Phoenix Down

Chapters

The Neighsayer
These Broken Wings
Whatever It Takes
The Next Phase
Try Try Again
Gaffer's Big Gaffe
A Big Waste
Fading
The First Interview

The Neighsayer

"Stratocumulus, slow down! I know there must be something wrong because the night shift hasn't been rotated out of their assignments yet."

"They're dead, Captain! The pair of them!"

"WHAT?! Who?"

"Just come with me to the barracks, sir!"

The too-familiar knot in his stomach reappears for Captain Gibraltar as he follows Lieutenant Captain Stratocumulus at full clip toward the morning shift barracks. It was already bad enough that the morning lottery for giving out assignments had to be delayed because of this, but now the implications of two losses to his command compounded the worry.

The mood was supposed to be upbeat, with a planned informal celebration of the rebirth of Princess Celestia's pet Philomena set for the next few days and the Grand Galloping Gala coming in the next month. Gibraltar had begun to believe that the disruptions caused by the Agents of Chaos had ended with the abortive attempt by Lieutenant Troilus to persecute the Cutie Mark Crusaders, but now all the old worries were surfacing again.

When Gibraltar arrives at the morning-shift pegasus building in the barracks, he is shocked to see two pegasi stallions limp on the floor, surrounded by a semi-circle of their comrades and squad Lieutenant showing numb shock over the dramatic turn of events. Gibraltar lays beside the limp pegasi and uses his unicorn magic to turn one over on his back - there is no immediate sign of what killed them, but the bluish-tinge inside the open mouth and a small puddle of a blue liquid quickly suggest a sadly-familiar mechanism.

"Sir, there's some paper sticking out from under the other stallion." Stratocumulus comments, and Gibraltar turns his attention away from the one stallion he's currently focused on to carefully use his unicorn magic to extract several sheets of parchment which had laid on the floor.

The squad of the now-dead pair of pegasi crowd around the two superior officers as Captain Gibraltar begins to read the text on one of the sheets, typed in red ink with all-capital letters: "YOU BOTH KNOW THERE WILL BE A HEARING OVER WHAT HAPPENED. YOU BOTH KNOW YOU WERE OF CHAOS. YOU CANNOT AVOID THIS ANY LONGER. THE SOLUTION IS IN THE BOTTLE - SAVE CELESTIA THE TROUBLE AND DO IT YOURSELVES."

Gasps spread through the gathered crowd as Gibraltar worriedly looks over the other sheets of parchment, which seem to indicate the two pegasi now dead - the ones that accompanied Princess Celestia and Philomena in the trip to Ponyville and had been negligent enough to let Fluttershy take away Philomena - had once sworn written oaths to join the Agents of Chaos and serve Agent Snake, but had been away on leave when "Operation Whirlwind" had been executed, preventing them from joining that rebellious effort that would've marked them as traitors.

"I don't understand, we've accounted for every Agent of Chaos found on their membership list! And if they aren't Agents and somepony made this up to trick them into thinking Celestia would give them a death sentence..." Stratocumulus breathlessly exclaims.

"The hearing was not even supposed to matter, since the whole deal was a test on Princess Celestia's part." Gibraltar adds as gloomy concern returns to his expression. "It was supposed to be just a formality required by E.U.P. Guard protocol. The charges of negligence would be brought up and then immediately dismissed with prejudice on Celestia's personal decree. Even if somepony wanted to incriminate them, they wouldn't have had a chance to submit this to the tribunal..."

"Then I'm in trouble, sir. Big trouble." Stratocumulus exclaims, eyes wide with horror. All attention now turns to focus on him after the Lieutenant Captain makes this apparently out-of-nowhere statement.

"What in all Equestria do you mean, Lieutenant Captain?!" Gibraltar exclaims in turn upon seeing his subordinate's horror.

