The Twilight Guard's Fire (Closed)

[SteelEagle]

Princess Twilight Sparkle spent most of her days when she wasn't updating the curriculum of her new school or immersed in her duties as Princess reading, writing, and studying. It would seem to many a somewhat boring choice of leisure activity but she found that after a long day of work nothing made her feel better. Of course, her choice of reading material was the like that would bore most: Manuals and histories of magic and nations. She was nevertheless capable of immersing herself in just about anything that came to her at this time. No subject was too dull. No amount of learning was enough. Like a sponge that actively sought the water, she soaked it all up greedily. But she was running out of the more delectable books out there and was down to some guard rotational manuals while she re-arranged the library. Not that this wasn't pertinent in one very important way, however.

She was about to get a new Captain of her Guard. She had been looking for a while to find somepony to take the role. It needed to be somepony who had all the qualifications one would expect- brave, strong, loyal, intelligent, and committed. But it needed somepony more than that. She needed a pony who could be expected to speak honestly with her, and who had shown herself capable of handling unusual circumstances with aplomb. She needed somepony who could be counted on to participate in her life more than the title of a Guard would normally entail. She would be privy to national secrets above the pay grade of others of her rank. She would learn about The Keepers. She would know about Daedalus.

Her name was Fire Walker and she was perfect. Twilight had gone to some length to ensure she was the right one. Through the grapevine she had learned that Fire had been more than a little vexed by some of her magical experiments gone awry. Good- she could speak up! She had a sterling service record. More importantly, she had escorted Applejack while the farmer was pregnant through the Everfree. Talk about a scenario primed for some manner of conflict, but Applejack had nothing but glowing words for her. It didn't hurt that Rarity believed she'd look smashing in Twilight's new Twilight Guard uniform. And so her reading was more to soak up what information she could so when Fire started speaking with her about guard rotations she wouldn't be entirely lost!

“Your Highness.”

Twilight turned from her study to see Golden Streak, her soon-to-be-former Captain of the Twilight Guard, bowing. She beckoned him up with a smile. “She's here already?”

“Yes, Your Highness. Captain Fire Walker is here. I believe Spike is currently drinking tea with her,” the elderly stallion said with a chuckle. Twilight was lucky to have him. He had come out of retirement to get the Twilight Guard up and off the ground, and he was going to enjoy a well-earned retirement since Twilight had found the Captain of her Guard going forward. Twilight put her book down and flew on over, giving him a hug. He was already out of his uniform.

“You've packed already?”

“Yes, Your Highness. I'm already on my way out, actually. It has been an honor to serve,” the elderly pegasus replied. Twilight released him. “Well, you have grandfoals to spoil. It has been a pleasure having you.”

“Great-grandfoals, Your Highness...though regardless, I have a lot of spoiling to do. May Celestia grace you,” he said with a final polite bow, trotting away and down the hall. He was gone; she would never see him in these halls again.

She took a deep breath and then quickly made her way to the map room, where Spike would be entertaining her new Captain of the Guard. A minute or so after she started to it she arrived, opening the door while levitating a stack of papers and scrolls, ready and loaded for work.

“Fire Walker, I'm so excited to see you!”

[tacobob]

 

 

 

Well, here she was.

 

After being an First Lieutenant in the Royal Equestrian Army for what seemed like an eternity, it was not a week ago when the officer had been made into an captain! And while the twin silver bars looked awfully good on her collar, she had not been assigned to anything. When asked what her new task was, she was told to take a vacation! And that she did. A solid week of being away from work. She spent a few days with her family and a few more with her beloved, husband to be, Swift Squall. During that time, her mother nearly burned the house down while doing one of her special 'not a duel' duels with the stallion. Mid-life crisis hit the poor mare like a drunk Ursa Major.

 

Once she had finished with her fun, a special letter had arrived at her home in Fillydelphia. She was to meet with Princess Twilight Sparkle at her home in Ponyville. It did not say for what reason, but one NEVER turned down an invitation from a princess! And being the proper sort of a pony, Fire Walker needed to find a gift for this occasion! But what would she get the 'Princess Of Friendship'? It was a very well known fact that the purple pony enjoyed a good book or two hundred. So what could she get an bibliophile who probably had them all? Then it dawned on her, when her folks sold the old family estate, she managed to get a few crates of some very old books from the old manor library. And while she had planned on reading them all, she only managed to get through two books. One was her copy of 'Lady Canterley's Lover'. Which was a very old and very dirty book. And the other was a book that Twilight could not possible own. It was a hard covered novel which had been given a rather limited print run and was about the ten families that had lived in Fire Walker's street over two centuries ago. Each chapter spoke about a family. There was humor, drama, romance and even a little bit of horror, but it was a very good read. Each chapter was masterfully written by writer Dogeared Bach who managed to capture the very essence of his subjects. It felt as if you were listening directly to these long gone Canterlot ponies. The red coated Pegasus pony managed to read the book three times before deciding it would need a new home. Hopefully Twilight would enjoy reading about these ponies and their extraordinary, ordinary lives.

 

When it was time to go, Fire Walker dressed in her proper military attire, and brought the wrapped book along. After an uneventful train ride, she was welcomed at the castle, not by the princess, but her charming 'number one assistant' Spike the dragon. The little fellow had already lived an extremely interesting life. He was considered the 'savior of the Crystal Kingdom' and he might have brought along a new renaissance of race. No longer would dragons stay in the shadows as bungling beasts, they could be brave, they could be beautiful and they would be seen. During her trips to the sleepy farming town, she had seen a few dragons pop up. From an elegant cyan scaled teenager who Fire would later learn was the 'Dragon Lord', to a cute and spunky orange girl who attended Twilight' school. There was also an odd little wyrm the officer swore she had encountered one evening. He was a royal purple scaled dragon with horns of an steer and large yellow eyes. He wore a yellow turtle neck sweater and spoke with a high pitched squeak. And since she was rather drunk that night, the little creature might have been an figment of her imagination. Or maybe Discord was messing with her. He did that sometimes.

 

Spike was an well spoken gentle-fellow and had some rather interesting stories to tell along with his pot of Earl Grey tea. The office exchanged a few tales of her own and time went by rather quickly.....Maybe a little too quickly. As the good princess arrived, Fire thanked the dragon for his company, and after scooping up her gift, she made sure to give a proper, Canterlot bow for the princess.

 

"Thank you for inviting me, Princess Twilight. How many of I be of service?"

