Shining Armor stood stock still, watching the wooden blades of the pegasi guards around him with a careful eye. He searched for even the slightest twitch, the most minor of movements signalling an attack. They all mirrored his still form perfectly; head down, one foreleg forward like a cat ready to pounce, eyes locked on target and still as stone. They counted six in total, all evenly spaced in a circle around him, each holding a single broadsword made of wood in their mouths, their wings pinned safely to their sides. Shining Armor himself held two in his magical grip.

The training hall was much like the throne room. Pillars lined the sides, and large pane glass windows let in long beams of light across the floor. Unlike the traditional throne room, however, the training hall was a large square, allowing plenty of room for multiple training routines without hindering one another. The floor was covered in a firm mat that acted to steady balance and prevent slips when new guards were learning swordplay footing.

Something moved out of the corner of Shining Armor’s vision. He jolted his gaze to his right and raised his weapon to parry. Instead he found himself blocking nothing, eyes coming to rest on a guard remaining still as a statue, focus still and unwavering. False alarm, Shining Armor thought to himself. He adjusted his magical grip on the wood blades and moved to realign himself. Just as he turned his head back, he felt just the slightest bit of air shift to his left.

Shining moved his weapon up and caught the downward slash of the guard on the opposite side. Small splinters hacked off the practice sword as the blow sent a loud crack through the hall. Shining Armor narrowed his eyes and clenched his teeth together. It’s started.

Before he could move, the one behind him gave a yell and charged. Shining quickly swiped to his six-o'clock with the same sword he had used to guard, forcing the previously blocked pegasus away from him. His body whirled with the force of his turn and his weapon met with the other pony’s blade, the wooden weapons each letting out another loud smack. The force traveled down the hilt and vibrated in his grip as the air thickened and seemed to grow hotter.

The rest of the guards rushed in, attacking on all sides. Shining moved like a whirlwind to counter each blow. Horizontal, mid, jab, two downward slashes. He was a blur as he countered them, no time in between to do more than simply match each attack. Each hit resounded through the room like rapid drum beat as he blocked each in a flurry of accurate swings. One of the ponies moved to sweep with a low slash. Shining Armor hopped a few inches, and redirected a jab from his left with a sliding motion of his blade across his side. He bent his head down, keeping his eyes forward, and dodged just under an overhead swing as he directed his second blade to meet with another on his opposite side. His hooves landed just after.

Shining Armor’s eyes darted around, ahead of his blocks, marking each opponent's stance and movement for a mere split second, analyzing their attack and how to react accordingly, before moving on to the next. He had no time to watch his swings. Only the harsh crack of the wooden practice weapons or whiff of air confirmed the success or failure of his decisions as his own weapons whirled in a torrent of swings.

He felt one of his blocks push through, this time unsteadying the grip of one of the guards. Shining twisted his weapon, bringing it around the bottom hilt of his opponents, then forced it upward with a jerk. He heard the click of teeth snap shut as the practice sword was flung out of the guard’s jaw. One down. That’s all I needed, he thought calmly. He jolted over and rammed his shoulder into the disarmed guard, knocking him to the floor a foot or so away. Shining Armor turned his back to the new opening, still carefully blocking each new strike as they came. With his rear now covered, Shining Armor disrupted four attacks at once with two diagonal ones of his own, arching them in a X in front of him. He moved forward and swung his first preemptive slash, bringing his sword in a vertical arc from below at the center guard while moving his other to counter a horizontal swing directed at his left side. His blow cracked across the jaw of the guard, sending the stallion reeling back with a grunt.

Shining blocked another attack to his right and twisted his weapon around hilt again. With a skilled flick, his opponents blade went spinning through the air like a chopper blade. Shining turned on his front left hoof and brought a back leg up in the guard’s direction, coiled it against his stomach and unleashed a powerful kick. His hoof connected and sent the guard sprawling across the floor. The pony stopped and hit the ground just before his weapon stuck into the training mat beside him.

