The white stallions cantered about the grounds, spears gripped in their magic as they followed the orders of their leader.

The stallion in question had white fur, like the rest of them, but was easily a good three or four hands taller than the rest of them. He wore a personalized version of the standard day guard armor, which was mostly purple with red highlights and gold trim. His centurian helmet boasted a larger crest and was a two tone blue in colour rather than the solid gold of the normal guards.

With curt hoof movements he commanded a group of guards to the west side of the castle.

"You!" Somepony shouted. "I've got some words for you, Shining Armor!"

The nearby guards snapped to attention and readied their spears as Shining Armor poked his head over the wall, looking angry that somepony dared to call him out.

His expression softened when he saw the pony was a lavender unicorn mare with a tri-tone mane and tail, looking very annoyed.

He took off his helmet and allowed placed it on the edge of the tower. "Twili!" He yelled back happily before galloping down the rampart to greet his little sister.

"Oh I'm so glad you made it!"

"Don't you take that tone with me big brother!" She fumed.

A pair of guards,one senior, the other junior listened in as the petite mare berated and argued with her older brother and their captain.

"So... should we do something or..?" The junior guard pony asked.

The senior just shook his head. "Nope. Let her have her go at him."

"But. Isn't it our job to remove trouble from the castle? Why are we letting her talk to our captain like that?"

"Because that mare is his little sister."

"So?"

"She's also Princess Celestia's personal student."

"Regardless.."

"Regardless nothing. I'm not putting my job in jeopardy because we decided to break up a family spat." The senior guard added with finality. "Besides..." he gestured back to the pair of unicorns, who were know chatting amicably as they trotted up the rampart to the bridge adjoining two towers. "She always see's reason once it has been shown to her."

"So..."

"Back to patrol for us rookie."

---

Rarity had already gotten stuck right into her work making the wedding gown with the measurements on hoof, her red glasses sitting over her eyes to correct her farsightedness as she worked on cutting the fabric.

She was grateful that Princess Celestia had seen fit to give her the room she had used on her solo trip to Canterlot months ago, it was up, out of the way and seperate from the main castle grounds, which meant if somepony wanted to bother her, they'd better have a good reason.

Or they were Pinkie Pie or Twilight Sparkle, both of whom could teleport, which in Pinkie's case made no sense.

She cast a quick glance at the ceremonial sword with the Element of Generosity in it's hilt that sat on the bed in her room.

A gift from Princess Luna, who had become enraptured with the technology of video games, she had convinced Celestia that in the event Discord manages to get free again, it would be better if the wielders could have their elements with them at all times.

Celestia reluctantly agreed and helped her younger sister fuse the gems with the weapons.

"I do suppose a rapier is a fitting weapon for a lady such as myself." Rarity mused. "At least it is only ceremonial, I don't want Sweetie grabbing it and hurting herself."

With a small shrug she returned her focus to her work.

---

Pinkie Pie bounced around the grand hall like a foal who'd had too much sugar, trailing white ribbons and streamers behind her that somehow tied themselves in perfect knots around the pegs that the tapestries that normally decorated the hall had vacated.

As she finished the row she was working on, she looked up at the next level of pegs and smiled, she had been waiting for this moment.

The two guards outside jumped a bit at the sound of an explosion that sounded like a balloon deflating.

"How much do we get paid?"

"One hundred and seventy five bits an hour."

"Not enough."

"Nope."

---

Applejack cantered about the kitchen,checking on the chefs progress as she waited for the base layer of the cake to finish baking in the oven.

It was a big job and she was glad she had Applebloom and her friends galloping around,taking memos and reports from one chef to another as well as finding and taking objects to whoever needed them.

"Might amazin' what can get accomplished here in just a few hours. If ah were doin' this all solo or it was just me an' Pinkie it'd take us a week to get anywhere near a quarter done."

"Please." One of the younger chefs scoffed. "We are the best bakers in Equestria, making a simple cake like this is nothing."

Applejack smirked. "Then you'll have no problem replicating the Cakes Marzipan, Mascarpone, Meringue Madness cake that they entered into the baking contest earlier this year."

The chef looked taken aback. "How a commoner like you..."

The head chef glared at his junior and pointed a hoof at the door. "Out! You are not working on this project any longer. The country of Equestria owes it's safety not just to this 'commoner' but her five friends, one of whom is the Princess's personal protege. So you can either show this mare the respect she deserves, or leave and let one of your better mannered compatriots take your place."

The young chef responded by pulling his apron off and throwing it on the ground, turning up his nose and turning to trot out, at least that was his plan until a yellow and pink blur shot through the door he was about to use and knocked him out cold.