The trip back home was slow and painful, as an emotionally upset Shining Armor dragged his hooves along the busy streets of Canterlot, thinking about the conversation he had with Forefront just an hour earlier. As much as Shining wanted to disagree with him, he couldn't help but realize that he may have had a point.
Was the Royal Guard useless? Was it really nothing more but a big joke? That all it ever did was stand around and look pretty while the princesses did everything, giving it's citizens a false sense of security?
'That can't be true...' Shining thought to himself, gritting his teeth in frustration. 'We're the Royal Guard! Our mission here IS serious! We're not meant to simply decorate the castle. We're important! We're-'
“Sir!” Shining snapped out of his track of his thought process as he noticed a stallion guard opposite of him salute him. “It's an honor to have you back at Canterlot, Sir!”
Shining hesitated a moment before returning the salute. “Y-yes... Thank you. It's good to be back.”
“The Royal Guard hasn't been the same without you.” The guard smiled and went about his duties.
“You!” Shining suddenly called out to him, causing him to stop. “What's your name soldier?”
“Me Sir?” the guard replied. “It's Lance. Hard Lance.”
“Tell me, Hard Lance... What do you think of the Royal Guard?”
Lance blinked. “What do I think of the Royal Guard, Sir?” He was puzzled about the question but answered anyway. “I think it's the best thing ever.”
“Really?” replied Shining with a questionable look. “It's really the best?”
“Yes sir!” Lance beamed. “Being a Royal Guard is absolutely the best choice I ever made. Protecting the castle, guarding the princess-” They then noticed two mares trotting past them. The mares shot them an alluring glance and giggled as one of them winked at Lance, causing Lance to blush and his tail to wag. “- Getting the girls...” he sighed. “Girls always love a stallion in uniform. Just like yours did.”
That last remark by Lance made something snap inside Shining. “Are you saying I married a princess because of my uniform?”
“Of course.”
“Really? So if I was an ordinary pony, I wouldn't have a chance with the ladies, let alone a princess? Is that what you're implying?”
Lance then realized he spoken out of turn. “Oh Sir, I didn't mean-”
“You think this is a cushy gig, don't you? Look pretty and get the ladies?”
“Sir?”
“Be honest with me!” Shining narrowed his eyes. “You joined the Guard because it sounded easy, didn't you?”
“Easy?” Lance started to sweat. “Sir... What do you mean? Are you suggesting that I only joined the Royal Guard because it sounded easy? I never said that! I only said it was the best.”
“The 'best'?” Shining narrowed his eyes. “Tell me, how many battles have you seen?” There was a quiet moment. “Well?”
Lance thought about it. “Um... One. The wedding incident-”
“And did you still find that being a guard was the best thing ever?”
Lance didn't answer immediately. “Uh... Of course! I mean... we won, didn't we?”
“We did win, yes...” Shining nodded. “But did we win because we are the best? Did we win because we gave it our all?”
“Uh...”
Shining then pushed his muzzle against his and angrily stared him down. “If the enemy were to appear before you right now, would you have the courage and strength to face it? Would you risk your life and defend the ponies around you?”
Lance grew weak in his legs. “I... I... Uh.”
“We don't wear this uniform because it makes us look pretty!” Shining growled. “We wear them because we are the Royal Guard! We are SOLDIERS!” Tears began to well up in his eyes. “We're not toys to be pushed around!”
“Sir... Captain, I-”
“THE ROYAL GUARD IS NOT A JOKE!!”
Breathing heavily and seething with anger, Shining suddenly noticed ponies around them had stopped whatever they were doing and were looking at them with a mixture of confusion and concern. He then saw the fear in Lance's eyes and realized what he was doing. He backed away.
“I'm sorry...” He shamefully turned around and continued home. “As you were... 'soldier'.”
Lance just sat on his haunches and silently watched as his captain trotted away, wondering just what had happened.