"Lieutenant Troilus is behind this, I'm sure of it. The punishment detail hasn't deterred him, just drove his efforts undercover. He's going to try to take out every pegasus on this shift by pouncing on the first fault in their service, this was just the test run." Stratocumulus breathlessly explains. "I'm the biggest target, because he thinks he should be Lieutenant Captain instead of me. I'm sure I'm next, and then... who knows?!?"

"Calm down, Lieutenant Captain, you're letting your imagination run away with you!" Gibraltar replies, trying to tamp down the growing panic in the pegasus stallion.

"But sir, I can see it in his eyes - he hates me and wants me dead with every ounce of his being." Stratocumulus starts again. "He knows what I was, and that Celestia chose me over him. I never wanted to be a general officer, my talent is in engineering, that's where I belong, sir! Not here!"

"Maybe it is true you originally joined the service to get into the Engineering Corps." Gibraltar dryly replies one more time. "But Aten's lust for power and heart of treason ensured you were set on a different path - he lied to you as much as to rest of us - and then you were given the opportunity to escape from his trap, in service to Princess Luna. A cutie mark isn't a destiny, no matter how much someponies might argue otherwise. And Celestia wouldn't have you here if she didn't support you. Don't ever forget that."

MEANWHILE, IN THE OFFICES OF THE EQUESTRIA EDUCATION ASSOCIATION...

"You know Troilus, it's a good thing we're off-duty this week, gives us breathing room dealing with those pegasi." Guard Upper Class Lyacon comments as he and Lieutenant Troilus, both wearing their dress uniforms, pass by the ominously darkened and looming main meeting chamber of the EEA and duck down into a side hallway containing the officers of the individual board members. Their destination was the largest and most prestigious office, where the Chancellor of the Equestria Education Association conducted business.

"I still think we should avoid dealing with batponies at all costs, though. I don't know if those Thestrals could see through the cover or what, but I was just glad Lieutenant Vesper didn't run us off the castle grounds before we could strike." Lieutenant Troilus comments.

"What are we even doing here though, sir?" Lyacon asks again as the two unicorns proceed down the side hallway.

"Didn't you read yesterday's Canterlot Daily like I told you to?!" Troilus replies in irritation, using his unicorn magic to pull out a folded-up newspaper from the saddlebag he was wearing as he does so.

"I did, but I didn't really see..." Lyacon begins to reply before Troilus abruptly stopping in his movements forces him to do the same.

"Here, read this!" Troilus exclaims, using green-colored unicorn magic to shove a newspaper in Lyacon's face.

Lyacon takes it, levitating the paper with the same color magic as Troilus has, and begins reading the article in front of his face: "Captain of the Canterlot Guard Gibraltar announced yesterday in a press conference that the death of Equestria Education Association Chancellor Trailblazer was now being investigated as 'a suspicious act'. Trailblazer, the first earth pony to hold the position of Chancellor in the history of the EEA and known for spearheading controversial reform efforts, was found dead of apparent cyanide ingestion one week ago after being publicly incriminated as a member of the traitorous 'Agents of Chaos' by Vice-Chancellor Neighsay, also of the EEA. However, toxicology tests have determined cyanide poisoning was not the actual cause of death, and the matter is now being investigated as a homicide instead of a suicide according to a press release obtained by the Canterlot Daily. Neighsay, having assumed the position of Acting Chancellor of the EEA after Trailblazer's death, declined to comment on the press release or speculate on the cause of Trailblazer's death."

"You see, Lyacon? I sense a kindred spirit in the Acting Chancellor." Troilus begins to explain once Lyacon has finished the article. "Maybe he can't join our crusade directly, but I'm sure he can help in other ways. And of course, we should be willing to do a few favors for him in exchange for his support."

"Of course, sir. So I assume that is who we are meeting today?" Lyacon asks.

"Indeed. Now let's not keep him waiting."