 

[SteelEagle]

 

As expected, Fire had been well-served by Spike. Not that Twilight had any doubt about Spike's ability to entertain but Twilight always worried about how others would treat him. Such concerns had no real place in Ponyville anymore but Twilight had a long and staggered memory. In his earliest days he had been an object of equal parts adoration and fear from her classmates. She had raised him from the time he had hatched; she was the closest to a mother he had, and he was as close to a son as she had. The few times ponies had reacted poorly to him stuck with her. She had no real suspicion that Fire Walker would be one of the handfuls that still had issues with dragons in Equestria but a 'mother's worry was never truly removed from that terrifying place in her heart. It was just good to see her respond well to him, and for him to seemingly be at ease with her.

After all, her duties would include not just protecting her and this castle. The castle was just an object when you got down to it and Twilight was more than capable of handling most issues herself, even with a few hiccups along the way. The Twilight Guard needed to be compassionate and intelligent, strong and caring, noble and forthright, for their duties would include protecting those close to her and the ponies of Ponyville more directly than the Celestial and Lunar elements of the Royal Guard. Indeed, in many ways their role would be more similar to the Crystal Guard. Wider protection envelope, more tasks that needed doing, but with a smaller population to be concerned about. She could have picked almost anypony to be her Captain if she just needed somepony to protect her, after all. She needed somepony who was above and beyond all that normal mission parameter stuff. She needed that intelligence and honor and she needed it in forthright manner.

She needed a mare like Fire Walker. She had selected the mare out of many options put forth by Celestia and Luna many moons ago, and then made sure to do all the testing and analysis that a pony who loved testing and analysis could stomach. After she had made her decision final a little over a week ago she had arranged for Fire Walker's promotion and some time off before she was called in for a formal interview. It seemed only right to give her some time off before such a big change! And here she was now, in the flesh, hopefully Twilight's new Captain of the Guard. She could always refuse the position, of course. Twilight had ensured that should she decide to decline the position that a high-ranking Captain position was available for her elsewhere. She would not be demoted or denied what seemed like an overdue promotion. It would put Twilight into a pickle however, not to mention disappoint her.

Twilight was confident she'd say yes, however. At least she hoped that was the case!
“Spike, if I could have some privacy?” She said to her number-one assistant. He snapped off a quick salute and, tea in claw, walked away. In just a moment they were alone. Twilight beckoned Fire Walker to rise from her polite bow. “Well, I just wanted somepony over for tea. Isn't that obvious?” She said with a little bit of a jingle-jangle in her voice, edging towards a bit too much excitement. It was just that she had such an interesting day planned out that she could hardly hope to get through it all. Twilight took Spike's previous seat and poured herself some tea, and then refilled Fire's cup. A second later some biscuits popped into existence with a snap and crackle of magic. “These biscuits are bourbon cream. Very delicious, I think. Maybe too rich for the tea but...well, I'm not a cook, just an eater,” she said with a chuckle, taking down her single biscuit enemy.

Business time, after a few moments to allow Fire time to settle back in.
“I called you here on a matter of some...concern, actually. Not about you personally, mind you. Your record is sterling! Recent promotion to Captain- congratulations, by the way,” Twilight said off-hoofedly, while still being polite. “But I needed to speak with somepony I could trust to give honest and forthright answers, who could also give me more of a ground's eye view of certain matters. You can answer my questions better than just about anypony else I could think of.”

A stencil with drawing paper appeared next to them. On the desk, a stack of papers.
“Equestria seems to be coming under an increasing volume of attacks recently. Just to name those that involve mass action- the Changeling invasion, the second Changeling invasion, and the Storm King's invasion of Canterlot. In all three, the Princesses were taken down and defeated, and the Guard found themselves caught off-guard and flat-hooved. I have read the after-action reports and interviewed the primaries involved personally- and, of course, I was involved myself. Indeed, I was even taken down during the second Changeling invasion! So I'm not asking for the reasons why this happened. I'm not looking for excuses,” Twilight said, her voice taking on the tone of a professor more than anything conversing with an equal.

Documents flitted about and she drew out the events on the stencil's drawing pad. Finally, she drew her castle and Ponyville, and put out a list of important measures regarding Ponyville's defenses and the Castle's own weak-points and guard rotations. Very Top Secret information, for Fire's eyes only.
“I need to know how you would keep this town safe, this castle safe, from such actions in the future,” she said, levitating the quill-crush she had been using to draw, as well as a small set of quills and some paper for her to write on. “Take your time; I'd rather a good answer than a fast answer,” Twilight said, her voice even and calm but with the barest hint of studious excitement.

[tacobob]

 

 

 

The officer waved her front hoof at the little dragon as he ambled off. "I'm always up for a cup of tea." She was not fibbing. Swift Squall's butler Oak Branch always had a cup of Chamomile waiting for her after a long day at the base in Fillydelphia. Fire Walker would crash on a couch that was probably worth more than anything she personally owned and read the daily paper as she sipped from her cup. Even the worst of news seemed less painful after her beloved routine. The bourbon cream biscuits were just like the ones her sister-in-law from Trottingham liked to have. Only much better. The princess probably has a personal chef making all of these goodies. "My compliments to the baker." Or she simply ordered them from Sugar Cube Corner as they always had some amazing pastries..And cupcakes...and muffins...and brownies..and..

 

Twilight's tone had shifted rather quickly into an friendly, but professional tone. And while it started to sound like a review, the now Captain Fire Walker had no cause for concern. Only her superior could do that. Still, she was under oath to both serve and protect the Princess...Princesses. And this sounded like a job. So technically Twilight as her boss. Would she need to lead a crack commando unit out into the Everfree to rescue one of Ponyville's citizens? Maybe somepony needed find the mailpony? Her mother did mention that her usual mail delivery stallion had simply vanished one day. That sounded like a mystery. Or maybe he was on vacation? "Thank you.", she politely replied back to the mare's congratulations.

 

Fire Walker pondered what the princess had to say. She too had heard the complaints that Canterlot for all its magic and horsepower, it went down just a little too easily. The officer was still confused on what exactly went down with the Storm King was a fierce opponent, made even more so by his Staff of Sacanas. But the forces he lead were incredibly inept, with the exception of the armored mare with the broken horn. An well trained guard combined with Twilight and her friends, along with able-bodied ponies would and should have made short work of the force. But where was the guard during this attack? "I admit, mistakes were made, but one thing I've noticed after these attacks..", she paused to wipe a bit of cream from her snout. "We always end up with new allies. And not just those we can occasionally call on like the griffons of the past, but real friends..And these are people we would have never would had given the time of the day in the past..But now we have dragons, yaks, King Thorax's Metamorphed Changelings, Hippogriffs and I'm probably missing a few others. This is good."

