Chapter 1: Our Silent Regrets

Military protocol required Soarin to salute every officer he passed by. While he was the senior NCO, he was just that, an NCO, not an officer. The way the Wonderbolts are arranged, there is only allowed to be one ceremonial officer, the role filled by Spitfire. Only when Spitfire decides to step down then will the spot be vacant. Soarin wasn’t even the second pony for the job, the executive in commend of the squad was Fleetfoot. Despite being a member of the Wonderbolts for nearly seven seasons, he was only third in the command chain. Of course, that was only within the Wonderbolt barracks. As Soarin trotted through the Central Tower of the Canterlot palace, he was outranked by Royal Guards left and right.

This is something Soarin often regrets. He often wished he took that acceptance letter to join the Royal Guard Academy over the Wonderbolts. While being in the Wonderbolts is a high honor, something very few ponies (and fewer stallions in this mare dominated unit) could ever be a part of. Though among the military elite of Equestria, they are regarded the in much the same way he sees the Filly Scouts. Behind closed quarters the Royal Guards would often poke fun at the Wonderbolts for being the easiest of the armed branches to serve in, mocking their less intense physical training and comfortable luxury quarters. It is true, as performers they often housed in temperature controlled living areas, with the fines of silks for their racks.

On the other hand many stallions joined the Royal Guard, in fact nearly all stallions who could not get a profession elsewhere enlisted with the Guards. A chance for an easy cutie mark, consistent paycheck and food, and health insurance was the big draw. Soarin knew if only he joined at that age, he would perhaps be a Major or a Lieutenant Colonel by this point. However he was now much older, if he tried to enlist now he would be competing against younger stallions more fit and youthful blank minds to be molded, while all his Wonderbolt rank and honors would count for nothing, his age would work against him, and he would be reduced down to the rank of a private again.

The only real reason he joined the Wonderbolts was because he would be one of only three stallions ever to join the fleet. The area of aerial performance until recently had been dominated by mares. He knew because of that stigma in place, it would be impossible for him to get any high ranking position. Back when he joined, young and naïve he didn’t care, he would tell everypony that he was joining for the honor and privilege to be called a Wonderbolt. Today that title didn’t mean shit, if he couldn’t get an officer paygrade then, what was the point of wasting the prime of his life with this air troupe.

Soarin marched down the hallway of the Palace in a sturdy manner, while out of uniform he still needed to show his discipline. A group of younger Royal Guards leaning against the wall on break gave a little chuckle as Soarin saluted them walking by.

“At ease there, Fairy Corps,” they laughed in response to the salute.

Damn that’s embarrassing, Soarin thought. That is the problem, he had to salute every officer. Most, didn’t mind and would brush it off or ignore him, but if he came across that one officer who was offended he didn’t present arms he would be spending the rest of the day doing mess duty or worst, in the Hole. Soarin shuttered. Just then a bugle was sounded.

“Attention, attention all units,” an overhead voice spoke through the magically amplified speakers. “All active personal and Wonderbolts must report to the Parade Grounds after noon mess. Pass and Review practice for the Summer Sun Celebration will commence until sundown. This is a mandatory full dress parade rehearsal for ALL PERSONAL! That is all.” The voice clicked off.

Soarin sighed. He still had tasks to do before he could even get lunch. I doubt he would even have time for food, full dress means an hour getting into uniform. He hated full dress uniform. Damn, there goes my mess hall pie. Though truthfully Soarin hated the magically dehydrated powered they tried to pass off as apple pie, but it is the best he could get until local leave after the Summer Sun Celebration.

“Hey where is my salute butterfly wings?” Soarin looked lost in this own thoughts as he passed by an earth pony officer wearing a smirk on his face.

“Oh sorry sir,” Soarin yanked his right hoof so fast up to his forehead he could not control its trajectory, accidently smacking his muzzle in the process.

The earth pony broke down laughing. “At ease, at ease.” He wiped tears of laugher from his eyes. “That is some funny stuff butterfly wings, you should do a standup act that the next ESO show.”

As Soarin left the officer in a laughing fit, he grumbled to himself. Blah, officers. Dumb earth pony, can’t even fly or use magic. Looks like a young colt. If I was joined the Guards I would probably out rank him by now.

