren't for the friendships I've made with all of you. Each one of you taught me something about friendship, and for that, I will always be grateful. Today, I consider myself the luckiest pony in Equestria. Thank you, friends. Thank you, everypony!”
Luckiest pony in Equestria. What a nail on the head. I couldn’t think of a better description. Who knew that you could become a Princess by sheer luck? I wish I had half as much as her.
There was a flash of light beside me, and I looked over to it with a sigh.
“What do you want, Discord?” I wonder why I hadn’t seen him earlier. Surely he was as important as I was to receive a personal invitation.
Discord folded his arms. “Why must everypony assume I want something when I appear beside them? Is there some kind of look in my eyes that is just begging for attention?” He plucked one of his eyes out and pointed it at his other. “I can’t tell.”
“Fine then, don’t speak your mind.”
As I began to fly away Discord teleported in front of me, arms open wide.
“Why thank you, Lieutenant! I’ve been meaning to speak from the heart. Nopony but dear Fluttershy has ever given me a chance before. I’m just curious why you’re up here while everypony else is down there.”
“That’s none of your business. How did you know I was up here anyway?”
Discord teleported onto my sword as a miniaturized version of himself and tapped the large crystal. “I’m a master of tracking sources of magic, and Princess Celestia wants me to keep an eye on this sword of yours. She’s quite concerned.”
Not a surprise, I guess.
Discord poofed back in front of me. “Anywho, I just find it interesting that on Twilight’s big day, you of all ponies are reluctant to attend and cheer her on.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t see you attending.”
“Well I wasn’t invited, so of course it would be rude to crash the party. Unless you’re offering to. I’m sure it would be absolutely delightful. Twilight is sure to be surprised.”
Discord hadn’t been invited!? And yet I had!
“I don’t care for Twilight,” I blurted. “She says it like it is, she’s the ‘luckiest pony in all of Equestria.’ So she’s an Alicorn now, whatever. Doesn’t change anything. It’s not like she’s going to be assigned Royal Guards under her command, or get her own castle. Nothing will happen, life will go on. She solves all her problems, and more are heaped upon me.”
Discord poofed onto a conjured soft chair, now wearing a formal suit and writing on a notepad. “And how does that make you feel?”
I scoffed and turned away. “I don’t care.”
Discord clasped his claw and paw. “What sort of problems are heaped upon you? Failure to save Equestria? Inability to make friends? An enchanted conscious sword that might turn rogue on you at any moment? A father who only supported what he wanted you to be? Being overshadowed by a lucky mare and her friends?”
“All of the above, thank you for reminding me.”
“My pleasure. Now that everything is on the table, I can help you get over all your problems in an instant. It’s as easy as—” Poof!
He and the chair vanished.
“Gee, some help. I’ll just do the same thing with my problems. Oh wait, they’re not a physical thing capable of being teleported away.” I rolled my eyes.
I flew back to the royal barracks and stripped off my armor and put it away in my locker. No point in wearing it all day, really, especially since I wasn’t on duty. I was about to fly back to Ponyville when I saw Shining Armor and Justice heading for me.
“Hey Swordulan,” Shining Armor said. “Good to see you. Were you at the coronation?”
“Briefly,” I said. “It was getting too stuffy so I came here to put my armor away and get some air.”
“Are you on a break?”
I sighed. “Yes. By Princess Luna’s command. I don’t know what to do with my time.”
Shining Armor laughed. “You should visit us at the Crystal Empire. Tomorrow is game night with the Royal Guards and we could use a newcomer to tease.”
“I don’t know, I need to get some things done. Maybe another time.”
“Of course, no problem. Are you doing okay?”
I gave a halfhearted shrug. Was I doing okay? Not really. I wasn’t making any progress with this break, I was just waiting to go back to work. Not that it would solve my problems, and eventually my frustration would build up and I’d get put on another break, only to repeat the process of never getting anything done. Argh, I hated this. Why couldn’t I work and just be happy with that? Actually, who said I couldn’t? The only times that have really frustrated me were when I wasn’t working. Not only that, there was the imaginary pressure for me to make friends. I didn’t need friends! I was just a Royal Guard. This was all just ridiculous, it didn’t need to be happening.
Shining Armor and Justice looked at me wide-eyed.
“Swordulan, your shield just disappeared!” Shining Armor said.
I raised an eyebrow. “What shield? I don’t have a shield.” Had Discord just made them crazy?
“The one in your cutie mark,” Shining Armor said, pointing at my flank. “Don’t you remember your lost stars? The shield they surrounded just disappeared.”
I staggered back and looked at my flank. There was only the sword in my cutie mark, but it was all I ever had in my memory. I knew there were stars missing, but how could there have been a shield there too? Everything felt wrong. What was happening to me!?
“Swordulan, take it easy,” Justice said. “Breathe, Lieutenant.”
“Get away from me!” I said, jumping on my sword to fly away, but Shining Armor cast a shield spell around me.
“Swordulan, wait, we can help!” he said.
I teleported my sword out of the shield and then teleported myself back onto it, then with as much magic as I could harness, I burst away from Canterlot. I wasn’t sure where I was going, but I didn’t care. As long as I was getting away from all this, good. Where should I go, though? I was heading east already. Manehattan? Yes, to Manehattan to get my father to undo the spell he cast on me. That was where I was going.
Instead of flying the rest of the way, I landed and shaped my sword into a ball and teleported it over Manehattan, then cast a sight spell on it, levitated it to the ground, and teleported myself beside it. I shaped it around my waist and headed for my parents’ apartment with a fire growing in my heart. I was ready for this to be done. I wasn’t going to let my father get away with this any longer.
I was at the door within ten minutes. With a deep breath, I raised my hoof and knocked.
The door opened to an unfamiliar mare. “Can I help you?”
“Who are you?” I asked. Did I get the wrong address? “Is Steadfast Shield here?”
I heard sobbing in the background, and the mare glanced back with a grimace. “No, I’m sorry to say that Steadfast passed away in Bronclyn Hospital two hours ago. Are you Swordulan, his son?”
I stared ahead, the fire extinguished. I saw my mom on the couch, sobbing. Passed away? Hospital? Two hours…
“What… what happened? How…?”
A wave of vertigo washed over me, my legs buckled, and I crashed to the ground.
> The Sword Awakens
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As I awoke, visions of all my failures spun in my head. All I could think about was how much I messed up attempting to make my father proud, to make him smile, to do anything that would make him believe I’m living up to my grandfather’s legacy.

And nothing ever worked! So he casts this spell on me because of how disappointed he is, making my cutie mark disappear, and now he’s gone! How was that fair!?

Twilight gets everything she ever wanted, I lose everything I ever had.

“Here, drink this water,” I heard a voice say.

I did as it said when a cup was lifted to my mouth. I opened my eyes slowly and shut them immediately as another wave of vertigo hit. My head was spinning. I couldn’t tell what position I was in.

“Where am I?” I asked. I couldn’t remember.

“Is he alright?” another voice said. “What’s wrong with him?”

“Mom? Is that you?” Right, my parents’ apartment.

“He’ll be fine, Mrs. Shield,” the first voice said. “I believe he’s just a bit nauseous from the shock. Do you know what this piece of metal around his waist is?”

“It’s my sword.”

“It’s his sword,” yet another voice said. “He’s always shapeshifting it.”

Katana? She was here? And could they not hear me?

Instead of opening my eyes or trying to sit up, I attempted to move my hoof a little. When I found I could, I tried to hum, testing my voice.

“He’s waking up,” Katana said.

“Oh, thank Celestia,” Mom said. “Swordulan, can you hear me?”

“Y-yeah,” I said. “My head is spinning. Water, please.”

I felt another cup lifted to my mouth, and I slowly drank. Wait, where was the rest of it? I was dying of thirst here.

After a short fit of coughing, making my head throb like crazy, I managed to ask, “What… happened… to Dad?”

Silence. Nopony seemed interesting in answer, so again I tried to open my eyes. I ignored the vertigo and tried to focus on something, spotting my mom and looking her straight in the eyes.

“What… happened?”

Tears came to my mom’s eyes and she looked away. “There was a… an accident on the way to work.”

I clenched my teeth and began to shift myself into a sitting position. Closing my eyes as a wave of vertigo hit, I finally managed to sit upright. With a deep breath, I said, "I need to go home.”

“Are you serious?” Katana blurted. “Your dad just died, you passed out in front of your mom, and you won’t even stay a while to be with her? What the buck is wrong with you?”

My mom began to sob and went into her room, shutting the door.

“I can’t recommend leaving yet either,” the unfamiliar mare said. “You need more rest.”

I managed to open my eyes and look at the mare. “I am a Lieutenant of the Royal Guard, I know my limits, and I’m fine. I don’t need rest, I need to go home.”

“If you’re so fine, why is most of your cutie mark missing?” Katana asked.

I scowled at her. “Because my dad put a curse on me, and now I need to find a way to reverse it now that he’s gone.”

“Have you gone crazy? That’s ridiculous! How could he even do that?”

“I don’t have to explain anything to you,” I snapped. “It’s none of your business. I need to—ah, ah, AGH!”

I jumped from the couch and shaped my sword into its normal form, letting it fall onto the floor. It had just heated up like a molten branding iron! Luckily no mark had been left on my waist, but the sword still sat on the rug, pulsing brightly, and the rug caught fire. In a panic, I levitated the sword into the air and stomped out the fire, all my vertigo replaced by adrenaline. The sword continued to pulse brighter and brighter, and I had no idea what to do! I cast a shield around it to contain the heat, but the shield began to crack. With a blinding flash, it exploded, knocking us all to the floor and turning over the couch.

It was all over in ten seconds.

“What the hay was that?” Katana asked.

“I don’t know,” I said, my heart pounding. Was this the conscious entity’s doing? Would it do this again? There was no way to know, but one thing was for sure. “I have to go. This might go off again, it’s too dangerous.”

Without another word, I teleported the sword and myself outside of Manehattan. It was a jarring sudden change, the stress and noise of the city now behind me with only open skies and fields of green ahead. I needed to study the sword away from civilization, so I began to make my way into the countryside, levitating the sword in front of me and using my magic to analyze the large crystal. There was nothing to discover, though. Everything felt normal, and I was about to shape it around my waist when it began pulsing again. My adrenaline spiked again, and I cast a shield around the sword.

Nothing happened. It just kept pulsing.

I needed to find Discord, he could probably tell what was wrong. I wasn’t sure how long I had been out, but it looked to be only a couple hours before sunset. If this was still the day of Twilight’s coronation, it was only a few hours ago when I’d seen him.

“Discoooooooooord!” I yelled. “As much as I hate to admit it, I could use a little help here!”

A flock of birds flew out of a nearby tree, but there was no sign of Discord. Wasn’t he supposed to keep an eye on this sword? Did he not sense the explosion or what was going on?

Some use for good he’s been. Thanks a lot, Celestia.

“Come on, you show up on plenty of unwelcome occasions, why can’t you show up on a welcome one? I don’t know what to do about this blasted sword. Ugh. You probably can’t even hear me. What a powerful Spirit of Chaos! He can twist Equestria into a state of pure madness in the blink of an eye but can’t detect the magic fluctuating like crazy in this stupid rock!”

Well, I guess he isn’t showing up. I’d just have to go to him in Canterlot, or at least go there to find out where he is.

I took down my shield and tapped on the sword, and it was definitely hot, though it didn’t seem to be giving off any heat. So long as I didn’t touch it, I was fine. I recast a shield around the sword and bound it to my back so I could carry it without needing levitation and began the long journey back on hoof.

As my adrenaline died down, I was grateful that the waves of vertigo did not return, though now I felt as if I had just finished the Running of the Leaves. I wanted to sleep, but that was not an option. Not yet.

The first few miles were flat farmlands with some mild hills here and there. I decided to take the most direct route to Canterlot, which would take me through the Hollow Shades forest and over one of Foal Mountain’s passes rather than over the rolling hills above Fillydelphia and around Foal Mountain. I wasn’t eager to travel in the forest, what with my recent experience in Everfree, but at least Hollow Shades was a normal forest, albeit still with its risks. Most of Equestria’s large forests came with tales of monsters or things out of nightmares, but considering the sword on my back going supernova, I wasn’t concerned.

The further along I went though, the more confused I was. Where was the forest? I had read about it, but there seemed to be no sign of its existence, only more and more windswept rock jutting out like spines. What was this place? It seemed so desolate.

My sword continued to pulse brighter as I went further into Hollow Shades. I had to strengthen the shield spell every now and then, as it kept cracking. I was worried it was going to explode again, so I levitated it a short ways off, but it never happened. Exhaustion was beginning to set in though. Carrying the sword around in a shield was draining, and I needed a proper full night’s rest. Eventually I reached what looked like an abandoned village, with a large well sitting in the center.

“Anyone out here?” I asked, keeping alert for any monsters that might be scrounging about.

Only the wind answered. I decided to enter one of the abandoned buildings and found it empty, but it was as good a place as any to stop and rest. I cut the shield spell around my sword, and thankfully it didn’t explode. I levitated it far away from the home and let it fall harmlessly to the ground then closed the door, shutting out the light. I got as comfortable as I could and cut my light spell, letting my eyes close. If the sword exploded, whatever. If monsters came, I trusted I was a light enough sleeper to wake up in time to deal with them.

Sleep. That was all I needed.



Floating… no… flying. Yes, I was flying on my sword. I was over Canterlot, no, Ponyville. Wait, Manehattan? Yes, all three. I went from my parents’ old house, then to my house, then to my parents’ apartment. The doors to each rushed up to my face. I knocked.

Bang bang bang.

No answer.

Bang bang bang.

No answer.

The Royal Guard barracks in Canterlot rushed up to my face. Why was the door shut?

Bang bang bang.

No answer.

I stood in the middle of Ponyville. There was no one in sight, as though the town had been abandoned. Twilight had to know what was going on. The library door rushed up to my face.

Bang bang bang.

The door opened, inviting me inside. I walked in, but no one was home. Just the books with layers of dust upon them. I went upstairs, and there was my old play tent I slept in when I was a colt. I went inside, but it was not the inside of my tent. It was the castle in Canterlot. Changelings patrolled throughout the halls, some standing guard outside doors wearing Royal Guard armor. They turned and stared at me, changing into different guards I knew. Captain Morningstar, the other Lieutenants, Shining Armor.

“What are you doing here?”

I turned back. It was Twilight, wearing her own set of purple and gold armor. Behind her stepped out Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Cadance, also wearing armor of their own colors.

I looked between them confused. “I don’t understand. What’s going on? Why are there changelings everywhere? Where is everypony?”

“They left,” Celestia said. “You remain.”

“Join us!” Luna hissed.

The Princesses moved in on me. I tried to fly away, but my sword had disappeared. I backed away to bump into a group of changelings, all hissing at me. Then they were gone. Everything was gone. There was only a door.

Bang bang bang.

“Who is it?” I asked.

I opened the door for a peek and was met by Discord sitting in a rocking chair, unraveling my sword with a pair of knitting needles.

“You cannot run anymore, Swordulan,” he said sinisterly. “You must face it.”

“Face what?” I asked.

Bang bang bang.

There was a second door behind me. I opened it and was greeted by Princess Luna.

“Follow me, Swordulan,” she said.

I backed away. “Are you really here, or are you just another changeling?”

“I am here as long as you want me to be. It is time for you to move forward. This way.”

She walked back through the door and invited me in. I slowly followed her into a place of emptiness, an endless black forever.

“What’s going on, Princess Luna?” I asked. “Why are there changelings in the castle? What’s happened to everypony?”

Luna gave me a solemn look. “There are no changelings in Canterlot. You must choose, Lieutenant. You must move forward.”

I shook my head. “I don’t understand. What must I choose?”

“It is your choice, and only your choice. You must choose.”

Whatever floor we were standing on vanished and I fell away from Luna, her voice still echoing towards me.

“You must choose!”

I felt something grab me and pull me up.

“I gotcha, cousin! Not letting you fall on my watch.” It was Katana.

Her grip began to fail and I was slipping.

“Don’t let go! I won’t let you!”

My sword flew in out of nowhere and cut Katana’s hooves off. She screamed, and I fell away. My sword flew underneath me as if to catch me, but it transformed into a gigantic mouth with razor sharp teeth. It began to fly towards me, chomping its metallic teeth.

Bang... bang…



BANG!

I awoke with a jolt. I checked my hooves and neck to make sure they were still intact. Finding that they were, I breathed a sigh of relief.

BANG!

I jumped up, my heart pounding. Something was being smashed into the ground outside. I went to the door and opened it slightly to take a look. There was something large out there, but I couldn’t tell what in the darkness.

BANG!

“Out! Come out!” a draconic voice said. “I will have you for my horde!”

Was that…

I quietly walked out of the home, and…

Oh Celestia, help me.

Only a short distance away sat a dragon ten times my size. It wasn’t tall, but it was long like a snake, with limbs as thick as my torso. Its claws grasped at my still-pulsing sword, trying to pry the crystals out of their sockets and slamming it into the ground when they wouldn’t budge.

Adrenaline and instinct kicked in and I teleported my sword to my side in its normal size.

The dragon snorted and looked at its claws in confusion, grasping at thin air. He looked around and spotted me, eyes narrowing.

“What’s a little pony like you doing in my village?” he asked, crawling towards me.

“Trying to sleep, no thanks to you,” I said, twirling my sword in front of me. “This doesn’t have to get violent. You can leave now and I won’t be forced to hurt you.”

The dragon laughed. “You think that toothpick of yours can hurt me?”

I shaped the sword larger than the dragon’s head. “I know it can.”

The dragon paused and took a cautious step back with a hiss. “Your unicorn magic doesn’t scare me. I see through such trickery.”

I smirked and began spinning the sword like a pair of helicopter blades, a pulsing disc of light. “Hmm, you sure about that?”

I took a few steps forward, and the dragon let out a burst of fire at me. I put the spinning blade in the fireball’s path, dispersing it without a lick of flame touching me. The dragon snarled and began to stalk around me, keeping his distance but slowly edging forward.

“I will have those crystals for my horde.”

He let out another burst of fire, again easily blocked by the sword, but then it began to hum, and the hum grew louder. Suddenly I lost control and the blade fell to the ground, vibrating as quick as lightning.

That couldn’t be good.

“You know what, you can have those crystals,” I said, galloping away as fast as I could.

As I ran, I looked back, and the sword no longer pulsed with light, instead it was continuously growing brighter. The dragon spat fire at me again, and I managed to duck out of the way. The humming was now as loud as a train. The dragon rushed up to the sword and clawed at the crystals, and then I heard something crack.

THOOOOOOOOMMM!!

The entire village lit up like the craziest party Pinkie Pie’s could ever throw. I was knocked off my hooves and thrown into a house, and there was a gigantic sphere of electrified light coming from the center of the blast. In the briefest instant, I swore I saw some other place within the sphere, as though it were a portal you could walk through, and then all went dark.

The dragon was gone. Everything was silent.

I shook myself from the pain of the blast and made my way to where the sword was, finding it dormant in its normal size in the middle of a massive blast mark. I touched the hilt, feeling no heat. It wasn’t cold either. I picked it up in my magic, and for the first time since before enchanting it, it felt like it had weight. The large crystal was cracked straight down the middle. I magically analyzed it again. The enchantment was still there, I could tell that much, but there was something missing. It felt as though the crystal was hollow.

I tried to transform the sword into the surfboard shape, and I was able to, though it took some effort. I hopped on and still managed to hold myself, thankfully, but how fast could I go now? How much would it drain me? Would it be so easy to teleport it still?

I didn’t dare risk trying, it might start pulsing again. There was no way to know for sure. I still needed to get back to Canterlot and have Discord look at it.

Perhaps it wouldn’t pulse for a while though, and I didn’t want to carry it around with levitation all the way back, so I shaped it around my waist. As I did so, I noticed something strangely different about my flank.
There was a shield.
> A Lesson in Harmony
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I stared at my flank in disbelief, yet at the same time I knew the shield being there made complete sense. It was part of my cutie mark, it had always been there since I got it. Except for yesterday, when it disappeared. What in Equestria happened?
Well, there was no time to figure it out. The shield was back, and it felt right. I continued on my way out of Hollow Shades, and after an hour of walking, I decided that it was safe enough to try using my sword to get back to Canterlot. With a bit of concentration, I teleported it outside of the city gate, and then teleported beside it. Everything seemed fine, no pulsing or anything unusual.
It was the cusp of dawn, the sky beginning to brighten and the city just starting to show signs of life. I made my way to the castle to find Celestia, hoping she knew where Discord would be. On the way, I happened to run into Captain Morningstar.
“Swordulan, where have you been?” he asked. “What happened? You look terrible.”
“It’s kind of a long story, but,” I glanced back at my flank, “I think everything is gonna be okay.”
He noticed the shield and gaped. “It’s back? Well, alright then! I won’t even bother with the how, that’s a great relief. Hope those stars start returning too.”
“Me too, but it seems to have come at a price.” I levitated my sword’s hilt to him.
“By Celestia, it cracked? How?”
“That’s what I’m trying to find out. It began pulsing and exploded with more magical energy than anything I’ve ever seen. I’m hoping Celestia hasn’t sent Discord off somewhere yet.”
“I don’t think she has, so I won’t keep you any longer. Remember though, you start back at the walls tomorrow morning.”
I gave a salute. “Yes, Sir.”
He returned the salute and trotted off, and I finally made it to the castle throne room. Celestia sat on her throne reading a letter and enjoying what looked like a cup of tea.
“Good morning, Swordulan,” she said. “I hope you’re doing well.”
“I am, thanks,” I said. “I’m looking for Discord though. The crystal cracked and I think the entity is gone, but I’m not sure.”
Celestia looked up from her letter. “Really? May I see?”
I levitated the sword up to her and she took it in her own magic.
“Hmm, yes, I no longer feel a resistance to my magic. This is most strange. Do you know what happened?”
“Not exactly.” I explained the story of what happened to the sword from it beginning to pulse in Manehattan to its explosion in Hollow Shades. “Do you think Discord should have another look at it?”
Celestia levitated the sword back to me. “Yes, I think that would be wise. One moment.” She cast some sort of spell, and seconds later Discord popped in out of nowhere.
“What is it now, Celestia? I was about to take one of my weekly showers, and you know how long that—oh! Swordulan, I wasn’t expecting to see you again so soon. I’m pleased to see it looks like you took my advice to heart.”
I raised an eyebrow. “I don’t see how, considering I didn’t understand a thing you said to me yesterday.”
Discord shrugged. “What I said hardly mattered, but either way, it seems to have worked out. Now, what’s this about? Is your sword up to some mischief, I hope?”
“That’s what we’re wanting to find out.”
I levitated the sword to him and he swiped it out of my magic and examined the cracked crystal. “Ah, I see the entity has escaped. Well, good for it I suppose. Hmm, you don’t happen to know where it went, do you?”
I shook my head. “For all I know, it could be in a parallel universe.”
“Of course,” Discord sighed. “Always a parallel universe. Well, I wouldn’t worry about it. The enchantment has lost a good deal of its power, and with it goes the threat. I’m curious, how has your magic been handling it?”
“It’s making me put some effort into using it now, but I have yet to test its new limits. I could still teleport myself from Hollow Shades to Canterlot, though I suppose that’s not surprising.”
“How interesting.” Discord threw the sword back to me, and I caught it in my magic before it cut my head off. “There’s not all that much more to say about it. Rest assured that it should be perfectly safe from now on. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve a shower to get to.”
Discord poofed away in a puff of smoke.
“I guess that’s a relief,” I said uncertainly.
“I’m sure Discord knows what he’s talking about,” Celestia said. “At the very least, my worries are alleviated with the entity gone.”
“Yeah. I’ll be heading out then.” I formed my sword around my waist and gave a quick bow to Celestia. “Have a good day, Your Highness.”
“To you as well, Swordulan.”
As I made my way out the castle, I happened to spot Luna walking down the hallway ahead of me with a cart of flowers and a rather stern expression on her face. It reminded me of the dream I’d had while in Hollow Shades, so I decided to talk to Luna and see if she really had been in it.
I ran after her and called out, “Princess Luna!”
Luna stopped and turned to me, having a few rings under her eyes. “Ah, greetings, Lieutenant Shield. Is there something you need?”
“I wanted to talk to you about a dream I had. Do you mind?”
Luna motioned me to follow her. “Please. I am simply replacing the lavender in the halls, so I have plenty of time to talk.”
“Thanks.” I began to follow her as she slowly went from flower pot to flower pot. “Anyway, last night I had a rather disturbing dream, and you were in it, but I wasn’t sure if it was really you. Was it?”
“Hmm, I don’t believe so. What was your dream?”
“It’s a little foggy, but I was jumping around Equestria knocking on doors. I wound up in the castle, and found it full of changelings. They tried to get me, then suddenly disappeared. I went through a door and found Discord, and he told me I needed to ‘face it’. Afterwards, another door appeared with you behind it. You kept telling me that I needed to choose, to move forward, and then… well, I fell, my cousin caught me, my sword flew in and cut her hooves off, and then it ate me.”
Luna stopped and looked at me wide-eyed. “Truly, that sounds like a terrifying nightmare. I am sorry I was not able to intervene.”
I sighed. “It’s alright. I guess it was just a normal nightmare.”
Luna gave a nod and continued replacing flowers. “Perhaps, but our dreams are often a reflection of what we are struggling with in life. There may be a difficult choice that lies before you, and you are struggling to face it. What do you think? Are there things in your life that you feel the need to face, but are too afraid?”
“I… don’t know.” I grimaced at the answer. There were a few things that came to mind, one of them being the fact that my father had not cast a spell on me. I had faulted him wrongly, and now he was gone. Another was how I was going to live from now on. Was I going to try harder to make friends after my break was over? Or would I just stick to working all the time? Even if my cutie mark was coming back now, I still had no clue who I was. “Princess Luna, who am I?” 
It was a weird question, but I needed an answer.
Luna raised an eyebrow. “You are Swordulan Thunder Shield. If you are looking for me to tell you what that means, I’m afraid I cannot help you. Only you can determine what that means.”
I sighed. “I know I’m a Lieutenant of the Royal Guard, but… that seems too shallow, and I don’t understand why. What makes a pony who they are?”
“I don’t think I can perfectly answer that, but let me ask you this: if somepony is living by themselves off the land, never speaking or interacting with anypony, and merely doing only enough to survive day by day, what does that say about who they are?”
I thought through the question for a second. “If they’re just living a life of existence, then… they’re nopony of consequence I guess. They’re just somepony who exists.”
“So is it those around us who determine who we are, or ourselves?”
“Our… selves?”
Luna smiled. “And yet you just asked me who you are.”
“A little of both then. I don’t know.”
“I find there is a great deal of our identities which we place in the hooves of those around us. The greatest influences are what—or who—we admire and fear the most. Such things become most evident through friendship.”
I snorted. “Through friendship? Why? That seems so one-dimensional.”
“Friendship is more than what it seems, Swordulan. It is honesty, loyalty, generosity, laughter, kindness, and magic.”
“Those are all the Elements of Harmony.”
“Indeed, and more important is the source of harmony behind the Elements. It is love. Love is pure harmony, between both oneself and others. It is what truly holds the world together.”
I took a deep breath. “I don’t think I know what love is.”
“You may not think so, but love shows up in many ways. It can come from within and from without. We often let our many emotions get in the way of us seeing it clearly. What are the emotions you’ve had most in your life?”
I thought for a moment and frowned. “Doubt… mostly doubt. Uncertainty, frustration, anger. I guess I’ve been angry for a long time, I just haven’t shown it much. And as much as my life has stayed the same, at least as a Royal Guard, everything beyond my duties seems totally unknowable. In the past few months, so much has been changing, and I don’t know how to handle it. Which is crazy, I’ve faced off against some of Equestria’s most powerful foes without breaking a sweat, but thinking about my life’s future outside of the Royal Guard terrifies me. Ponyfeathers, I can’t believe I’m saying stuff like this. I don’t understand it at all. I’m sorry, Princess Luna.”
“There is no need to apologize. It is good you are going through this time of change, and you will come out of it better than before, but you must stay vigilant. Do not repeat my mistake in disregarding what you already have. If you accept darkness into your heart and forget all the values of love and friendship, it will transform you into a monster, just as what it did to me.”
“I know, I need to be more careful with my emotions.”
“No, you must let them out more often. Having feelings is not wrong, and it is good to express them. Do not let them build up inside and control you, or they will destroy you utterly.”
I thought for a moment and gave a sharp nod. “I’ll do my best to remember that. Thank you for your advice, Princess Luna. It means a lot to me.”
“Of course, Lieutenant. It is always my pleasure to help.” Luna looked at her cart of flowers and sighed. “Halfway done.”
I took the cart in my magic. “Don’t worry, Your Highness, I’ll help you now.”

About an hour later I found myself sitting on my couch at home contemplating Luna’s advice. I needed to let my emotions out, but I was struggling to figure out what they were in the first place. At the moment, I felt guilt the most. I had run out on my mom when she needed me, and Shining Armor was probably still worried about me. How was I supposed to express that? Was I supposed to go back to Manehattan and apologize to my mom, then to the Crystal Empire to make sure Shining Armor knew I was okay?
… No. No, my feelings were telling me not to. There was nothing I could accomplish going back to Manehattan now, I’d probably only make things worse. She needed time. As for Shining Armor, I could simply send him a letter.
What else?
Dad was gone. How did that make me feel? Was I sad, or angry? It had all happened so fast I never had time to know how it made me feel. Dwelling on it, I felt… cornered. Boxed in. I felt like I’d been put in a position I didn’t want to be in, because I wasn’t sure what I felt. I had never really liked my dad. Was I supposed to find something redeemable about him in order to be sad?
That didn’t sound right at all. Sure, I was in the Royal Guard because of him, he cared enough about me to at least secure my future, but I still wasn’t sad. All I had wanted from him was respect and support for what I loved, which was the study of magic. Did I still care about it like I had when I was a colt? Yes, I believe so, but I had a job to do. I didn’t have time to be studying and practicing. Except for today, I suppose, and there would be other times.
Should I be doing that right now then?
Knock, knock, knock.
That was odd, I wasn’t expecting anypony. Had Katana come after me?
I got up and answered the door, unexpectedly finding the Cutie Mark Crusaders looking up at me eagerly.
“Hey, Lieutenant Shield,” Apple Bloom said, “sorry to bother you, but my friends and I were wondering if you might be able to help us earn our cutie marks in being Royal Guards!”
I blinked. “You three want to be Royal Guards?”
“Well, sure! Y’all get to wear that real shiny armor and look all important-like.”
“And wield awesome spears!” Scootaloo said.
“And protect Equestria from monsters!” Sweetie Belle said.
Apple Bloom nodded to her friends’ additions. “We thought if there was anypony around here who could help us with that, it’d be you.”
“Hmm, I guess I have the time to help,” I said.
“Yes!” the Crusaders cheered. “Cutie Mark Crusaders Royal Guards!”
I massaged an ear. “Yeah, not so fast. It takes years of training to become a Royal Guard, and a lot of reading.”
“Reading?” Scootaloo asked. “Why would somepony need to read to become a Royal Guard? That’s ridiculous!”
“How can a book teach somepony how to fight monsters anyway?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Oh come on, Crusaders,” Apple Bloom said, “if reading is what it takes to become Royal Guards, then that’s what we’ll do.”
I smiled. “That’s the spirit. Have any of you read Fence and Form?”
They all shook their heads.
“Well, I guess everything in it I can teach by demonstration.” I shaped my sword into a spear. “We’ll start with some basic forms. Come on, let’s head around back where we can’t accidentally hurt anypony.”
> Royal Guard 101
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So when do we get to go into the Everfree Forest to fight monsters?” Scootaloo asked as we rounded my house. 

“Uh, never, if you’re lucky,” I said, looking at my spear-sword and reshaping the tip to be flat and edges dull. No reason to use a weapon that was actually dangerous. 

“Aww, but where’s the fun in that?” 

I looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “Fun? Fighting monsters is almost the complete opposite of fun. Have you ever stared down a charging hydra before?” 

“Well, no.” 

“You should be glad that you probably never will.” I made it far enough away from my house to feel comfortable and took a standard guard position, facing the three fillies. “Now, the first thing for you all to know is that there are different stances and styles for each race of pony, all specialized to make use of their strengths. For instance, earth ponies make great immovable vanguards, unicorns are the best at weapon specialization and ranged engagements using their magic, and pegasi can outflank and outmaneuver any ground force.” 

The three fillies looked between each other with frowns. 

“I can’t fly,” Scootaloo said. 

“And I’m still learning how to use my magic,” Sweetie Belle said. 

“Yeah, how are you going to teach all three of us to use our strengths?” Apple Bloom asked. 

