A Thousand Winters...

Chapters

Chapter 1: First Impressions
Chapter 2: The Prince and the Knight
Chapter 3: Autumn Blues

Chapter 1: First Impressions

Chapter 1: First Impressions

"Is he that bad?"

The wide stone courtyard echoed with the sound of scraping metal and pained grunts. The occasional spat curse could be heard as well. The summer sun beat down mercilessly down upon the one hundred stallions training in the vast open tree lined courtyard. No clouds hovered above, giving no cover as the fiery rays caused everypony to sweat profusely. The only shade was given by the mighty Royal Palace looming high above the training yard of the Military Wing. Scattered throughout the stone plaza were training dummies, some plain, others armoured- but all were being pummelled by somepony or another.

One such pony grunted as he bucked the armoured mannequin's head right where the nose would be. The slightly rusted helmet rattled noisily, but did not teeter off. Growling, the pony flicked his blue mane from his equally blue eyes and bucked the dummy again, harder. The head came clean off, sailing through the air before landing with a loud thud on the grass behind it. The unicorn stallion let out a satisfied huff before shaking his disheveled mane. The pony's pristine white coat was soaked through and through with sweat.

Shining set his haunches down upon a stone bench at the edge of the combat area, softly rubbing his rear hooves. Bucking wasn't his strong point, yet he could still snap the head off a mannequin without too much exertion. But magic- Shining smirked- magic, both offensive and defensive, he was second to none. The white coated unicorn smiled to himself as he remembered his first ever live combat magic duel. Poor Amber Flare never stood a chance. The unfortunate trainee had been incapacitated for four whole days.

Shining Armour's train of thought was broken by none other than Amber Flare himself. The gold coated unicorn had forgiven Shining for his 'overzealous' attack, and the two had become fast friends ever since. Shining chuckled to himself briefly as the other stallion approached. 'Overzealous' was the word used to describe Shining's attack, when in all honesty, it was a single energy pulse. But Shining being Shining, the pulse seemed to be many times stronger than what other unicorns his age could muster.

"You know, if I didn't know better, I'd say that you have some weird growth disease. Thats the third dummy I've seen you kill in the past three days. I swear to Celestia you're on steroids or something" Amber Flare mused as he took off his golden helmet before setting himself down beside the taller white pony. Shining couldn't help but laugh.

"Its called 'skill', Flare. Skill and exercise"

"I exercise, but never in my life have I been able to buck that hard. I dunno, you got some strange genes in there", Amber Flare said, poking Shining's shoulder with a forehoof.

Far to the ponies' right, two pegasus guards were locked in a rather vicious combat session, drawing the attention of more than a few ponies around them. Ears perking up at the swearing, Shining stood up, sharp eyes finding the fight quickly.

"Goddess, I wanna see this!" he exclaimed excitedly before dashing off to join the growing throng around them. The strong white stallion pushed his way to the front to gain a better view of the apparent death match unfolding before him. Both pegasus stallions were armourless save for the pair of gilded hoof guards strapped to their forehooves. Amber Flare shoved his way next to Shining Armour, his maroon eyes widening at the brutal fight. The entire crowd simultaneously let out a collective "Oooo".

The two battling stallions were sweating buckets, both managing an almost dance like routine of block, attack, dodge, counterattack. Every so often however, the larger of the two- an athletic white pegasus with a blue mane, not unlike Shining's own- would land a strong blow on his adversary's hide. The smaller pegasus had a dusky grey mane with a fair cream coat, now covered in a series of scattered red marks. It wouldn't take long for them to turn into bruises.

Shining smirked as the bigger stallion, who he recognised as being High Flyer, managed to kick his opponent in his stomach, forcing the air from the poor trainee's lungs. The smaller pony finally raised both forehooves in defeat, smiling as he backed away.

"And thats four in a row for the reigning King of the Courtyard, High Flyer" called a voice above the excited chattering of the crowd. Shining turned his head to see a tall grey coated, silver maned unicorn stallion. His voice had been amplified by magic, and grinned as he gave the victorious pony a firm brohoof. "Is there anypony else who can challenge him, or has this High Flyer risen too far for anypony to bring down?"

Amber Flare nudged Shining.

"Think you can take him? With a buck like yours you might actually kill him" the gold coated unicorn muttered. Shining grinned broadly. Briefly he ran the scenario over in his head.

Pegasi are fast cuz of their honeycomb like bone structure for flight, but lack any real muscle mass unless they undergo vigorous workouts every single day. Unicorns, while most of their strength lies with magical power, have much denser muscle mass, allowing for greater bursts of str-

The white unicorn's calculated thoughts were interrupted by a stern voice answering the challenge.

"I challenge him!"

The crowd parted to reveal an imposing shadow of a gargantuan unicorn. His mane was jet black, broken only by the vibrant silver streak running through it. His coat was the colour of splendid summer skies, and his eyes were tinted a bright minty green. Emblazoned upon his flanks was a golden shield wrapped in olive green laurel leaves. The entire courtyard bowed their heads as they made way for their regiment leader, the venerated and decorated Sergeant Skyfire. High Flyer gulped.

The Regiment Captain looked around at his recruits, raising an eyebrow as they stood there motionless. After a few moments of irksome silence, the blue unicorn chuckled.

"What? Can I not see what my new trainees are made of? C'mon, pick up your hoof guards. I promise I'll go easy on you"

A few nervous laughs rippled through the crowd as High Flyer tightened the straps on his forehooves. Flaring his wings up defiantly, the white pegasus lunged at his captain...before receiving a well aimed hoof to the face. He dropped like a rock onto the dirt, very very unconscious.

The crowd "Oooooo"ed.

"Somepony take him away to the Medical Wing, I'm sure a visit from Nurse Scarlett will cheer him up" the captain winked. Everypony chuckled. Shining too, only weaker than everypony else.

He had been thinking less and less of the fiery and arresting Nurse lately, which seemed odd to him. He was a stallion, a stallion in the prime of his life. Why wouldn't he think of beautiful mares, especially when one was so close to him in the Barracks? Why wasn't he thinking of mares at all anymore? And why, why oh why did he find his eyes falling to attach themselves onto Amber Flare's firm, round fla-

"What you need to remember everypony is that one of the most sensitive part of a pony's body is their muzzle. A single, well aimed blow with enough force can incapacitate almost anypony, if not cause them to tear up with excruciating pain"

Shining was grateful for the interruption, quickly ripping his gaze away from his friend's behind and tried instead to pay attention to his captain.

The day passed quickly from then on. Training sessions were over, leaving only theory work and dinner left. Lazily, Shining and Amber Flare walked towards the Great Hall of the Barracks, the dinner bell tolling loudly from its domed roof. The pair were greeted by a wave of raucous chatter as they hauled open the tall double doors. Ponies of all races sat in the eight circular rings of tables that made up the dining hall's layout. Shining and Amber Flare quickly nudged their ways into seats on the outer ring- reserved for trainees and new recruits only.

"What in Celestia's name is this?" the blue maned unicorn asked as he looked at the plate before him. The green lumps may have once been considered a variety of vegetable, broccoli most likely judging by the smell. However, Shining could not fathom what exactly the slightly brown lump was next to it.

