A Rock and a Soft Place

Lucky day for Burning Heart, it was. She got guard duty in her local town of Canterlot. At least she didn't have to travel really far and look over ponies she hardly knew and have trouble finding places in the town. Canterlot was where she was born and raised. She knew this place like the back of her glistening hoof.

Burning watched over the locals of Canterlot. Most of them were upscale Unicorns. As far as she knew, Burning had no Unicorn heritage. She didn't know how her parents ended up in a place like Canterlot if they were a Crystal mare and an Earth stallion. Like is just fun that way. Like a little mix and match type deal.

Burning looked across the street and saw another guard. It was a Pegasus, a stallion, and he looked rather handsome. Burning decided not to approach him and stick to her duties. But she was dying to talk to him. She fixed up her armor a bit, straightened her helmet, and went back to observing the ponies, making sure they weren't trying anything bad. Because it was her job...

Cliffhanger looked over the Main Street. It was bustling about with ponies, and it was quite amusing to watch from the sidelines, all of them scurrying off to be at someplace or another. It was a beautiful day, and Cliff wished he could be not on guard duty, but he would do anything to help serve Equestria, and not enjoying one sunny day was a minor price to pay. He saw a mare across the street, wearing the unmistakeable guard armor.

She was like no mare he had seen. Living in Canterlot, there were the same kinds of mares, who had big, goofy manes and trotted around like they were some sort of show pony. The guard standing before him looked dignified, and at the same time, quite elegant, with her crystalline skin glistening in the sunlight.

He knew that he couldn't talk to her, and decided just to move across the street to where she was keeping guard.

As he was walking across the street, a pony smashed into him, carrying some sort of package in his hand, and sent Cliffhanger falling to the ground.

"Equestrian Guard! Halt!"

Burning Heart saw the other guard looking back at her. She could tell he saw something special in her. Something that the other ponies here didn't have. He also had the same qualities. Instead of looking frail, snobby, and super high class, he looked strong, loyal, brave, and down right amazing. She felt like she could relate to him. Even though she knew nothing about him, she could tell she would enjoy his company.

Burning took a deep breath and trotted over to him. As she was approaching, some pony had the nerve to run into him and shove him into the ground. That's the kind of respect you usually get around here if you didn't have the highest sign of "nobility."

Burning Heart ran in front of the pony and stopped him. He felt a fear of her that left a pony motionless. The pony couldn't move. He looked like a frightened statue. Not uncommon for Burning Heart.

Burning trotted over to the guard while he was traumatized and picked him up and stood him on his four hooves.

"You okay? Sorry I had to upstage you there. i'll let you handle it, if you want."

"It's fine, I'll take care of it, thanks," Cliffhanger says to Burning Heart awkwardly. He didn't know why he felt so awkward around her, he is usually great at talking with other ponies.

He walked over to the Unicorn who bumped him over, an inspected the suspicious box he had in his hooves. He opened it to reveal a cake, and let him pass, warning him to be slower.

Cliff then turned his attention to the mare in front of him. Shyness suddenly overcame him, and he didn't know anything else to say except for, "H-Hello, the name's Cliffhanger, you can call me Cliff, nice to meet you," and outstretched his hoof for a shake.

Well, Cliff got that job done. Burning was surprised at how he talked to her. He seemed a lot more shy than she imagined. Oh well, it was cute. His name was Cliffhanger. Cliff for shot. Not a bad name.

"Hey Cliff. I'm Burning Heart."

Burning extended her hoof to Cliff and shook it. She felt like some of his shyness was rubbing off on her. She soon found herself having trouble speaking to him. Then again, she usually gets awkward when she talks to a stallion she likes.

"So, Cliff... You from around here? I don't know why I haven't seen you before"

"Yeah, Canterlot, born and raised," he told her, "and you?"

Burning Heart. Burning Heart. What a beautiful name. It suited her very well, with her firey mane and tail. He had this weird feeling inside of his stomach, like a swarm of butterflies were racing in it. He quickly tried to tuck his mane inside of his helmet, trying to make a good impression. He didn't know why, though. He usually didn't really care what he looked like. It felt as if when he was with her, she was all that mattered. He knew it sounded corny, but he couldn't help it. He was FEELING corny. Like one of those shy stallions in a romance movie.

"I was too. Though I do end up traveling quite a bit. Every day I'm assigned somewhere else..."

Burning Heart could feel the attraction coming off of this stallion. Was she really that attractive? This is the first stallion she's seen to act like this. Hmm, maybe this was the right pony. Couldn't hurt to try. He looked like a nice stallion.

"So... Do you have a... special somepony?"

Burning regretted that the minute she said it. He face lit up red from such furious blushing. She began to feel attached to this stallion. She was almost shaking. Burning Heart can stop a robber or arrest a psychopath with ease. But talking to a stallion? She was like a wimpy little foal.