"You want me to do WHAT?!"

Shining Armor couldn't believe what he was being asked to perform by Princess Celestia. He had thought perhaps he heard wrong or maybe she didn't word herself correctly, but she had. Her eyes projected such a seriousness that it was proof enough that there was no mistake in terms of formatting or hearing, and it made Shining Armor's eyes widen in shock.

"I'm sorry Princess Celestia, but that's...impossible!" His voice echoed off the walls of the throne room, causing him to lower is tone. "There would be no way it could be done. Sure, maybe if given the proper amount of time to grow and fully mature, then there's possibility, but six months? It can't be done!"

Shining Armor normally wasn't one to say something was unreachable, and in fact he held a pretty positive light towards any goal he was given. But this... it's a strain for him to even think of trying execute the plan properly. He looked up at Celestia who gazed down at him from atop her royal throne.

"I understand that this seems overwhelmingly difficult," she began with warm, but firm hue in her tone. "I also understand that this is no ordinary group I'm asking you to put together."

"Well yes, your majesty. This is the 501st we're speaking of."

"Yes," Celestia continued, "and they were some of the most talented guardsponies I had ever witnessed. Their dedication, their loyalty, their absolute willingness to approach danger of any size and face it with a smile on their faces no matter what the odds; all of it was near perfection."

"And you're asking me to recreate that?" Shining Armor inquired, already knowing the answer.

"I'm sorry to make this your burden to bare, Shining Armor. Yet, you are the right one to handle this task. Not only because you are the captain of the Royal Guard, but because I know you have the knowledge and determination to complete it." Celestia stepped down and began to approach the captain, descending down the stairs with an unspoken grace. "This is a job that I know you will complete. I appointed you to the position you are at now because you have the ability to make these incredibly dim chances turn out in our favor."

"Thank you, Princess Celestia," he responded, seemingly choking on his words. "However, this wasn't any ordinary legion of soldiers. They were the most decorated, the most efficient, and had the highest success rate than any other branch. While I would never doubt my ponies to meet those specifications, there's one that bothers me..."

The princess glanced up at the ceiling for a moment in deep thought. "I realize which specification you mean, Shining Armor. Admittedly, I knew that you would bring it up. After all, it truly is what made the 501st 'unique'." Celestia looked back down at the captain, still stuck with the same processing expression. "While this job may be a struggle in some areas, this one particular area we speak of was more than likely going to be the most troublesome."

"Yes, well - wait, what do mean was?" Shining Armor stifled for a moment. The past tense of her statement confused and intrigued him.

"I mean," Celestia went on, "I managed to do some digging within the Equestrian financial records as well as the classified guard portfolios and found a few special documents that may help you in your quest."

Celestia then lit magic from her horn and spawned a small stack of papers and folders in front of Shining Armor. She nodded for him to look at them for himself, to which he obliged. He lifted them up with his own magic and spread the documents out in front of him like as if they were on a desk. He took a quick gaze around them and noticed immediately that they were accounts of the financial and military lives of ponies, three to be specific.

"You may not recognize these names, but then again, not many would. These are extremely classified documents of three legendary guardsponies."

Shining Armor's jaw nearly fell open in realization of who the princess spoke of. "No... you don't mean-"

"Yes," Celestia interrupted with a knowing look at Shining Armor. "These all belong to the three surviving members of the 501st."

"They're alive?!" he exclaimed while his magic nearly let the papers fall, but regained his composure just in time. "But I was led to believe that they had all been slaughtered in the attack; none had survived!"

"Well, that was actually a cover-up," Celestia admitted. "These three preferred to be written off as killed in action, for they believed that they should have died with their fellow comrades that day. Now, they live quiet lives in various parts of Equestria." The royal pony then leaned down to meet eye to eye with Shining Armor. "I want you to find them. They can be of a great use to this project. Their knowledge of sword techniques and gear functionality will be a great asset."

