Even the Strong Need Help

by Charlie_K

Filler - Lending a hoof and giving a boost

It was a big day at Canterlot Palace for one Private Thunder Strike. It was both a day he'd been waiting for, and looking forward to; his very first day of solo duty.

Up until now, as per protocol, he'd been partnered with a more experienced Guard who could show him the ropes so he'd know what to do when it was time for him to work by himself. Somepony who had the firsthoof knowledge of the ins and outs of the job, who could in turn pass that vital information onto him so he could perform his duties to the best of his abilities. And now it was time to put what he'd been learning to the test, and actually prove his worth!

He may, or may not've, spent a bit more time last evening -and early this morning- in adding some extra emphasis to his presence and the quality of his appearance to mark the occasion. Combing the crest of his helmet just a bit more than he usually did, to get the plume just right. A tad more effort invested into the polishing and waxing of his armor, right down to the buckles on the leather straps, to make it truly shine in a manner that befitted the a proud member of the noble Royal Guard.

Was he nervous about operating solo without the presence of a more seasoned and experienced Guard at his side if something went sideways? Absolutely not! A Royal Guard did not get anxious about adversity; a Royal Guard charged adversity head on and asserted dominance over it! And as long as he believed that, as long as he practiced that, it would be the case.

He just... had to keep everything straight as he did so. Such as the palace layout that he'd spent the better part of five months memorizing until he'd mapped out the location/position of every window, wall sconce, and drinking fountain the palace had to offer, and knew it about as well as the back of his hoof.

And today he'd be putting that knowledge to the test with his first real solo assignment; patrolling. Walk the hallways of the palace's east wing, and keep an eye out for anything or anypony that was out of place and might constitute a security breach. A relatively simple but extremely vital aspect of ensuring the safety and security of others who worked at the palace. And he wasn't about to let anything slip past him on his first real day; such as the grunting he'd heard coming from around the bend of the hallway he was in.

He didn't so much charge towards the unexpected noise, as much as he approached vigorously to confront the source and the cause behind it.

He'd been halfway towards loudly and firmly belting out "Halt, who goes there?" as he rounded the bend, but stopped just short of actually getting the words formed and out. The supposed intruder that he'd been preparing to encounter wasn't actually an intruder, but rather a maid who stood next to a pushcart of cleaning supplies.

More specifically, a unicorn maid who was currently struggling with her duties, as she fought to raise her cleaning supplies high enough to reach her intended target.

It was... it was very odd watching her trying -and failing- to do her work. Watching her as she grunted as she tried to reach, swore under her breath as she tried to balance on her hind legs, and even tried jumping as high as she could in an effort to reach the spot she was trying to clean.

It was... it didn't feel right to just be standing there and watching the whole thing playing out like it was. Not simply because it was keeping him from performing his rounds as he was supposed to, but also because he was just standing by while somepony struggled helplessly. That wasn't the job of a Royal Guard, they helped ponies who were in need.

And in the course of performing his assignment of patrolling the halls, he'd happened upon a pony who was in need of help. He'd be lax in his duties if he just left her there to struggle, reasoning that it wasn't his job to intervene.

"Can I help you?"

Or at the very least, investigate the matter and make sure this maid actually worked here, and wasn't a spy who was incompetent in their cover.

The maid in question jumped in response to him speaking up and making his presence known, all the while looking particularly flustered from her exertion as he trotted over to her position.

"No, no, I'm alright," she huffed, "just struggling to reach a really high up spot is all."

He nodded in response, that much being plainly obvious to him.

"So what seems to be the problem?"

"The problem is this isn't usually my station. I normally do floors and windows, but I'm covering for one of the girls who's down with the feather flu. But no matter how much I try, I just can't extend my field far enough to hit that light fixture like it needs to be," she explained, gesturing overhead to the object of her frustration and difficulties.

"That does seem like a problem," he noted as he looked upward at the fixture in question.

She nodded and sighed. "And not knowing what I'd be in for, I didn't think to grab a step stool from storage. If I just had another couple of feet, I'd be able to reach it, no problem."

The first thought that came to mind was offering to go to storage and pick up the ladder. But that would take away from his patrolling the area and potentially distract him from performing his duties. That just wouldn't do. But at the same time, he couldn't just leave her to continue struggling at doing her job.

...

"How much higher would you need to be, in order to get the light cleaned?" he asked.

She sighed in frustration. "Even a couple of feet up off the ground would probably do the trick," she grumbled.

He nodded in response, before slowly crouching down until his barrel was against the carpeted flooring.

"Climb up."

"E... excuse me?" she asked in confusion.

"Climb up and stand on my back. I should be able to boost you up high enough to reach," he explained.

To the best of his knowledge, there was nothing in regulations that forbade such a course of action from being engaged in. He'd encountered a fellow staff member who needed help, and he was in a position to do just that. He was just... helping in the only manner he could think of that would allow him to do that without violating his assignment, or behaving in an inappropriate fashion by levitating her off the floor.

For a while he wasn't certain if she was going to accept his offer of assistance, as she just stood there looking at him. But finally she responded and stepped closer, before slowly doing as instructed and climbed up onto the back of his cuirass, all the while struggling to find some secure hoofing in order to stand up securely without being at risk of falling off.