Soarin hated the fact the earth pony looked years younger than him, yet his shoulder epilates were grades higher his own.

If only I was an officer in the Royal Guard. Soarin continued in his daydreams as he headed to the North Tower. If only.

The resentment Soarin had for the Royal Guards, only intensified as he walked up the steps of the North Tower. Of all the people he had to see at this moment, it was the damn Commanding Officer of the Royal Guards. A spoiled rich colt from a privileged family. Somepony Soarin did not want to talk to.

“Forward march!”

Shining Armor in full ceremonial armor shouted in front of a large mirror marching in place.

“Right wheel march!”

Shining turned his body right, mimicking he commands he was calling out.

“Present arms! Order arms!”

Shining paused, looking at the scroll in front of him.

“I mean—eyes right!”

Shining nodded, trying to remember the command that came next.

“Ready front.”

Shining sighed then collapsed in front of the mirror trying to grab the scroll with his hooves.

“How in Celestia’s name can I remember all these commands by heart in time for today’s parade practice? I mean not only that, I am the one leading the precession, how the heck am I going to keep in step without anypony in front of me.”
Shining liked to talk out loud to himself.

That was always one of Shining’s problems, he hated marching. He could never keep in step with the cadence of the band’s drum beat. He always had to cheat by observing the pony before him. Now he will be leading the reviewing officers, meaning he would have to keep step for every pony after him.

Shining collapsed on his back, messing up his armor. He didn’t care. He never wanted to be an officer anyways. He was born into the role. His mother, Twilight Twinkle, 1st Duchess of Fillideplia, was a member of one of the highest ranking of peerage titles in Equestria, while they lived a humble life, this meant he was promoted up the ranks of the Royal Guards based on name alone. He didn’t feel like he deserved it, he never wanted to be a guard. It didn’t feel right.

He looked at himself in the mirror. His officer rank shone in the sunshine. He didn’t deserve it. Unlike his younger sister, who earned her title of Princess of Friendship for combating countless foes and saving Equestria more times than anypony could count. Shining knew his rank, his title, his position, were all just handed to him on a silver platter. While the other Guards had to salute in his presence, he knew he never would earn their respect, behind closed doors he could hear them mocking him. Compared to the other Guard members, he was not built for the job. His body was too slender, almost mare-like, his hooves were limp wristed, and he could barely do a push up.

Shining moped around on the floor of his quarters for a few minutes before remembering he would have to memorize all those commands in less than two hours.

“Damn it, I am doing this anymore. I want out.”

Shining ran to the window, for a second thinking he was a pegasus who could just fly away. Luckily the window was too small to even fit his muzzle through, a fall from his height would have killed him.

“Damn it Celestia! I shouldn’t be me leading the procession. It should be my sister, Twily earned it. Wait, Twily!”

Just then Shining remembered his sister gave him a book of spells for his birthday a year ago. He never had the chance to learn magic spell like his sister, with the military training and all, but as a unicorn, he had an unscratchable urge for casting spells and need to flex his magic horn every once in a while.

“Let’s see, invisibility spell, invisibility spell. Hey, if I am invisible no one can force me to do anything.”

Well, that would probably force everypony to put drill on halt and go searching for him, but he didn’t care, he wanted out. He never felt right being in the Guards anyways. Hopefully this would be enough grounds to expel him. He knew his wife wouldn’t like that. Though she was far away up north and the two never had time for each other anyways. That’s the thing, Shining never felt like he was the dominant one, being the highest ranking officer, the stallion of the house. In reality he is very submissive and would just once like Cadence to cuddle him in her hooves and comfort him rather than the other way around. Of course, given his position, even in private, it would be impossible to ever find himself in the submissive role.

Shining sighed as he flipped frantically through the pages. There must be a spell in here, any spell will do. Something to make him invisible, make him small, make him a fly or an orange even—well temporarily, long enough so he could avoid his duties for the reminder of the day.

There was a knock on the door. “Sir, I have something to report to you.”

“Shoot,” Shining said out loud, he frantically tore through the pages. “They are here for me already. Please I just want to be left alone.”

“Sir, are you there?” The knock repeated again.

“Okay, here’s a spell.” Shining didn’t know what the spell did, he hoped it was a teleportation spell. “Quod placet in transmutare!”

Author's Note

So, what will his new form be? How you folks take a guess...