After speaking this, Troilus resumes his march down the hallway, Lyacon stumbling to catch up to him. The two stallions approach the large door at the end of the hallway, the handles and locks on the door gilded with gold, and Troilus raps on the door with a forehoof. A pause, then the stallions look at each other when there is no immediate response. Troilus dares to push the door, which opens inward with a creaking noise. The stallions pause again, then push the door all the way open.

Troilus and Lyacon cautiously step into the EEA Chancellor's office, immediately noticing the low lighting and musky smell filling the room as well as their hoofsteps being muted by carpet underneath. Various glowing objects dangle from the ceiling above, and walls on the left and right feature lights that cycle through a rainbow of colors. The entire effect places both stallions in a degree of unease, and Lyacon dares a comment as both stallions approach a massive ebony desk: "This place reminds me of an old drawing of where Star Swirl the Bearded practiced his magic..."

"You like it? It's certainly a massive improvement over what Trailblazer left behind. Stallion had absolutely no taste whatsoever..." a voice sounds out from the other side of the desk, mixing malevolence and charm in a manner that made Troilus and Lyacon even more unsettled than before. Initially, all the other two stallions could see was the back of a brick-red plush chair, but an orange-colored magic aura envelopes the chair and slowly causes it to rotate, revealing a thin grey-coated stallion with a slicked-back mane, a goatee, and turquoise-colored eyes that pierced like daggers in the darkness of the office.

"Chancellor Neighsay, I presume?" Troilus asks the stallion sitting in the chair, nerves showing for the first time in his voice.

"Acting Chancellor, but I hope to change that soon enough. I'm guessing you are the Guard Lieutenant and his number one squad member that made the appointment yesterday?" Neighsay smoothly replies.

"Yes, sir. I am Lieutenant Troilus, and this is Guard Upper Class Lyacon." Troilus answers in turn, Lyacon only daring a small wave when his name is mentioned.

"Very good. Let's get straight to business. For too long, a Starmover unicorn like me has chafed under an earth pony's rule, and now that Trailblazer is dead it is only proper that I become the next Chancellor." Neighsay begins. "The problem is that Princess Celestia will never approve this happening if she can find a different candidate for the position. Do you two stallions see where I am going with this?"

Both Troilus and Lyacon nod in affirmation, and the former coyly speaks again: "I sense we are kindred spirits and that cooperation will greatly benefit both of us. If you do us one favor, we promise to... 'eliminate' any alternative candidates for the Chancellorship position and force Celestia to confirm your appointment."

Neighsay pauses for a few moments to consider the words of Troilus, and then replies as follows: "I am intrigued. What favor of it that you seek of me in exchange for the promised services?"

"We need an army for Prince Blueblood and myself to lead in glorious battle against the Agent of Chaos traitors, and we need it quickly. The best way to gather this army is rile the unicorn mob, and you have the power to rile them up quickly if you so choose. I would like a copy of this flier distributed to every unicorn foal of two unicorn parents in the Canterlot school district." Troilus answers, levitating with green magic a rolled-up piece of parchment onto Neighsay's desk as he speaks.

Neighsay eyes the scroll briefly, then picks it up with his own orange magic and unrolls it, leaving Troilus and Lyacon in breathless suspense for what seemed like an hour as the Acting Chancellor scans the contents of the scroll. Finally, the grey stallion gives his reply: "The Wonderbolts are vain idiots, and Celestia let them off way too easily for associating with those traitors. Certainly I will have the unicorns attack them at the first Canterlot show coming soon. Those pegasi are going to get what's coming to them, and if I can help bring down Celestia's favorite in the Royal Guard, that'll make the victory even sweeter."

"So then, Chancellor, do we have a deal?" Troilus asks eagerly, Lyacon joining in with vigorous nod.

"Indeed, Lieutenant, we do. Now go and eliminate the challengers, and be assured, comrades of the belief of unicorn superiority, I will keep my end of the bargain..."

These Broken Wings

"Sir, please, I really don't want to do this..."

