Chapter 1: I'm being assigned where?
The Ponyville Garrison
By
Writer's Nonanonymous
Chapter 1: I’m being assigned where?
Newly commissioned 2nd Lieutenant Spears sat in the waiting room, as he and his fellow officers waited for their assignments. With gray fur and a normal build, the young lieutenant looked like any other member of the Royal Guard. Other than his cutie mark, which oddly enough were two spears crossing each other, his looks would make it hard to distinguish him from the other guards that roamed Canterlot. Having just completed and graduated from the academy, Spears and the rest of the newly graduated officers were eagerly awaiting their order, which were to be given by the officer on the other side of the room.
Some say that officers who go through the academy cheated and took the easy way on getting a commission. Saying that they only have to go through a test before becoming a full-fledged officer, getting a commission without actually working hard for it. But Spears would like to beg to differ.
Spears remembered his days in the academy, with the grueling physical and mental test. They made sure that a cadet was prepared for anything, may it be a physical problem or a brain game. The academy was shaping up Equestria’s best officers and they made sure to pass on the legacy of great commanders.
From hoof to hoof combat to the mathematics of canon trajectory, they thought it all, to make sure that no officer who graduated under their roof would fail their nation.
The long marches and all the lessons that they needed to memorize took its toll on some, but he and rest manage to make it. The strains and pains they experienced were now long gone, as they now stood as officers of the guard.
Looking back to his last days in the academy, his memory flashed back to his most memorable experience there, the graduation battle. Designed to simulate an actual fight, the mock battle was conducted by the graduating class, in which they would recall all the lessons they learned in the classrooms and apply it on the field. Working in small groups, they must endure an entire week in the field, trying to survive both enemy teams and the environment.
After getting back from that week, Spears could remember nothing but falling on top of his bunk before falling asleep. It took a toll on his body and strength, but he knew that it was all worth it.
To be able to march out of the academy, in full ceremonial dress and with a new commission, paid off the pain and exhaustion he experienced throughout the four years that he spent there. It made him proud and happy to see that he was done with his learning and would finally be able to apply it. The only question now was, where was he going to be assigned?
“I think I have a 100% chance in being assigned to Canterlot Castle.” Raven said, in a tone that suggested that she was sure about her assignment. Looking towards the jet black pegasus, Spears could see the smug grin on her face, as she boasted the reasons why she would be assigned there.
An officer’s assignment was based on his/her skills and capabilities. They would read one’s file and place the officer on the proper unit that they would be needed. If you had certain skills that they needed, then they would ship you off and bring you to that needed area. For example, if you were good at engineering, then off you go to the Engineering Corps. It wasn’t much of the officer’s choice, but a need to supply demand.
To be assigned to Canterlot Castle, an officer must have outstanding grades and good remarks from the academy. The Celestial Guard and Lunar Guard only accept the best who have the skills and prowess to serve beside the Princesses. Normally, the top ten of the class get assigned there and Spears knew Raven was not one of them.
Spears rolled his eyes as he looked at Raven’s arrogant expression before shaking his head. “Raven, I don’t think they would accept you into the Palace Guard.” He simply stated.
“Yes they would…” She said, pushing away his negative thinking. “…I had excellent grades back in the academy and skills beyond compare.”
“Skills beyond compare? Like what? Cleaning the toilets, we all know how good you are with that.” Seeker said before laughing.
Spears laughed at the white unicorn’s joke, as he agreed with him. “I think he’s right. You spent more time cleaning the academy’s toilets, than actually studying.”
“Hey!” Raven said, slapping the back of Spears's head to make him stop. Her face was flustered with anger as she glared at the two unicorns. “…it’s not my fault that the instructors pick on me.”
“Pick on you!” Seeker exclaimed. “How could they not? You blew a cannon ball right through the arsenal, twice!”
“Yeah? But it wasn’t my fault!” She exclaimed, flailing her hooves above her head. “The canon was faulty!”