*****
Back at the castle, Cadance was having a pleasant conversation with Twilight. Twilight had arrived with the Ponyville train the night before after immediately receiving a letter from both her and Shining about their trip back from their honeymoon.
They sat in the living and were enjoying a nice cup of tea while Cadance regaled her new sister-in-law with her stories.
“Really?” Twilight laughed. “He really did that?”
“He sure did.” Cadance giggled. “You can just imagine how embarrassed he was.” Both mares shared a heartily laugh. Once done, Cadance dried her eyes and sighed. “Poor Shining... I don't think he'll ever forgive me for telling you that...”
Twilight too dried her eyes and smiled. “So I assume you two had a wonderful honeymoon then?”
Cadance giggled. “We sure did Twilight. We really needed one, especially after that whole 'Changeling incident'.”
“I can imagine.” Twilight nodded. “That sure was a close call. To think that you were trapped in those caverns all that time...” she shuddered. “It must've been awful!”
“It was...” Cadance was quiet a moment before her mood lightened up again. “Not a day goes by that I'm truly grateful you found me and brought me back to my Shining.” She leaned over and hugged Twilight. “Thank you.”
Twilight blushed and smiled while hugging her back. “It was nothing Cadance. I-”
Both mares ears perked as they heard the sound of the front door opening. They both leaned back on their pillows and watched as Shining Armor entered the room. “Honey... Twilight... I'm back.”
Both mares got up to greet him.
“BBBFF!”
“Hi Shining!”Cadance trotted over and hugged him with Twilight close behind. “So? What did he say?”
Shining didn't say anything.
“Well? Don't keep us in suspense. How did it go?”
Shining still said nothing. Nor did he smile. Instead he sighed and walked straight past them without a single word towards the bedroom, slowly dragging his hooves behind him as he did.
“Shiny?”
“What's wrong? Did something happen?” Twilight teleported right in front of him, looking him in the eyes with concern. “BBBFF?”
Again, Shining said nothing. He casually trotted past her and into the bedroom, closing it behind him and locking it.
SLAM! CLICK!
“What on earth was that about?”
“I don't know Twilight.” a concerned Cadance then narrowed her eyes. “I going to find out.”
“I'll come with.”
Using her magic, Cadance unlocked the door and marched inside with Twilight close behind. They found Shining standing in front of the bedroom mirror, looking at himself.
He wasn't smiling. Instead he regarded his reflection with a look of great disappointment.
“Shining?”
“Locked doors usually means 'do not disturb' honey...”
“Shiny! What's going on?” Cadance trotted up to him. “This morning you were all excited, but now you look as if your favorite hoofball team lost. What happened?”
“What's this?” Twilight asked as she suddenly eyed the letter sticking out of his armor. She grabbed it with her magic.
“Twily! No! That's-”
Shining tried to stop her but Cadance blocked him. Twilight brought the letter before her, read it and gasped.
“What is it Twilight?”
“It's... It's a letter of Resignation.” She gave it a quick read. “A Royal Guard just quit.”
“WHAT!?” Cadance snagged the letter. “Who's quitting?”
“Somepony named Forefront.”
“Forfr-?” Cadance read the letter and held her mouth in shock. “Lieutenant Forefront?!?” She looked at Shining in shock. “The stallion you were going to promote?”
Shining quietly moved away from the mirror and sat down on the bed, hanging his head. “Yes...”
“What?!” Twilight exclaimed in surprise. “That was the stallion you were talking about this morning? 'That' Forefront?”
Shining nodded.
Cadance sat down beside him with a look of concern. “Have... Have you-?”
“Not yet.” answered Shining. “I have yet to stamp it to make it official...”
“And are you?” asked Twilight.
“I... I don't know...” He sighed. “Maybe..?”
“Shining!” Cadance exclaimed. “You can't be seriously considering that. You spoke so highly of him and what he did during the Changeling invasion.”
Shining sighed. “Yeah...”