Shining Armor countered the last three attackers with ease, hitting their blades away, but leaving them in the guard’s grips. Before they could reset to block, he dashed in close and unleashed a flurry of blows across each them. They all yelped in pain and reeled back, rubbing their sore shoulders and snouts. Six guards stood or lay around him, taking deep breaths and looking back at their captain with half closed eyes, sweat dripping down their coats.

“Not bad that time, guys,” Shining said, giving a smirk. He lowered his weapons and relaxed, standing straight up. “So, again, why did you fail to land a hit on me?”

The six looked around at each other as they strained to catch their breath. “You’re too fast Captain,” the center one said. “We just can’t keep up—not when you can use two swords...”

Shining Armor pursed his lips. “Not a bad guess, I suppose,” he said in kind of drawn out way. “But with six of you, the sheer number of blades and my speed is irrelevant. Once you get going you match me just fine. Most times you even score a hit if you keep it up for more than a minute.” Shining Armor walked out of the perimeter of armored ponies and stopped again at the center where they began. The guards groaned, drawing harsh breathes through their teeth as they shuffled or limped back to their starting positions.

“What’s the real reason?” Shining asked.

“Chain Mail’s grip was faulty,” one said. The pony who had been first to lose his sword lowered his head as the other guards nodded along, mumbling agreements.

Shining stomped a hoof, silencing them. “Completely wrong,” he spat.

The guards jerked back at the outburst and avoided eye contact like dogs caught chewing couch cushions.

Shining Armor paused, scanning across their hesitant expressions with a cold look. “None of you think you know?” He ran a hoof through his mane and sighed. “It was your lack of teamwork,” he said plainly. The group gave him a cockeyed look. “You’re all good at attacking in unison, avoiding hitting each other when you have a single target, but you don’t go beyond that. At a certain point, I could tell each one of you were getting impatient and were more focused on attacking me with as much speed and strength as you could muster, rather than defending your fellow pony. Not once did you attempt to make an opening by blocking for your fellow guard. If any of you would have parried an attack for one another, I would have been left wide open.”

The guards looked at him then each other with blank expressions. “We’re supposed to block for each other?” one asked, cocking a brow.

Shining gave a quick nod. “Yes. Harmony is the key to true strength. Don’t just fight next to one another, fight with one another. You’re more than just a mob of flailing swords. Act as a single entity in battle and you’ll be unstoppable.”

The guards looked to the floor, mulling over his words. Shining watched as each seemed to absorb the lesson, solidifying it in their minds. He nodded to himself and smirked. They would make a good squad yet.

“Reset!” he ordered, his tone firm and unyielding. The guards snapped into place, their hooves creating a unified crunch as each hit the mat. “Alright, remember, that first strike is important. It’s an old saying that he who strikes first strikes last so make it count. Don’t hesitate for any reason at all.”

The door to the training hall creaked open and a stallion galloped in. “Captain Shining Armor.”

“Huh?”

Smack

Shining Armor’s face met with a wood sword and he staggered backwards, his nose dripping blood. “Augh, Ironside!” he said, rubbing sore snout, “What the heck was that?”

“B-but you said—”

“I know I know, just—take a breather,” he said shooing them away with a hoof, using the other to hold his nose. They shrugged and trotted off, being sure to put away the practice equipment before heading out.

“Ugh, this is totally going to bruise,” Shining Armor mumbled.

“Sir, this is important,” the guard said, his expression strict and unmoving.

Shining Armor walked over grabbed a white towel hanging on a nearby rail and began dabbing up the blood. The guard patiently stared at him, waiting for permission to speak.

“Spit it out. I’d like to take care of it before my sister gets here,” Shining said.

The guard hesitated for a moment. “We’re being attacked, sir.”

Dusk galloped down the hill at full speed, his eyes locked on the castle below. Wind whistled in his ears and blew through his mane, bursts of blue light flaring just behind his heels with each step as he closed the distance. Blackout and Slipstream were just a few feet behind him with the same blue flares tagging at their feet, having cast their own spells just a moment after. The buildings on either side passed as colored blurs as they blew past them, a gust of wind following in their wake as they roared through the early morning streets.

