I am just a lonely guard. Actually, scratch out the lonely part.

lonely

As a guard for the Republic, I don't get much outside contact. Yeah, who would've known that the guy that was employed solely to greet outsiders would find a lot of time for himself. It does give me some time to catch up on my reading, though it's the been the same book since who knows how long ago.

Tonight, however, was different. I was woken up by a loud knock at my station post window, followed by a couple more louder and more impatient ones. Probably shouldn't have written that I was sleeping on the job, but nobody ever checks these logs.

So I initially thought to myself that I had a zombie that needed to be dealt with, one that I could pretend was a friend of mine. I equipped myself with one with my iron sword and slowly tiptoed my way towards the window. To my surprise, or rather disappointment, I peaked out to see two ponies attempting to break into the city.

One filly and a colt. Even in the darkness of the night, sand and dirt were visible on their manes, and a fresh cut on the colt's face. Probably robbers or thieves, wait, those are they same things, aren't they? Despite warnings by Her Adviser not judge any outsiders by their appearances, for they could simply be insurgents sent by The Crusades, I began to have my doubts on whether the filly was a troublemaker for she looked too innocent. The colt, however, reassured me that detaining and arresting the two was probably the right move.

I hope they aren't too uncomfortable in the castle's holding calls. Does Diamond still do fair trials? Does it matter? The brown colt only realised that I was sending them to a call instead of a guest room when he began to make his first few steps down the basement so he had to be restrained.

As I was walking back to my post, I noted various security flaws. I am supposed to report them, right? Eh, I'll write them on a formal report tomorrow. The most concerning one to me was how the dungeon for outlaws are in the exact same castle as where Diamond does her business.

No, actually, the most concerning and prominent one was how my post was left unattended when I had to escort prisoners. They really should send me a partner. You think they'll let me pick? Actually, I won't report this one, because if they don't let me pick I might have to be stuck with Snails.

Why did I just suddenly notice this?

While I was gone, I came back to my table, expecting a full surface for my head to rest on 'till morning. I instead came back to see a frighting sight on my table. My own sword was crudely sticking out of it, and on the very tip of that was a letter.

Somepony had, dare I state the obvious, quite obviously snuck in when I was away. Yeah, I probably really should report this flow, because imagine one of the island's many griefers planting TNT while I was away. Wait, what if that had already happened?

Writing this, I realised I probably shouldn't have sat and read the letter as eagerly as I did, especially since I didn't even bother to check for bombs. Don't blame me: I am pretty bored.

Shady Daze,

For your eyes only. No other pony must know of our communications.

You might be unfamiliar with these (Don't worry, I am too. Writing these letters. What'd I look like, a mailmare?), but your services are being hired. What services? We (well, mostly they) have found a use for you. You're going to be our private detective.

You'll investigate the disappearance of Diamond Tiara. We suspect that the cause of disappearance is a kidnapping, we, however, have no evidence to back this up. Your in town contact will be Sweet Tooth, a baker on Carbon Street.

Your payment for this contract is very generous but will have to be discussed in person. We know that you're after a better, more interesting, life, and we can offer that. This is a big case. If you choose to reject this contract, we'll kill you. Nah, just kidding, we'll just be extremely disappointed.

Excuse the informal tone. I just think a boring letter like the one my cousin is asking you to write wouldn't work, you know?

I immediately ran to the castle.

Sure, not a single word of the letter seems true. I think I saw Diamond earlier, when I had to escort those strangers up. Wait, what if they're linked to any of these? What if whoever wrote this letter saw them and knew that they were kidnappers?

I mentally slapped myself as I dodged one of Twist's stray chickens. Why does she let them out at night? Why do I keep asking so many questions?

My hooves beat against the castle steps. Almost there. I opened the large hold doors and, to my surprise, Diamond Tiara really wasn't at her usual throne at the end of the court. I glanced frantically across the room.

There was no pony in sight. None of the other guards that were supposed to be at the door. Nothing. No, they probably were in some other part of the castle.

I galloped to the next possible place everypony could be at: the royal dining room. Like a passenger missing his train, I dashed through the sculpture made entirely of wool and over a railing, nearly slipping on the red and yellow carpet below me, before I slid straight into the archway leading to eating chambers.

Everypony's eyes were fixated towards me, frozen in whatever pose they were last doing. The range of ponies seated at the table seemed to stretch on, from higher ranking officers in my own unit to those in other units before eventually settling into ponies I really can't recognize from anywhere. I must have interrupted something important

I didn't see her. I did, however, see Sliver Spoon, her right hoofed assistant, stare at in a mix of both confusion and annoyance. "Can't you see that we're in the middle of something?" She lowered her glass from her mouth.

"Well, this is important?" I muttered out.

"You don't seem to think it is. Why are you wasting our time?" She seemed to be whispering apologies to the ponies around her. I have to admit, I really didn't think this through.

"Is Diamond Tiara, you know, missing or anything?" As eyebrows were raised and confused looks were exchanged, among each other and towards me, I realised that maybe wasn't the best thing to say. To my embarrassment, immediately after I said that, I got my answer.

"Why would I be missing?" That was Diamond Tiara and that voice was from behind me.

"Oh, n-no, I'm just—"

"Are you saying I should be gone? What, did you plan something?" She sure is quick to jump to conclusions.

"I'll just be going now, back to my post...bye," I said, as I backed away from Diamond's hard glare and towards the nearest possible exit, windows considered.

"No, please," Sliver said across the end of the room, "What do you mean? Why did you suddenly, like, run all the way up here to tell us that."

Diamond's grab on my shoulder felt cold, precise and just plain mean. Her height matched with mine, and I felt a little bit frightened by her eyes looking directly into mine. No too tall or too short. What's stopping me from revealing the letter? It'll be so simple. Yet, it told me not to do it.

In that spit moment, I had a crazy idea. An idea that would force me to say something I probably wouldn't say under even the most intense match of Truth and Dare or a bet or anything like that. Just so I won't have to mention a letter. I looked towards the table, specifically at Sliver.

"Because, well... I was... worried about her." Diamond's intimidating stare turned into one of pure confusion and surprise. "I just couldn't stop thinking about her, and the castle, and our kingdom. We just caught some ponies trying to sneak in. What if she was in danger?"

I heard a giggle from the dining table, followed by an array of laughter, and a very heavy blush on my checks. I think Sliver didn't buy it, though. I looked back to Diamond, expecting to see a look of half embarrassment and half anger, and the message of an early retirement.

Instead, I got something much worst. A hoof covering a gentle smile. Despite the sweat running down my head, I felt an unexplained need to laugh along.

"So, what about me keeps you up at night?" She's still smiling. Oh no.

"I... erm, I think I need to go. Now that I know that our princess is safe and everything." I walked as fast as I could out of that room, leaving Diamond behind. Maybe, no, hopefully she was even pretending to be flattered, like some sort of trap to make fun of me in front of a lot of people. Look on the bright side, Daze, at least you have the rest of the night to spend not being fired.

As I marched my way down, I bumped into something that pushed me with the force of a train, though probably not quite as deadly. I collected my bearings and, as I did so, I noticed an orange horn.

"Shady. I got important news!" What could be more important than how everypony in the castle, except for you because you were goofing off doing who knows what, thinks I like Diamond Tiara? "The bandits, the ones you sent earlier, are gone!"

"Let me guess, you forgot to lock the doors again?" Thankfully, that guy was only armed with a golden pickaxe.

"...Well... but... they're gone!"