Shining Armor paused, then took a deep breath before he replied. "Yes, your majesty. I shall inform that you have called for their assistance, obligating them to-"

"No," Celestia cut him off again, a grim seriousness now filling her face. "Do not force them to come. I don't wish to make them participate in something that could bring back so many...harsh memories."

"Y-yes," Shining Armor stammered, but held his stature. "When do you wish for me to begin this operation?"

"Immediately." Celestia began stepping back up to her throne, back turned to the captain. "We mustn't waste time. This legion must be fully ready for combat and retaliation after the six month period I have requested."

Shining Armor inhaled deeply. "Yes, your majesty. I'll be leaving right away." He was about to turn with the papers and documents resting on his back, but he suddenly stopped. One question still had yet to be answered, and it would itch his focus if he didn't have it. "Princess Celestia?...Why now? Why are we in need of another legion like this now?"

Celestia puffed out the air she had been saving in her lungs. "I can't explain everything yet, Shining Armor. Perhaps when your journey is completed will you understand why. It's not that I wish to withhold information from you, but I unfortunately cannot explain it. Please don't thing of this is a wrong of me, for it's too difficult to comprehend."

Shining Armor attempted to examine the princess, trying to maybe get something from her body language or facial expressions. But she held a strong facade, one that the unicorn couldn't break through.

"Of course, Princess Celestia. I will write a report once I have spoken to these three."

"Good, and thank you Shining Armor. I hope the best of luck finds you."

With a quick nod, the stallion trotted out the massive doorway, a sudden feeling of determination overtaking his once bleak outlook on the situation. As he continued to walk through the halls, he took the top document from the stack. Might as well start from the top he thought as he examined the parchment. It appeared to be a quick biography from the military records, just like ones Shining Armor had looked at hundreds of times before. Only, this one was different in a couple aspects.

Where the picture would normally be, there was instead a black outline of the pony's form. Also, the bio only told of his past before he had even joined the Royal Guard, nothing in terms of status or rank. Other than that however, everything else was normal. Shining Armor glanced up to the top and read the name of the pony.

Quickdraw.

---

The blissful entities of sound seemed to harmonize in perfect succession as they fluttered off the combination of string and wind instruments. The notes all different, yet seemingly compatible, and the metronome was followed to near perfection. The clarinet and flute players each played with a unison of nice leading melodies, the cello followed suit with beautiful background distribution among the different parts, and the one with the violin kept with a nice secondary lead, helping the quartet lead in and out with their compositions.

They concluded their piece with tight and fluent execution, letting them all let out a sigh of relief that they had finished successfully. The clarinet, flute and cello players all exchanged gleeful smiles, but the violinist had kept a straight and punctuate expression, not really smiling or frowning. He seemed modestly neutral, like he always had.

"That was lovely!" Octavia cheered with a small kink of excitement escaping her lungs.

"Yes yes, it was amazing!" White Whistle agreed, resting her clarinet on her lap. "I can't believe that one worked so well, honestly."

"Well," the stallion known as High Pitch began while examining his flute. "We have been practicing for a few weeks now, and was only a matter of time till we got it, which I knew we would."

They all shared a light chuckle at their friend's slight overconfident remark, except for violinist who simply sat quietly, tuning his instrument with the same blank expression. Octavia looked to the silent musician as she let the neck of her cello rest on her shoulder.

"So, what do you think?" the grey mare asked the violinist, not bothering to say his name because she could tell that his attention was already drawn to her. He stared at her in silence for a moment before looking over his own sheet music.

"I believe I messed up somewhere within the third act. I'll have to keep practicing it." The stallion's extremely dull tone made Octavia smile nervously. She took a moment to look over her fiddle-playing partner.

He was an earth pony and seemed to be shorter than most stallions she had come across, and he was also scrawnier too. His fur was just a shade darker than her own cloudy grey, almost like a rainy day cloud. His mane was short and unkempt with a mix of black and navy blue, and his tail was simply straight. However, his standout feature had to be his eyes, their golden amber color seemingly contrasting from his darker-colored exterior. Overall, he looked pretty damned fine.