 

The mare took another sip from her cup, "But we are talking about Ponyville. It's an village with mostly wooden buildings. No protective walls. No fortifications. Not even a real set of guard barracks.", she added. "We can't start enclosing this village in a protective bubble, but we still need to keep this place safe.  And the only way to do that is to train its citizens. Teach them what to do when danger comes out way. So far, what I've seen, ponies tend to freak out rather easily and panicking only makes things worse." It was a few years ago when the mare was visiting the village and apparently someone's collection of pet bunnies got lose. And instead of helping their owner collect the bouncing bundles of fur, residents FREAKED OUT. Some mares..adult mares even fainted! This was not a village that could handle an invasion.

 

"Citizens should know what to do and where to go incase of an attack, and if an squad of guards won't cut it, we could see about getting some of our more able-bodied Ponyville residents to form up a militia...That brother of Applejacks looks like he could out-wrestle a full-grown dragon. And along with that, there should be responsible folk would could help lead the very young and elderly to any underground shelters...If there are such a thing here."

 

And then there was the castle. What did Fire Walker know about this place. "Your other question. How to defend this castle. Erm.", she was not sure what to say. "I honestly don't know a lot about your 'Castle Of Friendship' beyond the basics. How it was linked to the 'Tree of Harmony' and it basically looks like a big wand. One with a purple crystal castle stuffed in the middle.....And I heard crystal is really good at conducting magic. But beyond that, I would need to learn more about this place before I even dare open my mouth. ", she looked the mare right in the eye, "Have you been able to learn anything about this incredible feat of magic? It almost looks like you could power it up with magic and do something with it...But what?" While not an unicorn, officers in the R.E.A were required to learn about magic. This usually involved the basic theories and most importantly how to defend against enemy magic.

[SteelEagle]

Twilight listened intently as Fire Walker spoke, always absorbing information from new and varied sources. She could read and study tactics, strategies, and various methods of protection against the dangers of the world but having a valued member of the Guard do so was much better. But in the end it didn't matter what exactly Fire Walker said as long as she didn't freak out. Twilight had many ideas on how to protect Ponyville and the Castle, and truth be told she had a lot of talks with the outgoing Captain. None of that meant that Fire Walker's answers didn't hold Twilight's attention hostage. It just meant that what got Twilight's attention weren't the answers as much as how quickly Fire took to the answering of them. Twilight allowed herself to take in the information as best as she could, though she was mostly just taking mental notes for additions and editing her other plans. All of it was useful.

She was right in some important ways, of course. Equestria gained allies after allies almost every time they encountered a new problem, but that wasn't good for Equestrian safety. The Magic of Friendship was truly enticing to all creatures, but had the Storm King not elected to use a pony as his second-in-command, how would that have gone? Reliance on Friendship was of course what she had learned to do over and over again, but she was a pragmatic mare by heart. Ponies needed to know that when villains made their entrance into Equestria that they could be made safe through the application of brave mares and stallions like Fire Walker. It was a source of pride for the Guard and the REA that they believed they were the finest protectors of Equestria. She had to ensure that in the future they could live up to this title.

“The truth of the matter was that the Storm King's spies, some of whom were still at large, had been able to lead the Guard away under false pretense. When the attack came, they were too far away to have an impact and were kept in place via threats from the invaders regarding the Princesses. I believe to keep panic to a low level, some commanders decided to keep up with whatever fictional mission they had been sent on in the first place by the spies,” Twilight said informatively, though she was sure that Fire knew it all already. “As for Ponyville, a Militia might be interesting. Applejack always wanted to do so anyway. We'll have to bring it up with Mayor Mare,” Twilight said, hoof to chin in thought for a moment. It would have to be an entirely castle-funded operation of course. The Mayor always had been dead-set on such measures as the town, in her words, 'benefits more when we spend bits on the needy, not the armed'. Twilight was inclined to agree.

Onto the real topic. She needed to know more about the castle in order to truly formulate a defense. Twilight smiled. It was a leading topic, of course, with the destination being this very point. “Agreed. You'd need to know a lot more about this castle in order to truly formulate a defensive plan. And I can't be giving out such information very easily to ponies not entrusted with the duties of a Twilight Guard,” Twilight said quickly and earnestly. It was pretty clear where she was going, even if the exact rank would be a mystery. More obvious signs became apparent almost immediately. Twilight's horn lit up and a mannequin appeared next to them, dressed in a new suit of Twilight Guard armor. The mannequin seemed to approximate Fire Walker as well as it could. At the same time, a new document, one offering Fire Walker the position of Captain of the Twilight Guard, appeared in front of her with a quill wet and ready.

“Captain Fire Walker, I have followed your career for some time and have selected you from all others to become Captain of the Twilight Guard, Defender of Ponyville and the Castle of Friendship as well as the Princess who lives there. You do not have to accept this position if you do not wish it- I will think no less of you and your career will not be unduly reflected. If you would do me the honor of accepting the offer however, then sign that document and then the secrets of this castle may be revealed to you.”

[tacobob]

 

 

 

Fire Walker nodded her head as the Princess spoke. She had heard rumors and mutterings that the guard had been tricked as well, but there was still no reason why the entire legion of guards had to wander off. And if there was knowledge of an attack, they probably should have simply canceled or postponed the 'Friendship Festival'. The young officer had been out of town during the event and had been given the run-around when she asked her superiors about the fiasco that was the 'Invasion of Canterlot'. Still, the red mare was not here to argue military strategy with Twilight. Especially considering that the purple mare was responsible for stopping the self-named 'Storm King' and even gained more than a few allies in the processes. It just bothered the mare on how it had been a rather sad day for Equestria. She was told nearly all of the princesses were taken down with relative ease. There was barely a fight as they all practically stood in line to be turned into stone. Things would have been much bleaker if the 'King' had ordered his mindless minions to smash the stone rulers with their weapons.

 

Oh, poor Applejack! Not only did she have both a child, elderly grandmother, younger sister and farm to take care, there was this school she was also teaching at now. Where did she ever find the time? The Pegasus pony continued to keep quiet to permit the Alicorn to say what was on her mind. She pondered who was the true power in Ponyville? Princess Twilight or Mayor Mare? Or did they simply work alongside each other? That would probably make more sense as many would frown upon having an elected official being deposed by an member of the monarchy.