“Faulty? I think your math skills are faulty…” Spears said, shaking his head. “…I can’t believe you passed that class in the first place.”
“Well I did.” She said, poking him on the chest. “…and look where I am now. Look where we are all now, waiting for our assignment orders.”
Spears smiled and nodded. “It’s quite amazing, isn’t it? On how fast thing went. I feel like it was only yesterday when we all met each other and became friends.”
Seeker sighed. “Too bad I became friends with this trotting disaster over here…” Seeker mumbled, referring to Raven.
“What was that?” Raven asked, giving Seeker a sharp glance that could tore right into his sole.
“Ummm…nothing….” He said quickly, looking away from her glare.
“Lt. Spears. Lt. Spears. The Major would be seeing you now.” The Assignment officer’s secretary said, as she called out his name from the open door.
“Well, I guess it’s my turn now.” Spears said before standing up. “Wish me luck.” He said, giving one last glance towards his friends before trotting towards the door, in where he would learn his future assignment.
Spears kept his eyes straight as he stood still in front of the desk, while the unicorn behind it read his file. He felt nervous as he stood there, sweating under his armor, as he tried to calm himself down. With the future of his military career in the hooves of the pony in front of him, it was quite easy to understand why he was so nervous.
“Well, it says here that you did well in the academy.” The Major said, scanning the pages of the file. “Not great, but pretty average.”
Spears gulped as he heard this, as he took it as a bad sign. If he was considered an average officer, then what would that mean for him. Would he get an average assignment? Sure, that would be fine, but that would also mean a slow ascent up the military ladder, which was something he didn’t like.
If he got an ordinary job, say platoon leader in a regiment, then he would be one out of many officers with the same rank. There would be officers with the same rank as him who just graduated, as well as officers who were promoted from the ranks. The chances of him being picked out for promotion was very slim, seeing that there were more officers with greater experience.
No, he needed a job where he could easily shine and be noticed for his skills. An assignment that would make him stick out and be praised for. If he got a job that could do that, then he would easily climb the ranks.
“But this file also says that you are very good with logistics…” The Major pointed out, nodding. “…we could use a pony like you in the Logistics Corp.”
His heart was suddenly filled with dread when he heard that, as he almost felt himself faint.
The Logistics Corps! Anything but the Logistics Corps.
In the Logistics Corps, he would be stuck with a clerks job, filling papers and sorting out files. He would do nothing but sit around and write about the supplies that were being spread out throughout Equestria. Not only would that be a boring job, it would also mean that his chances of promotion would be zero. He doubted it if he would be a rank higher by the time he retired if he was assigned there.
So fear hit him the moment he heard the Major suggested the Logistics Corp. But faith seemed to have other plans, as it saved him from the monotonous job of the Logistics Corps.
“But I have a better job that would be perfect for a new, fresh out of the academy.” The Major said, putting the file on the desk and looking towards Spears, meeting his gaze. “Tell me Lieutenant, have you ever heard of a town named Ponyville?”
Spears hesitated for a while, knowing that he has heard the name before, but where? After a couple of seconds of thinking, it finally hit him.
“Yes, sir.” He said, with a quick nod. “It is the home of Princess Twilight Sparkle and the Elements of Harmony.”
“Very good, Lieutenant.” The Major said, nodding, obviously pleased. “Now, tell me, are you aware that Princess Twilight Sparkle has a new castle?”
“Uh, yes, sir.” He said, wondering why he was being asked these questions. Was he planning on assigning him there, as a part of the Royal Guard to protect the new princess?
“I’m glad to hear that you keep up with the news, lieutenant.” He said. “But I think I should get to the point.”
“You see, ever since Princess Twilight Sparkle got the new castle, Princess Celestia has been insisting on forming a Royal Guard detachment for her. Now, we all saw this coming, seeing that a princess could not be left unprotected, powerful or not, they still need a force to protect them. So that brings us to a question, who would lead the new guard?”