"I believe this is food, although I'm not too sure..." mused the gold coated unicorn beside him. However, Amber Flare dismissed the odd blend of mush with a simple "meh" before eating.

As the bell tossed for the final time that evening, various guards scrambled out of the hall to go to their nighttime duties. To everypony else however, the chiming signalled free time. Hopping gracefully from the bench, Shining Armour trotted towards the North Wing of the Barracks.

The Wing consisted of a single rectangular building with a narrow stone plaza running through its centre. The dormitory windows looked out onto the courtyard going three floors high. Two gold topped towers flanked the Wing. Along the sides of the stone courtyard ran a series of wide arches supporting the weight of the dorms above them, creating a covered vestibule like area beneath them. The stars were beginning to appear in the lavender coloured sky above as the white unicorn trotted through the empty yard, paying no attention to the neatly trimmed and tended trees that ran down its length.

Shining's eyes however were fixated about the twilight sky above him. The light purple tint reminded him of his little sister, living comfortably under the wing of one Princess Celestia herself. Thinking of Twilight reminded Shining to write her a letter tonight before going to bed.

After an hour or so of writing and stretching, Shining went to sleep.

BOOOOONG

"Goddess-dammit!"

However much Shining Armour loved being in the Royal Guard, he would never love the ridiculously early and stupidly loud bell which summoned ponies from their dorms. His groan was matched by his roommate, a pegasus by the name of Razorwind.

"There is no reason in all of Equestria as to why its considered okay to wake up a pony at five o'clock in the bucking morning!" Shining only groaned back in agreement. Why? Why did the night disappear so quickly?

Forcing himself from his bed, the white unicorn stallion shook his ragged mane from his eyes before stumbling into the bathroom.

Using his magic to tighten the straps around his stomach, Shining looked at himself in the mirror. He was dressed in the light brown armour of a new recruit, having only joined the Guard three months ago. Smiling smugly to himself, Shining started to turn out the door when he caught sight of Razorwind trying to put his own armour on. The athletic pegasus flexed his wings as he slotted them through the allocated holes in the armour. For reasons completely unknown to Shining, the unicorn couldn't drag his eyes away from the other stallion's strong back.

Whoa, what was that? He shook his head and left, making his way down to breakfast.

It wasn't until much later on in the day that things start to get interesting.

"HAHAHA! Oh my Goddess that was bucking hilarious!" wheezed Shining, his face contorted into a look of pure hysteria was he fell back on the stone bench laughing. Amber Flare bit down on his lip in pain, biting back the tears. The fiery sensation running up his hind legs from his hooves was almost nauseating. He had tried to buck a training dummy in the head with the same amount of force Shining could.

"Its not funny..." Amber spat, fighting to stand properly after his failed attempt. His legs wobbled slightly as he waddled over to crash down next to his taller, clearly stronger friend. "How the hay do you actually manage to get that strong? I mean, your muscles are like twice as big as mine, and your magic damn freakishly powerful. We do exactly the same exercises, both physical and magical"

"But, I do them properly" Shining quipped. Amber shoved him lightly. The afternoon was passing slowly by. The training yard wasn't filled with the full regiment today, only about three dozen ponies actually doing any exercises. A few were sparring and a pair of unicorns were practising a magical duel. Shining had discarded his armour, leaving it resting against the yard wall. All in all, a seemingly normal day.

Until Sergeant Skyfire came marching towards him.

The regiment captain came striding towards the pair of laughing ponies in his full armour, gleaming gold in the sunlight. His tall white crested helmet was lined with amethyst studs, showing his rank. As the hulking unicorn approached, Shining and Amber stopped talking immediately, both standing up and saluting swiftly.

"Ahhh don't bother with all that. its Shining I want to speak to anyway" the captain said gruffly. Shining's heart stopped briefly before frantically turning to his friend. Amber Flare only nudged his head in the direction of their captain, not saying a word. Shining gave him a quick glare that meant 'well you're a great deal of bucking help'.

"U-Um, of course sir? What do you require?" Skyfire inclined his head down to a small saddle bag he was carrying. His long horn lit up with a bright blue glow as the bag flipped open, revealing a small pile of neatly folded papers tied with a red ribbon. A golden 'C' was stamped in wax in the centre. Shining's heart began to quicken. Thats Princess Celestia's Seal, oh Goddess what have I done?

"Royal Orders", Skyfire explained, levitating the documents in front of Shining's now sweating face, "seems the Princess has taken a keen interest in your progress, and so have I" The white stallion looked at his superior with an expression of disbelief.

"I-Interested how, sir?"

"Interested in the fact that you can buck a training dummy to death with one kick, the fact that your magical powers exceed that even of some of the most experienced of the Guard, and interested that you have excelled in every theory tests and combat evaluation we have given you", the Sergeant gestured towards the documents, "read it".

Tentatively, Shining Armour took hold of the papers in his own magical field, breaking the Royal Seal with agonizing slowness. His eye twitched as he brought the parchment to his eyes, Amber Flare craning his own head in to get a look. Both ponies eyes widened as they scrolled down the elegantly curved writing, written none other by Princess Celestia herself.

Dear Cadet Shining Armour,

It has come to the attention of myself and several other members of the Royal Canterlot Guard that your progress in your military training his second to none. I have heard much of your achievements and exploits over the past three months, from the very first day you enlisted.

It is not unaware to me that you just so happen to be the older brother to the lovely Twilight Sparkle, and it fills me with joy to know that two siblings both excel in the things that they love. It was with great pleasure that I read through your entire file, given to me by your esteemed superior, Sergeant Skyfire. I have conversed much with the Captain of the Royal Guard, Golden Aegis, and both of us have come to the conclusion that you are ready to be elevated to the next stage of your career.

It is with great pleasure that I raise you to the rank of Private. Your new status allows you to wear the armour of the Guard, and to be counted as one of them in all respects.

Congratulations young Private, I hope to hear more of your achievements for years to come

Your Ruler and Monarch

Princess Celestia

P.S: I told Twilight of the news. Expect a very cheerful letter soon.

Shining stood there motionless for a moment while Amber Flare grinned hugely.

"Well done buddy!" he said, slapping Shining on the back with a forehoof. The white unicorn shook his head at the news. He looked at Skyfire, who had a sly smirk pulling on the corners of his mouth.

"Welcome to the Guard"

For once in his life, Shining was up before the morning bell. Not only that, but he had washed, groomed and dressed himself. Razorwind was still snoring. With a heart full of pride, the blue maned unicorn looked at himself in the mirror. Gone was his dull brown harness, now replaced with a gleaming set of gilded and engraved plate steel. The golden inlay in the helmet sparkled in the early dawn light, the tall proud white crest marking him as a member of the Unicorn Guard.

The bell chimed loudly, causing the sleeping pegasus on the other side of the room to loudly scream something along the lines of "bucking-bell-why-is-it-morning-already-bucking-dammit!"

"Morning Raze" Shining said giddily. The pegasus looked at his roommate with bemused confusion before spying the gleaming suit of armour on his body.

"Oh yeah, your bloody promotion"

Shining let out his biggest, cheesiest grin for the pegasus.