Octavia had met him in a bar in one of Canterlot's more under financed district about a year ago after her roommate Vinyl Scratch had convinced her to go out and "enjoy" herself for a night. She found him in a quieter part of the pub and managed to have a decent conversation with him. They eventually found out that they had shared a mutual interest in classical orchestra. From there, Octavia pitched the idea that they compose together. Although a bit hesitant, he agreed and the two began playing music together. They met at least once a week to practice and share thoughts about classical pieces of the ages.

Although she wasn't quick to admit it, she knew it was ever present to her now; she was beginning to establish feelings for him.

However, there were a couple of problems for her. First, he was rather...introverted. He never really spoke what was on his mind unless she directly asked him. In addition to this, she also could never remember the last time she had seen him smile. Sure, he never seemed sad or depressed or anything like that. He just seemed distant, like he just wanted to keep to himself. Octavia eventually decided that a better way to get to know him better would be to form a quartet with a couple other musicians and perhaps play in an ensemble. He agreed, but didn't seem to be too enthusiastic.

Since they began playing together with White Whistle and High Pitch at his own home, not much had changed. However, Octavia wasn't discouraged. She knew that she could eventually break through to him, even if it took time...

"That's nonsense, Quickdraw! You sounded very exquisite," Octavia complimented him with a gentle smile, but it did little to change the stallion's straight expression.

"I appreciate that, Octavia. However, I'll just keep practicing. It's just not good enough to my ears."

"I understand that. I'm usually rather hard on myself when it comes to my musical skill, but have realized that maybe I should at least give myself some credit where it's due."

"Hmm, right..."

Quickdraw could tell what she was trying to do, and in all honesty, he kind of hoped that she would stop trying to soothe him. She always seemed to be wanting to get closer to him, but he was would rather that not be the case. He appreciated Octavia and would never reject her friendship, but he was just not into being anything more.

Although, he wondered to himself why he desired that. Octavia was an excellent mare, near perfect for somepony like himself. She was talented, passionate, beautiful and almost everything else a pony could ask for. Yet, he wished for them to only be friends, even though he knew well that she liked him that way and he had the potential to have so as well. What kind of logic did that make? Why was he so distant and clammed up from everyone around him?

However, he knew EXACTLY why. Unfortunately, having to think of that day would only haunt him more than he would have liked.

"You know, I often been jealous of your talent," Octavia said as she stroked the strings of her cello. "I've been practicing since I was just a filly, once in the morning, once at night. I've been doing that for nearly two decades now to become as skilled as I am. But you...you've told me you've only been playing for a mere four years, yet your skill level speaks at least decades of experience." At this point, High Pitch and White Whistle had broken into their own conversation. "It's incredible that your so gifted."

"Yes, well I suppose I may have a natural ability with music," Quickdraw shrugged. "Either that, or I'm just really good with my hooves..." there was a short silence between the two before he continued. "Probably the latter. I never was that passionate about music."

"How'd you get so good with your hooves, then?" Octavia's seemingly innocent question made Quickdraw internally quiver. He look up at the mare with a stoic face.

"That has something to do with my previous career choice, but i'd rather not speak of it."

"I-I understand," the earth pony stammered, remembering that his past was a touchy subject for him, even though he never bothered to explain why. "There's no need to know, I guess. Your abilities speak for themselves."

"Thank you," he nodded solemnly.

Still no smile. He just seemed...bored. The same dull expression he wore was another thing that Octavia secretly disliked about him. Sure, she had seen him show a little enthusiasm from time to time, or a slight modification to his tone whenever something interested him. Yet, it was never done with not even the faintest form of a smile.

However, Octavia was still determined to break him. She knew she could get past that iron facade he wore. All she needed was to be patient... but she could also tell that something a little more direct would be a good choice.

"So, Quickdraw?" The mare's voice, petite and classy while at the same time tinted with nervousness, caught the violinist's attention. He nodded for her to continue as she swallowed heavily. "We've known each other for some time now, and we've been good friends to each other..." she paused for a second, examining his steel resolve. He appeared attentive, but still emotionless. "I was pondering the idea of...well, the two of us go out and perhaps share dinner together...?"