 

The mare's ears perked up a little as 'Twilight Guard' was mentioned. Both Princess Luna and Princess Celestia had their own special guard, so it would be of no surprise that Twilight would eventually require one as well. And 'Twilight Guard' had a nice ring to it. She could have called her guard the 'Sparkle Solders' or the 'Purple Pony Protectors'. But who would she want in her....oh dear....Fire Walker knew there was going to be an question coming up very soon.

 

And sure enough, she was asked...."I would be most honored to say yes...", the red mare gave another bow. While it was probably a little premature to already agree with the Princess without knowing all the tasks she would need to do under this new position, she could not turn down being an protector of Ponyville. She had both friends and family here! But what would Swift Squall say? She would need to find a place to live here. Or would she live in the castle? This would also give her a really good excuse for spending more time with her little sister Wind Walker.

 

Once she was offered an document to sign, Fire Walker made sure to read every single word on the paper before taking up a quill with her right wind and singing it..

 

 

 

This was EXCITING! Not only would she learn about the odd castle, she would also hear what was in store for her in terms of her duties. She could picture it. She would train a small squad of professional officers, who would in turn train Ponyville locals if this militia deal was accepted. She could not wait to hear what Twilight had to say!

 

[SteelEagle]

Twilight was very pleased with how quickly Fire accepted her offer. She had worried that Fire may have denied her request out of principal or lifestyle, but in her heart of hearts Twilight knew that a Guard like her always sought something new. And if nothing else Twilight knew she could offer something new to the veteran, and something she would hopefully appreciate. She watched with excitement as Fire Walker signed on, above, and around the dotted line (Pegasi and Earth Pony hoof writing was never the greatest). And with that Twilight's horn lit up. "Excellent! I was actually worried you were going to pass on it. I'm so happy you chose to accept it!" Twilight said with a wide smile. Now that Fire was the Captain, they could get to work.

Twilight's horn went off, and the armor that was on the mannequin was now fit onto Fire Walker. It subtly shifted and started to resize until it fit Fire Walker perfectly. "So, I designed this armor myself. It has all the normal features of light Guard armor that you're familiar with. Made out of the finest steel interlaced with anti-magical properties from Whitescar and some basic Badlands elemental protection thanks to certain strands woven deep inside. However, there are more important protection features.

The primary feature is a magical reactive element. The harder you get hit, the more of a protective barrier forms within the armor itself. This can't be sustained forever- the armor will break eventually. And the barrier does extend to areas not protected directly by the armor, but only by so much. The helmet allows you to have instantaneous communication with other members wearing the helmet as well as myself. The charge in the enchanted gem I used is limited and is tiring to replenish, so I'd rather it not be wasted idly."
 

Twilight touched her symbol on the armor.
"I've imbued my symbol with great power. You activate it by touching it willingly. You will have enhanced strength, speed, and durability for a short time, and will have access to several powers. You may speed up your perception- in effect, slowing down time- and even have limited telekinetic capabilities with other items that are designed to work with the armor. It also acts as a distress and homing beacon for others who use the armor as well as myself. The beacon element remains until turned off, but the rest of these powers will expire shortly after use. Once it has been used I will need to remake it before it can be used again," Twilight said quickly, excitedly showing off all of the magical properties. She managed to take a breath.
 

"I have made ten such suits of armor. There is an enchantment that allows them to be resized to fit a pony, so I'm not worried about species, gender, height, or weight. But I need somepony who can fill out this core group, and for that we have your first major responsibility. But lets move this discussion somewhere else," Twilight said before teleporting both of them to an office near the top of the tower, with a great view overlooking Ponyville.

"This is your office. Well, one of two options. The other is much closer to the ground but I believed this one might be more fun for a pegasus. See that balcony? Beautiful! Uhh...anyway," she said, getting back on task as a pile of papers landed on the desk.

"These papers detail every member of every military organization in Equestria. You may review them for those you think would best fit the Twilight Guard, and I will see if we can get them an offer. You may do as you wish with this office...its a little barren for now, but I wasn't sure of your tastes. Connected to your office is a small room for use as you see fit, a personal bathroom, and even a small resting room should you need to stay the night near your office.

Of course, you will have choices on where you want to live. I have several rooms still available for personal use. I can also build one as part of the garrison substructure that will be finished soon. You may also find a place to live out in town if you wish. You are in charge of my protection and yes, there are orders you need to follow, but I'm not in charge of how you want to live your life."

 

Silence

"Anywho...any questions so far?"

[tacobob]

 

 

 

 

“Ha!”, the officer chuckled, “I don’t think anypony of sane mind would have passed up this opportunity.” While she enjoyed being the scheduled, traveling trainer in the R.E.A, she had been looking to broaden her horizons, but as long as Equestria had yet to declare war on any country, or vice versa, her options were rather limited. She also enjoyed meeting new recruits and there was always the travel. Limited travel, but it was nice. And while she would still be training ponies, there already seemed there was going to be even more things for her to do.

 

 

Fire Walker stood still as the impressive armor found its way onto her body. She rather liked the color, and something had been placed over the steel to wake it comfortable for her wings to rest against when she was not in flight. Many blacksmiths tended to forget this when making armor for Pegasus ponies. She excused herself, “I am assuming that the anti-magic feature can be turned on and off as your telekinesis magic was able to carry it to me..And sometimes you want to be effected by magic..Be it healing or support magic.” She had heard about certain armor that had features that could be controlled by the mind of its wearer.

 

The mare paused once more to hear more of the features. So far so good. The protective force-field sounded nice, as did the helmet. Real time communication with other members of her squad. How this would have come in handy in the past. And like most protective magic, it had its limits. Pegasus ponies tended to wear lighter armor than ground troops thanks to their impressive speed and agility. This all sounded well and good, but there was even more.....Twilight almost sounded like an announcer in a commercial. But wait...There’s more! And being the proper Canterlot pony, she was born to keep an stiff, upper lip, but her jaw really wanted to hit the ground as this cute purple armor could do so much! Still, many of these abilities had their limits, so it would be very wise for her to use them only when completely necessary It was also probably a good idea that the more impressive abilities of her armor were limited, as she could see a pony getting lazy with such powers. Why keep up your training when your special armor could do it for you?