"Private!"

It took Shining a second to realise that it was him being addressed. He looked up from his bowl of oatmeal to see a lanky unicorn stallion trot towards him. Shining recognised him as Hermes, the fastest sprinter in his regiment.

"Sergeant ordered me to give you this", his magic held a small scroll tightly wound round, "your Duty Orders."

The blue maned stallion eagerly undid the scroll, his striking blue eyes scanning the words. He furrowed his brow slightly as he read, so then reread the note.

"It says nothing on here about where I'm posted. It only says the Cloud Wing, but not where or who with"

"Thats because you're not with anypony else. Princess Celestia has ordered you be posted as personal Bodyguard to her nephew, Prince Blueblood"

Personal Bodyguard? Wow...Shining thought as the words rang in his head.

"What's the Prince like?" he asked curiously. Hermes shuddered.

"I feel sorry for you Private, I really really do"

The second bell of the day tolled, signalling the beginning of the morning's duties. Shining galloped full sprint to the regal Cloud Wing of the Royal Palace, a stately building that overlooked the magnificent Court of the Sun and Moon one side and the vast breathtaking Valley on the other. Four regal towers crowned the curved section of the Palace.

Shining cantered up the sweeping marble stairs that led to the upper levels of the Wing, eagerly awaiting to see his new charge. Hermes had been incredibly vague on Blueblood, which to Shining was less than unhelpful. The strong unicorn started to slow however when he heard the faint sounds of...wait, thats...screaming! Somepony's in trouble!

With all the speed he could muster, Shining raced pull sprint towards the source of the anguished cries. From the pitch, it was a mare. Like a knight from the old foal tales told to him by his grandmother, Shining Armour found the room from which the screaming was coming from. It was the final room on the tallest floor, dead ahead of him. Like an iconic hero, Shining burst into the room, a spell already at the ready. The double mahogany doors swung open as he charged in.

"STOP! In the name of Celes-"

The guard pony stopped when he found the source of the screaming. A white coated, blond maned unicorn stallion lay curled up in the far corner of the room, wailing in complete and utter terror at the opposite corner of the ceiling. Shining turned his head. A single tiny, miniscule spider sat there, still and silent.

You have got to be kidding me. The other stallion shouted and cried as the spider moved a leg. Keeping his composure, Shining turned to the panicked pony.

"What seems to be the problem your highness?", knowing full well what it was. The Prince raised a shaking hoof to the corner of the room.

"T-T-That t-t-t-thing! That hideous a-abomination of nature! Remove it NOW!"

Kill me now, Shining thought painfully.

His horn lit up with a bright magenta glow as he took hold of the spider, levitating it carefully as he placed it gently outside onto one of the pillars that supported the small balcony at the far end of the room. As the little arachnid scuttled away, Prince Blueblood stood up slowly, still shaking uncontrollably.

"I-Is it gone?"

"Yes your highness" Shining replied flatly. Regaining some of his composure, the Prince stood up at last. Shining raised an eyebrow. The other stallion has almost as tall as him, albeit considerably less bulky. Shining's athletic frame was somewhat larger than other unicorns anyway. A bright compass cutie mark glinted on Blueblood's flank as he tossed his lavish golden mane to the side.

"Ahhh, well thats good then. Now, go fetch me my Monday Suit. Hop to it guard!"

Shining almost spluttered.

"I,I'm sorry your highness, I don't-"

"The BLACK ONE WITH THE BLUE TIE! Honestly, are they letting simpletons into the Royal Guard now? Aunt Celestia help us all"

Not wanting to damage the clearly fragile Prince, Shining Armour started towards a large, elegantly carved oak armoire encrusted with blue gem stones the size of Shining's hooves. As he started to open the wardrobe, a shrill shriek interrupted him.

"NO! In the other wardrobe! Honestly, my dear fellow are you feeling well? Should I call a doctor? You seem to be disorientated. Oh wait, dear me I had forgotten, you are the new guard am I not correct?"

Shining stamped his hooves to attention and saluted, just like he rehearsed in his dorm.

"Private Shining Armour reporting for duty, Your Highness!"

Blueblood sniffed.

Oh dear Celestia, please tell me he isn't like this all the time?

"Shining Armour? its unfortunate the same cannot be said for your actual armour. Honestly, there is dust and scuffs all over it. Did they give you the spare set?"

Shining internally fumed. He had spent hours polishing his brand new suit the previous night. Hours! It was so shiny that Razorwind was partially blinded when the candle reflected off it.

"Anyway, the other wardrobe, cadet"

"Thats Private..." Shining growled almost silently under his breath as he walked towards the second armoire. he was greeted by a dozen suits, all of them black with blue ties. Not knowing which one was the 'Monday' suit, Shining picked one at random before handing it to the Prince.

"No, NO, NO! I said the MONDAY suit!"

Blueblood huffed and shoved his way past Shining to grab the third suit from the left. It was identical to the one Shining had in his hooves.

The sun had almost set by the time Shining stumbled back into his dormitory. Razorwind was already inside, writing a letter to his brother. As Shining crashed down onto his bed, still in full armour, the pegasus turned. He smirked.

"So...how was it?"

Shining groaned...

Chapter 2: The Prince and the Knight

Chapter 2: The Prince and the Knight

"Its a big world out there..."

BOOOOONG

Shining almost burst into tears. That bell had become a death knell for him every day for the past week. Not even on Sunday was he free from the menace that was his charge. Blueblood had ordered that Shining Armour be brought in during his free time to perform a magical scan of his chambers to check for spiders. Shining half expected to be ordered to check under the bed for monsters.

Another thing which grated on Shining more than anything was Prince Blueblood's complete and total lack of appreciation for anything anypony did for him. In addition to Shining, the Prince had a day-maid, a night-maid, an entire team of cleaners, a manedresser, three spa specialists, a coach (rarely used), and four chariot chauffeurs. It never really occurred to Shining why Blueblood constantly insisted on calling on him to do most jobs however.

"Wakey wakey Shiny-Winey" chimed Razorwind sleepily. Shining flipped up a forehoof in a rude gesture in return. The coal black pegasus laughed, flexing his toned forelegs and wings as he stretched himself awake. The white unicorn stallion became just a little bit more alert as his eyes caught sight of Raze's rippling mus-

BOOOOONG

"For buck's sake we're awake!" howled Raze as he stumbled out of his bunk into the bathroom. Shining shook his head as his room-mate vanished into the shower. What the buck is wrong with you? Why d'you keep lookin' at stallions lately? Why not mares like you always have?

Breakfast was an unusually dull affair this particular morning. Amber Flare was nowhere to be seen. It didn't take long for Shining to find his room-mate Fire Star however.

"Oh you don't know do you", the red maned unicorn muttered, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, "Amber Flare's in the Medical Wing at the moment. He tried bucking the wall last night- said something about killing a training dummy tomorrow. Anyway, he actually managed to crack his hoof"

Shining grimaced, but couldn't help but smile afterwards. Poor, poor Amber Flare. Shining had a mental note to visit him later on that day.

