In The Comfort of Her Majesty

On Saturday

Thunder took one more good look around his room to make sure that nothing was out of place or messy. The maids cleaned every other day or so, but he wanted everything to look god for Sky Hopper’s visit. His friend would be arriving at the castle any minute and he certainly didn’t want to give him any more reasons to tease than he already had from their long history.

After one last visual check, he determined that the room was as clean as it was going to get. 'Alright, that's done. Wonder how Sky's gonna react to all of this. Will he be jealous or-'

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud tapping at the door. He turned around and opened it to find a maid standing outside.

"Master Thunder Shock, Mr. Sky Hopper is waiting for you in the main hall." she said dutifully.

"Thank you. I was just heading out to meet him." Thunder replied. He made his way out of his room and through the numerous halls of the castle until he reached the main hall. There, Sky was hovering impatiently in the air, his forelegs crossed in frustration.

Thunder walked up under the annoyed pegasus and said playfully, "Guards! We have an intruder! Kick his flank out of here!"

Laughing along with the consort, Sky flew down and gave Thunder a playful jab in the shoulder. "You just try! I'll pluck your feathers out!" he replied with a huge smile on his face.

Thunder gave Sky a friendly bro hug. "Sky! Good to see you! How have you been?"

"Ever since my probation period kicked in, just peachy!" Sky said excitedly. He wrapped his forelegs around Thunder in a rough return hug, ruffling his friend’s mane. "Thank you again, bro. For real..."

Sky’s eyes widened as he felt the changes to Thunder's body, his muscles now stronger and rippling underneath his fur. He let go of his friend and stepped a few paces back. "Whoa! Thunder! You're getting a little buff there..." said Sky while taking a longer look at Thunder's more toned physique.

"Oh thanks. I've been exercising more since I've been the adviser. Bet I could take you in a foreleg wrestle now!"

"I-I bet you could!" Sky stammered, still marveling that such a cushy job would end up making his friend look so good. He cleared his throat and looked back at Thunder’s face. "So! Let's get this tour started, eh?"

"Sure thing. Follow me." said Thunder. The two pegasi took to the air and slowly flew through the many halls and corridors of the castle. Every once in a while, Thunder would stop and describe a point of interest to Sky: The observatory, the library, the armory, and other important areas.

"Dude, this place is ENORMOUS! How do you not get lost in here?" Sky exclaimed as they banked around another corner.

"Princess Luna gave me the rundown when I first got here. I pretty much know the layout by heart now; I’ve certainly been through it enough. Besides, even if I get lost, I'm sure a guard or maid would be glad to help out."

“Huh. Well, there are worse things to have to get used to!” Sky said with a playful grin.

Thunder chuckled in response as he pointed with a hoof at a set of ornate double doors. "That's the courtroom. Celestia and all of the representatives from the cities of Equestria debate policies and make the laws of the nation."

"Wow. What's that like?"

Thunder hovered in midair and brought his hoof to his chin, trying to think of the proper analogy for that bit of madness. "Well, uh...Ah! Do you remember when Thunderlane got really drunk after work and punched that badflank at the bar because he was being a jerk to the mares?"

"Yeah."

"Imagine that but with just words, a lot more ego, and like a hundred times worse."

Sky broke into uproarious laughter at the particular image Thunder was painting. Thunder motioned his friend towards a nearby doorway. "Here are the living quarters. We better go to ground."

Thunder then landed carefully on the carpeted floor with Sky following suit next to him. He then let out a cough, his throat becoming dry from all of the talking he had done while showing Sky around.

"I'm getting a little thirsty. You want anything to drink?" he inquired.

"Sure. Some coffee if you got it."

Thunder took a quick look, hoping to find a maid to order a drink from. Luckily, one came from around the corner down the hall. "Excuse me ma'am!" he called out. The maid's ears perked up at the call and she quickly trotted over to the pair. "Could you get me a cup of tea and a coffee for my friend?" asked Thunder.

"Yes, Master Thunder Shock." she replied.

"Thanks. Just deliver them to my room in a few minutes."

"Of course, sire." The maid then respectfully bowed and headed through the doors to the kitchen.

"Sire? Look who's fancy! Got maids serving him from hoof to tail." Sky teased.

"That's their job, Sky. It's just how it is around here. I don't abuse them or anything."

"I would." said Sky with a smirk.

Thunder facehoofed at the ridiculous boasting of his companion. "Come on, my room is through here." He then led Sky into the living quarters, motioning towards the two sets of bedroom doors near the stairs. "Those are the princesses' chambers. They usually prefer to rest up on the weekends, so we shouldn't bother them. My room is downstairs." said Thunder. The two started to make their way down when Thunder felt a cold chill in the air. 'Huh, I wonder what-'

"Thunder!" A pompous and arrogant voice called out to the pair.