"Soarin', I understand that this is a very difficult time for you, but the Equestrian Congress needs answers. The Cloudsdale civil government needs answers. The permit for the Wonderbolts Academy is up for renewal in a few weeks, and rumor is the government will revoke it without answers. I'm sorry, Soarin', orders are orders. And the orders are from Princess Celestia herself."

The Lead Wingpony of the Wonderbolts blows out a sigh as he looks back at his interviewer - Royal Guard Lieutenant Captain Shining Armor - with pleading eyes, and after a few moments of pregnant silence finally speaks again: "If it was any other Equestrian I was looking at, one that wasn't so committed to telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, I would still be resisting. I lost my grandparents on my dad's side in that 'harvest' after Operation Whirlwind, I just want all this pain to stop..."

"Then answer the questions. Please." Shining Armor says again, his 'soft' expression indicating he hated doing this as much as Soarin' did.

Soarin' gives a heavy sigh again, then straightens up his slouched posture and does his best to do the same to his Wonderbolt officer uniform, which seemed so lackluster compared to the gleaming decorations on Shining Armor's own Lieutenant Captain dress uniform, then says three words: "Go ahead... sir."

Shining Armor clears his throat a bit and levitates up three different items with magenta-colored magic, one a pre-printed list of the questions Princess Celestia wanted him to ask Soarin', the second a notepad of yellow lined paper and the third a charcoal pencil he would use to scribble down the answers Soarin' gave to the asked questions. He promptly gets to the first question: "One of the tabloid rumors is that Spitfire intends to resign as Captain after the Grand Galloping Gala, which would've marked the end of the season had Celestia not cut it short by decree. Is that true or not?"

"No, sir, Spitfire intends to remain Captain for the indefinite future." Soarin' answers. "I think the rumor is because she and I have been cycling back and forth in operational authority as the reforms have been implemented. That's part of the reason why I'm here instead of her - I honestly think she won't be able to look you in the eye for a long time after how badly she misjudged the entire situation before..."

"Speaking of the reforms, that's my second question. Celestia wants a report on the progress of implementation." Shining Armor comments, the charcoal pencil furiously scribbling on the yellow pad as he speaks.

"You probably already know, sir, that our ranks in the E.U.P. chain of command were stripped from us, and we've destroyed all property that represented any formal connection to that organization. Any connection is historical only now, although Spitfire and I agreed we would retain the previous training and fitness standards as much as possible." Soarin' answers.

"The Canterlot offices?" Shining Armor asks, referring to the building that was destroyed by an attack as part of "Operation Whirlwind".

"Everything of value that was salvageable we've long since taken to the Academy in Cloudsdale. We don't intend to rebuild in Canterlot, just rent office space as we need it."

"I see." Shining Armor comments again, a brief pause only filled by scribbling noises as he tries to get caught up in his note-taking. Only when this is accomplished does Shining proceed to the next question: "The reform of the Wonderbolt squad organization itself?"

"Princess Celestia recommended an internal split into two squads with each squad leader alternating the Second Lead Wingpony position, and we don't have a better idea as an alternative, so we've implemented it." Soarin' answers again. "There's now a Senior and a Junior Squad, and each squad has a leader and second. The Senior Leader is Fleetfoot with her second being Surprise, while the Junior Leader is Misty Fly with her second being Lightning Streak. The Senior Squad and Junior Squad leaders alternate holding the responsibilities once held by the Second Lead Wingpony role, with the Senior Squad leader doing it on odd-numbered shows and the Junior Squad leader doing it on even-numbered shows."

"But the division is more than just a reflection of experience or previous loyalty, or lack of it as the case may be?" Shining Armor dryly asks, an eyebrow raise making it clear he was not going to take a joke answer for the question.

