"You know that all squads are entirely stretched out, with all due respect princess" Shining Armour gulped because he didn't want to let down Princess Celestia in this time of crisis "There is no one i can lend you at this time."

Princess Celestia held her slight frown, how could she smile in a time like this, between the small, yet very numerous Canterlot riots and the fact that Queen Chrysalis is on the rise and her aim is unknown. "Shining Armour, we need a team to at least gather information on Queen Chrysalis, if we do not. Who knows where she will strike, and with the royal guard so outsourced how can we even defend one single civilian" she sighed "I will take anyone you can spare."

Shining Armour thought for a second "well" he paused "No, they won't do"

"Whoever it is I asuure you i can use" Princess Celestia interupted

"Are you sure about that?" Shining Armour began "Because this isn't exactly....."

princess celestia interrupted "I assure you"

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

"im not working with them" his voice was stern and cold as he looked at Shining Armor with his cold eyes "They're ingrates, wastes of flesh, useless is too nice a word for them." Rebel Flame scowled "They are the worst of the worst and you want to send them on an important recon mission?"

"Look Reb" Shining Armor began "I'm not asking you to take them, I'm ordering you as your superior officer. This is directly from the Princess herself and if you don't agree with me than take it up with her."

"Look" Rebel sighed "All I'm saying is they will get themselves hurt, or worse." Rebel stopped as the scent of coagulated blood and images of friends and squad members being tortured and disemboweled. Their hoarse pleas for help from their mothers as their eyes were plucked out of their sockets and their stomachs ripped out of their abdomen and ripped open being forced to drink their own stomach acids. Rebel shuttered at the memories not wanting to relive those moments. The people they were sworn to protect attacking them in revolt like a dog biting the hand that feeds it. "I don't want that."

"then train them, turn the worst squad of ponies into a fearsome militia.One that even the mighty queen of the changelings will squirm at the name being said by one of her own men." Shining Armor looked at Rebel Flame, the war torn stallion that has seen things that would make any other pony go as bonkers as screw loose on a bad day.

"How, all the officers have tried and they all failed." Reb began

"But none of them were you Reb, I've looked up to you when i entered the royal guard, I was there when you retired, and i was the one who asked for you by name to the princess so she could bring you here" Shining Armour interrupted.

"Why am I so important to you? I'm old news, done, finito, retired" Reb said "Look, I had a breakdown. I saw too much and i lost it. I left because every night I wake up swinging at invisible forces that haunt me to this day. I am not fit for duty anymore. Again, I'm retired"

The door swung open and a flock of royal guards marched in escorting none other than the princess of the sun herself, Princess Celestia. She looked at Rebel solemnly and then her eyes drifted to an almost enraged Shining Armor, she was at a loss for words at the scene. It takes alot to get to Shining Armor this bad. She thought fast to find a way to defuse this tense scene

"Rebel Flame, my captain has personally asked for your assistance and I fell that you should at least consider this, take a day or two to contemplate. You will be paid as much as you used to" she looked at Shining Armor "Shining Armor will not be in your way."

"But princess with all due respect" Shining Armor began

"Think of it as your own small group of mercenaries, you train them as you see fit and use your own tactics" she looked "but, your failures are also solely on your head." she began walking out of the door and stopped "it is all on you." then continued walking

before she could leave " I guarantee you I will consider it, weather or not I agree to this is debatable" he sighed and left behind her and left in the opposite direction.

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the bar was dimly lit, the scent of alcohol and regret entered Rebels nostrils as he sat at the bar. The things Celestia said bouncing around the inner confines of his mind like Pinkie Pie on a trampoline, as if she needed one. He drank down his spiked cider and thought. Suddenly a conversation popped up that he couldn't help but listen in on.

"So, word around the courtyard is some old mule is coming in to try to whip up 4th squad into shape." one voice said.

"Well I heard it was the old royal guard captain. you know, the one that went batty and attacked that doctor." another said

"what in Celestia's name was Shining Armor thinking bringing in some old loon to try to help them?" a third said

"Dont get too worked up i heard he turned the princess down i mean this is The Princess we're talking about, thats some moksey that stallion has"

"I think he would'nt last a minute back in the force." the first voice chimed in.

Rebel had had it he paid the barkeep and left the bar to make his way to his small house, have dinner, think, and sleep.

Author's Note

I know this is quite the small segment but I'm alittle pressed for time and i wanted to get you all atleast a small blerb of it.