Saber Artist could have moved to Canterlot or another city that needed a city guard after his pa said he was ready. But, even though he came from a family of guard ponies, his aunt had gone off and settled in the small village of Hobby Bluff.
His aunt Heart Warden had said she needed an extra hand to help with the rash of recent incidents in town. So he went up north to help her. And everypony in town was friendly. They all invited him to the village's local activities, so he went and participated when he wasn't being sheriff or sleeping the day away.
His aunt Heart Warden had been the only guardspony in town, so his role was to take the night shift, and keep an eye around the village, patrol the bounds mostly. The residents were no problem, it was actually animals, and possibly a worrying mystery (or maybe nothing).
It had been a month and a half, and he missed his Ma and Pa, so he made the trip back to the Guardpony Training Center and nearby Shield Bay, where his Ma and Pa lived. It had been a nice week catching up with them, but they were both wondering when he was going to settle down with a nice mare. Auntie Heart tried to set him up before, but they weren't right.
Saber knew when the right mare came along, he would know.
So he was on his way back to his new home of Hobby Bluff, just outside Canterlot, when he heard and saw and knew.
Three other pegasi mares were flying around giggling when a fourth came flying low. He tried to get out of the way, and watched as she barely managed to make it over his head.
She didn't have a cutie mark, he noticed as she rushed away towards town.
So it was surprising to him, when a while later, as he was about to enter the castle to see Celestia, the same mare came darting out, and flew off in front of him again.
Her flying wasn't yet graceful, like she was still learning, but Pegasi learned these things so young. It was mystifying, and it seemed she was so excited to fly, yet obviously not a filly.
He was both confused and enchanted by the mystery pony.
He went in to see Celestia still thinking about her. Most likely she was off to her own village, and they wouldn't run into each other. But then again Princess Celestia had her ways and fateful encounters tended to come up again.
"Saber Artist, how was your family trip?" Celestia asked.
"Wonderful," he said. "It was a nice chance to go see how the new guardponys were doing too. And just spending time with Ma and Pa, and my cousins."
"I know it's big news when someone new shows up in your village, so I wanted to let you know first that there will be a new face. I would like to see all of you show your big welcome to Blue Yonder. She is a special visitor. That means she isn't always herself, if she seems non-responsive to anyone, it's best to leave her be until she comes to. Ask your Auntie, but I think it would be good for you to keep an eye on her and be a protector when she isn't 'responsive'."
"I know the city guard ponys have had some visitors in their guard troops, some of them have been rather loud and kinda aggressive, from the reports I hear. Will she fit it with Hobby Bluffs?" he said. He'd heard about the amazingly talented and powerful visitor-guardponies in Canterlot, but also heard about their oddities.
"Blue Yonder is much more of a curious sort of visitor. She loves to try new things, and is especially liking flying right now. You know how your neighbors love to try a new hobby, and have their block parties, or host game parties in their homes, Blue Yonder will fit in great! And actually, you've already run into her twice. She just came to see me before you did. She's blue with a darker blue mane."
He wondered why Blue Yonder would leave Celestia without getting sent to Hobby Bluffs by her.
"Blue Yonder wanted to fly her way up to the bluffs. Good for practice and enjoying her soaring."
"I should let the ponies on the outskirts of the village know, in case they find a lost villager," he said.
"I'll let you be on your way then," Celestia said with her princessly smile.
The doorway led straight into the Hobby Bluff's sheriff's office instead of back to Canterlot, due to the Princess' magic.
Auntie Heart Warden was sitting at a desk, going through their afternoon detective work. Normally there wasn't any of that to do, but with the animals let loose by who knows who and the mysterious string of thefts on farms around the village, there was.
"Nephew, you're back!" Heart Warden said. "Come here, this deserves a hug."
They hugged, and then he told his aunt about the trip, and about the newcomer Blue Yonder.
"I'm sure she'll be very nice and friendly. If Princess Celestia says she fits in, I can't doubt her."
He remembered how there has been unoccupied apartments in the top few levels of the big apartment complex in the village. He wondered why the little village needed a big apartment block, but all of the unmarried ponies in town lived in the apartment block.
Saber Artist had a nice apartment on the third floor, with plenty of room occupied with displaying and practicing with his sabers. Half of the apartment was taken by his dojo, and he trained curious village ponies from time to time, if they wanted to learn about sword arts. It was one of the ways he earned bits, in addition to working on cases and rounding up troublesome animals.
There were some pot-bellied pigs making trouble south of town last month. They even guzzled all of Maple Candy's syrup.
"Well I'm glad you're back, I'd love to have your eyes on this case again. I'm going to get a quick nap in and then go to Silver Shoe's game night."
"Ok Auntie, I'll let everyone know when Blue Yonder shows up in town, and let me know if you see her first."
"I'll be sure too."
He sat down at the desk. Thinking about sweets made him look for some in the drawer where Heart Warden put them. Maple Candies too. There were only three left. He took one of the shamrock mints instead.
Maple Candy was gathering her maple syrup from the Maple trees now, so she should have a new stock of candies soon!
He thought about Blue Yonder, what was she really like, when she wasn't zipping past.
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