"Absolutely not, sir. Only a Senior Squad member can become Acting Captain or Acting Lead Wingpony in an emergency, and a Junior Squad member can only be promoted to the Senior Squad by unanimous consent of current Senior Squad members. Demoting a Senior Squad member to the Junior Squad could be implemented as a form of punishment." Soarin quickly answers, seemingly eager to make the distinction between the squads clear even though as far as Shining was concerned the Wonderbolts would still be seen as performing as one team.

Shining just nods at first, scribbling details on the pad. It's only after a few moments that he speaks again: "The system isn't perfect, but it ought to eliminate the power jockeying that's caused so much trouble in the past. And it'll also allow a promising young member to rise faster than seniority alone would allow."

The last statement slashes through Soarin' like a cleaving knife. He knew the only hope for the future was in the Loyalty Bearer - no one else would be able to fully restore the soiled reputation of the Wonderbolts and bring back the young foals the previous failures had driven away. Without Loyalty, there would be no future for the organization.

"We need HER in the organization, definitely. But even then, I fear it may not be enough, that there may not be enough time to save the Wonderbolts..." Soarin' trails off as Shining Armor continues scribbling on the notepad.

"What do you mean, Soarin'?" Shining asks, the writing on the notepad temporarily stopped.

"It's something to do with Spitfire herself. I just hope she can hold out for the abbreviated end of the season, until the off-season lets them process..." Soarin' trails off again, awkwardly looking away and flushing a bit as he does so.

"Process what? Is there something wrong with Spitfire herself?" Shining presses, a couple worrying possibilities beginning to circulate in his head.

Soarin' blows out another sigh, now muttering at a level Shining can barely hear: "Why did I even bring it up? She'll be mad at me, the others will be mad at me, Spitfire told me to keep quiet about it..."

"Soarin', I need nothing less than total honesty out of you. Now I am asking you as a fellow stallion and member of service to the Equestrian population, what is wrong with Captain Spitfire?" Shining Armor all but pleads, becoming increasingly concerned as he sees the composure of Soarin' slipping away in front of him.

Another long silence follows, before Soarin' gives a little sniffle and looks back at Shining Armor as if a naughty recruit looking up at a drill sergeant. Finally, the Wonderbolt second drops his bombshell: "Captain Spitfire is pregnant... sir."

The shock of the statement is enough to cause Shining's eyes to go wide, nearly dropping the items he was holding with his magenta-colored magic. When he finds his tongue again, his speech is broken concern: "You're sure about this? 100% certain?"

"She tested positive last week. That monster Aten didn't just stain her cloud, his seed is growing inside her! And there's nothing, nothing I..." Soarin' answers, beginning to break down in tears as he speaks.

The implications Shining picked up were immediate and stunning. If Spitfire kept the foal, then it would mean the end of her Wonderbolt career. And there were other options available to her, but none of them would avoid permanent damage to her public image and reputation. This was a battle with no real chance of victory, just to do the best to contain the damage - and she had put herself into the situation with her impulsiveness and short-sighted attempts to protect her own reputation.

Shining could sense from Soarin' now openly crying, though, that there was something else that Aten's previous "violation" of Spitfire had caused to be lost, and his next gentle question was focused on figuring out what that was: "There's something else, though. Something else that got lost?"

Soarin' shouts through his tears in answer that makes Shining recoil back briefly: "I BEGGED AND I PLEADED WITH HER NOT TO TRY TO FIGHT HIM! NOW IT CAN'T EVER HAPPEN, IT'S BEEN RUINED FOREVER..."

"Because you two were in a serious relationship? That you two did plan to get married one day?"

"Yes, but that was conditional on both clouds staying pure, and I hope to all that is good in Equestria you understand what I just said!" Soarin' answers, at a slightly lower volume that before, but the sobbing continuing onward after he finishes.

Shining slowly nods, having heard the phrasing from some pegasus comrades in the Royal Guard. In a society where the worst stallion marauders, like Aten had proven to be, could inflict terrible damage on relationships and the very bodies of mares, "clean cloud" vows between a stallion and a mare that intended to one day become mates were held in very high regard, with a broken vow being enough to revoke previous approval of a marriage. Shining realized it was quite logical Spitfire and Soarin' had once taken such a vow once their relationship reached a strong enough point, and now Spitfire's moral failings had ruined any chance of a marriage or even anything beyond a platonic friendship.