 

“Yes, it’s rather nice.”, she could picture herself out here during a cool and crisp Ponyville night, maybe reading a book or even watching the stars. “I could use this balcony If I needed to leave or enter the castle quickly.”, she glanced at the small pile of papers once they returned to her office. “I have a feeling I’ll probably know more than a few of these officers. Might have trained them, and if it was not me, I would know the trainer.”, she hoofed through the papers, “Every year we would have a conference in Las Pegasus where we would discuss our techniques and go over updated rules and regulations and the such. And being rather proud sort, most trainers were not above a little boasting and would speak well of some of the better students. This was not simple bragging, but they wanted all to know who was on the top of their class and point out where they would be better suited in Equestria to serve.”, some of the older trainers even acted like their students were part of the family.  “I could go through my notes, which we could compare with what we will need for this guard. A mixture of experienced officers...Earth ponies..Pegasus Ponies and earth ponies. Maybe even other creatures?”, the officer pondered.

 

When it came to further questions, Fire Walker did not yet have a question, but asked. “I want you to know this, and while we have not yet set up a date, I will eventually be marrying my fiancé, Sir Swift Squall.”, she added, “I could see him getting a house  here...Again, this is something that might not happen for a while..But, this is something you should know.”

 

Spoiler

OOC: We should open this up to R.E.A player characters if you wish! I doubt we would get ten players, so the empty spaces would be N.P.C’s

 

 

 

[SteelEagle]

Twilight tried to contain her joy but mostly failed. While Swift Squall could be more than a little full of himself and often overstepped his actual capability, he was an Equestrian through and through. Somepony like him marrying a Captain of the Guard seemed right up the proverbial alley. She was lucky- so was he. “Really? That's wonderful! I'll have to make sure that the caste can handle the reception, if you wanted it here. Oh! I could officiate! I was actually looking at Old Ponish Words of Power for Love and Honor earlier, maybe-” she shook her head free then blushed, “uhhh, well, maybe not. Sorry, got ahead of myself. Still- congratulations. That is fantastic to hear.”

She took a deep breath.
“I think you'll be able to figure out what you should and should not share with ponies outside of this castle. One of the many reasons I picked you is because of your intelligence and I doubt you'll make me disbelieve the glowing reports I've read of you. There is only one thing in this entire castle that you, and you alone, will know about outside of myself and a select few others. Come, follow me,” Twilight said, her step bouncing but her tone serious as she led Fire Walker into the Princess' own room. It was certainly regal but was smaller than most may have thought, Twilight devoting more floor space to her personal library. Twilight then led Fire Walker into her personal bathroom, which was once again elegant but not as truly exceptional as one might think.

Her horn lit up and one of the walls started to warp, but only to the most perceptive of eyes. Twilight approached a wall that appeared to shift ever slightly, but not much more than that. Her hoof trailed along the wall until it felt the right place and fell in a few inches. “Good, it hasn't moved very much,” Twilight whispered. Her hoof seemed to dig into the wall and then pull. Soon a portal appeared as if being stretched by her hoof in the wall. “Okay, good. Good! So, I am going to show you something. Of all my Guard, all my friends, the other Princesses, only you will know of this. It is my biggest secret, my most important project, and Equestria's most important defense against Dark Magic. Are you ready to head into the Keep?”

[tacobob]

 

 

Fire Walker could not help but be a little surprised at the offering. The use of castle for their wedding? That would be incredible and far beyond what they probably might have planned. Which they had not yet. Poor Swift still had to deal with her parents first, and they tended to act a little crazy when it came to colt-friends and even more so with weddings. And she was their first mare for her parents to 'give away'. Still, she could imagine the royal princess attending her bachelorette party! Along with her usual friends, she had been asked by more than a few of her fellow female officers when she was planning on holding it, and where. This should be interesting.

 

"That is fine Princess Twilight. It's still in the planning stages so anything you may be able to offer will be a treasure beyond coin.." One question popped up in the young Pegasus' mind, and it would needed to be answered as not to continue to make things so awkward when they spoke. "One thing I wish to ask of you...How should I address you?" Not only was she the 'Princess Of Friendship', the purple pony was now her boss! She had to pay her the respect needed, without sounding like a groveler.

 

She nodded and proceeded to follow the princess to her royal bedroom. There was a nice blend of the castle's 'crystal' theme along with old timey-homey-ness. There was plenty of purples and blues and the symbol of the castle marked on the bed's hoofboard. There was also an cute little telescope by an window. But this was not their destination! It was the royal bathroom! This included a comfortable tub for two, and a walk in shower with surrounded jets. She remembered her father's scream during their trip to Las Pegasus and they stayed at the 'Maredalay Bay Resort' and her silly dad was unaware of the special multi-jet shower until he turned it on. This also raised a few questions. Did all the rooms come fully stocked after the castle was 'summoned'?

 

"I'm ready!", the mare declared her readiness! Equestria's most important defense against Dark Magic?! Was the officer correct? Was the castle just a big wand? She would soon find out..

 

Spoiler

OOC: Twilight's castle bedroom has appeared in the show.  Her bathroom. Not sure.

 

 

[SteelEagle]

“Princess, Princess Twilight, Princess Sparkle, Twilight, Twilight Sparkle, Your Highness- it really is up to you. You are my Captain and technically a subject, but I don't view other ponies that way. You have the ability to choose how you address me. Whatever makes you feel right. During more formal affairs, Your Highness will suffice. Anyway, onto the exciting and very dangerous stuff,” Twilight said, looking back at the portal. With an excited neigh, they stepped through, appearing on a stone landing at the base of a dual flight of stairs heading up towards the second floor.

“The world is filled with magical artifacts. Dark magical artifacts as well. And every day we find ore of them. The old legends, the myths, from lands far and wide? As time marches on, almost all of them have some element of truth to them. And that isn't even to mention all the ones that have no history behind them! The threat is beyond any single pony to counter. And the Princesses, myself included, cannot be everywhere at once. So I have formed a secret organization that operates from this structure made up of a small group of creatures that are experts in the study and containment of dark magic and whom I trust implicitly. They are The Keepers, and if everything goes well, you won't really see one. Except Daedalus, but...” she trailed off and shook her head to hide a quick-forming and quick-dying blush. They had work to do.

Twilight trotted up the stairs. The compound in its entirety could now be seen. They were on the second story, the main section. Bookcases abound with some seats for reading and research. On either side of the main room were doors leading to smaller rooms, usually specific cells or storages. At the far end of the main room, flanked by more bookcases, were two larger doors. Behind were two half-circle staircases heading down to the landing he had entered at, also flanked by bookcases. “Welcome to the Keep. It exists in the space between spaces, between realities and dimensions. And inside my bathroom,” she added with a laugh, “it is a real structure, and you don't need to worry about damage. In this dimension, there is nothing but us. No blank void, or space, or monsters. If they exist they're of the Id, and I took care of them. I think. Anyway, follow me some more.”