For once during the entire time since being appointed as Blueblood's protector, Shining Armour didn't mind his job. He had been commanded no less, to stand by the edge of the tall clear windows that looked out onto the Prince's private balcony. The grand glass doors were wide open, letting in a refreshing breeze, the sounds of the city of Canterlot drifting in with it. Blueblood himself was currently having himself groomed for some kind of royal reception later that afternoon. His lack of presence allowed Shining to fully examine the Prince's royal chambers.

The chambers consisted of two rooms joined together by a wide curved archway. The ceiling was low, but still high enough for a marvellous crystal chandelier to hang without any obstruction. All the walls seemed to be of the same cream wood panelling, beautifully engraved with carvings of ships and the sea. A wide circular table sat at the end of the first room, covered with a wonderfully detailed map of Equestria and the outlying nations. Compasses and sextants, along with quills and measuring sticks were spread out in organised chaos over the map. It hadn't taken long for the blue maned guard pony to figure out that Blueblood's talent was cartography.

Apart from the elegantly carved 'wrong' wardrobe (as Shining had taken to calling it), a wide varnished bookcase stood next to the door. The Prince's bed lay in the second room, a massive four posted piece of furniture, a pair of leaping dolphins set into the headboard in gold. A luxurious couch covered in blue cushions lay opposite a magnificent fireplace, the hearth shaped like seahorses.

Damn, the rich sure know how to live. Shining's peace was interrupted as the Prince strutted into the room, his mane expertly brushed and styled. His hooves shone brightly in the sunlight and his coat was brushed to perfection. He also smelled of lavender oils. Something very odd suddenly stirred in Shining's chest upon seeing the dashing young Prince. Not even Shining could deny that Blueblood was a handsome stallion, but seeing him like this, almost perfect...

"What do you think Shining Shield? Don't I look sublime?"

Shining coughed. "Um, its Shining Armour your highness, and yes you do look very, um...sublime..." He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. the Prince shot him a bright smile as he examined himself in a full length nightwood frame mirror.

"Now do be a useful little pony and fetch me my Royal Reception Suit"

Shining gulped. he had almost worked out how the noblepony's suits were arranged, but not quite. What the buck was his Royal Reception Suit? Opening the armoire, Shining carefully traced his hoof along all the one which he knew were not said suit. That left a possible three choices. Blindly picking the one most to his right, Shining handed Blueblood the expensive clothing.

The haughty unicorn took hold of the suit with his magic, a light blue glow wrapping itself around the black jacket.

"Ahhh, I see that you're learning. Good, it seems that you are not completely incompetent. Now, go fetch me those white diamond cuff links. They're on the bathroom dressing table"

Bathroom? There's a bathroom?

Shining trotted into the second room of the chambers. past the bed a door stood shut.

"Wow..." Shining breathed as he opened it. The bathroom as made entirely of white marble, silver swirls plated on the walls. A single massive bathtub lay in the centre of the room, wide enough for at least four ponies to lay in comfortably. A whitewood dressing table rested at the far end of the room, a wide wash basin next to it.

Spotting a small black box sitting next the elegant mirror, Shining started towards the dressing table. He jumped a bit when his bulky armour brushed against a tall vase standing on a stone pillar. The delicate container teetered, wobbling precariously. Shining's hoof shot out to catch the priceless relic before it fell, sighing with relief. Relief that soon disappeared when his tail brushed against a taller vase on the floor behind him, containing walking sticks and polished canes. The skilled unicorn's horn lit up to stop the falling rods...too late.

"Buck!" Shining swore as a glass topped sceptre smashed against the cold marble floor. Hundreds of tiny fragments of crystal clear glass ran in all directions. "Goddess-dammit", Shining let go of the vase and turned to the mess he had created. He let go too quickly. The porcelain container fell end first onto the marble, likewise shattering. Shining's blue eyes darted back and forth sheepishly. What have I done? Goddess help me!

"What was that?"

"Shit..."

The door opened further as Blueblood poked his head round the corner, eyes finally finding a rather skittish Shining. The guard pony's horn was ablaze with magenta light, struggling to hold the broken cane and vase floating behind him from the inquisitive Prince.

"What in Equestria is taking so long? And what exactly are you doing I might ask? What are you holding?" asked Blueblood with a suspicious raise of his eyebrow. Shining grinned stupidly, sweating slightly beneath his golden helmet.

"Um..."

"'Um'..?"

Shining's horn brightened slightly as he extended his magical reach to pick up the cuff links. He hovered the black box to the Prince, still trying to hold his ruined belongings behind him out of the Prince's view.

"Your cuff links, your highness"

Blueblood grinned his perfect grin as he took hold on the container in his own magic field.

"Ahh good! Now come along um...Shining, I want you to accompany me to the meeting. We'll become acquainted with several of the highest nobleponies from Neighpon, and I want you with me just in case"

"In case, your highness?"

Blueblood turned round, mouth agape in the expression of 'are you mad?'

"Those Neighponese guards carry swords with them. At all times! Whos to say they won't use them should the meeting turn sour? No, I want you with me to fend them off should they attack us"

Shining rolled his eyes. It was highly unlikely that the meeting would go that badly. Although with Blueblood as part of the welcoming commission it probably will. And it was highly unlikely that Princess Celestia would let such weapons be drawn in her presence. She was a goddess after all.

"What time is the meeting your highness?"

"Exactly eleven minutes time. Come on now, Aunt Celestia will be expecting me now"

Of all the dull things that Shining had experienced over the course of his life, nothing could compare in the levels of tediousness and sheer boredom that this reception had.

He had stood there still as a statue, not daring to even blink- for over three solid hours. The ambassadors from the mysterious eastern pony kingdom had been very honoured to have been greeted by the Princess herself, and the trade negotiations went rather smoothly. The massive time consuming act however was the formal 'courting' of the foreign dignitary's daughter, an elegantly dressed mare by the name of Lady Hi-No-Hana.

Blueblood had danced, dined, exchanged gifts, and finally bid the eastern noblepony goodbye with a kiss on her hoof. Shining restrained a yawn as his charge trotted away merrily, humming tunelessly.

"Well that was a truly enjoyable experience. Those Neighponese ponies were fascinating, not to mention regal. I though Canterlot was the jewel in the crown of Equestria, but if these stories of Neighpon are true, of blossoming trees and cloud ringed mountains- oh, it makes me almost want to just disappear off into the mist to see it all"

"No killings then?"

"Oh, um...well, not this time. But you never know. These eastern ponies have some very unusual customs. Who knows what kind of offenses and slights they may take"

Shining chuckled as he and the Prince ascended the carpeted flight of marble stairs that led back to the Cloud Wing. As stuck up as Blueblood could be, Shining had to admit that he was a completely different kind of pony when in his comfort zone of politics. The blond maned unicorn was courteous, polite, and very very charming. The guard pony also took an interest in watching him go about his funny little ways. Every morning, Blueblood would scribble in another coast, cove or inlet on the extensive map of Equestria he was creating.

"Your highness, may I be so bold as to ask a question?" Shining asked politely, remembered what happened the last time he had done so without permission. He had never seen a full grown stallion look so aghast in horror. 'Disrespectful' and 'impudent' were thrown around a lot.

