> All's Fair in Love and War
>  by SeaBreeze173
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

My name is Fire Agate. 

I come from a long line of guards and soldiers. Every stallion on my father’s side was apart of the Equestrian Military, from Navy to Royal Guard. 

I’m not the first mare to be born in that long line of guards and soldiers, but I am the first who went against her father’s wishes and put on the uniform. In his day, it was unusual and looked down upon for a mare to join the military. 

My father, Sterling Silver, joined the military when he was just out of school at the age of eighteen. He went into the Equestrian Army, where he served dutifully and honorably for thirty years, serving as Colonel for ten of those years. 

Sterling met and married my mother when he was three years in the military. To this day I don’t know how my mother, the small and meek Sunflower Field, tamed the beast that was my father. But she did. Oh how Sterling loved my mother. Their love was one that would last throughout the ages. 

I was the third of four fillies and one colt. My mother always wanted a lot of foals, as she came from a large family with ten foals. Sadly, that dream wasn’t to be. After me, Mother lost three foals. She had a miscarriage with two and premature birth with another. It was a very sad time in our family in those five years. Mother and Sterling were so happy when with her last pregnancy, twins were born; a filly, my sister Topaz and my first brother, Garnet. 

As I said, all of the stallions in my family were destined to become guards or soldiers and as such my father wanted nothing more than to have a son to continue that legacy.

My father was so happy to have a son. However, we found out early on that Garnet would not become the guard my father wished. He was a sickly little colt and was always smaller than other foals his age. But my father still loved him more than life. He loved my sisters as well. Me? Well I was just the ugly ducking that nopony wanted. 

A few weeks before their third birthday, Topaz and Garnet became terribly sick with a horrible disease. The sickness left was less rough on Topaz, as she was stronger than Garnet, though we would later find out that she was stunted in growth.

But it was too much for Garnet’s little body. He never recovered. 

Losing my brother changed Sterling in a way I can’t put into words. Already having loss three other foals was enough to put a toll on my parents, but Garnet’s death pushed my father too far. He became quick to anger and slow to forgive. The day my brother died, my father died too. It would just many more years before his body would follow. 

My older sisters, Gypsy Rose and Penelope, as well as my younger sister, Topaz, were much different from I. I always felt that I was an outsider among my prim and proper sisters. 

While my sisters were prissy, dainty little flowers, especially little Topaz, whom my father doted on, I was a rough and tumble tomcolt who wasn’t afraid to get dirty with the boys. More than once did I come home school with black eyes and busted lips from the many fights I would get in. I earned my cutie mark during one of those fights. My mother wasn’t sure if she should be happy or apprehensive that my special talent was fighting and strategy. “Well, at least I’ll never have to worry about you when you start dating. I’ll be more worried about your dates” she said when I showed her the mark adorning my flank. 

Though my father and I had many disagreements as I grew up, our fights became more common during my teenage years. I could never do the right thing in his eyes. I loved my father, but I don’t think he loved me, at least not like he loved my mother, my sisters and Garnet. I was just too different. 

I was but fifteen when I came to the decision that I would continue my father’s legacy in joining the military. I thought that he would be proud that one of his daughters wished to go into service. I thought that I could finally find favor in my father’s eyes. I thought that maybe if I took interest in something that he loved, he would finally love me.  I couldn’t have been further from the truth. He refused to have a daughter who wore a uniform. 

“The military is the work of a stallion” he said. I begged with him to let me enroll when I came of age. I told him that it was my destiny, as my cutie mark of a flaming sword clearly stated. Still he refused. 

“As long as breath fills my lungs you will not become a guard.” 

I enrolled the day after he died six years later.

I couldn’t make my father proud of me while he was alive. But I was determined to show him that I could do the right thing. 

My name is Fire Agate. I am the first mare to become a royal guard in a long line of guard stallions. This is my story. 



> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once upon a time…

Wait, wait, wait. Hold up. 

Don’t you hate it when a writer starts off with those four words? I always did. I always think of a fairy tale when I read those words. I never was a fairy tale filly growing up, with handsome princes and beautiful princesses and happily-ever-afters. I preferred stories of action, with swords and fighting. 

Although, the occasional handsome knight in shining armor did catch my interest. I was a young mare, after all. We have needs. 

I’m not going to bore you with every detail of my foalhood, as so many biographies and autobiographies do. I do believe I would put myself to sleep by doing that. I was a rough and tumble filly. I came home with more cuts, scrapes and bloody noses than I can count. 

No, I’ll start with my teenage years. 





“Agate, I hope for your sake you aren’t still in that bed!” Mother called sharply from downstairs. 

It was the fifth time Sunflower Field had called for me to arise. Currently, my head was still tucked underneath its pillow, sheets—or rather, the lack thereof—pulled up and over the pillow. 

“I’m up!” I lazily called out. It was Monday once again. A day I had come to detest once I’d reached the age of thirteen, the age which my mother felt was when young mares such as myself should begin pulling their weight around the house. While Topaz, now eleven, still had the freedom to sleep in until seven-thirty, eighteen year old me was forced to wake each morning at six and at five-thirty on laundry days. Which was Monday. 

My eldest sister, Gypsy Rose, had moved out of the house two years before. At the age of twenty-one she married a pegasus by the name of Wind Shift and settled down in Fillydelphia, Shift’s hometown. Now at twenty-three, she was expecting their first foal. 

I have to admit, I was quite joyful the day Gypsy left. She always criticized me about not being ladylike enough and not being a proper mare. And she was almost as bad as Sterling when it came to my wanting to be a royal guard. 

I got along much better with my second eldest sister, Penelope. We were more alike. She also didn’t understand my wanting to be a royal guard; however unlike Sterling and Gypsy, she supported me. 

At nineteen she moved to Manehatten to attend university. In her latest letter, she said she met a “charming stallion by the name of Anvil”. I deduced they would be married within the year. Penny was always the romantic between the four of us. In fact, it was she who introduced Gypsy and Shift to each other.  

Since both of my older sisters were out of the house, it was I who did most the house keeping chores such as dusting, mopping, sweeping and, now that I was out of school, laundry whilst Mother did the cooking, tending her vegetable garden and mending sheets, pillow cases and other sewing projects. 

We also did candle making and occasionally we joined our neighbors in making soap.  

Finally deciding that rising from my slumber myself would be better than be dragged from it by an enraged earth pony mare, I removed the pillow from my head and slowly rose to my hooves. I quickly combed through my orange mane, pulling my mane up into a loose bun to keep it from hanging in my face as I went through that day’s work. I worked the comb through my burnt amber and orange tail and ran a slicker brush over any crazy hairs throughout my burnt amber coat. Finally, I fixed a bandana over my head to better keep my mane under control. 

I meandered down the stairs and trotted into the kitchen. At the kitchen table sat Sterling while Mother fixed him a plate of fruits and a cup of coffee. 

“I see you’ve finally decided to grace us with your presence,” my father said without looking up from the morning paper. Ignoring him, I went to my mother and gave her my usual greeting of a hug and kiss on her cheek. 

“Good morning, Mother,” I smiled. 

“Good morning, sweetie” Sunflower smiled up at me. It had been obvious from the time I was a filly that I would be taller than Mother and my older sisters. While I wasn’t any where near as large as my father, I had certainly inherited his larger bone structure, making me a solidly built mare. Though we refused to acknowledge we had any similarities, by just looking at me one could clearly see I was the daughter of Sterling Silver. We shared the same eyes and the fiery spark which burned within. 

Sterling would always leave the house at six in the morning for the army base five miles away. Every other day I would wait in my room until he left to keep from making contact with him and I would keep as far away as possible when he arrived home in the evenings.

But since I got up before the crack of dawn on Mondays, seeing him was non-negotiable. And after last Monday, I didn’t feel like seeing him ever again. 

The first time I’d spoken my thoughts of going into the military was when I was fifteen. Sterling had immediately struck down the thought and forbade me to speak of it. After all, the military was stallion’s work. 

I had not spoken of it for two years, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t constantly on my mind. Father didn’t know, but I’d taken to sparring with the neighborhood colts and now I could best the most of them in competition. We never did any serious damage to each other in order to keep it a secret and I kept them from telling my parents by threatening them. They never went against my wishes; I truly believe they thought I would kill them if they did tell. 

Last Monday I got up a little earlier so that I could talk with Sterling once more about my joining the military. Let’s just say it didn’t go over well at all and Father ended having to buy a new kitchen table that day. I’ll leave how it broke to your imagination. 

I prepared myself a bowl of my favorite fruits and flowers and went to sit across from Sterling, who raised his eyes from the newspaper to look at me. I held his gaze, refusing to back down. Mother sat down between us and glanced back and forth. 

“Today isn’t going to start off the same way it did last Monday,” she said sharply, glaring at me and then her husband. 

“Yes, Mother,” I responded, taking a bite of strawberry without taking my eyes off Sterling. Finally he returned his gaze back to his paper, grunting gruftly. I let go of the breath I didn’t know I was holding back. 

Eventually Sterling finished his coffee and rose, carrying his cup and plate to the sink and setting them in the soapy water. He walked back to the kitchen table and kissed my mother goodbye (completely ignoring me, I should add) before trotting to the foyer, where he would put on his hat and coat. I heard the door open and close and I watched though the front window as he began jogging down the road in the direction of Fort Tacoma. 

Mother must have noticed me looking as she said, “He does love you, Aggie,” 

“Does he really, Mother?”  

“He does. It’s just that the two of you have such stubbornness. He’s not used to ponies going against him. And certainly doesn’t understand your want to join the military. You must remember, he grew up in a time that military mares were unheard of,” she said. 

“But hundreds of years ago, military mares were accepted,” I said. 

“I know, dear. But when your great-great-great-grandfather was a foal, military mares were dwindling. For some reason ponies came to the belief that mares were mostly meant for jobs of homemaking and foal bearing, along with being nurses and other non-military jobs,” she grabbed my hoof with hers and held it. 

“Aggie, I’m proud of you for wanting to join the military,” she smiled her soft smile. “It takes a brave stallion to put his life on the line for others. Mares have been called the weaker sex for a long time, ever since the military mare went extinct. I suppose we’ve let that stereotype get to our heads and so we think we can’t do what a stallion can. But you, my dear, you have gone against that. Ponies won’t understand. I didn’t for a long while. Sadly, I don’t think your father ever will,” Mother let go of my hoof and stood up. 