Twilight let the words roll out as she did so, her hooves not making a clicking-clacking sound as they rammed off of what appeared to be solid marble. In just a few moments she approached one of the doors. A hole appeared and she stuck her horn in it. The door glowed deep and vibrant. “I am going to show you one of the storage rooms. Myself or one of my Keepers can let you in- needs a horn. Necessary precaution. Dark magic's obvious effects are of course against unicorns, but unicorns have a built-in defense. Other races do not.”

The door opened and Twilight went inside, where it was much bigger than it looked. They were in a small room with three smaller hallways leading from it, each one bathed in a different color. Green, yellow, and purple lights flooded into the center and clashed. Color-coded lights fought in the middle- green, yellow, and purple alike. Twilight glided from colored hallways to another, pointing out relics behind protective barriers and wards. “
"I won't go into too much detail, but I have color coded the relics we find. Green relics are safe now. Either they were always benign or have been purified of their more insidious influences. Blue relics are inert- the key to their activation is gone or they were used and spent, but some of their potency remains. Yellow dots represent relics that hum with power and are unknown in most other aspects. Red dots are powerful and possibly malevolent in concoction or potential, and are a grave threat. Purple relics are ones I have been able to make safe for use and even duplicate for use by the Keepers. As Captain of the Guard, I will give you the knowledge of purple relics in use,” she said, shoring off a number of safe relics."

After a while, they were done. Twilight led Fire back to the main landing. “I collect them and try to contain them. I study them to understand them, to better fight dark magic and make our world safer.I don't always succeed. I try, but I sometimes fail. Sometimes I try to do something and the magical side effects reach out of the castle. So I have moved all of my research regarding dark magic here, so hopefully that won't happen again. Any questions, Captain?”

[tacobob]

 

Fire Walker nodded her head. That was one less worry, while minor that had been lifted from her shoulders. The officer followed her new boss towards what appeared was a magic portal. She had been through one of these before and it ended poorly. What was it that Ilinalta had said to her before? She needed to regulate her breathing and simply act as if she was simply walking into another room, through an open door. Don't think. Just do.

 

Here this device quickly broke down her body and clothing into tiny little bits and then hurled them across a dimension, only to then assemble them all back into her proper, pony form. Or at least that how she had heard about these things. Once at their destination, the mare quickly looked herself over to make sure everything went along with her. No missing tail. Legs are all here. And she also managed not to lose her last meal all over the floor. Which was always a good thing!

 

She kept quiet as the unicorn spoke of magical, dark artifacts, something the Pegasus pony was aware of, but not as knowledgeable as she would like to be. Still, she knew the basics. One should know the strength of said artifact before taking it on. Not that long ago, an young unicorn had acquired an magical amulet that when combined with her need for revenge on a certain pony that was standing not that far from the officer and the cute little village she lived in, quickly coerced the pony into taking over the village itself! Thankfully she was stopped and separated from the artifact before it could drain the very life from its host.

 

"Daedalus?", where had she heard that name before? And that blush! Was this Twilight's special some-pony? Once again, she followed the Alicorn. Monsters? Void? Space? What was behind these walls? Nothing. "One question If I may.", the mare was always polite. "While we are here, how does is time back home operate? Is time moving on as normal?", she had heard of such pocket dimensions where time got all screwy. One would enter, and then exit and a hundred years had passed. The entire Crystal Empire had vanished into their own little dimension before finding its way back to its original location, and they were gone for a thousand years. If there was anything different, she could see this 'keep' fitting in somewhere outside o Equestria time. They would enter and exit and time would be the same?

 

And questions....This was all very impressive...And she would be able to get her hooves on the safe artifacts that had been checked and re-checked. These were probably going to be the very low-powered items. Probably a little better than what she could find at the R.E.A supply closet as great magic rarely lends its powers freely unless something is given back. "I've seen enough horror movies, so I'm wondering what would happen if you managed to get your hooves on something so powerful that you could not control it? Could you simply wipe the room of its contents or would you need to seal the entrance to this 'keep' off permanently?"

 

 

 

 

[SteelEagle]

 

“Daedalus...yes. Maretonian expert of black magic and one of the Keepers. Perhaps my best one. Well, not perhaps, he certainly. Very firm- uhh, very, hmm, very stern when it comes to his job. I meet with him regularly. Personally- for work!” Twilight spoke quickly, looking everywhere but the mare. Indeed, he was her most qualified and successful agent and one of the few ponies she felt confident calling in. Plus he had beaten Swift Squall in the Arena match they had. She wasn't sure why she cared, but the thought crossed her mind.

“Time operates faster here. An hour in here is forty-three minutes and between sixteen and eighteen seconds in Equestria.. I am trying to get it pitch perfect but the time stream in unspace can be tricky as the dimensional aether rifts can alter not only the time stream itself, but our conception of it,” Twilight responded. Indeed, the magic she was working was still difficult to get correct so she was taking her time. 'Taking her time'. Ha! That was a good one. She'd have to write that one down for Pinkie Pie. “Suffice it is to say, you won't miss anything you would have missed had time been exact.”

Then the important one: What she could do to stop the result of magical artifact going rogue ad causing danger. “Good question. See those double doors over there?” Twilight said, gesturing to the massive pair of doors with a thin layer of dust. “Behind that door is the most dangerous, aether-destroying device in all of existence. If I can't contain a threat here, I will sever the Keep from our dimension and let it drift away from the fissures in reality that could harm us. When it is far enough away, I will activate the device- and the Keep, along with everything inside of it, will cease to be. I've run through a few mock emergencies and in seventy-five percent of cases I am able to escape without any fatal injuries,” Twilight said in a matter of fact voice even though there was an unmistakable tinge of worry to her words.

[tacobob]

 

 

 

While it was none of her business to discuss the purple princess’ love-life, the red mare could not help but smile as Twilight tried to hide the fact that she was obviously having some sort of relationship with this ‘Daedalus’ fellow.  This was good as the gal needed the daily recommended dose of 'snuggle-time'. But that name still bothered her. Dae..da..lus....It then dawned on her.... That was one of her oldest companion's 'muses'. Her old school-friend Zelda was an sculptor, just like Daedalus. Be he was not just any common carver of stone, but the Master Sculptor. His statues were so realistic that they would actually get up and move around. It was very obvious that the Princess was not seeing this pony, who would be dead and buried thousands of years ago, and that is if he was actually real.  His parents obviously just borrowed the name.  But that name, combined with somepony who mastered dark magic sort of bothered the mare. Thankfully she had faith in her new boss. She wouldn't be having secret smoochies with a guy who would summon demons and zombie ponies.

