Arin arrived to his room, chatting quietly with Luna down the halls. Usually, they would be accompanied with guards – but Luna was adamant about waving them away, to be alone with her future Guardian. Their conversation mostly revolved around simple things now – how their day was going, Arin’s lessons as a Guard, occasionally she would talk about something irrelevant, like his recent friendship reports to her sister.

“Well, I sent one to her just over a week ago, about making friends with Vapor Cloud. I don’t remember it too well, with everything I’ve been taking in – except the gist of it. Loyalty. He’s stuck by my side through the entire process, and he’s made an effort to visit me after class – though with tomorrow being the final day, I expect him to be busy cramming on his own.” Arin twisted the handle to his door, yawning.

Stepping into the room, he found a large gift box sitting on the edge of his bed. It was blue and silver, tied off with a gold ribbon in a pretty bow. Luna stood by his side, smiling brightly as he lifted it up, reading the letter next to it.

“Dear Arin,” he began, “Thank you for being by my side through these lonely nights. Your kind words, your gentle encouragement, and dealing with my crazy antics have soothed my weary heart. I once thought that I needed nopony else to do my job; but after sharing the hours, I found myself wrong. You have been an amazing friend, and you will be an amazing Guardian. Your friend, Princess Luna.”

He smiled brightly to the Princess of the Night, who bowed her head. “I hope it suits you well, Arin.”

Pulling at the golden bow, he quickly slipped the lid free – withdrawing a new set of clothes, fashioned beautifully by the marshmallow fashionista herself. A fitting white longsleeve shirt, hemmed closer to his arms to allow better movement. A fresh pair ofsilver pants, stitched well and thick, made of a precious silk to match his new vest. It was a royal blue, and had trouble folding. He knocked on it with his knuckles; it was solid, much like his own.

“We had to research the composition of your vest to replicate it. It is a mixture of mithril and dragon hide, with a silk base, making it exceptionally light and highly resistant to trauma and magic. Acquiring the dragon hide, in particular, was no simple task – a hide had to be sent from the Dragon Lair in the far south east, compliments of the Dragon Queen Ember. Such a request was not easily granted, as Dragons typically do not give up their scales without complaint, but a charitable matron spared pity on Our request. The mithril itself came from Griffinstone, as per a recent mineral purchase from the kingdom, and was fashioned to your size by the town blacksmith, with Rarity’s instructions to go by.”

Arin couldn’t help but feel his chest tighten as he examined the vest, feeling the fine stitching in the craft, the soft symbol of the moon stitched over the shoulder. His heart fluttered in his chest, that familiar feeling of heat coursing through him. The buttons were even the silver of Luna’s Cutiemark, little half moons.

“But… all of this, just for me?…” He asked, holding his hand over his heart. “I don’t… I don’t deserve this.”

“Oh! There is more – something We also commissioned, as per tradition for Knights!” Luna said, slipping her muzzle under the bed. She withdrew another long, large box, placing it softly in Arin’s lap.

Arin had to restrain his hands from trembling, a swirl of emotion overtaking him as he undid the gold ribbon on this, as well.

“You are to receive this tomorrow, but… We – I couldn’t wait.” She said, resting a hoof on his knee. Her eyes were gleaming in joy, ears folded back.

Gently, he lifted the lid, revealing a beautifully ornate sword. The metal gleamed softly in the light, the grip a gentle red leather parted by two silver notches. The pommel was an ornate, crescent moon, cusping a full moon in the half circle. The cross guard curved delicately, a beautiful blue jewel housed in the rain guard beneath the blade. The blade itself was straight and long, symmetrical with a single knock in the blade towards the base. It was shrouded is a red leather case, dotted with three blue gems of shrinking size towards the tip.

He picked up the sword, inspecting it in awe. He had crafted weapons before – from sharpening axes to wrapping leathers on handles – but he had never been gifted one for himself to keep.

“This blade is Nocturne, with a Sister blade forged name Sun Song for Celestia. When a Princess chooses a Champion, she is crafted an elegant blade to present to them at their Promotion Ceremony. I… I couldn’t wait. I wanted you to see it now, to feel Nocturne in your grasp. And there’s more, as well. Withdraw the cushion from the box; this one is special, and I can leave it with you to keep tonight.”