"As long as its suitable for my talents, go right ahead dear fellow"

"Have you ever actually been away from Canterlot before, as in, to any other city or town in Equestria"

Blueblood stopped briefly in his tracks, lowering his head slightly before trotting forward back to his chambers in earnest.

"No...I regret to say I have never even left the Royal Palace, good guard. Only once do I remember being outside in the city. It was a long while ago, when Mother was still here"

Shining had never really wondered about the Prince's parentage. He knew that Princess Celestia was his aunt, but apart from the mythical Mare in the Moon, Luna, the sun goddess had no other siblings. The blue maned unicorn opened his mouth again.

"Who was your mother?"

Blueblood had arrived at the double mahogany doors to his chambers, but simply stopped. He turned his head to Shining briefly, his aqua eyes showing...what was it...regret? The haughty unicorn simply huffed, flicking his tail as he waited for his bodyguard to open the door. Drawing a brief blank, Shining's horn lit up before swinging the doors wide.

As soon as both ponies were inside, Blueblood snorted. He faced Shining Armour with a cold, but almost sorrowful stare.

"Do not ask that question again, lest I find a replacement for you. Preferably one who doesn't ask so many questions!"

Shining backed away a step or two.

"M-My apologies you highness, it won't happen again"

Blueblood's stare died as he sighed deeply, shaking his regal head slightly. He plodded over to one of the two wardrobes and opened it with his magic.

"No, you weren't to know. I can't really blame you, being a common pony"

Shining reeled internally at the comment. He was Canterlot born and bred, from one of the most esteemed magical families outside of the city's Highborn Aristocrats. The blue maned guard pony held his tongue however. It was a half apology he guessed.

Blueblood slipped out of his suit, slotting it perfectly back into its allocated place. The Prince trotted over to the balcony overlooking Canterlot. The summer wind stroked his golden mane from his face, and the royal pony let out a very mournful sigh. The sounds of the bustling capital flooded into Blueblood's chambers, the sun streaming through the balcony arch. With all the maritime décor and furnishings, Shining felt as if he was in the luxury home of a merchant or sea captain, the sounds outside those of a thriving port then Equestria's capital.

Tentatively, the guard took a step forward towards his charge before the Prince swirled round, a neutral expression stuck to his handsome face.

"I need to leave this Palace, Shining Armour. I need to see the wide world that everypony speaks of, to see the places that I draw on this map for myself. Canterlot has expended itself upon me, and I am tired of its mundane goings-on. Where is the interest in politics and business deals? I want to see the world."

Shining furrowed his brow slightly.

"Why don't you, Your Highness?"

"Because, my dear colt, I am a Prince. And Princes cannot simply go wherever they please, as everypony seems to think. Even my beloved Aunt Celestia cannot depart Canterlot without letting half of the City Council know."

Shining didn't like being called colt. He was older than the Prince anyway by a year. Blueblood wandered into his bed chambers and hauled his white form upon the four posted bed, leaving Shining standing alone in the adjoining room. Not knowing what further use he could be to the young stallion, the blue maned pony spoke up.

"Do you need anything else, Your Highness?"

He was answered by a very wistful:

"No...you can go for today..."

Liberated from his duties, Shining galloped to his dorm before placing his polished armour carefully back into the large trunk he kept under his bed. Razorwind was on patrol above the city, leaving the white unicorn all alone in his shared room. Shining smirked as he saw the two halves of his quarters. Razorwind's belongings were strewn across his unmade bed in a gigantic heap of general crap. There were leftover celery stalks and carrots that the black pegasus had smuggled out of the Great Hall, pieces of scrunched up paper, and sweaty gym wear.

Shining on the other hoof, had a pristine bed and desk, free from junk and refuse - a point that Shining was always polite enough to bother Razorwind with whenever he got the chance. This time was a particularly bad scene. A great pile of papers balanced precariously on the edge of his room mate's desk, all of them letters from friends and family. As he trotted into the bathroom to wash his mane, Shining's long tail caught the papers.

"Dammit!"

In a less destructive repeat of that morning, the white pony's clumsiness shone again. Cursing and muttering to himself, Shining began to sort out the fallen letters, carefully putting them into neat piles with his magic. As he diligently restored order to his side of the room, Shining's blue gaze fell upon a an open envelope. In his mind he knew that it wasn't his business to nose into his room mate's belongings, but curiosity drove him.

Shining ended up pulling out a small photograph of an attractive pegasus mare with a turquoise coat and a white-silver mane and tail. She was leaning over a bedstead, he eyes seductively looking at the unicorn. Her hind legs were crossed, covered with a pair of pink and purple stripy socks. She looked beautiful. The young stallion noticed small scribbled hoofwriting on the back of the photo, Shining laughed as he read:

Miss me baby?

It was Rain Flower, Razorwind's marefriend. The black stallion often boasted to Shining on the fact that he had a Very Special Somepony whilst he didn't, something which always grated on Shining. In his humble opinion, he wasn't a bad looking stallion. Back in school, more than a few mares had expressed interest in him.

But you don't think of mares any more do you?

Shining opened his mouth to snap back at the annoying voice in the back of his head, but turned his head to the floor. That annoying little voice was right. But he'd liked mares all his life, like any young stallion does. And yet...

The white unicorn huffed to himself in frustration.

The afternoon sun still beat down hotly as Shining made his way to the Medical Wing of the Royal Barracks. Around him, various guards made their way to their duty points in twos and threes, some occasionally nodding to the young Private. There were few clouds in the sky, and little shade was received when Shining made his way into the small hospital that comprised the entirety of the Barracks' South Wing.

High windows let in streams of sunlight, bathing the long cubicle lined hall with white light. Even in here, the heat was intense. Various nurses trotted to and fro from the few injured stallions that lay resting in the beds, either from training or accident. But all of them seemed to be blissfully ignorant of their pain as the mares around them winked and quipped suggestive remarks to them. Everypony knew they were only teasing, but that didn't stop poor Amber Flare from desperately trying to seduce Nurse Scarlett.

"I leave you alone for five minutes and you end up cracking a hoof...what am I going to do with you?" Shining chuckled as his friend beamed happily.

"It wasn't a cracked hoof, it was a moderate fracture! It's worth it if I can beat you at bucking. Take it Prince Prissy-Pants let you go free then?"

"Don't even talk about that. This morning consisted on standing still for three hours while he chatted up some Neighponese noblepony. They even got lunch. I haven't eaten yet" muttered the white unicorn as his stomach protested with a resounding grumble. Amber Flare smiled, shooting his brown gaze to his bandaged rear hooves.

"I'm fine by the way, thanks for asking"

"Sorry, I'm just stressed. Blueblood is...weird, to say the least."

"Anypony who has a suit for each day of the week is weird. Is it true he never leaves the Cloud Wing?" asked the crippled pony on the bed.

Shining let out a chuckle. "Yeah, but according to him, he's never left Canterlot, not even the Palace! He keeps going on about seeing the world or something like that. Nearly got in trouble today for mentioning his mother."

"Why?"

"No idea, but I've got a day off tomorrow. When you gonna be out and about again?"