Spears felt excitement rush through him, as his heart beat faster. Was he about to be promoted as the leader of the new guard? An officer fresh out of the academy, to be the Captain of the new guard. This was too good to be true.
“So we decided to…” The Major continued.
Inside, Spears felt so happy, as he screamed in his head for his success.
“…give the job to the Captain of the local garrison, seeing that he is already familiar with the area.”
Hearing that, Spears felt his heart drop as his hopes were shattered into a million pieces. Well, that’s what he gets for hoping too high. But wait, where would that leave him?
“With their commander promoted, that would leave the local garrison leaderless.” The Major said. “That’s where you come in. Seeing the Ponyville is quite a peaceful place and that you have enough logistical skills to organize a small garrison, I am assigning you as commander of the Ponyville Garrison. Temporary of course. But who knows, if you do a good job, maybe you will be the permanent commander.”
Spears felt crushed as he heard this. With Ponyville as a quiet place, the chances of him getting promoted were slim. Sure, he heard the place in the news once in a while. But with the Elements of Harmony there, there was little need for the Royal Guard. Any problem could easily be fixed by the Princess and her friends. Every disaster or problem that would happen in Ponyville would most likely be cleaned up by the Elements, way before the Guard could respond.
The Royal Guard’s Garrison was basically for display only and with the new Guard forming under Princess Twilight’s wing, the local Garrison would most likely be left unnoticed. The new Guard would hog all the attention, seeing that they work to protect the Princess, while he and his garrison force would be left to watch apples trees.
Even if he did become permanent commander, it would still leave him with the same rank. Chances are, nopony would replace him as commander there.
The place was just to bland and boring, with no lace to show his metal. Being assigned there would either lead him to early retirement or a permanent rank as Lieutenant. The only hope he had was to do a good enough job so that somepony would take notice of his skills and decide to reassign him somewhere else.
Well, there goes the chance of getting promotions quickly. 'Well...' He thought to himself. "...at least it's better than being assigned to the Logistics Corps.'
Chapter 2: Ponyville
With their golden armor shining and hooves hypnotizing with every rhythmic steps, the small patrol of Royal Guards looked sharp and smart as they made the short march from their nearby barracks to the small wooden guard house located a couple of yards in front of Princes Twilight’s Castle. Despite being out of wood, which was nothing compared to the grand crystals of the castle behind it, and having been hastily made the small guard house still looked fascinating, thanks to its intricate design and colors that matched the structure behind it.
Even more fascinating was the stone barrack from which those guard came from. Located to the right of the crystal castle, the stone barracks was a formidable two story building, which was crowned with intricate design and strong stone walls. Looking more like a small fortification than a barracks, the stone structure was home to the detachment of Royal Guards that were in charge of protecting the new princess.
Chosen from the best regiments and hardened by years of service, the guards of this units were well experienced and toughened by their previous assignments, whether it be guard duty in Canterlot castle or long patrols in Equestria’s various borders.
Watching near the edge of the road and staring at the guards, as they took their positions at the Guard House, Spears could easily see that these guards were indeed veterans.
With stoic expressions on their faces and a firm pose, the guards stood like statues as they kept their eyes straight and senses sharp. They were the cream of the Royal Guard, the best of the best, and Spears would give anything to be serving with them.
Magnificent with their golden armor and well trained a countless amount of drills; these were the guards who would follow an officer’s order without question, whether he or she may be new or old. Chosen by Princess Celestia herself, the Royal Guards chosen to protect Princess Twilight were the capable and reliable ones, one that every officer dreamed of commanding. The ones the Spears wished he commanded.
But instead, he was assigned elsewhere. As he stood in front of the castle, watching those guards, he knew that he was nothing but a guess, for his real unit was a couple of blocks away, to the headquarters and barracks of the local garrison.
Compared to the main guard units of the Royal Guard, which was composed of ponies who had months of training and drilling imbedded in them, the local garrison was nothing but a group of local ponies who took up arms to ensure public safety, but received little training that could make them qualify as an actual member of the Royal Guard. Some might even say that they were phony Royal Guards or discount Royal Guards, for they acted more like amped up police ponies than highly trained guards.