The unicorn Lieutenant Captain had already been deep enough in a relationship with Princess Cadance that he couldn't imagine not ever being married to her at some point, so he kept his silence as Soarin' wept openly opposite him, crying over what could now never be, crying over what he had tried with all his heart to prevent from happening, crying over the fact he hadn't been able alone to stop the catastrophes that engulfed the Wonderbolts and even now still posed a threat to the organization's continued existence.

When Soarin' is finally able to speak, the statement again is a surprise to Shining Armor: "Loyalty is about the same age as us. Spitfire recognizes it, the Loyalty Bearer is a much better mare than she will ever be."

Shining Armor gives a small nod - for all the faults he had heard from his sister about Rainbow Dash, the rescue proved beyond doubt that the rainbow-maned pegasus was the last best hope for the future of the damaged organization. And, just maybe, that Spitfire accepted the fact that she had to put aside her personal feelings toward Soarin' for the sake of everypony else around her.

"Oh my goodness, we need a good show this week..." Soarin' mutters out again, blowing out yet another sigh.

"The return to Canterlot, the first show Celestia's let you try since she put the probation in place." Shining Armor comments, and Soarin' nods to indicate Shining had gotten what he was talking about.

The sobbing continues from the Wonderbolt second-in-command, however, and Shining looks away in somber reflection to let Soarin' compose himself again. It reminded Shining Armor why evil needed to be fought every day, and in every way possible, and why to all that was good and wholesome in Equestria he couldn't afford to let the Canterlot show go wrong. It wouldn't just be on his professional head if it did, it could very well spell the end of the Wonderbolts if they were attacked again...

Whatever It Takes

"Sir, do you really believe the threats those fliers were talking about?"

"No, Lieutenant, but I can't afford to take any chances. That's why I ordered a doubling of the standard assignment for this show, even though it means some parts of Canterlot aren't being patrolled..."

"And what about Captain Spitfire? She's barely moved from the spot she's in now since she finished practice..."

"I think the stress is getting to her. It's just about showtime, you'd better get out there and make sure nothing bad happens..."

"Yes, sir."

The pegasus Lieutenant ducks out of the backstage area as Lieutenant Captain Shining Armor looks back with pity at the Wonderbolts, none of which seemed excited to go perform stunts again and most wore grim looks. Captain Spitfire was on haunches, expression a half-wince and clutching forelegs over her stomach - it seemed for all the world to be a result of nerves, but privately Shining Armor feared for the life and health of both her and the unborn foal inside. The rest of the Wonderbolts except Soarin' did not know about the pregnancy yet, but Spitfire planned to tell them after the show was over.

The mood inside matched the mood outside - tense, particularly after the threat by the flyers distributed in Canterlot's public schools came to light. The previous show the Wonderbolts had performed there had also been ruined by a parasprite release orchestrated by the Agents of Chaos, which added another layer of unease to the growing layer cake suffocating the joy and hope the event intended to bring to the pegasi population of Equestria in general. The stunts were rehearsed and would still please the crowd, but the result at best would be a hollow shell of a victory, should it even happen at all.

"It's time." Shining Armor says as he turns back toward the Wonderbolts, and hooves drag as the Wonderbolts assemble in their new arrangement. Captain Spitfire reluctantly stops beside Shining Armor, but can't bring herself to look him straight in the eye; Shining also notices her wincing with each step she takes, and that only seems to confirm his fears of her condition.

Shining, however, sees the other Wonderbolts put on a brave face and spread wings open - only a dim hope and the need for professionalism seem to keep them walking. The pegasus stallion Tight Ship cautiously pushes the door leading out into the main arena open, and the first sign of trouble smacks the group in the face: no triumphal music, no riotous cheering, barely any flickers of joy.

