"Ateeention!"
I snap out of my daze as Shining Armor, the leader of the Equestria National Guard, walks into the large room where we will get our assignments for where we will be sent to guard.
Standing at attention, I straighten my wings out and suppress a yawn.
"When your name is called, you need to come up and receive an envelope containing your assignments and tickets for the train."
The names go on until my name is called.
"Victory!"
I fly over to the desk where Shining Armor is sitting, and reach out for my envelope.
"Nice job, Victory. Congratulations on being the first mare to be in the Equestrian Guard. Good luck out there, soldier." He says as he hands me the envelope.
"Thank you. I think I'll need it, sir." I say as a walk toward the door.
I slip the envelope into my saddlebag and fly home to my house where a letter is waiting for me. Picking it up, I hold it in my hoof and walk to open the door where my falcon, Jinx, is waiting for me on his perch.
"Hello, Jinx. Back home from work." I say out of habit.
Like normal, he doesn't respond and just looks at me with his black eyes.
Walking over to the table, I take the envelope and the scroll out of my saddlebag and settle down in a chair with a glass of water.
I grab the envelope and open it, pouring out the paper that will tell me if the next ten years of my life will be terrible or amazing.
Equestrian National Guard
Private Victory
Your location will permanently be at the Canterlot Castle with Squad 6.
You start today at 6 O'clock PM.
You will live in one of the palace rooms. Pack accordingly.
A handwritten note was below.
I, Princess Celestia, overrule Victory's original assignment to Manehattan and request that she be stationed with Squad Six, which is responsible for guarding me and any of my guests.
Sincerely,
Princess Celestia
Oh my god. I'm… going to guard Princess Celestia?
It can't be! I grab the envelope and check the writing on the front. Yes, it's my name!
But… why? I'm just an ordinary pegasus! I know I'm the first mare in the guard, but I'm not that special. I only graduated training with average marks!
I glance back over the letter and see that I need to be there in two hours. What do I need to pack…
I fly to my closet and grab my suitcase and wooden trunk and fly around picking up things I know I'll need. Army clothes.. fedora.. wing brush.. books.. spare glasses..
"Jinx, come here buddy! We gotta get you into your cage so I can take you to the castle!" I say with a whistle.
Jinx flies over and lands on my flank, waiting for me to open the door to the large cage he travels in. I got my friend, Forge Hammer, to make it for me so he could have a little claw/wing room to stretch while I travel. Opening the door, Jinx flies in with a powerful flap of his wings, and I close the door and latch it after him.
Poking in a couple food pellets, I set the large cage on the table and run upstairs to get my pillow. I know that the palace pillows are probably nicer than mine, but I'm picky about pillows.
1.5 Hours later..
"Halt. State your name and purpose." One of the guards say as I approach the front entrance of the Canterlot Castle.
"Victory, I'm here on behalf of Squad Six." I yell up to the guard.
"Affirmative. Open the gates!" He yells down to the guard behind the portcullis.
I step through the large archway carved with images of the Sun and Moon, and see a colt waiting to take my luggage to my room.
"May I take your luggage, Ma'am?" He says.
"Yes, please do. Just please let me get my falcon out of his cage." I say with a smile.
The colt takes my luggage and I walk through the front door to find the Princess standing at the door, obviously awaiting my arrival.
"Hello, Princess Celestia. It's wonderful to meet you!" I say, dipping into a deep bow.
"Salutations, Victory. Welcome to Canterlot. I assume your train ride was pleasant?" She says with a smile.
"It was fine. Pardon me asking, but what was your reason for summoning me here? I'm just an ordinary pegasus!" I say as I hook Jinx's tether onto my hind leg.
"Why, Victory, you aren't an ordinary pegasus. You are the first mare to ever join the Equestrian National Guard!" Says Celestia.
"But why would you want me in your personal guard? I'm no outstanding soldier. I'm just… average." I say, dipping my head down to look at my hooves.
"I think that I could do for someone that isn't so serious like all of the other guards I have had. Your skills will be sufficient for this post. But that will be no matter. I would like to get to know the person who will be at my side for the rest of her life." She says with a smile.
"Oh.. ok. What would you like to know?" I say meekly.
"What is the name of your falcon? I simply must know."
"Jinx. He was given to me when I was born as a gift from my grandfather." I say.
"Was he hatched that day?"
"Why.. yes he was! I haven't thought of that for a while, being so busy with training."
"He's a beautiful falcon."
All of a sudden a bang echoes through the castle, causing my mane to stand on end.
"Is that normal around here?" I say with worry.
"No, I must say it isn't. It came from the artifacts room." Says Celestia.
Her horn lights up and there's a bright flash of light.
When I can see again, we are in a long hallway with pedestals every few feet I just assume is the artifacts room.
A hooded unicorn is floating an.. orb of some kind down the hallway, but apparently this orb is magical because it's flickering every few seconds and shooting off little pulses of energy.
