"Major..."

Persephone Skyfarer looked away from the window slowly, returning her one-eyed gaze to the two alicorns seated across the table from her. They, like she did, had numerous files and papers stacked neatly in front of them, and the ivory room was brightly lit to contrast the night visible through the window. However, there was one concentration of light in the darkness; it had, until recently, been the fixation of the crystalline pegasus's gaze, mostly due to the few ponies doing numerous exercises around the fire's glow, with the company of shouting instructors, almost audible even within the palace's thick walls. Persephone nearly thought it amusing, that those ponies outside in the dark, though it was her job to ready them for the job they'd been selected for, were the reason she had been postponed from her temporary mission as of late, and called inside Canterlot palace.

"Do you not agree, Major?"

Persephone again fought the urge to look outside to where she should be, and after a short silence, again met the coral eyes of the princess, and the deep, serene gaze of Luna at her side.

"I'm sorry..." the mare said, petitioning for an explanation for the words she'd carelessly missed.

"The candidates..." Celestia began again, "they have shown promise, have they not?"

"Yes, they have."

The princess of the sun turned over a few more papers, pretending to look through files while she spoke.

"But, which ones do you believe are most suited for being Guardians?" the regale asked, more or less rhetorically to remind the mare what the subject was as she went back to the files before her nose.

"It doesn't matter what I believe. I'm here as an advisor to you both on the matter of selection. So, which candidates do you believe are most suited?"

Celestia looked back down to the papers before her, and Luna smiled a bit at the turquoise pegasus, before she herself did the same, letting Persephone look back out the window to the ponies in the last hours of hell week far below. Her mind wandered back to when she was in their place nearly two decades ago, in the very first class of Guardians. Back then, there was no thinking that went into the selection process, as the last five standing were the ones that were selected and trained for their new role in Equestria's defense. But, after a system reformation, and with eight able-bodied soldiers below, the act of choosing became a bit difficult, for the princesses at least. It was their choice on who became Guardians, and who went back to their units.

"Yes, Major, and as an advisor, I am asking you which candidates you believe to be the best for us to choose from."

"Are you asking me that, if I were given your task, which candidates I would choose? Or, are you seeking suggestions for consideration?"

"The first," interjected Luna, and Persephone began sifting through files.

Eventually, she retrieved three, and pushed them forward with open faces.

"The eight down there, I am certain, won't quit before the process officially ends. If they haven't by now, nothing will stop them. So, of the eight we have to choose from, there are three in particular that I would take without hesitation."

As she continued, she landed her hoof on each candidate's corresponding file as she iterated names.

"Starlight, Eclipse, and Buckwheat. These are the only three with combat experience; the others are all green."

The princesses dug out the three matching files in their own piles, and Celestia requested more from the Major.

"Let's take a look at the first," she said, "Captain Starlight."

Persephone looked down, and began going through the profile's contents, mostly covered in black ink, and began reading what she was authorized to.

"Bio: Nightingale Starlight, Captain. Five feet, eight inches at the shoulder. Two hundred and seventy-three pounds. Thirty-seven years of age. Species: Pegasus equine. Complexion: black. Eyes: purple. Mane: purple. Profile: Born in Las Pegasus. Father was career military, and mother was stay-at-home. One sibling; a brother, also military. No living next-of-kin, all are deceased."

"Service record: Eighteen years of service, fourteen in a Special Operations team. Four combat tours on the northern border, three as team leader. Was present unofficially at the battles of Canterbury Cove and Gryffindale, as well as the invasion. Specialization is in unconventional warfare, as well as linguistics. Two purple hearts, three medals for valor, and a distinguished service badge."

"Medical evaluation: Blood type: A+. Diseases: none. Verdict: pass"

"Physical evaluation: Fitness: advanced. Strength: advanced. Subject has a slight complication with the functioning of his right rear leg due to a past wound; right rear quadriceps muscle strength reduced by 20% and range of motion slightly restricted due to a severed and reattached tendon as well as severe tissue trauma. However, even with this complication, subject has exhibited strength and fitness above and beyond the minimum performance requirements for active duty deployment. Verdict: pass."

"Psychological evaluation: Subject is cool under pressure, little to no hesitation to follow orders, and very in control of emotions. Pathological fear of failure is evident, and subject is highly motivated to win (he fought outside of regulations in combat trials so as to succeed.). Ideal for high-stress combat situations, however, slight symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder have been exhibited. Approved for duty with little to no reservation."

Persephone shut the file with a thud after reading the closing statement on the last page, "Supremely qualified."

"The thing about Nightingale is that he's the most experienced soldier down there. He's got more years, more tours, more promotions and more scars under his belt than the next two combined, and on top of that, he's taken excellent care of his body. Selection came easier to him than the others, but the only thing to rival his physical toughness is his mental endurance. He's shown that he can push through damn near anything in the past, as well as here. He stands as an individual, but excels with a team. That's why we need him in a black beret."