Spears had always wondered why the Royal Guard insisted on keeping the force, for they were just wasting money on a job that could easily be done by the local police department. But he soon came to realize that they must have kept these garrisons as a show of force and a symbol of the Royal Guard’s presence, even if they weren’t fully pledged member of the guard.
Working in shifts, where one batch of ponies are in duty in one week while another on the nest, the local garrison was in charge of keeping the civilians of the town safe. But not by fighting off the threats, but by getting those who could possibly be harmed out. They were told to get civilians out of the danger zone, while more qualified units came in to deal with the problems.
Most of the training the local garrison received was that off evacuating ponies from their homes and maintaining order in times of panic, as
well as receiving the occasional ‘getting a cat down from a tree’ experience.
With these facts in mind, Spears could help but feel resentment about his new appointment as the local garrison’s new commander.
Like most young officers who were fresh out of the academy, Spears wanted to be able to rise through the ranks and make a name for himself, to bring glory to his family and earn respect from his fellow officers. To do that, he knew that he had to prove himself, to show that he was a reliable and effective officer that deserved a promotion. But in his current position, as a commander of a small garrison force, he knew that his hopes to do that here were either little or none at all.
Sure, Ponyville was the hot spot for almost ever threat that seemed to attack Equestria, but the job of quelling those threats would either fall to Princess Twilight and her friends or the Royal Guard under her command. While they go out and handle those threats, he and his garrison force would be shuffling ponies away from the danger zone, telling them to keep calm and not to panic. Spears knew that there was little glory or fame to ponies who were in the sidelines, keeping nervous ponies from hurting themselves.
So as he walked away from the crystal castle and towards the location of the local garrison’s barracks, he began contemplating on his next
moves.
With him being only a temporary commander, he knew that he had two of options to take when they finally found a permanent officer to replace him. One was to stay and be the second in command of the garrison and the other was to file for a transfer for a regiment he would be accepted in.
In his mind, he wanted to join regiments that had made their names in previous actions, regiments who were veterans of the Changeling War. Regiments like the 1st Solar Guard, the 2nd Solar Guard, those were the units he wanted to be in, filled with professionals and the key to his bright future.
In those regiments, he was sure to make a name for himself. But to get a position in those regiments, he first had to prove to them that he was a capable officer. Sure he did well in the academy, but what those regiments were looking for was good performances in actual commands. Commands like the one he was currently assigned. So he knew that he had to do well in this garrison command, even if he didn’t like the job itself.
The only problem to this was the fact of doing a little too well, so well that they might appoint him the permanent commander of the entire garrison. And as Spears walked towards the garrison’s barracks, approaching the structure that was supposed to house his first command, he began to recent the idea even more.
Sgt. Pike rushed through the streets of Ponyville, taking in as much air with each breath, using each intake of oxygen to help fuel the steps that he was taking, as he zipped by stalls and ponies that passed him by. Despite the soreness of his hooves and the burning feeling in his lungs, he pushed on, trying his best to continue and not falter, for to stop now would mean he would have wasted precious seconds.
Cursing with each step, he couldn’t help but blame the easy going life found in the local garrison, which lead him to such an unfit state. Back when he was serving as a sergeant in the 1st Solar Guard, Pike was a fit and active pony, ready to gallop across fields and jump over any obstacle that blocked his way. The pony he used to be would have laughed at such as simple dash like this, for he had the strength to do such a thing.
But now, after being exposed to the slow and care free lifestyle of the local garrison, he could help but let himself go, as he was transformed from a lean fighting machine to a sloppy sergeant who was about to get in trouble if he didn’t arrive at their barracks in time.
The absence of a commanding officer also didn’t help his health, for he took it to himself to give the local pub a visit every day and night, for there was no officer to constantly question where he was and ask if he had filed the proper papers and permits to leave the barracks and go to the pub.