“At your age, that sort of training wouldn’t come for a couple years, but we can start with the basic earth pony forms, which all guards are required to know. They’ll help you keep on your hooves. Let me give you a demonstration which you can participate in.” I shaped my sword into a statue of a pony in standard guard position. “Try to knock this over from the front.” 

Apple Bloom walked up to the sword and gave it a kick, making it fall over. “Well that was easy,” she said. 

I reshaped the sword so it was crouched down in a basic defense stance. “Now try.” 

Apple Bloom gave it another kick, but it didn’t budge. She pushed against it, again without success, and her friends joined in to no avail. 

“Wait, let’s try to kick all together,” Sweetie Belle said. “One, two, three, kick!” 

The sword toppled to the side finally, and the three fillies cheered. 

“See how much harder that was?” I asked. “And it was only a statue. Imagine trying that against a real earth pony who can quickly recover his balance.” 

“How are you supposed to knock down somepony like that?” Scootaloo asked. 

“A lot of momentum, magic, or a weapon, and if faced against a tower shield, you’d need a pegasus to fly in from behind or a unicorn. Now, stand in a line and watch closely.” 

The fillies lined up, already trying to imitate the standard guard position. 

“Alright, I’ll show you how to get into basic defense stance. It’s simple. Right foreleg forward, left hind leg back, bend the knees, widen your stance, and imagine your hooves and the earth becoming connected, solid and immovable.” 

The fillies copied me and took the stance with ease. 

“Pff, this is easy,” Scootaloo said. 

“We’ll get Royal Guard cutie marks in no time!” Apple Bloom said. 

“Now stand like that for two hours,” I said. 

The fillies gaped. “Two hours!?” 

“Or do the standard guard position for five hours. A lot about being a Royal Guard has to do with standing different ways for a long time, you know.” 

“But what about learning how to fight?” Sweetie Belle asked. 

“You wanted to learn how to fight on the first day?” 

The fillies broke their stance. “Yes!” 

I sighed. “It doesn’t work like that. You can’t fight until you know how to stand.” 

“But you just showed us how to stand,” Scootaloo said. 

“Yes, one way to stand, but there are forty-seven stances across all three races, and you need to be able to switch between at least three of them instantly and hold them for an hour, and then practice holding them with somepony trying to tackle you down.” I took a deep breath. “And then you get to learn how to fight.” 

Scootaloo looked at her friends. “I’m not sure about this anymore, girls.” 

Sweetie Belle nodded. “Same here.” 

Apple Bloom frowned and looked at me. “I guess we aren’t ready to be Royal Guards.” 

I gave a sly smile. “You expected to be guards in a single day?” 

“I guess so. Sorry for wasting your time, Lieutenant. We’ll see you—” Apple Bloom gasped, her eyes shooting open. “Your cutie mark! What happened to it?” 

I looked back at my flank and noticed the bottom left star had returned. I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank Celestia, they are coming back.” 

“Huh?” 

“My cutie mark had been slowly disappearing for the past while, and it’s finally coming back. I’m still not sure why.” 

“Why would your cutie mark have been disappearing?” Sweetie Belle asked. 

I shrugged. “I guess because I haven’t been sure about who I am and what my purpose is, but considering that I don’t know why it’s coming back, maybe it was something else.” 

“You certainly don’t seem like somepony who’s unsure about himself,” Apple Bloom said. 

“I don’t, huh? Hm. What makes you say that?” 

“Cause you seem to know everything about being a Royal Guard, and it’s obvious that you’re really good at it. You must really love your job.” 

I blinked. “Yeah, I guess I do. But I keep feeling that I’m missing something.” 

“Like what?” Sweetie Belle asked. 

“I don’t know. Whatever the thing is you have that means you have a life.” 

“Isn’t being a Royal Guard your life?” Scootaloo asked. 

“In a way, yes, but I don’t want it to be my life. It’s my job, but my life should be something different. I need something that is my own, something that only I have.” 

“Like the talent that goes with your cutie mark?” Apple Bloom asked. 

“My talent? That’s just…” Something that was my own, that nopony else had. But what did that mean? “That’s not really what I meant. I mean more like something I do that only I can do.” 

“I think that narrows it down to three things,” Sweetie Belle said. 

I raised an eyebrow. “Just three?” 

“Sort of. If you want something in your life that only you can do, that one thing has to be either for yourself, for everypony, or for somepony specifically. What do you think?” 

Something I can do for… was I trying to have something, or do something, only for myself? Or did I want something that would be for everypony? I couldn’t see how I’d want it for only one pony specifically, that didn’t make sense. 

“Maybe you’re right,” I said, rubbing my chin. “But I don’t know. Am I only supposed to choose one?” 

Sweetie Belle shrugged. “Why should you have to?” 

I nodded slowly. “That’s a good point. I know I want to do my job, and there are very few ponies out there who can do it as well as I can. Maybe my job is what I do for everypony. Yeah, that makes sense.” 

“Maybe you need to find something to do for yourself,” Scootaloo said. 

“Yeah, I think so. Thanks, Crusaders. Sorry that training to be a Royal Guard is so hard.” 

Apple Bloom waved a dismissive hoof. “It’s no problem. Sorry we’re too impatient to learn, we just really want to earn our cutie marks.” 

I smiled. “I’m sure you will. Keep trying new things, pay attention to what feels right. It’s funny, I remember being torn between my training and magic studies, and I was horrified I might end up with a cutie mark for one thing or the other. Instead I got one that fit me perfectly.” I glanced at my flank. For the longest time, anyway. 

“How did you get your cutie mark?” Sweetie Belle asked. 

I took a deep breath and sat down, and the Crusaders also sat as I began to tell the story. “Well, I got it by doing something wrong for a while. When I began training with a sword, I used my mouth. I just thought that was how it was supposed to be done. My magic wasn’t very strong at the time either, so I didn’t think that using it would get me anywhere. When it came to dueling in the arena, I’d lose almost every time. I could never swing the sword right. 

“Eventually I dueled a unicorn who used his magic to fight, and he beat me within seconds in the first round, but right as the second round began, there was a giant exploding rainbow that half scared me to death and made me drop my practice sword. I instinctively caught it in my magic and brought it up to block my opponent’s attack. He didn’t seem fazed by the explosion at all, so he kept coming at me, but I kept blocking. 

“It was like everything fell into place as I used my magic to fight. Suddenly it made so much sense, and after successfully defending for so long, I swung at him and managed to land a round-winning hit. The third round was a blur of strikes. I became the sword, my body only being something to defend from the opponent. In only a few short seconds, I won the duel. That’s when my cutie mark appeared.” 

The fillies looked between each other in disbelief. 

“No way,” Scootaloo said. 

“What do you think it means?” Sweetie Belle asked. 

“Isn’t it obvious?” Apple Bloom asked. 

I raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t what obvious?” 

Apple Bloom looked at me. “That rainbow explosion is what led to Applejack, Twilight, and the rest of their friends getting their cutie marks!” 

Sweetie Belle nodded. “Fluttershy said it means that they all had a special connection before they even met. You must have a special connection to them too!” 

I pulled my head back. “A special connection to Twilight and her friends? No, I don’t think so. Sure, the same rainbow explosion being a part of getting our cutie marks is a connection, but the only special connection we seem to have is our attempts to save Equestria. The difference is that I fail every time while they succeed every time.” 

“You tried to save Equestria when they were too?” Scootaloo asked. 

I sighed. “Battled Nightmare Moon, couldn’t stop her. Confronted Discord, couldn’t stop him. Fought a changeling army, couldn’t stop them. Encountered King Sombra, couldn’t stop him. Yup! Just about every time Equestria was in dire need of saving, I was there getting my flank kicked.” 

“Aw, come on, Lieutenant, don’t be so hard on yourself,” Apple Bloom said. 

“Yeah,” Sweetie Belle said. “I’m sure you played an important role in saving Equestria at some point.” 

“There’s no way you didn’t,” Scootaloo said. “I mean, you faced all that and survived! You have to be pretty awesome to do that.” 

“That just means Twilight and her friends are all the more awesome for facing it and not only surviving, but winning," I said. "Well, it doesn’t matter, it’s part of my job. I shouldn’t be upset about it. Thank you for your kind words, but you fillies should start heading home. It’s getting a bit late.” 

“Yeah, alright,” Apple Bloom said. She stood up and gave a cute salute. “Have a good day, Lieutenant!” 

I returned the salute. “You too. Keep up the crusading, I’m sure you’ll get those cutie marks in no time.” 

“And I’m sure you’ll figure out what you want to do,” Sweetie Belle said. 

“Cya, Lieutenant!” Scootaloo said. 

I smiled as the fillies trotted off. They were right about one thing, at least. Being the best Lieutenant of the Royal Guard I could was my duty to everypony. But what was I supposed to have for myself? What did I want for myself? 

I wasn’t sure, but the sun was setting and I was tired. It had been a long day. Going back inside, I sat down on my couch and sighed. 

Oh ponyfeathers, the Summer Sun Celebration! That was only three days away and I had completely forgotten. I hadn’t even been told where I’d be needed for it. Sweet Celestia, it had been a whole year since Nightmare Moon. Where had the time gone? So much was different now. Would things be so different next year too? 

Wait, would this celebration be as disastrous as the last? No, no, to Tartarus with that idea. Everything would be perfectly fine this year. Two Summer Sun Celebrations in a row turning to disaster? No way.

I took a deep breath and went to my fridge, levitated a jug of pineapple juice to my mouth and took a swig. Just two more days, nothing to worry about tomorrow. If anything goes wrong, it’ll be on the night of the celebration. I can sleep easy tonight. Yes, everything would be perfectly fine.
> Uncomfortable Confrontations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I awoke the next morning in cold sweat, my heart pounding. It was two days before the Summer Sun Celebration, and everything was going to go wrong. I could feel it.

Bang, bang, bang.

I yelped and jumped out of bed, instinctively teleporting my sword to me and taking an aggressive stance.

Wait, that was the door.

I put my sword back and walked out of my room and to the front door, opening it a crack only for it to slam into my face and knock me to the ground as somepony barged right in.

“What the hay is wrong with you?” Katana demanded. “Don’t you realize what you did yesterday?”

I rubbed my face with a frown. “I-”

“You didn’t even say goodbye, you just show up out of nowhere, and then poof! No explanation. I’d never do that to even somepony I’m hardly acquainted with, and you did it to your grieving mother and I.”

I managed to stand up and face her. “Katana, it wasn’t-”

“It wasn’t the right thing to do, you’re bucking right. Aren’t you even a little bit ashamed? I’ve half a mind to kick your flank back down for what you put Aunt Sacred through.”

I grimaced. “I’m sorry.”

Katana scoffed. “Yeah? Go tell it to the mare that matters.”

“I can’t.”

“Oh, you don’t say? What excuse is it this time? Is work that much more important to you than family? What a load of horsefeathers, Swordulan. I used to think you were a stallion with some integrity, you know. Like how Royal Guards are supposed to be.”

“It’s not like that, Katana. You-”

“Not like that?” Katana sneered. “Well excuse me, I’ll just mosey on out of here, all is well in Equestria, no family backstabber to see here, because it’s not like that.”

“Katana stop,” I said, using magic to seal her mouth shut and bind her legs and wings. It wasn’t like she could get any more upset with me. “Listen, it’s not because of work that I can’t go back, it’s because I can’t bring myself to be there right now. I can’t deal with it. My dad is dead and I don’t care! What am I supposed to do about that? How am I supposed to talk to my mom? I can’t bear the thought of what that might do to her. There’s no way I can bring myself to face her. I don’t want to hurt her any more than I already have. If you want to kick my flank for that, fine. I’m pretty sure I deserve it. But I’m not going back to Manehattan, not yet anyway. I need time, and she needs time.”

I took a deep breath and released my magic. Katana just stood there, glaring at me without a word. I met her eyes without wavering.

“You don’t care that your dad died?” she finally asked softly.

I pursed my lips. “I wish I did.”

“Why don’t you?”

My ears drooped and I looked away. “Because he never really loved or cared about me.”

Katana again stared at me without a word. She opened her mouth as if she were going to say something more, but then turned around and walked out, closing the door behind her with her wing. I kept my eyes on the door a while longer, my mind trying to process everything that had just happened, everything that had been said.

I shouldn’t have said that. Not half of it, at least. I… I’m an idiot. Oh, Celestia, help me, I wish that had gone differently. I could have shown more consideration or something. Maybe have made a promise, but, would that have even mattered? Katana’s trust in me had already been shattered, it seemed. It would’ve been hollow and meaningless to her.

Ponyfeathers. Guess I’ll prepare for work. Breakfast, some short stretches, and then… well, there wasn’t anything else to do, so off to Canterlot I flew.

I was a bit magic-fatigued by the time I got there. Using magic to fly was exhausting now. I could have simply teleported the sword and then myself, that was hardly a strain so long as I could focus, but I needed to test out my new limits. I don’t think I’d use it to fly long distances anymore, nor would I win any more races, but at least it didn’t feel like I was dragging around a brick like a normal sword would feel like.

I landed at the barracks and checked in with Justice before heading to the walls. The day passed slowly, but I wasn’t exactly in a rush. The Summer Sun Celebration preparations were already getting underway, and something was undoubtedly going to go terribly wrong. How or what I didn’t know, but surely something would.

While patrolling the walls I spotted Twilight practicing flying with Rainbow Dash. Weren’t they worried about the Celebration? Didn’t they think something might go wrong? I almost wanted to fly up there myself and ask them, but, well… Twilight was a Princess now. Maybe asking such questions wasn’t a good idea. I wasn’t even sure how to approach her.

At least nothing went wrong today. Another star had returned in my cutie mark, the bottom right one. I sent a letter to Shining Armor about it and what had happened to my sword. The Celebration preparations were going as smooth as they could be. All was right in Equestria, as far as anypony could tell.

Maybe nothing would go wrong. I mean, the switched cutie mark madness in Ponyville had been solved, and that was only a couple days ago. We shouldn’t be in for another disaster for a while. Yeah, things were gonna be fine.

Except… they weren’t, were they? My family had seemingly fallen apart in a matter of hours. Katana might never want to see me again, and probably Mom too. Stonehenge was Celestia-knows-where. Dad was just… gone. I didn’t really have relations with my Aunt and Uncle. Was my family simply doomed to be broken like this? How were things ever going to heal? Did I need to heal from everything that happened?

I… I don’t know.

I was watching the dimming horizon over Ponyville as I thought about it when I heard Justice’s voice.

“How we doing, Lieutenant?” he asked.

I looked to him. “I don’t know.”

Justice raised an eyebrow. “You don’t know? What do you mean? Do you see something out there?”

“Huh? Oh, no, everything out there looks fine. I thought you meant how I was doing.”

Justice gave a short laugh. “Alright then, why don’t you know how you’re doing?”

I shrugged. “It’s… complicated. Captain, I’m not sure how to ask this, but… well I don’t even know if I should ask.”

“If there’s something bothering you, Swordulan, I’m all ears. What’s wrong?”

I hesitated, looking to Ponyville then back at Justice with a grimace. “Is… is it normal for me to not care that my father died?”

Justice frowned. “You don’t…? Does that bother you?”

“Yes and no? That’s why I said I don’t know. I’m not sure what to feel. For the most part, I don’t feel anything.”

“Well… hmm. I’m not the sort of pony to say anything about that, Lieutenant. I’m a Captain, not a social counselor. Who am I to say what’s normal or not? But if you really want my opinion, then no, I don’t think it’s normal. Now I’m not saying it’s wrong, because I at least know everypony is different. Maybe you have sound reasons to not care. I never met your father, but if who you are today has anything to do with him, I would congratulate him for raising such a fine young stallion. Knowing you, I am sad to hear he has passed and that I never got the opportunity to meet him.”

I nodded slowly. “I see. I guess that makes sense. It just feels wrong for me to not care. I want to, but for some reason I just can’t. Why can’t I care?”

Justice sighed. “I don’t have an answer to that. Maybe it’s the way you’re grieving, or how you’re coping. You should talk to somepony more knowledgeable about this though, I’m sure they’d be more help than me.”

“Do you think Princess Cadance might be able to help?”

Justice chuckled. “Frankly I can think of no better pony to speak to.”

“I guess I’ll go see her tomorrow then, unless you need me here more for the Summer Sun Celebration preparations.”

“Don’t you worry, we’ll be fine without you for a while. Check with me in the morning before you leave though.”

I nodded and gave a salute. “Yes, Sir.”

Justice returned the salute. “Have a good night, Lieutenant.”

He trotted off, and I shortly left the walls to one of the Night Guard officers and caught a train to Ponyville, too tired to fly and too distracted teleport. It felt like a long ride, especially so as anxiety welled within me for the day of the Celebration. I pushed the fearful thoughts to the back of my mind as best I could, repeating to myself that everything would be fine and that there was no way disaster would strike on the same day two years in a row, or so soon after the last disaster.

I arrived home after dark and guzzled a glass of pineapple juice before taking off my armor and finding my way into bed.

“Everything is okay,” I said to myself. “My cutie mark is coming back, I’m back to my regular duties, and Cadance will be able to help me. Yeah. Everything is gonna be fine.”

Sleep finally took me away to the only place I felt at peace.
> 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.
> Counselor Cadance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Though I’d forgotten to set my alarm, somehow I still managed to wake up after five hours. Not too bad, still plenty of daylight, though hopefully Shining Armor wasn’t too busy this afternoon. I wonder how much more work it was being a prince.

I got a few carrots out of the fridge and had a quick ‘breakfast’ and cleared my mind so I could teleport my sword over to the Crystal Empire, which was harder than I wanted to admit. I couldn’t believe I was going to talk to Shining Armor about talking to a mare. I should be able to just go and do it on my own, no advice necessary.

That scared me though, so after a moment of concentrating, I zapped my sword away and tried to lock onto it.

Problem. I couldn’t sense it at all.

“Well ponyfeathers,” I said, sighing. “Guess this calls for the old fashion way.”

After a good deal more concentrating, I teleported myself outside the Crystal Empire’s train station, which made my head spin like crazy. Yeah, I think I’ll take the train from now on. More time to sleep too.

I managed to teleport my sword back to myself and shaped it around my waist as usual, and then I trotted off towards the castle. As I neared it, a bright orange-coated and blue-maned Royal Guard came up to me and saluted with a smile.

“If I’m not mistaken, sir, you’re Lieutenant Shield, right?”

I returned the salute. “That I am, and you are?”

“Officer Flash Sentry.” He reached his hoof out and I shook it. “It’s such a pleasure to finally meet you. Shining Armor has told me a lot about your exemplary service in the Royal Guard, especially how you helped him fend off King Sombra when the Crystal Empire was discovered again. It’s truly an honor to have you visit. Are you here to see Shining Armor?”

 “Yes, or Cadance, whoever is available.” Who was this guy? Had Shining Armor already replaced me?

“Shining Armor shouldn’t be too busy. I’ll take you to him.”

I followed Flash Sentry into the castle. It was weird to see every Royal Guard stand taller and salute me as we passed. “I wasn’t aware I was so well known here.”

“Why wouldn’t you be? You helped save the Empire, not to mention saved Prince Shining Armor a number of times. You’re an inspiration to all the new recruits and Officers here.”

My eyes widened. Me? An inspiration? Wow.

As we navigated the halls of the castle we nearly missed Shining Armor as he passed in front of us down another hall. He did a double take when he saw me.

“Swordulan!?” he said, turning to us. “You know you’re always welcome to visit, but maybe use a little forewarning in the future! Where’ve you been?”

I gave him a hoof bump. “Manehattan, Hollow Shades, Canterlot, Ponyville. You know, around.”

Shining Armor gave a salute to Flash Sentry, who returned it and trotted off. “What were you doing in Hollow Shades?”

“Taking a nap and then fighting a dragon.”

Shining Armor blinked. “You fought… oh! I remember that letter you sent me. You didn’t mention that was in Hollow Shades. Why were you there in the first place?”

“I was trying to get back to Canterlot on hoof, and Hollow Shades seemed the fastest and most convenient way. I guess you know the rest. Oh yeah, I’m sorry about flying off on you and Justice at Twilight’s coronation.”

Shining Armor waved a dismissive hoof. “It’s no problem, I understand. I’m glad you’re doing better though. So did you do anything fun over in Manehattan?”

“I, uh…” I cleared my throat. “Let’s walk and talk.”

“Sure thing, I’m on my way to oversee preparations for the Equestria Games.” We continued on in the direction he’d been heading. “So nothing fun over in Manehattan?”

“My… well, I’ll tell you later. There was something else I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Alright, what’s up? I’m all ears.”

I took a deep breath. “My dad sent me a letter suggesting that I… talk to somepony. A mare somepony. He wants me to try to find a special somepony.”

Shining Armor laughed. “And you came to me for advice?”

I sighed. “Yeah. I have no experience in anything like this, no idea where to begin.”

“Well, you came to the right place, but maybe not the right pony. Cadance is usually better with these sort of things. But if you still want my advice, I’ll give it.”

“Yes, I think I’d prefer it from you at first. You had to go through this once, didn’t you? Is there some kind of tactical approach you took? Any special strategies?”

Shining Armor laughed for a good minute, gaining some odd looks from the ponies we passed by as we came out of the castle. “Tactical… oh, Swordulan, I’m sorry, that was great. It wasn’t like… well, I’ll be honest, there was some strategy to it. I had my friends from Canterlot Academy to thank for that. The first thing you should do though is just talk to her.”

“And say what exactly?”

“Just say hello. It worked for me.”

My ears drooped. “You’re kidding me.”

Shining Armor elbowed my side. “I told you I’m probably not the pony you want to talk to about this. You should go find Cadance, she shouldn’t be too busy. I think she’s reading in the castle’s study.”

I rolled my eyes. “I guess I will. Thanks though.”

“Anytime. It’s good seeing you, and I’m glad those stars are coming back.”

I looked back at my flank, two more stars having reappeared, the middle left and right ones. “Yeah. I still don’t know why though.”

“You’ll figure it out. I’ll catch up with you later, alright?”

“Alright. See you.”

I turned around and trotted back to the castle and made my way to the study, where I found Cadance sitting with a book as expected. She looked at me and stood up in surprise.

“Swordulan! When did you get here?” she asked.

“Not too long ago,” I said, walking further into the room. “I was talking to Shining Armor for a couple minutes, but he wasn’t much help, so he told me to come to you.”

“And what exactly was Shining Armor unable to help with?”

I sighed. “The inevitable quest to win a mare’s heart.”

Cadance raised an eyebrow with a sly smile. “Oh? You don’t sound very enthusiastic about it. Is that something you really want?”

“Well it’s… complicated.”

“How about you take a seat and then you can tell me what the matter is.” Cadance motioned to a chair across from her reading couch.

I nodded and sat down, Cadance sitting back on her couch. “It started with my dad. He… died.”

Cadance’s eyes widened. “Swordulan, I’m so sorry! I hadn’t heard. Are you alright?”

I forced a smile. “I guess you could say that. Anyway, this morning I got a letter about his will concerning me, and along with it was a letter he wrote to me years ago. In it he said that he didn’t want me to live a lonely life because I was so antisocial as a colt, and was afraid that I’d be that way when I was older too. Which I guess he was right, since I am still rather antisocial outside of my job. I hardly ever talk to anypony. I certainly don’t go out of my way to. But I’ve realized that there’s something missing within me, and that I really do want to… um…”

“Have a special somepony?” Cadance asked.

I nodded sheepishly. “Yeah, that. That’s what my dad wanted for me, to find a special somepony in my life. He even suggested somepony, the filly who had lived down the street from us when I was younger. I still remember her, and I know she works in the Canterlot Library.”

I stopped to see if Cadance would say anything, and she was silent for only a few seconds. “Well, it still sounds like you’re not sure if this is what you want. Do you want to pursue her? Do you really want a special somepony?”

I hesitated, which probably wasn’t the best sign. Instead of just giving the answer I wanted to hear, I looked deep within myself, my desires, and what it felt like I was missing.

“Yes,” I said confidently. “Yes, I do. Though maybe not pursue her, not yet. I barely know her.”

“If that’s the case, then you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. Just be yourself and have confidence in that. Don’t trick yourself into thinking you can give her something you don’t have, or being somepony that you aren’t. What’s her name?”

“Summer Dawn.”

“Oh, that’s a beautiful name. Hmm, Summer and Swordulan, I like that.”

I blushed. “Please don’t… say that.”

Cadance laughed. “Alright, but you really should just go and talk to her. You shouldn’t need to come to me for this.”

“But what do I say? I don’t want to make it seem super awkward or anything. I really don’t know what I’d say just walking up to her.”

“Just greet her how you normally greet somepony.”

I thought for a moment. “Hey, give me fifty laps around the walls, fill out your reports, and make sure to shine your armor?”

Cadance rolled her eyes. “How about you just say ‘Hi?’ or ‘Hello’?”

I pursed my lips. “That’s what Shining Armor said. I guess I could do that.”

“Of course you can! How about we pretend that I’m Summer and you’re meeting me for the first time. What do you say?”

I stared at her in stunned silence for a moment. “Um, you know that sort of thing never works with friends, right? Especially with friends who are already married.”

“Oh, you’re right. I should show you an example instead. Guards! One of you go and get Shining Armor, I need him.”

“Right away, Princess,” one of the guards by the doors said, galloping away.

I sighed. “You really don’t have to—”

“Of course I do,” Cadance said. “I can’t have a friend going out there and greeting mares improperly. It just wouldn’t be right.”

I buried my face in my hooves. “I can do it just fine without your help, really. I’ll just—”

Shining Armor teleported into the room. “What’s wrong?” he asked in a rush, as if there were changelings invading the castle. That was fast.

“I need you to help me give Swordulan an example of how to greet a potential special somepony,” Cadance said. “I suggested we pretend before, but he said that doesn’t work.”

Shining Armor relaxed. “Oh. Well duh! That’s because it only works between us stallions. I wonder why I didn’t think of that earlier. But yeah, I can help with that.”

At this point if I looked in a mirror I’m sure my entire face would be a deep shade of red. Is this what your married friends did to you when they didn’t have any foals of their own to take care of? What did I get myself into?

“That’s enough!” I said, glaring at them. “I don’t need you to explain or give an example or anything like that. I think I’ll just go with the advice to be myself and have confidence it’ll get me somewhere. I can do this on my own.”

“There you go!” Shining Armor said. “You’ve finally learned the trick. You never needed to come to us for advice about this sort of thing in the first place. Sure, we’re experienced, but the real advice is to experience it on your own. We’ll support you in any way we can, but there’s no such thing as the perfect advice for each relationship beyond you ultimately deciding what you say and do.”

I heaved a sigh of relief and stood up. “Thanks, that’s all I need. Support. I guess there really is no way around beyond just doing what I should’ve done in the first place.”

“Don’t worry, you’ve got this,” Cadance said. “You’re a nice and charming stallion, even if you don’t realize it. If that doesn’t count for something, then at least you’re handsome too.”

“Second to me, of course,” Shining Armor said.

“Mmm…”

Shining Armor narrowed his eyes at Cadance. “What? You think he’s prettier than me?”

Cadance looked between the two of us and smiled. “It’s debatable, but not right now. You should really get back to finishing the stadium.”

“Debatable? Oh, this is not over. Seriously though… is he really?”

Cadance sighed. “For Celestia’s sake, no, I’m kidding. Go on already.”

Shining Armor chuckled and triumphantly trotted out of the study.

“Gee, thanks,” I said as sarcastically as possible.

Cadance shrugged. “Sorry, but—”

“No, no, I’m joking. I’ll take second best to Shining Armor any day. I don’t really pay attention to how I look, so hearing that is nice, I think. Anyway, I guess I’ll… well, there was one other thing I wanted to talk to you about.”

“What would that be?”

I sat back down. “My dad. I… it’s hard to say this, but, I… don’t care that he died.”

Cadance gave me a solemn look and opened her mouth as if to say something, but she stopped herself, staying silent for another moment. “Swordulan, I’m not sure what to say. You don’t care?”

I shrugged. “Yeah, and it bothers me. I feel like I should, but I just don’t. My father and I always had a difficult relationship. He wanted to control everything about my life, and it still feels like he’s reaching beyond the grave to get me to do something he wants. I just want to be free to live my own life.”

“So do you think that you want to find a special somepony just because he wants you to?”

I grimaced. “It sort of feels like it, but that sounds so wrong.”

“That’s because it is wrong. Sometimes we want something that we’re not aware of, and it takes somepony else to make us aware. You don’t want a special somepony because your father wanted that, but because you wanted that. He only made you aware.”

I nodded slowly. “I guess that makes sense. It’s just so weird though because at the same time that I want it, I also just want to forget this ever happened and avoid the whole thing, to just not talk to Summer.”

“That’s fear talking.”

“But I don’t feel afraid.”

Cadance sighed. “It’s fear. It comes up in a variety of ways, and avoidance is one of them. If you really want it, and you want to succeed, you’re going to have to deal with the fears.”

My ears drooped. “And how do I do that?”

“First of all, you need to admit them. What are you afraid of in trying to find a special somepony? Tell me.”

“I’m… I’m afraid it will go nowhere. I’m afraid it will be a waste of time. I’m afraid that something bad might happen to anyone who is with me.”

Cadance nodded slowly. “There’s one more.”

I grimaced. I hated this one, and I hated that Cadance knew it was there. “I’m afraid no one would ever love me.”

Cadance stood up and walked up to me, putting a hoof on my shoulder. “Why?”

My mouth trembled as I tried to speak, but the words caught in my throat. I tried to hold back the tears welling in my eyes, without success. “B-because… because my dad never did. In his letter he said he did, but he didn't! Even when becoming exactly what he wanted, it wasn’t enough for him. And now… now I’m just a boring Royal Guard. I can’t even do my job right.”

Cadance pulled me into a motherly embrace. “Swordulan, none of that is your fault.” She pulled back and looked me sternly in the eyes. “And you’re not a boring Royal Guard. You’re one of the bravest and most unique guards I know, and I think you do care that your father died. You wanted his acceptance and affirmation for who you are, but now that he’s gone, you don’t know where to go to get it. Maybe you blame him for all of this happening to you and tell yourself that’s how you don’t care, but it’s not true. You both care more than you want to and less than you want."

Her words cut deep, and I couldn’t deny them. A part of me wanted to, but any protests were drowned out by the shouting agreements coming from my heart.

I took a deep breath and wiped my tears away. “Then where do I go to get it?”

“I can’t answer that,” Cadance said quietly. “Not precisely. I will warn you though, do not look to a special somepony for it. You can’t find it there. As for your father, I can only suggest one thing. Forgive him. You won’t find what you’re looking for until you do.”

I felt something bitter rise in my stomach. “I’ll… try.”

Cadance smiled. “You’re going to be okay, Swordulan. You can do this.”

I nodded shortly and returned the smile weakly. “Thanks, Cadance. I guess I should still go talk to Summer, huh?”

“Yes, do it. Absolutely. Go out, be yourself, and just have a good time. Don’t stress things.”

I stood up and let out a long breath. “Well, back to Canterlot then.”

Cadance wouldn’t let me turn away without another quick hug. “Good luck! Oh, you’re coming to the Equestria Games, right?”

“If I can get tickets, definitely.”

“I’ll send you two. Maybe you can bring a date.”

I turned to the door. “Won’t that be a sight to see.”
> Run Over By A Train
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was an anxiety-filled trip back to Canterlot. All sorts of questions raced through my mind. What do I say? Should I wear anything? Do I smell okay? Would flowers be appropriate? Of course, I knew what to say, sort of. ‘Hello’ at least, but from there I had no idea.

Actually, flowers sounded pretty good right now. I was getting hungry again, and it was getting late into the afternoon as the train chugged along. Maybe I could ask Summer to dinner.

Yeah, that could work. I’ll ask her to dinner.

It was only about an hour before sunset when the train arrived in Canterlot. I trotted off to the Canterlot Library, which was luckily still open for a bit longer, and peeked inside. The only pony at the front desk was a pale, peach coated unicorn stallion with a dark copper mane and wearing glasses. His attention was focused on the pile of books next to him as he sorted through them. I sighed with relief and approached him.

“Is there something I can help you with?” the stallion asked without looking up at me.

I cleared my throat. “Yeah, I’m looking for Summer Dawn. She still works here, right?”

He looked up at me and jumped back in surprise. “Whoa, Lieutenant Shield! I-I wasn’t expecting you. Please excuse the mess, heheh.” He swiped away the books on the desk. “It’s good, uh, I mean, great to finally meet you.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Ah… and you are?”

“Oh, sorry, excuse my poor manners.” He cleared his throat. “I am Alfred Wright, one of the librarians. No, you don’t have to make a joke, yes I love to read and yes I love to write, but it has nothing to do with my name and I know it’s a weird one! Oh, er, sorry for yelling. I’ve been meaning to use that for a while, haha. Had it all written down here in case anypony ever asked my name. Got a little excited I guess. Ahem, right, what was it you needed again?”

