//------------------------------//
// Idle Hands Make for Wonderful Play Things  
// Story: Honor Above All Else 
// by Honored Service 
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Honor Above All Else
Chapter 21 
By Honored Service 

After I regained some composer and picked myself off the royal kitchen floor, I stalked off to my room but not before grabbing a bottle or two of ‘Radiant Royal Rum’. The waiter wasn’t too happy as I cradled the two bottles and gave him a curt nod. Trudging up the stairs and walking across the castle towards the basement barracks, I walked past differently marked doors, each one displaying a different letter of the company staying within that room.

So are we going to talk about it?

“Nothing to talk about. Ever.” I shuddered and stuck a finger into my ear and pulled it out. I flicked a small glob of banana off across the hallway. I walked past another door and stopped. I did a double take and walked back to it. Framed on the simple wooden door was a gold plaque. ‘Lt. Honored Service’ was engraved onto it along with the simple design of the Equestrian Honor Guard. 



“I guess they weren't kidding.” I slowly gripped the handle and pushed the door open. It swung inward with faint creak as I stepped into the dimly lit room. I looked around and saw a lamp mounted on the wall.  Twisting a small knob on the lamp confirmed it was a gas lamp as a flame sprung up and casted light around the room. 

“Daaaaamn.” I let out a whistle as looked around the fairly large room. 

If this is what they give to Lieutenants then you had better make Captain and get your own mansion. 

To say that this room was nice would be a total understatement. It was a modest sized apartment all in one room (minus the bathroom of course). Directly to the back of the large room was a white screen stretching from the floor to the ceiling with a bed large enough to accommodate my length behind it. Next to it rested a dresser and an armor/weapons rack. To the left was a door that opened into a bathroom with a walk in shower. 

Back out into the main room were two couches positioned around a table. Next to that was large oak table with pillows and one stool around it. The stool being placed there for me. And the last area was a across from the table to the right of the door leading into the living space. A full kitchen. 

“Wow, I mean I know the military is awesome, but this… this is amazing.” I said to Nightmare as I walked around the large apartment. “Look, I even have a desk to do, um, paperwork I guess.” I shrugged and threw myself onto the bed and sighed. “Oh it is so good to be back.” Something sparkled in the corner of my eye on the armor rack. I turned and dropped my jaw. 

Well that is certainly something new.

On the armor rack rested what I could only guess was my new uniform. Well it was my old uniform, the standard Army Combat Uniform, but it was clean. And definitely had some new additions to it. 

The standard blouse and pants was the base of the uniform, but along the shoulders and forearms was new gold armor. Layered for extra protection. The leg area had parts of gold armor attached at the thighs, knees, and shins covering the front along with sections of solid armor on the calves. The chest was unarmored, but noticed it was left in a way to allow for my current armored chest rig to be worn still. On the left shoulder armor there was a perfectly painted Cutie Mark Crusader patch, and in color this time, and on the right shoulder was the red and black symbol of the Equestrian Honor Guard. The final piece of the new armored uniform was the helmet. A brand new shiny golden helmet with a green tuff of feathers running along the top of it. I bent down to my very torn and falling apart backpack and removed the original helmet had been given a year ago. Dents and scratches covered it and a patch of the green feathers was ripped clean out. I sighed and placed the old helmet on the dresser. 

I reached out and brushed a hand along the new armored sleeve and then looked down at the nearly destroyed duster that I was still wearing.

“I see you found the welcome back gift.” I turned around to see Hammer Strike smiling from around the screen separating the bedroom from the rest of the room. “To be honest that stuff you're wearing now is good, but kind of smells.” 

I could only respond with laughter as I walked out to the couches and sat down. “Howd you make all that?”

“Easy enough,” Hammer Strike sat on the couch across from me and leaned back, “we found your old uniform in your foot locker after well, you ‘died’ and I just thought that it could use some work. Secretly I just wanted to have something nice to leave at the ceremony you say a couple days ago. Some real armor for a real solider.” 