“Don’t let anypony stand in your way, Agate. You are a brave, intelligent, outgoing, beautiful young mare. Don’t forget that.”
________________________________________________________________________

After setting mine and my parent’s bedclothes to soak and cleaning the windows, I woke Topaz up and took her to school. After arriving back home, I scrubbed and rinsed bedclothes, dumping the dirty water out and filling the tub again with fresh water for Topaz’s bedclothes. While those soaked, I dusted and swept and after scrubbing and rinsing the bedclothes, once again dumping the dirty water and replacing it with new, I mopped the wooden floors. 

I had taken over the laundry and mopping after Penelope moved out. I had gotten to doing them so well it took less than three hours to do all my chores, leaving my afternoons free to do what I wanted. 

Some days I stayed in my room, reading old military and war books that I kept hidden in a trunk beneath my bed (the odd romance novel was tucked there as well). Other days I spent the afternoon out with close friends or sparring with the neighborhood colts before meeting Topaz at the school house at three-thirty pm and walking home with her. 

Dinner that night was just as tense as breakfast. Mother and Topaz happily talked about Topaz’s day at school. My father ate quietly, his usual stoic expression upon his face. 

I simply ate as quickly as possible in order to get back to the safe haven of my room. 

Finished with my meal, I rose from the table and carried my plate, utensils and water glass to the sink to wash. 

Even though it was only seven in the evening, I said good night to my mother and sister and made my way upstairs to the bathroom. After bathing and brushing my teeth, I went to my room. 

Another day in Sterling Silver’s house complete, I grabbed one of my books and climbed into bed. After a few hours reading, I eventually fell asleep. 

> Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

And so my life went on in the same pattern for another four years. Wake up at five-thirty or six, eat breakfast with either one or both of my parents and then start my daily chores. Once Topaz reached thirteen, part of my chores became hers and so each morning before school she would either dust or help me with setting the laundry to soak. Then I would walk to school with her, the two us talking about sister things.

I was now twenty-one years old, two years older than both my sisters when they moved out to go to university and consequently met their husbands. Gypsy had a beautiful little filly (who I absolutely adored, though I couldn’t say the same for her mother) and Penelope was now expecting. I suppose my parents were waiting for me to move out. I got so used to the pattern of my daily life at home that I really had no want or need to move out. I had no desire to attend secondary school. It was hard enough for me to finish primary school. I didn’t detest school like many foals. I loved my history and language classes, but everything else was quite boring. I do believe it was my love for history and language that kept me from dropping out or failing. Well, that and the threat of my mother’s wrath. Plus, I would need a high school diploma in order to join the military, so dropping out was out of the question completely.

And I guess, deep down, I didn’t want to leave my mother. She and I were always very close, despite us having hardly any similarities. I was her little girl, since her other three daughters tended to be partial to their father.

Topaz was now fourteen and she had grown into a beautiful young mare. One would think her light blue coat would clash with her hair, which was varying hues of orange and yellow, but she made it work. She kept her mane braided and her tail was clipped at a medium length. She had certainly begun catching the lingering looks of many colts. Of course since I’d beaten most every stallion my age when we were younger, they were weary of me. Not that I minded. None of them were my type. After all, I was waiting for a knight in shining armor.


Mother raced frantically around the house. It seemed as if she were going in twenty different directions at once.

We were going on a trip to Manehatten to visit Penelope and Anvil. Their first foal would be arriving any day now, and Mother wanted to be there when her second grand-foal was born. Wind Shift and Gypsy would be coming up from Fillydelphia. I didn’t understand why Gypsy was coming, she and Penelope got together much more often than they did with us. Surely Gypsy could have visited after we left. But, Mother was excited at the thought of having all her daughters under one roof again.

Thankfully, Sterling wasn’t coming. Even though he had built up plenty of leave time, he decided he would stay behind to watch over the house. I was more than sure he was just making an excuse so that he and I wouldn’t be around each other, not that I was complaining. 

However, I would being trading my father for the most annoying, stuck up pony in the world; my sister, Gypsy Rose.  She was Sterling in a mare’s body.

“Okay, girls, do we have everything?” Mother asked as she went from room to room.

“Yes, Momma,” Topaz smiled gleefully, her saddlebag secured to her back and several other bags sitting at her hooves.

“You aren’t seriously taking all that,” I said, my brow raised. Topaz glared at me.

“We’re going to Manehatten, Aggie! Of course I’m taking extra bags. Where would I put everything that I plan to buy?”

“Mother, Topaz does know this is a trip to visit Penelope, right? Not a shopping excursion,”

“Oh, leave your sister alone, Agate. I’m sure Penny—and Gypsy— would love to take the two of you shopping,” Mother replied. Topaz stuck her tongue out at me and proceeded to drag her bags out the door to the taxi carriage outside.

“Real mature,” I grumbled under my breath. I lifted my saddlebag and secured it to my back. It mostly held a few of my books, my toothbrush, mane brush, shampoo and a few of my bandanas, plus two simple dresses in case we went out for dinner. I didn’t need much of anything else. It was just a two week trip. However, Topaz and Mother seemed to have forgotten that detail. They packed as if we were leaving the country for three months.

Sterling came down from upstairs to see us off. He stopped at me and looked me over carefully.

“Take a photo, why don’t you? It would last longer,” I said sourly as I turned and trotted out the front door. I heard my Mother gasp but paid her no heed. 

I looked into the carriage while the stallions that would be pulling it secured Mother and Topaz’s bags on the top. It was rather spacious, though I suspected that if the carriage hadn’t had the baggage holder on the top, it would have been a tight fit. I took my saddlebag off and tossed it on one of the seats, scrambling in after it. Topaz came bounding out of the house with Sterling walking beside Mother. Topaz jumped into the carriage, shaking with excitement.

Sterling kissed his wife goodbye and helped her up into the carriage. Mother smiled gently at her husband as he shut the carriage door.
Once the carriage stallions got their harnesses back on, we were off to the train station for the eleven hour ride to Manehattan.

The train ride from Whinnyanapolis to Manehattan was a long, but relaxing one.

I jolted awake as the train pulled into the station. Apparently I had fallen asleep halfway through, the evidence being a book lying across my chest and drool dribbling from my mouth. Hastily, I wiped my face, patted my mane back in place and stuffed the book back into my saddlebag. Mother and Topaz were gathering the bags they’d brought into the riding car, their remaining things being in the baggage car.

We shuffled out of the train in a wave of other ponies eager to be on their way.

“Mother! Over here!” came a familiar voice over the bustling noise of the crowd. My ears perked and I swiveled, trying to pick up which direction my sister’s voice came from.

Suddenly my brother-in-law flew by overhead, landing on the platform in front of me.

“Afternoon Mrs. Sunflower,” Wind Shift said cheerfully, giving Mother a hug.

“Good afternoon to you as well, Wind Shift,” Mother smiled. Gypsy made her way over to us, her foal Primrose tucked safely in a foal saddle bag.

“Gypsy!” Topaz squealed happily, practically going through me to get to our sister.

“Hey girlie,” Gypsy smiled, giving Topaz a one-hoofed hug. Gypsy lifted her gaze to me, her eyes going emotionless and her face turning downward into a frown. I made myself smile at her despite wanting to slap that look of disdain off her face.

Kill her with kindness, I thought.

“So, are we going to stand here and hug each other like a bunch of hippies, or are we going to get a move on? It’s been six hours since I last ate and I’m starving,” I said, still smiling at my sister.

“I know a wonderful restaurant in the city center,” Gypsy said, “Shift, do you mind helping Topaz and Mother with their bags?” she looked at my sister and mother, her countenance completely changing from a frown into a cheerful smile. I didn’t buy it for a second.

“Not at all,” Wind Shift said as he turned towards the baggage claim area. Mother and Topaz followed along behind him, Topaz talking up a storm with our brother-in-law. I started to go with them when Gypsy grabbed my hoof. 

“What do you want?” I said coldly. The smile I’d kept on my face for Mother’s sake disappeared.

Gypsy rolled her eyes at me. “I thought that attitude of yours would have gotten better by now. You know it isn’t proper,”

“What is it with you and Father? You’re both always on my back about being proper and ladylike.  You’re just like him,” I glared at her and pulled my hoof away. I started over to the baggage claim to get my bags.

“That’s because being proper and ladylike is the way of a normal mare,”

“What if I don’t want to be a normal mare?” I spat, stomping my right front hoof. “I want to do something with my life. I want to be somepony who is selfless, brave and unfaltering. If that’s not what a normal mare is, then I don’t want to be a normal mare. Mother supports me wholeheartedly.  I don’t understand why you and Father are so adamant about my becoming a military mare,”

“Because being in the military is for stallions, that’s why. Mares are to—”

“—Be homemakers, foal bearers and a whole other bunch of crud. I’ve heard it a million times, Rose!” I interrupted. My nostrils flared and my cheeks turned red with pent up anger.

“Then why don’t you listen?”

“Because that’s not me!”

“What is going on here?” Sunflower snapped. She, Topaz and Shift had returned with our bags. Mother’s eyes held a look as icy as the Frozen North. She trotted up between us and glared at us in turn.

“I leave the two of you alone for just ten minutes and all Tartarus breaks loose. You girls are grown adults, act as such.” Mother glared sharply at Gypsy. Her expression softened slightly when she looked towards me.

I shot an expression full of hatred towards my sister before grunting and began walking towards Shift to get my bag.

“At least I’m the type of daughter he can be proud of,” she whispered. I froze in my steps. Daughter he can be proud of. I’d heard those words so many times in my life. Hearing them from my own sister stabbed me deep in my heart. Tears welled up in my eyes and I turned back to my sister.

“If a spoiled, snobbish brat like you is the type of daughter he can be proud of, them I’m glad I’m not,” I sniffled and wiped my eyes with a flick of my hoof before pushing past Shift and several ponies who were watching and galloping out of the train station. I didn’t know where I was going, but I needed to get away as quickly as possible. I paid no heed to the desperate calls of Topaz and Mother trailing behind me.
________________________________________________________________________

Manehattan at night is a sight to behold. Times Square is lit up at all times and ponies are bustling through the streets in double time.