Luna’s eyes watched eagerly as Arin gently sat the sword on the bed, pulling the decorative cushion free of the heavy box. Beneath it lay a short, unstrung recurve bow – a quiver of arrows resting to its side. He withdrew the elegant weapon, feeling it out in his hands.

It was powerful, and when strung would hardly come up to his stomach – if it even could. Shuffling the weapon’s belly between his leg and ankle, he quickly pulled the bow neck back, slipping the elegant string over it to get a full look at his new, finely crafted weapon.

The handle bore a soft red leather – the same shade as Nocturne, with silver necks on either end of the recurved limbs. The wood was a fine stained brown, matching well with his hair. The handle had two blue gems crusted into it, gleaming that same shade as his soon-to-be sword.

He withdrew the red leather quiver, examining the arrows more closely. They were fashioned by top artisans – but it was the feathers that took his eye. They were a familiar dark blue, the night time Princess raising her wings to show several missing feathers along the outskirts of her limb.

“We wanted every aspect of our gift to be special, so we willingly donated feathers for the construction of the arrows. May they fly ever true.”

Arin returned the gifts to the box, quickly pulling Luna into a tight hug. The night time Princess gasped, before gently squeezing her Knight in her feathered embrace.

“Thank you Luna. This… this means the world. That you think so highly of me, that you would want me to stand by your side in the darkest of nights.” He sniffled, wiping away the tears. “You truly make me feel wanted.”

Luna didn’t reply, simply holding the hug for all that it was worth. When she pulled away, she wiped away a tear of her own with the tip of her wing.

“We will leave you be tonight, Sir Arin. We will make sure you have the most pleasant of dreams.” She bowed her head, taking the blade to present to him tomorrow. Arin clutched his bow, pulling it up to give the string a stretch as the door slid shut. Feeling the sheer power behind it, that same energy flowing through him from before.

He never wanted to knock an arrow as badly as he did now. But it was late; he had some last minute reading to catch up on before the morning struck. He lacked traditional sword training – but with his new friend in the Guard, that could be arranged with ease.

He unstrung his bow, leaning back in the sheets. The weapon propped up against his nightstand, sighing. Everything that’s happened stirred inside of him, and in this moment, Arin felt at peace. He shed his old clothes, and prepared for bed.

He pulled the nearby chain on this strange ‘electric lamp’, the click shutting the room in darkness before the light of the moon filtered in. He drew the sheets in tight, closing his eyes with a sigh.

~

Morning came at a reasonable time, and he awoke feeling refreshed and full of vigor. He seemed stronger by the day, and quickly hopped out of bed to dress. The new outfit Luna gave him was spectacular, and made to last – with the fancy stitching providing heaps to the quality. The buttons on his sleeves were blue gemstones, and fit well with the vest that hugged his form tight. He could bend and twist freely, and he quickly grabbed his quiver to sit over his back. Stringing his bow, it joined the stock of Luna feathered arrows.

His ceremony wasn’t until noon, but he knew he had to get some practice in. He entered the corridor, waving to his sleepy sentries as they followed along.

“You know, starting at noon, I wont be a guest anymore.” Arin said, “Which means you wont have to guard this empty corridor. Honey will also be leaving soon, too, meaning the castle will be as quiet as ever.”

The Unicorn on his left sighed, rolling his shoulders. “By the Sun, thank you. Every bit of this job sucks, but guarding empty hallways is possibly the worst.”

There was no more conversation as Arin entered the breakfast hall. To his surprise, Luna wasn’t present yet – she was usually there early, since she just lowered the moon. She probably fell asleep. Honey Rose, Twilight and her Friends, Shining, and Celestia were there – Cadence was missing too.

“Hello hello.” Arin said, taking his new usual spot, next to Luna’s pillow. A few good mornings met his greeting, Honey pulling her pillow over next to her friend.

“You gotta try Celestia’s pancakes. I’m pretty sure I’d fight off an army for another stack.” She said, her plate dragging across the table in front of him. He lifted an eyebrow, looking up to the Sunlight Princess who was busy behind a news paper.