“Stop you idiot! What do you think you’re doing?” Blackout yelled over the wind.

The two captains caught up with him. Blackout looked him straight in the eye. “Dusk, what the heck do you think you’re doing? I was kidding, you idiot! You’re not supposed to just run in like this.”

Dusk looked down for a moment, furrowing his brow. “Why not?”

“The fact that you’re charging right into their stronghold!” Blackout yelled, seeming on the verge of popping a blood vessel. “Combat magic is illegal in pony cities. If they see you charging at their castle, they’ll fire at us, and trust me, they won’t be normal bolts here.”

“Fire on us... Won’t they hesitate because we’re in their city?” Dusk said.

“Pfff, the buildings can take it and just about everypony is indoors. Now stop being stupid and slow down before I take you out myself!”

“Dusk, Blackout.” Slipstream said as he bit his lip. He had been quiet the entire time, instead focusing ahead of them.

“What?!” Blackout spat. “Seriously, what in all bloody tartarus could you possibly need right this moment?”

Slipstream clenched his jaw, eyes narrowing. “They’ve already noticed us.”

Ahead of them, the towers glowed a light pink at the top. Looking closer, one could see unicorn guards had mounted their positions at the tops, horns ready to channel magic as they weaved any number of possible spells. Above them, a few gold plated pegasi had already taken to the air with spears or broadswords and were steadily being joined with more by the minute.

Without warning, streaks of magic burst forth from the nearest towers and soared straight into the air, pulling a trail of pink behind them. The horizon became coated with bright crisscrossing lines, soaring higher and higher in the distance.

“We’re in for it now...” Slipstream said.

Blackout let out a guttural roar that rose up from his chest, his sharp teeth showing as his fury shook him. “Dusk, if we survive this, I am going to kill you!”

The bolts turned and screamed down through the air. Blackout and Slipstream swerved like mad as the whole street erupted in a sea of flashes. Dusk could feel the heat from each bolt, the arcane blasts nearly singeing his fur as they roared past. A shot whizzed inches from his side, knocking him off course. The force of the shock wave slammed him diagonally into a nearby wall and he heard a sickening crunch. Dusk gasped in pain but ducked down and kicked his legs down under him. Adrenaline eased the throbbing in his shoulder but he could still feel a dull ache welling up. Dusk closed an eye and gritted his teeth as he ran. Hopefully it’s not broken, he thought.

Blackout and Slipstream had disappeared from sight, likely having ducked into alleys or side streets to try and avoid the bolts. Dusk was now all alone with nothing but the sprint spell to aid him. He heard a whistling sound and looked up to see more bolts high in the sky above. A cold sweat broke out across Dusk’s skin. There must have been over a hundred, all with his name on it. His eyes darted around to the street he was on, looking for an escape. The paved road a corridor, with only a few spare overhangs and dead end alleys. There was no room to dodge or find cover, and with his hurt shoulder joint, he was moving even slower.

The first bolt impacted in front, sending a blast of dust into his face. He hacked and blinked his eyes clean as he burst out of the cloud. Another hit to the side a few feet away, then another in a different spot, then another, and another. Dusk dodged left and right as the colored explosions filled his vision. He strained to keep his eyes open with all the debris in the air as his mind raced to react to each impact within a fraction of second’s notice.

A bolt caught his back leg and sent him forward onto his face. Dusk’s chin slammed down on the hard concrete and he yelled out as a burning sensation went up his right leg. He glanced back and nearly heaved. His hoof was completely gone and his limb had been reduced to little strips of sizzling flesh. Dusk’s face paled and his heart skipped a beat. There was no way he was going to make it with his leg in that shape.

Dusk glanced up just in time to see the another bolt heading right at his face. He rolled to the side and felt the hot energy as it passed in front of him, missing by inches and impacting a mere foot away. The air shockwave hit his chest, knocking the air out of him and sending him scraping a few feet across the concrete, leaving a smear of bright red.