I looked around the silent library. “I was just looking for Summer Dawn.”

Alfred adjusted his glasses. “Summer? She clocked out about an hour ago and went home. Heh, I was planning on treating her to dinner, but I got the longer shift. Oh well. Um, she’s not in trouble, is she?”

I pursed my lips. So this guy was interested in her too? Hmm. I guess it was my luck that she had clocked out early. “No, just something I needed to investigate. Can you tell me where she lives?”

“Of course, she’s just a couple blocks down that way from here, the house with a mailbox that says ‘Dawn’.”

I turned to the exit. “Thanks.”

“Yeah, no problem.”

I trotted out of the library and in the direction Alfred had pointed, all the while butterflies formed in my stomach, which were annoyingly eating away at my appetite.

I took a deep breath. “Okay, Swordulan, you can do this. You got this. You got this. You’re a Shield, for Celestia’s sake. Hoo hoo, yeah.”

Finally the mailbox marked Dawn came into view. I stopped in front of the house, which was a cute little thing, nothing too fancy or humble, and stared at the door. Three shaky hooves forward, one stubborn hoof back. Repeat. I made it to the door, reached a hoof out, and paused.

“Um… hi. How’s it going? I’m doing good. Nice evening out, you look nice too, uh… wait, no, ugh! Oh, ponyfeathers with this.”

Knock, knock, knock.

Silence. Eeeeteeerrnaaal siiilleeennnce. Deep breath, hold it… hold… stop holding, idiot.

The door opened and I felt an electric shock go through my body, shooting adrenaline through my system. I recognized Summer as she stepped into the door and looked at me.

Okay, I just need to focus.

“Oh, hey!” Summer said with a bright smile. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here, Swordulan. Or I guess it’s Lieutenant Shield now, right? It’s been a while!”

I must have been focusing a bit too hard, because all I was able to do was think, woow, she’s prettier than I remembered.

Summer Dawn. Soft cream colored coat, deep amber mane and tail with pale pink highlights, and even deeper amber eyes, all coming to a fine, sharp unicorn horn that could pierce a hydra’s scales. Maybe that’s a slight exaggeration, but I don’t care.

Celestia, she’s pretty.

Summer looked at me confusedly. “What was that?”

I blinked and screamed on the inside. I said that out loud didn’t I? Ponyfeathers, I must have mumbled it by accident. “Uh, nothing, sorry. I was just thinking half out loud for a second.”

“Ah. What about?”

A train ran me over. Or at the very least that’s what the question felt like it did to me. Questions could do that? I had never known. Nonetheless my brain felt like it had been squished and whacked like a pinball, bouncing around between three options.

Lie, avoid, truth.

The bounces accelerated, growing furious. Pick one, pick one, which one do I pick?!

“Truth!” I heard Cadance say in the back of my mind. “Every mare wants to know they’re pretty!”

“Avoid!” Shining Armor said. “It’s not worth the pressure!”

“Lie!” Discord said. “Come on, pick it! Pick it, pick it, pick it. Here, I’ll do it for you.”

I don’t know how it happened, but something was picked, and the next thing I knew I was opening my mouth to say something when I felt a chaotic presence behind me.

“Why, strong and handsome Swordulan here was thinking about me!” Discord said.

My eyes widened. “Oh no. Of all times…”

Summer looked up at Discord with a mix of shock and confusion then looked back to me. “You know him?”

My ears drooped and I sighed. “Yes, it’s an unfortunate curse I bear.”

Discord pat me on the head like a pet and pulled my cheek. “Don’t be silly, we’re good friends, and good friends don’t let their friends make bad decisions! I’m here to help things along, like a good friend should.” He stood up tall and a writing board appeared in his paw. “So you two lovebirds, what shall it be for tonight?” He snapped his claw, and suddenly we were all formally dressed and sitting at a table in a fancy restaurant. “Table for two?” He snapped again and we were back to normal sitting on a picnic cloth on a little grassy ledge above Canterlot on the mountain, overlooking nearly all of Equestria. “Romantic picnic spot?” He snapped again and we were rolling down the streets of Canterlot on skates. Discord rolled up beside us going backwards. “Thrilling skate through the city?” He snapped again and we were soaring through the clouds on a pegasus-pulled chariot. Discord popped up beside us as a bird. “Joyride through the clouds?” He snapped again, and finally we were back at Summer’s house.

Summer shook herself, eyes wide. “What. Was. That?”

Discord looked at her oddly. “You mean Swordulan here didn’t tell you yet? He—”

“No, Discord, that’s enough!” I snapped. “Thank you for trying to help, but I don’t need anything from you.”

Discord’s face stretched up to my head. “Are you sure? I’m quite the dating expert, I could—”

“I’m quite sure, Discord,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Go on and… save somepony from a burning building or something.”

Discord pouted. “Hmph, fine. But I’ll be back soon!” With a puff of smoke, he was gone.

“Okay, hold on a second,” Summer said, still visibly confused, “what did he mean by dating expert?”

Lie, avoid, truth. Dear me, the butterflies were back already.

Alright, what would Cadance tell me to do? Well, definitely not lie, and… not avoid, either. She never said anything about telling the truth, but, I had a feeling she’d want me to. Ponyfeathers. There wasn’t a point in making a lie for this anyway. Too much work, and I was a terrible liar.

I took a deep breath and looked her in the eye. “It’s a long story, but… well, I’ll skip the details. My dad wanted me to come see you and ask… uh… ponyfeathers, I’m really bad at this. To ask you out. On a date. Yeah.”

Summer gave a coy smile. “Aw, that’s really sweet, but you make it sound like you’re mostly here because of your dad.”

I shuffled my hoof. “Kinda, sorta, not really. It’s complicated. At first it felt like I was doing this because he wanted me to, but, uh, then you opened the door, and…” I nearly had to force myself to cough out the next part. “What I thought half out loud was that you were pretty. A lot prettier than I remembered.”

“Oh.” Summer looked back into her house and blushed. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? She finally looked back to me. “Thanks, that was sweet of you to tell me.”

I made a dumb grin. “So, I was thinking, do you wanna go and, uh… dinner?”

Summer gave an amused smile. “I think that sounds great right now. I was just about to start preparing something, would you like to come in and lend me a hoof?”

“Oh… yeah, of course.” Why did every question she asked take a few seconds to process? “Maybe we could pack a basket and have a picnic. That idea from Discord didn’t sound too bad, but probably not on a cliff. The park, or somewhere.”

“That sounds like a great idea! Come on in, I’ll go grab a basket and picnic blanket and we can prepare dinner.” She stepped aside and let me in. “Does a salad and a few sandwiches sound good to you?”

I nodded. Amazingly, my appetite was starting to return. “Sounds perfect.”

And so we began to prepare a picnic dinner. I felt a bit odd and out of place at first, but I got over it, and it was nice to just prepare dinner with somepony, though it took nearly all of my willpower to stop myself from snacking. Summer made the salad while I made the sandwiches, as I had much practice with them during the years I went to the School for Gifted Unicorns. We packed it all up in a basket, along with a picnic cloth, and headed out for Canterlot’s central park with me carrying the basket.

If I had looked back, I might’ve seen Alfred Wright holding a rose and looking at us, then tossing the rose down and walking away.
> First Date
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I could scarcely believe this was happening, that I was walking beside Summer with a picnic basket tied to my back. Butterflies still tingled inside me and I had no idea how to make them go away. We reached Canterlot’s central park and found a spot on top of a small grassy hill with a tree. It was high enough to see over the walls and watch the sunset, which was quickly slipping beyond the horizon.

“It’s so beautiful,” Summer said, her eyes sparkling. “I come to this park all the time, but I never knew you could watch the sunset from here.”

I set the picnic basket down and began unloading it, spreading the cloth and setting the food with my magic. “I’ve never been here before.”

Summer looked at me with surprise. “Really? Never?”

I shrugged. “Maybe once or twice, but I don’t remember.”

“Oh. Well, you’ve probably been all over Equestria, being a Lieutenant.” Summer settled down on the picnic cloth. “Do you get to travel much?”

“I’ve been around.” I sat down next to her and levitated a sandwich to my mouth and took a bite. “Wouldn’t say all over Equestria though.”

“What’s the most interesting place you’ve been?”

I took another bite and thought as I chewed. “The Crystal Empire before it returned to normal.”

Summer looked at me wide-eyed. “You were there when it was discovered?”

I nodded. “Shortly after, yes. Went there with Shining Armor and Cadance and stayed one night in the castle. It was… really creepy, actually.”

“The Crystal Empire was creepy? How so? It doesn’t look creepy at all in the photos I’ve seen.”

“Well it’s different now. When we got there, it was surrounded by snow and the spirit of an evil unicorn. Nopony on the streets, very gray and unwelcoming. Sleeping in the castle gave us nightmares. Not very fun, but things got better.”

Summer began working on her sandwich. “I sure hope so. I’ve wanted to visit the Empire for a while, but haven’t had the chance.”

I finished off the last of my sandwich. Strangely, the butterflies had begun to disappear. Was I doing something right? “You know, Cadance said she’d send me a couple tickets to the Equestria Games. I don’t have anypony else to go with, so if you’d like, I could take you.”

Summer’s eyes lit up. “Are you series? I’d love to go! That would be amazing.”

I smiled. “Great. Uh, did you say series?”

Summer blushed. “Oh, that’s just from one of the characters in my stories. She says ‘series’ in place of ‘serious’ a lot.”

I gave a sly smile. “You series?”

“Yeeaah that sounds a lot better in my head. Don’t say it.”

I chuckled. “Okay. But yeah, I’m serious. It’s not for a while though, so maybe we can catch the qualifiers in Rainbow Falls before then.”

“Definitely! That sounds like fun. Have you ever been to the Equestria Games before?”

“No, I was always busy with training and my studies growing up.”

“Aw, really? Did you ever get to do anything fun?”

“Well…” I thought back on my foalhood, and in a way I remembered that being in the School for Gifted Unicorns was fun. Studying magic was fascinating, learning new spells, practicing with combined chemical formulas and magic, and discovering my limits. It had been a wonderful break from training at the Academy, but my father still had me do daily exercises. Under his shadow, it wasn’t all that much fun.

“Not really,” I said, staring at the sun as it slowly vanished. “Just a lot of training and my father pushing me to be the best.”

Summer frowned. “Do you regret that?”

I tilted my head at the question. “I don’t know. If I were to travel back in time to change how my foalhood went, I don’t think I could bring myself to do it. I doubt I’d be sitting here right now, and I think I like where I am.”

Summer finished up her sandwich. “That’s good. Changing the past is overrated.”

I nodded shortly and began working on a bit of the salad. It was… really good. And here I was thinking I did a decent job on the sandwiches. “So why do you want to see the Crystal Empire so much?”

Summer started on the salad too. “It’s not just the Crystal Empire, but it’s definitely at the top of the list of places I want to visit. I like to dabble in photography and use my pictures as inspiration for writing, but I can never seem to find the time for traveling. I’m limited to just reading about places instead.”

“Hmm… that’s a shame. Maybe I can help you with that every now and then. I can’t say I do much writing besides piles of paperwork, but there are a number of locations I know that maybe you haven’t thought of going to. I could take you to them.”

Summer gaped at me. “You’d really do that for me?”

Was I… going too far? I don’t know. “Why not? I’m kind of at a lack for things to do besides my job lately.”

Summer grinned. “I don’t know how to thank you. You’re very generous to do that.”

I smiled briefly and got lost in thought. I’m generous? I was just trying to do something nice, and it wasn’t of any loss to me. Plus, having something to do on my days off would be great. But was I giving too much too quickly? Or was this simply not the sort of thing that regular citizens did? I didn’t understand. Maybe it was just something that the nobility of Canterlot didn’t do, and I was still technically considered of minor nobility.

Actually, now that my father had died, his title passed to me. That hadn’t been included in his will since it was a process that was handled by the Royal House. Their old home here in Canterlot was mine now, or at least it would be when the process was complete. They never sold it. Which meant I now had a higher nobility status, not only being Lieutenant Shield now, but also Lord Shield.

That’s freaking weird.

“Hey, is everything okay?” Summer asked.

I snapped out of my trance and looked back at her. “Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m fine. It’s just that I’ve never thought of myself as generous.”

“Really? Coming from a pony like you that’s rather surprising. How come?”

I shrugged. “I guess it’s because I don’t really pay attention to the things I give away. I’ve never considered myself to have that much, though others might not see it that way. Honestly, most of the time it feels like I only have my sword, armor, and duties.”

Summer had scooted closer to me as she listened. “I think you’ve got a lot more than that, but maybe not in the way you’re thinking. For example, take a pony who has nothing. No home, no family or friends, just barely enough to eat and keep going. Do you think they could be generous?”

I thought for a moment. “I’m not sure. How would they give generously without something to give?”

“Well, giving is not all material wealth. Time is something we all have in abundance. Think of that pony who has nothing, yet does everything they can to help somepony in need, giving a hoof to help pull a heavy cart, caring for somepony’s flowers, or doing their best to comfort anypony in distress. Compare them to a wealthy merchant who possesses an abundance of goods, being in need of nothing, but only uses the time he has to help himself. And what does he use that time on? Gaining more for himself. Maybe he gives hefty sums to support a local hospital or orphanage every now and then, but nothing more. Who do you think is more generous?”

Why did I picture my father as the wealthy merchant? “The pony with nothing. I think I understand what you mean now.”

Summer smiled. “Right? Like the saying goes, when all you’ve got is nothing, there’s a lot to go around. Oh, speaking of going around, I was gonna ask, what’s that thing around your waist?”

I looked back at my sword and took it off, shaping it to normal. “My sword.”

Summer goggled at it. “It’s beautiful. Do you take that everywhere with you?”

I set my sword on the ground beside me. “Never leave home without it.”

“See, you’re even prepared to step up to defend someone wherever you are. How is that not generous?”

“Well, it is the job I was trained for. I don’t think much about it, and… it’s kind of like a safety blanket to me too. It feels more for myself.”

“Hmm, I don’t think you’re giving yourself enough credit.”

I gave a half-hearted shrug. “Maybe. I don’t credit myself with much because I haven’t done anything very noteworthy as a Royal Guard.”

Summer snorted. “I don’t think I’ve done anything noteworthy as a writer or librarian, but that doesn’t mean I’m not making an impact. Do you only base your credit on how successful your career is? Cause listen to me, it’s not about what you’ve done, it’s about who you are and why you do something. You’re the first Lieutenant of the Royal Guard I’ve ever had the chance of talking to, having one of the most important and high ranking jobs in Canterlot, and you’re telling me you haven’t done anything noteworthy. But who says what’s noteworthy or not?”

I stared into space, unable to find the right words. Everything I’d ever been told growing up said she was wrong, but I had a feeling she was right. I’d always been told that… no, no that’s the wrong focus. Who told me it?

“My father,” I said quietly. “He determined whether I had done something noteworthy or not. All my life, I had to live up to his expectations. He…” I looked Summer in the eyes. “He died only a few days ago. There was a letter from his will, and that’s what prompted me to find you. Even with him gone, it still feels like I’m trying to live up to his expectations. Everything he ever told me would say you’re wrong, but I don’t want to believe that anymore.”

Summer put a comforting hoof on my back and smiled. “You don’t have to. I can see that much of your life has been a struggle. I understand that it’s not easy to live under the shadow of somepony’s expectations, but there’s always an escape, even if it feels like you’re trapped in a never-ending maze. But that’s why you have friends help you find your way out, and if you ever need my help I’ll always be happy to lend it.”

I gave a weak smile and felt a lump form in my throat. “Thank you, um…” I looked away and took a deep breath, feeling my eyes watering up. I didn’t know what was coming over me, and I felt stupid, but also good. I cleared my throat and looked back to Summer. “I can’t tell you how glad I am that you came here with me, and for everything you’ve said. It means so much to me.”

Summer beamed. “You’re welcome. I’m glad you’ve been this open with me.” She looked at me curiously for a second and leaned forward and planted a kiss on my cheek.

I wasn’t sure how to describe the feeling of that kiss. Something new, something soft, warm, and compassionate, and all the while sending my mind buzzing. A sentence from my father’s letter came to me. Never forget that you have the potential to make somepony very, very happy. I don’t think I’d ever forget that now.

By now the sun had set and the stars came out. A warm breeze blew in our faces, so we relaxed and watched the stars sparkle, the rest of dinner being long forgotten. No more words were needed, and Summer leaned her head against my neck, causing my hair on the opposite side to stand on end. I wasn’t sure how to react, so, I didn’t. We just sat there, possibly for hours, enjoying each other’s company and the night sky. At some point Summer fell asleep, and I was close to dozing myself, so I used my magic to lift her onto my back and pack everything up, shaping my sword around my hoof like a bracer. I carried her home and slowly put her down in her bed and left.

The train station seemed so far away, but somehow I made it there and got onto the train to Ponyville. I nearly fell asleep on the ride there, but I managed to pick myself up and walk home. Once there, I loosened my sword’s grip and flung it into a random corner, turned off the lights, climbed into my cold bed, and sighed.
> Waking Up
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Waking up was hard. It was a new experience for me, not wanting for the day to go on. I just wanted to go back to last night where everything had been perfect. How would things go from here on? If only I could see the future, maybe that would help.

Work… right. Back to the usual then, I could do that. I think. My mind was spinning from last night. I didn’t sleep so well, and it was also the first time I’d ever gone to bed and felt like something was missing, like there was something I didn’t wrap up during the day, and now if I left it alone too long, something terrible would happen. I probably needed to talk to Summer some more about travel plans.

…very, very happy.

Shut up dad. I’m making the decisions now.

Well, work needed to come first, so after a large breakfast, I strapped on my armor, shaped my sword around my waist, and headed outside. It was a clear, sunny day in Ponyville, nothing interesting going on.

“Beautiful day, isn’t it?” asked a voice above and behind me.

I looked back, and sunbathing on the roof of my house was, unfortunately, Discord in shades. Why was it always him? Why couldn’t there be somepony nice sunbathing on my roof every once in a while?

I sighed. “What are you doing here, Discord?”

He poofed beside me. “What do you mean? It’s my day off, you know. I go where I please, and I did say I’d be back last night, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, but… why spend your time talking to me? I thought I was just a little too boring for you.”

Discord snorted. “Boring? Of course not! Though maybe a little overbearing, as all of you Royal Guard types tend to be. So, how did the date with Summer go? Tell me everything.”

I rolled my eyes. “If you have to know, it went just fine, even without you.”

“And? What, no details?”

“I don’t have to report every detail of my life to you. I outrank you, remember?”

Discord pouted. “Well, the legal documentation is rather vague on that part.” He snapped his paw and out popped a long form of paperwork. “Let’s see, let’s see, article one… section one, paragraph—”

I pulled the paper out of his claw with my magic. “I don’t care about the documentation! Goodness, Discord, I just want to have a nice, normal day without any spirits of chaos following me around.”

The document vanished, and Discord clutched at his chest. “You wound me, Lieutenant! Don’t you remember that I was reformed? I’ve changed! I’m not the same evil spirit of chaos I once was.” He poofed in front of me on his knees, claw and paw clasped together. “Please, let me make it up to you, like a good friend should. Can I get you anything? Anywhere you want to go?”

“No, I’m just going to work.”

“Done!”

Snap.

Next thing I knew I was standing outside the Royal Barracks, Discord still at my side.

“My payment to you, Lieutenant. Now remember, you owe me! Ahahahaha!”

Discord vanished with his laughter.

Owe him? I didn’t even ask for… ugh. One of these days I’m gonna take Discord by the neck and do… something. Probably not, but his interest in me was getting irritating. Or maybe he was only interested in my sword and wanted it for some scheme. I wouldn’t be surprised.

Justice walked out of the barracks and looked at me. “You’re here early.”

I nodded shortly. “Had a hard time sleeping.”

“Everything alright?”

“Went on a date last night.”

Justice gave an amused smile. “Alright then, sounds like that went well. You gonna go off like Shining Armor, get married and discover a lost empire?”

“Uh… can I go home now?”

Justice laughed. “Get to the walls you champ.”

I sighed and saluted before trotting off to Canterlot’s gates. It was slow going from then on, and it was pure agony. It was bizarre to think I had done this day after day for over a year now without getting tired of it. Why was I now having a hard time? Maybe it was just, in comparison to last night, today seemed a whole lot less wonderful.

Didn’t I like my job?

“Lieutenant Shield, Sir,” a guard called after me as I was patrolling the wall. I turned to him and returned his salute. “A Miss Dawn came to the barracks looking for you.”

My eyes widened. “Really? I… cool. As you were.”

The guard trotted off and I headed for the barracks a little faster than usual. She was looking for me already? That was surprising. Maybe she was a morning pony like me.

When the barracks came into view, I spotted her staring down a pair of Royal Guards standing stiff outside the barracks door. As I approached she turned around and smiled.

“Swordulan, there you are!” she said. “I’ve been waiting here for nearly fifteen minutes and these fellows still haven’t moved an inch. How in Equestria do they do it?”

I gave a sly smile. “Lots of training. Here, watch this.”

I stepped up to the guards and looked them in the eye, then ever so slowly let my eyes diverge until they were both focused on either guard. It was a weird trick I could do since I was a colt. Couldn’t remember the last time I did it though.

The guards glanced at each other, but neither moved nor spoke. Summer looked at me curiously.

“One of you can move so long as the other is being focused on,” I said, “but what if your superior officer can watch you both simultaneously?”

“You’ll not get us this time, Sir,” said the one on the right.

“Won’t catch us alive, Sir,” said the other.

I let my eyes refocus. “Good, but next time you’ll want your saddle armor to be buckled correctly.”

The guards’ eyes went wide and they looked back, finding their armor buckled just fine. They grumbled in resignation.

“Ponyfeathers. Third time, Sir. Well played.”

I turned around with a chuckle. “Always a pleasure. Anyway, Summer, I was on wall patrol and need to get back. Is it okay if we walk and talk?”

“Sure, that’s fine,” Summer said, following by my side as I headed back for the walls. “I wanted to say thank you for bringing me home last night, and that I had a great time.”

“Oh, yeah, it was no problem.” I blinked in confusion. Was there something else I should say? “It uh… wasn’t like I’d just leave you there. And I’m glad you enjoyed it, I did too. Er… was that all?”

Summer looked at me confusedly. “Are you feeling okay?”

I nodded quickly. “Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”

“You just seem a little, I don’t know, uncomfortable all of a sudden.”

I looked away. “I’m not uncomfortable, just a bit…” Luna said it’s good to let emotions out. “Frustrated, I guess.”

“What’s the matter?”

“It’s nothing, really. I’m… hmph, alright that’s not totally true.” I looked back at her. “There’s just a lot on my mind, a lot of crazy things are happening in a real short amount of time, and I’m frustrated because I don’t know how to talk about it. I’ve never learned how to properly talk to others, or something like that.”

Summer looked at me funny. “What? That’s ridiculous, there’s no proper way to talk to others. You just talk and they’ll listen, or they won’t. Just relax, don’t worry about it. I wanted to talk to you about possible future plans. Your offer to go to the Crystal Empire still stands, right?”

I took a deep breath. “Of course, tickets to the Equestria Games. I could take you there even sooner if you’d like. Take some time to get to know the place beforehoof.”

Summer’s eyes sparkled. “Really? How soon do you think?”

“I don’t know, pick a date.”

“What about this weekend?”

I gave a nod. “Alright, done. Train to the Crystal Empire Friday late afternoon, you can meet Shining Armor and Cadance, we’ll get castle accommodations and stay Friday and Saturday night and come back Sunday afternoon.”

Summer gaped. “Can you really do that?”

“I’ll have to check with the Captain, but it should be fine. Other than that, I’m friends with Shining Armor and Cadance. I’m sure they’d be happy to let us stay a couple days.”

“That sounds perfect! I’ll be home and ready at four on Friday.”

“Great! I’ll check with the Captain when I get my first break and let you know what he says, but I’m sure everything will be fine.”




*




“No,” Justice said, neatly stacking a pile of paperwork on his desk.

“What?” I asked desperately. “Why not?”

“I need you here for basic evaluation. We’re going to be sending a number of new recruits across Equestria, and I need your good eyes to pick them.”

I groaned. “Can’t Spotter take my place for that?”

“Nope.”

I frowned and planted my face onto the desk. “Why… do you hate me… so much?”

“But I suppose I can make an exception, just this once.”

I looked up, eyes wide. “Huh?”

Justice smiled. “I’m messing with you. I know you need this, so you’re good to go. But, I don’t want to be seeing this happening all over the place, and I expect some extra hard work this week.”

I jumped from my seat. “Yes! Anything you say, Captain, and it’ll get done.”

Justice sighed with relief. “Good. Say hello to Shining Armor for me. Dismissed.”

I saluted. “Yes, Sir!”

I trotted triumphantly out of the barracks and carelessly threw my sword into the air with my magic. “Yes!”
> The Promises We Make And Paths We Take - The Funeral
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Summer continued to walk with me on my wall patrol so we could hash out plans for our visit to the Crystal Empire. She had also worried about not being allowed the extra bit of time off, but the other librarian, Alfred, agreed to cover her shift. After a couple hours of brainstorming, we ultimately decided that we’d take a tour of the castle and city, hike into the northern mountains and explore some of the crystal caverns there, and lastly explore the Empire’s huge library. Maybe even attend some social event if something like that were happening, which seemed likely, cause, come on, it’s the Crystal Empire.

For the remainder of the day, I repeated the plans in my head until I had them completely memorized. It was only a week until we’d go, but I didn’t want to forget anything. This could easily be one of the most important events in my life. I wasn’t going to let anything go wrong.


*


The following day, in the midst of all my excitement for the coming weekend, I received a sobering invitation. My father’s funeral was tomorrow in Manehattan, and I was asked to speak about him.

That… was hard to think about. I didn’t want to go, but, I probably needed to. I needed to apologize to my mom and see if I could clear up things with my cousin. My family shouldn’t have broken apart like this, even if there were some cracks from the beginning. It was too easy to cast blame onto my father, or Stonehenge, but more or less it felt like a lot of it was my fault.

I was going to fix things.

That’s what I kept telling myself throughout the work day, which was tiresome. Having to face an entire day with what lay ahead the next did no favors to my psyche. I growled at myself every time my thoughts turned to wishing I didn’t have to deal with it at all, but I needed to face it, this was life. For me, at least. I wonder what it was like for Summer. Probably a lot less stressful.

There was a little bit of excitement during the afternoon when a noble’s house was robbed. A robbery during broad daylight, of all things, and we still didn’t manage to nab the pony who did it. What a nightmare for us higher-ups, dealing with the nobility. It was like they expected us to have eyes and ears everywhere and know every nook and cranny in Canterlot a burglar could hide in.

The evening came around and I made my way hope to collapse on my bed. When was I going to get a break? I needed a break. And to think I’d never thought such a thing in my career until now. At least I was getting one at the weekend, sort of. For some reason going to the Crystal Empire with Summer still sounded like work in my mind.

Ponyfeathers, my brain was buzzing, and I needed sleep. Go… to… sleep… brain.

GO TO SLEEP!

Okay… any minute now.

*

Was that the sun already?

“Put it baaaack, Princess Celestia,” I groaned.

But she didn’t, so I got up and went outside to stare at it menacingly for a couple seconds, then made breakfast. I of course received permission from the Captain to attend my father’s funeral, though I was still expected to check in this morning for any updates about the burglar. I did so, and there were none, so I had nothing left to do but bide my time until I needed to go to Manehattan. So, I went to the base of the mountain and practiced magic on my sword, testing the new limits it had. Shapeshifting it into something really big took a little while, and it took a lot more magic than usual when using the raindrop form and sight-seeing spell with the sword to fly. Could still fly decently fast doing that though, but I’d probably be better off just teleporting.

Eventually the time came around to head for Manehattan, so I went home and got my tuxedo, dressed, and caught the train there. It was an anxiety-filled trip. What was I going to say? Did I mention the bad, or only the good? I mean, I guess there was some good I could say, like what he wrote to me. Ponyfeathers, I should’ve prepared something on paper.

The train arrived at Manehattan, and as I made my way out of the Grand Central Terminal, I was surprised to spot Shining Armor and Cadance making their way out too. I trotted up to them and called out, making them stop and turn.

“Hey, Swordulan!” Shining Armor said. “Looking good.”

“Thanks,” I said. “You too. What’s the occasion?” They were dressed up as much as I was. Cadance looked… very strange in black.

“We were invited to your father’s funeral too,” Cadance said. “Are you doing alright?”

“I’m… not too bad, I guess.” I wasn’t too surprised they’d been invited. My mom knew Cadance, though I wasn’t aware of their friendship’s depth. “A little bit nervous I suppose. I’ve never been to a funeral, and now I’m supposed to speak at one. I’m not even sure what to say.”

“Focus on the good impact he made,” Shining Armor said. “I know you and your father had a rough relationship, but that doesn’t have to be what defines him or you.”

I nodded. “I know. Thanks.”

“Well we better not keep everypony waiting,” Cadance said, turning back to the exit. “Come on.”

The three of us headed out together, and as we made it out into daylight, I remembered the upcoming trip.

“Oh,” I said, “I have something to tell you both, and something to ask.”

“What’s up?” Shining Armor said.

“Summer and I are planning to visit the Crystal Empire this weekend, Friday through Sunday. I was hoping we could get castle accommodations?”

Cadance grinned. “Of course! So I take it things went well with her?”

Shining Armor looked nearly dumbstruck as he hailed a carriage for us. “That was fast.”

I blushed. “Yeah. Discord tried to muddle it up at first, but then he left us alone, and so we had a picnic dinner. It was nice.”

We climbed into the carriage and Shining Armor gave the driver directions to the funeral.

“That’s wonderful!” Cadance said. “But why would Discord try to muddle it up?”

“I have no idea. I think he’s taken an interest in me because of my sword. That, or he just enjoys bothering me. It’s hard to tell. Anyway, thanks for the advice you gave. It helped.”

“I’m glad. We’re excited for you, Swordulan. It’s always wonderful when you hit it off with somepony like that.”

“Totally,” Shining Armor said. “Anything fun you have planned for your visit? I could give you a couple ideas.”

“We want to see the crystal caverns in the mountains, explore the library, and tour around.”

“Sounds like you’ve got it all planned out,” Cadance said.

“Of course,” I said, giving her an odd look. “Don’t you know me? I never wing it, except when necessary.”

“And when is that?” Shining Armor asked.

“When you jump into chasms.”

“Ouch. You’re never going to let that go, are you?”

I smirked. “I will bring it to my grave and make sure the fact is etched onto yours.”

Cadance rolled her eyes. “Speaking of graves, looks like we’re here.”

The carriage had pulled up to the cemetery, which might’ve been mistaken as a park at first glance. Lots of trees and sidewalk paths, though between it all were gravestones and flowers. I quickly spotted my father’s funeral getting underway a short distance away. Ponies were taking their seats.

“Are you coming, Swordulan?” Shining Armor asked. He and Cadance were already off the carriage.

“Oh, yeah,” I said, standing up and jumping down.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Cadance asked.

I took a deep breath and steeled myself. “I’m here. That’s what matters.”

I was going to fix things.

We walked up to the funeral, and both Cadance and Shining Armor split off to greet others and give their condolences to my mother, who was the center of attention. I made my way around everyone to the front of the seats and found a chair reserved for me right next to my mother’s. How was I going to talk to her? What was I going to say?

I looked up and spotted Katana staring me down from afar, though she quickly turned away and took a seat in the back row. Then a number of ponies began coming up to me and giving their condolences. I hardly knew any of them, but they were friends or business associates of my parents. My uncle Stock and aunt Biddy were here, also having seats reserved in the front row. It was weird to see them. When my uncle came up to me he didn’t say anything, just pat me on the back and took his seat. Our relationship had always been odd. He seemed to like me, but usually kept what I’d call a professional distance. I think he had envied my father for having me as a son.

Soon everyone was in their seats, and it felt as though time was speeding by. My mother came and sat down, and she didn’t seem to notice I was even there. I wanted to say something, but nothing was coming out right in my head. A hush fell on the scene as somepony took to the podium at the front. There was no stage, just the podium and my father’s casket. Some words were said about my father, but they went in one ear and out the other. I could barely focus on the words, my mind was too preoccupied by what was taking place. My aunt and uncle sitting here in the front, their daughter all the way in the back. There was an empty seat next to her. For Stonehenge I assumed.

A broken family. That’s what we were.

Uncle Stock took the podium next and shared his piece about my father, speaking about what it had been like growing up as the sons of a Royal Guard Captain with a couple stories, and then what it had been like working together as business partners here in the big city. It all sounded like things worked out so easily for them.

Then it was my turn.

