The Shield's Protector

by Carapace

20. A Night With Naught But Anger To Keep Me Warm

Sleep, Shining Armor found, could be a fickle thing.

His eyelids were heavy, slowly falling until they closed completely; his muscles ached and begged for just a few hours rest; and his tired mind wandered without aim, always finding its way back to Cadence and the nice, warm bed they shared. How nice it would be if he could just trot back to their bedroom, slip into bed, and hold her in his hooves…

Hot anger burned in his chest, as it had each time she came to mind. Sleep danced out of reach yet again.

Shining snorted and rolled over onto his right side. He would find a way to sleep somehow. Even if he had to roll himself out of bed, trot down to Honeysuckle’s office, and dig through her cabinets to find some sort of sleeping potion.

He wrinkled his snout and gave a tired shake of his head. Some things just weren’t worth it. Sleep would be nice, but dealing with an enraged Honeysuckle would all-but cap off a winning couple of days.

All that time she was hiding it from me. Shining grit his teeth and flicked his tail. The burn grew into an inferno, once again chasing sleep from his grasp. Just feeling a little down in the dumps, my cutie mark.

All along, she was trying to think of ways to hide it from him until the last minute. Putting it off as long as she could, lying about her meetings and the letters she exchanged Twilight—

Shining’s eyes shot open. “Going behind my back to talk with Twily instead of just coming to me,” he grumbled. With a snarl, he pushed himself up onto his forehooves and drew back his right hoof. “Can’t just treat me like a big stallion! We’ve gotta act like Shiny’s pet goldfish just kicked the bucket!”

He punched the pillow as hard as he could, driving his hoof deep into the soft downy center with a muffled, yet oddly satisfying fwump. A sound not unlike the solid thud of hooves against a practice ag.

Eyes flashing, Shining pulled back his hoof and drove it forward again, putting a bit more force behind it. His chest heaved, his breathing labored as he vented his fury on his innocent pillow. He just needed something, anything to get it out.

Training.

His ears perked up. After Twinkle tossed him, the other guards joked that he was getting fat, sitting on his duff and signing papers all day. “What ever happened to the stallion who could outwrestle two of us with barely an effort?” Cirrus quipped. “Looks like all those ‘taut muscles’ Princess Cadence used to stare at whenever you weren’t looking are all just flabby fat, these days.”

A scowl marred his muzzle. He was in perfectly good shape, thank you very much, and his magical prowess was second only to Twilight’s. None of that changed just because one recruit caught him off guard.

Shining rolled over onto his back and shot a baleful look at his belly. He frowned, running a hoof down his front and prodding at his abs. Truth be told, he had gotten a little huskier with age and reduced time running drills. That was part of what made training the new recruits so fun—he could join in their workouts and get his blood pumping, which also meant he could get an up close look at their progression.

Still, when had he let himself get a pudge in his belly?

“Maybe I could use a few laps around the track in the morning,” he mused, sitting back on his haunches. Shining shook his head to clear his thoughts. “And I could get back to working on my hoof-to-hoof and magic practice again.”

Yes. That would work quite nicely. He could rope a couple of the other guards into sparring practice, too.

A smirk played upon his lips. “Maybe I’ll pull Cirrus in, just to smack him around a little. And Stout Heart, while I’m at it,” he thought aloud. “That’ll give him another reminder not to mouth off about me next time Tourmaline wants a giggle.”

Sleep may not have come easy for him, but at least the solution to another problem had. If Shining worked everything out properly, he could have a little bit of time each day to get himself back in peak condition soon enough.

Not to mention, it would give him something to busy himself with instead of brooding.

Shining glanced at his bed and shook his head. If he couldn’t get sleep tonight, he’d just have to get a bit of a workout in. I’ll go light tonight, he thought as he rolled out of bed, landing nimbly on the crystal floor. A shiver ran through his body as the nighttime chill hit him. Maybe we do need to get a rug. Cady might be onto something.

He shook his head. “Not the time,” he scolded himself.

Shining made to trot toward the door, but stopped short, glancing toward the armor he’d laid on the love seat, then toward the clock resting on his night stand.

Three o’ clock in the morning. Almost no point in even trying to go to sleep.

He wrinkled his muzzle. “Probably best to take this.” With a flick of his magic, Shining lifted his armor off the love seat and floated it to his side. “I’ll just shower after and throw this on, then I can grab breakfast and get started on paperwork.”

With his agenda adapted and set accordingly, Shining strode toward the door, pausing only to send out a small tendril of magic to turn off his alarm clock. “Last thing I need is for this to go off and me not be here to shut it up,” he muttered, “Prism would have my head.”

Shining took one last look at his makeshift room to ensure he hadn’t left anything out of place. Not that there was much for him to make a mess of—it was nothing more than a guest room. Soft peach crystal walls, a single window with purple drapes, a bed, a clock, a coffee table, and a few pieces of furniture were all he had until he saw fit to return to the suite.

Where Cadence would be waiting for him.

A low grumble escaped his lips. Shining shook his head and pulled the door open so he could step through, closing it behind him with an audible click of the latch.

A few laps around the track and a nice, quiet magic practice would do wonders to help soothe his temper. Maybe then he’d be able to think straight and come up with a solution to his problems.

Or, at very least, tire him out enough that he’d have no choice but to sleep.

Quite a brilliant strategy, if he did say so himself.

Comments

[Cynewulf]

nice title, btws

[Mlp Fan Celine]

Finale, a new chapter it was Short, but ok

[TheAmazingMe]

Poor Shiny

[Conflicting views]

Nice little chapter :)

[Jade Nekotenshi]

Wow, this is one of my favorites so far! I love your portrayal of both Shining and Cadence, oh so much.

[The Forgotten Comrade]

Hopefully he doesn't spontaneously combust when practicing magic.

[ChibiChabot]

Hopefully shiny doesn't get hurt.

[Soulful Ginger 17]

Just read through the whole thing, and wow, what a story! I really love the way you've built everything up so far, particularly Shining and Cadance's relationship. I know they're supposed to be the perfect super-in-love-24/7 couple, but I actually like it when a little rough patch is thrown in. Hope they can resolve this issue soon, and I hope from now on Cadance will learn to trust her husband more often, since that's what got them into this mess in the first place.

Hope to see you update soon! I'm really on the edge of my seat right now!

[Ice Star]

Sleep, Shining Armor found, could be a fickle thing.

Story of my life.

Poor Shiny.