Even the Strong Need Help

by Charlie_K

Third Entry

Slam Fire galloped through the balance halls with intent, focused more on her destination than on how she was getting there. If she had been paying attention she might've realized she could just fly there faster. But that was neither here nor there for her as she was guided by matters other than practicality. She was being drive by optimism with a smile on her lips as she made her way towards the guard barracks. This was the first good news they'd gotten in fifteen hours, and she had to share it with the others. They had all helped in the search, they deserved to know just as much as she did.

With one final push as she approached, she propelled herself forward and dove through the doors leading into the barracks, nearly sliding along the floor as she did.

"Strike's alive and dreaming again! Princess Luna said he's gonna alright!"

A triumphant chorus of "Huzzah!" rang out throughout the room in response.

---

The sudden tonal shift from Luna, switching from upbeat and positive, to all business, had caught Celestia off guard. She hadn't even had the chance to ask what was meant, before her sister had already started talking again.

"Once he finally started dreaming and I could make contact with him, I made inquiries of what happened so that we might use his experiences to assist in the investigation of events that occurred. All that he remembers happening is slipping and falling in the showers. I do not believe that he was assaulted as we initially believed he may have been."

That brought Celestia a measure of relief. But it was short-lived as Luna wasted very little time in continuing to talk as she began to pace.

"That is the good news. Now for the bad news," she huffed. "We only spoke briefly tonight, and I admit that I could be wrong, but I believe there are serious psychological issues at hoof here."

"Such as?" Celestia asked.

"First and foremost, I have seen the dreams of many guards since my return, both mine and yours. They are as varied as the ponies that make up the Royal Guard. And out of all of them, he is the only one I have ever met who is wearing his armor at all times. Not once, in any of his dreams that I have observed, have I ever seen him without it on.

"I looked back over past memories and dreams just to double check, and it is the one constant across all of them. It is almost as if he sees his armor as a part of himself, or himself as being a part of it. In the few times that I have ever had to intervene, I am always met and greeted by Lieutenant Thunder Strike, not simply Thunder Strike," Luna stated.

Celestia listened, but she didn't know what so say yet. Not that it would've mattered, as Luna was already speaking again and wouldn't have let her get a word in edge-wise.

"I informed him of the news that he was almost dead when he was found this morning, because I believe he deserved to know the truth of the matter. Do you know what the first thing out of his mouth was?" she asked as she stopped pacing to turn and face Celestia. "A question relating to the work schedule of his fellow guards. He honestly did not seem to comprehend the idea that his friends might be worried about him upon noticing his absence.

"I told him about how they were leaving no stone unturned as they searched for him, and he did not react. He did not smile, or express relief, or anything a normal pony would do at hearing such news. He simply said that is the job of the Royal Guard; to investigate when something is wrong. He did not even say it in a way that would suggest a smug, narcissistic sense of self-worth. It was as if the notion of camaraderie never even entered his mind."

Celestia tried harder this time to speak up. But nothing seemed able to stop Luna as she continued to speak, and began pacing more aggressively than before.

"But as bad as that was, what came next was arguably worse. I tried to assure him that everything was alright, and all he needed to concern himself with was resting and his own recuperation while we tended to matters on this end. And instead of looking relieved at hearing the situation was well in hoof, I saw a look of utter terror flash across his face like I have never witnessed before.

"I was merely trying to help him be at ease, and he reacted as if I had I had just dismissed his entire worth out of hoof, and told him to his face that he no longer had any value to us as if he were a piece of garbage!"

Luna finally stopped her pacing and ranting, forced to finally take a breath and groan as she hung her head in frustration.

"You did not see what I saw, Sister. You did not see the hurt in his eyes when he thought I was dismissing him and his commitment to serving in the Royal Guard. Even after being informed that he had a broken leg and no magic left to run on, he was still ready to throw himself at my hooves, all but begging me to awaken him so he could try and prove he still had merit to us!"

All throughout, Celestia hadn't been able to get a single word in. And now it looked like being the sole speaker had taken its toll on Luna as she stood there, panting heavily and looking like she was about ready to have an emotional breakdown. So she did the one thing she could do as a big sister, and walked over to her little sister to drag into a much-needed hug.

"I eventually managed to calm him after the... incident, but it was not easy. Before I left to come back here, I offered to place him in whatever dream he wished for, for the duration of his rest. Do you want to take a guess just what that dream was?" Luna asked.

"Something particularly sleazy?" Celestia guessed.

Luna snorted in response. "Far from it. He requested that I place him at his posted assignment for the day," she replied. "He is currently dreaming away about standing guard in the palace courtyard, keeping an eye out for anything out of place. And he is content in believing that he is at work."

"So you're saying he's a chronic workaholic?" Celestia asked.

"I have met workaholics before in the past. But this is is not that. I fear this may prove to be something worse," Luna sighed weakly, before slowly pulling back and looking up to meet Celestia's gaze. "I genuinely believe there is something wrong with that stallion that apparently none of us have been aware of until now; something that those fancy "psychological tests" at the academy failed to screen out. It is as if he is a guard who never learned how to be a pony, rather than a pony who learned to be a guard.

"I have not yet attempted scouring his memories, as I do not like doing that. But what little I have seen is devoted exclusively to service. I did not see anything relating to hobbies or interests. It is... almost as if the job has devoured him whole and left nothing but an empty shell of the pony that he used to be; as if Thunder Strike the pony simply does not exist, and all that is left is Lieutenant Thunder Strike."

On the outside, Celestia might've appeared calm and serene as she listened to Luna. But inside she was in a rolling boil of stress, frustration, and concern.

She knew that Luna would occasionally exaggerate her assessment of things for a more dramatic effect in order to emphasize a point, but this honestly didn't feel like one of those times. Her little sister sounded like she'd honestly seen something she hadn't been prepared for, and it'd taken its toll on her. Not that she was much better on that front.

Had they really been so unaware of the well being of their own ponies, that a situation like this could've actually developed without any of them even noticing something was wrong? Had they gotten so complacent as to believe the wheels of things didn't occasionally need a little grease to keep them properly running smoothly?

"It was disturbing to see what was not behind that veil of professionalism he portrays, Celestia. He is like... well he is not quite like him, but he is unsettlingly close for a pony who has spent his entire life in Equestria," Luna sighed. "Do you know what he reminded me of as we talked? A clockwork toy. A tin soldier that one would wind up with a key to make it march. That... that is just so wrong on so many levels," she sighed wearily as she shook her head.

"It is," Celestia agreed. "So how do you suggest we go about helping the pony behind the armor?"

"I... have not gotten that far along in the planning stage just yet," Luna admitted sheepishly. "Perhaps start by determining just what we do know about the pony that is behind that highly polished armor. All that I really know about him for certain, is that he can speak both Latin and Old Ponish, and speak them quite well."

A sisterly smirk worked its way across Celestia's muzzle at Luna's words, as an old memory wormed its way to the forefront of her mind. Bringing her sister to Canterlot to show her the new palace where she would be residing, the looks of awe and uncertainty, and then the smile that was brought to her face when "Willkommen zu Hause, Eure Hoheit" was uttered and followed with a polite bow.

A simple gesture to be sure, but one that had certainly been appreciated by both of them.

"That sounds like a fine plan to me," she agreed.

After all, anypony who demonstrated that much devotion and dedication, certainly deserved a little devotion in return.

Comments

[Bronycommander]

This will be interesting

[ChakatRedstripe]

Good chapter

[hydra30]

I bet Luna isn't used to being caught off guard in the dream realm, somepony like her probably thought she had seen it all by now.