Unlike most ponies in the local garrison, Pike was one of the few who was full time members of the Royal Guard and not halftime volunteer. Instead of visiting the barracks only when it was his week on duty, Sgt. Pike was always there. Acting as the unit’s sergeant major, it was his job to keep everypony in proper order, as well as helping the commander with the various problems that were related to the unit.
Pike was constantly at work, doing errands for the commander and conducting inspection, leaving little time for him to enjoy himself and relax. The jobs he did weren’t actually tiring, in fact they were slow and easy compared to the ones he used to do, but instead were time consuming. So when a small gap happened, the time it took to find a new officer to replace the one who had left, Pike seized the opportunity and left the barracks with the promise of fixing any mess that he left behind once he returned.
So for the past two weeks, he had been visiting the pub day and night, enjoying the lack of responsibilities he had, responsibilities that an officer usually assigned to him. But now those carefree days were over, for he found himself galloping back towards the barracks, trying to get there before it was too late.
Approaching his destination, he was soon met with the sight of a large wooden structure that was known to him and the local garrison as their barracks. Compared to the barracks of the Royal Guard protecting Princess Twilight Sparkle, the barracks of the local garrison was an embarrassing sight, for it was nothing more than a converted warehouse, renovated till it was deemed ‘good enough’. With its wooden walls rotting, glass shattered, roof dotted with holes, one would wonder if this place was suitable to house anypony.
The building was broken down and poorly maintained, with old and rotten wood for walls and holes that littered the roof. The glass of the windows was broken, while the door’s hinges were too weak to even withstand the wind blowing against it. The sound of creaking echoed from within, begging somepony to end its misery, but despite its moans and wails of pain, there didn’t seem to be anypony who cared to notice.
Located near the edge of the town, the structure was a big contrast to the simple and humble building that dotted the town. Sure, its design was simple and plain, but its rundown state and dark and broke look made it stand out from the rest of the well maintained buildings of the town.
But as he grew closer to his destination, Pike ignored the disgraceful building in front of him and instead focused on something bigger. He needed to get everypony in this week’s roster up and ready as soon as possible, for his career currently depended on how fast he can organize the entire company at this very moment.
Barging in the doors, nearly knocking it out of its hinges, Pike threw himself inside the room and shouted to the top of his lungs:
“Alright, everypony up, shine your armor, get dressed and be ready in-“
Pike’s sentence was cut short when he looked around the large room to find that there was barely anypony in there. His voice, loud and clear, echoed around in the barren room as if he were in a cave.
“Where in the name of Celestia is everypony?” Pike asked to no one in particular, as he slammed his hoof on the floor, frustration and confusion evident within him.
Scanning around the room that acted as the garrison’s quarters, Pike saw nothing but empty beds, that were left untidy, and cabinets, which were left empty and ajar. Everything was empty and wrecked, as if somepony had ransacked the place, and, with the lack of further knowledge, is what Pike believed what just happened.
The placed looked abandoned and with no sign of life, but the sudden sounds emitting from the cover under one of the beds caught Pike’s attention, as he turned his head towards it.
Eyes trained towards that bed, he could see movement under the covers, as the sound of giggling and chuckling emitted from it, as well as the occasional grunts and moans, which made Pike raise his eyebrow and question what was happening under those sheets.
Deciding to trot towards it and find out, he took gentle, yet quick, steps, not wanting to arouse suspicion from under those covers, for he believed that there was already enough arousal under them.
Keeping his eyes locked towards the sheets, he could see that the movement under it began to intensify, as if there was a struggle under it. But, if his suspicion was correct, Pike knew that it wasn’t a struggle under happening under those sheets, for the sounds coming out of it didn’t look pained, but instead happy.
Gripping the end of the sheets between his teeth, he pulled the cover away in one sweep before tossing it aside on the floor. After doing this, he quickly turned his head towards the bed, to find two pegasi ponies squirming on the mattress, giggling and lovingly kissing each other. Both of them had their eyes closed, obviously caught in the moment, and failing to notice Pike who was staring at the two of them with great disgust.
