Two Sides of a Tale

Shining's Office, Royal Guard Barracks: Canterlot

Shining was nursing a headache, and he knew why. Exactly why, and how something had set it off. Or make that someponies you see. He didn't want to talk about it. But of course seeing as how some deity somewhere hated him he was going to have to tell it anyway as he soon found out.

VWOOP! VWOOP! VWOOP!

Shining's eyes widened and he gave out a distinct groan as he heard the sound. He normally liked it, but not on today of all days as he knew it might just make his headache even worse if that were possible.

"Oh no... Don't tell me." Shining murmured.

All around him, a great room with many porthole like things in the walls and a round console with a sea green translucent pillar in the center of it and a metal floor around the console itself began to appear taking up the area around Shining and his desk. And at the console fiddling with it's controls was a grey furred stallion with a messy mane wearing a tweed suit and bowtie. A fez sat on his head.

"Oh Celestia above, who knew the Neighponeise knew how to party like there was no tomorrow? Well, there would have been if we hadn't saved them, eh Cadence?" The somewhat mad stallion laughed as he spun around in his place. Nearby, a pink alicorn watched with a expression of amusement before her eyes widened on seeing her coltfriend.

"Shiny!" She cried, accidently making her coltfriend's headache worse. The Doctor whirled his head around and saw Shining and he looked a bit ticked off.

'You, you think you can just come in my Tardis without asking?" He shouted. "I have rules you know, breaking them is not cool!"

"You appeared around me!" Shining shouted back, and the Doctor suddenly looked very embarrassed with himself along with a touch angry as he muttered "Oh, right... Well, in that case..."

It was then Cadence noticed her boyfriend's expression and the fact that he had a ice pack on his head.

"You alright? Go on, tell me what's wrong." She said in concern and Shining groaned once more as he muttered "I don't want to talk about it..."

"No, please do. Maybe I can help." Cadence said as she kissed him on the cheek and rubbed his shoulders making Shining blush. He hated it when she showed her affections in public.

"Well, since you asked..." Shining began.

A hour before...

Shining was in his office, just going over some maneuvers in his head when right at that moment both Blueblood and Lightning Dust barged in making him look up. Now Blueblood was probably normal enough, but I think you're probably wondering what Lightning Dust is doing here. Well, after Lightning helped to take down the rogue Captain Boltstrike she was put on probation instead of being taken back to the psyhicatric ward thanks to Shining pulling some strings. For almost a year now by Shining's count, she'd loyally defended Equestria from whatever threat my had arisen even during the Discord crisis.

"What is it?" Shining asked in annoyance. "Tell me, and make it quick. I've got work to do."

Both Lightning and Blueblood began yelling angry shouts of accusation and pointing at the other each at the same time making it impossible to tell what was being said.

"Okay, let me rephrase that." Shining corrected himself. "Tell me what happened, but not at the same time."

Little did the Captain of the Guard know it, but he'd sealed his fate...

Lightning's Story:

So, there I was at this bar in Canterlot. Very classy. I was just enjoying myself, flirting with other mares and stallions and all that but just for fun. I wasn't being serious about it, I never am. Anyways, I was just about to get up and leave for another bar, you understand I like to bar crawl just to see what else this city's got to offer. ...Damn, I've gotten off topic. So there I was leaving when I heard Blueblood's voice. I whirled my head around, and there he was trying to flirt with the bartender, Berry-Something or other. I never caught the name.

"Come on, just one date?" The Prince asked, only for Berry to shake her head and laugh.

"Sorry, you've got to defeat me in a drinking contest  first. I only go for the ones who can hold their drinks and not bring them back up again. That's just how it works with me really." Berry commented, and Blueblood looked offended.

"Is that a challenge? Well then, I say I accept!" He stated proudly. I laughed at this, as I'd seen Blueblood try and drink before. It never ended well. Let me put it to you this way, it was like watching a circus. Only without the bears, lions and elephants and only the clowns. Really drunk clowns.