“But... But WHY? Why in the name of Celestia is he quitting?”
“He... He said he was useless.”
Both Twilight and Cadance were confused. “What?”
“That's what he said. Useless.” Shining sighed. “He said that he and the Royal Guard were useless.”
“WHAT?!?” Both exclaimed loudly. “USELESS??!”
“No. Not just useless. A joke. He said the Royal Guard was a big joke.”
“A JOKE??!” Cadance yelled with a hint of anger.
“Shining! That's crazy!” Twilight argued. “You always spoke highly of the Royal Guard! To join it was your dream! Why would he say that?”
Twilight suddenly turned around and headed angrily towards the door. “The nerve of that pony! Where does he live? I'm going to give him a piece of my mind!”
“Twily!”
“How dare he insult you and Celestia's Royal Guard! Has he no respect?”
“NO!” exclaimed Shining, using his magic to close the door, preventing her from leaving. “Twilight, don't!”
“But BBBFF...”
“I appreciate what you're trying to do, but don't. He has every reason to say the things he said.”
Twilight was at a loss for words. Even Cadance was surprised by this.
“Shining?”
“I... I think he's right...”
“WHAT???!?”
“SHINING ARMOR!?!” Twilight yelled. “What are you saying? Are you seriously agreeing with him?!” She shook her head. “No! No no no NO! BBBFF! The Royal Guard isn't useless! Nor is it a joke!!”
She jabbed her hoof at him. “YOU'RE not useless! YOU'RE not a joke!”
“Twilight, please...” Cadance held up a hoof to calm her and directed her attention back to Shining. “Honey, I still don't understand. Why would he say these things?”
“He claimed the Guard was unable to save the wedding. Changelings invaded the kingdom and the Royal Guard couldn't stop them.”
“Shining... That was nopony's fault.”
“No... It was mine.”
Both Cadance and Twilight gasped. “Shining..?”
“I'm their Captain, for Celestia's sake!” He gritted his teeth. “My duty was to the Royal Guard. My job was to prepare them for something like that. Instead I failed them. I failed Canterlot. I failed Forefront!” He sadly looked up at Cadance. “I failed you...”
“Honey...” Cadance tried to comfort him as he hung his head in quiet shame. “You're the best Captain the Royal Guard ever had. How can you sit there and tell us you failed them? That you failed us? I know for a fact that I didn't marry a failure.”
Shining glanced up at her. “Really? Not even because I look handsome in a uniform?”
Cadance was surprised by that but smiled. “You could've been a royal janitor and I STILL would've married you!” She hugged him. “I'm your wife, Shining. The Princess of Love, remember? I wouldn't love you because you looked pretty in a uniform. I would love you for who you are. And what you are, is not a failure.”
“Thanks...” Shining hugged and, perhaps for the first time since his meeting with Forefront, smiled. “But this is still a very serious matter.”
Cadance released him from her hug and looked at him. “You mentioned something about him being right?”
“I have a feeling the Royal Guard have not been taking their duties seriously. And that Forefront is aware of this.” Shining sighed. “He fears for the safety of his family and believes that nopony but you, Celestia, Luna...” He glanced at Twilight. “...Twily and her friends are the only ones keeping Equestria safe. If you're not around, who can Equestria turn to when the Guard is the only one left? How can Equestria feel safe when not even the Guard can defeat enemies who threaten us?”
Cadance and Twilight shared a look of concern.
“I guess this really is a serious matter...” replied Twilight while scratching her head worried. “What can we do?”
Cadance pondered for a bit and then looked to Shining. “Do not approve that letter just yet, Shining.” She then turned to Twilight and got up. “You go and speak to Forefront, Twilight. Talk to him and try to convince him to remain with the Guard.”
“Where are you going?”
“I'm going to speak to aunt Celestia about this.” She opened the doors and marched out. “The reputation of the Royal Guard is at stake and we have to save it!”