“Pancakes? The chefs let you around food?”

She dropped the paper to the table, absolutely beaming. “I have finished my diet thanks to Twilight’s efforts, and I am now eligible to consume whatever I desire! In modest amounts, of course.” She said, gesturing to the pancakes. “And I do try to make pancakes, when I can. I am a morning pony after all – I believe that would come with the job.”

“Twilight, aren’t we going home today? You know, where there’s pillows, and less shoving me out of bed?” Rainbow Dash said, her mane a mess. She yawned, stretching her back, giving her wings a fluff. She nearly slapped Fluttershy in the face, who gave a quiet eep.

“Yep! After the Graduation Ceremony, we’ll be safe to return with my new personal guard, Ice Lance. I studied every rule and method that a Guard can take to assure my safety, and I can do my best to match his effort.” She closed her now overly stuffed journal firmly, bags under her eyes. “And I also caught up on the past ten issues of Defense Basics 101, so being safe should be a cinch!”

Celestia blinked, lowering her fork full of pancake down to the plate. “Twilight, you do realize that those books are produced once a decade, correct? You only need the most recent edition to be up to date.”

“Well, I thought that most of our enemies tend to be hundreds or thousands of years old, so it would be best to include older strategy as well.” She began to return her books to her bag, yawning. “And I couldn’t sleep. My mind has been busier than I expected! Lots of… friendship things to worry about. You know, hehe.”

Twilight twirled her hoof around, eyes darting for a conversation starter. Her eyes noticed the bow on Arin’s back, giving a soft gasp. “Oh! Arin, I didn’t know you were an Archer!” She said, eyes shifting to him. Honey had been idly poking his bowstring the entire time, wondering if he would ever notice.

“Oh, yeah, of course. In my world, it was a necessity for Inerts to occasionally hunt their own meals. A week or so ago, I was hoping to get one just to practice, but it seems like practicing is more important now than ever.” He scooped up a bite of syrupy pancake, chomping down. He was pretty sure Fluttershy fainted at that explanation, and from the thump to his left, his suspicions were confirmed.

“By my Feathers, Celestia, what do you put in this? Love?” He asked, quickly chowing down on bite after bite.

“Sugar, spice, and everything nice – along with maybe a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg.” She beamed, happy that her guest was enjoying himself. “By the way Arin, since you’re beginning your career as an Elite Guard, I believe it’s time to discuss your pay.”

Arin’s chewing came to a rapid halt, as he gulped down his food. “Pay?”

“Yes yes – you see, the average pay rate in Equestria is around five to seven bits an hour, for most jobs. To put that in perspective, a day’s wages can feed a family of four easily for three to five days, perhaps more. A loaf of bread is one bit, mind you. And most ponies have their own gardens as well. Royal Guards are not the highest paid job by far – they make a solid eight bits an hour.

“Unfortunately, you are not a Castle Guard. You will be an Elite Knight, which means you are paid on salary – which means your first pay is four hundred bits up front. Usually, Luna would handle these responsibilities, but she’s busy preparing for your Graduation, so I thought it proper to discuss it now.”

“I have no idea how much four hundred bits is. Uh… what’s a house cost?”

“A small house in say Ponyville would be, at average, ten thousand bits. Homes here in Canterlot go for as low as thirty thousand, and as high as eighty thousand, if you wanted a wonderful home with a yard. A town house would run around fifty thousand bits.”

“Okay. How much do I owe you for housing me in the castle?” Arin asked, popping in another piece of pancake.

The Princess frowned, taken aback. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve been freeloading for a month and change, how much have I cost you?”

The Princess shook her head, adopting an understanding demeanor. “I do not ask that my employees pay for what is freely given, my friend. Your bits are your own to keep.”

“…Alright. Well, does the Crown accept donations?” He stood up from his empty pancake plate, “If so, I’d like to donate my paycheck to the treasury. If that’s okay.”

