What Lies Underneath

by IvyBower101

Rating: everyone
Tags: Shining Armor, Wonderbolts, Flash Sentry, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Princess Cadance, Alternate Universe, Sad, Romance, Original Character
Length: 1044

Thorns is a lonely mare in the service of the Crystal Empire Royal Guard. Having served in the guard for 10 years, she decides to leave the service.

Thorns is a lonely mare in the service of the Crystal Empire Royal Guard. Having served in the guard for 10 years, she decides to leave the service. Moving back to Cloudsdale her hometown, she discovers how different regular life is. Many ponies along the way help her leave the past in the past and focus on her abundant future.

Published 2016-02-27 07:20:01 UTC
Last updated 2016-02-27 07:20:01 UTC

Time to Go

"Phew."

Thorns wiped her brow with her hoof and surveyed the room admiring her hard work. All the box's had been opened and the contents sent to various places. The box's were now in one big pile on the side of the room, ready for pickup later that day.

"Sheesh. This isn't what I imagined i'd be doing while in the guard."

Thorns thought ruefully. She quickly sidestepped the precariously placed box's and picked up her discarded armor. She dressed quickly and placed her helmet firmly on her head, before walking quickly to her superiors office. The hallways were strangely deserted, when usually they would be bustling with servants and soldiers getting to their destinations.

"Must be later than I thought. I didn't think the job would take that long."

She mentally shrugged and turned the corner to face her superiors, or more specifically, Flash Sentry's office. Thorns nodded at the secretary before knocking on the door.

"Come in."

Thorns heard a firm voice tell her from within. Thorns boldly pushed opened the door and stepped inside. Flash was appraising papers when Thorns walked in. She cleared her throat loudly to get his attention.

"Aw, Thorns. I take it you have finished your task?"

Flash raised an questioning eyebrow.

"Of course sir. I now ask your leave to take my rounds."

Flash didn't even bother to look up at her during the whole exchange.

"Fine as long as you have finished the requested task."

Thorns bowed her head and retreated from the office. Thorns repressed an aggravated sigh while walking passed the secretary. Once a safe distance away, Thorns let loose a sigh that bordered on screaming. She braced herself against the wall and breathed heavily.

"Who does think he is! I may not outrank him but that rookie should learn some respect. In terms of experience, compared to him I'm a general!"

Thorns thought angrily while regaining her composure. Cursing herself once again for declining any promotion she was granted, Thorns made her way to her room to grab her spear. Thorns nodded sharply at the sparse amount of guards she met in the halls. She soon made it to her room. Thorns room was fairly large for a pony of her station.

She pushed open her door and was greeted by the smell of garlic. Wrinkling her nose, Thorns looked around for her spear. Her room was fairly modest with a bed, closet, and bathroom. It was devoid of all other furniture. Thorns found her spear and the cause of the horrid smell at the same time. The spear was in her closet along with five cloves of garlic. Thorns gasped aloud.

"Jerks! They think their so clever! I get it. They want to repel the witch. Ugh, It's going to take days to get rid of the smell. "

Thorns was furious. She knew exactly who had done it too. Those jealous amateurs Steel Blitz and Iron Charge had a long standing joke. They called Thorns an old witch because she was nit picky and always expected her orders followed. Thorns took out her spear and slammed the door of the closet door shut. She slammed her door on the way out for good measure.

Thorns was radiating anger by the time she arrived at the main office. The pony giving out routes merely handed her a map and went back to reading his paper. Thorns quickly memorized it and thrust it in the waste basket. She marched angrily toward the south tower of the castle. Any ponies who happened to pass her, took one look at her face and gave her a wide berth.

She automatically did here rounds that night while still steaming. When she went back to her room after her rounds were done, she simple shed her armor, took a pillow and blanket and slept in the bathroom. The only non contaminated part of her quarters.

As she situated in her small and very uncomfortable bathroom, she mutter under her breath angrily about 'amateurs' 'totally immature babies' and otherwise unrepeatable curses. After a short while of blowing off steam, she became severely exhausted. This wasn't the fist or last prank she had to endure. Ever since joining the guard, she had to endure taunts torments and humiliation that came with being a female guard in the male dominated field.

All this had helped to turned her into a hardened pony perfect for the guard and at the top of her field. The new recruits still felt it there right to pick on the old 'witch' however. What really hurt her though was the lack of interest the superiors showed in her plight. Her being female they told her to suck it up as part of the job she signed up for. This was totally sexist and unfair however but there was literally nothing Thorns could do to change it.

After a few years of this treatment Thorns gave up and just learned to weather it. by the time Thorns had ascended to her current position she was a hardened and borderline cruel pony with no love lost with anyone. This was very unhealthy naturally and the ponies who actually happened to care for her, few that they were, saw her condition and were extremely worried about her. They constantly were telling Thorns to get out more and make friends but Thorns reacted badly to the mother henning from them. She became more reclusive and introverted, she barely even came to meals anymore.

While Thorns was reviewing all this in her mind she felt a shiver go down her spine. She knew it well, her sixth sense alerting her of danger. 10 years in the guard had her well acquainted with it. Leaping to her feet she hurriedly threw on her armor and bolted out the door hauling along her cumbersome spear. She would have left without it but protocol prevented her from ever doing something potentially dangerous without it.

She rounded a corner sharply, ran right to the source of the problem, then gasped aloud in horror.

Author's Note

First story in a while. :pinkiehappy: I should probably update my other stories but i'm lazy.:ajsmug: I'll get to it eventually. :trixieshiftright: