The Royal Guard

by Jacob562

Chapter XII

Thunder Clop woke in the late afternoon, like he did every night, and walked down to the training yard. Flash Sentry was still sick, but Thunder Clop would exercise with some other pony. T.C. was careful to avoid walking by the open doors to the throne room, he was still leery of Celestia, he was in no way ready for another confrontation with the angry princess. Getting to the training grounds without going through the main palace did take some time though. He had to walk through the outer walls. They were dark corridors, only dimly lit by a few scattered torches, they were working passageways, intended only for guards and emergencies and as such they were sparsely decorated. T.C's hoof-steps echoed off the cold cobblestone floor, but soon he was outside in the Palace gardens.

T.C. made his way to the training arena. To his great surprise he saw Shining Armor overseeing some squads of guard practicing their drill. Thunder Clop trotted over to his old friend, he hadn't seen Shining Armor since the wedding.

"Shining Armor," He started cheerily, "How have you been? What are you doing here?"

Shining Armor glared back at Thunder Clop, "Princess Celestia recalled me until Captain Sentry is well, if you must know."

Thunder Clop was taken aback by the cold response, "Is something the matter?"

"No nothing at all," replied Shining Armor sarcastically, "I just love leaving my new wife and new home to cover for Sentry's shift, just because you can't sleep in your own bed."

"Excuse me!?" Replied Thunder Clop a bit angrily. "But that is none of you business!"

"Oh? It is when the Princess recalls me from the Chrystal Empire to cover your shifts!" Yelled Shining Armor.

"Well she shouldn't have bothered, Lt. Bastion was doing an excellent job in the interim!" replied Thunder Clop

"Well clearly Princess Celestia doesn't share you opinion." fumed Shining Armor.

By now the other guards in the training yard had all stopped and began to gather around the arguing captains.

Shining Armor continued, "This is just plane ridiculous! I shouldn't be here right now! You're supposed to protect Princess Luna.... not seduce her!"

"Our relationship is none of your concern!" replied Thunder Clop, "How do you even know?! Did Celestia tell you?"

"She didn't have to!" bellowed Shining Armor, as he threw a magazine on the ground in front of him. Luna and Thunder Clop were on the front page, a photo of them from the park after the jazz club. "All of Equestria know's now!"

Thunder Clop looked at the magazine laying in the dirt, he didn't remember anyone else being in the park, let alone a paparazzo with a camera.

Shining Armor continued his rant, "You should be ashamed of yourself! Absolutely no self restraint! Dating the Princess, unabashedly going out in public! There's even a picture in there of you two kissing! You're not fit to be captain, let alone a palace guard!"

Thunder Clop had had enough, first a lecture from Princes Celestia, and now from Shining Armor, a pony he thought was his friend, T.C. lost his temper, "Who the Hell do you think you are!? Lecturing me about who I can date? Telling me that I'm not fit to be a guard! You Married one of them, a Princess just like Luna! I thought you were my friend, but you're the worst kind of hypocrite! It's all right for you to fall in love with a princess, but creator forbid anypony else does! Well BUCK YOU Shining Armor, I don't have to take this kind of crap from you or anypony else. Luna and I are going to be together! No matter what you or Celstia or anypony else has to say about it! So get used to these magazines articles, there are going to be a lot more!"

Thunder Clop turned and left for the palace, the guard ponies in his immediate way moved aside silently. Thunder Clop was fuming. He didn't even care that other ponies were staring at him as he walked back to his office. This time he walked right through the main palace, past the throne room where Celestia sat wrapping up the last part of her day. Thunder Clop heard her call for him, but he ignored her and continued up to Luna's tower. Many of the nobleponies, and even Celestia herself, were completely taken aback by his refusal to even acknowledge Celestia.

When Thunder Clop reached Luna's tower he decided not to return to his office, but to go directly to Luna's room. It was just about time for her to wake anyway. Thunder Clop went through her receiving room and straight into her office, the handmaidens didn't even try to stop him. He asked one of them for some tee and dinner while he waited for Luna to wake.
He didn't have to wait long for Luna, she wandered sleepily out of her room still in her pajamas.

"Oh Thunder Clop, bringing me dinner, what a nice surprise." Her cherry smile quickly vanished though when she caught sight of Thunder Clops angry expression.

"Oh my," she started, "whatever is the matter?"

"Shining Armor and I got into a fairly heated argument." Explained Thunder Clop.