I barely remember how I managed to get into Midtown Manehatten. I ran for blocks, dodging business ponies and tourists alike, finally stopping at a tavern.

Not wanting to find my way to Penelope’s apartment at the moment, I went inside the FirWood Tavern. Upon entering, I stopped and stared, mouth agape.

Apparently, and ironically, I should add, I had stumbled upon the hangout of military personnel.

They were everywhere, stallions dressed in armor, ceremonial uniforms, armed, not armed, privates, sergeants, lieutenants, even a few captains. They all stopped what they were doing and stared at me, It was like one of those western films when the protagonist walks into a saloon and everything freezes. 

Realizing that a young mare standing in the doorway of a military pub with her jaw unhinged must be quite the sight, I straightened up, wiped a hoof over my mane and smiled politely. I made my way over to the bar and sat on a stool.

“What can I get you, miss?” the bartender smiled. He was an older brown coated stallion, around fifty or so. His faded mane showed signs of once being a pristine blue and his green eyes sparkled with spirit.

“Cider is fine,” I replied. The stallion nodded and went to preparing my drink. Though I wanted something more along the lines of vodka, I knew Mother would figure out where I’d been the moment she smelled me. She had little tolerance for drinks of the alcoholic sort,
“So what brings you here, miss?” the bartender asked as he sat my mug of cider in front of me. “Name’s Gibson, by the way.”

“Fire Agate,” I smiled. “My mother, younger sister and I came to visit my older sisters. My eldest sister decided to be a major pain and so I’m here.”

“I understand how that is,” Gibson shook his head, “I have a couple sisters myself. I love ‘em now, but growing up I sometimes wanted to put their heads through a brick wall,” he chuckled.

“I don’t think I’ll ever love Gypsy,” I said. “She’s been a thorn in my side for twenty-one years. She’s all “sit straight, don’t slouch, be ladylike, be a proper mare,” It doesn’t help that she’s completely against my becoming a royal guard and you don’t even want to know what my father did when I told him,”

“A royal guard, huh? Don’t see many mares wanting to go into that line of work these days,”

“Yeah, unfortunately,” I sighed, taking a sip of my cider. Gibson busied himself with cleaning glasses so I began looking around the tavern. The stallions had pretty much gone back to what they’d been doing. I took particular interest in a group of three who were playing pool.

One was light blue with a white mane and tail, wings tucked at his sides. His brown eyes held a calm coolness, yet they hid the ecstatic excitement only a new soldier could have. He wore a dress uniform that I recognized as being Navy.

The second was obviously the first stallion’s brother. He was also a light blue pegasus, only he had brown mane and tail and light green eyes. He also wore the Navy’s uniform.

The third was obviously the  eldest of the three, at least five years older than I... He was a jet black pegasus, his mane and tail having streaks of silver-grey, but what caught my attention were his eyes; they were the prettiest blue I’d ever seen in my life. And though he was young, they held the soul of a pony who was much older and wiser. 

He wasn’t in a Navy uniform; instead he was dressed in a odd golden uniform. The only thing I fully recognized was the lieutenant pin upon his chest. I stared at his uniform for several moments before realizing that I staring at a pony that was part of Equestria’s toughest military ranking; he was a Solaris.

I had read little about the Solaris, only that they were the toughest of the tough and the bravest of the brave. Princess Celestia herself had a hoof in developing the Solaris branch of the Equestrian Military, named in honor of her father, King Solaris. The Solaris soldiers were very few now, but for centuries they were the largest military branch.

After the shock of being in the presence of a Solaris wore off, my eyes zeroed in on the ceremonial sword which was secured at his side. It was a handsome blade..

The Navy brothers noticed me looking at the Solaris soldier. One nudged the stallion and gestured toward me.

“Hey, Knight, looks like you got yourself an admirer,” the white maned one smirked. The Solaris looked in my direction, his brow raised. Spotting me, he smiled. I swear I nearly turned to jelly at his smile. In attempt to hide my jelly-ness, I rolled my eyes and shrugged.

“Don’t flatter yourself, soldier. I was admiring your sword,” I said. The brothers fell over each other laughing which made the rest of the tavern stopped once more to see what the commotion was about. I drank down what remained of my cider, hoofed a couple bits to Gibson and rose from my seat, thankful that my legs had come back from being liquid. The brothers were still laughing as I left, a few of the other stallions having joined in. Before I walked out the door, I turned back to the Solaris.

“It’s a very nice sword, by the way” I smiled.

I was half-way down the street when I heard hoofsteps coming at me rapidly. My heart seized at first, thinking that it was some punk hoping to rob me. It wasn’t uncommon in the Manehatten night for a lone mare to be robbed or worse. I was starting to regret my decision of running out of the train station. 

I relaxed slightly when a golden uniform came into my peripheral vision.

“So, you like my sword, huh?” Oh, his voice. Jelly legs were back in full throttle.

“Heh, um, y-yes,” I mentally facehoofed at my sputtering.

“It’s been in my family for generations. I got it from my father, who got it from his father and so on,”

“That’s nice,” I winced inwardly. That’s nice? Good grief I was never this way with the colts back home, I thought to myself. 

“I’m Onyx Knight,” he was really trying to make conversation. Too bad I was so tongue tied I couldn’t say anything without sounding like an idiot.

“Agate, pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Finally, you’re talking with sense.

I felt the soldier looking me over. After several moments, he spoke once more.

“You’re not from Manehatten, are you?”  Perceptive thing, this stallion.

“That obvious, huh? No, I’m not. I’m here visiting my sister,” I said.

“Then why aren’t you visiting with your sister?” I heard the chuckle in his voice.

“Didn’t quite make it that far,” I sighed. “My family is…not the best at greetings,”

“Ah. Well then, I don’t blame you for running to a bar,” I saw Onyx smile out of the corner of my eye.

I laughed. “Yes, when all else fails, the bar will always be there for you,”

“That is true,” he chuckled once more. We walked in silence for several moments. Every so often I would peek over at the Solaris Lieutenant, taking in his features and etching them into my mind. He was a handsome stallion, not princely handsome with the perfect mane and chiseled chin, like so many romance authors describe their stallion characters as, but handsome in a strong and rugged way. He was big too. I was above the average height for an earth pony mare, but he was easily two heads taller than I. My ears barely reached the top of his shoulder and his hooves were twice the size of mine.

“What does a Solaris do, exactly?” I suddenly blurted it out. My outburst obviously started the Lieutenant and he balked.

“Excuse me?”

“Your uniform. It’s of the Solaris section of the military,” I said, swallowing the lump that had jumped into my throat.

Onyx stared at me for several seconds. “You know I’m Solaris? How?” He was having a hard time processing that a mare knew a few things about the military. That realization made my chest swell with pride.

“A hobby of mine is to collect and read old military manuals and books. My father is a colonel in the Army and I wish to become a Royal Guard.

“A guard, huh?” Onyx raised a brow. I braced myself for another lecture about how mares don’t belong in the military.

“That’s interesting. Quite interesting,” he finally said. I blinked.

“You aren’t opposed?” Now I was the one having the hard time processing.

“Why should I be? Any pony who is brave enough to put on the uniform should be praised, stallion or mare,”

“My father doesn’t want me to become a guard,” I sighed. “It has caused some issues between us. We rarely speak and when we do, it is almost always shouting that ends in a hoof fight. I just want to show him that I can do anything a stallion can,” I chuckled softly. “I’m sorry. You probably don’t want to hear about my family issues.”

“It’s fine, sounds like you needed to get it off your chest. Sometimes talking to somepony you barely know helps more than you think. But back to your original question,” he smiled.

I returned his smile with one of my own. “Yes, what does a Solaris do?”

“I’m glad you asked, it’s not every day somepony recognizes the Solaris Corps’ uniform,” Onyx started.

“We’re a special forces division of the Equestrian Military close to the Crown. Some say we are closer than even the Royal Guard, but I guess when the Princess is basically your commanding officer, you have to be pretty close,” the big black pegasus chuckled. “We can do almost everything the other divisions can and a little bit more. We work closely with the Navy and the Wonderbolts. A few of us are also specially trained as spies for the Equestrian government. ”

“Wait a second, the Wonderbolts are military? I never read that in my books,”

“The Wonderbolts like to keep their military side a secret from the general public. Their air shows act as an income system for them and the other divisions. They might look like fancy fliers, but they can be quite tough when need be. The Wonderbolts haven’t been needed in war for centuries, though. They assist occasionally with border patrol and the rare outsider threats, but those are usually kept out of the public eye. Their current captain used to be Solaris, by the way,”

“No way,”

“It’s true. A Solaris never lies,” Onyx placed a hoof over his heart.

“Okay, now I know you’re pulling my hoof,” I rolled my eyes.

“You cut me deep, Agate, you cut me real deep,” Onyx feigned being hurt.

“I’m glad I complimented your sword. I’ve never had this much fun in Manehattan in all my visits combined,” I laughed.

“I glad I could make this trip worth it,” Onyx smiled. “Now, where does your sister live? It’s never good for a pony to walk Manehattan alone and especially at this time at night,”

________________________________________________________________________

The walk to Penny and Anvil’s apartment building went by faster than I wished it would. Despite never meeting each other before now, it felt like I’d known Onyx forever. He was easy to talk to, unlike like the colts back home. Of course, that wasn’t much of a competition.

My hooves felt heavier with each step closer to the building’s doors. I didn’t look forward to being under the same roof as the wretch I called my sister. I knew my mother must be worried sick about me, but that didn’t make it any easier. 

“Is this the place?” Onyx asked as we stopped at the front doors.

“Unless I completely messed up the directions Mother showed me on the train, yes, it is,” I smiled. “Thanks for walking with me,”

“It was no problem. Anything for a mare who wants to change stereotypes,” he laughed. “I’ll be looking for your name in the Royal Guard,”

“Fire Agate,” I said. Onyx raised a brow. “If you’re going to be looking for my name, you’ll need my full name,” I chuckled.