With a deep breath, I got up and took the podium. I looked through all the ponies watching me. Katana had her eyes turned away, but I was glad to see my mother was watching. I was going to make things better.

I cleared my throat. “I owe everything I have to my father.” All the good and bad. “I don’t know where I’d be without him, and I’m not sure where I’ll go without him.” Better places, I hope. “If it weren’t for him, I would never have made it to my position in the Royal Guard.” He didn’t give me much of a choice. “I wouldn’t have the drive to be the best I can be, nor the strength and determination to push my limits. When times were hard and I went down, he was there to pick me up.” Even if it were only to throw me down again. “He made sure I knew that I was destined to do great things, and it was him who empowered me to do so. I never had to doubt that he was proud of me.” At least I always believed he wasn’t, until I read that letter. “And I’ll never forget he’s the reason I’m here.” That… that was one of the last things I had ever said to him. “I hope that we can all learn from and follow his example of…” Steadfastness? Determination? Reliability? “…of nobility.”

And that was all I said. I took my seat, and things proceeded without my notice. I just couldn’t focus on what was going on anymore. It was all too much, so I sat there, staring ahead, pretending I was paying attention. I wasn’t even sure when it all ended, the casket was there one moment, and the next it was gone. Chairs were starting to be put away when I realized my mom had disappeared, and Katana stood off to my side, staring at me.

“You’re such a liar,” she said softly.

“Nothing I said was a lie,” I said. “Just… the truth made to sound good.”

Katana snorted. “Well, it definitely had everypony convinced as much. You just going to run back to your job and pretend like everything’s fine now?”

I got off my chair and let it be taken away. “Nothing about what just happened is fine. Stonehenge being gone is not fine. You sitting in the back is not fine. There should have been a spot for you at the front.”

“Pff, I wouldn’t have taken it anyway.”

“That’s exactly why none of this is fine. We are a broken family, Katana. I want to fix it, even if I don’t know where to start. But what about you? Do you want to fix it? Are you doing anything to try and mend your relationship with your parents? Or is all your focus on trying to find fault in me?”

Katana said nothing, just stared at empty space.

“That’s what I thought. Let me know when you’re ready to do something about all this.”

I turned away and trotted back to the streets of Manehattan to catch a carriage back to the train station. I didn’t think I’d be able to fix anything today, for now everypony probably needed a bit of time, even myself. At least the upcoming date would be a good distraction.


*


It was a beautiful Thursday afternoon. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, the wind was softly blowing, and everything was as it should be.

Except, tomorrow was the big day, and I was as bored and aggravated as I’d ever been in my entire life. Besides the funeral, the whole past week had been rigorous, as we’d been on the alert for a white-coated and azure-maned mare pegasus burglar named Skybreaker. There hadn’t been any sign of her today, or yesterday, or the day before, yet we were still to keep our eyes peeled.

Me, I stood gazing out into Equestria, repeatedly tossing my sword over the wall and teleporting it back to me. I was that bored.

“Uhh, Sir?” one of the guards a few paces down the wall said. “We’re not supposed to be tossing weapons off the walls.”

I heaved a sigh and let my sword stand against my side. “You’re right... good form. Just a bit anxious, you know? Big day tomorrow and… is it just me or—agh!”

I jumped away from my sword and let it fall to the ground. The blasted thing had suddenly heated up like the sun and nearly melted my hide off! What in Equestria?

The guard trotted over to me. “What happened, Sir?”

I approached my sword and carefully poked at it, though I felt nothing. “I’m not sure.” I picked it up in my magic and put my hoof on the large crystal. “That’s strange, it’s warm.”

“…Sir?”

“The enchantment isn’t supposed to do this. It only did it when… oh no. I have to go take care of this. Keep watch for me.”

I galloped off and made for the castle. If the enchantment was acting up like this, then it must have meant the entity returned somehow. Maybe? No, it still felt heavier than it used to. What in Equestria?

Making it off the wall, I rounded a corner to take a shortcut down an alley, and at the end was the undeniable shape of Discord’s backside.

“Oh come on!” I said. I wanted Celestia, not Discord.

Discord turned around and raised his arms. “Well, if it isn’t my favorite Lieutenant! I just happened to be in the neighborhood and heard you had a bit of trouble with that sword of yours again.” He floated over my head and pointed at the sword. “Mind if I take a look? Perhaps I can figure out what happened.”

I levitated the sword up to him with a sigh. “Fine, knock yourself out.”

Discord grabbed the sword with his paw and stroked its surface. “Hmm, you haven’t been dusting this, have you? Shame on you, Lieutenant.” He crumpled up the sword into a ball and made a magnifying glass appear over it. “That’s strange… enchantments aren’t supposed to do that.”

“Do what?”

Discord spun the sword-ball on the tip of his claw. “There seems to be some magical link connected to the enchantment I hadn’t noticed before. I’m not sure what it is. I may need to study it a while longer. Say, I also heard that you were going on a date with that mare-friend of yours. I could hold onto this and figure out what’s wrong while you’re away, and I promise that no harm will come to it.”

I grimaced at the thought of that, but… if it was acting strange… “Do you think there might be a problem if I take it?”

Discord shrugged, leaving the sword-ball spinning in the air. “There’s no way to tell for sure, but you can never be too safe with this sort of magic. You do know most unicorns no longer use crystals for such things because of the instability it can have in the wrong crystals, right? And these are very, very old crystals. You wouldn’t risk hurting your mare-friend, would you?”

I sighed. “Fine, as long as you also make sure it doesn’t hurt anyone else.”

Discord scoffed and snapped his claw, making the sword disappear. “Just who do you think I am? Why, I won’t let it hurt a fly.”

And with that, he poofed away.

I really hope I didn’t just make a huge mistake.

Well, back to the walls for the rest of the slow, slow day. Where was Pinkie Pie when you needed her? Probably throwing a party somewhere. Ponyfeathers.

As I expected, the rest of the day passed like molasses, and I went to bed full of anxiety for the coming day. It was probably stupid to be so worried, but, I wasn’t going to have my sword with me. That hadn’t been part of the plan at all. Should I wear my armor on the trip? No, that might make Summer uncomfortable. I’d have to rely on my magic if anything were to go wrong.

I could do that. My magic wasn’t weak by any means, though I suppose I was a bit rusty. Maybe I’ll do some studying at the Crystal Empire’s library.
> The Promises We Make And Paths We Take - Departures
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The morning came too early. All the anticipation had me up at the crack of dawn, and try as I might, I couldn’t fall back asleep. So I opted to go outside and do a number of stretches and exercises, then went back inside and tried to distract myself with a book. That didn’t seem to help pass the time, with all my thoughts diverting away from what I was reading and to the trip. Why couldn’t I just focus and keep it off my mind until the time came around? Uagh!
No, I wasn’t going to let this happen to me. I could control my thoughts and emotions. I—
Bang, bang, bang, bang.
What the…? Who was pounding on my door this early in the morning?
I opened the door to find Katana standing outside, looking oddly distressed.
“Swordulan, thank Celestia you’re up,” she said. So, was she not upset at me anymore? “Are you busy at all today?”
I blinked. This must have been serious. “Uh… kind of. What’s wrong?”
“It’s Stonehenge, I think I found him, or at least where he is. But I need your help, I think he’s in trouble.”
I gaped. “You found Stonehenge? How… where!?”
This couldn’t be happening, especially now of all times. After Stonehenge had washed out of the Royal Guard and I joined up, I had thought about trying to find him, but I never had any time. I probably could have tried something once I got the rank of Lieutenant, but that thought hadn’t occurred to me… until now anyway.
“He’s hiding somewhere in the Crystal Empire,” Katana said. “I don’t know all of the details, all I know is that he fell into a bad crowd and managed to make them really mad, so now he’s on the run. I need your help to find him, I have to know he’s safe.”
“Well… sweet Celestia, I… I can’t help you this second. I have to finish up some work, but I’ll be in the Crystal Empire later today, I can meet you there.” I didn’t want to though, and a part of me hated myself for it.
“You were already going to the Crystal Empire? Why?”
Ponyfeathers. Do I tell her about the date? “Shining Armor wanted to see me about something. Maybe he can help find Stonehenge too.”
“No, I don’t want anypony else going after him. It might make things worse. Just meet me at The Crystal Horseshoe, alone.”
She trotted out the door and flew off, just like that. I sat down on the floor and stared at the wall, wondering… why in Equestria did I lie? Royal Guards don’t lie like that. Did I even plan to help search for Stonehenge? I… why don’t I want to help find him? He’s my cousin! Family! And I wanted to bring my family back together, yet… I also really want to go on this trip with Summer.
I couldn’t think about all this. There was work to be done, and so to work I went. Without my sword, I took the train to Canterlot, though I heard Pinkie Pie in the distance shouting the strangest thing I’d ever heard her say.
“This is the most daring dare anypony ever dared dare another pony to dare!”
So… how dare somepony dare another to dare them to a dare and it was quite daring. But, what was the dare? How dare they not tell everypony?
Ohh, this morning wasn’t taking it easy on my head whatsoever. Paperwork. That would take my mind off things, glorious paperwork. I can just smell the paper, the ink, the scent of organized cleanliness in my office.
Celestia help me, I’m looking forward to paperwork.

An hour later, I sat in my office staring at a sheet of paperwork, and my eyes were glazing over. What was Katana up to right this moment? What sort of trouble is Stonehenge in? Why in the Crystal Empire of all places? Maybe I should cancel the date… but what would Summer think? She’d probably understand, it being family and all that. Though Stonehenge had barely been part of the family over the last couple years. He’d made himself so scarce none of us knew whether he had been alive at all.
Am I trying to justify not helping?
No! The date will go on because Shining Armor can help. I’ll leave everything to him and it will all work out just the way it’s supposed to. Everybody wins.
“How’s that paperwork coming along, Lieutenant?” Captain Morningstar asked from behind, nearly making me jump out of my hide.
“Oh, Captain, it’s getting there,” I said uneasily.
“Really?” He peered over me. “Getting there? It hardly looks like it has got going. You’re usually quick with this, is something wrong?”
I put the paperwork down and slouched back in my chair. “My mind has no desire to focus on anything for more than five seconds.”
“Flying through storm clouds? I understand, you’ve got quite a trip coming up.”
“It’s not that,” I sighed. “Well, I guess some of it is, but I’m worried about my cousins. They might be in serious trouble over in the Crystal Empire.”
“They? I thought you only had one cousin.”
“There’s Katana and Stonehenge. Stone’s an ex-guard who disappeared a couple years ago. Now it seems he’s shown up in bad company.”
“Is there anything I can do? I can send word to Shining Armor.”
I shook my head. “I’ll talk to him about it myself. Don’t worry about it. I’ll get this paperwork done too.” I took a deep breath and rubbed my head. “Hopefully.”
“Alright then. You just take it easy.”
“Yes, Sir.”


*


 

What should have only taken me half an hour to finish took two hours. Ridiculous, but at least it’s done. After another couple hours of wall patrols I retired for the day and went home to prepare for the trip. Having to do so much back and forth between Ponyville and Canterlot on the train made me miss my sword. It was going to be awful being without it.
The feeling of butterflies began to mount as I put away my armor. I didn’t need much for the trip; a small suitcase containing a decent amount of bits, my tuxedo—just in case—and something warm to wear. No reason to worry about food, though lunch sounded nice right now, so I prepared a pineapple and ate it on the way back to the train station.
It was just before four in the afternoon when I arrived at Summer’s house, right on time. I raised my hoof to knock on the door, but it swung open right then, and I nearly smacked Summer in the head.
“Oh! Perfect timing,” she said, levitating two suitcases next to her. “You got everything ready to go?”
“More or less,” I said. “Anything you need me to carry?”
Summer levitated her large suitcase to me. “That would be great.”
The thing was nearly twice as big as me. I levitated it onto my back along with my own suitcase and kept them balanced with magic. My legs whimpered. “Whoa-kay. You sure you got everything?”
“Yep!”
I slowly turned back to the street. “Grrrreat, let’s go.”
Summer bounced out the door with her suitcase, grinning. “Ah, I’m so excited!”
“Meee too.”
Honestly though, I was terrified. Katana was at the Empire, and I had lied to her. How was I supposed to meet her at the Crystal Horseshoe and keep Summer out of the loop? Maybe I could get Cadance to keep her occupied for a bit, or maybe… I just didn’t need to meet with Katana. I was going to have Shining Armor help me find Stonehenge anyway, so there was no reason for me to help. Shining Armor’s stallions were a capable bunch.
Uagh, but there were so many ways things could go wrong! Katana could mess things up in all sorts of ways, and, and… I pushed the fears to the back of my mind and set my mind on getting to the train station. I could worry about finding Stonehenge once we were settled in the castle. We were shortly onboard a train and headed for the Empire, sitting together and watching the landscape fly by.
“Equestria is so beautiful, I wish I got out more to see it,” Summer said.
I nodded shortly. “It’s pretty dangerous in some places too,” I said, remembering a number of the monsters I’d encountered. “I found a hostile dragon in Hollow Shades not too long ago.”
Summer looked back at me with skepticism. “You say that like you were merely taking a stroll in the park.”
“It was a strange night. I was trying to sleep, the dragon wanted the crystals in my sword, the crystals decided they didn’t like that, so they blew up the dragon.”
The look on Summer’s face was a mix of shock and fear. “The crystals blew it up?”
I shrugged. “Or teleported it somewhere else, even into another dimension for all I know. Not sure.”
Summer hesitated. “Do you have your sword with you now?”
“No, I left it behind with Discord.”
Summer gave me a dry look. “Alright, now I know you’re messing with me. Nopony says something so ridiculous with that amount of deadpan.”
Oh right, I never told her about my sword. Now it was starting to occur to me just how much larger than life all of that was. “Uh… well, that is where I left it actually. It was acting strange, and I thought it might be too risky to take it with me, and… it’s a long story.”
“Well,” Summer glanced out the window, “we have some time, and I love an interesting story.”
Ponyfeathers, I am a terrible storyteller, but at least it was something to keep my mind off of Katana and Stonehenge.
I took a deep breath. “I guess it began all the way back when I joined the Royal Guard…”
> The Promises We Make And Paths We Take - Expected & Unexpected Guests
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once I had finished telling Summer the story about my sword, she noticed one of the stars on my cutie mark reappearing, the top right one. I was surprised to find that the top left star had returned too. I’d been so distracted lately that I never noticed it reappearing. It was so strange, all my stars were back now, and I had no idea why. Summer asked for the story behind that, which I reluctantly told. It was hard to believe she stayed interested the story of my sword to begin with; I got so mixed up with events while telling it.
We arrived in the Crystal Empire right as I was finishing the story of my cutie mark disappearing and reappearing, and the sun was getting close to the horizon. I hauled Summer’s gargantuan suitcase out of the train along with my own, and only a moment later half a dozen Royal Guards came to our assistance and took everything off our hooves. Summer had quickly taken out a camera from her small suitcase and begun taking pictures.
“Welcome back to the Crystal Empire, Lieutenant Shield,” one of the guards said. It was Flash Sentry. “Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor have been expecting you. Your rooms are prepared and waiting at the castle.”
“Excellent,” I said. “If you could take our things there, we’ll be over shortly.”
Flash Sentry gave a salute. “Right away, Sir!”
The guards trotted off and I walked over to Summer as she busied herself taking pictures of the buildings, tourist stands, and castle.
Summer glanced at me. “It’s more beautiful than anything I’ve ever seen before. The pictures don’t do it justice.”
I looked up at the castle, taking in its full size and extravagance. I nodded shortly. “They really don’t. It’s weird being here like this, honestly. Every time I’ve come before was either job-related or for help from Shining Armor and Cadance. Never to just relax and appreciate the place.”
Hopefully my cousin wouldn’t end up ruining that. Knowing her, though…
“Well now seems like a great time to do that,” Summer said cheerfully. “Come stand right here, I wanna get a picture of you with the castle.”
I walked to the spot she pointed out. “Should I strike a pose or something?” I straightened and made a formal salute.
Summer chuckled. “That’s perfect, hold still for a second.”
“Only a second? I could do this for an hour if you really need.”
Summer rolled her eyes and snapped a couple photos. “Alright, now let’s hurry to the castle. I can’t wait to see what it looks like inside.”
We made our way to the castle and found the Royal Guards that were transporting our suitcases. As we began to follow them, Shining Armor and Cadance appeared and stopped us.
“Hey, Swordulan!” Shining Armor said. “Glad to see you two made it.”
Cadance looked at Summer and gave a bright smile. “You must be Summer Dawn. It’s so good to meet you. I’m Cadance, and this is my husband, Shining Armor.”
Summer gave a sheepish grin. “It’s an honor to meet you.”
“It’s our pleasure. Is this your first time here?”
Summer nodded.
“That’s wonderful! Welcome. How about I show you around the castle while we get you situated?”
Summer was practically beaming. “That sounds divine!”
The two of them walked off while Shining Armor came up to me nodding slowly as he watched them disappear around a corner. “She’s quite the catch. Seems like you’ve got everything worked out.”
“Yeah,” I said slowly.
“Uh oh. I know that look, Lieutenant.”
I took half a step back from him. “Look? What look? I don’t have a look.”
“Yep, that’s the look. Same look my sister gets when nothing’s going according to plan. I know it well. Sooo, what’s going on?”
I grimaced. “I didn’t want to tell you so soon. It’s about Stonehenge.”
Shining Armor’s eyes went wide. “What? I thought he disappeared.”
I shook my head. “Apparently not. He’s somewhere here in the Empire, or so my cousin Katana says.”
“And in trouble it sounds like.”
“I’m worried sick. Katana is trying to find him and likely to end up doing something stupid. Stonehenge is tough, but I don’t know what he’s gotten himself into. Katana told me to meet her at the Crystal Horseshoe, and she doesn’t want help from anypony but me.”
Shining Armor looked at me thoughtfully. “What are you going to do?”
Ponyfeathers, not the question I wanted. “I don’t know.” Cop-out answer, I know.
“What do you want to do?”
That was easy. “Run and hide.”
He got really loud. “Oh come on, soldier, pull yourself together!” I instinctively stood at attention. “You are a Shield, you don’t get to run and hide, you take the brunt of the blow and you do not break, no matter how much comes at you.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“You are a Shield!”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Are you a Shield?”
“Yes, Sir!”
He finally lowered his voice. “Then start acting like it. I’ll have my guards on alert for Stonehenge as well as any unusual tourists, but it’s up to you how to deal with Katana and Summer. I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to, but I warn you, if you don’t do what you know is the right thing, it will end badly.”
I took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes. “Yes, Sir.”
“I really mean that, Swordulan. Don’t get sucked into thinking you’ll be able to tactically weave your way through this without consequences. At ease.”
I relaxed and magically reached out to my sword, only to be disappointed and have a terrible, terrible feeling come over me. Vulnerability.
“I don’t have my sword,” I muttered.
“Where is it?”
“With Discord.”
Shining Armor looked at me with disbelief. “Care to explain?”
“It’s not like I wanted to leave it with him...”


	*


	 

Oh, hellooo! I must say this is unexpected, I don’t usually get many guests here within my subconscious. Certainly not uninvited guests. Well, if you must intrude like this, come on in, watch your step, and don’t track in any mud. Do make yourself at home though, it’s always pleasant to have visitors. Unfortunate that it’s such a rare occurrence…
Anyhow, you must be wondering who this is. Or if you’ve any stretch of intelligence or imagination, you’ve already guessed. I shall introduce myself nonetheless. I am Discord, Spirit of Chaos, reformed! I know, it’s quite daunting to meet me, but don’t worry, I don’t bite. At least ever since I met dearest Fluttershy.
But let’s not make this about her. You know what this is about, I know what this is about, so let’s just be absolutely clear. Waffles are superior to pancakes, in every way! They cook faster, they can be soft or deliciously crunchy, they hold an exquisite amount of syrup, and you can’t get much wrong with one. No, I won’t hear it, pancakes are no good in comparison! Why anypony would prefer them is a complete mystery.
Now, this is unimportant, but I do have something interesting to share. I’ve been studying this sword I got from Lieutenant Shield. I’m sure you’ve heard of him. It’s quite a fascinating object, and it’s not often I have the chance to say that. The thing about it is that it seems to be operating on some kind of undead magic. I shall explain.
The thing with enchantment spells is that, if the pony casting them does not fully know what they’re doing, they become completely unpredictable. Especially so for crystals as old and powerful as the ones in this sword. They’ve absorbed magic over such a long period of time that, at least the largest crystal, formed consciousness, a magical entity, deep inside its structure. Often such crystals have enough power to influence the pony who wields them, for good or evil. Usually evil. This is not something casually discussed among the unicorns, it’s quite controversial, ethically and otherwise. Not well understood either, except by yours truly of course.
Swordulan must have awoken and bound to the entity within the crystal when he cast his enchantment. Yet somehow, the entity has managed to escape, presumably from the way the crystal cracked. The aftereffect is what’s curious, because there is still some great source of power the crystals are tapping into, but it’s completely untraceable. The enchantment exists and also doesn’t exist, the crystal is empty and yet full. It’s quite a paradox, and the only accurate phrase I can think of to describe it is undead magic. Obviously there’s not supposed to be such a thing, but whatever I might do to the crystal's enchantment spell-wise, it either resists my magic or instantly reverts to its undead state.
Most curiously, every now and then the crystal will go supernova, causing the sword to glow as hot as the sun. Dunking it in ice water has no effect, nor any spell I cast. The effect seems to come and go as it pleases, though it hasn’t lasted longer than maybe ten seconds. When I had nothing else to do, I spent hours pacing around my realm of chaos thinking of how such a thing is possible. How could such a thing as undead magic exist without being utterly destroyed? Its mere existence seemed to deny all laws of magic. But then the lightbulb hit me; if the crystal was still bound to the entity, then perhaps the entity, wherever it was, still lent its power to the crystal. Yes, Swordulan had said that for all he knew it was in a parallel universe now. That had to be it. If the entity was still bound to the crystal, it would make sense for it to reject any other magic cast upon it. The entity would have to be destroyed.
But which parallel universe had it scurried off to? Hmm. I’ll have to discuss this with Princess Celestia. Perhaps she’ll have an idea. If there’s a powerful entity loose somewhere among the infinitesimal of the cosmos, it will need to be stopped sooner or later.


	*


	 

It was getting dark and Swordulan still hadn’t shown up. I began to wonder if he had been lying about coming here, or if he simply didn’t have the heart to help his family. What a hypocrite, spouting off nonsense about trying to fix our family. Wasn’t it clear to him that it couldn’t be fixed? At least, not with our parents. Mine hadn’t even spent one ounce of effort into finding my brother.
I gave up waiting for Swordulan to arrive at the Crystal Horseshoe and made my way around the streets, wishing I could cast some sort of night-vision spell. I’d have tried flying around to see if I could spot Stonehenge, but I didn’t want to be so obvious. Swordulan might have alerted the Royal Guard here about my presence. The conehead probably thought he could control me, hah!
Wandering randomly wasn’t getting me anywhere. There had to be some other way I could find Stonehenge, like putting up posters, maybe with a coded message only he would understand. Like… ah, ponyfeathers, I’m not smart enough for something like that. If only Swordulan had come, maybe we’d have a chance, but noooo, he’s probably doing some sort of top secret mission for Princess Celestia or whatever. Why couldn’t he just help me?
I spotted a patrol of guards and discreetly slipped into a long empty alley. I crouched and watched them as they passed, and once gone, I began to head back out when a pair of strong hooves grabbed my face and flipped me around. I was ready to flare my wings and attack, until I realized who it was.
“Shh,” Stonehenge said, his hoof still holding my mouth. “Don’t yell.”
He released me and I gaped at him for a moment, then walloped the side of his head with a hiss, though he didn’t even flinch. “Where the buck have you been? I’ve been looking all over for you.”
Stonehenge looked around cautiously. “I can’t explain, at least not where someone might be able to hear. Can’t trust anyone.”
“What are you talking about? You disappeared!”
He grit his teeth. “Quiet, Kat. Look, I don’t know why you’re here, but you have to leave, you gotta get as far away as you can. It’s not safe.”
I glanced back to see if there were any guards around. There weren’t. “You expect me to leave right after I find you? No way. Swordulan’s here too, over at the castle. If you won’t go ask for his help, you can at least let me help, or even give an explanation for what’s going on. You owe me that much.”
Stonehenge groaned. “I can’t. Honestly, I can’t tell you how good it is to see you, but this is serious. I don’t want you getting wrapped up in my trouble, or Swordulan. The only way to keep you safe is to keep you ignorant. I’m sorry.” He turned away. “I can handle this on my own. Don’t worry. Now get yourself and Swordulan out of here. Stay safe, sis.”
With that, he galloped down the alley and around the corner. I hesitated, but after a moment, sped after him. I wasn’t about to let him get away from me that easily, but when I made it out of the alley, he was nowhere in sight.
“You featherbrained idiot,” I muttered. “What am I supposed to do now?”
I looked to the castle. No, not yet. I needed help, Stone needed help, and I had to make sure he was alright, but it was late. If Swordulan was still here in the morning, I was going to make sure he began pulling some weight whether he liked it or not. So I made my way to the nearest bed and breakfast and got myself a room.
“I swear by Celestia,” I said as I went to bed, “If we ever get out of this alive, Swordulan, I’ll bash your head in and saw your horn off.”
> The Promises We Make And Paths We Take - Element of Honesty
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have no idea how to handle this. Well, I knew the right thing was to tell Summer the truth and help Katana, but… how? Should I do it tonight? If I tell her tonight, then maybe Summer won’t sleep well, or she’ll want to leave. If I don’t tell her, I won’t sleep well. It’ll just sit in the back of my mind, eating away at me until morning. Is waiting a consideration of her feelings? Or is telling her earlier more consideration for mine? I don’t know, I don’t know!
I’m so unbelievably torn over this. Why did this have to happen to me? Why now of all times? It’s so disgustingly unfair. But Shining Armor is right, I need to face it head on. I’m a Shield, after all. Even if that seems to amount to so little these days. I wish I knew what my grandfather would say if he were still alive, or even what he would think about our family’s predicament. I doubt he’d be happy with how things have turned out.
Well, one thing is for sure: if I keep thinking through this without deciding anything, it’ll get too late to tell Summer. So might as well take that hint and wait until morning to tell her. It’s better that way.
We both had our rooms in the castle now. Summer was blown away by hers, understandably. Her family had always been on the poor end of the middle-class, as far as I remembered. I stared at my own luxuriously soft bed with slight apprehension. Last time I slept at the castle I had horrible nightmares. Felt like the same thing was going to happen. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad though, considering it was the most comfortable bed I’d ever slept on.
Cadance walked in as I was mentally preparing myself for sleep.
“Hey, are you doing okay?” she asked. “Shining Armor told me about your cousins.”
I turned to face her. “Right. I… am not okay. Cadance, is it right to wait until tomorrow to tell Summer about it?”
“That really depends on what being right means.”
I sighed. “Semantics. Do you think waiting is more considerate for her feelings? Like, could telling her now be worse because of how late it is?”
“It could. But you never know. Perhaps if you wait until tomorrow, she might feel like her whole day is ruined, but if you told her tonight, she might be able to process things better after a night’s rest. Or neither. I can’t predict the future, Swordulan.”
“Gahhh,” I turned to the bed and buried my face in it. “That doesn’t help at all!”
Cadance walked up to me and put a hoof on my shoulder. “I’m sorry things have gotten so out of control for you. Shining Armor and I are here for you though.”
I looked at her. “What would you do in my position?”
“Based on what little I’ve learned about Summer, I would tell her tonight. Right now, even. I think she’s a wonderful mare and would be completely understanding of your situation. But if you think it’s better to wait, I don’t think that’s wrong. It’s important that you do what you think is right and good.”
I turned back to the bed and stared at it in thought. I had no control over how Summer might react, and I couldn’t assume how she would either. So it was more or less fifty-fifty chance telling her tonight or tomorrow morning would be better. There was also no doubt in my mind that telling the truth sooner than later was the right thing. If a guard under my command had screwed up, I’d rather the guard own up to it immediately. I should hold myself to the same standard.
“I’ll tell her tonight,” I said, standing up straight again. “Right now.”
“Good,” Cadance said. “I’m happy to hear it. Before you go, I noticed your cutie mark is back to normal. That’s amazing!”
I glanced back at my flank. “Yeah. I don’t know why, I honestly don’t feel very different than when the stars were missing. Just… I guess normal again.”
“That’s good.” Cadance turned back to the door. “I won’t keep you any longer. Good luck, and goodnight.”
“Thanks. Good night.”
Cadance disappeared out the door and I slowly followed after, turning down the hall in the opposite direction. Summer’s room was right next to mine. The door was closed. I raised my hoof to knock and hesitated. My heart was racing all of a sudden, but I managed to knock.
“Oh, come in!” Summer said, and the door opened by her magic. My heart skipped a beat, but I walked in a few steps. Summer was organizing her luggage but she paused to look at me. “Hey, what’s up?”
“Uh… there’s something important I need to tell you, Summer.”
Summer’s face turned noticeably neutral. “What is it?”
I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came. I felt like my legs were about to give out. Why was this so hard!? “Can we sit?”
“I… suppose.” Summer sat on the bed and levitated some of her things off to make room for me. “Is there something wrong?”
I sat next to her and cleared my throat. “Yes. I should have told you sooner, but… well, I didn’t.” Just think of this as an incident report for work. “Early this morning, my cousin, Katana, showed up at my door claiming to have found her long-lost brother, Stonehenge, or at least found out he’s somewhere here in the Crystal Empire. We haven’t known his whereabouts for a couple years, so it’s a big deal. She asked me to help her find him and make sure he’s safe, so… tomorrow morning I intend to find her and track down Stonehenge.”
Summer was silent. She had looked me in the eye the whole time I spoke, but now she stared ahead, lost in thought it looked like. The only sound I heard was the beating of my own heart.
“I’m glad you told me,” Summer said, looking back at me. “Are your cousins in danger?”
“I don’t know for sure. Stonehenge might be, and Katana could easily get mixed up in it. I don’t want that to happen.”
“Right. Well, I didn’t come all this way with you for nothing. I want to help.”
“Uht… You want to help?”
“Of course, however I can. Your family is more important than having a good time in the Crystal Empire. We can search for them together.”
“Well… I don’t know, it could be dangerous. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Hey, I can take care of myself. Besides, with a strong Lieutenant of the Royal Guard by my side,” she nudged my leg, “I doubt anything would happen to me.”
I hesitated. I didn’t have my sword with me, so whatever skill I possessed as a Lieutenant felt… lacking. Severely lacking. But, I did still have my magic. “I suppose. Okay.” Getting up from the bed, I turned to the door. “We’ll head out first thing after breakfast. I’m going to bed, didn’t get much sleep last night. Goodnight.”
“Alright, goodnight. Sleep well!”