Dusk gasped for breath, coughing up blood as more rained down nearby, each one getting closer to their target by the second. Pain rolled through his system and his head swam. Why not just lie here? he thought. The pavement felt cool against his side. He lay still, body now wrought with pain and exhaustion, sounds dulling around him and eyesight blurring. It would be so easy to just close his eyes and sleep at this point. Why fight? Why suffer? Dusk slowly lowered his eyes and looked up to see a final, boulder sized beam of energy headed right for him.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion. The titanic blast crashed down right on top of him. Dusk’s vision flashed white and a ringing in his ears drowned out everything as a numb, cold feeling wormed it’s way through him. He blinked away the veil over his eyes just as the ground came up to meet him. Dusk slammed down onto the pavement just on the other side of the newly formed crater with a dull whack. As his vision darkened. He could hear the sounds of someone yelling to him, the calls sounding like they were underwater, but he couldn’t move, couldn’t think. All Dusk could do was stay still as darkness closed around him and the voices were swallowed into silence.

In the darkness, a small foal sat still, completely alone. His skin and irises were completely devoid of any detail, instead staying a mute dark gray.

“Synapses connected. All vitals are normal and the brain is just starting to develop past adolescence. He’ll be ready to learn combat algorithms soon...”

The foal’s ears flicked forward and he picked his head up. He looked around but there was nothing. He couldn’t even be sure if he had actually heard anything in darkness. It was a world he was familiar with—emptiness. There was no feeling, no sight, no smells, no tastes, nothing to even feed into his imagination. But every now and again, if he was lucky, there were sounds and visions—things that he had never truly experienced nor knew what to do with. But for some strange reason, he knew their meaning, like they were something from a long forgotten dream. These were the only things in his world of everlasting nothingness—that one voice, and those things it came to show him.

“SS25, Are you ready to learn something new today?”

The foal’s heart rate picked up and a small smile curved across his lips as he sat and stared ahead and waited. Within a few moments, the blank slate of darkness gave way to large open field with lush green grass. A bright sun burst into being above and bathed the landscape as far as the eye could see. Rolling hills surged up across the landscape, taking their place among the grass, flowers. Miles away, ice capped mountains launched into the skyline.

The foal’s eyes widened as he looked around and a breathless gasp escaped his lips. He carefully stood to his hooves, gaze locked on the plains around him in a stare. The foal took a step. An odd, tickling sensation hit his hoof and he jerked it back then stared at it for a moment. He turned his head down and looked at the odd little green protrusions before him. The foal ducked down and lowered his foot again, slower this time, as if he were testing hot bath water, and brushed it across the tops of the blades. They ran across the bottom of his pad, tickling his nerves in a way he had never felt before.

“25?”

The colt’s gaze snapped up and he turned to see the familiar face he had come to know. She was a pony-based creature, just like him but taller, with four long flowing wings and shiny black plates across her body. A jagged horn grew from her forehead among her smooth translucent mane. She smiled at him, something he had come to recognize as a way of saying hello, as she waited for him to speak.

What is 25? he thought at her.

She blinked and drew her head back a bit. “Oh, well that’s you. Your hive code is SS25. It stands for special strain number twenty five because you’re different from the usual breed set.”

25 cocked his head to the side. I am SS25 because I’m... different. What are you?

“I am D2, it’s a breeder rank. I’m here to take care of you and teach you before you head out into the world and fulfill your role,” she said with a smile and beckoned him over as she laid down.

25 walked over with heavy, unpracticed steps and sat down in front of her with a flop. D2 did her best to suppress a small snicker at the clumsy foal. He stared open-mouthed at her face for a few moments, studying her, trying to somehow figure out what exactly made this one so different from all his other figments. He wasn’t sure what made him think it, but D2 was different. For some reason, he could feel a calming familiarity from her that he just couldn’t place.

D2, moved a bit of his mane away from his face with a hoof. “You’re developing fast. You’ll grow up to be big and strong in no time. I think you’ll make a great changeling.”

He stared down for a moment. D2? he thought to her.

“Yes.”

Your voice is nice. I like it when you come to visit. I—I don’t like it when I’m alone in the dark. 25, bit his lip and the inner end of his eyebrows went up. Can you...stay for a little longer today?