“I’ll remember that. It was nice meeting you, Fire Agate,”

“You as well, Lieutenant Onyx Knight,” I saluted. Onyx smiled and reached up for my hoof, bringing it down and slightly forward and then copied the salute himself. I hoped he missed the slight blush on my face.

“That’s a proper salute,” he said before smiling once more and turning back in the direction we’d come.

I sighed as I watched him trot away. I more than likely wouldn’t see him again, despite the Solaris Corps working closely with the Crown and subsequently, the Guard. The Guard was the largest division, after all.

“Agate?” My ear swiveled around at the sound of Penelope’s voice. “Aggie! I’m so glad you’re safe. We’ve been worried sick about you,”

I put a smile on my face as I turned and embraced my heavily pregnant sister and her husband. “Hi Penny, hi Anvil,” I said cheerfully. “How’s my little nephew?” I glanced at Penny’s swollen belly.

“He’s doing great,” Penny giggled.

“We’ll be doing much better when he finally makes his appearance,” Anvil added.

“But let’s wait on foal talk. Where have you been?” Penny asked as Mother, Gypsy, Topaz, and Shift came off the elevator. Catching sight of me, Mother and Topaz quickly rushed over and embraced me.

“Oh my sweet girl, I’ve been so worried about you. It’s been four hours! Where have you been? We were just about to call the police!” Mother cried with relief. My heart hurt from the unnecessary grief I’d caused her, she was too good a pony for me to do this to her.

“I went to a bar in Midtown,”

“A bar? This is hardly the time for drinking!” Mother gasped.

“Well, it seemed like a good place at time. But don’t worry, it was cider. And it wasn’t hard cider either,” I reassured, smiling gently at her.

“Well, that’s good, I suppose,” Mother sighed. 

Topaz jumped up in front of me, “Sis! Who was that stallion I saw you walking with?” I stared at her in surprise.

“Who? When! How?” I sputtered.

“I saw you from Penny’s balcony! That is why we’re all down here, after all,” Topaz rolled her eyes at me, as if she expected that I’d know that.

“Oh,” I gulped. Penny and Topaz leaned towards me, their eyes full of curiosity, Mother peered at me with her brow raised.

“Don’t freak out. We met at the bar. He walked with me since it’s nighttime. It’s no big deal,”

“He was wearing a uniform!” Topaz squeaked. I mentally face hoofed, “is he military, like Papa?”

“Yes, Topaz, he is military,” I smiled at my sister. Gypsy reminded me that she was also present by huffing loudly.

“Wonderful, another military pony. Hopefully you didn’t embarrass yourself with telling him of your guard fantasy,”

“For your information, sister, he actually thought me becoming a guard is brave and noble,” I said, hiding my smirk. I had to hold back a giggle at Gypsy’s dumbfounded expression. Her face showed various degrees of confusion and anger before she grunted and stomped towards the elevators. My other sisters, Mother, and Anvil switched looks at Gypsy and I before going after her, Mother placing a hoof on my shoulder and giving me a smile. Wind Shift watched his wife for several seconds before sighing and coming towards me.

“Look, Aggie,” he started, looking me over, “Gypsy, she… well, I don’t really know what to say. She is my wife and I love her more than life itself, but I don’t always agree with her stances. The two of you are as different as night and day, but she is your sister, just, maybe try looking at things from her point of view, okay?” He smiled. I could see why Gypsy had fallen for him, he was such a gentlestallion..

“Okay,” I smiled back, though I didn’t really mean what I said.

“For the record, kid, I support you in your decision to be a guard. Equestria needs more ponies like you,” Shift nodded at me. His words caught me off guard, causing me to stumble mid-step.  

“Um, thanks,” I said, uncertain of what to say. Once Shift had disappeared behind the elevator doors, I strode over to a small couch situated in the middle of the lobby and flopped on it.

My family was one confusing bunch of ponies. Half of them fought me over my choices, others supported me and a couple kept giving mixed signals. I prayed for the day when I could finally get away from it all and live my life the way I wanted it to be.
> Chapter 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


I dragged my hooves as I walked down the street to my house on Lady Bug Lane. My right eye was swollen shut, my lip was busted, and my front hooves were cut and bleeding slightly and I was certain my right hind leg was sprained. But my face was lit up with a smile as bright as Celestia’s sun, for on my nine year old flank was a brand new cutie mark. Of course, I’d gotten it during one of my many scuffles in the school yard, however that little detail was irrelevant at the moment. I was proud of the flaming sword which adorned my flank.

Gypsy trotted along beside me. She looked me over and shook her head.

“Papa is going to be so mad. This is the fifth fight you’ve been in this year. And we’ve only been in school for three months!” my fourteen year old sister said.

“Oh, who cares what he thinks? I can’t wait to show my cutie mark to Mama!” I squeaked happily, skipping a few steps down the sidewalk. “Ow,” I winced. Yeah, I’d definitely sprained that leg.

“Sometimes I wish I was like you, Aggie,” Gypsy said suddenly. I stopped in my tracks and stared up my sister.

“You do?”

“Yeah. You’re so brave and full of life,”

“But you are too!” I said.

“Thanks for thinking so, but, I’m not brave at all. I’d sooner turn tail and run before I’d even think about jumping into a fight like you do,”

“I think you’re brave, you held that worm for me last weekend!” I smiled.

“And you have no idea how hard that was,” Gypsy laughed, lifting a hoof and giving me a noogie.

“I love you, Gypsy,” I hugged my eldest sister’s leg.

“I love you, too, kiddo,” Gypsy hugged me back.

“C’mon guys!” my thirteen year old sister, Penelope, shouted from up ahead, “Mama said she was making brownies after we got home from school. The sooner we get there, the sooner we get brownies!” Penny turned tail and galloped on up the sidewalk. I looked at Gypsy and she looked at me.

“Think we can catch her?” she smirked.

“Oh, yeah!” I giggled as she picked me up and set me on her back.

“Hold on, Aggie!” Gypsy said before galloping off after our sister.




“Aggie! Aggie! Aggie! Wake up!” Topaz pushed her hooves into my shoulders, shaking me awake. My eyes opened drowsily. The first thing they settled on was a blue teenaged pony practically sitting on my lap, her eyes wide and joyous and slightly frightening since she was so close to my face. I jerked back when my sleep drunk eyes finally focused, wincing as my head hit the wall behind me.

“Ah! OW!” I rubbed a hoof to the back of my head. Where was my pillow? Why was I on the floor? Why did the air smell so…sanitary?

Oh, that’s right.

I was in the hospital.

Slowly the happenings over the last few hours came back to me. Sometime after midnight on our third day in Manehattan, Penny had gone into labor. Mother had dragged me out of bed to come to the hospital with her, Penny and Anvil while Gypsy and Shift stayed behind with Topaz and Primrose. Apparently sometime between then and now, I had passed out against a wall in the waiting area.

“What time is it? When did you get here? Where’s Penny? How’s the foal? I asked frantically, jumping up and knocking Topaz off me in the process.

“Chill sis,” she grunted. “It’s just after eight in the morning. Me, Gypsy, Shift and Prim got here around seven-thirty,”

“AND?!”

“No foal,”

“Good grief,” I groaned, slumping back down the wall.

“It may come soon,” Topaz said.

“He, Topaz. The foal is a he. Not an ‘it’,” I never liked calling a foal “it”. They are ponies, not houseplants.

“I hope it—” I gave Topaz a flat look. “—I mean the foal, is a filly,”

“The foal is going to be a colt,” I said confidently.

“How do you know?”

“Because Penny told me, duh,”

“When?”

“In her last letter to me,”

“You two write letters? I didn’t know you knew what a quill was!” Topaz snorted.

I was seriously beginning to loose my patience with this kid. I breathed out my nose in a huff.

“Watch it, smart flank,”

Off to the side, Gypsy and Wind Shift sat with little Primrose. Prim had just turned 3 years old. She was starting to run around more and boy did she enjoy using her legs. I’d never seen a foal move so fast. The tyke had kept me busy over the past few days. During my teenage years, I didn’t like foals very much, however my niece had brought out my tender side. She had me wrapped around her hoof. I couldn’t wait to have my nephew to cuddle with.

Another hour went by before Anvil finally came to the waiting room. We all jumped to our hooves. I was especially excited.  He looked tired and drained, but his eyes held the pride and joy of a new father.

“Come meet your new niece,” he smiled happily.

A niece!

Wait a second…

A niece?

Oh, Penny, you little trickster. I was certain she was back in the delivery room, laughing her flank off.

Anvil led the four of us down the hall of the delivery ward of the hospital until we got to room 172.

He opened the door and let us all go before him. In my peripheral vision I saw Mother sitting on a big chair in the corner of the room, but my attention was on the pink and yellow mare on the bed before me.

Penny looked exhausted yet happy as she gazed down at the little bundle in her hooves. She lifted her head, seeing us and smiled.

“Gypsy, Aggie, Topaz, meet Morning Glory,”

At first I had no idea what to say. My disappointment of not getting a nephew completely disappeared as I looked at my new niece. She was perfect in every way. Her violet and pink curly mane matched her lavender coat perfectly. Her eyes opened and they were certainly Anvil’s, a beautiful shade of green. I felt my heart melt.

Mother rose up from the chair and carefully made her way over to Penny.

“Don’t forget to introduce this little guy,” Sunflower Field gently laid a bundle in Anvil’s hooves.

Woah woah woah. Back up! Little guy?

“Oh my goodness,” Gypsy gasped.

“Two foals?” Topaz grinned.

“You had TWINS!?” I exclaimed.

“This is Boulder Moss,” Penny giggled at my expression.

“We have a nephew!” Topaz cheered, hugging me and Gypsy. My paralyzed brain finally kicked back into action as I stepped forward to examine my new nephew.

“Hmm,” I peered at the little slate colored colt. I scrutinized his messy moss colored mane and examined his hooves. I playfully poked his nose with my muzzle, making him yawn and open his blue eyes. They were the color of the sky after an afternoon rain, just like Penny’s. 

“I’ll guess he’ll have to do,” I said lazily, shrugging my shoulders. Penny rolled her eyes.

“Ha, ha, little sister. C’mon, I can see it in your eyes. You’re smitten,” she smirked. I tried to hold out, but I quickly caved.