	*


	 

Floating… somewhere. Spiraling discs of energy, chaos, heat. Hues of yellow, brown, red, and pink, all spinning, intermingling. Black and white, white and black, dancing and consuming each other. Dark rivers flowing, water dripping down stalactites. A volcano erupts and shakes the ground I’m on, animating the sand. It pulls me in.
I feel warm and heavy. Something dangles in my peripheral vision. A limp body on my back. I can’t tell who it is. A mare? I can feel her weak heartbeat. It mirrors my own.
“We’ll get out of here,” I said. “Somehow.”
The tunnel went on forever. Light came from nowhere, but it was getting dim. Darkness would soon be all there was.
My next step landed on nothing, and I fell into it. The mare was gone, there was only falling.
“AHHHHHHHHHHH!”
“Stop!” a voice boomed, and I stopped.
The darkness melted away, and I found myself standing outside of the castle in the Crystal Empire. Nopony else was around, but then Princess Luna stepped out from behind a nearby building.
“Peace, Swordulan,” she said. “You are dreaming again.”
“Really?” I said, rubbing my eyes. “That was some dream. I thought the nightmares here stopped after King Sombra was defeated.”
“It was not a conjuration of this place, but from your own mind. Otherwise I would not have been able to get in. It seems there is something deeply troubling you.”
“More than usual. My cousins are in trouble, and now everything about being here is turned upside-down. I’m worried about them, and I don’t want anything to happen to Summer.”
“Summer?”
“One of the librarians in Canterlot, she’s here with me. It’s a… prolonged date I guess.”
“Ah, I see. That is certainly much to be worried about. What do you plan to do?”
“I’m going to find my cousins and make sure they’re safe. Summer wants to help, but I’m thinking I should just leave her at the castle where she’s safe.”
Luna gave me an intense look. “I would advise against such action. If she truly desires to help, then the only noble course of action is to let her. Mares enjoy being taken on quests and escapades, I am sure she would be quite upset to be denied one.”
I hesitated. “I suppose you’re right.”
Luna gave a slight smile. “Trust me, Swordulan, I know I am. But I understand your worry, it isn’t easy to be torn between two desires.”
“Nor is it easy without having my sword around,” I sighed.
“Is that so? And how much easier would your problems be if you had it?”
“I’d feel more confident in protecting Summer.”
“Perhaps confidence is not what you lack, but proper faith in yourself. There are times when you may fail, but so what? Fail spectacularly and celebrate, for you’ve made another step down the road of success. I know you possess great strength, even without your sword. I must leave now, but do not be discouraged! I am sure all will turn out right. Farewell, Swordulan.”
Luna disappeared with a spell, and next thing I could tell, someone was knocking at the door.
> The Promises We Make And Paths We Take - A Startling Revelation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I awoke abruptly and blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “Thank you, hello, goodbye!”
I heard a voice at the door. “Uh… Sir?”
“Oh,” I shook my head and jumped out of bed. “Come in.”
The door opened and a guard came in holding a letter in his wing. “A letter for you, Lieutenant Shield.”
I took the letter with my magic and saluted the guard. “Thank you.”
“Sir.” The guard returned the salute and left.
The letter was nondescript, and the only indication that it was to me was my last name written on the front. I opened it up and read.
I know you’re here, and I need your help. Meet me alone in the crystal caverns at noon. Stonehenge
My eyes widened at the signature. I couldn’t believe it, he really was here, and somehow knew I was too. But, he needed my help? Things must have gotten really bad for him to reach out to me. Noon in the crystal caverns though, that eased some tension. Now it wouldn’t be a pain in the flank to find him. All I had to do was find Katana and let her know, easy peasy. Even better, I could tell Summer about the meeting, and she wouldn’t have to worry about coming along. Huh! Things were actually coming back together.
I left my room with the letter and went straight to the dining hall where breakfast was just about to be served. Shining Armor was already sitting at the table, reading some reports it looked like.
“Shining Armor, I’ve got some good news,” I said, levitating the letter to him. “Look at this.”
Shining Armor took the letter and read it. He looked peculiarly skeptical. “Swordulan, would you recognize your cousin’s hoofwriting?”
My heart skipped a beat. “Well… no, I don’t think so.”
“Hmm. This wasn’t written by him. Or at the very least, not by an earth pony.”
“So, maybe he had somepony else’s help, both to write it and deliver it here. That would make sense if he’s in hiding.”
“That’s possible, but this just seems too suspicious. I’ve worked with Stonehenge, and this doesn’t sound like him. What do you plan to do?”
“Be at the crystal caverns at noon. What else? If it’s not him, then at least I might get some answers about what’s going on.”
“You might, but what worries me is that whoever this is, they’re calling for you to come alone. I’m sensing big red flags, here. If I were you, I’d be treating this as a trap.”
“So I’ll take backup with me, keep them at a distance. You can help with that, right?”
“I’d much rather put together a scouting party, close off the caverns, and see if we find anything wrong. But, if I let you go, what will you do with Summer and Katana?”
“I’ll leave them here. I was going to tell Katana, but, if this is a trap, she doesn’t need to know. If she finds out somehow, I’m not opposed to letting you lock her up so she can’t follow. And what do you mean if you let me go? I thought you were letting me decide what to do about this.”
“This is something that is potentially threatening to the Empire, not just some isolated family trouble. I have to ensure the safety of our citizens, even if I have to stop you from going to the caves.”
I hesitated. “Will you stop me?”
“No, I’m thinking I’ll have you come with me. We’ll leave right after breakfast.”
“Oh… alright. Thanks, I appreciate it.”
Shining Armor smiled. “Of course. I can have a guard get you some armor and a sword for when we go.”
“Where are you going?” a voice asked.
I winced. It was Summer, having snuck up behind me. Shining Armor gave me a look that said, that’s your job, not mine, while levitating the letter back to me.
I turned to face her, and she looked on guard. “The crystal caverns just north of the Empire. I got a letter presumably from Stonehenge to meet him there at noon, but Shining Armor doesn’t think it’s him. We’re going to secure the area and find out what’s up after breakfast.”
“I see.” She paused and frowned. “Do you want me to stay here?”
“Uh… do you want to go?”
“Well, I’ve always wanted to see the crystal caverns, and if this is my opportunity, I want to take it. So yes.”
I looked back at Shining Armor, who shrugged.
“This one’s up to you,” he said.
“Fine,” I sighed. “You can come, but promise that you’ll run at the first sign of danger, okay?”
“I promise,” Summer said, crossing her heart. “Now, I heard something about breakfast.”
“Yes, Cadance will be here any minute, then we’ll get started,” Shining Armor said.
Summer and I took our seats next to each other, and conversation drifted into far more casual territory, though my heart was taking its time in settling down.


	*


	 

“Don’t try to deny it, Celestia. I know you’re hiding it some—oh, some visitors just decided to barge in. How rude of them. Excuse me for a moment.”
“What?”
Poof!
Just what do you think you’re doing here? Do you know who I am? You think it’s perfectly okay to waltz into my consciousness uninvited, without consequence? Well, come to think of it, you did that last time too. Pfah! No matter, there are more important things to deal with right now, so you may as well tag along for the ride. Just don’t make a habit of this spontaneous dropping in. At the very least, knock next time. I am quite a private draconequus after all.
Poof!
“My apologies, Princess Celestia. I was momentarily distracted, but the matter has been resolved.”
Celestia raised an eyebrow. She is so adorable when suspicious. “I hope you haven’t been getting into any trouble.”
“Me? Trouble? Pshaw, I would never get into trouble unless absolutely necessary. Let’s get back to the matter at claw… or was it paw? Either way, I know about Star Swirl’s magic mirror portals, and I know you have one, or at least know where one is.”
Her eyes narrowed. “No, I cannot allow you to go through one.”
“I never said I wanted to go through one, and I don’t know that I could get back if I did. I have a suspicion that a dangerous magical entity has slipped into a mirror world, but I need to know for sure.”
“What are you talking about?”
I snapped a claw and the magic sword of Lieutenant Nobody appeared in the air between us. “It’s become clear that whatever happened to the entity within the Lieutenant’s sword, it’s most likely in one of the mirror worlds doing who-knows-what.”
Celestia took the sword in her magic and examined the crystals. “What makes you say that?”
“Because if it were in this world, I would be able to track it down. You do remember how powerful it was, don’t you? And the enchantment is still bound to it by means of undead magic, completely untraceable.”
Celestia scoffed. “Undead magic? Really, Discord, you expect me to believe that?”
I rolled my eyes. “Only if you want to understand what’s going on.” This was the trouble with Princesses, they always assumed they knew everything. “For once in my life I am trying to be somewhat serious. The entity is not a nice one, if it’s not found and dealt with, there could be grave consequences. Without containment, there’s the possibility that it becomes too powerful and unstable, to the point it would threaten all of the mirror worlds, including Equestria.”
Celestia sighed. “Very well. What can be done about it?”
“Somepony will have to go into the mirror world it’s in and find it. Perhaps Swordulan can go and trap it back in the sword, then I can deal with it once and for all.”
“Yes, that would be best. Hmm. Justice told me he’s off for the weekend, do you perhaps know where he is?”
“Oh yes, he’s off on some date in the Crystal Empire.”
Celestia looked surprised. “Really? That’s quite convenient actually.” She turned to one of her guards. “Prepare a train to leave for the Crystal Empire immediately.”
“A train? You know I could have us both there in the blink of an eye.”
“No thank you, I will meet you there. Now get off my throne.”
“Fine! I have some other business to attend to in the meanwhile anyway.”
Poof!


	*


	 

Well, it was morning now, and there was still no sign of Swordulan anywhere. There was only one thing left to do: storm the castle. So that’s exactly what I did, full wing power.
It didn’t go as well as I’d hoped. The thing about getting into the castle was that it had really tight spiral staircases, so max speed didn’t quite work without crashing into guards and walls. I was pinned down pretty quick, but after shouting who I was at them and who I was looking for, I was brought inside. They still held me captive while a guard ran ahead to inform their esteemed leaders of my arrival. It didn’t take long before I was allowed into the dining hall where they were all having…
Who the BUCK is that sitting next to Swordulan?
“What are you doing here, Katana?” Swordulan asked.
I glared at him. “Looking for you, conehead. What the hay are you doing here? I thought you were here for work!”
The mare sitting next to him gave him a confused look, and he immediately tensed up in a way I’d never seen before.
“Well?” I asked. “Was that a lie too, then? I was expecting you to find me last night.”
Swordulan grimaced. “I couldn’t, but—”
“You couldn’t? Oh let me guess, it had something to do with whoever this mare right here is. Does she have a name?”
“It’s Summer,” the mare said.
I laughed. “Wow, really? That explains why it’s so hot outside!”
“That’s not—”
“You know what, I can’t believe you, Swordulan. I don’t even know why I bothered coming to you for help in the first place, I should’ve known you’d never actually help. Maybe if—”
“Katana, stop,” Swordulan said.
Suddenly I couldn’t open my mouth or move my limbs. That son of a haystack was actually holding me with his magic again!
“Look, I’m sorry I lied to you,” he continued. “It was wrong. I should’ve found you last night too. But right now I just need you to shut up for a moment and listen. I got a letter this morning, I want you to read it.”
He levitated over a letter and released his magic on me. I gave him a cold look and took the letter in my wing to read it.
I know you’re here, and…
I squinted at the letter. “This doesn’t make any sense, Stonehenge told me—wait, this isn’t his hoofwriting.”
“We know,” Swordulan said. “Shining Armor noticed too. What do you mean Stonehenge told you? Did you find him?”
I sighed in aggravation. “He found me, then disappeared just as quickly. He told me to get you out of here.”
“Get me out of here? Why?”
“I don’t know, he doesn’t want either of us in the Empire right now.”
“Did he say anything about what sort of trouble he was in?” Shining Armor asked. “Or who was after him?”
“No, he said he couldn’t tell me anything. What are you planning to do? Have the whole Empire on the lookout?”
“We were about to leave for the crystal caverns with a scouting party,” Swordulan said.
“Oh, lemme guess, if I hadn’t shown up, you’d have gone without telling me.”
“I don’t think that should surprise you.”
“Yeah, it doesn’t. I wouldn’t even be surprised if you were planning on bringing your pretty new marefriend instead.”
Both Swordulan’s and Summer’s faces went grim, but they were silent for too long to deny anything. I could only shortly nod in feigned respect.
“Wow,” I said, and laughed. “Wow. You know what, I’m not even mad. Take whoever the hay you want with you. I don’t care. But you’re not going without me.”
“No,” Swordulan said. “You’re staying here. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Hah! So you’ll let your marefriend risk her life, but not a member of your own family?”
“I trust her to run at the first sign of danger. I trust you to run head first into it, so yes. Don’t make me lock you up.”
“You can’t keep me here, and you can’t just treat your family however you want and get away with it!”
Swordulan stood up, and the look in his eye said he was about to use magic, so I spread my wings and flew backwards, shooting out of the dining room and down through the halls until I made it to the stairs, which I ran down, burst past the guards, and exited the castle. There was no way I was going to let them catch me, so I took to the skies again and headed north. I’d beat them to the caverns and find Stonehenge myself, whatever it took.
> The Promises We Make And Paths We Take - Crystal Caverns
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, things were not coming back together as much as I’d thought. With Katana having vanished, all there was to do was prepare for what waited for us at the caverns. Summer went off to collect her camera while Shining Armor and I went to the barracks to put a squad together and gear up. The Crystal Empire’s guard armor was quite different from what I was used to, aesthetically speaking, but it fit just fine and it was good to be back in armor again. I also got a nice broadsword with a sheath that fit around my torso. Nothing special about it, and it was bizarre to need a sheath for once, but it felt comforting to have.
In a few short minutes, Shining Armor had gathered the guards he wanted with us. Besides myself, Summer, and Shining Armor, we had Flash Sentry, Lightwing, and Peddlefoot. Three unicorns and three pegasi. They were some of the best Shining Armor had, so he said.
“You all be careful,” Cadance said before we left.
“Always, sweetie,” Shining Armor said before giving her a slightly prolonged kiss. Summer caught me staring and I quickly turned away. Ponyfeathers, was my face going red? Gah!
Fortunately, we quickly set off for the train station. It was too far to just walk to the caverns, especially with the snow just outside the Empire. Which was weird, having snow in the middle of summer that wasn’t scheduled. It reminded me of Everfree Forest’s spontaneous weather.
Summer herself kept up quite well with the galloping pace we set. She stayed close to me and kept a determined look on her face, though once we were seated on the train she was panting.
“Sorry for the run,” Shining Armor said, sitting across from us with Lightwing and Peddlefoot. “I hope that didn’t push you too hard.”
“Not at all!” Summer said in-between breaths. “Nothing like a good sprint just after… ugh… breakfast.”
“It’s about twenty minutes to the caverns, so take your time with recovery.”
“Oh, thank Celestia,” Summer sighed, slouching and letting her head fall on my shoulder.
“Sir, what’s our plan when we arrive?” Flash Sentry said, who was also sitting next to me.
“First we have to make sure everypony gets out of the caverns,” Shining Armor said. “We’ll have the tour guides do that while we close off and investigate the area. Flash, I want you to stick with Swordulan and Summer. Lightwing and Peddlefoot will be on point with me while you three watch our backs at a distance. If any of you run into Katana, you’re to detain and escort her to safety.”
“What about Stonehenge?” I asked.
“I don’t expect him to be there, but if he is, treat him the same as Katana. He’s got some explaining to do.”
I nodded. “Agreed. If he’s here though, I expect him to fight back against capture. So long as we don’t face him head-on, we should be okay.”
“What’s the deal with Stonehenge, anyway?” Summer asked. “Like, why did he disappear?”
“He was kicked out of the Royal Guard,” Shining Armor said. “Bad conduct discharge.”
Summer sat up. “What for?”
“It’s not for me to say.”
“For burning plants,” I said grimly. “He had a slight addiction. That, and he never got along well with anypony. Joining the Royal Guard was his way of trying to live up to the family legacy, to prove himself to his parents. My grandfather, Steel Shield, was a Captain-General, you see. Very distinguished. Both my father and uncle were going to join the Royal Guard, but destiny had a funny way of things and they both went into business together instead. So it was up to us kids to carry on Grandpa Steel’s legacy. Didn’t work out so well for Stonehenge, and Katana never wanted anything to do with the Royal Guard. When Stonehenge was kicked out, he went off to Fillydelphia, and we haven’t heard from him since.”
“That’s horrible,” Summer said, putting a hoof on my shoulder as if to comfort me. “I’m so sorry you’ve had to deal with all that.”
I shrugged. “Could’ve been worse. It’s the life of a Shield. Still… every now and then I wonder what it would be like to have siblings, but then I’m grateful I don’t because I wouldn’t want them to have to go through what I did. Ha, could you imagine me having siblings, Shining Armor?”
“Well, if you did, I think you’d be a great brother,” Shining Armor said.
“Maybe. I think it would be hard being as busy as I am with the Royal Guard.”
“You could be less busy, you know. Justice tells me you still take more overtime hours than all the other Lieutenants combined.”
Summer laughed. “You’re a real hard worker!”
“Yeah… well, I don’t have much else to do,” I said.
Shining Armor gave me a disbelieving look. “You really need to find a hobby. Start traveling some more, get outside Ponyville and Canterlot, climb a mountain.” I rolled my eyes, but he only gave me a sterner look. “I’m serious, I think it would be good for you. You can get the time, do things that make you happy. Even Cadance and I get away from our duties every now and then.”
“He’s right,” Summer said. “Everypony needs a hobby. I have my books and an occasional night of Ogres and Oubliettes with friends.”
“Ogres and Oubliettes?”
“Oh my gosh, you don’t know what Ogres and Oubliettes is? You’ve got to find a group and try it some time, there’s no other tabletop game like it.”
“O…kay. What’s it about?”
“Whatever you want it to be about, that’s the magic of it! You create a character with a group, and somepony helps to guide you through the story, where to go and what to do and all that. It’s like going on an adventure from your living room.”
“Interesting. Maybe I’ll try it sometime.”
“I recall there being a couple groups in the Royal Guard at Canterlot,” Shining Armor said. “I think Lieutenant Arrow is the game-master for one. I’ve heard he’s got a hidden talent for storytelling. You should ask him about it.”
“I’ll keep it in mind.”
The conversation lulled, but it was only a few short minutes until we arrived. The tour-guide facility was meager, but it housed a cute gift store and a small café. We found the manager and had him radio all the guides to return back with everypony. There weren’t that many, being so early in the morning. Shining Armor asked if there had been any suspicious visitors, but the manager hadn’t seen or heard about any, nor about anypony with Stonehenge’s description.
“Well, there’s still some time before noon,” Shining Armor said. “Let’s get to work.”
We set off for the caverns with Shining Armor leading the way. He had been through them a number of times, so there wasn’t any need for a guide. Summer stuck close to me and had her camera out, taking pictures of the large crystal formations outside the entrance and everything else along the way. Shining Armor and I used our magic for light, but Shining Armor stopped in his tracks only a short ways in.
“I feel like we’re not alone,” he said slowly. “Lightwing, Peddlefoot, change of plans. You two go back and guard the entrance, I don’t want anypony getting in or out without us knowing. Everypony else, stick close to me.”
The two pegasi nodded and flew back and out of sight as the rest of us continued further down. I kept my broadsword levitated at the ready, keeping an eye on the shadows. There was no movement besides them and reflective lights from the crystals around us. From time to time the echo of wings flapping reached our ears.
“Frost bats,” Shining Armor whispered. “Nothing to be afraid of.”
We kept going, and the path began to branch out. Some paths were quick dead ends that we briefly searched through before continuing down the main one. Time seemed to drag, though we couldn’t have been down here longer than half an hour or so. By my estimate, it was just before noon when Shining Armor decided to turn us around and start heading back to wait at the entrance and see what would happen.
Just as we turned around, a faint echo reached my ears. “Help.”
“Did you hear that?” I asked.
The others stopped and listened.
“Help!”
“There’s somepony further down!” Summer said.
“Come on,” Shining Armor said, charging back down the cavern. We raced behind him, dodging stalagmites and crystal formations along the way and pausing at a few branched paths to listen for where the cry came from. It wasn’t long before we reached the source; Katana, wedged tight between two stalactites right between another branching path.
“About time you coneheads got here,” she said. “I’ve been stuck here for hours.”
“It’s only been an hour and a half since you fled the castle,” I said. “How’d you get stuck there, anyway?”
Katana glared at me and wiggled her legs. “I was trying to find Stonehenge when I learned my wings can’t cut through solid rock, now can you please get me down? This isn’t exactly comfortable.”
Shining Armor used his magic to break apart the stalactites, and Katana fell to the ground.
“You better not be here to stop me,” she said, dusting off her wings. “I won’t let you keep me from finding him.”
“He’s not even here,” Summer said.
Katana’s eyes made daggers at her. “I don’t remember asking you, princess.”
“Shut it, Katana,” I snapped. “Have some gratitude that I heard you at all, we were right about to leave and you could have been stuck there another few hours. Stonehenge isn’t here, so let’s go.”
“Sorry, friends, but I can’t let you leave,” a new voice said. We all looked back up the path to find a unicorn mare standing there, face hidden in the dark and at least half a dozen other ponies surrounding her, unicorns, earth ponies, and pegasi in equal proportion. “It is a sad turn of events that Swordulan didn’t come alone as requested, but it matters little to me how many of you I bury.”
Shining Armor cast a protective shield around us. “Who are you? Why are you after Swordulan?”
“And my brother!” Katana said.
“In better circumstances I would certainly use my manners and introduce myself,” the mare said, “but such things matter little to the dead.” She turned her head to one of the unicorns close to her. “I never want to see these vermin ever again.”
The unicorn smiled. “Of course, Lady Fate.”
The unicorns’ horns began to glow as the mare walked away, and suddenly the roof of the cave overhead exploded, instantly destroying Shining Armor’s shield. Time seemed to slow as rocks and crystals began to collapse around us, and I had only a brief glimpse of Shining Armor, Katana, and Flash Sentry before a giant crystal crashed between us. I turned to see a boulder falling right over Summer, and with every ounce of strength I had, I dove into her and rolled to safety. The roar of rocks and crystals crashing into each other died, and all went still. The way back was completely caved in, and there was no sign of the others.
“Oh, Celestia,” I breathed. “This isn’t good. Not good at all. Summer, are you—”
Summer wasn’t moving.
“Summer? Summer!” I turned her over and gasped. There was a gash on the side of her head, bleeding slightly, and a large area around it was bruised. “No, no, no, don’t do this to me. Please, Summer! Don’t let me fail like this! Anything but this, please.” I put an ear to her chest—thank Celestia, she’s still breathing, but she showed no sign of consciousness. “Don’t worry, I’m going to get us out of here.”
I focused on my magic in an effort to teleport us both out, but it was a futile effort. The crystals surrounding us prevented teleporting outside, reflecting all magical energy. Any attempt to teleport out would’ve resulted in the same effect as running into a brick wall.
“It’s okay… it’s okay,” I said, taking a deep breath. “We’re only trapped with no way anywhere but further in. Maybe Shining Armor will get us out… unless they’re buried, or stuck so far apart it’ll take forever and all they’ll have left to find are our corpses. Shining Armor! Can you hear me!? Katana? Flash! Agh… Discord! You there buddy? Come on…”
Nobody answered. We were on our own. I looked down at the plain broadsword lying on the ground, half buried by crystal shards. What a fraud. Without my real sword, I was useless. I couldn’t do anything special.
Stop SAYING that!
I gave a start. That was my father’s voice, from all the way back when I was still training to be a Royal Guard.
“I can’t do it,” I said.
“Stop SAYING that! Pick yourself up and try again. You’ll get it only if you keep going.”
“But it’s just so hard,” I muttered.
“You are a Shield!” Shining Armor said.
I took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes, Sir.”
Summer was still out cold, and her head was still bleeding. I took off my helmet and put it on her, using my magic to shape the helmet so it kept some pressure against the gash. The padding inside the helmet was meant to soak up sweat or blood, and it was the only thing I had to treat her. I took off the rest of my armor and laid it aside, then gently picked up Summer with my magic and lowered her onto my back. There was no point in sitting around and feeling hopeless. Maybe there was a way out down the cave, or maybe it linked back with the other path and I’d find Shining Armor. Whatever the case, I needed to keep moving, even if it was just to find water.
I took one last moment to arrange my discarded armor into an arrow pointing down the cave, hoping for the possibility that somepony might dig through and find us.
“Don’t worry, Summer,” I said. “We’ll get out of here.”
> The Promises We Make And Paths We Take - Two Weeks
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Is everypony alright?” Shining Armor asked, brightening his light spell to see us.
“Just peachy,” I said, shaking more dust out of my mane.
“All limbs accounted for, Sir,” the pegasus guard said, Flash Sentry I later learned.
“Good,” Shining Armor said. “Swordulan?”
Silence. I could’ve sworn he had been standing right next to me when everything came crashing down.
Shining Armor looked at the pile of rock and crystal that cut us off from the surface. “That’s not good. Flash, is there anywhere at the top to squeeze through?”
Flash Sentry flew up to the ceiling and searched, but he shook his head and came back down.
“Drat. We’ll have to continue further down and see if we can find the tunnel that will lead us out of here.”
“Wait, what about Swordulan?” I asked. “You’re not just going to leave him behind are you?”
“Hopefully he and Summer are okay and the other branch of the cave is still open to them. I think it has a more direct route out, so they’ll likely get out of here before we do. If not, it should only take us the rest of the day to get out and find enough help to dig them out.”
The air began to feel thin. “But what if we can’t find a way out? What if we’re trapped down here forever, without food or water!? I’ve never been trapped underground before! What if your magic runs out and we can’t see anything? There’s gotta be a way back, there has to—”
Flash Sentry stuck a hoof over my mouth, earning himself a cold stare. “Relax, Captain Shining Armor has everything under control. Keep your cool and stay close, we’ll lead you out.”
“Let’s go,” Shining Armor said.
I glared at their backs as they began to move deeper into the cavern, but reluctantly followed for fear of being left in the dark. If they were sure about getting out, then I’d just have to trust them. Feather-brained stallions… I wasn’t losing my cool!
Shining Armor set a hard pace, though it was no trouble keeping up on my wings. I was a pretty fast flier; one time I had measured 15.7 wing power on the anemometer, and I could consistently hit between 14 and 14.5, which was high enough that I could have tried out for the Wonderbolts. Not that I ever would. Following orders and rules weren’t really my thing, unlike Swordulan who apparently could never get enough of them. What a boring life he must be living. When not trapped in caves by mysterious villains, I guess. Or fighting monsters, or courting beautiful mares, or…
Sweet Celestia, no! I’m not the one who leads the boring life. He stands around doing nothing for weeks and gets paid to do it. I work at the lightning factory and… alright, I might have gotten laid off a few days ago, but at least I had got out with friends on the weekends and had a life besides work. It was only after getting laid off that I’d heard about Stonehenge, and since then I put everything on hold. Finding another job can wait until I know he’s safe.
Neither of the two stallions said a word as we continued our descent. Not that I was about to break the silence to strike up a conversation, but it was a bit nerve-wracking to only hear the echoing clatters of hooves or flaps of wings. The squeaks of frost bats didn’t help, and I flinched at every shadow that looked like it was coming after me.
I was starting to get real thirsty after a few hours. We had come across a number of branching paths, and Shining Armor guided us down one or the other, and when I took a break from flying it felt like we were starting to go uphill.


	*


	 

I wasn’t sure how much time had passed when I found a small underground stream. Felt like hours had gone by, and my legs ached from the weight of Summer on my back. She was still unconscious, but at least I could feel a heartbeat. I had spoken some of my thoughts aloud along the way, mostly to see if it might rouse Summer, but it never did. Maybe I also did it so I didn’t feel totally alone. I gently laid her next to the stream while I stooped down to take a drink.
“Ah, that’s cold. I wonder how much farther this goes.”
Finding out would have to wait until Summer was awake. She probably needed water too, and for her head gash to be cleaned. Carefully taking off the helmet showed that the bleeding had stopped, though it still looked pretty nasty. I took the helmet downstream a bit and washed it out as best I could, then rinsed Summer’s wound and put the helmet back on. She still didn’t wake.
I softly nudged her backside and whispered, “Summer, wake up. Come on, you need to drink some water.”
She didn’t stir except for the subtle movement of breathing. With a sigh, I levitated a puddle of water over her head and let it drip onto her nose. Still nothing after half a minute of it, and growing impatient, I let the whole thing fall on her face. With that, she finally cringed and moved to wipe at her face.
“Thank Celestia,” I sighed, “you’re awake.”
“Mmmph… my head is throbbing,” Summer said. “What happened?”
“There was a cave-in, and you took a bad hit. I had to put my helmet on you to stop the bleeding. Here—” I levitated another puddle of water over to her mouth. “—drink some water, it’ll help.”
Summer opened her eyes just enough to see the water and drank slowly. “This water tastes weird.”
“It’s mineral enhanced.” I grinned at my joke, but it left as quick as it came. Summer was awake, but could she walk? Or even stand? Probably best she didn’t. I didn’t know whether or not I could carry her out of here, if there even was an exit somewhere. For all I knew, we’d die of starvation down here. But I couldn’t let the thought show, I needed to be courageous and appear unafraid for Summer’s sake. I had to let her know there was hope.
Summer shivered as she finished the water and closed her eyes, resting her head on the hard floor again.
I grimaced at how much her neck craned. “Here, let me…” I came around her head sat down on all fours then levitated her over so her head rested on my back. “Is that better?”
“Yes, thank you,” she whispered. “Could you turn the light down? What time is it?”
I dimmed my light spell until I could just make out the shapes and outlines of things. “I don’t know, sometime in the afternoon, maybe evening.”
“Where am I?”
I hesitated. “In the crystal caverns. Don’t you remember?”
“Ngh, not so loud. The crystal what? No, I… the last thing I remember is getting home from work. But I recognize your voice; do I know you?”
My heart skipped a beat. She didn’t remember… did she even remember our date? “It’s… it’s me, Swordulan, of the Shield family.”
“Swordulan? What am I… what are we both doing here?”
“Um… long story. Do you remember anything about the picnic?”
“Picnic? No... I don’t know. My head is spinning.”
“Oh, Celestia,” I breathed. Did I tell her the bad news? Ponyfeathers, I knew being honest with her like I had when telling her about Stonehenge was the right thing, but… this was something completely different. Yet I had to; there was nopony else who could. “Summer, you’ve lost at least two weeks of memory.”
“Two… two weeks? Ooogh… I… I want you to tell me everything that led up to now, but I can’t think straight more than five seconds. Let me rest some more, maybe a couple hours, then tell me, okay? Can you do that?”
“Of course, I’ll do anything and everything I can.”
“Thank you. Just let me… let me rest.”
Summer relaxed and her breathing became more rhythmic. I wasn’t sure how I’d explain events leading up to now, but there was no point in worrying about it yet. Stifling a yawn I decided to rest my eyes for a while too. The cave floor paired with Summer’s head on my side didn’t make for comfortable sleeping, but at least it would help me sleep lightly. The cave went pitch black as I cut off my magic, and I felt a wave of exhaustion come over me. Maintaining a light spell for so long while carrying somepony took its toll, and as a result, sleep came easy.
I wasn’t sure how much time had passed when I awoke to Summer getting up and feeling her way towards the stream. All I knew was that I was hungry, and there was nothing to eat. Maybe frost bats tasted good? No, no, I couldn’t kill and eat one of those.
After stretching my legs, I cast a dim light spell, helping Summer find the stream. She gave me an appreciative smile and drank greedily. I got up and took a long drink myself.
“Feeling better?” I asked.
“A little bit,” Summer said quietly. “Ears are still buzzing, but most of the dizziness is gone. That was a strangely soft rock for a pillow. Maybe it was just the helmet.”
I blushed in embarrassment. “That was my back, actually. I hope it was okay.”
“Oh… oh, no, it’s fine. Thank you. Did we bring any food with us?”
“No,” I sighed. “We didn’t think anything like this would happen. Thought we’d be down here only an hour, two at the most. You probably want to know everything now, right?”
“Yes, please.” Summer sat down away from the stream and I sat in front of her. “I’m still confused about where we are.”
“The crystal caverns just north of the Crystal Empire. We’re here for… well I’ll start at the beginning, it’ll make more sense.”
I went over everything from how I came to start seeking out Summer to why we were stuck in this cave, mainly keeping to the decisions and actions we made and why. I tried not to leave out any details, except for Discord’s brief involvement before the picnic date; she didn’t need to know about that. Some of the details were a bit of a pain to go over, particularly involving Katana, but I made it through without faltering. Summer listened with a contemplative look throughout, but once I finished, she looked… disappointed?
“What… what do you mean to me?”
Summer blushed at her question, and it, at the very least, was a shock to me. What did I mean to her? How was I supposed to answer that? The truth was that I didn’t know, but that wouldn’t help her at all. Hay, the scary thing was that I could say anything, short of being married, and she might believe me. But, it wasn’t true to say I don’t mean anything, I had to mean something to her. She had just never said what herself.
“I can’t say I know for sure,” I began, “because you never told me anything specific about that. I believe I’m at least a generous friend, and I know you’re physically comfortable around me, like when you let your head rest on my shoulder on the train ride here.” I paused and raised a hoof to my cheek. “You kissed my cheek on the picnic date. And maybe the way I take to my job as a Royal Guard means something to you, like that you’re safe and protected with me.” I grimaced at that, wishing our situation didn’t show otherwise. “Besides that, I don’t know what else to say.”
Summer nodded slowly and winced. “I believe you. I don’t know why, but when I look at your face, something tells me that I know you’re honest and I can trust you. What about me? What do I mean to you?”
Butterflies were suddenly swarming around inside me. Again I didn’t know the answer, at least not in this moment. It wasn’t something I had ever thought through. What did she mean to me? Well, I couldn’t just sit here and think about it while Summer waited for the answer. Complete honesty in the moment would have to be enough.
“I haven’t really pieced together my feelings, but I at least know you mean a lot to me. Seeing you lying there unconscious after the cave-in was… terrifying. In that moment I thought you were gone, and I had no idea what to do with myself. It was such a relief to realize you were alive. Finding out you don’t remember the last two weeks hurts, knowing you don’t remember the things you said to me that have helped me so much. But I don’t think that matters, because I can see that you’re still the same kind, caring, and compassionate mare you were back then. You mean more to me than… well, besides family, any other pony I know.”
I couldn’t put a name to Summer’s expression as I ended. Almost blank, but, not quite. My heart was pounding waiting for her response, and I could feel drops of sweat rolling down my neck. I levitated some water over and drank it.
“Thank you for telling me,” Summer said slowly. “I really do appreciate it. I… I wish I hadn’t forgotten everything. I’m so sorry.” She sniffled, and her eyes sparkled. They were beautiful even in tears. “I’m sorry I can’t remember. I’m sorry.”
I blinked away my own tears that were starting to form as she kept apologizing. Just watching her made my heart ache. “No,” I said, standing up. “Don’t—don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault. Please—” I sat down next to her and put my hoof over her neck. “—I’m the one who’s sorry. I should have… I could… I knew it wasn’t going to be safe. I didn’t want anything to happen to you, but...”
But I had still let her come, and now there was nothing I could do except hold her while she sobbed.
> The Promises We Make And Paths We Take - Rescued
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shining Armor and Flash Sentry had slowed their pace somewhat, but were still able to keep going despite me being sure it was already after sundown. An entire day stuck in these infernal caves without food or water was seriously starting to suck the life out of me. I couldn’t feel my legs anymore, if I even still had them, and my wings weren’t even willing to give a single ounce of lift.
“Are you sure you still don’t want to be carried?” Flash Sentry asked.
I shot him a cold glare and rasped, “I’m fine.”
Both stallions gave me a doubtful look, but they didn’t make a move to stop me, even though I don’t think I could have fought back if they tried. I was grateful though, worrying that something as gentle as a poke might have brought me to my knees. There was only one option, and that was to keep going, despite my dry throat, eyes, and upset stomach.
“We should be near the exit,” Shining Armor said. “Half an hour, maybe less.”
Flash Sentry gave a determined nod, but he said, “Sir, something has been bothering me.”
“What is it?”
“That mare who attacked us—Lady Fate one of them said—I’ve never heard of her. Who do you think she is?”
“I don’t know, but she had the manner of a noble.”
“Are you kidding? She was obviously a crime lord,” I said.
They looked at me with curious, almost accusing stares.
“Not… that I’ve ever met or associated with one,” I added hastily. “But I know a crime lord when I see one. Can’t be a simple gang leader, with the diverse company she shared along with their sophistication. No gangster would ever defer to somepony as ‘Lady Fate’. What? Don’t judge me. A mare living in Manehattan has to know her way around the streets after dark.”
“We can worry about her later,” Shining Armor said. “Right now let’s just focus on getting out of here.”
It was only a couple minutes later when light appeared up ahead, and it was moving. The two stallions stopped and shifted as if ready to fight, when the most unexpected group rounded the corner. Princess Cadance, Princess Celestia, and… Discord?
“Shining Armor!” Cadance cried at the same time that Shining Armor shouted “Cadance!”
The two rushed together in an embrace, but they cut it short.
“Are you alright?” Cadance asked.
Princess Celestia began levitating water pouches to us, which I took and gulped as much down as I could.
“We’re fine,” Shining Armor said. “We were ambushed, but no harm done. How did you know where to find us?”
“I know these caverns as well as you, honey. Lightwing and Peddlefoot came back to the Empire and told us what happened. I figured you’d be coming up through here.”
Discord popped in between them. “Pardon my interruption to your little reunion, but where is Swordulan?”
“He’s not with you?” Shining Armor asked. “We were separated. I thought they’d have gotten out before us.”
“Oh no, they must still be trapped,” Cadance said.
My heart skipped a beat. “We have to go back and dig him out!”
In a flash of light, Discord suddenly wore a miner’s outfit with a pickaxe. “Not to worry, Discord to the rescue!” And in another flash he was gone.
“Don’t worry about them,” Celestia said. “Discord will take care of it. I’m sure you’re all starving, so let’s get you out and a full meal to eat.”
Though I worried about Swordulan, I hungrily agreed. The water along with a few nut bars gave me enough strength to keep going, and we were out of the caverns in no time for Celestia to teleport us back outside the Crystal Empire’s castle.