Amber Flare let out a pained smile. "Not until next week. Nurse Scarlett said I gotta wait until the healing salves complete their stuff before walking on these again." He wiggled his rear hooves feebly. "And I'll listen to anything she tells me to do...anything"

Shining laughed.

"C'mon, like you wouldn't too?" the other unicorn said.

Shining just shrugged it off with another laugh.

No...I don't think I would...

Chapter 3: Autumn Blues

Chapter 3: Crossed Horns

"Of all the passions in the world, why you?"

The summer was dying quicker than Shining Armour would have liked, and the white unicorn sighed to himself quietly as he sat alone on his usual bench in the courtyard. The neatly trimmed trees were slowly but surely turning into the rich shades of autumn, and the clear blue skies were littered with grey clouds. A chilly breeze came in from the south, and the young guard shivered, his body free from all clothing save for a thin black scarf.

Today, Shining was alone. Amber Flare and a group of other trainees had been sent on an excursion into the western mountains, and Blueblood was nowhere to be seen. No wake up call came for Shining that morning, something which he found to be both a relief and disappointment. The courtyard around Shining was empty also, making the young stallion feel very small. In the distance, a clock-tower chimed four, sending a cloud of crows spiralling into the air. A pair of royal blue eyes watched them for a second before falling once again upon the fading trees.

Shining clicked his neck and stood up; sitting here wasn't going to accomplish anything today, and there were more than a few things that could keep him occupied. Sergeant Skyfire had ordered an inspection for tomorrow morning, and thus every set of armour in the guard was required to be dazzlingly cleaned. And yet the normally dedicated young guard couldn't find the will nor the energy to complete the task, one which he would have spent hours performing not two months ago. His mane whipped across his face as he turned his back to the wind, the twin tails of the scarf following suit, reaching before the white unicorn like a pair of grasping branches.

Shining sighed again. The past weeks had been unusual to say the least. it had all began, for Shining anyway, after Amber Flare had been discharged from the Medical Wing. The two friends had celebrated the occasion with a night out in the city, the pair venturing around numerous establishments until they arrived at one known as Silken Lace. The following events, though hazy and foggy in the memory department, had resulted with Amber Flare leaving with a young earth pony filly draped over his shoulder. Running River, her name was, and ever since that night Amber Flare had been quite vocal on the whole situation, almost to the point where Shining had been close to whacking a hoof over his friend's face just to shut him up.

Then came the new set of orders from the Royal Guard. In addition to acting as Blueblood's personal protector, Shining had also been sent to the northern walls of the Royal Palace on his first 'official' guard duty. Apparently, body-guarding wasn't counted as a 'real' deployment. The poor unicorn had spend hours walking back and forth across the same stretch of battlements for the best part of his evenings in addition to putting up with Blueblood's somewhat ridiculous antics. And with the autumn rolling in like an impending storm, the bitter winds pumping out of Cloudsdale were making the dull watch hours incredibly chilly.

Head downcast, Shining plodded back towards the Great Hall of the Royal Barracks, paying now heed to the fading trees and wind-kissed lawns as his mind wandered to nowhere in particular. He felt drained and exhausted, despite the fact he'd done barely any physical exertion. No, this was a fatigue of the mind, the type that came when the days begin to darken and life seems to slow down to a halt. The Barracks were unusually quiet today, Shining only noticing a few single or clustered comrades, both armoured and not, talking in muted voices and flatter tones. It seemed that he wasn't the only one to feel the weight of the seasons.

As Shining thrust open the double doors to the hall, he was greeted with a wave of warmth, for a moment making him bright and cheerful again. The scent of roasted vegetables and harvest crops flooded into his nostrils. It seemed he had chosen the most opportune time to arrive, as the great bell atop the domed roof tolled thrice, heralding the beginning of the evening meal. Shining quickly draped his scarf over a bench and retrieved his meal: a great mound of roasted potatoes, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and bean sprouts, with a steaming bowl of oatmeal with apple slices mixed in. It was a great change to the usual meals that the Barrack Kitchens served, and the white unicorn dug in with a great smile on his face.

"You've perked up" came a voice from Shining's right. Amber Flare and Fire Star trotted into the hall, the latter darting off to claim his own feast. the smaller unicorn took a place beside his friend and smirked. "It's good to see you happier. You've been a miseryflank all month."

"All it takes is food" Shining chuckled, "and this stuff is delicious. How you doing?"

"Okay I suppose, but Sergeant Skyfire's ordered me to the Statue Garden tonight to make up for last week's events."

"By 'events' you mean the absolute, catastrophic mess you made in the armoury?"

The golden pony laughed. "That's the one." The pair shared a laugh before Amber Flare went to receive his own meal. As he wandered away, a pair of royal blue eyes found purchase upon his un-armoured flank.

Goddess-dammit! Shining ripped his gaze away and sank back into his vegetables. This too was becoming another issue on his mind. He had been through multiple episodes of soul-searching and deep self thought, and still the answer to his sudden tastes eluded him. He had always liked mares and fillies to this point. Always. And yet his stare tried to creep back towards his friend's rump even as he told himself not too.

Everything was backwards. Why had this happened now? He had always considered himself open to experimentation, but not now, not here in the Barracks. Maybe in his younger teenage years, but that stage had been and gone. Was he lonely? Did he just feel the impulsive need to cuddle with somepony? Maybe, but even if that was the case, there were female guards and nurses in the Barracks, and Shining had felt no attraction whatsoever to them. The ones who claimed his affections of late were ranging from Amber Flare, Razorwind, and even...

Shining snapped out of his thoughts as his best friend returned, a stupid looking grin plastered on his face as he gaped at his mountain of food. The hall continued to filled with guards both in golden attire and otherwise, and soon the young white pony forgot all of his previous thoughts and concerns.

The evening passed quickly from then on, the silver stares of the night stars lightening the skies as a pale crescent rose in the east. A bitter chill had descended over the world, forcing Shining's breath to come out in great plumes of vapour. A faint breeze blew, but weaker than the one present earlier in the day. Yet Shining did not go towards his dorm to find shelter from the autumnal cold. He instead began to wander towards the main structure of the Royal Palace, keeping his black scarf tight around his neck.

The oil lamps of the Barrack courtyards were slowly being lit by the dedicated team of earth pony maintenance workers, Shining giving them a nod each as he passed under the twilight dome of the sky. As the darkness began to close in, the glow of the golden flames kept it at bay, Shining marvelling briefly at how the golden light played on the branches of the bronzing trees. The pathway lead him to a tall archway set in marble, where the paving led away into a wide courtyard: the inner gardens of the Palace.

The stone path wound through a series of neatly trimmed topiary bushes cut in the shape of birds and dancing mares, lined with night-blooming flowers that slowly opened up as the white unicorn passed them. High above, the imposing twin Towers of the Sun and Moon stood like monolithic guardians, their metal plated roofs shimmering in the moonlight. Shining stepped through yet another archway, this one leading to another plaza, but one lined with three marbles statues of two unicorn mares and a pegasus stallion, beneath which stood a stunning pair of oaken doors leading to the inner galleries of the Palace proper.

