//------------------------------// // Chapter III // Story: The Royal Guard // by Jacob562 //------------------------------// The next afternoon just after Thunder Clop awoke he was greeted by one of the day guard ponies. "Good evening sir!" He said saluting, "Captain Shining Armor has requested your presence in the training yard." "Very well," Relied Thunder Clop, "I shall join him presently.... um, would you mind leading the way?" "Of course sir" replied the guard pony, "this way" Thunder Clop followed the guard pony through the palace and out onto the grounds. In a secluded corner of the lawn he found the training arena (far separated from the elegant gardens and hidden behind a decorative hedge.) Many of the day guard ponies were in the arena, and several night guard ponies as well. Some we sparing while other ran drill with their platoons, still others trained with weights or galloped on the track surrounding the arena. Shining Armor was standing near the sparing area and was speaking to a pony with a large whistle and clip board. Thunder Clop waited for them to finish their conversation before he approached. "Ahh, Captain Clop," said Shining Armor as he approached. "I would ask how your first night of duty was, but from what I heard it couldn't have gone better! Being promoted all the way to Captain in just one night, quite an accomplishment." "Yes," replied T.C. "but it seems that the princess had no other choices. I had been meaning to ask you why security is so lax during the night shift?" "Lax?" questioned Shining Armor, "I had not heard from the princess about a lack of security.... any way, now that you're Captain of the night watch you should bring it up with her. I'm sure the Princess would be interested in your concerns." Thunder Clop did not like being brushed off so easily, he was beginning to feel as though Princess Luna and her night watch were being looked over. "But surly you must have noticed how few guards there are posted at night.... even in the throne room." Pushed Thunder Clop. "how is it that this is allowed to happen." "Well you see," Shining Armor adopted his matter-of-fact tone "at night their are no visitors allowed in the palace and so the chance of danger is much lower than during the day time, when there are many strangers about. We all still are concerned for Princess Luna's safety, as much as her sister's." here he adopted a more somber tone "In fact I wish I had more time to get to know her as you have, you've all ready spent about as much time with her as I have... and I've been with the Royal Guard for several years now, but our schedules don't line up well, and I rarely get to speak with her." Shining Armor stood for a second appearing lost in thought but soon regained his upbeat attitude and asked Thunder Clop "Would you care for a quick sparing match before you begin your shift? I find that a little exercise does the body good at the start of a long shift.... though today I decided to postpone my constitutional until you had awakened." "Ohh, I don't know Sir, it seems somewhat inappropriate..." Replied Thunder Clop, he didn't want to get into a fight or competion with Shining Armor, especially after the promotion last night. The last thing I need right now is to get caught up in a pissing match with the day captain he thought to himself. "Ohh come on," Said Shining Armor encouragingly, "and there'll be no more of that sir business now Thunder Clop, we're equals." Shining Armor let out a reassuring smile. He's taking the news of my promotion far better than I expected thought Thunder Clop perhaps he is as genuine as everypony says. "All right," Replied Thunder Clop as he cast his gaze towards the setting sun, "but only a short match, my shift will begin soon." "Excellent!" replied Shining Armor excitedly, "you can find the dummy weapons over on those racks." He motioned with his horns to one end of the arena. Thunder Clop trotted over and picked out a stout training spear with a rubber dummy point then joined Shining Armor in the sparing circle. The pony who Shining Armor had been speaking with earlier met them in the circle and explained the rules. "First pony to score what would be a fatal hit or force the other out side the circle wins, Captain Armor may use his magic and Captain Clop may use his wings, but remember to stay in the circle." He then stepped back to out side the ring and blew his whistle. Shining Armor started with a magical blast from his horn, which T.C. easily dodged, using his wings to full advantage Thunder Clop leaped into the air and hovered in the air about 20 hooves above Shining Armor. From this position Thunder Clop tired several diving attacks, but Shining Armor dodged them as easily as he had dodged the earlier magical blast. This repeated for a moment or two before Shining Armor let out a magical bubble, it began to force T.C towards the edge of the ring. Thinking fast Thunder Clop flapped as hard as he could and managed to get on top of the bubble, so that it only pushed him up. Seeing this Shining Armor released the bubble and T.C. dived down once again. Shining Armor had a brief laps in concentration from casting his powerful spell and only just put up a small shield spell in time. T.C's training spear was caught in the magical field and the end snapped off. He landed hard and he and Shining Armor locked, each trying now to force the other out of the circle. Shining Armor was a bit larger than T.C. and even when Thunder flapped his wings he was not able to overcome Shining's strength. Slowly but surely T.C. began to lose ground, until finally the referee blew his whistle once more and the match ended, T.C's back hooves just barley out side the chalk line. "What and excellent match!" breathed Shining Armor, "I thought you had me there with that last diving attack!" "I did too," Replied Thunder Clop, also out of breath, "If you weren't just a bit stronger than me." "Haha!" Laughed Shining Armor, "you must always play to your strengths, even if one of them is just plain strength!We should make this part of our daily, or, nightly routine!" "All right," Agreed Thunder Clop, as they walked back towards the Palace "I will meet you here same time tomorrow captain." "Well, have a good night captain" said Shining Armor when they parted ways. "And to you as well." Replied T.C. "Ohh I plan on it," Smirked Shining Armor, "My fiance' and I have a date tonight, which reminds me, I really must bathe before I meet her." "Congratulations, have fun" Said Thunder Clop and he walked back to his office. The Sun had just finished setting behind the mountains and Princess Luna would be starting her night soon, and he thought it would be best to meet her as she began her night.