“You got me! He’s absolutely beautiful, Penny. They both are. Boulder Moss and Morning Glory. Two foals that will grow up to be a handsome stallion and a beautiful mare,” I smiled gently.

“Thank you, Fire,” Anvil said as he walked up on the other side of the bed and nuzzled Penny.

I backed up as Topaz, Gypsy and Shift made their way to the bed and proceeded to gush over the twins.

“So, Aggie, when will I be getting grandfoals from you?” Mother whispered, coming up beside me.

“I would have to be married first, Mother,” I whispered back.

“Oh, that’s the old fashioned way,” she snorted. I raised a brow.

“Heh, seriously? It’s you of all ponies to suggest sex before marriage,”

“I’m just kidding, silly filly,” Mother laughed softly. “You know I wouldn’t suggest something like that,”

“Thank goodness. I have enough issues with Sterling as it is. Having a foal out of wedlock would just add fuel to the fire,” I said absentmindedly. I heard Mother sigh beside me, causing me to glance down at her.

“What?”

“It’s nothing, sweetie,” she said. I knew when my mother was hiding something and I nudged her shoulder.

“You can tell me,”

Mother stayed silent for several minutes before saying, “Why do you call him Sterling? You've called your father Sterling or Sterling Silver since you were fifteen. You used to call him Papa. What changed?”

I stiffened up at her question. “You know why,”

“Yes, I suppose I do. But I want to hear it from you,”

“Must we talk about this now?” My ears laid back against my head and I adverted my eyes.

“No, we don’t have to,” Mother said. “But I do believe that you need to talk. With your father,” she placed a hoof over mine. “The two of you are more alike than you’ll ever know. That’s part of the reason why he’s the way he is when he is with you. And I think that frightens him.

My head jerked up and I looked at the yellow mare. “Frightens him? Why?”

“Because you remind him of himself,”



I lingered at the hospital for half an hour more after the conversation with Mother. My mind hadn’t stopped going over what she’d said. 

I reminded Sterling of himself? And it frightened him? How could that tiny detail frighten my father? He was a highly respected officer in the Army. The name of Colonel Sterling Silver was known in all divisions of the Equestrian Military. He had seen things that nopony should ever have to see. Yet what frightened him was his daughter who is just like him.

I had to go home. That was the only answer.

I needed to go home and confront Sterling Silver. Demand the answers to the questions I’d had all my life.

I trotted back to the delivery room and weaved my way around everypony to Mother.

“I need to go home,” I said.

“To the apartment?  I did drag you out of bed in the middle of the night. I’m sure you’re tired,” Well, that was true. I was about to drop from exhaustion, but I shook my head.

“No, I need to go home. Home home. To Whinnyanapolis,” Mother’s eyes widened.

“But Aggie, you can’t leave. Penelope hasn’t seen you in months and she just had the twins—” 

“And she has you, Topaz and Gypsy to help her, not to mention her husband and our brother-in-law. I don’t need to be here,”  I interrupted her. Mother averted her eyes.

“It’s because of him, isn’t it?” she said quietly. “It’s because of what I told you,” I nodded.

“Okay, sweetheart. I trust you to know what you need to do,” Mother hugged me. I returned the hug with all the love I had for her. We pulled away from each other and I turned to everypony else. They were still by the bed. Well, Topaz was sitting on top of the bed. They all had their eyes on me and I knew they must have heard everything.

“You’re going home?” Topaz asked. I saw that a few tears had slid down her cheeks. I walked over to hurt and ruffled her mane.

“Yeah, kid. I need to go home. But you’re gonna stay here to keep Penny and the old maid in check,” I said, the old maid being Gypsy. Topaz giggled and hugged my neck.

“You got it!”

Topaz let me go and I turned to Anvil and Penny.

“I’m sorry I can’t stay,”

“It’s okay, Aggie, I understand,” Penny smiled. “Besides, if I were you, I’d be getting out of diaper changing duty too,” she pulled me close and hugged me as best she could with Boulder Moss in her arms.

Once I got to Penelope and Anvil’s apartment, I quickly packed my things and straightened up the room they’d given me. I set the key Mother gave on the kitchen counter and locked up. Saddlebags on my back, I trotted out of the apartment building and out onto the streets of Manehattan.

I wasn’t sure what I’d say when I finally confronted Sterling. All I knew was that it was time I had a conversation with my dad.
> Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I briskly trotted along the sidewalk on Lady Bug Lane to the little blue house on the cul-de-sac, my mind mulling over what I’d say to my father when I saw him. I figured the best course of action would be to go home and cool off a bit before going to Fort Tacoma. Waiting until he arrived home in the evening would certainly make me loose my nerve.  

Having arrived home after 9pm the previous night, I decided to stay at a hotel in the city. I knew Sterling wouldn’t appreciate me waking him so late and frankly, I wasn’t so eager to be on the receiving end of his anger, what with me being exhausted as well. 

I picked up the spare key from under the flower pot under the front window and unlocked the front door. After replacing the key in the place it had lived in for all of my twenty-one years, I walked into the house and made my way up the stairs to my bedroom. I dropped my saddlebags by the door and stumbled over to the bed, face planting into my multitude of pillows and blankets. 





I stood outside the gates of Fort Tacoma. It was just after one in the afternoon, Sterling’s lunch hour. I took a deep breath and exhaled. I rolled my shoulders and fixed my mane. I was stalling. One part of me wanted to go in there and demand answers. The other part wanted to run home, grab my saddlebags and hop on the next train to Manehattan. 

“No, Aggie,” I reprimanded myself. “You are going to march to Sterling’s office and get answers,” 

I started forward and stopped at the gate. On the other side stood a stallion with the insignia of a sergeant major. I wondered why a sergeant major was standing guard at the front gates. Usually lower ranks did gate duty. 

“Can I help you?” he said. 

“I’m Fire Agate. Colonel Sterling Silver is my father. I have a meeting with him,” 

“Colonel Silver is your father?” the stallion looked at me. He was a big blue earth pony with red eyes, a purple mane and tail and had a spear cutie mark. He looked familiar, but I couldn’t place him. 

“Yes, sir,” I nodded. The sergeant major continued to stare me down until a flash of recognition went across his eyes. 

“Fire Agate, I should have known,” he said, a slight smile curling his lips. He opened the gate and ushered me in. “Sergeant Major Comet Walker. You don’t remember me, I’m sure, but I have met you a few times” he extended a hoof. I touched my hoof to his and smiled. 

“You’re father is a good stallion,” Comet Walker nodded. I bit my tongue at the comment and hastily replied,

“Yes, he is,” 

“Wait here, I’ll get somepony to escort you to your father’s offices,”  the blue stallion trotted to a building a few yards from the gates and soon came out with a burgundy earth pony mare with an amber colored mane and tail. She was much smaller than I, closer to Topaz’s height. Suddenly it hit me. 

This was a mare. 

In the Army. 

A military mare, who just so happened to be at the same base as Sterling Silver. 

“Lance Corporal Sweet Spot, escort Miss Agate to Colonel Silver’s office,” the sergeant major said to the burgundy mare. 

“Yes, Sergeant Major, sir. Follow me, ma’am,” she said. I nodded and smiled to the sergeant major once more and followed after the little Army mare. I wondered what my father thought about having a mare on base. The thought of him having to live with a mare on his base made me giggle. 

The lance corporal glanced back at me and stopped, turning around to face me. 

“N-not to be rude or a-anything, but, why are you laughing at me?” she peered at me. “It’s because I’m short, isn’t it?” 

I shook my head. “No! No, I’m not laughing at you. I laughing at my situation,” 

Sweet Spot tipped her head to the side in confusion.  

“You see, my father, he’s…not the biggest supporter of mares being in the military. I think it’s funny that you are at the very base that my father is in,” 

“Oh,” the lance corporal blinked. She turned and continued down the path. “The Colonel has never spoken of his opposition for mares in the military; at least I haven’t been made aware of it,” 

“Is it becoming more common now?” I asked, curious as to if I could use this knowledge to my advantage. 

“Mares are still rare. I’m the only one at this base, however, there are several within the Army. I’m not all-together sure about the other divisions, though,” Sweet Spot frowned.

We walked along the pathway for several more minutes, going past barracks, the mess hall, a running track and several other buildings.  
Eventually we came to a large, rectangular building at the rear of the base.  Sweet Spot led me inside and turned left. We walked past several doors, stopping at the last one on the right. The words “Colonel Silver” were on a gold plate nailed into the wooden door. 

“Here you are. I hope your meeting goes well,” Sweet Spot nodded before trotting back the way we’d come. 

I lifted my hoof to knock, stopping right before it touched the door. I felt my heart start beating faster and my mouth went dry. C’mon now, Aggie. You’ve made it this far. Don’t be a chicken. 

I steeled my nerves and knocked confidently. 

“Come in,” I heard Sterling’s voice say. 

I turned the knob and opened the door. My father had his head bent over, looking at a bunch of papers spread across the desk before him. 

Sterling lifted his head and his eyes went wide. It was the most surprised I’d ever seen him in my life. 

“Hello, Pa—Sterling,” I quickly corrected myself. I didn’t know why I nearly called him Papa. 

Sterling pushed his chair back and stood. His face had mostly returned to the way it usually looked, but his eyes still held the surprise. 

“Agate, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in Manehattan? Is Penelope alright?” His voice was laced with concern and it caused me to pause. 

“Penny is doing great; at least she was when I left. She had a filly, Morning Glory, and a colt, Boulder Moss,” I said cautiously. This was going much better than I originally thought it would, but I was treading with care. 

“But what are you doing here? It’s barely been four days. You, your mother and sister aren’t due back for another week,” Sterling went on, though I caught a hint of a smile went I mentioned that he had a grand colt. 

“I came back last night,” my tail swished as I rubbed my left hind leg against my right. “I needed to talk to you,” 

If Sterling wasn’t surprised to see me when I walked in, he certainly was now. He peered at me for several moments before motioning to a chair in front of the desk. “Have a seat,” 

“I would prefer to stand, if I may,” I said. 