Another wave of comforting heat wrapped itself around Shining's body as he entered the castle, humming tunelessly to himself as he ascended a great flight of stairs leading to the north-west wing. Much to Shining's annoyance, a faint pitter-patter of rain began to drum on the roof like a horde of stampeding buffaloes. Depending on how long he was going to be here, the rain should be serving as his companion on the journey back to his dorm.

But that was a concern for later. He paid little attention to the ancient paintings of infamous figures from pony-history, his young eyes disregarding the stern ones of Aegis the Defender, Archmagister Star Heart, and Princess Platinum, crowned and immortalised in rich oil paint, their eternal visages lit by the light of their own elaborate wall sconce. Having removed his scarf, the white unicorn made his way to the Cloud Wing.

The lack of requests and commands from Prince Blueblood had caused a mixed feeling of worry and relief, something which dwelt on Shining's emotions like a fog. For reasons that he would much rather keep to himself, he had begun to find joy in the presence of the dashing young stallion, and that warm feeling was what guided his hoofsteps this evening.

He curled round to find the long hallway at the summit of the Cloud Wing, the marble yielding to a rich red carpet lined with golden floral patterns. The arched windows running along the corridor were slashed with water, and Shining picked up the pace as he drew closer to his liege's quarters. Yet as the double doors drew nearer, Shining's legs began to fail. He halted less than five paces away from the doors, his deep blue eyes searching, imploring for something that he couldn't quite discern.

"Dammit" he whispered to the air, rubbing his forehead furiously. What was he doing here? Blueblood most likely wasn't even there. The wind whistled outside as the rain fell ever harder, both calling Shining to go back to his dorm and telling him to remain where he was.

"Can I help you, good fellow?" came a regal and well-spoken voice from behind the unicorn, making him jump a little as he turned to see Blueblood. His smooth golden mane was draped over his shoulders perfectly, as always, and his hooves shone in the torch light - signs of his most recent spa trip. In this light, he look particularly splendid, as he would normally say. But Shining couldn't fathom up any discernible sentence in his moment of wonder, gaining a roll of the eyes from his charge.

"Honestly Shining, you must learn to properly enunciate your words. Many would see it as being rather...uncouth. In any case, was there something you needed?"

"N-No, your highness, I was j-just..."

"Just what?"

Shining opened his mouth, with nothing but silence escaping. Blueblood raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry, your highness. I guess I'm just feeling a bit ill this evening."

"Would you like to come in, good guard? I'm sure you could pour us both a beverage."

Shining hesitated. "N-no thank you. I think I'll be needing a good night's sleep. T-Thank you for the offer, your highness..." The guard pony spun round a little quicker than he'd intended to and quickly scuttled away without looking back, though Blueblood's elegant voice halted him yet again.

"Shining?"

He turned.

"N-Nevermind. I'll have need of your services in the morning"

"Yes, your highness."

As Blueblood entered his luxurious chambers, he couldn't help but feel terribly disappointed. He had oddly missed Shining's company for the day, but certain events had kept him far to preoccupied from his regular routine. The Autumn Gala was due to come round at the beginning of next month: a pompous celebration filled with all the finery and splendour that Canterlot nobility could muster at such a dreary time of year. Blueblood had been put in charge of getting banquet preparations ready, and thus the handsome white stallion had been rushing back and forth from the Palace Kitchens and the Grand Ballroom for the best part of five hours.

He had regretted not telling Shining of his sudden plans, but there was in truth, no reason why he should have. Shining was a Royal Guard, no more.

And yet...

Blueblood sighed forlornly and trotted over to his expansive cartography table, the great sheet of brown paper spread out before him. Blueblood suddenly had an odd thought. It flashed across his mind, like lightning from out of a clear sky. The map, no - his map, of Equestria, the Griffin Kingdoms, Germaneigh, Prance, and all the other realms of the known world, was nothing more than a collection of conveniently placed lines of black ink. And yet these finely located and constructed blocks of stained paper transported Blueblood and anypony who gazed upon them to far away places. It was incredible, the royal pony thought, that nothing more than a line can take one's mind over rivers and mountain ranges.

Letting out a thin smile, the Prince levitated his calligraphy pen, blackened on the tip by the rich black ink. With a fanciful flourish of his mane, Blueblood began to pen down his newest discoveries.

One good thing which definitely came out from all the preparations were the tales that the old Palace Chef had to tell. He was Prench, and as Blueblood had written down all the supplies and food that would be needed for the festivities, the earth pony had taken it upon himself to weave magical tales of his homeland. And thus Blueblood filled in the city of Boulogne-sur-Mare and the castle of Château de Chevaliers, the silence of the bed chambers being broken by nothing but the scratching of nib on parchment.

But when the work was finished, and the country of Prance ever nearer to being completed, the Prince sighed yet again. He had secretly hoped that he would be having company tonight. Shining would have been extremely welcome, even if he was just a guard. The two had grown somewhat closer over the past weeks, but Blueblood was sad to say that they remained nothing more than acquaintances, and awkward ones at that. The pair had never interacted in great detail when Shining was off duty, the occasional nod and greeting every now and then, but nothing more.

Blueblood at last retreated to his bed chamber proper, bringing the log hearth to life with a single spark of magic. The Prince fell onto his sumptuous four poster bed, the silken bound pillows bouncing as the stallion's head was caught in their embrace. An alabaster hoof trailed the covers wistfully, like a scene from a classic romance film. There he lay for a time, simply pondering over nothing in particular, flitting back and forth between the past and present.

He sorely wished Shining had accepted his request. Was it something he said? Or did? Princess Celestia had insisted on giving him social etiquette lessons when interacting with other ponies below his class, and Blueblood had hoped he was improving. Alas, maybe not. But whatever the reason, Shining wasn't here, and Blueblood felt very lonely as he levitated a jewelled decanter to his beside.

Golden dreamwine sloshed within like liquid gold, swirling gracefully into an equally graceful glass like molten amber. The usually sweet and honey-touched taste did nothing to excite Blueblood's royal tongue. It was flat and null, devoid of all the richness that it usually contained. No, the Prince's tongue longed for something else...

"Honestly!" he suddenly scolded himself, "such indecent thoughts."

BOOOOONG!

Shining automatically moved from his bunk, all four hooves landing perfectly as he made his way to the bathroom. His ears felt deafened, his usually fine sense of hearing barely registering Razorwind's groans as the black pegasus fell from bed. Cold water burned his stung his fur as he splashed away the cobwebs of a rather uncomfortable slumber. He had come through a perturbing dream. Blueblood was there, next to him on a hill. They had been simply watching the view together when a great thunder cloud had appeared, breaking the harmony of such an idyllic moment. A lightning bolt had separated the two, and Blueblood had disappeared into the far distance, leaving Shining all alone.

A mocking voice had come, chanting "find me, find me, find me" repeatedly, yet who it belonged to, Shining could not say. It had left a murky pool of feelings in the young unicorn's chest.

"Hey, hey! Shiny-boy!" called Amber Flare loudly as the white unicorn trudged into the Great Hall. "You okay, dude? You look like death."

Indeed, heavy bags hung below the indigo eyes of the young guard. "I'm fine Flare, really. I just had a weird night. Guess I've got a cold or something, but otherwise I'm good. How 'bout you? Seems like forever since I've actually had a decent catch-up time with my best buddy."