The stepping out into the main arena proceeds cautiously, and very quickly Soarin' points out another problem in a stage whisper: "Where's the announcement of our introduction?!"

Shining Armor looks around, trying to locate the announcer's box to see if the pegasus that was supposed to announce the introduction of the Wonderbolts was even still in there. He sees several figures scurrying about up in that box, but before can see or do anything else is suddenly inundated with a chorus of boos and jeers coming from the crowd, done almost exclusively by its unicorn component. The pegasi in the crowd seem to do nothing, either out of shock or fear of the agitated unicorns.

The Lieutenant Captain whirls his head around, mortified at the response he was getting - exactly as warned by the fliers shown to him - then looked back to see the same mortification, if not outright horror, in the entire squad of Wonderbolts. The entire troop stops in the middle of the arena, not quite sure what to do next, and just moments later volleys of hurled objects start raining down on the entire group.

It seemed the entire agitated unicorn component had in one possibly-premeditated action grabbed whatever was at hoof - concession food, souvenirs sold by the arena, even items snatched from pegasi neighbors - and hurled them down at the group below! Shining Armor reacted instinctively, throwing up his magenta-colored barrier to deflect most of the projectiles. Simultaneously, the Royal Guard members posted in the arena - mixing all three of the main pony races - spring into action to try to stop the volleys of projectiles, but it quickly becomes clear the situation is getting out of control!

Just seconds later, the angry unicorns turn their wrath on the pegasi neighbors - most of which are taken by surprise and thus unable to fly away from the situation - and quickly the stadium seating turns into a free-for-all, unicorns working together to smash pegasi onto whatever hard surface they can reach until blood is drawn. Any pegasus not immediately caught up in the brawl flies away in panic, and some unicorns attempt to escape on hoof. Those attempting to stop the bloodshed, particularly pegasi, suffer most of all as the enraged unicorns abandon their original targets to gang up on anypony that attempts to interfere, particularly Royal Guards of any species.

With any semblance of order disintegrating, the Wonderbolts revert to more primal instincts and stampede back the way they came out. Shining Armor, still stunned by how quickly the situation had fallen apart, does not notice the stampede immediately and rushes to catch up when he does. When he arrives at the backstage area, the scattered Wonderbolts are nowhere to be seen, except for a stunned Tight Ship, still trying to get oriented after the stampede knocked him down as it passed by him.

The unicorn Lieutenant Captain is about to ask the Wonderbolt ground support stallion where the rest of the Wonderbolts were when intense cries of pain prompt both stallions to rush toward its source without any attempt at words exchanged between them. Moving at full gallop, both stallions arrive to find a downed Captain Spitfire, curled into a ball and screaming in intense pain, a dark stain on her flightsuit giving a clue what had happened.

"She was ambushed, sir! I heard her go down, but didn't see where the attacker went or even who it was!" the Guard Lieutenant standing over Spitfire shouts at Shining Armor and Tight Ship as the latter two come within his sight.

"She needs to get to a hospital! Lieutenant, help Tight Ship get her there! I'm going back out to try to get this crowd under control!" Shining Armor snaps out in order, not even bothering to wait for a response before turning and galloping away back toward the arena.

He dares a look back as Tight Ship strips off his uniform in an attempt to make something that would let Spitfire be carried between them, a light spot in a situation that had suddenly became very dark. But Shining couldn't dwell on that, and back into the confusion he charged, determined to do what he could to save the day...

MEANWHILE, UP IN THE ANNOUNCER'S BOOTH...

Two cloaked figures, with only unicorn horns exposed, watch from behind the glass as the riot takes its course. Blood has already been spilled in different places in the stadium, and some unfortunate ponies, particularly Royal Guards, are being rolled down the concrete steps of the stadium, each hit inflicting pain on the way down. When some ponies stop rolling, they are already unconscious and bleeding, further fueling the apparent bloodlust of the unicorns.