Quickdraw had seen this coming from miles away. He could tell by her speech pattern, small ticks in her movements, and even in her handling of her cello that she was building up the courage to do something drastic. He could see the hopeful glint in her purple corneas, almost begging. He liked Octavia, maybe even more than he would have liked to have let on, but... he just couldn't do it. Not with her. If only he could tell her why he was so distant and unemotional... but he was afraid. He feared that the screams would come back to haunt him in his sleep. He was afraid... and he felt spineless for it.

"That sounds nice, Octavia. I'm, unfortunately though, just not interested in what your implicating right now. I apologize."

It felt cruel to reject her like that... but he knew that he wasn't worthy of someone like her. He could see the disappointment in her eyes, the hope being crushed like a fragile bone.

"That's... fine, Quickdraw. I'm sorry..."

Why was she being sorry? HE was the one that let her down. HE was the one who undeserving of her. HE was the coward. He couldn't help but feel the hole in his chest get a little deeper... he felt like dirt.

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!

Suddenly, loud knocks from the front door interrupted the awkward silence between the two and cut the conversation between High Pitch and White Whistle. Quickdraw sat up and motioned for the others to continue on while he answered the door. He set his instrument down lightly on its stand and trotted to the door. Without even bothering to look through peephole, he casually opened the door, revealing a tall, blue-maned stallion in a royal vest and badges and saddle bag on the other side. He looked prim and proper, but the relaxed fashion of his mane showed some formal leniency. Quickdraw knew who the pony was:

Captain Shining Armor of the Equestrian Royal Guard.

"Good afternoon, sir," the unicorn greeted the earth pony with a polite formality. "My name is Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard. I would like to know if I could find a Mister Quickdraw here."

Quickdraw gazed over him for a moment before looking back at his fellow musicians who had been conversing once more. He looked back at the captain.

"That's me. What can I do for you?"

"I would like to speak to you about something rather...urgent. I'm afraid there's no negotiating when I could come back. This must be dealt with now."

Quickdraw exhaled lightly. "Yes, understood. Come in." Shining Armor nodded as he stepped in to the house.

He didn't bother really looking at the pony's design choices within the home (he was informed that the survivors had been paid rather handsomely after their premature disablement). Shining Armor looked at Quickdraw. He was surprised at the pony's behavior; he either expected excitement from seeing a high-ranking guard official, or livid reactions from reminders of the stallion's previous services from years ago. However, only saw a monotonous look of boredom coming from Quickdraw. It confused him, but he shook it off as he got right down to business.

"You may be wondering why I have arrived here on this fine afternoon," Shining Armor started, receiving a confirming nod from the pony. "Well, I have been authorized by Princess Celestia to inform you-" He stopped himself, remembering Celestia's words from only a short time ago. Do not force them to come. I don't wish to make them participate in something that could bring back so many...harsh memories. He breathed easily before he continued. "I would like to ask you for your assistance."

Quickdraw, stared at the unicorn with a pique of interest, although he didn't show much of it. "Assistance in what area might I ask, sir?"

"Princess Celestia has put me in charge of recreating your former battalion, the 501st." Shining Armor expected to see a flare of shock or some other disgruntling recoil. The most he saw though, was the earth pony's eyes widen slightly. He was surprised to find how stoic Quickdraw was to the whole situation, almost uncaring about it. "I've come to ask for your help in it's development."

Quickdraw stood silently for a moment. The 501st legion was being reborn... the thing that now brings up so many bad memories and horrific flashbacks that had only recently began to subside. Now, the current captain of the Royal Guard was calling for his help to make it happen. He glanced back up at the unicorn with an intrigued gaze.

"What exactly would you need from me?"

"Your expertise, your knowledge, everything you have to offer. It's a six month program that needs as much support as it can receive to be operational by the time's end."

"I hope you know that creating this platoon originally took ten full years of development and beta testing, as well as an extra three years of training and discipline to make it fully functional in battle. Six months is not even enough time for those that you recruit to understand how their gear works."