'Oh sweet Faust, not him...' thought Thunder in dread. Sure enough, Prince Blueblood himself came up to the two pegasi, his aura of insufferable smugness almost palpable.

"Ah, Thunder. Always a pleasure to see you." he said with fake sincerity. Blueblood’s attention then turned to Sky. "And you've brought somepony to visit us. How wonderful."

"This is my friend, Sky Hopper. Sky, this is Prince Blueblood." said Thunder, trying to be cordial.

"Eh, nice to meet ya there big slick." said Sky while holding out his hoof.

Blueblood took a quick glance at the extended hoof and scoffed in disgust. "Excuse me, but I do not often ‘hang out’ with commoners."

"...Wanna run that by me again?!" Sky exclaimed, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Oh, how rude of me. I should apologize." His turned his laconic gaze on Sky Hopper. "I'm ever so sorry that we don't have any food for you to mooch off of or hide in your mane, but I'm sure you can find something to steal while you are here."

"OK there princey, I think you're starting to write a check that your flank can't cash!" shouted Sky, moving into an aggressive stance.

"Sky!" exclaimed Thunder, trying to hold his friend back. "Just try and forget it. I don't want-"

"Excuse me!" called a genuinely regal voice. Sticking her head out of her doorway, Princess Luna took in the tension of the group and raked her gaze over the three stallions. "What exactly is going on out here?"

"N-Nothing your highness." The prince stammered as he fought to wipe the hateful sneer from his face. "Just having a conversation with Thunder and his...esteemed guest."

"...Alright." said Luna as she stared at Blueblood until he gulped in nervousness. Trying not to smirk, she turned her attention to Thunder, and a small note of longing crept into her voice. "Thunder, if you are not too busy tomorrow night, I would like your... assistance in creating my night sky."

The request initially puzzled Thunder. 'What? Why does she need...' As realization hit he just barely resisted facehoofing; it was certainly not his weather knowledge that she needed. "Of course, your highness." he said with a slight nod.

"Excellent. I shall see you then." said Luna. She pulled her head back into her room with a final glance at Blueblood, shutting the door with a loud thump.

A devilish smile appeared on Thunder’s face as he considered the implications. 'So, she wants another go so soon. I wonder if I could find her-'

"Do not ignore me!" Blueblood shouted. Thunder shook himself out of his much more pleasant thoughts and turned his attention back to Blueblood.

"Hey, he was listening to the princess. You know, HIS JOB? Have you ever even done a hard day's work in your life?" asked Sky.

"I do not need to. I am a prince of Equestria. I...delegate such things to the lesser ponies. It helps remind them of their proper place."

"You know buddy, you should really pull your head out of your plot and be nicer. It would make everything so much easier for everypony around you!" quipped Sky, his wings spreading slightly as his anger grew.

Blueblood’s face flushed purple, and he stood stiffly as he glared at Sky Hopper. "How...HOW DARE YOU! I will not stand here and be lectured by a miserable whelp like yourself!"

"That's IT!" said Sky as he dropped into a ready crouch, preparing to strike down the arrogant stallion. "It's time for-"

"SKY!" Thunder shouted as he jumped forward to block his friend’s charge. "Let's...let's just go. He's not worth it." he pleaded.

Blueblood loudly scoffed while Sky turned his angry gaze on Thunder. He seemed to consider pushing past him, but seeing the distress on his face he bit his lip and relented.

Sky turned back to the prince. "You're freaking lucky that Thunder's spoken for you! You better pray to Faust that you don't ever see me again!" he growled out as he folded his wings with a snap.

Thunder nudged him and the two started down the stairs, leaving the fuming prince behind them. "Don't you DARE ignore me, you filthy little-"

"Prince Blueblood!" The call rang through the hallway, making the prince stop dead in his tracks.

Blueblood’s face went pale and he swallowed again before turning to look behind him. Princess Celestia stood in the doorway to her chambers with a stern and disappointed look in her eyes. "Oh, uh, h-hello auntie." he stammered. Her gaze did not waver or flinch in the slightest. "My, aren't you looking well today! H-Have you done something with your mane?"

"My chambers. Now." She commanded in a voice that brooked no argument.

"C-Coming auntie!" whimpered Blueblood as he slunk into Celestia's room.

Once they were safely inside Thunder's chambers, Sky began to vent is anger, his vision blurring as he ranted. "Dude, how do you manage to live around that plothole?!" he snarled.