D2 blinked as she studied 25’s hopeful look. She smiled and unfurled a wing, wrapping it around him. “Yeah... I can do that if you’d like. We can just talk for a little longer today. I can even show you different landscapes if you’d like.”

25 stared into her eyes. He turned away, staring out to a slowly developing forest sprouting around them. D2...

“Hm?” she said absently.

You said you were here to teach me and that I have a role to fulfill when I get old enough. What is my purpose?

D2’s eyes lost their happy sheen and she sighed and turned away. “It’s a bit early to talk to you about that, I think.”

25 swallowed and his ears folded back. D2, did I say something wrong?

“Uh, no no, it’s just that...” D2’s eyes lowered and she let a breath through her nose. “Let me ask you a question instead.”

Yellow sparks burst in front of the foal’s snout and a small, turquoise butterfly flapped forth. It flew over and came to a rest on his nose. The foal crossed his eyes and watched as it folded and unfolded it’s wings in front of his face.

“25, can you tell me what that is?”

Anthene lycaenoides, a common blue butterfly. 25 said, reaching for it with a hoof and causing the insect to retreat off his snout. It is an insect with no nutritional, or monetary value in of it’s parts. Worthless.

D2 flinched at the ‘word’ but nonetheless gave a half hearted smile. “Good. That answer is correct.” The foal’s face lit up with a big smile. “...technically anyways.”

He deflated. It’s not right?

“No. It is right. That’s what the queen wants you to see it as,” D2 said as she raised a hoof and had the butterfly hand on it. “This little guy has a role to play in nature, just like you and I. His job is spreading pollen so flowers can grow and more creatures can be fed, including us when we don’t have love to feed on if we really need to. Each and every being has a place in the universe’s cycle. Life is a precious and beautiful thing. However, we live in an imperfect system. There aren’t ever enough resources for everything, and only the best can survive,” D2’s smile darkened as the butterfly lifted off and headed into the meadow then refolded her hooves. “One of them has to die at the hands of the other, 25,” she said, turning to him.

D2, I don’t understand... Do I need to learn to value life to fulfill my role?

“No,” she said. D2 paused looking out at the field she had constructed, watching the different insect buzzing about in the bright sunlight as a light breeze shuffled the grass at their hooves.

“The first, most simple rule of the laws of nature is that the strong live and the weak die,” she said. “The hives are founded on that principle. It’s just how thing are—creatures prey upon one another.”

25 furrowed his brow and nodded. So... what do I do in the system?

D2 took a deep slow breath, closing her eyes. “You kill.”

Dusk groaned as the shock wore off and the pain re-entered his nerves. Everything was quiet now. I’m... alive? he thought. A painful tingling sensation in his jaw and hind legs interrupted his train of thought. He glanced back. The skin and flesh below his hip had been torn away, and underneath, a black cord-like material twisted and writhed around. Loose pieces tied tightly back together as they touched and quickly pulled taught into a kind of muscle. Dusk heard a snap and screamed. The fibers pulled hard around in his hip, popping it back into place. His skin and coat began to grow back, covering the gap of glossy black fibers showing across his lower half.

He felt another tingling in his jaw. He turned pale as he felt the black strands grip around the upper construct of his mouth and pull. No, no not another— A sharp crack reverberated through his head and he screamed. His throat ached as he cried out and he shuddered as the pain subsided. A nauseous feeling welled up in his stomach. He turned the side, heaved and ejected bloody vomit onto the ground. Dusk starred slightly open mouthed with half closed eyes for a moment before a nearby blast shook him from his trance.

“Dusk, move!”

Dusk glanced around and saw Blackout run over from a sheltered alley way. With a flash of his horn and a grunt, he put up a transparent green shield over the both of them. Magic rained down on the road from above, some even striking Blackout’s shield with a hollow bang. Slipstream appeared behind Dusk and grabbed him, pulling him to the cover of the alley before he could even get his bearings.