“Thanks Hammer,” I gave him a wide smile and leaned over with a fist held out to him, “it’s truly amazing, some one of the kind badassery right there.” He bumped my fist with his hoof and wore a smug proud look on his face as he leaned back into the couch. 

“Man if this where officers get to live, then I really need to step it up.” Hammer laughed and looked back to the old duster. “But really, that thing stinks.” 

“Ha alright, alright I can take a hint.” I got up and removed the old duster. I was about to throw it into the corner, but instead gently laid it out on the bed. 

Getting all sentimental over some clothing? Always knew you were a mare at heart. I can see inside your mind, you know this to be true.

“Shut it you stupid daydream.” I smirked at the huff and salience. “Hey Hammer, do you think that Daydream sounds better than Nightmare?” The Nightmare began to fume in my mind and began ranting at me in a mumbled town I couldn’t hear.

“I think that sounds lovely. The Princesses would love a tea party with that fellow.”

Death shall be swift. I promise you Honored. Actually, no, it shall be slow, painful, and full of agonizing…agony. 

“I'm shaking in my boots.” I rolled my eyes and looked at the blue stallion. He was giving me a confused look.

“So I mean you just talk to each other?” He pointed at me, “Just like aloud or can only you hear him? Quick Flurry was snoring so I kind of missed that part of the story.”

I sighed, “I can hear him in my mind, but unless I try really hard, I have to talk aloud for him to hear.”

Because Celestia help me if I had to listen to you in your head just as much as I do aloud, I think I would cut off the blood flow and suffocate myself. 

“That’s not nice buddy.” I held a finger up to my head and pointed at my brain while Hammer nodded. 

“Well, I’ll let you get settled in, I just stopped by to say… Radiant Royal Rum?” 

“Radiant what?” I turned to the pony and saw him staring at the two large bottles of alcohol. Suddenly a horrible idea went through my head. “Hammer, is anypony from Saddle on duty right now?” I brought my hands up to my chest and began to drum my fingers together. 

“Just Fast Skies, but she gets releaved in a couple hours, why?” he turned back from the door and looked at me. A slow smile began to edge its way across his lips. “House party.”

“HOUSE PARTY!” I screamed and threw my arms into the air.

House party?





Hammer Strike, Quick Flurry and I ran around a corner giggling like school fillies. My arms filled with bottles of different types of pony liquor. More of the fancy looking rum, vodka from Staliongrad, expensive wine from Prance, and a whole assortment of other social lubricants. The same waiter from earlier this morning was chasing us until he gave up hope of catching a group of well-trained guards. 

“Enjoy it human!” He called out, shaking a hoof at us as we dashed down the long corridor to the basement barracks, “Because there is only on bloody human in this castle, and once I tell the princesses about you stealing…” His threats died down as we got too far away for us to hear him. 

We laughed our heads off as we busted into my new room and dropped the bottles of liquid party onto the kitchen table. “I can’t believe that you had that in you Shorts.” I laughed at the passed out pony lounging across one of my couches. 

He sat up and waved a dismissive hoof at me, “Me? What about Battle Plan over there. I really thought he was going to wet himself when you grabbed all those bottles and told us to run.” That got all the guards except the mentioned egghead to laugh harder. Battle Plan just blushed and kicked a hoof against the hardwood floor.

“Well everypony,” I got up and pulled five glasses out of a cupboard above the sink and filled each one with a shot of whisky from Appleloosa before handing them out to my old squad, “here’s to great friends and being back home!” We all downed the shots and gasped. I gasped more so than the ponies. This was strong. A lot stronger than the alcohol I had had at Pinkie’s party in Ponyville. I shook my head and slammed a fist on the table. “Damn that’s good! How about another?”





Fast Skies was so relieved when the other guard finally showed up to take his watch along the castle wall. She was eager to go see her human at his new home, something she had been sure to help see prepared. She trotted eagerly to her barracks that she shared with Saddle company and dropped off her enchanted armor and spear. Giving herself a quick once over in the mirror and combing her orange mane, she decided that she was ready to go see Honored. She walked out of the room and down towards the officer hallway. As she neared it, a loud deep base was resounding throughout the corridor. 