The Major opened the second file upon concluding, much smaller than the first, and began going through its contents as well, after taking a short look at the familiar face depicted on the file's profile picture and announcing sarcastically theatrically, "And now for candidate number two."

She took a deep breath, and began going through the information on the face of the page below her.

"Bio: Angus Buckwheat, First Lieutenant. Six feet, eight inches at the shoulder. Four hundred and eighty-seven pounds. Twenty-nine years of age. Species: Terrestrial equine. Complexion: brown. Eyes: green. Mane: black. Profile: Born in Trottingham. Both parents were farmers. Oldest of nine siblings. Bachelor's degree in agricultural sciences, but he joined the military after college rather than going back to Trottingham. No immediate family in the military, but his uncle, Rye Buckwheat, Celestial Infantry, was confirmed KIA in the invasion."

"Service record: Six years of service in the 2nd Celestial Rangers, 3rd Battalion, Hydra Platoon. Two combat tours, and one non-combat deployment in Germaneigh. Specialization is in mixed unit tactics as well as direct action. One medal for valor, as well as an expert infantry badge."

"Medical evaluation: Blood type: B-. Diseases: none. Lung capacity is below proportional functionality for a typical adult male. Believed to be attributed to early developmental deformity. Subject admitted to doing plow work on the family farm since foalhood, which likely caused a slight misalignment and compression of the spine and ribcage due to overstress during critical growth stages, causing the internal chest cavity to be smaller than proportionally expected. However, subject is not significantly hindered by the issue except in extreme endurance situations. Verdict: pass."

"Physical evaluation: Fitness: advanced. Strength: extremely advanced. Subject's maximum lift capacity is three times the average for a healthy adult male. Verdict: pass."

"Psychological evaluation: Advanced comprehension of battle strategy, as well as fierce, unwavering dedication to cause. Prefers force to logical problem solving (subject broke the door in during the lock picking test when a teammate took too long to do so quietly). Symptoms of past alcoholism are evident, but not prominent. Approved for duty with little to no reservation."

The mare looked up once again.

"Angus is the strongest pony we've got, probably in the entire military. He has his limits, but they're few and far between, and most of them only take a small kick in the ass from a teammate to overcome. We saw that throughout these three weeks. But, he's invaluable. He understands combat and strategy extremely well, and his resume shows that. Couple that mind with his strength, and you've got a formidable if not unstoppable soldier on your side. He needs to be on the team."

Persephone shut the file, and moved on to the third, opening it up to see the crimson eyes of a bat pony mare looking back at her, small fangs protruding past her deep blue lips in a sly grin.

"And the third," she announced as she held up the file.

"Bio: Cassiopeia 'Cassi' Eclipse, Staff Sergeant. Five feet, three inches at the shoulder. One hundred and eighty-three pounds. Twenty-five years of age. Species: Chiropteran equine. Complexion: gray-blue. Eyes: red. Mane: navy. Profile: Born in Fillydelphia. Father was on the police force, mother was a teacher. Two siblings, both older brothers; one was in the Royal Guard, the other was a police officer as well. No secondary education; she joined as soon as she came of age. Only living next of kin is her mother."

"Service record: Seven years of service, four in the Night Guard, three in the 7th Air Cavalry. Two combat tours, one non-combat tour. She was deployed overseas in Germaneigh when the invasion happened, but went through two deployments in the border conflicts a few years ago. Her combat experience came mostly in skirmishes between renegade changeling drones and bandits, but her confirmed kill total was the highest in her unit. Specialization is in direct action. Four medals for valor, a purple heart, as well as the standing 7th Cavalry record for fastest progression through rank from Specialist to Staff Sergeant; she did so in only three years, which is practically unheard of."

"Medical evaluation: Blood type: O+. Diseases: none. Verdict: pass."

"Physical evaluation: Fitness: advanced. Strength: highly proficient. Subject's endurance in prolonged physical activity is exceptional. Routinely runs multiple mile distances with ease, and is capable of extreme distance flight. Verdict: pass."

"Psychological evaluation: Subject has a thirst for combat, and an irrefutable dedication to her objective. Subject displays extreme hostility for enemies, and extreme dedication to allies. Exhibits minor violent outbursts when confronted about her past; likely attributed to severe foalhood trauma regarding the homicide of her father, possibly a source of her malicious tendencies in combat. Subject is approved for combat with little to no reservation."

Persephone threw the third file into a growing pile of read papers in the center of the table, and once it came to a stop, began another monologue to the other side of the table.

"Cassi has, possibly, the most impressive endurance and dedication to success that I've ever seen in a candidate. She's fast, and she won't stop going until she gets wherever she's going, and she's lethal in a fight, not to mention her heart. She isn't deterred by pain or the possibility of defeat; none of them are. These three are Guardian material we can't afford to pass on."

The princesses nodded consent to the Major's presentation, and after a short period of thought, continued.

