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Have to admit, I'm not thrilled with some of the textures. Had to redo some stuff to keep Daz from crashing while rendering. You're on thin ice, laptop…



The life of a palace guard was not an exciting one, not if you were stationed out here in the gardens. It wasn't even one of the public gardens, where you couldn't least count on troublemakers trying to snip a few roses or harassing passersby. It helped pass the time.

Here though, in one of the royal family's private gardens, there was no such luck. Its owners rarely came out here not since Princess Mi Amore Cadenza had assumed rule of the Crystal Empire. The days dragged on, the guards never seeing another living soul save each other until their shift ended. It's said the soldiers stationed here had the sharpest spears and the most polished armor in the whole kingdom, for there was nothing else for them to do.

Recently however, their luck had been changing. Princess Cadance had arrived for a long visit, and with her, Princess Flurry Heart. The filly alicorn always brought a surge of energy to the palace — her imagination went into full swing, and many a time the staff and soldiers would find her exploring the kitchens and barracks. When she brought out her wooden sword and mask, she ceased to be Flurry. She became Flint Jaguar, International Doctor Princess Agent of Mystery and Danger and Stuff.

No one was more aware of Agent Flint Jaguar than Princess Luna. The Danger Doctor latched onto the moon princess with an iron grip, constantly in her wake. Luna, for her part, humored her grand-niece excellently, as much as the hard-set princess could. No where was this more obvious then when Luna did her patrols. In her faintly shimmering armor, she would stride through the halls hand on the hilt of her sword, ready to strike at a moment's notice. It was an intimidating sight to behold.

The effect was rather offset by the pink filly half-skipping behind her, poofy purple dress and maryjanes clashing against her battle-hardened aunt's steel and leather. Luna tried not to pay attention to her partner, but the same could not be said for the guards. They snickered as the pair passed by, Flurry taking exaggerated marching steps as she tried to keep up with Luna's long strides, her arms swinging to and fro while her mighty wooden blade sliced the air. The girl was a natural ham, whether she meant it or not.

Luna's sharp hearing heard the pair's suppressed laughter and scowled. She turned sharply on them, her annoyance plainly visible.

"Is there something you find humorous, Lieutenant?"

"N-no, your highness, not at all."

"You realize how critical your station is to the security of this city, yes?"

"Of course, your highness."

"And you would do well to bear that in mind, soldier! You carry a sacred duty on your shoulders! This post may not be as glorious as some, but the Guard is the first line of defense for this kingdom and her people! You are this land's shield, its walls, and when the time calls for it, its sword and spear! Your fellow Equestrians trust their lives and loved ones to you, and…"

The unfortunate lieutenant tried his best to keep a straight face while the moon princess ranted on and on. He knew how long-winded these impromptu speeches could be when the princes was flustered. This would be taxing, to say the least.

His partner however was far luckier. He could see behind the moon princess, and there, true to form, was Flurry. Marching wasn't the only thing she could ham up. She was flailing her arms, bouncing on her feet in mock-pretentious fury, her lips synching surprisingly well with the older alicorn's ravings.

If it was hard not to laugh before, now it was near impossible. Only by keeping his expression as steadfastly neutral as possible would he be spared from the over princess's verbal lashing.

For once, they both were wishing it had been another listless day in the garden.

Upvotes at import: 70 | Stars at import: 61
Posted previously at: 2016-10-15T17:37:36 | Posted previously by: Johnny B. Mediocre