“Idiot, pay attention,” Blackout said as he walked in behind them. Dusk glanced down to see blood dribbling down Blackout’s muzzle and dripping off his chin. Blackout crossed his eyes, and let out a sort of grumble. He snorted up hard, hacked for a moment then spit out a bloody loogie. He lolled his tongue out in disgust as he held his nose. “Bleh, det aweys dastes awful.”

Slipstream quirked an eyebrow. “Then don’t try to overdo it like that then. You know that if you push magic like it bursts blood vessels.”

“Nad my fauld.” Blackout said as he removed his hoof. He sniffled while he looked it over for blood. “It’s a good thing he can heal though—we thought you were a goner. How exactly did you do that, Dusk?”

“I-I don’t really know,” Dusk said, furrowing his brow and looking down. “It just kinda happened. D2 said I was able to do things other changelings can’t but she never really talked about it.”

There was an awkward pause for a moment as the two changeling captains stared at him before giving each other a look.

“Hmm,” Slipstream. “But we’re not going to get through this at this rate even if you can heal a bit. You were knocked out for a full minute and they didn’t keep firing because they probably thought you were dead.”

Black snorted. “We did anyways. They’ll be more thorough next time and it won’t matter if there are bolts raining down on you while you’re getting pulled back together anyways.”

Slipstream sighed and leaned just a small bit out of the alley to look down the road. “We’re not far, but it’s only going to get worse once we’re inside the gate. Plus we’re on the clock with Celestia’s return and they’ll probably send pegasi to flush us out anyhow. We can’t just sit around waiting.”

“So what do we do?” Dusk said.

“I...

Changeling intel... Dusk thought absent mindedly. Suddenly he jerked his head up and his eyes went wide.“Wait, what did you say about the intel about the stuff inside the gate?”

Blackout and Slipstream both glanced up and looked at him. “What, that they’ll splatter us if we run in?” Blackout said with a quirked brow. “Pff, yeah well that’s old news. We’ve even heard a little about them developing a super weapon of some kind but who knows about those rumors. You hear all kinds of stuff with cell spies.”

“No, that’s exactly it,” Dusk said. “We know all about our enemies because we can change into their forms and infiltrate their society to gather information. This whole time both of you have told me all kinds of info that we’ve gotten from cells in Canterlot. Don’t you see? We’re not alone! We have backup all over the city.”

Blackout and Slipstream both stared slightly wide-eyed for a moment before glancing at one another. “Uh,” Blackout started, “Technically he’s right. There are roughly a hundred fully intelligent drones in Canterlot.”

“The only problem is that they don’t have any hive mind connection because they’re undercover. We can’t talk to them,” Slipstream said.

“Can’t you send them a widespread message?” Dusk asked.

Slipstream put a hoof to his chin for a moment and hmm-ed to himself before a smirk grew over his and Blackout’s faces. “Actually—we can use mental magic to broadcast an all call. It’ll go to everypony in the next three miles but that doesn’t really matter—the castle guard already know something’s up. The only thing is we’ll need to get to a high enough location. Namely, we’ll have to storm a guard tower with only the three of us. We have no clue how many soldiers are in each one and we’ll only have minutes before backup swarms us,” Slipstream glanced between Blackout and Dusk, looking for some form of opinion.

Blackout shrugged. “Hey, it’ll make this more interesting.”

“We don’t have a choice right now,” Dusk said softly.

“Alright, we’re doing this then.”

Slipstream and Blackout both starting focusing. Dusk could feel them molding the mana in the air, drawing it in like a breath of raw formlessness from around them before shaping and forming it for their needs.

“Be ready,” Slipstream said. “It’s going to get really chaotic.”

Dusk nodded, and they took a deep breath and sprinted out into the alley.

Twilight Sparkle stood dazed as she watched the chaos unfolding in Canterlot castle. Ponies ran to and fro, yelling into different communications spells and rattling off battalion codes or relaying orders. Guards in regular, unarmored uniforms sprinted around her on all sides, each carrying documents of some kind. A group of armored pegasi roared past overhead, sending the papers scattering around the hall and adding even more confusion around them.