	*


	 

Summer had fallen asleep again. I was tired as well, but despite all my muscle fatigue and drowsiness, I couldn’t sleep. I laid on the ground in darkness, my mind spinning… or was it swimming? Maybe both at the same time. In the background of it all was the thought, we may just end up dying down here. All foreground thoughts denied this; there was no way I would die in a place like this. I wasn’t some random nopony to die so tragically. Heroes in adventure stories never died like this, so I wouldn’t either. That was the short of it.
But Summer wouldn’t ever remember the last two weeks. I had thought about the spell Cadance used on me back when Discord had first appeared in Ponyville, except it wasn’t a memory restoration spell, it only brought up memories I could already remember. As far as I knew, an actual memory restoration spell didn’t exist. The closest thing to it I could do was a spell that would let her experience my own memories of the time spent with her, but that wouldn’t be helpful at all. She would only become aware of her external experience and my internal experience, and there was no reason for that.
One thought plagued me more than the others. Does she even like me anymore? Or… will she? It must have been like meeting me all over again, but in a much worse circumstance. A part of me knew it was a selfish thing to worry about, and that her wellbeing should come first, but the pain of those unanswered questions still hurt.
My ears twitched, and then I heard a sharp knocking sound beginning to echo through the cave, quickly growing louder until a small portion of the roof collapsed a short ways off. Suddenly a bright light from that direction shone directly into my eyes, and for a brief moment I wondered if I had died. Relief swept over me when I recognized the tall shape of Discord standing over me, the light coming from a hardhat he wore. It was the first time I was genuinely happy to see him.
“Your savior has arrived,” Discord proclaimed, twirling a pickaxe on the tip of his claw. “And just in the nick of time it seems.”
“Thank Celestia,” I breathed.
“Well yes, she is partially responsible, but you should really be thanking me.”
I smiled. “Thanks Discord.” I glanced back at Summer and frowned. She hadn’t woken. “How are you going to get us out of here though?”
Discord laughed. “Swordulan, please, have you met me?”
He snapped his claw, and all three of us were back in the Crystal Empire in the castle’s throne room. The sudden light from all directions was blinding, forcing me to squint.
“Swordulan!” I heard Cadance say.
She and Princess Celestia were suddenly next to me, helping me up. I was confused as to why Celestia was here, but grateful nonetheless.
“Are you alright?” Cadance asked.
“Yeah, I’m okay,” I said tiredly. “But Summer needs medical attention.”
“Oh no. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of her.”
Cadance lifted Summer with her magic and carried her out while Celestia took me to the dining hall for something to eat. I didn’t notice what I ate, being both too hungry to care and too distracted to think about it. Afterwards I asked Celestia if Katana, Shining Armor, and the rest were alright, to which she said they were getting their rest and that I ought to get mine too. Nodding in agreement, I trudged off to my room and collapsed into bed, falling asleep nearly instantly.
I was up early the next morning for breakfast and was glad to find Shining Armor and Katana sitting in the dining hall unharmed.
“Hey, look who’s up,” Shining Armor said, getting up to give me a hoof bump. “Glad to see you’re okay.”
“Good to see you too,” I said. “How did you get out? Was it Discord?”
“Not really,” Katana said, still sitting at the table and trying to massage both her wings and legs at the same time. “He, Princess Celestia, and Cadance found us near an exit. We still had to trot all the way out before they teleported us back here. My wings and legs are killing me. I’m going to feel this for a week.”
Shining Armor smirked and whispered to me, “Flash and I barely broke a sweat. My legs feel fine.”
After a night’s rest I didn’t feel anything either, but was grateful I didn’t need to climb all the way out.
“At least you’re alive,” I said to Katana, and was surprised when she nodded to herself instead of shooting me a sour look.
“Come on and sit down,” Shining Armor said, moving back to his chair. “Breakfast is pancakes with syrup, jams, and strawberries.”
“Sounds great.”
I took a seat and levitated a stack of pancakes onto my plate with a healthy spread of raspberry jam. As I began to dig in, Princess Celestia came in and took a seat and selection of pancakes as well, greeting everyone with a good morning.
“Celestia, you never said what brought you up to the Empire,” Shining Armor said. “Cadance said you weren’t even expected.”
“Yes, and I’m sorry my timing was not as hasty as it could have been,” Celestia said. “Luckily I arrived just in time to assist in finding you and Swordulan and the others. I’ve come on a matter regarding the Lieutenant’s sword.”
I nearly choked on a chunk of pancake. “My sword? What’s wrong with it?”
Celestia chewed patiently before responding. “There’s nothing wrong with the sword itself, it’s the magical entity that escaped I’m concerned with. Discord and I will tell you what we know after breakfast. Now I hear you’ve had some problems of your own here.”
Katana shook her head slightly. “That’s an understatement. There’s a big time crime lord targeting my brother, and now Swordulan. Maybe even me. Unless they think we’re dead and buried, but it’s only a matter of time before she learns we escaped.”
“What do you mean big time crime lord?” I asked.
Katana gave me disgusted look. “Weren’t you Royal Guards trained to recognize crime lords and gang leaders?”
Shining Armor and I shared a look.
“No,” we said.
“Ugh. You are all so useless. One of these days somepony is going to just waltz right into town and take over. Well I hope all this ‘magical entity’ business doesn’t get in the way of finding Stonehenge.”
“It will have to,” Celestia said, most of her pancakes surprisingly gone already. “I’m sorry for your brother, but this is a matter concerning the fate of Equestria. It must take the highest priority.”
Katana did not look happy with that, but I nearly choked again. “The fate of Equestria?” I asked. “Why aren’t you sending for Twilight and her friends? Or have you?”
“No. Discord tells me that it might only be possible to solve the matter with your talents and relation to the sword’s enchantment and the entity.”
“Oh.” Wow, the fate of Equestria was in my hooves instead of Twilight’s. That was both terrifying and satisfying in a suck it, Twilight, but please save me if I screw up sort of way.
Katana grunted and got up from the table. “Well if you’re all too busy saving the world, I’ll just go rescue my brother on my own.”
“Katana, wait,” I said. “Maybe you should take some time to recover before flying into another trap.”
“He’s right,” Shining Armor said. “It may not be safe out there for you either. If that crime lord or any of her friends see you, you’ll just be in danger again. You’re free to stay here until we can find and bring them to justice.”
Katana looked sullen, but she gave a sharp, “Fine!” and stalked out of the dining hall.
Shining Armor gestured to Flash Sentry—who I finally noticed was standing guard at the entrance—to follow after her. As he left, Cadance entered with a grim look.
“Cadance, what’s the matter?” Shining Armor asked. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine, Shining,” she said. “I just don’t like being the bearer of bad news.”
“Bad news?”
Cadance came up to me and put a hoof on my shoulder. “It’s about Summer. She…”
“Has lost the last two weeks of memory,” I said calmly, and I heard Shining Armor gasp. “I know. We talked in the cave.”
“I’m so sorry, Swordulan. I tried everything I could. How are you holding up?”
I looked at the last pancake on my plate and frowned. My appetite had suddenly left. “I’ll be okay.”
“I know you will, but how are you right now? Where are you at? Please, you can talk to me.”
My eye twitched and mouth trembled for a moment before it all came spilling out in croaks. “I couldn’t protect her. I couldn’t protect her, Cadance!” She pulled me into an embrace as I sobbed. “I couldn’t stop her from coming. Why couldn’t I stop her? Why did she… I knew it wasn’t going to be safe. I knew! I knew! I let her get hurt, and now it’s like she’s gone. Gone… why does it have to feel like she’s gone? She’s still here, but… I don’t know! Cadance… tell me it’s my fault, Cadance. Tell me how horrible I am for letting this happen.”
“No,” Cadance said softly, brushing my mane. “I won’t lie to you.”
“But… it’s true, it’s my fault. I…” Words became impossible.
“Shh, it’s okay. Just let it all come out.”
Everything else in the room became a blur as I cried. I vaguely heard someone enter the dining hall.
“What’s all this fussing about?” Discord asked.
“None of our business, Discord,” Celestia said. “Let’s go out for a look at the flower gardens, shall we?”
I don’t know how long it was before I regained control of myself, though I couldn’t have imagined more than twenty minutes. I felt like a mess. Everything had gone wrong. This was supposed to be a fun and relaxing weekend, but instead it had turned into one of the worst experiences of my life.
It was just myself, Cadance, and Shining Armor in the room. Shining Armor was standing behind me with a hoof on my back.
“Are you going to yell at me again?” I asked him.
Shining Armor gave a brief smile. “I only yell at you when you’re acting like a foal. Come on, it’s time we find out what Celestia and Discord have to say about your sword.”
> The Mirror Portal
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

We waited in the throne room while a guard was out to find Celestia. It was only a few short minutes before she and Discord arrived.
“I wish I had better news to tell you, Swordulan, given recent events,” Celestia said. “But the protection of Equestria’s citizens must be my top priority.”
I instinctively stood at attention. “I understand, Princess. A guard’s duty comes first. What do you need your Lieutenant to do?”
Discord snapped his claws and my sword appeared beside him. “Your hunch was right,” he said. “Well, almost right. The entity has slipped into an alternate world, not a parallel one.”
Cadance and Shining Armor looked surprised in a way that said they understood what that meant.
“An alternate world?” I asked, eyeing my sword. Discord noticed and let me take it in my magic.
“Yes,” Celestia said. “There’s a magic mirror portal that connects our world to another here in the castle. Come with me.”
Celestia led us out of the throne room, down a hall, up some stairs, and down a few other halls before entering a room that seemed like a small art gallery, having a number of pictures hanging on the walls with lights hanging over them, and one large crystal mirror standing at the far end of the room.
My sword started pulsing.
“Oh, stay back!” I cried, levitating the sword away and casting a shield around it. “It might explode.”
“There’s no need to fret,” Discord said, rolling his eyes. “It’s merely resonating.”
I blinked. “Resonating?”
“Yes, with the magical entity. I told you so, Celestia. It must be in there.”
Celestia sighed. “I had hoped there was a chance it wasn’t.”
“I still don’t understand,” I said.
Discord teleported next to my sword and grabbed it without flinching. Realizing it wasn’t hot, I let go of my magic, and Discord brought the sword right next to the mirror, which made it pulse brighter and more rapidly. “When the magical entity escaped, it opened a portal into the world this mirror leads to. Now it’s loose doing who-knows-what sorts of damage.”
“Twilight Sparkle was the last to enter and return from that world,” Celestia said. “I myself don’t know much about it, but I know it’s more dangerous the more who go through. That is why it’s up to you alone, Swordulan, to enter and find the entity and trap it back into your sword’s enchantment. Once you return, Discord may be able to destroy it once and for all.”
I scratched my head. “How am I supposed to trap it back in my sword?”
“I’d recommend using magic,” Discord said. “A touch of pixie dust too if it pleases you, with maybe a sprinkling of some sugar and spice, and perhaps a dash of Stormlight mixed with some saidin. Or possibly it has a weakness to green rocks.”
“What he means to say is that you’ll unfortunately have to figure it out on your own,” Celestia said, with an unamused look at Discord.
I grunted. This was sounding more complicated than I cared for. “What about my duties in Canterlot?” I asked, worried about what Justice might say.
“I’ve already spoken to Captain Morningstar and had him make the proper arrangements until you return.”
That was a relief, though there was only one last question I had to know before I felt confident about this. “How will I get back?”
“Wherever you exit on the other side will be the portal back,” Discord said. “I will have to open it for you. The mirror normally only opens once every thirty moons for three days, but I can hold it open with my magic easily enough. After you’ve gone through, I’ll open the portal every day for half an hour at noon. I won’t do it forever though, so please try not to take longer than a week.”
I stared at the mirror for a moment and nodded. “Alright. Can I go say goodbye to Summer real quick? I expect she’ll want to get back to Canterlot before I return.”
“Of course,” Celestia said.
“She’s in her room,” Cadance said. “I’ll take you there.”
Cadance led me around the castle until we were back in the hall with a row of spare rooms. She went to one door and opened it only enough to peek her head in. She said something I couldn’t make out, then opened the door wide and stepped aside, nodding to me.
I entered and walked up to the bed. Summer sat against the back of it, half of her tucked under the sheets and head wrapped with a cloth bandage. She looked awake and healthy though.
I tried to put on a smile. It was difficult, remembering our last conversation. “Hey.”
“Hey,” she said softly. “Do you know how nice Princess Cadance is? She brought me breakfast in bed. If there were any place to have a terrible accident happen, it would be here.” She laughed and cringed a little. “Doctor says I should avoid moving too much or using magic, along with loud noises and bright light. Worst headache I ever had, but at least most of the dizziness and nausea is gone. Just the pain left. Thankfully no permanent damage besides the memory loss.”
“That’s good,” I said, trying to match her voice level. “I’m glad you’re taking it so well.”
“Yeah,” she said slowly. “I’m glad you’re still here. I was worried you weren’t going to be around when I woke up.”
“Oh. Well, that’s sort of why I came. I have to leave, and I don’t know when I’ll be back. I wanted to come say goodbye.”
Summer looked confused. “What do you mean you don’t know when you’ll be back? Where are you going?”
“I don’t know exactly. Another world. There’s a real possibility I won’t come back.”
She raised her voice. “What? No, why would…” She winced and took a deep breath, continuing more quietly. “Why would you say that?”
“Celestia has an important mission for me.” Why was I using my cold guard voice? “It’s not the kind of mission I can refuse. All of Equestria is potentially at stake. By the time I get back, if I do, I hope you’ll have recovered and gone back to Canterlot.”
Summer frowned. “I don’t understand. You don’t sound like you’re coming back. You sound like you know you won’t.”
I hesitated. “I don’t know.”
“Is this really how you want to say goodbye then?”
“I… don’t… Summer, I—” How did I want to say goodbye? With some heartfelt words? A kiss? No, none of those sorts of things. Why did I want a short, cold farewell? I looked back at the door to see if Cadance might have been there, but she wasn’t. Well, I didn’t need her help to figure it out. Maybe it was because on the off chance I didn’t return, Summer wouldn’t be as hurt if she thought less of me. I already failed to protect her once, how could I again?
I resumed my guard voice and said, “I’ll be back within the week.”
A second after I turned to leave something soft hit me on the back of the head. With a glance I saw it; Summer’s pillow.
I looked back at her. “Did you use magic to throw that?”
The pained expression on her face confirmed as much, but then she startled me by jumping out of bed and tackling me with an embrace.
“Summer, you shouldn’t… you need to stay in bed until you’re recovered.”
“I don’t care about the pain,” Summer cried, holding me tighter. “What you’re doing is no way to say goodbye, and… if Equestria’s fate is in your hooves, you need all the strength you can get. Just don’t leave me like this.”
I stood there, unmoving, as she cried into my neck. It was hard to pull away, but once I did I steeled myself and looked Summer in the eyes. “I’m sorry. Please don’t wait for me.”
“Swordulan, I—”
With the hardest effort I’d ever made, I teleported back into the room with the mirror portal. Everyone still waited for me there, my sword leaning against the wall and still pulsing. I took it in my magic and brought the hilt up to my face to look at the broken crystal. It showed a splintered reflection of myself.
“I’m ready,” I said.
“Stay on your hooves,” Shining Armor said. “Remember the rules of uncharted territory.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“I know Twilight made some friends when she was there last,” Celestia said. “I’d recommend seeking them out for help.”
“The portal’s ready,” Discord said. “I wouldn’t want to waste another minute if I were you.”
I took a deep breath and nodded. “Right. Keep a close eye on Katana for me, Captain.”
“Two eyes, and my guards’, as often as I can spare them,” Shining Armor said.
“Be safe,” Cadance said.
I walked up to the mirror and grabbed my sword hilt with my teeth. “Here goev nuffin.”
> Officer Shield's Vacation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stepping through the mirror felt like being swept into raging whirlpool, tossing me around faster and faster, colors swirling past as I couldn’t do anything but scream, and then it was over in an abrupt lurch.

I opened my eyes and saw… my sword, I think, except it was shaped like a baton. Moving my legs, something bizarre moved across my vision and I froze. That… was not a leg. Trying to bring my front legs up so I could see them, I saw… thin hairless monkey hands? I touched my face, and it was like half of what should have been there was missing.

What the hay am I?

Afraid to move another inch, I turned my eyes up and saw a large but short castle with dozens of… not-monkeys… walking around. It was the tail end of fall with most of the trees barren, colorful leaves covering the ground nearly everywhere. Some of the not-monkeys were giving me odd stares but most avoided eye contact. Did I look like them? Or was I different?

No, that didn’t matter, first I had to make sure I knew how to get back. Slowly using my ho… hands… I managed to turn around and saw a large statue of a horse. So, there must have been horses here at least. Maybe I could find some and see if they could tell me anything about this place.

I pulled myself to the statue so I could sit against it and looked at the rest of me. Long legs for standing, a weirdly flat torso, arms, hands. From the way all the other creatures were walking, it seemed going on all fours would stand out, which I certainly wanted to avoid. I had some kind of uniform on, judging by a badge on the dark blue vest I had. Weird that the portal would give me clothes.

Feeling at my forehead, I gasped. NO HORN?

I jumped up, legs wobbling a bit, and faced the statue. “HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO USE MAGIC TO DEFEAT THIS THING IF I DON’T HAVE A HORN!?” I staggered forward and slammed a fist against a hard surface. Discord had already closed the portal. “Discord! Let me back! How is this supposed to work?”

I looked down at my sword-baton and tried to focus, but there was nothing, no connection, no magic, nothing. The sword had stopped pulsing too.

“Are you okay, Officer Shield?” a feminine voice asked. “I thought you were on vacation.”

I looked up to find one of the not-monkeys standing in front of me. She had a light orange skin tone with yellow and red hair and cyan eyes. Had she been a pony with those colors, she might have passed as my sister.

“I’m not an Officer, I’m a Lieutenant of the Royal Guard,” I said. With legs wobbling slightly, I crouched to pick up my sword-baton.

“Wait,” she said. “Did you come through the portal?”

I hesitated. “How many of you strange creatures know about it?”

She gasped and looked around as if to make sure no one was nearby. “My name’s Sunset Shimmer, I’m from Equestria too. Do you know Twilight Sparkle? Did she come with you?”

It was a relief that someone else here was from Equestria; perhaps she might know a way to deal with the lack of magic, though I wasn’t sure if I should trust her right away. At the very least she might be able to answer questions. “I know Twilight, but no, it’s just me. You can call me Swordulan. What are we anyway?”

“Humans. It takes a bit to get used to, I know. And this right here is Canterlot High. Everyone here knows you as Officer Shield, a security officer of the school. You may want to lay low before Principal Celestia sees you.”

I blinked. “Principal Celestia? What…”

“Yeah, it’s weird. Listen, I don’t know how you managed to get through the portal, but maybe you should come with me. I can help you with whatever you’re doing here, or just with finding your way around.”

“Hold on, how do you know Twilight?”

“We met when she came here not too long ago… she sort of helped me with a terrible problem. We’re friends. I can introduce you to the rest of the friends she made here if you’d like.”

“I see. Well, friends of Twilight are better than nothing. I’ll follow you.”

I followed Sunset with slow, awkward footing until she lent a hand to assist me. The other humans around gave us odd stares, as though suspicious or contemptuous.

“Does everyone here hate me or something?” I asked.

“No, that would be me,” Sunset said. “It’s a long story. You know how Twilight’s crown was stolen recently?”

I nearly tripped from the news. “Stolen? No, I never heard.”

“Oh. I guess she must not have wanted that to get out.”

“Let me guess, you were the one who stole it?”

She sighed. “Yes. But I’ve learned my lesson, and like I said, we’re… friends now, I guess.”

I was starting to get the hang of walking on two legs. This body seemed strongly built for it. “Of course you are, you and everypony’s grandmother. Where exactly are you taking me?”

Sunset gave me an odd look. “Say ‘everybody’s’ instead. People around here aren’t very welcoming of anything from Equestria, magical things make them nervous. And I’m taking you to my friend Pinkie’s house, we have sleepovers pretty often. Canterlot High is too busy with finals to discuss Equestrian things here.”

“Pinkie’s? Pinkie Pie?”

“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it. Just don’t think about it too hard.”

I rubbed my head. “I wish I didn’t have to think about it at all.”

Sunset was silent for a time, though every other moment looked like she wanted to say something until she stopped herself. It was like she wasn’t sure what to say, but eventually she asked, “So you’re a Lieutenant, huh?”

“One of many. I oversee Canterlot’s walls and gates.”

“How come Celestia sent you here? Were you exiled for something?”

“Exiled? No, nothing like that. I’m here to capture a dangerous magical entity that used to live in my sword’s crystals.” I hefted the sword-baton to show her and she stopped in her tracks, eyes going wide.

“Are you serious?”

“That’s part of the job description. You wouldn’t happen to know how to use magic in this world, would you?”

Sunset sighed. “No, not unicorn magic anyway. But don’t worry, I’m sure we can figure something out.”

“I hope so. Maybe it might be as simple as hitting it with the sword, or trying to make it want to go back in. Unless it’s taken possession of something or someone else.”

Sunset looked worried. “Can it do that?”

“I have no idea. Come on, people are starting to stare at us. I’d rather keep a low profile.”

A short distance later we made it to Pinkie’s house. She greeted me much the same as the Pinkie Pie from Ponyville did when I first met her, perhaps with greater enthusiasm because I was from Equestria. All of Sunset’s friends were there studying together; Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy. It was the most bizarre thing I’d ever seen.

“So let me get this straight,” Rarity said shortly after I explained my situation, “there is another monster from Equestria we have to deal with?” She looked at Sunset and her cheeks colored. “Uh—of course, I don’t mean to insinuate that you’re a monster, darling.”

Sunset gave a weak smile. “It’s okay, I sorta was.”

“Are you absolutely sure this ‘magical entity’ is even here?” Applejack asked.

“Yes and no,” I said. “It’s the most likely place, especially since I know for sure it isn’t in Equestria. Have any of you noticed anything unusual? Anyone acting strangely?”

That got me a chorus of ums, nos, not reallys, and haven’t seen anythings.

“Of course we haven’t noticed anything!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “We’re all so busy and focused for finishing our finals. Nobody’s going to notice someone acting strange.”

“Hmm. Then I’ll just have to start searching. You should all stay here.” I turned to leave, but before I could make it two strides, Sunset grabbed my shoulder.

“Wait,” she said, turning me around, “if both our world and Equestria is in danger, we’ll do anything we can to find and stop this thing. No way we’re letting you go alone. Right, girls?”

They all stared at her in hesitation, but Applejack broke the silence. “Ah, shoot! We may not have a plan, but as long as we have each other, I’m confident we can take on anything that comes our way. Besides, I’ll bet Twilight would want us to help. Count me in.”

“I suppose when Applejack puts it like that, you can count me in too,” Rarity said.

“And me,” Fluttershy said. “I couldn’t bear to let anything happen to anyone here or Equestria.”

“I guess hunting down an evil magical monster sounds pretty cool,” Rainbow Dash said. “I’m in.”

“Me too!” Pinkie said. “Let’s get this magic monster hunter party started!”

I suppose I should have expected as much from friends of Twilight. Still, I gave a grateful smile. “We’ll search in groups of two. Find a buddy and prepare whatever you think you’ll need. I’m not sure what to tell you to look for except anything that seems out of the ordinary.”

The girls quickly paired up; Applejack with Sunset, Pinkie with Rainbow, and Fluttershy with Rarity.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay searching alone?” Fluttershy asked me.

“I’ll go with him,” Sunset said. “Applejack, can you—”

“Not to worry, I’ll stick with Rarity and Fluttershy,” Applejack said. “Three groups should be more than enough to search around.”

I nodded. “Watch each other’s backs. This thing is unlike anything you’ve ever faced.”

“Unlike a raging she-demon with an army of mind-controlled zombie high school students?” Pinkie asked.

I blinked in confusion at her, but everyone else’s eyes had briefly gone to Sunset. She turned to me and gave a guilty shrug.

“Heheh, it’s a long story,” she said. “I’m sure everything will be fine.”


*


I’ll say it right out; this stinks. Who would have thought being cooped up in a castle would be so boring? Is this what Swordulan did for his job every day? Although, I think I recall him mentioning he worked mostly outdoors on the walls, but still. What was worse is that they put me right next door to that too-pretty mare that Swordulan likes. Which wasn’t all that bad, especially now that she couldn’t remember our first encounter. Not that I regretted anything I said, but some things were better left forgotten. I actually felt kind of bad for her, losing so much time like that. Better here than in Manehattan at least.

The worst of it was that for a week I felt like I could barely move. My wings and legs ached, everything felt stiff. There wasn’t a spa in the castle, and I wasn’t about to request Shining Armor or Cadance to bring me a massage therapist. I hardly spoke with them at all, and not a single word to Princess Celestia, though she had left shortly after Swordulan vanished. The one I found myself talking most with was Flash Sentry, who regularly checked up on me. I tried to pry out information on the search for my brother from him, but he could only say it was ongoing. Going nowhere is more what it felt like.

Discord would come back every day at noon to reopen that mirror portal thing. Summer was always there, waiting, expecting him to come through any moment. I was there just because I knew I could probably get out of here once he returned. On the seventh day he was gone, both Cadance and Shining Armor showed up as well. All of us were worried.

“Maybe he’s decided to stay?” Discord said.

Summer’s face went pale. “No…”

“That doesn’t sound like him,” Shining Armor said. “Maybe I should send some guards after him.”

“You know what Princess Celestia said about sending more of us in there,” Cadance said. “I’m sure Swordulan is fine, he’s just not been able to find the entity yet.”

“Perhaps,” Discord said. “But despite your hope for the Lieutenant, I won’t keep this up forever. I’ll come back every two days for now.”

“That’s all we ask,” Cadance said, looking expectantly at the mirror.

“Please be okay, Swordulan,” Summer muttered, and Cadance went to comfort her.

I snorted. “If I know one thing about my cousin, it’s that he’s as stubborn as a bull. Maybe even as stubborn as me. He’ll be back, or I’ll break his neck.” More than his neck when he does get back. And you better get back. I’m already trying to rescue one brother, don’t you make it two. Oh hay, what would Aunt Sacred say if he never came back? What am I supposed to do?
> Road to Hollow Shades
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

One week of searching, and we turned up absolutely nothing. Somehow the girls had made time to finish their finals, but even now with entire days to search, there was not a single trace of anything remotely magical. I was ready to give up and go back to Equestria, but there was no way I could abandon a mission I had undertaken from Princess Celestia’s direct order. There was likely still some time left before Discord gave up, though I imagine before that happened the Princess would send Twilight here to ultimately save the day, as usual. No way would I face the shame of returning to request she deal with this. No way in Tartarus.

Thankfully Applejack was able to take me in while I was here. The apple farm was not much different than in Equestria, which was a nice change of pace from the town and its… cars. And I thought Manehattan’s streets were loud and busy. We still regularly met up at Pinkie’s house though, trying to map out where we had searched already and where to search next. At this point we were only searching on the outskirts of town, which is where something finally occurred to me.

“It’s in Hollow Shades!” I exclaimed, startling Fluttershy who was my searching partner this morning. “Sorry. Can you call the others and tell them to meet back at Pinkie’s? I think I know where the entity is.”

Fluttershy looked anxious, but she quickly started calling the others on her phone as we made our way back into town. Such an interesting little device. If anything came close to magic, that was it. Probably not something we could defeat the entity with though.

Everyone seemed anxious when we finally got together. I didn’t spare a moment to explain. “This world isn’t a parallel one to Equestria, but it’s very close. There’s a Celestia in my world and one here, and the same goes for Twilight’s friends and Canterlot. So obviously there are a number of things that are parallel, in a way, and when the entity escaped my sword, it was in a place called Hollow Shades. Do any of you know if there’s somewhere in this world called that?”

They all began thinking, but Applejack was the first to speak up.

“I think I know where you’re talking about,” she said, then hesitated. “It’s… a ways off, and not the kind of place to visit casually.”

“Sounds about right,” I said. “How long will it take to get there?”

“The bus takes two hours to get there. If we leave now and find that magical entity, barring any horrible disasters, we should be back before dark, and you can return to Equestria tomorrow.”

“Alright, let’s do it. Whatever you all think you’ll need, get it quick. I’ve got a feeling we’ll be finding this monster today.”

Roughly twenty minutes later, we were all on a bus headed for Hollow Shades. Buses were a sort of car, so Sunset told me, but they seemed more like miniature trains to me. No rails, but the with the way people drove these things, roads may as well have been rails. Much bumpier rails.

Sunset Shimmer sat next to me. We chatted about Equestria and what had changed since Sunset was exiled; not much it turns out, but Sunset was amazed at some of the more major events, such as Discord’s first appearance, then his reform, and other seemingly world-ending events that Twilight and her friends had stopped. I left out any amount of my involvement, since it mostly consisted of failure. I was done remembering my failures. This trip was going to be my first real success, the first time I was the one who saved Equestria. Sure I had the help of Twilight’s friends in this world, but ultimately it was going to be me who stopped the entity.

Me. Only me. My problem, my responsibility.

“Hey, can I ask you something a bit… weird?” Sunset said.