"This timeline given to me was not specifically explained. Princess Celestia informed me that it needed to be running by the half-year point. She didn't go into detail about why, but I was informed that it was important."

Quickdraw exhaled slowly, as if to calm himself. "Very well, but what about engineers? The gear that was made for the swordsponies was not some tinker toys thrown together in a five minute span."

"I've already sent letters to the best craftsponies in Equestria," Shining Armor proclaimed boldly. "I can guarantee that a good amount of them will be of some assistance in that department." He then took a step closer to the stoic stallion, inhaling deeply. "It's your experience and knowledge that I need, but I even need a little more... I would also like you to lead them, as their commander."

This is what Quickdraw did not want to hear, his eyes shutting with tensity. He did not want to lead ponies to their deaths, not like he had done before. Teaching was one thing, but leading? He couldn't... he wouldn't be able to handle it if he let even one more pony die under his command. His immediate thought was to turn down the offer, ask the captain to leave and continue on with his violin practicing.

Then, another thought darted into his mind. What if he actually HAD to take this job? The battalion would be rebuilt whether he was a part of it or not, and letting them go without proper training and nurturing when he had the chance would crush him. He didn't want anypony else to be killed like the others. Perhaps this was an unspoken obligation that he would have obey.

Also... what if this was a chance to redeem himself? Another opportunity to lead a group of ponies into the face of danger like he had before, and prove to himself that he is worthy... maybe. His eyes shot open with a stone cold stare at Shining Armor, but with burning ember in his amber.

"I'll do it."

"R-Really?" Shining Armor found himself stammering.

"Yes, I will. There's hardly anyone around that knows as much as I do, so I must incline myself to do so. I will also lead them, as you've asked me on one condition: I gain full control and command of this legion."

Shining Armor stepped back. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that I want fully dominated control of how this unit is going to work. I make the schedule, I make the rules, I choose the ponies to recruit; everything."

The unicorn stiffened a little at Quickdraw's demands. "Well, I don't know how far this stretches, but you will gain scheduling and training routine outlining as the captain for them, as well as the recruiting detail. That's as far as I can promise-"

"You're the captain of the Royal Guard," Quickdraw cut him off harshly. "You can make it happen if you really want it to."

"...Very well, Quickdraw," the stallion agreed with a firm resolve as he levitated a parchment with eloquently typed information printed on it. "I'll make sure that you have those authorities. Take this sheet. It has the specified dates and information on it. Report tomorrow at the guard training grounds and we'll discuss more."

Quickdraw took the paper in his hoof and vaguely glanced at it."Okay, thank you. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to inform my ensemble in the other room of my newly appointed situation."

"Right, I'll leave you to it." Shining Armor turned to the door and prepared to let himself out until something caught his memory. "Oh, wait!" He used his magic to pull out a couple more documents from his saddle bag. "I'll also be looking for these two and will be asking them the same as I have you. However, I've had some trouble discovering anything about them and was hoping that maybe you could enlighten me a bit?"

He hovered the documents in front of Quickdraw's face for him to look closely. The grey pony read the names silently in his head before looking back over at the captain.

"The stallion lives in Cloudsdale and was part of a paramilitary group called 'The Wonderbolts', the last I heard from him. I don't know how he'll react to the proposition, but you'll definitely have better luck convincing him than her." Quickdraw stared at the ground for a moment in thought... about her. She was completely off the grid for a while and had only been recently seen in public. "Actually...I'll go to the mare. I know where she lives and she'll listen to me better. Besides, I think it's about time I clear the air with her."

Shining Armor looked skeptical, but slowly nodded. "Very well. I must get going now if I want to make it to Cloudsdale before sundown. Good luck with your persuasion."

"Yes, and to you too."

With that, Shining Armor swung the door open and exited with a swift haste. Quickdraw stood there silently, the only noise being the chattering of his fellow musicians behind him.

Well, I guess this'll be one hell of a reunion... it's been too long, Zecora... too long...