‘Is it so bad if it felt so good?’ The stallion asks himself. He rests on his bed, a size that can fit two stallions, the darkness surrounding him and the rays of moonlight slipping inside through a space between the curtains. He about ready to sleep when that thought crossed his mind. He is one of many under Shining Armor since his promotion to Captain of the guard. This Royal Guard stallion was about ready to sleep but tonight was no exception to the events that occur every night in his room.

This male has been recently been having an uninvited guest every night since he ordered the bat ponies at his room to be removed to provide more security outside, as he knows they don’t like being indoors at night. He sighs to himself, getting ready as he keeps his cool and remembering back to a time he was just a recruit.

His name was Stride, though he hid his real name from many and only a selected few, and his family knew of his real name. He was a bright orange unicorn with a sky blue mane, young and very serious. He was one of the many stallions who joined the guard a week after Nightmare Night. He was confident and very cocky, he admits to himself. Trying his best there was for him to excel until a certain incident rendered him to… soften up in a different way
__________

Another day, another morning ruined by the trumpets. Stride groans as he gets up from his bunk, many of his fellow recruits groan as well. It has been a month since they have been training for basics and the works. They were all still in their natural colors but what surprised a few were how many mares somewhat joined.

A rumor spread, about a week ago that the Princesses have added a new rule within the Royal Guard. And that was, mares. The guys were happy to find females in the barracks and the training grounds. Not so surprising since it is a very mare-centered society though hard to see them take a stallion role. Stride did not like his fellows swooning over the mares but then again, this caused unrest as many of them tried to really impress some of them.

As the morning starts, the news of having a regular rotation of bat ponies in their training were implemented upon the return of Luna. It was then that Stride met one mare that seems to attract a lot of attention. One mare within the bat ponies are staying with them for a week of training. This caused a bit of a problem for them. They asked Corporal Plane Sight about this. Their unicorn trainer had checked the records, the recruitment and even the roster and found that it is in fact real.

Regardless, many of Stride’s fellows started to smirk about having a mare as a bunk buddy. Regardless, the training went without much of a thought among them. They trained, laps around the perimeter, hoof-to-hoof combat, weapon training, the unicorns given magic target practices, the pegasi and bat ponies flight maneuvering and the earth ponies weights.

Sure it may seem fair but when the sun went down, all of them tired, along with their new neighbors, they called it a night. Soon, the ponies and bat ponies fix up the bunk beds, mostly all are in pairs and many of the bat ponies stayed together as did Stride’s group. Unfortunately, Stride had chosen to take the bed at the far side of their living quarters, which was the only single bed there was, as the bed above him was actually broken.

He gave himself a sigh, taking his time to check his trunk and lock, getting his things ready until she started to shout. “Are you kidding me?!” The only mare among them all shouted, taking the attention of them all. “Calm down, Moon.” one of her bat pony friends said. “Calm down?! There’s no other bunk here for me!” She started to burst out, growling and even her golden slit eyes menacing now. Stride, was about ready to take his sleep, the fatigue in his body demanded rest but with her screaming so, it was hard to do that. He took his time thinking, an idea entered his mind and with it, he moves towards the front, getting to the angered mare.

As he passed by his fellow recruits and their new addition for the week, he heard every comment they made in hush, “There she goes again…” ”We got a screamer…” “Again? She has got to be kidding.” “She’s off my ‘to know’ list.” “Great, another reason we get scrub duty.”

The responses he can give were mixed as some were from his group and the others from their new buddies. Soon enough he was in front of the shouting mare. “What do you want?” She said angrily, looking at his, her body set down, as if ready to lunge at him. He gave his own stern stare at her. There was a hush in the room but his group made side comments still. “There’s Stride again, the cocky among us.” “Yeah, another reason for us to say he’s a lifesaver.”

Thought they were somehow true, he kept himself stoic at Moon. “You complain so easily…” He said with a raised brow, down at her. “Of course I am! I’m the only mare in this damn group! Are you near sighted or what?” She said as her body now stood up on all four hooves trying to look up at him. “I can see that you are the only mare, now then I’m willing to give up my bunk if you just shut your mouth and let us all rest.” He said, nearing a shout from his own mouth as he looks her down, as sternly as he can.

Again, silenced followed as They all heard what he said. Moon was the first to react from the 5 seconds of silence to understand what he told her. “Are you serious?” She said while her tone no longer in a tone of anger. Her body even relaxed some, this time surprise was said all over her body. “Yes, You’ll get the bed and the blanket. I’ll keep the pillow.” He said straightforward and without delay as he started to move at a short but even pace. He kept his stern and hard face while he passed. He could see from the corners of his eyes that many of his fellows stared with awe or with a growing grin and smile.

He could feel behind him that Moon was following him. At the end of the room, he took the pillow and moved aside to present his well kept bed to Moon. “There… now we can all just get some sleep.” He said to her. Through all this Moon looked up to him, unsure on how to answer though a question presented itself. “What about you?” She said, her eyes, large and golden as they are, shone a tinge of worry and somehow regret about her outburst.

“Just get to sleep…” He told her with not a single glance he drops his pillow on the stoned floor and soon he started to lie down, not caring what the others said. Lying down on the floor caused pain against his back and body, but his tired form and the fatigue was gaining over him. He felt Moon move about and with a squeak of protest from his bunk she was on his bunk, under the covers. “What’s your name?” He heard above of him.

With a grunt of protest he closed his eyes and responded with a grunt, “Stride…” HE said, as he heard his group starting to get to sleep themselves, their bodies demanding rest and continue their talk tomorrow. As he rests, against the hard and cold stone, he heard her speak back. “Thanks…”
_____________

Stride again sighs, he was resting onto his bed as his armor hanged on a stand somewhere. His mind resting and a smile on his face as he remembered that moment that changed his life for the better, he supposed. It was a past he cannot forget and somehow, he was not prepared for the arrival of tonight. Soon he heard a flapping outside his door, wings beating not as fluent as a Pegasi but as quick and with noise as if it is stiff. His heart starts to race. The events of recent nights are returning to him. His body getting excited and tense as he knew what was to come of this.

Soon the sound stops and right at his door before a clop of four hooves landed on the marble floor, resonating in the corridor outside his room.

Author's Note

All My Little Pony mentioned in the story are of Hasbro. The Characters: Stride and Moon are mine. I know the story is a bit cliche, but I just wanted to try this.

Okay, I'm new to the whole fandom and I'm just testing this little story. This will be short, about 3 more chapters or less.

Anyway, do not be afraid to give negative or positive comments, I'm still learning on how to make stories.