“I’m afraid I will not accept that, Arin. If it truly bothers you that I’m offering to pay you for guarding my sister, then instead think of the bits as a tool to help show her the world under safer circumstances, and make new friends. Luna hasn’t left the Castle since… well, the last wedding we attended in Spring. That was months ago. You can use these bits – with Honey’s guidance – to go out, and see Canterlot, when we feel it’s entirely safe. I trust in you enough to put Luna in your capable hands.”

The Sun princess made a good point. Arin nodded, sighing. “Alright. But still, it feels wrong being paid so well just to be by my friend. And with the financial stress right now…”

“Think nothing of it in this moment. If things become dire, I will reconsider your offer. If anything, I will find work for you, if you’d like. Maybe you could guard me occasionally, hmm? After all, our chance encounter started this process – I wouldn’t mind traveling with two defenders while attending more crucial events.” Celestia sipped her tea, giving Arin a wink. “Oh, and if you need a target – head to the barracks. I believe Vapor Cloud and Ice Lance are off duty, since you seem eager to test your new weapon.”

He nodded, giving a smile. “That obvious, huh? Well, I’ll be on my way.” He waved goodbye to his royal friend, before turning towards the door. A few quick paces down the hall, a ‘hello’ to Shining and Cadence as they passed, and he found himself heading down the familiar round staircase to the barracks.

“Now Princess, no matter what angle I study this from, there’s not much I can come up with in how any of these circumstances relate. We need a culprit to go off of. Right now, it’s all shots in the dark – and since the police have turned up nothing…” Twilight closed her final book, sighing.

“Yes, I know Twilight. All of these seem unrelated, for now. But perhaps in the future, something will come to light. I thank you for your help, you’ve been a blessing. And I thank your friends for their cooperation in hunting for clues among the city’s grounds; we could have required their aide at any given time if another threat arose at home.”

Shining joined the conversation. “And I’ll go ahead and clear Arin of any involvement. I’ve worked with him for weeks, I’ve trained his mind with magic to help resist interrogation – and he’s completely clean. Everything he said is true. I’ve seen it.”

“Then that’s my last theory then, that he was perhaps either an exceptional actor, or had his mind wiped.” Twilight said. “I could have gone so much more in depth, if you made him my knight.”

“But it was unneeded. For now, let him enjoy the fruits of his labors. I’m never going to downplay this attempt on my life, but for now, the trail is cold. Only time will tell.” Celestia nodded. Pinkie Pie blew on a party streamer somberly, as the others had little to offer.

---

It was a bit busier today than usual, with half a dozen guards lounging about in their break room. Several more entering a lower doorway inside, looking refreshed. Every few days, guards would cycle out for home time and enjoy a weekend with their families – today was one of those days. Ice Lance and Vapor Cloud sat quietly at a table, several books tossed around as they tried to pick apart their lessons.

“Oh hey Arin, didn’t expect to see you here.” Vapor said with a grin, “Tired of getting adored by Princess Creepy?”

“Real funny Vapor. And the answer to that is no, thank you. I came here to see if you wanted to watch me practice my bow?”

“Usually I’d be up for it – but we’re seriously lacking. If you didn’t know, it takes months to be a fully certified knight – Shining even butchered our exams to get us in the door. Did you know the Princess was supposed to hold a tournament to select the best potential recruits first? And that it would have taken days just to get the numbers cut to size – no wonder Shining is making us cram so much.” Vapor closed his book, rubbing his temples with his hooves. “I’ve been a guard for three years, in the military for four, and I honestly don’t feel prepared for this.”

“Well, if it makes you feel better, you wont always be alone out on the field. Celestia said she might bring me along with you when she feels the protection is necessary. And you forget – I have little to no combat training, I need to practice if I want to be more than just a meat shield.”

The orange coated stallion sighed, nodding. “You’re right, even if ‘Meat Shield’ is our job. Shame that Fizzle Wing is off today – he has a family to take care of, otherwise he could join us. He’s got some archery experience to work off of, best I can do is watch. C’mon Ice – it’s better to sit outside in the fresh air than listen to Flash Sentry whining about Shining again. Or you, Arin. He really doesn’t like you. Let’s go before he pops up.”