"Don't worry about it. We don't hang out and barely see each other. I try to ignore him as best I can.” Replied Thunder. “Thanks for not clocking him.”

"Just saying, Lord High Blueballs better not come around me again or he’ll be leaving with fewer teeth in his mouth!" After a final disgusted snort Sky started to calm down enough to look around Thunder's spacious room, whistling a high note as he did so. "Dang! Castle life has been treating you good huh? Your stuff looks brand new."

"Yeah! The maids refinished my furniture and made it look nice. All that's new is the bed."

"Sweet!" Sky then looked out onto the balcony, the wide vista accented by the golden light of Celestia's afternoon sun. "Dude! Look at the view!" he said as he ran out onto the balcony. He put his forehooves on the railing and leaned out, pointing down towards Canterlot. "I think I can see my place from here! See?"

Thunder was smiling happily at his companion's antics when a gentle knock came to the door. He opened it to find the maid from earlier carrying a silver tray with a small teacup and a mug atop it.

"Your drinks, sire." she said politely.

"Thank you miss." Thunder replied. He took the tray from her, gave her a slight nod, and carried it over to the table. He sat the tray down and brought the two cups with him to the balcony, handing the mug over to Sky. "Here's your coffee, Sky." he said.

"Thanks, dude." Sky replied. The two pegasi sat on the balcony and savored their beverages, enjoying the balmy weather and the view below them. They chatted amiably, drinking and laughing like the old friends they were, as the afternoon wore on.

From out of nowhere Thunder's worried about his friend’s jealousy returned, and he let out a long sigh as his face drooped slightly.

"Everything alright, bro?" Sky asked concernedly.

"Yep. Just thinking about where I've been, and how much has changed." Thunder looked away from his friend for just a moment then sighed. "Sky, let me ask you something. And be honest with me here. Do you ever get mad that it was me and not you?"

"Nah." replied Sky, waving his hoof in the air in dismissal. "If anypony at the office was gonna get this, it was you. Besides, I couldn't deal with staying cooped up in this castle all day. I'd probably go insane in, like, five minutes."

Thunder broke out into laughter and his friend's insight. "True!"

"There we go! Missed having me around?" said Sky with a smile.

"Yeah! Like I miss a bad tooth or a thorn in my wing!" replied Thunder. Still feeling a bit off balance, he coughed a bit then cleared his throat. "Seriously though, things haven't been the same without you around. I'm sorry I haven't the time to hang out in a while."

"Hey dude, don't sweat it. I understand. You got the entire nation's weather to manage on your back. It's not like you can just slip out for a hard cider or something whenever you want." Sky replied while resting his hoof on Thunder's shoulder.

"Still though, I don't want us to grow apart now that I'm here. You've had my back all these years, and I won't forget that."

"Come on, Thunder! Getting sappy on me?" joked Sky as he gave Thunder another playful jab.

Thunder rolled his eyes over to stare stonily at Sky. "Ha. Ha." He said sarcastically.

The ensuing wrestling match and laughing banter afterward took the better part of an hour, and the two were both left smiling. Sky slurped down the last of his now cold coffee as he took a final look at Canterlot and Equestria spread out below them.

"Well, I better get moving. I got stuff to do before I go on shift tomorrow."

"Oh, OK. Good seeing you again, Sky."

"You too, Thunder. Fly safe now!" Sky launched off of the balcony and took to the air, disappearing behind a cloud formation with a flick of his wings.

Thunder then went back inside and set both cups back down on the silver tray. 'Man, it was good to see Sky again. We should really-"

His chamber door shook in its frame as a heavy pounding came from the other side. Thunder quickly trotted over and opened it, hoping it was not some kind of emergency. "What is going-?"

"YOU!" screamed Blueblood lividly, pointing a hoof accusingly.

"What? What did I do?" exclaimed Thunder in confusion.

"Because of you and that...that ruffian, auntie Celestia took away my allowance! How am I going to survive now?!"

"Hey! I don't blame her! You were being an outright jerk! Even more so than usual! Now, if you'll excuse me..."

Thunder attempted to close the door, but Blueblood stomped his hoof down in front of it. "Oh, no you don't! You and that idiot ‘friend’ of yours are responsible for this! And now you're going to pay me back!"

"I'm sorry, but The First National Bank of Thunder Shock is closed for the day! Please try your transaction again NEVER!" snarled Thunder as he shoved the prince’s foot out of the way and slammed the door loudly his face. Ignoring the spluttering he heard from the other side, he shook his head ruefully. 'Ugh. The freaking bits on that guy. Anyway, better rest up for Luna.'

Alone in the hallway, Blueblood fell into a fuming silence. His eyes lit with a determined fire as he turned to walk away from the door. "Oh, you're going to pay, commoner. You're going to pay..."