 

Fire Walker nodded her head as the mare spoke about the effect this magical keep had when it came to time itself. Thankfully she was working on it, and it would probably be for the best that she take her time on such a project. Ha! Time pun! The bit about the creepy doors and the aether-destroying device was slightly disturbing. There had to be another way! But there were greater minds that could discuss this with the princess. And while she had a good grasp of magical theories and how to defend herself against certain spells, the officer would probably not be able to pass magic Kindergarten!

 

"So beyond this...What would be next? I could recommend a few unicorns I know from the R.E.A if you need to fill certain roles...And an old friend of mine's brother started a magic guild awhile back..Spellbound...Which I'm sure you know of it...There's bound to be some smarty-pants-ponies that could be of great use...And if you need more military might and don't mind having family drawn into this...My brother and fellow officer Cord...er Cordell Walker and his family will be moving to Ponyville soon...He's an incredible sword-pony and all around nice guy." What she REALLY wanted to see if what sort of magical items she would be getting. One of her favorite scenes in spy movies was the bit where the inventor showed off his latest creations for the super secret agent to use in his mission. Like an tie-tack that could shoot fire. Or maybe an set of horseshoes that could let you walk up walls!

[SteelEagle]

Twilight was happy that she was allowed to get off the hook regarding Daedalus. Things were...confusing between them. Pleasant, but confusing, and she was the first to admit that she didn't entirely know how to classify where they stood with one another. An unfortunate position to be in and one that she was happy to let slide. Fire Walker spoke about the sorts of ponies she wanted to bring along into this. And by this, Twilight didn't know if she meant the Keepers or the Guard at large. No matter- she thought it important to tackle both subjects.

“I appreciate the thought and offers, Captain, but I have to keep this organization small. Every single one of the Keepers are not part of any publicly acknowledged organizations and lead seemingly disconnected and not all that unusual lives. Secrecy is our greatest weapon and all that. Having said that, I always value having skilled and experienced ponies around. Which brings me back to the staffing for the Guard."

They were back in the castle by now. It was so strange to know that the veil between dimensions, the aether space where none existed, could so easily be manipulated and hidden. The thought left her as she imagined the future and the demands it called for.

"Guards are Guards, but once you get a feel for the city and you have ideas on how to defend it, I want to ensure that whoever you decide to bring into this team is fully capable of working as a cohesive unit to actively protect the ponies of Ponyville. To that end, I give you permission to form special units within the Twilight Guard in the manners and means you think important,” Twilight noted with no small amount of officious excitement. She wanted to make this place better, a nicer place to live. Her experience told her it wouldn't come as easily as she would like.

“Anything else I may help you with, Captain?”

 

[tacobob]

 

 

 

"Oh, I perfectly understand where you are going with this.", the officer responded respectfully, "I was just thinking of the future...But I can see how this organization is like a little seed. You don't want to put too much water on it after placing it into the ground or you'll drown it.", ho-boy, the officer's mother asked her to join her at this week's 'Ponyville Garden Club' and then they spent the rest of the day planting ‘Moonshine’ yarrows in the back yard to add a little color to the yard. Poor mare still had botany on the brain. But she could see why her mother enjoyed it as not only was it relaxing, she could spruce up her rather mundane yard with her new skills.

 

Before she could even think about what was going to happen next, they were back at the castle. Strange. She did not feel like she had been teleported. There was no loud noises that normally sounded off at the start and the ending of such a spell, nor did she feel a little odd in her stomach. This could only be a feature of Twilight's fortress.

 

"I'll need to see the village not as a visitor, but as an defender, and even as an attacker.", Fire Walker spoke after getting used to being back in the 'real word'. "The village is pretty open at first glance...But you have the Everfree on one side, and Sweet Apple Acres takes up a good section as well...." There were also a few specialty farms nearby as well. "I also have a feeling it's rather easy to monitor who gets on and off that cute train you have." The red mare was amused by the train that made its home in Ponyville. It resembled pretty much every little train you would see circling an Hearth's Warming Tree, just like Ponyville itself looked like the cute little village the toy train would service.

 

She could see it. Not all those who were to protect Ponyville needed to be armored knights....Every neighborhood always seemed to have the nosey neighbor who seemed to know everything about everypony and what was going on. This would be a pony nopony would think twice as they watched her peering through her binoculars. Poor old mare didn't have anything better to do, and it helped with her midday gossiping with the other busybody. Of course their usual gossip would develop into something more useful than typical blather.

 

"Guess I'll take a little stroll through the village...Erm.", she glanced down at what she was wearing, "Do you think it would be wise to leave the armor here?"

 

 

Spoiler

 

OOC: I believe this is as close to an 'official' map of Ponyville out there...This is from the comics, so it's probably not 100% canon...

 

 

 

[SteelEagle]

“Hmm...yes and no. The main road into and out of town is easily signposted and easy enough to patrol, but the town is growing very quickly and there are a few smaller roads that lead out of and into town that are less obvious. The Everfree blocks off one avenue and much of that side of the town is also taken up by Sweet Apple Acres and some other farms, but the other side of town is more wide open- still some farms, but nevertheless more open,” Twilight said, her horn lighting up with a detailed map of Ponyville, marking the smaller roads that may not appear on older maps. Strange to think maps that are only a few years old could be considered old by now but such was the state of Ponyville's rapid growth. Lucky enough for them that despite this growth it was still idyllic enough to lack a standing police force. Double lucky that even with all of the excitement that had taken place here that the ponies of this town remained as delightfully eccentric and humble as ever.

“Oh, if you want to, perhaps. But that armor is your standard kit now. Wouldn't hurt to be seen around in it, but that is up to you. You aren't on an official patrol or anything of the sort! I would advise maybe stopping by Sugarcube Corner if you'd like a quick treat. Pinkie Pie should be known for how good a baker she is as much as anything else she does. Applejack should be in town right about now, always good and fair prices on her apples. If you'd like to check in with the Mayor and get the residency application paperwork going instead of me doing it, that is on the way. And Rarity, Rarity would be excited to do something for you,” Twilight offered to her new Captain, uniquely aware of the demands of her station. If she didn't want to wear the armor for her stroll across town it was okay with the Princess. Well, mostly. Twilight was proud of the armor and wanted Fire to be proud to wear it. No matter.

