Secret of Five

by Yugimotou

We totally didn't forget anything, guys.

As three prophets left the town, a mild Lemon-yellow pony looked on from her window.

She wanted to go with them. She wanted to think that maybe, that amazing power could bring back the one she cared about most.

But she couldn't pluck up the courage to ask them.

"The opportunity is gone, anyway..." she muttered to herself.

But then, something in her knew that it wasn't true. On their adventures, she and her friends had made the impossible possible multiple times.

"Maybe... this is what I need." Fluttershy shakily said to herself.

After a few moments of frantic packing, she was out the door.

"Remind me why we're going to Manehatten again?" Gold whined, the bustling city full of bad memories.

"Because Manehattan is the gossip capital of Equestria. Anything worth hearing goes through those busy streets and coffee shops, and if we want to find out what's going on we need to gather some intel!" Twilight answered, not phased in the slightest by Gold's attitude.

"That place has baaad memories, I'll tell you what. Green fuzzy mutant monkeys, badly insulated walls, and I blew a whole month's pay on a spur of the moment in an alleyway." Gold griped, prompting a shocked and confused look from Shining.

"You paid someone off in the back alleys?" Shining asked, prompting a wide eyed epiphany from Gold.

"W-wait! No, that's not what I meant! I meant I gave it away to Fluttershy and Mr. Doomgloom! Gave it, for free!" Gold exclaimed, clearly flustered.

Sea and Twilight exchanged looks. Twilight was clearly still confused, but Sea could plainly discern what had changed between Gold Rush and Shining Armor. Twilight saw it in his eyes, and nudged Sea off to the side for interrogation. Not noticing, Gold and Shining kept trotting along.

Twilight eyed Sea, giving him a stare that no mortal stallion could stand unbroken by.

"Well?" She asked.

"Well what?" Sea tried to play off.

"You know what I mean. What's going on with my brother and his partner?" Twilight pried.

"Well uh, It's funny you should use the word partner there... because it looks like Gold and Shining have, uh... Taken on a secondary spin on that role. If you know what I mean."

Twilight's scream could have easily dispersed the clouds, if the sunset had any. Hearing the outcry, Fluttershy began flying at full - but slow nonetheless - speed rushed towards the sound.

~

Blissfully unaware of the maelstrom of drama heading their way, Gold and Shining trotted along the long road to Manehattan, simply enjoying each others' company.

"Alright, spill it." Shining said affectionately, his eyes fixed forward into the sunset.

"Well, If you insist. I think I know one of those reasons you wouldn't care to admit for your actions over the past few days."

Shining broke his entranced fixation on the sunset, turning to look at Gold.

"Yeah?" He gently encouraged.

"You said you were bred for action. You're a historically high marking guard, with few peers throughout the history of the Royal Guard's operation. But time and time again, you were helpless to change anything as the ones you loved were threatened. The reason you became a guard, the strength you aimed to achieve was ripped away from you, time and time again."

Shining blinked.

"Yeah. That's pretty much my darkest secret in a nutshell. All the strength and training in the world were useless. I was pushed to the side over and over, while my sister and her friends or my ex-wife did all the fighting. I felt as helpless as when I was a colt."

Gold tilted his head. He'd only heard that kind of pain in his captains voice two times in the years he'd known him.

"What happened when you were a colt?" Gold asked.

"Long story. We were out getting ice cream. All four of us. Mom and Dad, Twilight and I. We were both really young. Twilight was barely walking on her own, and barely forming words, so she doesn't remember that day. Dad and Mom were important members of Celestia's court, helping make and change laws according to public feedback. They were targets, but the guard had them under constant protection. An unusual stallion lined up behind us, I remember he was twitchy. In a flash, he'd shoved me aside and taken dad by the throat. He knocked over Twilight's stroller as well, and she was on the cold concrete, crying her eyes out. I'd hit my head, I could hardly make sense of everything. Way too dizzy. Mom was crying, Dad was angry and scared. My uncle happened to be assigned to our escort that day. He shot the freak with an arrow, and he lurched back. My uncle was rushing in to finish the job and apprehend the stallion, but the stallion wasn't as wounded as everyone thought. Once my uncle got close, the freak flailed. My uncle avoided most of them, but I guess one of them was the lucky break. It went right through my uncles throat."

Shining was grimacing, tears in his eyes by this point. His eyes were clamped shut, his breathing sharp and strained. Gold strafed closer, putting an arm around Shining's shoulder.

"My uncles squad loaded the stallion with arrows immediately after. Turns out, my uncle told them to hold their fire. He didn't want to needlessly take a life. He was buried with honors later that week, and all I could do was sob and moan. I joined the guard to be an amazing stallion like he was, but also to gain the strength to protect those I loved. So nobody had to die needlessly again. With Cadence, my entire life, my identity and my experience, was null. Because she was a princess, and she had magical power and authority. Once again, I watched as a cheese-legged psychotic horsefly attacked my sister, my parents, my princess, and my wife. I made it up to them, sure. But I was still fooled. Used. And then there was the crystal empire. My magic was useless, my strength was nothing, my wife worked herself to death and all I could do was watch, and ask my sister for help. I was powerless, everything I had ever done was worthless. Pushed to the side again. It wasn't just in times of danger that this happened to me. All the time, I was being pushed to the side while Cadence worked or attended parties. I was an accessory. Barely even worth the ink they used to sprawl my name on documents. Cadence loved me, but she stopped as soon as she really begun to know me. Comic books, board games, trading card games, all that sorta stuff that I loved, Cadence hated. She'd get really angry whenever she caught me reading, or playing them with friends. She hated my friends, too. Thought they were creepy, and gross. She wanted a hunky guard, but that's only part of who I am."

Gold kissed Shining on the cheek, squeezing him close.

"Easy there, big guy. I understand. Hey, you should teach me the rules to a few of those games. Maybe after some hard practice, I can keep up with you and your pals at game night." Gold grinned.

Shining returned Gold's embrace, and the two held each other close.

"That'd be awesome."