“What in the world?” She asked herself aloud as she got closer to the human’s room. Fast Skies stopped at his door and sighed. Right below his sign on the door was another sign somepony or somehuman had tapped on. It read ‘Party Zone’ and was scribbled on with marker in very shaky hoof writing, or hand writing depending on the creature. 

“Oh Honored.” She shook her head and smiled. She reached up and opened the door to be assaulted with a loud noise that blasted out into the hallway. More officer’s doors opened as they all looked out to see what was causing the noise. 

“HEY SKY! ITS OKAY EVERYPONY SKY IS HERE, NOW IT’S A SADDLE PARTY!” I reached out and grabbed sky by her hoof and pulled her into the room before slamming the door. “Battle Plan turn music down can you?” I slurred at the sage colored unicorn who was standing falling down next to a record player that was visibly jumping up and down. 

“Sure human, not a pr-ob-lem.” The nerdy unicorn laughed at his slurred words and turned the music down after several attempts and getting the knob. 

“Hi Sky.” I bent down and gave her a big hug that ended up picking her off the ground. 

“Hi you big drunkard.” She laughed and slapped a hoof at my chest. “I leave you alone for half and day and you get trashed with four other stallions. I must say I'm disappointed.” 

I was about to make a witty comeback, when Quick Flurry flies up to us. He hovers for a brief moment before collapsing to the ground and stands up on shaky legs. “I told him this was lame. I said Honred we need mares. Lots of mares. This is a party. Parties need mares.” Quick said while trying to keep his balance as he pointed at me with a hoof at each word of mares. Out of nowhere Pinkie Pie poked her head out of a kitchen cabinet and nodded her head before disappearing back into the cabinet. “See?” The yellow pegasus fell over before Hammer Strike stumbled up and picked the passed out guard up and placed him on the couch.

“So you were going to invite some mares over huh?” Fast Skies looked at me with an accusing look. 

“No honestly I wasn’t Sky.” I fell to my knees and clasped my hands out in front of me. “Honest Sky you have to believe me.”

You… *hic* are so pathetic. If I wanted… oh Celestia this feels great. Haha Oh man we should go rampaging at an orphanage. Or *hic* let’s just lay down.

I fell on my side laughing my head off like a fool at the intoxicated Nightmare that was mumbling in my head. it seems he was taking the full force of the alcohol while I was buzzed on the stuff. 

Sky rolled her eyes, “Please don’t tell me Nightmare is drunk too.” I nodded my head. “And here I was expecting him to be the responsibly one.” 

I still like her. Hey Honored. Honored. Human. Honored. Human. Johnson. Honored. Ask here where she learned to do that *hic* thing from the first night. That thing with the chair and her wing.

I visibly sobered up and turned as read as Fast Skies’ coat as Nightmare described what he wanted to know. “Okay I think I'm good babe.” I smiled at my marefriend before handing her a glass, “Welcome to the house party.”





Within an hour I was feeling normal again. Granted the Nightmare was gone, passed out from the alcohol. He gets drunk, I get buzzed and then get over it fairly quickly while he just passes out. Now I know how to deal with him when he gets cranky. 

Sky on the other hand was a different story.

“Oh Honored. It’s been such a rough day. Maybe I should lie down and have a wing massage.” She batted her yes at me, while all the stallions laughed and whistled at me. I in turn blushed and fidgeted in my seat on the couch. 

Sky was a light weight.

And also when she got drunk, she got well… feely.

I stayed seated on the couch staring straight ahead at the wall with a deadpan look. Sky on the other hoof took this as a challenge to try and get me to leave the party and go out with her. Like out to her room, which I kindly reminded her was shared with the rest of Saddle company, who could come back at any moment. 

She only laughed and then whispered other places with other things in mind. I blushed and this caused the party goers to laugh at me, and the cycle continued. 

“Why Honored, I'm surprised at you. Usually any stallion would jump on this” – THUMP. I turned to face Sky and could only smile at the adorableness that was her passed out on the ground. She had her wings awkwardly spread around her and her orange mane was covering most of her face as she let out a little snore. I guess pegasus in general were lightweights. 