Twilight’s breathing picked up and she found herself being overwhelmed by it all. “What is going on...” she whimpered. “Where’s Shining?”

A gold plated guard with a faded scar just below his eye bumped into her, sending her sprawling backwards. He didn’t even turn to look. “Mount up now!” he yelled to a group of white stallions. “We have a group of possible infiltrators, affiliation and ability unknown. Send the order for everyone to stay inside their homes while we continue to shell the inner city.”

The stallions all rushed over to a collection of travel sized duffel bags and proceeded to clip on crystalline armor. The group pulled out a gladius each and tightened the strap around their shoulders. With salute and a flicker of focus, their skin turned to a brilliant sheen of glass-like gemstone and they took off down one of the castle halls.

“Crystal palace guards? What are they doing here...” Twilight said aloud.

The stallion who had knocked her down quirked a brow and spun around to see Twilight, still flat on her back. “That’s on a need to know bas—” He stopped himself mid sentence and squinted. “Princess Twilight Sparkle? Your brother will want to make sure you’re ok and keep you safe. Come with me.”

Before Twilight could protest, the officer grabbed her hoof and dragged her down the hallway. Twilight ducked as another wave of pegasi surged overhead, a wave of air blasting past in their wake. The crowd split around them like water, no doubt regarding his rank and priority as everypony ran to their battle stations.

“I’ve never seen the castle like this before,” Twilight yelled over the noise. “Why is it so crazy in here?”

“We’ve spotted a few unaffiliated ponies charging at the castle with illegal magic. We’re not sure what’s going on but we think someone is trying to steal the elements before Celestia and Luna get back from their political trip. We’re in the middle of shelling heavy arcane bolts at them now.”

“But why are there so many ponies?”

“Oh, your brother brought quite a bit of security with him. He thinks ahead like that.”

“Or he’s paranoid and protective...” Twilight mumbled under her breath.

They moved under an archway and headed into another room, this one muffled from the noise outside, turning the chaos into a murmuring buzz in the background. Long metal crates were stacked in clusters against the walls, some open, revealing swords or spears with a sun symbol in the hilt. At the center stood a large table surrounded by a handful of guards all focused on a paper map of Canterlot laying on top. To the side of the map, a magic stone glowed a dim blue.

“Ironside, can you repeat your last. I thought you said hit confirmed earlier,” one of the stallions said.

The crystal on the table flared up and crackled with fuzz before a static filled voice answered back. “We’re unsure now. Howitzer said he hit one dead on but the pony got back up a little while later. He must have missed somehow. We lost sight of them for now.”

“Make sure you keep vigilant. Tell the third pegasi division to start looking overhead. We need to find them and my sister as soon as possible,” a familiar voice said.

Twilight perked up and released herself from the officers grasp. She’d recognize that voice anywhere. “Shining?”

The group huddled around the table parted around her brother, who looked up with surprise. “Twilight?” he said and visibly relaxed. “I’m glad you’re alright. Where’s Spike?”

“He went his own way to the archives earlier. What’s going on around here?”

“We don’t have time. Twilight, listen, I need you to stay in a safe room while we sort this out. I don’t want to take any chances without Celestia here.”

Twilight narrowed her eyes. “What? I can take care of myself—I’ve fought before and I’m a sworn element bearer. Why don’t you let me help instead?”

Shining Armor paused, looking back at his angered sister. He rubbed a hoof to his temple, closed his eyes, then looked to one of the guards. “Monitor the situation for me while I take care of this.”

“Hey!” Twilight stomped hoof. “Don’t ignore me.”

Shining Armor’s horn flared up, and in a flash, Twilight found herself and her brother in a secluded suite. The purple carpet and clouds at eye level outside the side balcony revealed it to be part of the higher floors in the castle. The tower suites were meant for personal relaxation of royalty or guests, and usually came with plenty of pillows and a fireplace, both of which were present.

“What gives?” Twilight said with a scowl. “Why’re you treating me like such a foal? I’m a fully grown mare, you know.”