"Well, that's three," Celestia said, "We still need one more, Major, to restore the Guardians to their full strength of five, seeing as you're not going anywhere."

The mare smiled as she looked down slightly, her hooves crossed over her chest as she reclined at the tableside.

"And, I'm guessing you're asking me which candidate I would choose again?"

Luna nodded while her sister said, "Indeed."

Persephone stole another look outside, seeing the eight soldiers still doing pushups around the perimeter of the fire, ablaze in the middle of the darkened training yard, and her memories began drifting back through the past weeks. All candidates had stood out to her in some way, but there was one that, despite overwhelming odds, had shown promise, even more so than the others.

The mare looked back to the files in front of her, and pulled one out, brushing the other yellow envelopes off to the side. She opened the file, and showed the subject's portrait to the princesses. Celestia seemed shocked.

"Him?" she asked, her eyebrows going up as she stared disapprovingly at Persephone.

"Yes, him," confirmed the veteran, lowering her icy gaze to create a stern expression on her brow.

"Isn't that..." began Luna slowly only for Celestia to interrupt.

"We saw him get into a brawl during basic training almost three weeks ago. Why you even let him into the selection process eludes me, and now you want him, more specifically, his lack of discipline, to be one of the most essential aspects of our entire national defense?"

Persephone looked down as she sucked her teeth, and looked back up to the princess a bit irritated. She opened the file regardless, and paused before she began reading.

"You asked me for my opinion; this is it."

Then, the Major began flipping through pages.

"Bio: Sundown Stryker, Corporal. Five feet, four inches at the shoulder. One-hundred ninety pounds. Twenty-one years of age. Species: Unicorn equine. Complexion: beige. Eyes: amber. Mane: red. Profile: born in Dodge Junction. His mother was a store owner, and his father left when he was born. No siblings. Primary education was...complicated. He and his mother had to move around a lot, and he was repeatedly kicked out of schools for fighting. Two years of secondary education in Canterbury, but he joined the military immediately after the invasion."

"Service record: two months of service. He was being trained for Royal Guard duty before he was chosen for selection. Promoted three times, and then demoted twice, both promotions because of superiors' incompetence, and both demotions because of fighting with squad mates. He was one brawl away from being court marshaled before selection. No medals, no combat tours. Specialization is in VIP protection."

"Medical evaluation: Blood type: AB+. Diseases: none. Verdict: pass."

"Physical evaluation: Fitness: highly proficient. Strength: highly proficient. Slight complication in the subject's front right forelimb. Apparent past break about the joint evident. Flexibility and extension ability of the limb is noticeably reduced. When confronted about the matter, subject responded, 'You should have seen the other guy.' Verdict: pass."

"Psychological evaluation: Subject not fit for team-oriented exercises. Subject is rarely compatible with others, and has violent outbreaks whenever challenged or provoked, no matter the scale, by an equal (subject has several recorded incidents of fights with equals or inferiors, but never a superior officer.). Small group or individual operations are necessary. Subject is approved for combat with much reservation, due to an incredible shortage of soldiers."

Persephone closed the file, and let it fall to the table. She looked back up to the alicorns, and waited for a response.

Eventually, Celestia spoke, anything but content.

"How can you want him, let alone trust him, as a Guardian?"

"Contrary to what you might believe, I have thought this through. You may be right in saying that he's not fit for standard military, but he's Guardian material. Just look at his file; he'll be working alone as a Guardian, or in a team of five during wartime, the exact kind of work the psychological evaluation suggested."

"Major," Celestia began again, "the Guardians are supposed to be our best and brightest, and Corporal Stryker is not either of those. He's violent and brazen, and I don't trust him."

Persephone sighed.

"Have you ever been in a combat situation, princess?"

"I've commanded armies for nearly a thousand years," responded the regale.

"No, commanding isn't fighting. Have you ever taken the life of somepony or something that was trying to do the same to you, and then done it again, and again, and again, until you were left standing in the midst of death itself?"

The alicorn didn't respond.

"See, if you had, then you would know that, no matter how strong or smart or disciplined you are, no matter how tough you seem, the only thing that matters in a situation like that is mental toughness. The other three have it, and so does Sundown. Because as soon as your line breaks, and all Tartarus breaks loose, what you've done in the past doesn't matter anymore. All that does matter is your willingness to get the job done."

"Sundown's a fighter; he's proven that. He never gives up, he never backs down. He's a soldier, and, I hate to say it, but real soldiers are in short supply right now. And on top of that, his specialization is in VIP protection, a core aspect of guarding the Central region, if you catch my drift."

The room was silent for a while.

"Look, you asked me which candidates I would choose. This is my answer, and you need to trust me."

Still, the room stayed quiet for a while. Persephone and Luna shared a look, but Celestia's eyes remained glued to the papers in front of her.

More silence.

Finally, Celestia spoke.

"Let's take a look at the others four."

Persephone sighed, shaking her head slightly, and did as she was told. She picked up another file, and began reading.