“As you wish,” Sterling said. His voice was beginning to take on its gruff tone it usually had whenever we spoke. “So, what is so important that you had to come back to Whinnyanapolis a week before you’re supposed to?” 

“I needed to talk to you about…us,” 

My father raised a brow. “Us?” 

“Yes, us. Our relationship. We haven’t been able to share a word with each other in over six years without having a fight. Ever since I voiced my wish to join the guard,” 

“We’ve talked about this, Agate,” 

“No, we haven’t,” I narrowed my eyes and stepped closer the desk. “We have had fights, we have shot glares at each other from across the room, and we broke Mother’s dining room table, but we have never ‘talked’.” 

Sterling peered at me, silent. Finally, he leaned back in his chair and crossed his hooves. 

“Okay then. Let’s talk.”

> Chapter 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Six years ago 

I slowly trotted down the stairs. My heart was racing and I felt butterflies fluttering in my stomach. My seven-year-old sister ran passed me and I heard the joyous shouts of her friends before the front door slammed, making a few pictures on the wall swing from the vibration.

I finally set hoof down in the foyer and looked in the living room. Not seeing anypony there, I turned and went down the hall to the kitchen. I saw Mother through the window, tending to her garden.  Papa, home for one of his days of leave, stood at the sink washing a couple remaining dishes from our late breakfast.

“Papa?”

“Yes, Agate?” he replied without looking.

“I was wondering if we could, you know, talk about something,” I said.

“What is it?” Papa set the last dish in the drainer and wiped his hooves on a towel.

“I want to be a royal guard,” I smiled broadly.  Every generation in my family had been military. I just knew Papa would be proud of me for wanting to join.

“No,” my father said gruffly.

I could hear my brain screeching to a halt. I shook my head. Surely I’d heard him wrong?

“What?”

“I said no, Agate,” my father’s face hardened. “No mare in my family will be in the military. I won’t allow it,”

I could feel my soul being crushed by his glare. I glanced at my flanks.

“But Papa, my cutie-mark—”

“Doesn’t matter. The military isn’t the place for a mare,”

The hurt turned into anger and I felt my blood begin to boil.

I stomped my hoof. “I thought you’d be happy that at least one of your daughters is brave enough to go into service,”

“Don’t bring your sisters into this,” Papa growled.

“Fine, then how about my brother? Garnet’s dead, Papa! I know you wanted a son to continue your legacy, but that dream died with him four years ago! He could have never even been in the military anyway. He was too sickly!”

“Do not talk about my son!” he stepped towards me.

“Then let me be a guard,” I took a menacing step forward as well.

“The military is the work of a stallion—”

“That’s old fashion thinking, Papa!” I yelled.

“As long as breath fills my lungs you will not become a guard! And that’s final!” my father shouted back. “You are not to ever speak of this again.”

“Why can’t you support me in something?! Ugh, I hate you!” I turned tail and ran out the back door, nearly knocking Mother down as she was coming in.  





Present Day

“Okay then. Let’s talk,” Sterling said calmly, crossing his hooves on his desk.

I’d never seen my father so calm in my life. It was unnerving. I began rubbing my left hind leg to my right like I always did when I needed to calm my nerves.

“You remember when Garnet died, don’t you?” Sterling stiffened at his dead son’s name.

“Yes.”

“You were different before then.”

“All parents are different after losing a foal,” he said.

“But you and mother had already lost three. You were still the same, but with Garnet you changed. Why?”

“I don’t wish to talk about this, Agate,” Sterling answered roughly.

“Why?” I asked again.

“Agate…”

“Why?” I pushed.

“No, Agate!”

“Why did you change after my brother died?!”

“BECAUSE HE WAS MY SON!” Sterling stood up quickly, knocking his chair over and slamming his hooves on his desk. His outburst caused me to jump back half a step, but I wasn’t afraid. I’d actually wanted this response.

“Do your daughters really matter that little to you? That you’d carry on fine after losing three, but break at a son?” I asked softly.

Sterling’s eyes went wide. He looked down at his desk and picked up the framed picture of his wife which had been knocked down. He set it back in its place and spent the next few moments picking up his chair and fixing the papers he’d messed up.

“Do I matter, Papa?”

Sterling jerked his head and stared at me.

“It’s been years since you called me that,” he finally said.

I didn’t reply.

Sterling glanced back down at his desk before continuing, “Yes, you—and your sisters—matter,”

“You were so happy when Garnet was born. You’d finally gotten your son, a son that could carry on the family legacy,” I said. “When you and Mother found out that he would never be a healthy colt, your hopes for him died. And then he and Topaz got sick…” I felt my eyes tear up. I’d never known how much I missed my baby brother.

“I wanted to be a guard not just for myself, but for Garnet,” I sniffed and wiped my hoof across my muzzle. “And for you. Why wouldn’t you let me join when I turned eighteen?”

Sterling stumbled back into his chair, head down, and placed a hoof on his head.

“Because you’re my daughter,” he lifted his eyes to mine. “I knew when you were born, that there would be no mistaking you were mine. As you grew up, you had the same personality, attitude, and stubbornness I did when I was a colt.”

Even though I never wanted to admit them, I’d always known my father and I had similarities, but until Mother pointed them out, I never knew how much in common we actually shared. And I’d never heard Sterling bring them up in all of my twenty-one years.

“Gypsy and Penny were different. They liked dolls and playing dress up. You liked wrestling, and playing with little wooden swords, and jumping in mud puddles after a rainstorm,” he continued, chuckling.   

“When Garnet was born, I thought I had the son I’d always wanted. However, when he died, I realized that I’d had my son. Only she was a filly. It frightened me, Agate. It frightened me because I knew from your cutie-mark that you were destined to join the military. It frightened me because you were so much like me. You still are,” Sterling rose from his seat and came around the desk to stand before me.

I looked up at my father, into the eyes that we share. I opened my mouth to speak, but he raised a hoof.

“I want you to go back to Manehatten. Spend the next week and a half with your mother, sisters, brothers-in-law, nieces and nephew. No thinking of the guard.Just have fun,” Sterling said, nudging me with his raised hoof. “Go, Aggie,”  

Not knowing what else to say, I backed away before turning and opening the office door. Before closing it, I looked at my father, who had sat back at his desk. In his hooves, he held a picture. Not the one of Mother, though, but a different one. I couldn’t see what or who it was of, so I closed the door and trotted down the hallway to the building’s exit.

________________________________________________________________________

“Topaz, honey, I know you love Glory and Moss and that you’re trying your best, but your diaper skills just aren’t cutting it,” Penny laughed as she re-did Glory’s diaper after Topaz’s horrible third attempt.

“Sorry, sis,” Topaz said.

I held Boulder Moss on my lap and nuzzled his mane. It still had that newborn smell and it was intoxicating.

It had been a week after I’d gone back to Whinnyanapolis to talk with my father. I still didn’t understand the mostly one-sided talk we shared. Did he love me? Or did he not? Did he actually support me in joining the guard? It was like deciphering a riddle. And I was not doing a good job at it.

I had enjoyed my time in Manehatten with my mother and sisters, and, surprisingly, Gypsy and I had been able to semi get along with each other. Two days before, Shift and Anvil had taken over foal duty and us mares went out for an afternoon in Manehatten. Penny took us to some of her favorite shops, much to Topaz’s delight, and that night Gypsy took us to her favorite restaurant for dinner.

The day before Mother, Topaz and I were set to go back to Whinnyanapolis, there was a visitor, though it was not a welcomed one.

I gently laid Glory down in her crib for her afternoon nap. Kissing her forehead, I leaned up and looked into Moss’ crib, where my nephew had just been put down for his nap by his mother. Smiling at my sweet niece and nephew, I carefully backed out of their room and shut the door.

I carefully tip-hoofed down the hall to my room and jumped on the bed, grabbing a book along the way. I groaned when the doorbell rang and went get up to get to see who was there. 

“I’ll get it,” I heard Mother say to Penny and so I laid back down. I paid little attention to the muffled voices until there was a sound that I never want to hear again.

Mother’s shriek made me jump off the bed and gallop down the hallway. Glory and Moss began crying in their room and Penny raced past me, tears raining down her face.

I finally reached the front room, where I saw Topaz hugging Mother as tightly as possible, the older mare collapsed against the wall while in the doorway stood a familiar stallion from Fort Tacoma.

“Sergeant Major Comet Walker! What are you doing here?” 

“I’m sorry, Fire Agate. I’m so sorry,” the blue stallion said.

“Why? What’s wrong,” I asked desperately as my mother wrapped her hooves around me.

“It’s your father. He’s dead.” 

> Chapter 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

What?

It couldn’t be true.

Sterling, dead?

My father was dead?

Questions whirled through my mind, and it felt as if the world had stopped. No longer did I hear my mother’s crying, Topaz’s tearful hiccups, or the twin’s wailing. All that I knew was that the sergeant major was standing in front of me, and that he’d said that Sterling Silver was dead.

Suddenly, everything came back to reality.

“What do you mean he’s dead? Sterling Silver is too damn stubborn and resilient to up and die on us!” I stomped my hoof and stepped towards Comet Walker. Mother and Topaz were no longer loudly bawling, only holding each other as tears flowed down their cheeks.

Comet stepped inside the apartment, forcing me to take a few steps back as he shut the door.

“I understand that you’re in shock—”

“I’m NOT in shock,” I denied, shaking my head. My bangs flipped over my eyes and I lifted a hoof to brush them away. My hoof came away wet. Why in Celestia’s name was I crying?

“Colonel Sterling Silver was found in his office last night when he didn’t report to a meeting. He was slumped over his desk, the coroner believes it was a heart attack,” Comet continued, ignoring my outburst. My face and stance hardened, as my temper began to flare. 

“Topaz, help Mother to our room and get her to lie down, maybe fix some tea,” I said slowly.

“But Aggie—” Topaz started.

“Now, Topaz.”

I waited until my mother and sister were gone before I addressed the sergeant major.

“You’re not telling the entire story, are you, Sergeant Major?”

“I’m not following,” he replied. 

“My father was the epitome of health. He’s never been sick, he’s never been injured on the job. Neither he nor my mother ever brought up any health issues in my sisters’ or my presence. I know my mother well enough to know she wouldn’t hide something like that from us, and I, surprisingly, know Sterling well enough to know that he wouldn’t hide something like that from his wife.” 

