It was all blending together. Nopony complained anymore. The instructors weren't yelling as often as they used to. It could have been that they'd lost their voices from constant shouting; it also could have been that they too saw the sun rising in the east...bringing with it, the completion of selection.

The candidates saw it, but none of them said anything out of fear that the three week process would end with the same pain it began with. They were all at or past their breaking points; it wouldn't take much before their bodies joined their shattered spirits.

So they just kept running, until the sky shifted from black to pink to blue, and once again, they conjoined in a haggard formation outside the barracks.

The candidates were holding each other up when Grinder delivered salvation.

"Fall out! Get some sleep!"

He never gave a compliment for surviving so long, but none of them cared. They didn't hesitate to stagger inside. Sundown didn't even make it to his bunk; he passed out right in the middle of the floor. He wasn't alone.

Twilight hauled herself out of bed...again. Mornings were tough lately. The sun didn't seem to shine as brightly or as warmly as it once did. The birds' songs seemed less cheery. The days weren't as beautiful as they used to seem.

It was tempting to stay in bed, to continue to dream. To dream about a day past, or a day to come. A day that she could control, where she could determine its ending, and make it like those story books her father had once read to her before bedtime. Because lately, her dreams weren't coming true.

But, that was selfish thinking. She wasn't alone in this state of mind, and while that offered some consolation, what truly motivated her was a sense of responsibility. She needed to be there, to prove to those around her that, no matter how inviting it would seem to forget the world and indulge in depression, that was no way to live life.

So, she dragged herself out from beneath her sheets, and staggered downstairs. The library was quiet. The sun danced in through the window, reflecting small flicks of dust like fairies prancing in the morning air, but their jubilance had little effect on the unicorn.

The tea was bland. The coffee didn't work either. Breakfast was equally flavorless; cakes and fruit weren't as sweet as they once were. Cold water wasn't cold enough. The sun not refreshing enough, the dew not damp enough, so, she, once again, found herself reverting to the one thing that had always worked.

After all, today was shelving day.

Normally, this would have been a cooperative chore to be undertaken by both herself and her assistant, but, today she thought going it alone would be better. The dragon would have a rare opportunity to sleep in.

As Twilight began taking books down from their shelves, and reorganizing them into a proper order, she felt her breathing find a rhythm, and her tired mind found a bit of solace. For a moment, she lost herself in focus on her task, however trivial it seemed.

There was something therapeutic in this uncomplicated task; because it was just that, uncomplicated. Everything had an order, a defined harmony, one that she could control. Granted, they were merely collections of paper and ink, but still. She just wished that her problems could be solved in the same way; by simply removing the issue, and placing it back in a proper setting.

But, though she hated to admit it, the world was much more complicated than that. Life was like trying to place books where they belonged amidst an ever changing bookcase, all amidst a massive windstorm that made any desired outcome nearly impossible.

If only life was as simple as a bookcase. If only she could go back and rearrange things she wanted them to be. If only...

It wasn't that simple. Life wasn't black and white like the pages of her books. Life had no set order, no definite organization. Even the winds of fate seemed to blow haphazardly at times.

No, life was not black and white. It was grey. And lately, there had been plenty of grey days in Ponyville. Today was another one.

Twilight wiped her damp cheek, and went back to her chores.

"Hey Sundown."

Groggily, the world refocused. Sundown slowly opened his eyes, and saw the ceiling of the barracks bidding him good morning. But, while a morning haze lingered over his eyes, a darker shape moved to obstruct his plane of sight.

"Angus?"

"Morning sunshine," said the massive stallion, leaning a bit on the unicorn's cot with enough weight to cause the bedframe to flex.

"How long was I out?"

"About 36 hours."

"Damn," he said, rubbing his eyes.

"Yeah, Major let us sleep, but she's asking to see you now."

"Askin'? Why not orderin'?"

"No clue. Nightingale and Cassi are already on their way over to the Command Center. You just need to clean up, and then we can head out. Put on your dress uniform. They said something about the brass being there."

Sundown quickly rolled out of bed; he nearly collapsed when he hit the ground. His legs were so sore, but it felt, in a weird way, good. He sauntered out of the bedding area of the barracks and to the bathrooms. He peeled off his Royal Guard armor, which he'd never taken off after the termination of hell week, and as he went for the showers, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror.

He'd lost weight; he had no fat hanging off his body. Before selection, the same was not true. But, what's more, every pound he'd lost seemed to be regained by muscle. Every part of his body was toned and defined, and his neck and shoulders bulged and rippled where they had normally hung loosely.

"Angus! Check this out!"

He turned as he inspected his new body, not believing it was actually his. He was, by far, in the best shape of his life so far...and he liked it.

A few moments passed before Angus poked his head in, and upon seeing his comrade turning to look at his flank in the mirror, he shook his head.

"Looking good mate. Just try not to stare for too long. Remember, the Major's waiting on us. I'll see you down at the Command Center"

Sundown quickly snapped back into soldier mode. He showered quickly, rinsing days' worth of grime from his hide in the steam, and then quickly adorned his dress blues. He double checked his reflection to make sure that his pants and coat were on straight, and that his insignia and medals were where they were supposed to be. As he was leaving the barracks, he slapped a scarlet beret, indicative of a royal guard, onto his head.

He made his way to the Command Center quickly, walking at a brisk pace until he reached the massive ivory doors. The guards posted at the gate let him by without question; that wasn't normal at all.

Once inside he ducked his head slightly to remove his headgear, but when he looked back up, he saw the Major staring at him intently. He snapped to attention, but she subtly waved her head disapprovingly.

"Come with me Corporal," she said, her voice as devoid of emotion as it had always been.

She turned, and proceeded down the hallway to the left. Sundown followed, nervous but curious as well.

They bypassed nearly every door in the entire building, until finally, they reached the end of the hall. The Major pushed through, and still loyal, Sundown followed. But, when he cleared the threshold, he froze.

Seated at the massive, central table in the room was none other than the Princess of the Night herself.

Sundown locked eyes with her, but quickly reverted from his fixation, and stood tall in the characteristic posture of a soldier when confronted by a superior. Peripherally, he saw the Major take a seat at the princess's side, set her black beret on the table in front of her, and a bit irritated, motion for him to sit down.

"At ease Corporal," she said, "there's no need for these formalities anymore."

"Formalities?" responded the stallion, "Ma'am, a salute is more than a formality. I thought military discipline was one of your fortes."

"It was," the crystalline mare responded, "soldiers need to recognize a chain of command, but then again, you aren't exactly a regular soldier anymore, are you?"

"What?" he uttered unintelligently, "Ma'am, what do you mean?"

"It means you made it, Corporal," said Luna, looking softly in his direction, "Welcome to the Guardians."