With the two’s help, Arin was able to find a nice target to practice with – and carry – towards Foothold Ridge. Foothold Ridge was a smaller steppe garden off the cliff to the East of the Castle’s edge, overlooking Ponyville in to the south. It sat beneath the primary garden – and it served as the entrance for staff and guards. The pathway in was past the main gate, of course – you couldn’t sneak around to it, you had to still enter through the front – but it gave royal guests leeway, as it avoided the main halls of the castle.

The layout of Canterlot Castle was a bit of a mess, but for good reason. By having so many breaks in the construction, it meant that the more vulnerable sections of the castle overhanging the cliffs were distant from the front gate, with the more event centered portion of the castle sitting on a flat island essentially in the center of a lake. This meant that destroying the main entrance led to the lowest loss of civilian life after a proper evacuation towards the distant castle.

The third garden also had a nice view of the hanging pond just below, the waterfalls above leading into it. After being here a full week, he was still surprised to learn new bits and pathways to the layout – it made the castle feel like a maze at times. Especially with the positioning of the castle – if you stared into the main entrance of the castle, you were looking south. His room was on the far west side of the Castle, on the northern side of a rounded corridor, with his window facing Canterlot proper.

To reach the throne room, he would have to first travel south, then East – far East, all the way into the Event section of the Castle, across a long hallway that ran along horizontally through the majority of the building – and find it in the center of the Event Wing, just beyond large oak doors. The main dining hall – often most used by the Princesses – lay to the West of the throne room, on the edge of the event wing.

His brain hurt connecting all of this together. And he had to know every bit of it, too – especially the secret corridors and fake walls that led into the caverns beneath the castle.

Arin snapped back into the moment, having lost focus when setting up the target against several haybales. It was a circular rope bundle, painted to indicate marks to keep score and refine one’s aim. Judging by the sun, he had at least an hour or two before the ceremony – then, he would be spending more time practicing proper sword handling technique, when he could.

Odd. The Seraph never used a sword before. And to be granted such an amazing one to begin with… He’d get some pointers before beginning; he’s seen proper knights practice, of course, watched for hours when he could. Maybe he wont be atrocious?

Unpacking his quiver, he retrieved a set of arm bracers made of similar dragonhide, fitted well enough to not slip around his arm. Perfect for archery. And, surprisingly enough – he found a thumb ring as well, along with two dozen field heads to swap with his broadheads for practice.

Luna thought of everything, it seems. Pressing the ring over his thumb, it tightened up by magic – a snug fit, and a shocking one at that. Weird that they would have thumb rings in a world full of Equines. It must be for minotaurs.

Ice Lance helped him swap his arrow tips out quickly, multitasking as he flipped a page in his book. “Y’know Arin, I thought your vest was green. Did you get a new one?”

Arin nodded, “It was a gift. Like it?”

“I think so. You still look a bit like a hairless monkey, but the blue looks good on you. I should know, blue is my thing.” Ice Lance fitted the last arrow, turning the quiver over into Arin’s hold.

“Is it because your name is Ice Lance?”

“No, it’s because you have a winter complexion – of course it’s because my name is Ice Lance you idiot.” Ice rolled his eyes, chuckling quietly.

Vapor wave threw a book at the Unicorn, clonking him in the head. “Get over here and study, before I tell everyone in the lobby about your blue sock collection.”

Ice (ironically) froze in place, his gray complexion turning pale. “You wouldn’t dare.”

Regardless, the Unicorn joined Vapor Cloud, groaning in frustration. Those two should get a room, Arin thought, as he tested the draw on his recurve bow. The target sat quite the distance away – by his standard, sixty feet – or hooves in this world, just about.

He let loose, a soft twang of the string following as an arrow soared through the air – bouncing harmlessly off the stone, two inches off from hitting the target on the right side. He winced. Was his aim really that bad, after all this time?

Clenching the bow tightly in his left hand, he drew another arrow and knocked it quickly over his thumb – pulling back with a snap and fired. With a little more confidence, the arrow slammed into the target’s right side, thudding hard. Right on the edge of the outer ring.

He sighed. It was going to be a long day.