“I only know what was told to me, Agate. Your father was a friend and fellow soldier,” The sergeant major turned to open the door and stepped through. 

“I truly am sorry for your family’s loss,” Comet Walker said, turning away from the apartment. “If you ever need anything, I’m here for you and your family.” I waited until he was down the hallway before slamming the door. As soon as it shut, my tough exterior cracked and I slumped down on the floor. I didn’t cry, but I really wanted to. Slowly, I rose to my hooves and made my way to my mother and sisters. They needed me and I was going to be there for them.
________________________________________________________________________

Family members, friends, and my father’s fellow soldiers stood in the large area surrounding Sterling Silver’s casket. The wind blew softly through the trees, and birds chirped as they flew through the air.

Mother had rarely stopped crying since Sergeant Major Comet Walker’s visit to us in Manehattan. That night, she had cried herself to sleep, Topaz and Penny doing much of the same. 

I barely paid attention as the priest spoke. Between Boulder Moss cooing, blowing bubbles and wiggling in my arms and my whirling thoughts, it was amazing that I even caught one out of every twenty words the priest said. 

The service finally ended, though not soon enough, and slowly all the attending ponies left, leaving only us standing by Sterling’s grave. Mother’s red eyes welled up once more, as she leaned into Gypsy’s embrace. Topaz and Penny held each other throughout most of the funeral and they were still attached to one another. Anvil and Shift stood stoically beside their wives, each holding their daughters.

Eventually, we made our way home. Food from neighbors and friends sat on the kitchen counters and table, though none of us felt like eating a bite.

Mother staggered up the stairs and turned towards Gypsy and Penny’s old room. She had not been able to bear being in her and Sterling’s room since we arrived from Manehattan.

Penelope sat down on the couch and I gave Moss to her, while Anvil sat beside her with Glory in hoof. Gypsy sat in Mother’s sewing chair and put Primrose on floor, who toddled over to Topaz to sit on her lap. Wind Shift stood beside Gypsy and nuzzled her cheek.

I stood in the doorway, looking at my sisters, brothers-in-law, nieces and nephew. I swayed on my hooves as a sudden spell of dizziness overtook me. I knew I needed to tell them what I had done, but I wasn’t ready for the repercussions that were guaranteed to come the moment I opened my mouth.  

“I’m going to be leaving soon,” I said finally. 

“What do you mean you’re leaving? Now of all times?!” Gypsy jerked her head towards me, mouth agape.


“I joined the Royal Guard,” I declared. The room was still in stunned silence. Topaz stared at me, mouth agape. Anvil and Shift glanced at each other, looking as if they knew where this was going and were ready to make a hasty escape with their foals in tow. 

Penelope smiled. “Aggie, that’s–” 

Gypsy jumped up, causing Penny to pause and look up at our sister. 

“YOU WHAT?! Of all things you could possibly do with your life, you join the freaking military. And on the day of our father’s funeral?!” Gypsy stomped back and forth. The others in the room stayed back, eyes wide, as the crazy mare practically sputtered and spit at me.

“Actually, I sent papers the day Sergeant Major Comet Walker brought the news,” I knew that would send my eldest sister into a frenzy.

“THAT’S EVEN WORSE! HOW DARE YOU LEAVE TO JOIN THE MILITARY WHEN YOUR MOTHER NEEDS YOU!” she shouted.

“SHE’S YOUR MOTHER, TOO!” I shouted back.

“I HAVE A FAMILY NOW!” Gypsy fumed.

“Then what are we?” Penelope asked, I hadn’t seen her get off the couch. She now stood behind Gypsy, a scowl burning in her eyes.

“If Aggie wants to join the Royal Guard, that is her choice. She’s stayed home longer than you and I combined. For six years, she’s stayed with them, putting up with Sterling all the while. Agate is twenty-one years old, Gypsy. She’s an adult, just like us,” Penelope glanced at me and smiled.

“So, you’re choosing her side,” Gypsy pushed, anger and a bit of betrayal in her eyes.

“I’m not choosing anypony’s side,” Penelope said gently. She looked at Gypsy a look of pity, “What’s happened to you, Gypsy?”

Gypsy took a step back and looked at Penny and I. Between the two of us, her eyes radiated with hurt and anger. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, as if to contemplate what to say next. Finally, she spoke,

“Shift, get Prim. We’re leaving,” Gypsy turned, only to run right into Mother.

“Leaving without saying goodbye?” Mother asked, a tinge of sadness in her voice.

“I’m sorry, Mom,” Gypsy went to hug Mother, only to be pushed away.

“I won’t have sisters turned against each other in my house,” the yellow mare spoke, “As Penelope said, Fire Agate is an adult, which is more than what I can say for you right now. I believed I had raised you better than this,”

“Mom, you of all ponies should know that it isn’t a mare’s place—”

“ENOUGH, daughter. I’ve been married to that ideology for nearly thirty years. It died with your father. I loved him and Celestia knows I miss him so much it hurts my heart, but his thinking was old fashioned. These are modern times, I recommend that you get with it. 

“As much as it pains me to say this, Gypsy, I agree that it would be best for you to leave,”  
Mother’s words seemed to have struck deep in Gypsy’s soul. She looked at our mother, her eyes wide with surprise and hurt, she quickly opened the door and ran out.

Wind Shift carried Primrose over to the front door. Before following his wife, he turned to Mother.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Sunflower,” my brother-in-law sighed.

“It’s not your fault, son. Once my daughter sets her mind to a certain way of thinking, it’s hard to get her out of it,” Mother replied as she tickled Primrose’s muzzle. 

After Wind Shift left, the house was filled with silent anticipation. Topaz sat on the floor, as still as a mouse with a cat after it. Anvil sat on the couch in a similar manner.

I let my hindquarters slip to the floor, as I was suddenly overcome with exhaustion.

“I think we should leave as well,” Penelope said finally. “Topaz, go get a few of your things, please. I think it would be best if you spent the night at the inn with Anvil and I,”

“Okay,” our little sister stood and went upstairs, pausing for a few seconds to hug Mother, who followed after saying her goodbyes to Penny and Anvil.

“I’ll be outside with the twins,” Anvil said as he placed a kiss on Penny’s cheek.

“We’ll be right out,” she smiled gently up her husband.

Once the door closed, I broke down. Tears fell and splattered on the hardwood floors.  Penny sat down beside me, placing a hoof over my shoulder as she pulled me close. She waited patiently as every tear that I’d kept back over the past days, months, and even years were finally let loose. I cried for my father, weeping for my failure to make amends. I regretted every horrible thing I’d said to him and wished that things had been better between us. 

“I don’t know what to do, Penny,” I hiccuped. My sister hugged me tighter, and laid her head over mine. 

“I can’t tell you what to do, Aggie. That’s for you to figure out, but I can tell you one thing, and that is that I will always be here for you. No matter what happens, no matter how much you fail or succeed, because you’re my little sister, and I love you. You’re smart, brave, and stronger than the rest of us. Our father might have been the soldier, but you are the warrior. You’re going to do great things with your life, I know it.”

> Chapter 7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 7

“I’m not like other mares, Gypsy,” I groaned, pushing the chest that held my military books underneath my bed. My sister stood in the doorway. She had been home for two hours and already she was patronizing me with her close-mindedness.  

“That’s not an excuse. You are a mare and therefore you don’t belong in the military,” Gypsy’s mane was held up with curlers and her face was covered in a weird green goop that looked like guacamole. It made me really want some tortilla chips.

“Mares were in the military for centuries. It’s only been in the last two-hundred years that it became custom for mares to stay at home or take non-military jobs—” Gypsy pointed a hoof at me and opened her mouth.
 
“Custom! See, mares don’t do military work anymore,” 
 
Ignoring her, I continued. “BUT, mares are slowly starting to join the military again. There aren’t many, however the numbers have increased forty-eight percent over the last five years. That’s one hundred percent more than ten years ago. The military mare is coming back into existence,” I smiled, proud of my knowledge.
 
Gypsy frowned. “Percentage doesn’t matter. The military mare will never be like it was centuries ago. Those ponies were apparently smart and figured out that mares don’t belong in the military,”
 
“That’s just your opinion,” I rolled my eyes as I flipped the page of the magazine.

“You are so stubborn!” Gypsy stomped a hoof.
 
“Where do you think I got it from, Big Sister?”
 
Gypsy huffed and backed out. Her steps were heavy as she went down the stairs and I heard muffled voices from below, no doubt talking about me. I wondered how in the world we had ever gotten along. We were polar opposites.
 





The train ride to Canterlot was a lonely one. My mind kept travelling back to the last time I’d seen Sterling Silver alive. I shook my head to bring my thoughts back to the here and now.

The train jolted as it pulled to a stop in Canterlot Central Station. I grabbed the only two bags I’d brought and made my way to disembark. Once I knew where my quarters were and how everything was set up, I would send for some more of my things.

I had never been in Canterlot before and I had no idea where to go. I looked around for a city guard in hopes of getting directions to the Equestrian Armed Forces Recruitment Center. Not seeing anypony, I slowly weeded through the ponies crowded together in the station.

Outside the station was more of a nightmare than the inside. I thought that Manehattan’s streets were crowded. There were ponies everywhere. Earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi, on the ground and in the air, were going every which way. I hoped that further away from the station the crowd was smaller.

My search for a city guard was even less productive outside. It was times like these that I wished I had wings. Figuring that I would have better progress not standing in one place, I went the only way that made sense; straight towards the castle.

Canterlot was gorgeous.

My eyes were drawn to everything at once. It was different from Manehattan and Whinnyanapolis; the architecture was especially unique. It was sort of a cross between old and new styles and it worked very well. Canterlot Castle stood tall at the rear of the city, looking out over its subjects. It was intimidating and inviting at the same time.

As I walked through the city center, my mind wandered once again to my father. For the past week and a half, I tried to figure out why and how Sterling had died with no prior warning. He hadn’t looked sick when I visited. But as I thought about it more, he didn’t look exactly well, either. He seemed…off. In the moment, I assumed it was because he was surprised at my sudden appearance. Something more was going on, though. I just couldn’t figure out what it was.