Once she was ready he moved to stand up... and bit back the instinctive urge to groan in response to the weight on his back. He'd never admit to it, but for a unicorn she was a lot heavier than she looked to be! Far heavier than anything he'd regularly worked with before, either during his time at the Academy, or in the time leading up to it.

He struggled, slowly getting back up onto his hooves, made all the more difficult by the fact he was trying not only work with her weight, but also to not throw her off by suddenly shifting in a way she wasn't prepared for. He had to move slowly, carefully, and very deliberately to account for her weight and balance in addition to his own. Made all the more difficult by the fact that she was trying to not fall off.

It was a slow, tedious process that required his full concentration and effort to stay balanced, but also stay silent and not let onto the fact that this might've been more than he was capable of dealing with. A Royal Guard does not demonstrate weakness!

Finally, after much effort, he managed to rise back to his full height. Which in turn allowed her to try and shakily rise up and stand atop his back, all the while trying to keep her footing secure along the narrow surface area she had to work with.

"Alright, I think I can reach it now," she stated.

He didn't respond, because he didn't have the skill to keep the strain out of his voice if he spoke. Right now it was taking all of his concentration to keep his body steady so she could work and not risk falling off. He had to keep his back straight and not buckle under the weight of her and his armor. He had to keep his legs locked and rigid so they wouldn't tremble and risk throwing her off. He had to put all of his skill at standing at attention to the test.

"I'm almost done. Just a little bit longer."

He didn't nod, as it would've risked throwing one or both of them off balance and potentially send them crashing to the floor. His legs wanted to buckle under the strain, but he refused to let them give out on him. He hadn't spent years training and conditioning his body into what it currently was, to let it fail him right now. He just mentally grunted and refocused his efforts on remaining upright and steady.

Along with hoping/praying that one of his superiors didn't happen upon the scene. He knew that if that happened, he'd salute out of pure reflex before he could think better of it, and send the both of them toppling, because he needed all four legs to keep them upright.

"And... done!"

The statement was so very welcomed right now. But now came the really hard part of this decision; letting her back down without collapsing in the process. He just had to keep it together a little longer as he slowly crouched down, until she could climb off his back.

He wanted to collapse right now. Just let all of the tension in his body go, and just utterly collapse on the floor so he could rest after that. But he couldn't do that. He was a Royal Guard, and the maid he'd helped was a civilian coworker. He was obligated to convey a sense of strength -both mental and physical- in her presence.

And even if that obligation wasn't there, he still couldn't afford to collapse right now. He was still barely into the first hour of his real solo shift, and still had at least seven more hours ahead of him before all was said and done. He was simply going to have to wait before he could relax like his body was begging of him right now.

Although once his shift was done, he was going to head straight for the gym and start lifting weights. His performance right now had just been pathetic.

Now that he thought about it, weightlifting and resistance training. He had access to actual gym equipment now, so he might as well make use of it. Otherwise how was he ever going to be a suitable Royal Guard, if carrying one pony on his back was enough to almost do him in? He needed to get in far better shape.

"Thanks for the lift. I wouldn't have been able to get that otherwise," she stated. "I'm sorry, I don't seem to know your name."

"Private Thunder Strike, Ma'am."

"Well it's nice to meet you, Private, my name's Dust Bunny. Although most ponies just call me Dusty," she explained, reaching out with her right foreleg to shake hooves with him. "That was- oh dear. I think I mussed up your armor. Hold on, lemme take care of that right quick."

The dusting supplies were quickly stowed away in the cart, as others were pulled out and sorted through in search of whatever it was being sought out.

"This should do the trick," she said to herself as she approached him again. "If you'll hold still for just a minute."

He couldn't actually see, but he could feel what she was doing as she went about polishing down his cuirass; he could feel her movements right through his armor as his body moved in accordance with how she moved her hoof about across his back. Either he'd worn himself out more than he'd thought with all of that exertion, or she was a lot stronger than she looked.

"There we go. Shinier than a bit in well water. Just as any proud day guard should be," she commented as she stepped back. "Thanks again for your help, Private. It was nice meeting you, but I've got to get back to my own duties now. This palace isn't going to clean itself, even if that would be nice."

He simply nodded, having very little that he could actually offer up in response. Right now, he had to get back to the performance of his own duties. Along with finding an unoccupied spot so he could properly catch his breath.

Comments

[Bronycommander]

nicely done!

[hydra30]

And still he gets all the mares

[Wolfwaffe]

Right. Ignoring my question about "what the hel' Thunder Strike was doing his whole childhood if he has no hobbies and such", here's another question: are there no therapists, psychiatrists and psychologists among the medical staff in the palace? Thunder has been showing troubling behaviour more than once it seems even before the beginning of the story, so that could not have gone unnoticed over his guard carieer.

Hell, that near-death experience should have lead to a psychological evaluation and his suspension as a guard because he is not fit for duty due to his mental state, not just physical state. He's just not fit for duty mentally, so when he gets back, he's just going to fall into the routine again. At this point, he needs psychologial and psychiatric help.