The important thing was that Fire Walker was going to take her duty seriously. Twilight chose her and wanted desperately to believe that she had chosen right. So far, Fire Walker had done nothing but prove Twilight correct again and again. Even if she chose to just stroll around town she was still doing her job, such was the nature of her employment. All Twilight could ask for had been given- all she had left now were the hopes, and some small amount of dashing was by no means an apocalypse of the spirit. “Any which way you choose to do your job, I believe you are uniquely qualified and capable of doing it. I entrust with you my protection and the well-being of this town, and it is a task I know you can accomplish with aplomb,” Twilight smiled, “you can do it. Whenever you want to start the hiring process, feel free. Whenever you want to check out the town and prepare it, do so. And I'll work on getting you a more up-to-date map!”

[tacobob]

 

 

Fire Walker glanced at the map of Ponyville as Twilight highlighted some of the areas of note. The mare could not help but agree. Ponyville had gotten much bigger over the last few years. It used to be such a sleepy little village with very little to see and less so to do. There must have been a bit of a baby boom not that long ago that continued even to this day as there were a good number of kids and foals cantering about the village. Even the couple that ran the candy store had a pair of very young foals at their side.

 

Should she or should she not keep her uniform on? That was the question of the day! "That is fine with me." The Pegasus pony was the odd type of pony who could never feel truly comfortable walking about in public in the buff. "Was not sure if the creation of the new guard was something you would have preferred to announce before I would be seen walking the streets." She really needed to get used to this new suit and a good walk would only help. "I'm sure there will be questions, so would you prefer I be right up front about this, or would you like me to be a little vague? As in 'this is something that is coming soon', like an movie trailer."

 

A nice walk through the village would hit the spot. "Right. I need to see Ponyville not as a visitor, but as a protector.", she could make a few stops. They always had really tasty muffins at Sugarcube Corner. And a visit to town-hall would be necessary and she might as well get it done and over with right away. Maybe a coffee and a muffin would hit the spot before dealing with lines and paperwork. She did not need any apples, but maybe just an quick stop at the Carousel Boutique...Maybe get something to wear when she announces her new job to Swift Squall. Maybe something slinky and form fitting.

 

"One more question before I go.",  Fire Walker was a -little- bummed the good Princess did not offer to take her on a tour of her beloved village, but she obviously had a good deal of things to do today. So no need to ask. "For this hiring process...Any suggestions? Hints? Bits of advice?", she gave the purple mare a smile. "I never picked the ponies I had to train back in the R.E.A  as that was usually allocated by the brass. Generally they knew the type I trained and would send a squad my way once the previous class had moved on....I usually was given strong Pegasi...But this guard of yours is going to need diversity.....So any suggestions would be appreciated.."

 

[SteelEagle]

Fire had a point. A mare walking around in new armor unannounced would cause some concern...but not a lot, and the concern would quickly fade. It also allowed her to start her job immediately, and for Twilight not to have the hassle of planning such an event. “As much as I enjoy special announcements and general attention being paid to important subjects, I don't think this is something that needs it. Everypony probably already assumes I have y own Guard anyway and if they didn't think so before nopony has made an issue of it. Besides, then we have to plan a whole big event for it and as much as I know Pinkie Pie loves to do them, I'm partied out,” she said with a short laugh. Her stomach still hadn't recovered from the Pinkie Pie Party Blowout, which was a party to celebrate a party milestone she had thought up. Knowing Pinkie, she probably planned the party first and found the reasons second!

Fire wanted to know more about qualifications. There were some basics of course, but Twilight wanted to do better for her Captain. “Hmmm...intelligence is a plus. Bravery. Commitment to ponykind rather than any one pony. Good martial skills but...really, Fire Walker, I trust you to do this. I don't want Guards who want to stand on the walls all day, but I don't want ponies who are so reckless they disobey good order in favor of foolishness. I want ponies who can help solve problems rather than make them. I trust you to find those you think can do the job as you understand it, and those who can help you and I grow our understanding of the role,” Twilight said as she took flight, hovering not far from Fire Walker.

“I've got to get going. Take the time you need to do the job right. There is that list of possible candidates, but honestly Fire...I believe in you,” Twilight said as she took off, leaving her new Captain to handle her duties as she saw fit.

[tacobob]

 

 

 

Fire Walker quickly slipped into her military mindset as she listened to what Twilight was looking for in an good solider for the Twilight Guard. Those were always good examples for all to follow, but what about the elements of harmony? She would need officers who were honest and not afraid to speak their mind. One also must be kind and know that violence was always the worst and final solution for any problem. And a friendly face and gentle word or two could turn even the coldest of hearts to one’s side. A officer with a sense of humor also would not hurt. Sometimes you can’t take everything so dang seriously all the time. And she had been in more than a few tense encounters where a joke lightened the mood and kept things for escalating. And a loyal officer was an solid officer. A loyal officer is a officer who would never back down from any challenge. When your home and family’s lives are at stake, you will do whatever it takes. Magic, which was the taming of chaos was also a handy tool. Any unicorn knows that even the simplest of spells can turn the tide of battle. And finally an officer who is generous with their time and spirit can easy win over almost any foe or friend.

 

Oh goodness, she was starting to overthink this. “Thank you Twilight.”, the mare scooped up the list. “I promise that I will give you all the reasons to believe in me as you have done.”, she gave the purple princess of kindness a proper salute and marched on. She knew she needed to build the ultimate team of like-minded Ponyville residents who would do whatever it took to protect their beloved village, while still keeping the original charm that it was know for. And she had her particular set of skills.  Skills she had acquired over a very long career. Skills that made her an beloved teacher and friend to many a new recruit. Now she needed to find the right ones to join her. She would look for them, she would find them, and she will train them!

 

Spoiler

OOC:

 

So I'm assuming we are getting real players for this...So when I can, I will set up a RECRUIT topic. If you have any suggestions, please give me a holler. I can see it. She has a RECRUITMENT DAY. With lovely banners. Food and drink from Ponyville. These ponies (or any other citizen of Ponyville) that pops in just happens to be on Twilight's list. Unless you have characters you're looking for. Hopefully pesky old RL will not continue to confound me! Gah!

 

And Pinkie could always start her own guard.

 

https://www.deviantart.com/itstaylor-made/art/Knights-of-the-Harmonyverse-Laughter-714583591