Eventually my looking paid off and I found a city guard to ask for directions. After thanking him, I continued and finally found the recruitment center. Inside was a front desk, and sitting behind it was a navy blue unicorn mare. Her lighter blue mane was pulled back into a bun and small black glasses were perched across her muzzle.

“Hello. I’m Midnight Harmony. How can I help you?” she said, looking up at me with a smile.

“Hi, I sent my recruitment papers in about a week ago. Fire Agate,” I said. Midnight Harmony nodded and shuffled through some papers in a file on the desk.

“Ah, here it is. Fire Agate, earth pony mare, twenty-one years old. Royal Guard division,” she grabbed an empty folder, placed my papers inside and levitated it to me.

“Take this folder to the first office down that hallway,” Midnight pointed to the second hallway on the right. “Lieutenant Pen will be your examiner,”

“Thank you,” I smiled.

I knocked on the closed office door and waited for a response.

“You may enter,” came the muffled voice on the other side.

“You must be Fire Agate,” the voice said as I stepped in. I had not yet registered that the voice was feminine.

“Yes, Sir—” My brain finally figured out that the sir was actually a ma’am. “I mean, Ma’am,” I was making a wonderful first impression.

Lieutenant Pen chuckled and waved her hoof. She was light pink pegasus and had blue and lavender streaked hair. Her eyes matched her lavender stripes.  She didn’t appear to be much older than I.

“It’s fine. I’ll let it pass this one time. I’m Lieutenant Scribble Pen. Place your saddlebags by the door and sit down, please. I’ll take the folder,”

I did so and went to sit in the chair in front the desk, giving the folder to the lieutenant. She opened it and glancing over it quickly, added three more pages from a stack on the desk.

“So, Miss Agate, what made you want to join the Royal Guard?” she asked, picking up a pen.

“My family has been involved with the military in some form for many years. My father is—was—in the Army. I wanted to continue the tradition. I’m the first mare do so, however,” I explained.

“The first mare, that’s impressive. As I’m sure you know, mares in the military is quite rare these days. The Royal Guard has the highest percentage of mares, but we are still few,” she looked down at the folder, writing down some notes.

“May I ask for your father’s name and rank?”

“Colonel Sterling Silver, Ma’am,”

“I believe I’ve heard his name before.” she continued to write notes, glancing up at me every few minutes. “You said he was in the Army. I assume he’s retired now, correct?”

“Um, no, not exactly. He died while still in service,” I said, trying to mask the slight shake in my voice.

Scribble’s face went soft. “I’m sorry. My father passed a few years ago, so I know how you feel,” she smiled gently. Turning her focus back to the folder, she continued, “I have a few more questions to ask before we get started on the exams. Most were answered on the papers you sent, but I like hearing them directly from the pony themself.”





The following three days were filled with exams, exams, exams. Health, physical, mental and everything in between. Lieutenant Pen was extremely thorough in everything and she seemed quite pleased.

It was my fourth day in Canterlot and in the short amount of time I’d been in the capital city, it was already starting to grow on me. I trotted to the recruitment center and once inside, I took a right turn and went to the familiar office of Lieutenant Pen. She was an interesting pony, though I didn’t know much about her yet, only that she was the Night Guard Lieutenant and that if I made it through, I would be part of the third group of recruits she’d trained. That alone told of her extreme skill, especially with her being only in her mid-twenties.

I knocked on the door of her office and entered at her word.

“Good morning, Fire Agate,” she smiled brightly.

“Ma’am,” I said, standing straight.

“You are certainly from a soldier’s bloodline,” she said, shaking her head. I wasn’t quite sure what to make of that, so I stayed silent.

Scribble Pen stood and came around her desk to stand in front of me. She peered at me from behind her purple glasses.

“Fire Agate, why do you want to join the Royal Guard?”

I tipped my head sideways. I thought I had answered that question the day I arrived.

The lieutenant seemed to have read my mind and raised her hoof. “Yes, you answered this question four days ago. But your answer made it appear that you were joining in order to continue a legacy. That is a good reason, don’t get me wrong, but I want to know why you want to devote your life to the service of our Princess and to our country.”

I mulled over her question for several minutes. It honestly caught me off-guard.

Why did I want to join the Guard? I wanted to continue my family’s tradition. I wanted to do it for my baby brother. I wanted to protect my homeland and my princess. I wanted to prove that a mare can do anything a stallion can. I wanted to rub it into my sister’s snout.

But as I thought about it, I realised that I wanted to join the military to make my father proud of me. Steeling my nerves, I opened my mouth.

“Lieutenant Pen, there are many reasons why I want to be a Royal Guard. But I think the number one reason why I want to be in the military is to be closer to my father. All throughout my foalhood, we had a rocky relationship. I never knew if he really loved me. When I told him I wanted to join the service, what little relationship we did have completely shattered.

“A week before he died, I visited him at the Army base. I learned a lot of things I’d never known about. But one of the most important things was that he actually did love me, in his own way. I still don’t understand why he did the things he did and I wish I could have one more conversation with him. Before he died, I wanted to join for myself. Now, I want to join for him,”

The lieutenant was silent for a long time. I could see the gears turning in her mind as she thought over what I’d told her.

“Fire Agate, that is why you want to be a Royal Guard,” Scribble finally said. She reached her hoof towards mine and I lifted it to shake hooves with her.

“Congratulations. I am happy to tell you that you have been approved in joining the Guard,” Lieutenant Pen smiled. “ I will be your commanding officer during the next twelve weeks,” she said. “You may unpack your belongings in your given quarters. Boot camp begins tomorrow at 0600 hours. I expect to see you there, bright eyed and bushy tailed. You may have this afternoon as a free day. Dismissed,” she gave me a piece of paper and saluted. I saluted back and turned to leave.

It was hard to contain my excitement until I got outside of the recruitment center.

“YES!” I shouted out into Canterlot. I couldn’t wait to write a letter to Mother. Smiling and giggling with glee, I galloped to the building beside the recruitment center. I had been given a room there during the exam process. After getting my things, I looked at the piece of paper the lieutenant had given me. On it were directions to my quarters, along with the names of the ponies I’d be bunking with.

Exiting the building, I slowly made my way across the yards to my new home for the next twelve weeks. Directly in front of me was the mess hall/recreational area and infirmary. To my left was the training grounds. It was surrounded by a large track, on which I had completed the endurance exam the day before.

To my right were the barracks, four buildings that were two stories tall. I looked down at the paper in my hoof. Barrack 2, number 223. I found the right building and went inside. Immediately inside was a small foyer, a wall separating it from the rest of the building. To the left was stairs leading to the second floor. A door in the middle of the separating wall led to the ground floor rooms. Beside it hung a framed map, showing the room numbers. My number was on the second floor, so I made my way to the stairs and went up.

The long hall had a total of thirty-four rooms. The quarters were large enough for six ponies at a time, though typically they were only shared by four and so had just four single beds. My room was close to the end of the building on the left side.

I wasn’t sure if I had any bunkmates yet. I figured that the lieutenant would have told me if I did, so I forgoed knocking and opened the door. I immediately regretted doing so the moment I did so.

The moment I stepped in my quarters I was swiftly knocked off my hooves and thrown into a choke hold. My eyes focussed on the golden-brown fur of my assaulter before sweeping over to two other ponies, one white and one green.

Was this some sort of initiation procedure?  Survive and become part of this room of psychopaths?  My memories went back to the times of sparring with the neighborhood colts and them putting me is this same position. I managed to get out of each one and I may have broke one colt’s leg on one occasion. I hated choke holds. I always felt closed in and claustrophobic each time, which made me work even harder to escape.  This time was no different.

I lifted my forelegs with lightning speed and rammed my holder in their side. I felt the hold loosen so I did it again. The hold around my neck loosened once more and I was able to raise up a little on my rear legs. Lifting myself up put me in a better position and I smiled inwardly knowing that I had the attacker in my control now. I pushed all my strength into my rear legs and flipped backwards, which made the pony completely lose their grip on me. Upon completing the flip, I turned and punched my attacker, who fell flat on the floor.

My breath was heavy from the unexpected workout as I sat down on my rump. The golden-bown pony sat up and stared at me with disbelief. It was at this point that I realized that my attacker was a mare, along with the white and green ponies. I mentally smacked myself; I knew I would be bunking with mares.

I stood up and walked over to the golden mare. She had silver and black in her mane, her eyes were silver and her cutie mark was of a peel and a loaf of bread.

“Sorry. I’m Fire Agate,” I said, extending my hoof. I noticed her nose was bleeding from my punch. She ignored my hoof and picked herself up off the floor.

“You got a nice right hook there, girlfriend,” she said, wiping a hoof across her face.  “Name’s JD,” she said, extending the same hoof. I grimaced as I lightly touched her bloodied hoof with the tip of mine.

“Is that short for anything?” I asked.

“Let’s just keep it at JD for now, kid,” she said before walking out of the room, I assumed to go to the wash room. At least I hoped she was going to the wash room.

I looked over at the other two mares I would be sharing the room with for the next twelve weeks. They were still staring at me

“Hi, I’m Fire Agate,” I smiled uneasily as I picked up my bags. “Which corner isn’t taken?”

They finally snapped out of their stupor and the green mare pointed to the right rear corner.

“You can have that one,” she said. I glanced over at the single bed, side table and hooflocker and smiled my thanks.

“I’m Purple Raine, but you can just call me Raine” the white one spoke up. Her mane was violet and her eyes a striking blue. She had a cutie mark of three purple dots. “She’s Lilywater,” Purple Raine said, motioning to the green mare. Her mane was magenta and gold and her eyes pink. Her cutie mark consisted of a waterlily on a lilypad.

“Sorry about all that. JD’s pretty cool once you get to know her,” Lilywater said.

“Just so you know, we all were in on the ‘tackle and hold’ prank. But it was Lily’s idea,” Raine chuckled. Lilywater gave the white mare a sideways glance and rolled her eyes.

“Don’t let this one fool you, she can be pretty sneaky too,” Lilywater poked Raine in the ribs as they trotted out of the room.

I laid back on my bed and shook my head.  I could tell that the next twelve weeks were going to be a big adventure.