Lord Valtasar

The Guardian

Neon passed through the rusty iron gate, it was heavy but nopony seemed to care to close it anymore, a good thing too as he wouldn't have been able to push it for much longer
the chill had started taking it's toll and most of the trees had shed their leaves, everything in this garden was about to die, including him, but he didn't care, he didn't come here for pretty flowers,or the birds chirping in their ignorant bliss, he came here to think, to think of how things could have been, if only.. he stopped, something was different today.
 there was a set of little hoofprints impressed in the mud nopony else came here for the last five years, or was it six? could he dare to hope? or was he finally losing it? he hesitated, then let a sigh, he could see his breath, winter is closer than i thought, he whispered, i guess there's nothing more to lose he thought as he started trotting forward again
 the hoofprints were playful, he imagined her prancing around as he followed them, he half expected the apparition to talk to him, to tell him to go away and never come back, or maybe.. maybe she could forgive him and everything would be as it should have been.. there was a puddle on a crossroad, he couldn't see the trail anymore but he knew where it lead, without breaking his stride he took a turn to the left and sure enough there there were, those tiny marks from tiny hooves, he almost dreaded going further, the truth waited on the next corner he was sure of it, but was it the truth he wished to see? he had no choice but to go and find out.
 but before he took that turn, he heard a voice humming a tune he didn't recognize, this wasn't right, he was sure he could pick her voice out from among a thousand fillies, even after all these years, and this one was not hers, tears started forming in his tired eyes but he willed them away and took one more step, the heaviest one he'd ever taken as if to contrast that one he took so lightly that day without a second thought.

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The Lady

Whisper has been watching the garden through her window for as long as she could remember, making stories in her head, it was her personal lush green labyrinth, complete with a scary guardian. he'd roam around it everyday without fail, ever since before she was born as her mother once told her, but she was a big girl now, her tenth birthday had passed and she was not scared, today was the day, she would go visit her labyrinth and thank him for protecting it, she knew where to find him of course, she'd seen the garden so many times from above that she had a map in her head, and he'd always end up on the same spot in the center by the big statue with the gargoyles
those were also guardians and helped scare the bad guys away, so she wasn't scared of them either. the sun hit the foot of her bed so she knew it was almost time, gliding down the stairs even though she knew she wasn't allowed to do it inside but she needed all the practice she could get if she was to fly soon, the other pegasi already started taking lessons, but her mom was not a pegasus so she had to wait for flight school, and that wasn't until spring, not today she said, today was a happy day and she wouldn't ruin it by thinking of that, she trotted for the door but her mom shouted from the other room "get your scarf it's cold outside, and don't go too far"
"i know i know" she replied, "only as far as you can hear my voice calling for dinner" she intoned trying to emulate her voice, seriously.. she was not a kid anymore, she knew these things "love you" was all her mother said and she grabbed the scarf and dashed out the door before her mother decided to make her wear that stupid old itchy sweater her aunt brought her for her birthday.
 once out, the wind took her by surprise, it was much colder than yesterday, so she quickly wrapped herself in that scarf, and almost turned back for that sweater aswel, but decided against it, she had to look regal for her subjects. before long, she was at the great gate, it looked so much bigger up close, everything was so different from the inside, it really was a labyrinth, but not for her, she met her first subject, Lightsong, an elegant unicorn bowing forever from atop her marble platform and she knew that meant she had to turn left, then she found that fountain that the little green birds liked to drink from in the spring, and then she met the stony guard, she had named him ser Rocky at first, but then changed it to Ser Granite once she learned that word, after asking him if everything is in order, she moved on to where the gargoyles are, she knew that's where the moving guard would be, she hadn't named that one, she wanted to ask him what his real name was. but he wasn't there, the sun had hit the little pegasus gargoyle so he should have been here, he always was, she decided to wait for him, she was so excited to finally meet her subjects in person that she started humming a lullaby that her mother used to sing for her, she wouldn't let her sing it anymore, she was a big girl now, but it was her treasure.

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The Encounter

there she was, a precious little angel, playing and humming right there, where he so desperetly hoped to see another, he almost turned to leave, not wanting to disturb her, but she heard him and run towards him "there you are" she said, "i wondered when you'd show up, i wanted to thank you for protecting my labyrinth" she spoke as if she knew him, even though it was the first time they met, he decided to play along, "but of course, this place is very special to me" he replied, unconciously looking towards the statues
"where are your parents, you shouldn't be alone out here"
"i'm not a kid" she said, with a bit of hurt in her tone, "oh yes of course, sorry about that, what is your name miss?" "Whisper" she said in a voice that was anything but a whisper, "nice to meet you miss whisper.." before he could say anything else a shout came from one of the nearby houses "WHISPER! COME HERE DINNER'S READY" and with that his heart was put at ease, she wasn't lost, she just lived nearby, that would explain why she knew him too, "i have to go" she told him, "but i'll come here again tomorrow" she stated trotting away, but then she turned around and asked "what is your name?", "Neon" he replied and without thinking much of it, he added "Neon Glow, my little one lives here" he said, surprising himself that he actually said that outloud "do you think you could be her friend?" he pointed at the little pegasus between the centaur and the changeling, she didn't seem afraid of them like most of equestria was, she simply said "they're already my friends" and then dashed out of sight, tears started rolling through his eyes, she had a friend just like she always wanted

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A New Friend

it started snowing the next morning but nothing could stop Whisper from going, she even put the itchy sweater on without complaining, but this time ser Neon was nowhere to be seen, nor was he there the next day or the day after, no matter how late she waited he didn't come, so she started playing with his little angel as he'd asked her, she owed him that much for his years of service, days became weeks, many moons had passed, the snows came and the snows went, she shared her secrets with her, how the others were already flying while she only glided, and how she'd sometimes wished she had a horn instead so she can do magic, or simple stuff like what she ate that day or a new game she learnt at school but after a while she begun to worry as she seemed to be having more and more cracks, and then one day when she came back from flight school, only the other gargoyles were there, "not you too" she whispered, staying true to her name for once "you were supposed to be there forever.." she started humming her precious lullaby as tears drowned her eyes, but then something knocked her to the ground, it took a moment, but she realised the cries didn't come from only from her anymore it was her friend, only she wasn't stone anymore, she was there for real, hugging her tightly and crying with her in what had now turnt into tears of joy, friendship really was magic, she needed no horn for it