I raised an eyebrow at her. “Weird? Well, me answering will depend on how weird the question is.”

“Probably not that weird, but, ever since I learned the truth about friendship, I’ve had all these questions about it. Twilight’s friends have helped answer a lot of them, but not all. I’m just curious if you might have some different insight that might help, being a Royal Guard and all.”

“Insight? About friendship in general?”

Sunset nodded. “Everyone still has a hard time of accepting me after… what I did. What would you do in my position?”

I snorted. “I’d say you’re asking the wrong guard. But honestly, I’d do exactly what you’re doing right now; something that actually matters. Friends are great, but most of them aren’t around when you really need them. You’re lucky to not have that problem with these girls. So what if the rest of the humans at that school aren’t accepting of you? It’s just pointless work to try changing them. If you’ve already changed yourself, they’ll see that on their own eventually. Don’t waste your time or theirs trying to force it.”

“Wow. Is that something you had to go through too?”

“No, I just have a good idea of what’s worth spending time on. Being a Royal Guard does that. But like I said, you’re asking the wrong guard, so take that with a grain of salt.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because I’m not like Twilight; I don’t have close friends that are always around or ready to be there when I need them.”

“Come on, you must have some friends if you’re a Lieutenant of the Royal Guard.”

“Well sure, I have friends, but not like how Twilight has friends. She makes it look easy, always off saving Equestria all the time with the help of her friends. You know how many times I tried to save Equestria from the exact same things they faced? Every time, and there was always something that stopped me, whether because I was too slow, or I was fighting alone, or I was sent away to let Twilight handle the problem. This is the first time Equestria has truly been in my… well, hands right now, but you understand, I can’t fail this time. This is my chance to finally prove myself. I won’t let Equestria or Princess Celestia down.”

Sunset looked confused. “Isn’t the job of a Royal Guard supposed to be defending the Princesses and Canterlot? How come you want to save Equestria so much?”

“Because I need to—” I stopped myself before I blurted make my father proud and disguised the pause as a fit of coughing. “Something caught in my throat, um…” I actually didn’t know the answer anymore, but I couldn’t just not give an answer, so I made one up. “Because I need to show that I can, and then maybe I’ll be promoted to Captain.”

Yeah, that sounded believable, and Sunset seemed to accept it. Our conversation died down from there, and all I could think about was why I still wanted to save Equestria so badly. I had derived that desire so much from wanting to please my father, but now that he was gone… what was the point? Saving Equestria had nothing to do with me wanting praise or acceptance or recognition from anypony but him. Maybe it was just my sense of duty, that because of past failures I owed it to Equestria to save it for once, despite never having needed to even try. Well, that sounded true enough; I did feel like I owed Equestria something.

“So, what’s the plan when we arrive?” Sunset asked, and the rest of the girls shifted their attention to me.

I looked between them all and grimaced. “First we have to find the entity. As for stopping it, I’m not sure.”

“I say we beat it into submission!” Rainbow Dash said, pounding a fist to an open palm.

“Maybe we could talk to it,” Fluttershy said. “What if it’s not an evil magic monster after all?”

“Judging from what the Lieutenant’s told us, I doubt that,” Applejack said. “We should try to capture it. Maybe if we can send it back to Equestria by force, he can deal with it there with his magic.”

“Or we could shoot a magic rainbow laser at it like we did to Sunset Shimmer when she was a raging she-demon!” Pinkie said.

“You what?” I blurted. “You all have used magic?”

“Not exactly I would say,” Rarity said. “It was mostly Twilight who started it, but she said that it was the magic of friendship uniting us together that let us defeat… erm, save, Sunset.”

“It was all of us together with Twilight,” Applejack said. “I don’t know if we could do it again without her.”

“I think we could,” Sunset said. “Twilight said the magic of friendship exists in both Equestria and this world. Maybe, if we all work together as friends, we can stop the entity and trap it back in Swordulan’s sword.”

I nodded slowly, thinking. As far as using magic went, this sounded like the best bet, though I had never experienced using the magic of friendship. I had no idea how to direct it or anything, but perhaps it would just come to me in the moment. Or it would all be handled by the girls.

Well…

…

“Let’s try,” I said. “We have to be willing to do anything to stop this thing. Who knows how much damage it could cause both of our worlds? The magic of friendship it is.”

“Good, because it looks like we’re here,” Applejack said.

Looking out the window, it definitely looked like the area surrounding Hollow Shades.
> The Shattering
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As we got off the bus Rarity was able to convince the driver to wait for us before leaving. We were its only passengers coming out here anyway, so he seemed fine with it.

Hollow Shades was much the same as Equestria’s version. Large, jagged rocks everywhere—though many of them seemed unnaturally deformed—and essentially no signs of life. No ruins either, which was different. The road just went right through the dry waste.

“I could’ve sworn I had some family living out here,” Applejack said.

“There’s less here than Equestria’s version,” I said. “But… there’s a strange feel in the air, like…” I looked down at my sword-baton sheathed in a belt loop to find it pulsing. Bringing it up, the girls stared at it in wonder. “It’s here.”

“Then we’ll face it together!” Rainbow said.

Pinkie thrust a fist in the air. “Rainbow laser style!”

Applejack stepped forward and raised hands to her sides. “Come on girls, all together now.”

The rest of them grabbed hands and looked determined. Sunset looked at me and held out her own hand.

“You’re part of the group too,” she said.

I stared at her hand for a moment and took it. This is weird. “What now?” I asked. “Is this how we start the magic?”

“Uh, maybe,” Applejack said. “All I know is this is how it started with Twilight.”

“Maybe we should find the scary monster first,” Fluttershy said.

“It could be anywhere around here,” Rainbow said.

“Or maybe it’s right there,” Pinkie said, briefly letting a hand go to point.

All heads turned to something that looked like some sort of… blob. A sparkling, light blue blob that floated. And it was huge.

“Well, that’s not scary at all,” I said.

As if triggered by the sound of my voice, the blob leapt into the air towards us.

“Scatter!” Applejack shouted.

We broke our chain of hands and dove in every direction just as the blob crashed where we had stood. I got up and helped Sunset to her feet in time to run as the blob began to chase.

“What happens if it touches us?” Sunset asked.

“You want to find out?” I asked, bringing up my sword-baton.

The blob was fast, and it seemed focused on me. I swung at it, and surprisingly the hit connected. There was an audible clunk, as if I had struck rock, and the blob recoiled as if in pain. Looking around at the jagged rocks, I realized the unnatural deformation reminded me of the bitemarks on leaves that caterpillars make. Had the entity been eating the rocks here?

“Magic of friendship! Magic of friendship!” Pinkie was yelling.

“I don’t think that’s how it works, Pinkie!” Rarity said.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack had begun to throw small stones at it, but it looked like the blob just absorbed them.

“Stop! You’re feeding it,” I called to them. “Just keep it distracted!”

While the girls ran in a frenzy of zig-zags, I danced around the blob and continued to hit it. The thing made low-pitched screeches, though it didn’t give any other signs that my attacks were having an effect.

“I don’t think that’s going to stop it,” Sunset called out to me. “We have to work together!”

“No!” I said, still bashing against the blob. “I can defeat it, I know I can. It came from my sword, and it’s going back in.”

The blob groaned and jumped into the air right as I swung, and the momentum of it made me trip.

“Get out of there!”

I looked up, gasped, and rolled as the blob smashed down. The ground exploded and threw me and the others to the ground. My sword had disappeared from my hand in the middle of it all.

Which direction is up?

“Come on, girls,” Applejack shouted from somewhere. “We have to stick together!”

The others began scrambling around trying to link up, but the blob gave them no chance. Any time three of them gathered the thing leapt at them and they had to scatter.

How do we beat this thing?

I stood up on wobbly legs and stumbled around a nearby boulder, finding Sunset huddled there with my sword-baton.

“Here,” she said, handing it over.

“I don’t know how we can stop it,” I said, looking down at the sword. “It won’t let us group up.”

“How did it even get here to begin with?”

“Somehow it created a portal to here after it broke out of the crystal in my sword.” I showed her the cracked crystal in the hilt, then hesitated.

There seems to be some magical link connected to the enchantment I hadn’t noticed before. Discord’s words.

“It’s still connected.”

“What?”

“It’s still connected. Stand back!”

Sunset moved back as I turned to the boulder and held the sword from the opposite end. Raising it high, I slammed it crystal-first into the stone. There was a small burst of light and the sword reverberated in my hands. The blob shrieked and began charging in my direction. I swung the sword-baton again, and again, until the fourth hit exploded with blinding magical energy, tossing me to the ground for a second time. When my vision cleared, I brought my sword back up, and a dozen shards of crystal fell out of the hilt. It had completely shattered.

“TSSSSSSSSSRIEEEEEEE.”

The blob was jerking on the ground, making a loud grinding sound as it tried to inch its way towards me with what life it had left. It fell still, and the glow around it dissipated until it was just a giant chunk of deformed rock.

“Whoa,” I breathed.

Sunset came over and pulled me up. “You did it!”

I blinked as the others came out from wherever they had been hiding. “I did it?”

“That. Was. AWESOME!” Rainbow said.

“I reckon we won’t have to worry about this thing coming back to life ever again?” Applejack asked, poking at the rock.

“What an ugly thing,” Rarity said. “It doesn’t even match with the local decorum.”

“The important thing is everyone is safe,” Fluttershy said.

“We need a party to celebrate, STAT!” Pinkie proclaimed. “Last one to the bus has to clean up!”

Pinkie and Rainbow immediately dashed off, but the rest of us just took our time and walked back, though not before I collected the shattered remnants of my crystal.

“How did you know what to do?” Fluttershy asked.

“Educated guess,” I said. “The entity must have still relied on my crystal to remain alive. All it took was for me to permanently break it and the enchantment.”

“Funny how we kept thinking we needed a magical solution when it was as simple as smashing a rock,” Applejack said.

“If we had known that back in Equestria, I’d never have needed to come. But I think it’s better that I came and saw it defeated with my own eyes.”

“It’s a shame about your sword,” Sunset said.

I nodded and looked over the thing. “It’ll probably be a lot less powerful now. No more flying for me, I guess.”

“You could fly on that thing?” Rarity asked.

“Faster than most pegasi. One time I almost beat Rainbow Dash…”




*



 


The bus drive back to Pinkie’s was about as eventful as the one to Hollow Shades, and the initial enthusiasm about defeating the blob died quickly. All I wanted was to go to bed, but Pinkie had other plans. The party was just like any of her other parties, with minor details about it changed in one way or another, such as the cupcakes somehow being in random round shapes that looked like the blob. I fell asleep on the couch in the middle of late-night board games, and I was not ready for the anxiety that came the following morning.

I’m going home. Home. Back to Equestria. Back to family and friends. To Summer. What was I going to say to her?

Breakfast with the girls came and went. We finished a couple puzzles from the night before, and then we left for the schoolgrounds. Once back in front of the statue I had come out of, I hoped Discord was still opening the portal for me. Noon was only a few minutes away.

“Well,” I said, turning to the girls, “thanks for all your help. It was nice to meet you on this side. I’m not sure if I’ll ever be coming back.”

“You know where to find us if you do,” Sunset said.

“It would certainly be nice to see you again but try not to bring any evil magical creatures with you on your next visit,” Rarity said.

“I’ll try,” I said with a brief smile. “Hopefully after that one you’ll not have to worry about anything like that again.”

“What are you going to do when you get back?” Fluttershy asked.

“Get back to work, probably. And… there’s someone I need to talk to.” I grimaced. “Not looking forward to that.”

“Who is it?” Sunset asked.

“Summer, she’s a… well, I’m not sure what she is to me anymore. Between this and what’s happened in Equestria recently, it’s complicated.”

“Ooo, are you talking about a ladyfriend?” Rarity asked, then she began rummaging through her purse. “I have just the thing. Here, give this to her, it should make things much easier for you.”

I took the small red rectangular box she held out and opened it slightly. “Chocolates?”

“You just carry chocolates around like that?” Applejack asked.

“Of course, darling,” Rarity said. “There’s a chocolate for every occasion and mood. Not to mention they stimulate the senses when one is lacking inspiration.”

“Thanks,” I said. “Not sure how much they’ll help, but I appreciate it.” I turned to the statue and gave it a poke. The portal was open. “Looks like it’s time to g—OOMPH.”

Pinkie tackled me with a hug that nearly popped my eyes out. “Can’t let you leave without a squeeze!”

“Th…anks. Never change, Pinkie.”

“How could I?”

“Be seein’ you, Lieutenant,” Applejack said.

“Be safe,” Fluttershy said.

“Stay cool,” Rainbow said.

“WAIT,” Rarity screeched. She dashed forward and took the box of chocolates and swiped one of them out, then gave an embarrassed shrug as she handed the box back. “Aheh, not that one, sorry. You can just tell her you couldn’t resist, I’m sure she’ll understand. Farewell!”

“Take care, and say hi to Twilight for me,” Sunset said.

“Will do,” I said. “See you everyone.”

I stepped through the portal.
> Home and Heart
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I came out the other side on my back hooves and remembered just quickly enough to go back down on all four before falling over, and thankfully caught my sword and box of chocolates with magic before they fell to the ground. Sweet, sweet magic. It was so good to be back, why had I ever been anxious at all?

“Swordulan!” two voices cried at once.

Right, that.

Summer and Katana both tackled me with an embrace, which was surprising from Summer considering how I left her, and utterly shocking from Katana.

“I take it you’ve destroyed the entity?” Discord asked. “I don’t sense anything different coming back with you.”

Katana let go of me, though Summer still clung on. “I was starting to think you wouldn’t come back,” she said.

“I’m lucky I did,” I said, then levitated my sword and the broken crystal shards up to Discord. “All I had to do was destroy the crystal. The entity died with the enchantment.”

One of Discord’s eyes stretched up to the shards, and thankfully Summer let go to listen. “How curious, there’s no magical traces left. Well, I’m sure Celestia would want to reward you for your good deed, but seeing as she’s not here, I shall have to do so myself.” He snapped his claw, and suddenly the sword’s main crystal was back in its socket, completely unscathed. “There you are, better than ever.”

I blinked and took the sword back into my magic. It felt light as a feather again. “What did you do? Did you just revive the entity?”

Discord guffawed. “Nonsense! The entity may have been powerful, but it’s nothing compared to my own chaos magic, of which a miniscule amount is now imbued within your sword. Go ahead, try it out!”

I gave a cautious step back and tried to transform the sword into the usual surfboard shape I used for flying. It melted into a puddle that belched out a small puff of fire.

“What.”

“See? It’s clearly superior to the entity! Of course, it won’t do things like that all the time, but you never know what you’re going to get when you cast any spells on it. A fitting reward, perhaps even more than you deserve. Well I must be off now, many things to attend to.” Discord began walking into the floor as if it was absorbing him. “Is it just me, or does anypony else feel a tad under the weather? I think I’m starting to turn blue.”

And he was gone.

“Ow!” Something knocked me in the back of the head while I was shaping my sword back to normal.

“That was for taking so long,” Katana said. “They’ve kept me cooped up in this castle for over a week. A mare’s gotta stretch her wings. Can I please go now?”

“Not before I talk with Shining Armor,” I said, rubbing the back of my head and testing my magic on the sword before shaping it around my waist. Thankfully it didn’t do anything bizarre.

“Ughhh, fine. Hurry up, will ya? In fact, I’ll go get him for you.”

Katana stalked out of the room, leaving me and Summer alone. I awkwardly cleared my throat and levitated the box of chocolates over to her.

“This is for you. I uh… only took one. Couldn’t resist.”

She took the box in her magic, looked inside, and smiled. “Thank you. How are you feeling?”

Yikes, that question. “I’m fine. Happy to be back and no longer worrying about my sword. Well, I guess I’m still worried about it thanks to Discord, but maybe it won’t be so bad. Uh… you? How’s your head?”

“It’s good, doctor says fully recovered.”

“That’s good… good. You didn’t go back to Canterlot? What about your job?”

Summer blushed. “I sent them a letter saying I was indisposed for a while. I wanted to wait for you.”

“Oh. Sorry, I didn’t mean to… I didn’t want to keep you waiting.”

“I know, you said you wanted me to go back to Canterlot.”

“Right… Summer, I… the way I said goodbye wasn’t good. It was hurtful, and I’m sorry. A lot has happened the past couple weeks. It’s been a lot to take in for me, and I need to be able to sort through it all, one thing at a time. I need to ask if I can put this—you and me—on hold for a bit, just until I feel like I can breathe again.”

Summer stared at me for a moment, expressionless, then looked down. “Oh… yeah, I understand. Yeah. I’m sorry too, I thought…” She took a deep breath and looked back at me. “Swordulan, there’s something I need to tell you. I try really hard to always tell the truth, and this is the hardest it’s ever been. I feel like I haven’t been able to breathe either, not since I woke up in that cave. I’ve been so confused with everything, even being here in the Crystal Empire. It all feels so disconnected, and you’re the only one who’s given me any amount of connection to anything. While I was waiting for you to come back, I almost felt like I was going crazy. I guess what I’m trying to say is… I need you. I understand why you need to sort through things, but… I just don’t know what to do with myself.”

What. She… what?

Shining Armor trotted into the room followed by Katana, though she lingered near the entrance. “You made it back! What took you so long?”

Amazing timing, Captain. “The search for the entity. Took a week before I realized we were searching in all the wrong places.”

“So it’s done, then?”

“Yes, Sir. I’ll send you a full report if you’d like.”

“I certainly would. You hungry at all? Cadance left for Ponyville just a bit ago, so lunch is all up to me.”

“I’m good, thanks. What’s Cadance doing in Ponyville?”

“She’s taking the day to spend some quality time with Twilight.”

“Oh, good for her. By the way, have you managed to find out anything about Stonehenge? Or whoever that Lady Fate was?”

Shining Armor frowned. “Nothing. It’s like they’ve both vanished. I’ve called off the search, but my stallions are still keeping an eye out.”

“Ponyfeathers… Katana, please tell me you don’t intend to go looking for trouble trying to find him.”

Katana snorted. “When have I ever intended to look for trouble?”

“Stonehenge is trouble.”

“No, he’s family, conehead. What the hay happened to wanting to fix our family? The least you could do is help me find him.”

I sighed. “I will. But what’s your plan? Do you have any idea where to even start?”

“Sure, my instincts tell me he’s gone back to Manehattan. Whatever business he had here is over.”

“And if he’s run back to Fillydelphia?”

“Nope, I’m positive Fillydelphia is a trap. He’s not going back there.”

“How are you so sure?”

“Because I both understand the kind of trouble he’s mixed up in and how he thinks. Plus, of all cities to try disappearing in, Manehattan is the easiest.”

“Perfect,” I grumbled. “I’ll need to arrange things with Captain Morningstar in Canterlot. You go ahead. Try not to do anything stupid until I get there.”

“Thank Celestia.” Katana jumped into the air. “You be careful too. I’m starting to get the feeling that Lady Fate has eyes everywhere. I’ll meet you at your mom’s, okay?”

She flew out, and Shining Armor gave me a questioning look.

“You sure letting her go is a good idea?” he asked.

“No,” I sighed. “Just a necessary one.”

“Do you want any backup?”

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.”

Shining Armor nodded. “Flash Sentry is with Cadance right now, but I’ll send him down to help you once he gets back. He’s one of my best, and Katana seems to get along with him alright.”

“Thanks. If only she could always have a level-headed Royal Guard by her side, maybe she wouldn’t get into so much trouble. Anyway I better get moving. Summer,” I looked back at her, “let’s talk on the train back, okay?”

Summer hesitated. “Sure, okay. I’ll go get my things.”

I moved to follow her out, but Shining Armor grabbed me and waited until she was gone before he spoke. “Is everything alright with you two?”

Has anything been alright with me lately? “I don’t know. Things are weird right now, Cap. I’d rather not talk about it.”

Shining Armor nodded and we made our way back into the halls. “I understand. You’ll get through this. After all, I believe you just saved Equestria.”

“Yeah… somehow I did.” Why did I feel so hollow on that point? I should be on top of the world. “Is all my stuff still in my room?”

“Everything left as it was.”

“Thanks. I’ll see you later then.”

“Sounds good. Equestria Games?”

“Equestria Games.”

We went our separate ways. I found my room and things, packed it all back into my suitcase, and met Summer in the hall. I carried her large suitcase with magic, and without any words shared we were soon on a train to Canterlot.

I wasn’t sure what to say to Summer. She said nothing, and I suspected she was waiting for my response. My thoughts were so jumbled between her, Katana and Stonehenge, and defeating the entity in that strange world. I couldn’t understand how I felt no sense of accomplishment with defeating it. Equestria was saved by my ho—well, hands at the time—but I had done it. The thing surely had to be powerful enough to threaten that world and Equestria. So why had it felt like any other insignificant afternoon patrolling Canterlot’s walls?

“You know,” I said, and Summer perked up to listen, “my whole life has been about trying to live up to my father’s expectations. I’ve told you about this before, but you probably forgot. Well, my father died a few weeks ago. No need to say anything about it, I’m not sad. Or maybe I am, I don’t know. Maybe the only reason I’m upset about it at all is that I know my relationship with him can never be fixed. My thought was that, through you, and perhaps also saving Equestria, I could consider myself reconciled with him. I guess not, though. Right now, I don’t feel like he would be happy with me. I’m not happy with me. Not as much as I’d like to be anyway. What about you? Are you happy with me?”

Summer looked confused. “Swordulan, I already told you how I feel.”

“I know, but are you happy with me?”

“I don’t understand what you’re trying to get at.”

“Please just answer the question.”

Summer frowned. “Well… I’m happy you’re back and safe. I wasn’t happy that you were gone so long, especially after leaving me like that. You apologized though, and I forgive you.”

I ground my teeth in frustration. “But are you happy—with—me? With who I am?”

“I…” She looked lost in thought. “I don’t know. I’m not unhappy, but… it’s all so confusing. It’s like I know I can trust you, that I’m safe around you, but at the same time… I feel like I should know you better, but I don’t. I don’t know that I’m happy with you because it feels like I don’t know you.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you for telling me. Summer, I feel the same way.”

She looked shocked. “You? But you didn’t lose—”

“I lost the you that shared special memories with me. Right now all we really have together is our time in the cave and the castle.”

“Oh… I suppose that’s true. So does that mean we should start over?”

“Yes, I think so. But things are complicated right now. Family problems, obviously. How about in two weeks? We can go to the Equestria Games together.”

“That sounds good. Are you sure you’ll be able to find your cousin before then?”

“No, but if Katana and I still have no leads by then, I’m going to need a break from searching. So, we have a date?”

“Yeah, a date. Looking forward to it.”

I smiled. “Me too.”

I just hoped everything with this Lady Fate and Stonehenge could be wrapped up quickly.

The rest of the train ride was spent mostly in silence with a few idle comments between us. There really wasn’t much to be said; we were starting over in two weeks. Conversation could wait until then.

We arrived in Canterlot and I helped carry her things home. We said our farewells, and there was enough light left that Justice should’ve still been out, so I trotted up the streets until I reached the barracks. Justice was at his desk sorting through the end of the day reports. He looked up as I entered, his eyes going wide.

“You’re back!” he said. “From what Princess Celestia told me I was thinking you’d be gone a month.”

“Not quite,” I said, saluting. “But if it’s alright with you, I still need two extra weeks away.”

“More work from the Princess?”

“No, I’ve finished that, and you can tell her for me. It’s Stonehenge. Katana thinks he’s in Manehattan, so we’re going to try searching for him. I don’t know if Shining Armor sent you word about what happened in the Crystal Empire, but—”

“I have a full report. Seems like this Lady Fate is some real trouble. I assume she’s connected to your cousin’s problem?”

“It seems so. We’ll be on the lookout for her too.”

“Alright then. We’ve been managing without you so far; a little behind on the paperwork, but nothing too terrible. As far as I’m concerned, you’re on a search and rescue and a covert bust operation.”

I nodded. “Thanks. I’ll send the full report on my last mission for Princess Celestia once I get to Manehattan. Anything else, Sir?”

“No, that should be everything. Oh, actually, keep an eye out for Skybreaker; that burglar managed to get away from us here and reports from Manehattan seem to indicate she might be there.”

I gave a salute. “Yes, Sir.”
> Reconciliation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Since I already had a packed suitcase with me, I figured there was no reason to run home for anything else. However, there were probably no trains going to Manehattan at this hour. Maybe I could just teleport myself there using my sword.

Once outside the barracks I began the spell, focusing on where I wanted to teleport myself and the sword; right outside my mother’s apartment building. One… two…

Boom.

And suddenly the entire front of the barracks, myself, and a few other Royal Guards were covered in what seemed to be pancake mix. Wet pancake mix.

Discord’s voice echoed from the sword, “WAFFLE mix!”

Justice appeared in the doorway. “What in Equestria just happened?”

“Discord,” I sighed. “Discord happened.”

Justice hunched down and his eyes darted around. “Where is he? Has he returned to evil?”

I tried to wipe my face off, but it did little good. “No, he’s just decided to randomly manifest himself through my sword. It’ll be in my report. Here.”

I cast a spell—not using my sword—to clean up all the mix. Most of the mess vanished, though it still felt like there was something stuffed in my ear.

Let’s try that again.

One… two…

Poof!

…my sword vanished.

“Oh yeah, much better than it was before,” I grumbled.

Whatever, I’ll take a train home and leave tomorrow.

“Lieutenant?” Justice called.

“Nothing to worry about, Sir. I’ll see you in a couple of weeks, hopefully sooner.”

“Alright then, you take care.”

I trotted off to the train station, carrying my luggage on my back, and thankfully there were almost always trains coming from or going to Ponyville in the evenings. On the ride home I reached out with my magic to try finding where my sword had disappeared to, but it was as if it had ceased to exist.

Thanks Discord, what a great reward. He had better be able to bring it back next time I bump into him.

I made it home and decided to put everything in my suitcase away. I really wasn’t going to need anything but bits in Manehattan, and a saddlepack was good enough for that. Then again, without my sword I did still feel somewhat vulnerable. Maybe I could take my grandfather’s shield with me.

The thing was stored in the office room, which was looking like it could really use some dusting. It was a kite shield, shaped like Shining Armor’s cutie mark, but silver with a blue trim. Taking the shield in my magic I put it on my back and used its straps to tie it on. It fit perfectly. Yeah, this would do.

In the morning I decided to take a walk to stretch my legs. The train to Manehattan didn’t leave for a little while anyway, and it was beautiful outside.

“AHH-CHOOO!”

Wow, somepony had it bad. Wait, that sneeze sounded oddly like Discord. And it had come from Twilight’s place.

“AHH-CHOO!”

Yup, he was definitely at Twilight’s. Well, there was really no reason not to go up and knock. Sure, Twilight was a Princess now, but she couldn’t be that different. It wasn’t as if she was unhelpful in the first place either, so I went up to the door and knocked.

Twilight opened the door, looking quite disheveled and nothing like a Princess. Maybe a little taller. “Oh, good morning Lieutenant Shield. Is there something I can help you with?”

I looked past her and saw Discord lying under a bedsheet and surrounded by a large purple shield. He was green.

“Just looking for him,” I said, pointing.

“Please tell me Celestia sent you to take him off my hooves.”

“Unfortunately, no. May I come in?”

Twilight sighed. “Of course.”

“Back so soon?” Discord asked as I entered, sniffling. “I assume you’re here to thank me for restoring your sword to glory.”

“Actually I’m here because it vanished and I have no idea where it went. I’m thinking you might have an idea.”

“What happened to your sword?” Twilight asked.

“It’s a long story, Discord could tell you if you’re curious. So, where is it?”

“It may have slipped into my realm on accident,” Discord said dismissively, turning his back to me and pulling the bedsheet further over himself. “All you have to do is say the magic phrase to bring it back.”

“Which is?”

Discord’s detached claw floated up over his head and spoke for him. “Honestly, I thought you would’ve guessed it. ‘Discord is the greatest there ever was’.”

Twilight and I both rolled our eyes.

I turned to her. “How exactly did he end up here in this state?”

Twilight went to pour a glass of water for Discord. “Yesterday Cadance and I had planned to spend the day together, only Discord decided to fake a blue-flu and test my friendship to him. Now he’s gotten sick for real.”

“I see. Well, Discord is the greatest there ever was—” My sword blinked back into existence around my waist. I smiled. “—at getting what he deserves.”

Discord turned back to me and pouted. “Now, that’s not fair. AHH-CHOO! Don’t make me change the magic phrase to be more specific.”

“I can’t imagine how you could make it any better. Well, best of luck, Twilight. Don’t let him get to you too much.”

“Thanks, I’m sure I can handle him,” Twilight said. “Luckily Fluttershy should be on her way back, so she’ll be able to take over.”

“She’s certainly taking her sweet time,” Discord grumbled.

I turned to the door and stopped midway. “Oh! I nearly forgot to tell you, Twilight. Sunset Shimmer says hi.”

Twilight gasped. “How do you—you went there!? When—how? The Mirror Portal should be closed!”

“Discord helped with that. Princess Celestia sent me there to stop the magic entity that had been living in my sword, which had somehow made its way to that strange place. Celestia thought it could threaten both our worlds.”

Twilight blinked. “Our worlds were in danger and Celestia didn’t even send for me? Let alone tell me?”

Some petty part of myself wanted to gloat in her face, YES, she had ME do the saving this time, NOT you! But my heart wasn’t really in it.

“She said it was my particular talents and connection with the entity that made her chose me instead of you. Sending you probably would’ve been the backup plan if I hadn’t returned, but thankfully I had it all taken care of. Your friends helped though.”

“Oh. That’s good, I’m glad it sounds like they’re doing well. They are doing well, right?”

“Yeah, pretty well. Sunset seemed to be struggling a bit, but from what I could tell, she’s in a good place.”

“Oh good. Thank you for the update, I appreciate it.”

“Of course. I’ll see you later, Twilight. Bye Discord.”

“Yes, yes, and I expect a get-well-soon card considering everything I’ve done for you lately,” Discord said.

I rolled my eyes and continued my morning walk.

That hadn’t been so bad. Now that I thought about it, my whole gripe with Twilight had really been about my own failures and shame at not making my father proud. There was no longer any reason for me to hold any ill feelings towards her. I couldn’t envy how well she had her life together compared to mine. She had the weight of Equestria on her shoulders more than anypony else except perhaps Celestia and Luna. Though I probably shouldn’t compare, considering it was already difficult enough dealing with my family and duties. Twilight was capable of handling what life threw her way, and I was capable of handling what it threw mine. In the end, we’ve both saved Equestria at least once.

That was honestly so weird.

After making a round through the town I went back home to pack my saddlebags and grab my grandfather’s shield. Or, I suppose now, my shield. Even with my sword back I figured it was a good idea to keep it with me. Probably better to use it more than the chaos-imbued sword anyway.

A short time later I was on the train to Manehattan, hoping Katana hadn’t gotten into any trouble yet. Flash Sentry was probably on his way down too. It would be good to have some extra hooves, especially of the sort that could keep Katana in check.

One thing I didn’t look forward to was seeing my mother. I had hardly spoken with her since… what would I even say? What could I do to make up for how I had behaved? Apologize, at least, and probably start with that. I could figure out the rest from there.

The train ride was uneventful, as they usually were, and I arrived in Manehattan around mid-afternoon. Flash Sentry found me just outside of Grand Central Terminal, no armor but with his own saddlebags and a round crystal shield. He saluted once he reached me and I returned it.

“How long have you been waiting?” I asked.

“Only about half an hour,” he said. “Where to first?”

I took a deep breath. “My mom’s. That’s where Katana said to meet her. It’s not far.”

“Following you, Sir.”

I nodded and moved down the street, then began zigzagging down roughly a dozen different streets, remembering the route to my mom’s that Katana had taken me. We found and entered the apartment, up a couple flights of stairs and down a hall. Door 306. With a deep breath, I knocked.

The door opened quickly to Katana. “Took you long enough,” she said, then did a double take as she noticed Flash. “What’s he doing here?”

“Backup.”

Katana rolled her eyes and waved a hoof, inviting us in. I anxiously looked around as I entered.

“Where’s my mom?” I asked.

“She went out for groceries not too long ago,” Katana said, hopping with a flap of her wings onto the couch to lounge. “So, you guys got a plan?”

Flash and I put our shields against the wall next to the front door. “I thought you were coming up with a plan.”

“What, I’m supposed to be the brilliant detective? Cous’, I know how to avoid trouble on the streets, not track down missing family members. Don’t they train you for this?”

“No,” Flash said.

Katana sat up. “What the buck do they train you for then?”

“Standing, fighting, formal events, paperwork,” I said.

“Mostly standing,” Flash said.

Katana pulled at her eyelids. “Sweet Celestia, you guys are killin’ me. Can’t you just learn some magic spell that will solve all our problems?”