The offices of the Equestrian Inquirer were mostly empty this late at night, leaving only shadows cast by the papers strung about. Only three ponies were still there, standing in the middle of the room near a simple white board filled with pictures of Canterlot's most important ponies.

"Has anypony put on a pot of coffee? And if they haven't, could they do it now?" the editor in chief, a grizzled black earth pony stallion muttered loudly. He sat down in his chair and picked up a quill and inkwell. One of his reporters, a pink pegasus mare, brought a cup over and sat it down in front of him. The other, a green earth pony stallion, looked over his notes nervously, his pencil sticking out from behind his ear at a jaunty angle.

The editor then took a big swig of the bitter concoction while he dipped his quill. "OK, headlines. Run some by me."

"Uh... let's see... Fancy Pants is rumored to be having an affair with a callmare..." said the pink reporter.

"Yeah, and the sun's gonna rise in the morning. NEXT!" the editor shouted.

"Uh, there's some talk of Fleur-De-lis being pregnant..." the green reporter offered up.

"Already did that one a few months ago." The editor then slammed his hooves down on the table in frustration. "Faust! Have we written about every big pony in this city already?"

"M-Maybe it’s just a slow week, boss." the green reporter stammered.

The editor groaned in frustration and turned a gimlet eye on the commenter. "Rookie, we do not have slow weeks. Our readers want gossip 24/7 and that's what we have to deliver. Now, unless you've got something big hiding up your plot I-"

"Ahem." A voice called from the gloom.

The trio turned towards the door to see Prince Blueblood sauntering into the room, looking around with an air of smug triumph.

"So, this is where the vultures come to pick at the bones of society..." he said archly.

"Ah, Prince Blueblood. What a pleasant surprise." said the editor flatly. "To what do we owe the... pleasure?"

"I have something that might aid your headline problem."

"Really? And what would that be?" said the pink reporter disbelievingly.

"A story on somepony new. Somepony who's become quite the talk of the royal circle."

"Who?" said the editor while tilting his head.

"Thunder Shock." Blueblood said plainly.

The editor then blinked a few times as he mulled that over, then shrugged. "The weather adviser? Not interested. He barely leaves the castle anyway. He's a nice, decent pony; probably the only one in this town. He's a complete and utter no-prize."

"Really? Even if he is seducing both of the princesses?" said Blueblood with a crafty smile.

"What are you talking about?" said the green reporter curiously.

"Oh come now, surely you aren't the least bit curious as to what the royal sisters do behind closed doors?" replied Blueblood.

The editor groaned yet again and looked at the prince in exasperation. "Look Blueblood, we're not in the business of pointing our cameras at the castle windows. We don't bother them, and Celestia and Luna let us do what we want. It's a good system."

"What if I said that he's been blackmailing the both of them for his own gain?" Blueblood said enticingly.

"Hey! That would-!" the pink reporter shouted.

The editor quickly silenced her and rested his chin on his hooves. "I'm listening."

"I have it on good authority that our dear weather adviser is having his way with Princess Luna tomorrow night. He is forcing her to have sex with him or else he will recommend that there should be more cloudy nights, covering up her precious stars."

"Please! The princess would never allow that to happen!" exclaimed the green reporter.

"You'd be surprised at how much influence he has over my auntie. Especially since he has something over her as well. I'm not entirely sure what it is, but he does! The cad!"

"If you know this already, than why not go to the palace guards or the police?" the editor inquired.

"Alas, my reputation around Canterlot leaves something to be desired."

"Gee, what a surprise." muttered the pink reporter with a toss of her mane.

"Nopony will take me at my word. I need proof, and you need a headline. I think we can all help each other out."

"So... what are you proposing?" said the editor, his eyes calculating.

"I can get the three of you into the castle tomorrow evening. Then, we storm into Princess Luna's chambers and take a photo of that dreadful pegasus in the act. He would have to resign in shame, and your publication would have the exclusive. Everypony wins."

The editor leaned back in his chair, tapping his hooves together in contemplation. "Well, what are we thinking here?" he asked his coworkers.

"Dunno boss, this sounds really fishy to me." said the pink reporter.

"Yeah, but if it pans out, think of the coverage! Think of the sales! We could retire!" the green reporter said excitedly.

The editor took one quick look at the empty typewriters and white board, then looked back at the prince. "If things go BUBAR, you're willing to cover us?"

"Of course." said Blueblood with an oily smile.

The editor's eyes darted back and forth between his reporters and the empty whiteboard a few times. At last his gaze settled steadily on Blueblood. "We're in."