The first one, a male pegasus with lightning like yellow fur and tar black mane, made a sound that seemed like a purr, as he began whispering to the pink pegasus mare beside him. With such an intimate act happening between the two, Pike was somehow not surprised to see that this was the reason why they had failed to hear his earlier call. But he was surprised by the fact that they still haven’t notice his presence, as he intruded their privacy.
The two continued to conduct this intimidating bed dance until Pike, who had had enough of this distasteful act, bellowed in a loud and clear voice.
“Zapper, get out of that bed right now and stand at attention!” Pike had bellowed, shocking the two ponies as they snapped in surprise and broke their intimate moment. Moving their attention away from themselves, they looked at the towering Pike, who was staring at them with cold bulging eyes.
“Sergeant Pike?” The yellow pegasus said, eyes staring back at Pike. For a moment, time seemed to have freeze, as the two stared at each other, as the pegasus tried to gather all his confusion and form a coherent thought. But after a couple of seconds, something inside him seemed to have tick and move as he reacted to the current situation.
Moving quickly, the pegasus stallion jumped out of the bed and shook himself straight, as he stood attention in front of Pike, while the mare remained on the bed, blushing.
“Tell me Zapper…” Pike said, puffing out his chest and moving closer towards him to emphasize his dominance. “…where is everypony. Because, last time I check the guide book, everypony who is supposed to be in duty is supposed to report here for the weekly roster.”
“Well, sergeant…” Zapper said, hesitating a bit. “…they’re…they’re on leave.”
“On leave?” Pike repeated, surprised by this revelation. “Since when?”
“Why, they’ve been on leave since the lieutenant left.” Zapper replied, feeling a little bit more relax after seeing the confusion in the big stallion’s eyes.
“You mean they’ve been on leave for two week!” Pike growled, angry at the thought. Of all the times they chose to pull out this trick, they had to choose now.
“Well, Sergeant…” He said, looking at him smugly, his fear of the sergeant’s wrath seemingly gone as it was replaced by something else. “…you yourself have seemed to have taken the opportunity to take a leave during the absence of an officer, so it was only right for the others to follow your example.”
Pike narrowed his eyes at him but soon shook off the angry gaze. Pike knew that Zapper was one for back talk, but he didn’t want the pegasus to add more to his frustration. There was no time for yelling and reprimands right now, as he knew that they had to focus on more urgent matters. Turning his head away from Zapper and towards the bed, his gaze fell on the pink pegasus mare beside him before turning back to the corporal.
“Who’s she?” He demanded.
Zapper’s face remained still for a moment, as if he was giving his reply a long though before saying it. But this long thought gave way for the pegasus mare to express her own thoughts out loud.
“Honey, are you going to let this sergeant bully you like that?” She said in a soft voice, before switching to sterner one. “Why don’t you reprimand him and shove him back in place?”
Curious at this, the sergeant gave him a stiff and steady gaze, as he raised a brow and looked Zapper, who seemed to cringe from the words
and began to cower at its possible after effects. “What does she mean, Corporal?” Pike said, teeth gritted as he gave great emphasis on the last word.
“Well you see, sergeant….”
“Wait…corporal?” The mare said, cutting him off, as she moved towards the edge of the bed to add her own cold gaze on him. “You told me
you were the commanding officer of this place.”
“Well, I was technically the commander when there wasn’t anypony of higher rank, or anypony at all, in this place…I just wasn’t an officer…” He sheepishly admitted, hoping that his confession would lighten her punishment on him.
But the reply he got from her was quick and hard, as she slammed her hoof on his left cheek, instilling an agonizing amount of pain on him as he let out an ear shattering yelp.
“If I ever see you again…” She said, hoping off of the bed. “…then I would give you more than just a simple slap…” With that, the angry and flustered mare stormed out of the barracks, slamming the door behind her, causing it to fall off of its hinges.
“Now, that’s a mare that I would like to have in the force.” Pike commented, before looking down at Zapper, who was weeping in pain on the floor.