Luna looked confused, "Shining Armor is here? At the Palace? Why is he not with Mi Amore Cadenza in the Chrystal Empire?"

"Your sister brought him back until Flash Sentry is well again." Said Thunder Clop.

"Still that does not make sense," replied Luna, "I thought Lt. Bastion was assigned as the interim day Captain."

"Apparently Celestia didn't think he was up to the task." Sighed Thunder Clop.

"Still what cause if there for you and Shining Armor to argue? I thought you were friends?" inquired Luna.

"I thought so too," answered T.C. "but I think he blames me for separating him from his wife after only a few months.... and he's not entirely wrong. If we weren't together he would still be in the Chrystal Empire, I would still be head Captain, and Celestia would not be angry with us."

Luna looked at him disapprovingly, "And is that what you want? To forsake our feelings so that everything can return to as it once was?"

"No of course not Luna," sighed Thunder Clop, "I just wish things could be different.... I wish Celestia could just accept our relationship."

Luna scoffed, "Ha! That is far from likely, sometimes my sister can be quite prudish! But do not blame her.... there are certain events in her past that cause her to be so resistant to romance. Both for herself and me....She was even leery of allowing Mi Amore to become involved with Shining Armor, but eventually she relented. I believe she will relent to our relationship too, it just may take some time."

"Well I wish it wouldn't" replied Thunder Clop dryly.

"Celestia is just.... protective of me." Said Luna, "Especially since my return from the moon..."

"About that," started T.C. "Have you and Celestia talked since then?"

"Oh of course!" said Luna, using her brush off tone, "We talk every day, what a foolish question."

"You know what I mean." Said Thunder Clop somewhat frustrated. "Have you really talked? About what happened? About how you both feel about it? I feel a lot of tension whenever you two are together."

"That is between Celestia and my self," replied Luna, starting to use her arrogant tone, "and nopony else's business."

"Well," started Thunder Clop, "Maybe it is my business. If we're going to be together it's going to effect Celestia too, and she is going to effect our relationship, I mean she all ready has... in a big way."

Luna was about to reply when a knock came to the door. Luna cleared her throat as if to erase the last thought from her mouth. "Enter." She said.

The door opened slowly to reveal Shining Armor. He rung his hooves nervously. "Sorry for the intrusion Princess," he began, "I've uh... I've come to apologize to Thunder Clop."

He turned to T.C. "I'm sorry Thunder Clop. I was way out of line and I shouldn't have said those awful things.... It's just I've been really stressed out lately. Cadence and I are trying for a foal, and getting the city ready for the Equestria Games, and now Princess Celestia bringing me back. I guess I just let my frustration out on you. But that's no excuse for what I said, can you forgive me?"

Thunder Clop looked at Shining Armor for a while. "I'm sorry too," he started, "I said some pretty horrible things as well, it seems like everypony was mad at me, and I guess I'd had my fill of lectures.... I'll forgive you if you can forgive me?"

"That sounds like a fair enough deal to me." Said Shining Armor, extending his hoof, which T.C. took and shook.

Luna smiled from the couch, "I'm glad you two have made up. It will certainly make for less drama around the Palace."

Suddenly Thunder Clop had a thought. "You know Luna, I think I know how to get rid of most of the drama around here..."

"Oh," said Luna in a questioning voice, "how pray tell, do you plan to achieve that."

"Yeah?" asked Shining Armor.

"Oh," smirked Thunder Clop, "You'll see....."

Comments

[Jacob562]

Sorry this update took so long, had a partial writers block, I knew what i wanted to happen, but not how I wanted it to happen, don't want to spoil anything but I've really been looking forward to the next couple of chapters from when I first got the Idea for the story, so I'll try and get the next two out pretty quickly. I hope you guys like them.

[Voltrasin]

3142473All delays are forgiven on account of this amazing chapter.
My favorite part was when he straight-up ignored Celestia.

You didn't use dialogue, so this how it played out in my mind.

Celestia: "Captain Clop. A moment, plaese?"

In T.C.'s mind: "Shiiiiiit, ain't nopony got time for that!" Just kept walkin'.

[Jacob562]

3143358 HAHA, thats pretty much how I wanted it ti happen, and everyone around just all taken aback and gossipy

[Skayn]

3142473 This is correct for the delays. You are forgiven Jacob

[Dragonfeith]

Sill a good story. Drama is usually hated by me, but you are doing a pretty danm good job. CONTINUE! I want to see daily updates

[Sky Hooves]

3143358 I agree with you. It was the BEST PART EVER!