"Well go on then, buy yourselves a few drinks and get to it." I egged on, wanting to see how this ended or to be more accurate how badly.

With Shining, Blueblood and Lightning

"THAT is not how things went!" Blueblood shouted furiously, with Lightning raising a eyebrow.

"Oh, how did it go then?" She asked sarcastically.

"Fine then, I'll tell you the real truth and only the real truth!" Blueblood retorted before he began his version of what went down that night. Shining raised a eyebrow, this was going to be good...

Blueblood's Story...

So there I was, watching Lightning flirt up a storm with the other bar patrons. It was just sad to watch, with none of them looking remotely interested in her. Mind you, I was having better luck with the bartender. Let me introduce you to Ms Berry Punch. She had the most beautiful fur in a grape color and wore a beautiful black dress. Quite possibly, she was the most elegant lady I had-

With Shining, Blueblood and Lightning

Lightning burst out laughing interrupting Blueblood's tale.

"Elegant?" She chortled. "She smelled like hard cider! And another thing, for your information anypony I flirted with looked interested. Some even flirted right back." Lightning snapped.

Blueblood rolled his eyes.

"...If I may continue."

Shining sighed before letting out a "Go ahead..." while in his mind he asked for Celestia or some other powerful deity to give him strength to be able to bear through this.

Blueblood's Story... (Continued)

Anyways, at one point as me and Berry talked Lightning Dust walked up and started flirting with what I hoped would soon be my marefriend! The nerve of her, right?

"You know, with all of those stallions waiting on you foreleg and hoof you would think you'd just have a stab at one of them." I told her. "But nooooo, you had had to go after my date!"

Whatever came out of her mouth next I didn't care to listen to.

"Blah-blah-blah..." Lightning said over and over in my mind.

With Shining, Blueblood and Lightning

"EXCUSE ME?" Lightning roared making Shining's eardrums ring. This would later what he thought would have been the start of his headache. Blueblood whimpered at Lightning advanced on him, with the smell of ozone in the air as he tugged at his collar.

"Go after your date?" Lightning snarled looking as if she was ready to fire off one of her bolts. "Far as I could see she wasn't interested in you and actually looked a bit annoyed."

"Uh, let's calm down now..." Shining tried to placate but to no avail.

"And another thing, first you say nopony is interested in me and then you say you saw them waiting on me on foreleg and hoof. You're contradicting yourself Bluey." Lightning almost sneered.

"Okay, I admit I may have taken a few liberties but Shining gets the point right?" Blueblood asked nervously and looked towards Shining for help but none was received. Shining wasn't stupid enough to get between a angry mare who could fry you to a crisp if she wanted to. It was then a Royal Guard came in looking rather nervous at the sight of the angry Lightning. Shining couldn't blame him really.

"What is it?" Shining asked, eager for something to distract him from this.

"Uh, there was this incident at this bar last night... The Prancing Pony I believe." The guard responded, and looked as if he would bolt from the room at any second.

"Believe me, I noticed." Shining replied dryly. "Please tell me you have security footage so I can deal with... this." He said, gesturing to both Lightning and Blueblood.

The guard held up a tape. On it, Shining, Lightning and Blueblood all saw three ponies drinking up a storm with everypony else cheering them on. The three ponies in question were Lightning, Blueblood and Berry. Berry was wearing a black dress, just like Blueblood said she was but it was covered in cider.

"Uh... Both Lightning and Blueblood owe a huge tab." The guard said nervously. Shining glared at both Lightning and Blueblood who gave him sheepish smiles. Shining pointed to the door.

Present Time...

"...So that's what happened." Shining sighed, as he finished explaining his tale. The Doctor looked as if he were in disbelief while Cadence looked sympathetic.

"Aww... Poor baby." Cadence said. "Is there anything I can do to make up for it?"

She then smiled seductively and gave her coltfriend a searing kiss leaving him dazed while the Doctor groaned in disgust and looked away.

"...That'll do." Shining whispered before falling over.

END