“Get up now…” Pike told him. “…we’ve got no time to waste.”
“Get up?” Zapper said, shocked that the sergeant wasn’t giving him a break after what just happened. “Didn’t you see what she did to me? She hurt me, physically and emotionally!”
Pike just rolled his eyes as he continued to urge the stallion to get up. “I was young too, Zapper, and I know how it hurts. Besides, you and I both know that you were just using her.”
“Hey, that may be slightly true…” Zapper said, getting up. “…but for a moment, I thought I felt something, something that I don’t usually feel when I’m with another mare.” Rubbing the sore spot on his cheek, he soon changed the subject to the reason why Pike suddenly barged in on them. “So, where’s the fire, Sergeant? You seemed to be in a hurry when you were interrogating me earlier.”
“You want to know where the fire is?” Pike asked. “Well, the fire is right here and it’s coming in the form of an officer who would take command of the garrison. And when he gets here to find nopony but as too, then I’m pretty sure that we would find ourselves in a life of hurt.”
“Not to worry, Sergeant.” Zapper said in a reassuring voice. “I’ll just go fetch all the ponies who are supposed to be in duty for this week and by the end of the day, I could have them all here and ready to follow your orders, so that we can prepare this place for the new commander’s arrival.”
Pike shook his head, as he knew that the plan would not work. “I don’t think that plan of yours is going to save us, because the letter I got said that the new commander is supposed to arrive this morning…” He paused. “…and if I remember how new commanders are, they would usually conduct an inspection the very moment they arrive.”
“What!” Zapper exclaimed. “But aren’t they supposed to give as a week’s notice, so that we can prepare for the arrival?”
“They are and they did.” Pike said, nodding grimly. “But the only problem is that the letter they sent got lost, as usual, thanks to the local mail mare…”
“Great, just perfect…” Zapper said, looking down. “So, what do we do now?”
Pike bit his lip, unsure on what to do next. The situation ahead of them seemed hopeless and there didn’t seem to be any exit to it. Never had he encountered such a complex problem in the many years of his career and he wished that he would never will again. He just hoped that this wish wouldn’t be fulfilled by him leaving the force.
“Well…” Pike said, quickly thinking a plan. Despite the stressful situation, he tried to formulate an idea that would work, for any idea was better than none. “…I…I want you to go as quickly as you can and fetch everypony on the roster…” He said, adding Zapper’s earlier suggestion to his plan. “…I’ll stay here and brighten up the place as much as I can. If we’re lucky, then the new commander’s train would have been late.” He knew that the chances of the train to Ponyville being late was low, for it was always on time, but it didn’t hurt to try and believe.
“Okay…” Zapper said, nodding vigorously. “…but what will happen if we aren’t lucky?”
Pike gulped. “Then I would be the one to bear the brunt of the long line of reprimands that would come if we fail.”
Zapper nodded solemnly, as the two trotted towards the entrance, which now had the wooden door on the floor. The pegasus was about to exit and fly off to find the ponies who were supposed to be on duty, when suddenly, he stiffened and stopped in his tracks.
“What’s wrong?” Pike asked.
Instead of replying, Zapper pointed towards the far off road ahead of them, where a young unicorn stallion who marched with a quick and firm step while wearing the golden armor of the Royal Guards as well bearing the symbols of a fully-fledged officer. For a seemingly endless anount of time, Pike kept his eyes concentrated on the pony, not wanting to believe the sight in front of him. Suddenly understanding the fear Zapper held, Pike looked towards the pegasus as the two ponies eyes locked together in a bewildered gaze that took a couple more seconds out of the little time they had.
“I suggest you take the back exit, Zapper.” Pike finally said, trying to remain as calm as possible, not wanting to shout and attract the attention of the quickly approaching pony. “You go out there and find the company as fast as possible…I’ll stay behind and try to stall him.”
“Will you be alright, Sergeant?” Zapper asked.
“Yes…now go.”