“I could start casting random spells on my sword and hope Discord’s little gift does something useful,” I said, maybe even a little serious.

“We could start with aerial scouting,” Flash suggested.

I nodded. “Not a bad idea. Maybe a sight spell would work on my sword. I could stay right here and cover a lot of ground that way.”

“I don’t know if you guys noticed,” Katana said, “but this city is huge, and there’s a whole lot of places to hide from eyes in the sky.”

“You knew your brother better than either of us,” Flash said. “What sort of place do you think he’d hide?”

Katana sat back in thought. “Somewhere easy to escape from if needed and out of the way. I think that’s why he went to Fillydelphia in the first place. He wouldn’t be anywhere you’d typically think somepony would try to hide though. That would be places like sewers, among the poor and homeless, some random dark alley.”

“So an apartment of some kind?” I asked.

Katana shook her head. “I don’t think so. Nowhere so domestic.”

“Governmental buildings?” Flash asked. “Maybe somewhere around Town Hall?”

“Not a chance, he’s not so stupid to hang around anywhere with any decent security.”

“What about libraries?” I asked.

Katana hesitated. “The libraries close at eight. Except… Buckler Library is always open. It’s huge, clear other side of Manehattan. Stonehenge never really cared for reading, but then maybe that’s the point. Some ponies say there’s creepy old labyrinths beneath Buckler too.”

I snorted. “Doubt it, but it could be worth checking out.”

“I’ve been to Buckler,” Flash said. “It’s an exclusive library. Only students, teachers, and patrons can get in. I suppose Royal Guards are allowed too.”

“Stonehenge could’ve found a way in,” Katana said, getting off the couch. “I can watch the outside while you two go in.”

“Sounds like a plan,” I said.

The door opened and my mom walked in, a bag of groceries on her back. She stopped as her eyes landed on me, and I felt my heart sink into my stomach.

“Mom,” I said, hesitantly walking up to her. “It’s good to see you. I, uh… I know you must have mixed feelings about seeing me. I’m sorry for everything before. It wasn’t… I should’ve… I…”

She stared at me as she levitated the grocery bag to the floor beside her. Then she stepped forward and pulled me into an embrace.

“My little Shield,” she whispered. “You came back.”

“What?” I gasped. “Mom… why? After what I did…”

“You still came back, and that’s all I ever wanted. At the funeral I could see that you still needed time.” She let go of me. “Your speech was wonderful, by the way.”

“Oh… thanks. I really am sorry about everything; I should’ve been here for you through the worst of it.”

“It’s alright. Things have been difficult for all of us, and we deal with them in different ways. What’s important is that, in the end, we’re still a family. So, who’s your handsome friend?”

“Ah, that’s Flash Sentry. I was going to ask if it’s too much if all three of us stayed here for a while.”

Flash stepped forward and gave her a salute. “I’ve come to help search for Stonehenge. You have my word that I won’t be a bother; in fact you’ll hardly even know I’m here. One of our Royal Guard specialties.”

“Nonsense,” Mom said with a smile. “You’re most welcome here. It will be nice to have some company for a change. Do you know where you’re going to start searching?”

“We just came up with one idea,” I said. “We were about to leave for Buckler Library.”

“Oh? Interesting. Your father spent a lot of time there, you know.”

“Really? Doing what?”

Mom picked up the groceries with her magic levitated them over to the nearby kitchen counter. “Mostly reading, but he held a few business lectures there too. Well, I shouldn’t keep you. Katana, I’ll have the office room all set up for you when you get back. The boys can take the couches.”

“Nah, I’ll take the couch,” Katana said. “They can have the office. Yes, I’m sure aunt Sacred.”

Mom rolled her eyes. “If you say so. Go on now. Dinner is at six, so you haven’t got much time.”

I was about to run out the door when I stopped myself and turned to Flash and Katana. “It’ll be faster to fly.” I took my sword out, and, clenching my teeth, shaped it into a surfboard. It didn’t explode or anything. Hopping on, flying came naturally. “Let’s go. Out the balcony.”
> Buckler Library
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After soaring over dozens of towering offices and apartments, we touched down at Buckler Library, perhaps one of the biggest and most expensive looking libraries I’d ever seen. The Canterlot Library didn’t even hold a candle to it.

“I don’t think we’re gonna be back in time for dinner,” Katana said as we landed. “This place is massive.”

“There’s seven stories, including the basement,” Flash said. “We can make it back in time if we only search the first two and come back tomorrow morning for the rest.”

“Fine. I’ll keep an eye on everypony who comes and goes.”

“Good,” I said, then tried to shape my sword around my waist only for it to vanish again. I sighed. “Stupid sword. Try not to look too obvious, Katana.”

“Duh.”

Katana trotted off while Flash and I went up to the library’s entrance, which was at the top of a wide flight of stairs. A security pony stopped us, but let us in after flashing our Royal Guard stars. The inside was just as grand as the outside. Mahogany walls and bookshelves lined with ebony and bronze, marble floors for the main hall, and such intricate carpets in the reading areas that they may as well have been one entirely hoof-sown rug. Even the lights were marvelous, hanging from crystal and silver chandeliers. Colored glass windows depicted historical events and characters; Star Swirl the Bearded, scenes from the Hearth’s Warming eve story, Clover the Clever, Flash Magnus, Rockhoof… there were too many to name.

I walked up to the front desk and waited until a pretty unicorn mare came up to help me.

“Sorry to bother you,” I said, bringing out my Royal Guard star again. “I’m Lieutenant Shield, this is Officer Sentry. We’re looking for somepony and hoping one of the librarians might know where he is.”

“Oh, of course!” the mare said cheerfully. “Just let me grab my supervisor, he has to confirm your ID and authorize any release of personal information. If you’ll just wait here, please.”

I nodded and she trotted off and disappeared.

“I’ll start checking around upstairs while you talk to them,” Flash said.

“Sounds good. You know what Stonehenge looks like?”

“Shining Armor gave me his file.”

I nodded and gave him a quick salute, which he returned before flying off. I found a comfortable chair while I waited for the receptionist’s return.




*



 


Ink Blot galloped down the stairs into the basement of Buckler Library, gasping for breath. She had never been so scared in her life. I’m Lieutenant Shield, the stallion’s words rang in her ears.

Finally making it to the bottom, she turned a corner and dashed down a long hall, then stopped at the seventh wall-lamp and turned it sideways. A hidden door opened beside it, and she entered a dark room lit by a small fireplace and candles. The boss sat on the only chair at the far end of the room, aimed directly at the doorway with a desk in front of it. Her face was hidden in the low light.

“What is it, Ink? You know I don’t like you barging in unannounced.”

“Please, forgive me,” Ink blurted, bowing her head low. “It’s an emergency. A stallion calling himself Lieutenant Shield is waiting at the front desk.”

“WHAT? That’s impossible!”

Ink flinched. Her legs were shaking. “He fits the description. He said he’s here looking for somepony.”

“Who?”

“He didn’t say. I told him I needed to get my supervisor for the information, nothing more. What should we do?”

“I suppose he’s looking for Stonehenge. Get Sunray, explain the situation, and don’t raise any unnecessary suspicions. The Lieutenant can’t have learned we’re here… unless his meddlesome father somehow got a message out. No, just let him search, he’ll leave us alone once he knows Stonehenge isn’t here. Still, having him around might slow down our plan. Have him followed once he leaves, I want to know where he’s staying.”

Ink Blot bowed once again. “As you command, Lady Fate!”

Steeling herself, she galloped out in search for Sunray.




*




The wait was becoming longer than I expected. Where had that mare gone off to? It couldn’t take that long to fetch a supervisor.

Standing up to go search for somepony, the receptionist suddenly came around a corner followed by a pegasus stallion.

“Sorry I took so long,” the supervisor said, going behind the front desk with the receptionist. “I was in the middle of an important meeting. So, I hear you’re looking for somepony? What’s your name and R.G.C. number?”

“Swordulan Shield, code 3179.” Every Royal Guard had a four-digit ID code. It was really only used in situations like this.

The supervisor grabbed a clipboard and began flipping through papers, eyes quickly scanning them. “Hmm, 3179… ah, here you are, Lieutenant. Could you describe the pony you’re looking for?”

“His name is Stonehenge Shield, though I don’t know if he uses it often. He’s a tall earth pony, a bit bigger than me, with a gray coat that has a hint of brown in it. Golden eyes, with a faded dark blue mane and tail. I don’t know how long either are, but last I saw they were short. I think he prefers short.”

The supervisor picked up a different clipboard. “Hmm, I don’t recall anypony like that coming or going. You’re free to look around while I check the records; perhaps he checked out a book recently. This being a quality establishment, we keep track of everypony that goes through our system in one way or another.”

“Thanks, I appreciate the help.”

I began going up and down the aisles of bookshelves and reading areas. Ponies of all kinds were deep into their books and studies, some whispering between each other, and at least a couple looked asleep. It brought me back to being a student at the School for Gifted Unicorns. Felt like it had been a lifetime ago, back when things were simpler. Except for my tests, those had been a pain in the flank.

I interrupted those I came across to give Stonehenge’s description and ask if they’d seen him. Nopony had. I made it all the way around the first floor and Stonehenge was nowhere in sight. I returned to the front desk just as Flash Sentry arrived.

“I’m afraid you’re out of luck,” the supervisor said. “I’ve got nopony under Stonehenge’s description on the list.”

“No sign on the second floor, Sir,” Flash said.

I shook my head. “Same here.”

“You’re free to search the rest of the library, perhaps check back tomorrow,” the supervisor said.

“Will do. Thanks for your help. Let’s go, Flash.”

Coming out of the library, I scanned the street for Katana. I couldn’t see her anywhere, but there were a lot of ponies walking back and forth.

“See her anywhere?” I asked.

“No, Sir.”

“Wonderful,” I sighed. “Discord is the greatest there ever was.”

My sword blinked back into existence, still in its surfboard form. That was useful, at least.

I levitated the sword in front of me and jumped on. “Come on, maybe she’ll spot us taking off.”

We flew off in the direction of home and stopped over a rooftop to wait if Katana followed. She didn’t.

“What if she spotted Stonehenge?” Flash asked.

I nodded. “That would be one reason for her to disappear like this, but what are the odds of that? Let’s go back and double check.”

Landing back down in front of the library we began to search the street. I kept my sword hovering above me, hoping she might recognize it, but there was still no sign of her.

“I leave her alone for half an hour,” I muttered angrily.

“Perhaps she got bored and went back to your mother’s,” Flash said.

“No, that wouldn’t be like her, especially when we’re trying to find Stonehenge. Ponyfeathers. You know what, she says she knows how to take care of herself here in Manehattan, I’m gonna trust her on that. We’ll worry if she’s not back before dark.”

Flash gave me a worried look. “Are you sure, Sir?”

“Always. And you can stop with that Sir business, I’m not your commanding officer.”

Hopping back on my sword we began making our way back to my mom’s. Hopefully Katana really had just gone back.

As we neared the apartment, a voice called out from behind.

“Looking for me?”

We stopped and turned around. Katana was right there.

“Where in Celestia’s name were you?” I asked, almost ready to slap her.

Katana smirked. “Watching your backs. Good thing too, you’ll never guess what I found. Come on.”

She dove into a wide alley, and Flash and I followed her to a dumpster. Sitting beside it was a pegasus stallion, his wings, hooves, and muzzle tied.

“Caught him trying to follow you,” Katana said. “Came out of the library too.”

I gave her a level look and put my sword off to the side. “You can’t just go tying up somepony because they happened to be going in the same direction.”

Katana glared at me. “He wasn’t just going in the same direction. I saw you come out the library and start looking for me, and then he came out and followed you back and forth as far back he thought was safe. I could tell, he kept looking directly at you. This guy knows something about Stonehenge.”

I looked at the poor stallion, who seemed understandably upset. “Hmm.” I untied his muzzle. “So, were you following us?”

He said nothing.

“Answer our questions,” Flash said. “You’re speaking to Royal Guards on official business.”

Still he said nothing, only giving us a cold look.

“Where’s Stonehenge?” Katana demanded. “Don’t play stupid with me, I can tell you know something. Talk!”

“Quiet, Katana,” I said. “He’s not talking. Most suspicious. Don’t make me lock you up to get answers.”

He snorted. “On what basis? I have no information.”

“Who sent you?” Flash asked.

“I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know.”

“What do I know?” I asked.

“Celestia is a Princess.”

“No kidding. I also know the sky is blue.”

“Let me at him, I’ll make him talk,” Katana said.

I put my hoof out to stop her. “No, I’ve got a better idea. Since I can’t actually arrest him…” I levitated my sword to him and luckily was able to shape it around his neck like a collar. Then I untied his hooves and wings.

“What are you doing?” Katana asked. “You can’t just let him go!”

“Sure I can. Get the hay out of here, whoever you are.”

He pulled at the collar with his wing. “What, you cast some tracking spell on this thing? You expect me to lead you anywhere important? Hah.”

I smiled. “Not at all. If you don’t return to whoever sent you, they’ll never know what happened. I’d like to think it’ll make them nervous. I can listen in or look through it too, in case you’re thinking to get a message back some other way.”

He narrowed his eyes but said nothing.

“Oh, and it could also spontaneously combust, in a surprising variety of ways actually. Probably not, but it was given to me by the Spirit of Chaos himself, so you never know. Have a good day. Come on, Flash, Katana.”

I turned away, and Flash followed, though Katana hesitated a good few seconds. The stallion galloped off in the opposite direction.

“You think he’ll call your bluff?” Flash asked.

I chuckled. “Considering none of that was a bluff, I sincerely hope so.”

“You’re crazy,” Katana said.

“What are you going to do now?” Flash asked.

“Eat dinner with my mom,” I said matter-of-factly. “And then I think I’ll see where our friend has run off to.”
> Catching Up
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

My mom, Katana, Flash and I all sat around the dinner table putting food on our plates. Sweet potatoes, roasted vegetables, and salad. Now this brought me back. I hadn’t had my mom’s cooking in… two years? Even that felt like a lifetime ago.

“So, tell me what you’ve been up to these past couple months, Swordulan,” Mom said. “We need to catch up.”

I was too busy stuffing my mouth to answer, but I nodded and spoke after taking a drink. “Well… during that disaster that happened before the Summer Sun Celebration, I led the evacuation of Ponyville, since it was being attacked by the Everfree Forest.”

“Goodness! Was everypony okay?”

“Oh yeah, Twilight saved the day as usual.”

“That whole event was pretty boring here,” Katana said. “It was like, wow, the sun and moon next to each other in the sky… and everypony going about their day business as usual, maybe stopping to look up for a moment to think, ‘huh, neat’.”

“That’s Manehattan for you,” Mom said. “The city that never slows down for anything.”

“I don’t understand how anypony can live here,” I said, shaking my head. “So crowded. Any major disaster would be amplified. Evacuating Ponyville took maybe an hour. Imagine trying to evacuate this place.”

Mom smiled. “Are you trying to tell me I should move?”

“It’d make me feel better. Though not to Ponyville or Canterlot… too many bad things happen there. The Crystal Empire is nice.”

“I have yet to visit it. Perhaps I’ll go for the Equestria Games. Cadance even sent me a ticket, she’s such a dear. I couldn’t leave Manehattan though, not when your father is buried here.”

I nodded shortly. “I understand. Maybe I’ll see you at the Games if you go. Cadance is getting tickets for me and a friend of mine.”

“Oh? Who’s the friend?”

Katana rolled her eyes.

“Summer Dawn.”

Mom’s eyes widened. “Really? I haven’t spoken with the Dawns in… oh, I don’t know how long. So, is this a date sort of thing, or is she just a friend?”

I felt my face heat up. “Uh… date. Not our first one, but… well, it may as well be considered a first. It’s complicated.”

“Well, now I’m curious.”

“I’d rather not talk about it.”

“She lost her memory,” Katana blurted.

I gave Katana a cold glare, which she returned unfazed.

“Oh dear,” Mom said. “I’m sorry to hear that. I won’t bother you for details, Swordulan, but you know I’m always willing to listen if you need to talk.”

I nodded. “I know.”

Mom turned to Flash. “What about you, Flash Sentry? What have you been up to? You haven’t spoken a word.”

Flash swallowed his food and cleared his throat. “I didn’t want to be any bother. Besides my duties to protect and serve, your family’s life isn’t any of my business.”

Katana snorted. “I don’t even know why Swordulan brought him along. We don’t need extra help.”

Mom gave her a sharp look. “Katana, that’s very rude. He’s come to help find your brother, and we should be grateful for any extra hooves.”

Katana refused to look at anypony. “Yeah, thanks, whatever.” She got up from the table and moved to the balcony door. “I need to stretch my wings a bit.”

And out she went, slamming the sliding door behind her.

“Well,” Mom said, a tad flustered, “I have never seen her behave like that before. I wonder what’s wrong.”

“I’m sorry, it must have to do with me,” Flash said, ears drooping. “I can go if she really wants.”

“Nonsense, nonsense. Swordulan can talk some sense into her, he’s good at that.”

I nearly choked on my next bite. “Good at that? She barely listens to a word I say.”

“Maybe, but besides Stonehenge you’re the closest thing to a brother she has. That has to count for something. Let’s just let her cool off for now. So, Flash, what have you been doing lately?”

“Ahh, not that much,” Flash said. “I patrol the Crystal Castle, stand guard for Princess Cadance, sometimes escort her, and help Shining Armor with whatever assignments he has for me. Outside of that, I spend a lot of time collecting and playing instruments. Guitars and flutes, mostly.”

That was the last thing I had expected of Flash. Mom seemed impressed.

“Oh, how interesting!” she said. “Which instrument do you play the best?”

Flash gave an embarrassed shrug. “I don’t know if I’m really good at any of them. Probably the flute, but I like to think I’m not too bad at guitar either.”

“You know what, I think I have an old wooden flute around here somewhere.” Mom got up from the table and disappeared down a hall for a minute. She came back holding what looked like a plain wooden tube in her magic. “I got it from an old traveling earth pony some time ago. I’m no good, but it makes a nice sound. I’d love to hear you play.”

She levitated it up to Flash, who hesitantly took it into his hooves. On closer inspection, the flute had six holes and a little wooden figurine of some sort of bird strapped near the front. An eagle?

“Oh, wow,” Flash said, looking over it. “Did the earth pony say where he got it?”

“Hmm, I don’t remember for sure. Somewhere down south I believe.”

Flash nodded. “I think this must’ve been made by the native buffalo near Appleloosa. I have one that’s similar. Let’s see…” He covered the holes using the feathers on both his wings and played a low, hypnotizing droning note. “Nice, bass tones are my favorite.”

He began playing a simple harmonious melody, and it was like being transported to a crackling campfire in a native buffalo village as one of their Elders told stories about their ancestors, the stars glimmering brightly above in the night sky. And then it was over.

“That was beautiful,” Mom said.

“Yeah,” I said, blinking as I tried to remember I was at a dinner table. “I never knew you played so well.”

Flash blushed. “Nah… that was a really simple piece. I’m nowhere near as good as those with a special talent for it, or the buffalo themselves.”

“I quite enjoyed it nonetheless,” Mom said. “Thank you for sharing.”

“You’re too kind, Mrs. Shield. Thank you for dinner, it was delicious.”

“Yeah, thanks Mom,” I said, levitating the final remains from my plate into my mouth and swallowing. “Real good.”

Mom began to clean up the table, levitating our plates together. “I’m glad you both liked it. Hopefully Katana did too, I’ll have to save the rest for her. I sure hope she’s alright.”

I grimaced. “We should probably go look for her. She says she can take care of herself, but… she’s Katana.”

“I can help you look,” Flash said, stretching his wings.

“Let me check on the friend we met earlier first.” I sensed for my sword using magic and found it in a heartbeat. Discord’s power up really did make it easy. With a cast of a sight spell, I could see the point of view of that pegasus Katana caught. No weird explosions, thank Celestia.

“What’s he doing?” Flash asked.

“Nothing, as far as I can tell. He’s alone in what looks like a hotel room. Smart. Wonder what he’s thinking. I’ll give him a little scare to keep him motivated.” I cast a spell to broadcast and hear my voice through the sword, though when I spoke it sounded like some old grandmare scolding a filly. “That’s right, no funny business, I’m watching you.”

My vision jumped and twisted around as the pegasus moved in confusion. I cut my magic and spells and smiled. “I don’t think he’ll try anything soon. Let’s go, hopefully Katana hasn’t gotten herself into any trouble.”

“You two be safe,” Mom said. “I know you’re Royal Guards, but still.”

I nodded. “It shouldn’t take too long. Flash, you search from the skies, I’ll do a patrol around the neighborhood. Meet back here in an hour.”




*



 


Some ponies probably considered sitting around waiting for a report to arrive to be a complete bore and waste of time. Odd how only a few months in the Royal Guard gave me such a high tolerance of it. Perhaps it was made easier from knowing what I was waiting for instead of just standing around or patrolling not knowing what on earth could happen. Having a view of Manehattan’s cityscape from the crown of the Statue of Liberty also probably helped. Hard to get tired of a good view.

A stallion’s voice came from behind; it was my assistant, Stargazer. “Stonehenge, we spotted Dandelion coming in.”

I nodded without looking back. “Bring me his report and direct him onto Canterlot for the next.”

“Of course.”

I continued to watch the city’s lights turning on, but it was only a minute before a letter levitated into view. I opened it and began to read. Good news, it looked like.

“Are you gonna tell us what happened in the Crystal Empire?” Stargazer asked.

I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. Some of my family got involved and the plan backfired, so I left early. At least Fillydelphia seems to be clear, for now.”

“Why would your family get involved?”

“I think my sister found out where I was and got my cousin to help look for me. Didn’t take long for Fate to catch on and go after them. Hopefully they’re okay.”

“Your cousin is with the Royal Guard, isn’t he?”

“Yeah, I hear he’s a Lieutenant now.”

“I received a report that two Royal Guards checked into Buckler Library a few hours ago.”

“What?” I stopped reading and turned around. “Was it Swordulan?”

Stargazer shrugged. “Couldn’t get the names, but one was a confirmed Lieutenant.”

“Ponyfeathers, that’s got to be him, there’s no way it’s a coincidence. And he walked right into their base, hah. Well, that might have them scared. Maybe we can use it to our advantage. If Swordulan and Katana are still looking for me, they’ll likely be staying with my aunt.”

“Would Fate know about her?”

“Possibly, but I feel certain that my uncle never let them know where he lived. My family has always been very private.”

If only Steadfast had managed to be just a little more private, maybe they wouldn’t have gotten him. I never should’ve asked for his help.

“What are you going to do?” Stargazer asked.

I took a deep breath. “They’re going to find me eventually, and if Swordulan really walked right into Buckler Library, they’re going to go after him. It’s time I let them know what’s really going on, or else risk losing them too.”

“Should I get my paper and quill?”

“No, I’m not sending a letter. I’m going to pay my aunt a visit.”
> Reunited
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I had never stood at this door before. Uncle Steadfast had given me the address on the off chance I ever needed to come by, but I had wanted to avoid being anywhere near it to minimize risking them being discovered. Though Steadfast was gone, I still wanted to avoid it for Aunt Sacred’s safety. An even greater reason is that I was afraid of wanting to tell the truth about her husband’s death.

She deserved to know. Swordulan deserved to know. So I knocked, heart pounding.

The door opened followed by a gasp as Aunt Sacred recognized me. She stared at me, eyes wide, mouth agape.

I cleared my throat. “Hello, Aunt Sacred. May I come in?”

“S-Stone…? Oh, yes, come in, come in. Where in Equestria have you been? Swordulan and your sister have been looking for you everywhere!”

I came in and looked around. Nopony else was here. “Where are they?”

“Swordulan and his friend went off to find your sister, she flew off about half an hour ago. They should be back soon, I hope. Now, young stallion, you need to sit down and tell me what in Equestria is going on with you. Have you still been burning plants? Are you in trouble?”

“No, I gave that up two years ago.” I assumed the friend was the other Royal Guard spotted at Buckler Library. He must’ve come to help search for me. “I’ll explain everything as soon as Katana and Swordulan get here, but there is one thing I need to tell you.” I sat down on one of the living room chairs. “It’s about Steadfast.”

Sacred’s eyes widened. “Steadfast? What is… do you know something about…?”

I nodded, ears drooping. “That morning wasn’t an accident. He was murdered by a crime lord, or maybe one of her lackeys.”

“Murdered?” Sacred gasped. “Why would a crime lord go after my husband? What did they want?”

“It’s complicated. Can it wait until Swordulan and my sister get back?”

“It most certainly cannot. You can tell them again yourself, or I can tell them if you run off again. Which, by the way, I would not recommend. Your family needs to know where you are.”

I grunted. “Alright… fine. It started about six months ago…”




*




Where in Equestria had Katana gone? And on top of that, WHY had she gone? It couldn’t have been the fact Flash Sentry had come to help search for Stonehenge. Shining Armor had said she got along just fine with him, but now she’s making a big deal out of him being here? Something wasn’t right.

The sky was rapidly growing darker as I patrolled down the streets around my mom’s apartment. I could still easily see pegasi flying above the rooftops, the lights from the city illuminating anything that moved. Not that I could tell any were Katana.

Some music was coming from a nearby bar. Ponies were consistently flowing into or out of it, often those coming out not able to walk in a straight line. Not the sort of place Katana would usually be, but also not the sort of place she’d never be. So I went in to look around.

Loud. Cramped. Annoying. Too bright in places, too dark in others. Why did anypony ever deliberately come to such a place? How could they stand it? It didn’t make any sense.

Well, there was Katana, sitting alone on a stool, poking at an empty mug. Her eyes turned to me as I approached and she frowned.

“I dun wanna,” Katana said, and I could barely hear her.

“You’ve had too much cider.”

“You’ve had too much cider.”

“I’m taking you back home, Kat.”

“Nooo, I dun wanna. Don’t make me go back. I can’t stand to look at his stupid face, stupid face.”

“Who, Flash?”

“Flash, Thunder, you’re thunderrrr, Swordulan Thunderhead, stupid face.”

“You’ve really had too much cider. Come on, I can help you walk.”

“No, I hate… Flash stupid face, I hate his stupid pretty face.”

I guess that’s what wasn’t right; Flash’s face.

I sighed and grabbed her with my magic and walked out of the bar. She protested and struggled, legs and wings flapping lazily. It wasn’t much of a fight, so I began heading back to my mom’s while holding Katana above me.

“Why do you hate Flash?”

“I already told you. Let me gooo!”

“No, we’re going home. Ponyfeathers, Katana, what am I gonna do with you? You need to stop acting like this, it just gets you into trouble. We’re trying to find your brother and you just take off without saying where you’re going, how long you’ll be gone…”

“Shut up, shut up, shut up, you’re not my dad.”

“You’re right, I’m your cousin, and I think it’s reasonable to ask you start acting like a grown mare. Look, the apartment is just down a couple blocks. Can you walk?”

“Of course I can, I have legs.”

“But will you use them?”

“Duhhh.”

I put Katana down. She wobbled, but at least she stood. “Do you need help?”

“NO.”

“Okay.” I cast a spell into the sky, essentially a weak firework that was the official Royal Guard signal. A moment later Flash Sentry swooped down and landed next to me.

“Good to see you found her,” Flash said.

Katana tilted her head sideways at him. “Hi, stupid face.”

Flash me gave a confused look.

“Too much cider,” I said, and he nodded.

“I hate you,” Katana said. “I hate you, I hate you. You know why? You’re insufferable. Both of you, all Royal Guards, you’re insufferable. I wish your stupid Flashy face would get out of my head!”

“Maybe I should go back to the Crystal Empire,” Flash said cautiously. “Uh… with your permission, Sir.”

“No, don’t worry about her,” I said, “Let’s just get back to my mom’s. Come on, Katana, show me that you can walk.”

Katana sighed and began to plod along. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.”

“Why is my face in your head?” Flash asked.

“Becaaaauuuse,” Katana groaned, “it’s pretty stupid pretty.”

“She thinks you have a pretty face,” I said.

Flash didn’t seem sure how to respond. “Th-thanks? You have a pretty face too.”

“Awww, thanks,” Katana cooed, grinning stupidly. “It’s the prettiest.”

Flash came next to me and whispered, “Have you ever seen her like this before?”

I shook my head. “It doesn’t really surprise me. A little faster, Kat.”

“Noooo, I don’t like faster,” she cried.

“Yes, you need to go to bed.”

“Carry me.”

I rolled my eyes. “Fine, slowpoke.”

Katana recoiled. “No, not you! Stupid face.”

I looked at Flash and shook my head.

He shrugged. “I don’t mind.” He went and picked her up anyway, setting her across his back.

We finally got a move on to the apartment, Katana thankfully keeping her mouth shut, and maybe ten minutes later we entered the living room.

“We’re back, Mo—”

Stonehenge was sitting on one of the chairs, my mom sitting across from him on the couch.

Katana lifted her head and looked over Flash. “Heyyyy, big bro, you’re back.”

I gaped. “What…where…!?”

Stonehenge got up. “I was just telling Aunt Sacred. What’s wrong with Katana? Is she hurt?”

“Nooo, nooo, not hurt,” Katana said as she slid off Flash’s back, and when she hit the ground, she didn’t get back up.

“Too much cider,” Flash said, poking her face. “She’s fine.”

“Here, come lay her on the couch,” Mom said, rearranging the pillows before Flash brought her over. “Poor dear. I’m so sorry this is how you two are being reunited, Stonehenge.”

“It’s fine,” Stonehenge said. “It doesn’t surprise me. Long time no see, cousin.”

“Yeah,” I said slowly. “Very long time. But why show up like this now?”

“Because I got the feeling you wouldn’t stop looking for me. Not to mention you’re already more involved in everything than I wanted, so you should at least know exactly what’s going on.”

“And… what’s that?”

Mom gave me a pained look. “Come sit down, honey,” she said softly.

Alarm bells went off in my head. That was not a face she made, nor voice used, when things were okay.

I hesitantly sat down, and Stonehenge took his seat again. Katana lay on the couch, out cold, and Flash sat between her and Mom.

Stonehenge cleared his throat and spoke softly. “Swordulan, your dad was murdered. It wasn’t an accident.”

He didn’t say anything more, presumably to let me soak in the information. Was I supposed to react? I didn’t know. I couldn’t tell what I felt about the news at all. Murdered?

“By who?” I asked calmly.

“A crime lord called Lady Fate.”

I nodded slowly. “We’ve met. She tried to kill me back at the Crystal Empire. And she’s after you too? Why?”

“Because I’m after her. Or at least, I’m getting in her way, as was Steadfast. You should know you walked straight into her home base, Buckler Library.”

“Really? Hmm… that explains why we were followed after leaving. Why haven’t you gone after her if you know that’s her base?”

“I can’t, legally speaking. She’s a mastermind of evading the law, and technically she isn’t guilty of anything. I'm not sure what her goal is, but—”

“I don’t care what her goal is, she’s guilty of an attempt on my life and the life of Prince Shining Armor, not to mention inflicting a serious head injury to one of my friends. I can send a letter to Shining Armor for him to send me an Equestria-wide arrest warrant right this minute.”

Stonehenge hesitated. “That would work… except, with you having walked right into Buckler Library, she’s probably realized that by now and run away. Still, with the Royal Guard and local authorities knowing she’s truly guilty of something, especially against a Prince, that would slow her down.”

I nodded. “Mom, get me some paper and a quill.”

Mom rushed off and was back in seconds. I took the paper and quill in my magic and wrote a brief message and sent it off to Shining Armor.

“Are you sure she’ll have fled?” Flash asked. “We didn’t know Buckler Library was her base. Perhaps she believes that, and thinks she’s still safe.”

I shook my head. “Considering what I did when we caught her spy, I doubt it.”

Stonehenge’s ears perked up. “You caught one of her spies?”

“Katana caught him. I have my sword locked around his neck so I can keep an eye on him. I could teleport him right here actually, assuming my sword doesn’t do anything funny.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Your sword locked around his neck?”

“Oh… right, uh, it’s a long story. Magic sword imbued with Discord’s chaos magic. I can shape it and—”

“Could you teleport us to him?”

“Yeah, shouldn’t be too hard.”

A sudden flash brought a letter in front of my nose with Shining Armor’s seal. I opened it with my magic but only needed a glance to know what it said. “The arrest warrant. Flash, take this to the local police station, have them make copies and spread the word to the rest of the city authorities.”

“Yes, Sir!” Flash said, taking it and flying out the balcony.

“Goodness gracious,” Mom said, a tad flustered as she moved to shut the balcony door.

“I want you to take me to this spy,” Stonehenge said.

“He won’t talk if that’s what you’re wanting,” I said.

“I don’t need him to talk to me, I have a message for him to give Lady Fate.”

“Hmm… alright.” I got up along with Stonehenge. “Let’s go then.”