Shining Armor rolled his eyes, finally able to drop his professionalism away from his men. “Twily, you’re only just beyond middle filly years. But that’s not the point anyhow. I just want you to stay safe while we check out something suspicious. This isn’t a time when you should be fighting.”

“What? Shining!”

“Twilight, just give me a chance to explain!”

A static hiss interrupted the two and a small bar of light flashed into being a little ways off Shining Armor’s face. “Captain Shining Armor,” a voice said, a wavelength matching the intonation with short jolts. “This is lieutenant Howitzer. We have a visual on the unknowns again!”

“I’m kind of in the middle of something,” Shining answered, turning to the side. “Can it wait?”

“They started charging again and we have confirmed visual right now. Sir, I think you’ll want to hear this.”

Shining spared a glance over at his sister and Twilight gave him a glare. He sighed. “Ok, fine. What do you see?”

“There’s only three confirmed right now. The first two are unknowns but the third... you’d better come out and see this. You’re not going to believe it.”

Shining Armor’s furrowed his brow. “What? What’s going on?”

“It looks like... Twilight Sparkle is with them.”

Twilight and Shining flashed looks at one another. “That’s impossible,” he said. “Check the cutie mark; you’re probably mistaken.”

“It... It’s a pink, six pointed star surrounded by six more white ones.” Both Twilight and Shining Armor’s eyes went wide.

“They know...” Shining said low as he clenched his jaw. “Howitzer, I’ll get back to you in a few seconds. Don’t let them out of your sight.” The glowing wavelength to Shining’s side faded away with a crackling sound.

Twilight furrowed her brow. “Changelings...? But what are they doing here? I heard they were on hard times recently but if they needed food why not go somewhere safe—why show up at our gates? They’d need a good reason to come here. Are they after the elements? Or are they... are they here for me?”

“Twilight you can relax. It’s not you they’re after.”

Twilight stopped herself as she finally noticed her brother avoiding eye contact and looking worried. Her eyes flicked back and forth across his face “Shining, what are you not telling me? What’s so special that they’d risk coming right at us... Wait.” Twilight’s eyes widened. If they weren’t after her, Celestia or the elements there was only one possible answer. “You have Chrysalis, don’t you?”

Shining Armor blinked. “No.”

“Shining!”

Shining groaned and put a hoof to his snout. “It’s on a need to know basis! We’re dealing with changelings here, Twilight. We can’t risk that information getting out. There’s a good chance some of the castle staff or even my own soldiers are spies and would release her given the chance. I couldn’t take that risk. It’s probably how those changelings out there got the information in the first place.”

“Let me deal with this then. As Celestia’s pupil I—”

“No.” Shining Armor narrowed his eyes, his mouth a firm line across his face. “There’s too much risk.”

“Shining, I’m the element of magic, and in case you forgot, I fought changelings to save your butt not two years ago,” Twilight said, giving him a sideways glance. “I can help.”

“Look,” he said with a sigh. “It’s not that I don’t think you’re capable. You’re the strongest spellcaster I know and you’ve saved Equestria more than once. But that’s not what I’m concerned about. Celestia warned me to keep an eye on you and make sure you don’t cast anything more than telekinesis now that you’re an alicorn.”

Twilight worked her mouth for a moment. “What? Shining, what are you talking about? What’s wrong with my magic?”

He paused, and looked Twilight right in the eye. “Twilight, Celestia told me that as a new alicorn, you can’t use your spells for any reason. Right now, any magic that requires weaving has been supercharged by your new condition, and alicorn magic is, as you might imagine, very powerful even at the starting stages. As a result, your spells will automatically need to draw a lot of power and will do so out of your control.”

Twilight stepped back and shook her head. “I-I don’t. Shining what are you talking about? What does that mean?”

“Celestia told me that if you cast anything without being aligned to a celestial body, you’ll take energy from closest source around you. Twilight...It means that if you use a spell right now... you’ll pull from the ponies in Canterlot. You’ll kill everyone.”

Author's Note

Kinda took a while but I finally got back to this story. Thanks to Hobbes and Rainbowbob for their help/abuse. Feel free to criticize to help me improve or point out errors so I can fix them for everyone.