The golden unicorn grinned. "Ah! I'm dandy, Shiny. I really am. Running River wants me to come over to hers the next time we have a holiday, so I guess that's Hearth's Warming. But my parent's want to visit Canterlot sometime sooner. I might have to think of some excuse to tell Sergeant Skyfire."

"Naughty colt, Amber Flare. You're playing close to the edge."

"Says the one who threw a stink-bomb into Golden Aegis' office in the first week of signing up."

Shining chuckled, swishing his tail back and forth as he left to retrieve his food. The following conversation did him good. He and Amber Flare had been seeing less and less of each other with Shining's new shifts on the wall, and the golden unicorn had been away on excursions preparing him for full induction into the Guard. From what he said, he was getting very close.

"And the Sergeant even said that he'd put in a commendation for me with the Captain. Can you believe it? I've never been so goddess-damned happy in all my life. All that training, marching and all the other jazz has finally paid off! Plus, next week we're going to the Silverline Mountains to have a joint exercise with some trainee Griffin Talon Guards. This is gonna be so sweet!"

"Damn, Flare. How come I never got to go on these trips?"

"Cuz you made the mistake of being promoted before all this could happen, silly."

Shining laughed, spooning a mouthful of steaming oatmeal into his mouth as the hall continued to flood with other guards. The white unicorn didn't expect anything bad to happen today. Today felt like a good day, although Shining wasn't quite sure of the source of this feeling. The dream had set him on edge at first, but now all memory of it seemed to disappear. Maybe it was nothing.

The bell tolled thrice again, bringing about the first series of rounds for the Royal Guard. A golden bound unicorn hurried eagerly towards the Cloud Wing, his triple toned mane showing from beneath his helmet. Shining galloped under arches and hedges, finally coming to a stop at the grand staircase leading to his Prince's chambers. Shining smiled. The weather was much better this morning, grey rain clouds replaced by clear, open skies of stunning azure, lit up by the radiant sunlight. It was still cold, but the kiss of the sun's rays found purchase in Shining's chest.

As the stallion trotted towards the familiar double doors, knocking politely as was requested by Blueblood. Silence followed. Clearing his throat, Shining hazarded another knock. Still, nothing came from the royal chambers. In the distance a bell rang, chiming that the time was a full half an hour past nine. Not knowing what else to do, Shining dared to open the doors.

The first thing that the guard noticed was the smell: a pungent, sickly sweet odour permeated the room like a malign, invisible fog. The great table upon which Blueblood kept his treasured map. Compasses and rulers lay as they always did, and Shining let out a small smirk as he saw the additions of more places on the country of Prance. But as the Prince himself, he was nowhere to be seen.

That was until Shining turned into the bed chamber.

Blueblood lay sprawled on his bed, mane dishevelled from what looked like a very rough night's sleep and his coat was matted and tangled. His tail hung over one side of the bed, its normally fine hairs tangled in knots so tight it hurt Shining to even imagine loosening them. A glance to the right showed the source of the prince's current downfall. A single, half empty decanter of dreamwine sat mockingly, the dizzying honey-touched fragrance flooding into Shining's nostrils as he stepped into the room, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Sire" he coughed, hoping in vain to rouse the sleeping pony. "Prince Blueblood, can you hear me? It's Shining. Um, are you okay, your highness?"

"Go away..." came a muffled moan from the covers.

"Your highness, with all due respect, you need to wake up"

Blueblood raised his head suddenly, revealing a pair of scarlet rimmed eyes, watering at the sunlight streaming through the windows. "I am a Prince. I don't have to do anything. Now leave me be, Shining Armour. As you always do..."

"I beg your pardon, your highness?"

"Nothing. Just, give me some time. Where's my maid? And my dresser?"

Shining answered. "They're not here yet, sire. I could send for them if you w-"

Blueblood waved a dismissive hoof into the air. "Don't bother yourself, good guard. You can assist me."

And so as the royal stallion stumbled his way to his bathroom, Shining began to levitate the offending alcohol back into the glass cabinet from which it usually resided. The sound of running water rang from behind the closed door to Shining's left, followed by a groan.

"Do you need help, your highness?" Shining called. His heart fluttered a little when a desperate "yes" responded. As the guard peered into the stunning marble bathroom. Blueblood stood leaning against the basin, his eyes rimmed with rosen lines and beads of water. Shining had never seen the royal pony in such a state before.

"It was stupid of me to do that"

"Do what, sire?"

"Drink. I hate drinking. It tastes unpleasant at the best of times; I have no idea of what possessed me - I guess that answers the next question on your lips. I don't know why." He splashed his face again, before giving Shining an expecting look.

And Shining's chest swelled.

"Um, v-very well. W-what would you like me to do...?"

The silence that came lasted for much longer than it normally would have, but finally Blueblood opened his mouth. And then he paused. He could say it, not now, not here, not after the spectacle that he made of himself. But...

"I want..." he stopped. "I..." Was this it? Shining removed his helmet gingerly and set it beside him on the bathroom counter-top, letting loose his mane with a dignified little flourish. His eyes met those of the Prince, locking navy against azure like the sea and sky. Shining edged just that little bit closer, his gaze imploring for an answer. And finally Blueblood spoke.

"I want you to lay out my suit for today on the bed. I, I need a bath."

Unbeknownst to either pony, both of each other's sparks died in their eyes. A cold mood descended.

"Of, of course, my Prince" muttered Shining, quickly withdrawing his eyes and levitating his helmet back upon his head.

"Wait!"

Both ponies froze, Blueblood moving a hoof over his offending mouth as if the appendage could reverse the word from ever being uttered. The guard pony turned, a raised eyebrow marking his face and the faintest sliver of a hopeful smile on his lips. He came back over, his steps bringing him ever closer to the young Prince.

"Yes?" breathed Shining slowly, his heart hammering all of a sudden as Blueblood took another step forward.

"I, I could use some...help. Cherry Blossom isn't here, you see. And...I thought that somepony would like to assist me with my personal grooming. N-Not that I need much work to look good..."

Shining rolled his eyes playfully.

"I, I mean" Blueblood stammered, "I would be very content if...you, Shining Armour, would care to help your Prince with getting ready for today."

"What do you need?"

They were both very close now, at a distance which, not a few weeks ago, Blueblood would have panicked and commanded his guard to be banished from the building for invasion of personal space. But now...

Neither pony moved, barely daring to breath.

What the hell are you doing? Screamed Shining's mind, his heartbeat filling his ears with its jack-hammer rhythm. This is precisely what you've been trying to avoid for the past month! And yet as Blueblood raised his eyes to meet his own once again, the blue maned unicorn found another voice speaking up. And here you are, standing muzzle to muzzle with a handsome young Prince...seems this was bound to happen.

"I need..." Blueblood began, his own mind having just had an almost identical duel. "I need you."

Neither pony was sure who made the first movement, but as both pairs of lips touched, neither pony backed away. Blueblood took another tip toe forward, and Shining breathed heavily as his mind guided his lips into a short, loving dance with his partner's. But as both stallions slowly drifted apart, Shining opened his eyes.

And ran out of the door, horrified.