“Well everypony, let me take Sky to bed,” a series of wolf whistles and “ohhhhs” sounded out, “grow up, I'm taking her to the barracks.” I leaned down and picked up Sky and carried her like a baby, cradled in my arms and head over one shoulder. 

I opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. I closed the door to the loud music restarting. As I turned around I heard a cough. I was facing another pony. He was a blue color with a brown mane and horn sticking out from his messy hair and he was wearing an unzipped black vest that was very similar to my tactical combat vest. His cutie mark was an anchor with rope around it. 

“Hello Lieutenant. My name is Been Grand. And I'm your,” he visibly shuddered, “your neighbor. And maybe you could turn the music down. I'm trying to sleep.” 

“Look sorry about the noise, let me just drop my marefriend off,” I gave Sky a quick nod, “and I’ll have the music turned down.”  I really didn’t like getting off on the wrong hoof. But let my friends have a few more minutes of uninterrupted party.

“Thank you, and please don’t let it happen again.” The pony turned around and stalked back to his room. the plaque mounted on his door read,  Been Grand – Royal Event Coordinator. “Well I guess I know who to go to plan a royal party or something. But why is he on the officer’s hallway.”

Ugh who cares? Get me some aspirin or something fast. I feel horrible.

“That’s what you get for drinking so much Nightmare.” I rounded the corridor and walked towards the door with a large S on it. 

But I didn’t drink anything. You were the one pounding back shots like they were water.

“Call it a happy one year anniversary of being stuck together.” I smiled as he huffed and fumed at me, saying such things as I made you better. I could kill you. Turn your brain to mush. Or how would you like being a mare for a week, I can do that. 

I opened Saddle Company’s door and walked into the fairly large room for only five guard ponies to share. I recognized Sky’s bed right off the bat. Red sheets and it was kept very tidy. On the other hand I could easily see which bed was Quick Flurry’s. his bed was currently made into a fort using blankets, sand bags, and mattresses from the bunks not being used. There was a note tapped to the side of it. ‘No mares aloud- that means you Slow Sky’.

I suppressed the urge to laugh at the immature pegasus fort. I brought Sky over to her bed and laid her down and tucked the blankets around her. “Night Sky, sleep good. Because tomorrow morning, you're going to be in some pain.” I snickered at a hung over Fast Sky. 

“Oh shut it.” I heard her mumble and reach a hoof over an d lay it on my leg. “Come here.” I leaned in closer. “Closer.” I carefully put my head next to hers. She whispered into my ear what she was going to do to me tomorrow and finished it off with a lick and a nibble to my neck. I jumped up blushing and stuttering for words, as Sky rolled over laughing and pulled the covers back up around her. “Good night Honored.” She said, before a light snore confirmed she was asleep. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow Sky.” I whispered as I shut the door.

Combined with this throbbing headache, I think I have cuteness overload. That mare is something else.

“Hey watch it bub. That’s my mare.” I shook a fist at the wall as I headed back to my new room.

And I'm you… kind of.

“Whatever just don’t go thinking about her.” The noise from the music was growing louder, and I could see a very upset neighbor waiting outside my door.  Grand raised a hoof, but I raised a hand, “Don’t be upset.” I opened the door and the heavy bass poured out into the hallway. Grand stuck his head into the room, but quickly ducked as the record player flew over his head and smashed into the adjacent wall.

“Is that better?” I smiled at him and closed the door. 

Don’t you think was a little… hardcore?

“That was pro.” Hammer Strike said as he hoofed me another cup of something strong. 

“Yeah that guy is a real casual.” Short Blade stumbled up to me and hoof bumped my chest. 

“Well let’s keep this party going.” I raised my glass and three more rose too. Then followed by another one held by Battle Plan who was missing his glasses and had marker drawn all over his face.

“Damn it Quick.” He said once he looked in the mirror. 

I'm going to feel this in the morning. Happy one year… I guess.

“Yeah happy one year.” I smiled and felt truly at home.