"Princess, I must tell you to stay back." I launch myself toward the hooded figure, causing them to drop the orb and the last thing I hear is Celestia calling for a guard.
I wake up in a large bed with silk sheets inside what is obviously my room.
What… happened?
A doctor walks into the room along with Princess Celestia and my.. sister?
"Oh, Victory! You're okay!" Says Beat, my sister.
"Hey…" I say weakly.
Celestia approaches me with a solemn look on her face.
"Victory, do you remember when you attacked that person trying to steal a relic from the artifact room?" She says.
"Yeah.. I do.. what happened?" I say.
"I am so sorry to say that you lost your wings... We have people from all over equestria trying to find a cure, but this is unheard of."
My wings? What? Is this a test?
"What?" I say.
"You're a unicorn, Victory. You don't have any wings."
"But how?" I say with tears in my eyes.
"The orb that the thief was trying to steal shattered and it unleashed a wave of energy. The thief was killed.. but you survived. I had managed to leave the room before it dropped. I'm so sorry, Victory."
I close my eyes and fight to hold back tears. I.. lost my wings..
"Is there anything I can do for you?" Says Celestia.
"Where's Jinx?" I say.
"He's in the palace bird roost with Philomena, my phoenix. He is being taken care of by the falconress."
"Oh. Ok."
"Anything else you need?" She says.
"Therapy." I say sarcastically. "Just kidding. No, I'm not really in need of anything other than my wings back. Which I know I can't have." I say.
"Ok. The doctors are telling me you should go back to sleep to recover from the blast, so I'll leave you to do so."
"Ok." I say, suddenly drowsy. She must have put a sleeping spell on me or something.
1 Week Later
Sitting in the castle library, I float a book off a shelf with a little magic and lay it in front of me. Oh well, at least I can do that much magic. For the past week, I've been to doctor after doctor to see if they could get my wings back. I've also had many tests done to see if I am capable of doing normal magic. Turns out that I'm just another Unicorn now.
I'm still Celestia's guard, though. I'm by her side every day from when she goes to have breakfast to when dinner ends.
I've been told that it only gets harder from here. I think harder is an understatement. I'm supposed to deal with press, not having wings and protecting one of the most targeted ponies in all of Equestria all while making people think I've been a unicorn all my life. Although I'm pretty sure that I have magic lessons with some random pony next week so I can get a basic grip on the concept and perform basic magic.
All the doctors say that I'll never get my wings back. But nobody around me is accepting that.
I hear a knock on the door.
"Come in." I say blankly.
A guard comes in with a scroll in his hoof and hands it to me, then walks out with a brief nod.
Opening the scroll, I see that it has the royal insignia of.. Twilight Sparkle? Why would she want to meet me?
Dear Victory,
I have heard that you were in a magical accident and would like you to come to Ponyville and have some tea with me at a local cafe. Celestia told me that you have been lonely and I would love to come and meet you in person.
See you soon,
Twilight Sparkle
Oh.. that sounds nice. Perhaps it would help make me feel a little better.
I check the date and time and see that it's tomorrow, and I walk to my room where I collapse onto my bed and fall into a deep sleep.
The Next Day
I get off of the chariot that brought me here and I walk toward the address of the restaurant to see that it isn't a restaurant, but more of a small cafe. Walking inside, I see Twilight Sparkle. Looking up, she notices me and beckons me over.
"Why hello, you must be Victory!" She says with a smile.
"Indeed I am. Hello." I say meekly.
"How are you?" She says with a upbeat tone in her voice.
"Good. You?"
A waiter pony trots over. "Could I get you anything to drink, Miss?" He says.
"Yes please. A mug of hot chocolate with extra whipped cream, please." I say without making eye contact.
"Coming right up, miss." The waiter walks back to the bar to get my order.
"I'm fine, thank you. So, how has your week been?" Twilight says.
"It's been better."
"I heard about what happened. I am so terribly sorry, Victory. I asked you here so I could take you to see if someone- a good friend, actually, can help you at all."
"Oh, Princess, you don't have to do that!" I say with sadness in my voice.
"Please, call me Twilight. I don't like all these formalities."
"Oh.. ok."
My hot chocolate arrives and I grab the mug, slurping down the whole thing in a few seconds and set it down with a clunk.
"Well, Twilight, when do we go?" I say.
"Right now, if it's okay with you."
I reach for my coin purse and take out a few coins to pay for my cocoa, set them on the table and walk out with Twilight leading the way.
20 Minutes Later
"This place is creepy. Are you sure you know where we're going?" I say with worry.
"Oh, yes, I'm %100 percent sure. Here we are!" Says Twilight.
We walk up to a gnarled tree with.. windows? That can't be right. Twilight taps her hoof on the door and a zebra with gold jewelry opens the door.
"Hello, Zecora. I'm so sorry about the sudden appearance, but I have a bit of a problem. You see, my friend Victory here was in a magical accident and switched from a pegasus to a unicorn and nopony has been able to figure out how to get her wings back. I was wondering if you could help." Says Twilight.
"Come in. if you please. The treatments of mine will put you at ease." says Zecora.
I walk into the gnarled tree that serves as the zebra's home and sit down on one of the many cushions that are scattered around the room, waiting for Zecora to speak again.
"You, with the coat of blue, tell me exactly what happened to you." Says Zecora.
"Well.. I was trying to stop somepony from stealing a blue orb from the Canterlot Castle
relics room.. it shattered on the floor and that's the last thing I remember."
"The orb's hue was blue?" She says.
"Yes, it was."
"This will simply not do. The orb's power did bad things to you."
"Like what?" I say with worry.
"You turned from a pegasus into a unicorn, and that has filled you with scorn."
"I.. I guess."
"Your cutie mark upon you, it is a phoenix of brilliant hue. The phoenix symbolizes rebirth, and from that, the answer is unearthed."
"Ok.. would you stop speaking in riddles please? I just want to get my wings back."
"Into order to have your wings return, you first must watch yourself burn."
Twilight looks up from a book she swiped off of one of the many shelves and looks at me.
"But, Zecora, that doesn't make any sense. How can she watch herself burn?" Says Twilight.
"Phoenix magic must be used to start a fire, in order for the wings to grow higher."
"I don't understand. What do I do with the fire?!"
"Step in the blaze you must do, your wings will return back to you."
"Victory, she's talking about how phoenixes are reborn. I've seen it before, they light themselves on fire and are reborn into a younger version of themselves."
"WHAT?! I have to light myself on FIRE?!" I yell.
"Indeed, that is what you must do." Zecora says.
I get up from the cushion I was sitting on and look Zecora in the eye.
"If that's what I have to do, then that's what I have to do." I say.
"I wish you luck in this ordeal, and I truly hope your wings will heal."
Back At Canterlot Castle
"Victory, this is what Zecora told you to do?" Says Celestia.
"Yes, Princess. I have to step in phoenix fire." I say.
"Luckily I have Philomena. She could light a fire for you if she was willing, which I'm sure she will be."
I follow Celestia to the castle roost, call Jinx to my hoof and set him on my flank to ride with me to the castle courtyard.
10 Minutes Later
I stare at the rising fire in front of me, feeling its heat and wondering if I am completely sane.
I turn around to look at Celestia and Twilight Sparkle who both have worried looks on their faces. Twilight nods and I close my eyes, walking into the fire as tall as I am, waiting for the flames to burn me to charcoal and ash, but feel no pain. Opening my eyes, I see blue sparks sparking up from bottom of the fire and landing all over me. Then everything turns blue and I touch my hoof to my back where I feel two bones sprouting out of the spot where my wings are. It's working! I toss my head back and laugh probably like a maniac right when my falcon flies in to sit with me.
"Jinx? What.. no! Shoo! You'll get burned!" I whisper.
Jinx just looks at me as he spreads his wings. I watch in awe at how the blue sparks settle on him too and consume his plumage, replacing it with the brilliant red and orange plumage of a phoenix!
All of a sudden the fire starts to subside and I feel the last bit of my wings grow.
Spreading them, I fly up out of the fire with surprising speed and land gracefully on the ground.
"Victory! Your wings are back! But.. your horn is still there.. you're an alicorn!" Twilight says in surprise.
"Wha?.. I'm an alicorn?" I feel my forehead and, believe it or not, the horn I had before sits on my forehead solid as a rock.
"But.. how?! I'm a princess? What is going on?!" I say in surprise.
"It must have been the fire that grew your wings back. Phoenix fire doesn't destroy those it heals.." Celestia says.
"Am.. I going to keep my horn? I didn't do anything to earn being a princess!" I say.
"Victory, you have done many things to be worthy of the title. You saved my life. You showed bravery by tackling that pony. You also showed bravery by stepping into that fire knowing that you very well could burn to death." says Celestia.
"I think that an act of bravery such of that is worthy of being a princess. Along with the Elements of Harmony, there are also other elements that contribute to the well-being of Equestria. Bravery, being the one thing that any people that have protected Equestria must have, is one of those elements. My friends and I, had we not had bravery, wouldn't have been able to use the Elements of Harmony to defeat Discord. Had we not defeated Discord, Equestria would be in a state of chaos." Twilight says.
I close my eyes to hold back a tear. "I don't know how to be a princess. What would I rule? It's not like there's anything to rule, is there?"
"Who said you need to rule a kingdom?" Celestia says with a gleam in her eye.
"Well, Princesses do rule over things, as far as I know." I say with a frown.
"I'm sure I'll need someone to rule with, Princess Victory." Twilight says with a grin.