"Isn't it beautiful, Lyacon?" one of the cloaked figures says to his companion. "We are going to harvest an army from the seeds of death and injury being planted here and now."

"But Troilus, is this really going to bring down Shining Armor?" the other cloaked figure asks back.

"We don't need him to be brought down, we just need him to be seen as 'protected' by Princess Celestia. That will bring ponies out of the woodwork in our favor, just out of sheer disgust." Troilus confidently answers.

The conversation is interrupted by the fast entry of a third figure cloaked like the other two, that figure knocking aside an unconscious pegasi stallion - the stadium's announcer - as he does so. That third cloaked figure salutes the other two as he stops beside them, attention focused on him temporarily.

"Ah, Petronius. Did you deliver the blow to Captain Spitfire as I ordered you too?" Troilus asks this third figure.

"Yes, sir. She won't die, but she will be in the hospital for a while again." Petronius replies with pride.

"Good, good. That'll be enough for right now, the riot's unstoppable at this point." Troilus orders. "Lyacon, inject the announcer with the special mix and lock him in the utility closet."

"Yes, sir, but what will the two of you do?" Lyacon asks.

"Go help with the harvest, of course. Come along Petronius, we have seeds to be planted out there yet." Troilus states, gesturing Petronius to follow him.

"Yes, sir!" Petronius eagerly replies, a spring in the step as he follows Troilus back out of the announcer's box as the riot and battle continues raging outside in the stadium seating.

If there had been any delusion of treachery being eliminated by the apparent end of the Agents of Chaos, this stadium riot would shatter them. The die was cast for a rebel army to be formed, and the door of opportunity starts to open for infiltration of an enemy most stealthy into Canterlot...

The Next Phase

"Shining, I'm not going to sugarcoat this. Four dead - including a longtime announcer at the stadium - and dozens injured in that riot, it does not matter what additional precautions you took in light of the fliers being distributed, it clearly was not enough. There has to be a board of inquiry - Celestia has told me it ought to happen - even if the article submitted by Troilus in the gossip rags didn't call for your immediate ejection from the Guard. We have to follow protocol here - anything less and public trust gets shattered. You understand, Lieutenant Captain?"

"Yes, Captain, I do."

"Good. Effective immediately, you're suspended from duty. Lieutenant Vesper is going to take charge of the night shift operations for the moment. And let me make one additional thing clear - my gut instinct is telling me you were framed for this. Troilus' screed has rekindled my fears that dark forces are still operating in our ranks, even with the Agents of Chaos gone. But not playing by the rules and showing obvious favoritism means they win, so I need your complete and total cooperation on this. I'm not going to prohibit you from contact with the princesses, I'll let them decide that individually. And, if all else fails, we can always send you into a field assignment, but I'm hoping it won't come to that."

"I understand, sir."

"Very good. You are dismissed and confined to quarters until further notice."

MEANWHILE, SOMEWHERE IN THE CITY OF CANTERLOT...

"OK, Troilus, so with the resignation demand out there, what's our next move?" Guard Upper Class Lyacon asks of his Lieutenant, as both figures huddled at the end of an alley.

"Considering we've already had several ponies come up and tell us that they would support the campaign to hunt the rebels instead of trusting Celestia and the Guard to deal with it, I believe we'll have our army real soon." Troilus confidently replies. "We'll get as many sign ups as we can this evening, then start squeezing his allies to get some vital information for our campaign. I already have a list of ponies to interrogate for that purpose."

"And what about Prince Blueblood?" Lyacon asks again, referring to the pretender prince that served as a potential figurehead leader for the anti-pegasus campaign.

"I wouldn't worry about him, Blueblood's vanity won't allow him to speak a word against anything we're doing. He'll just lay low and keep quiet until the Gala, and by that point..." Troilus reminds his junior Guard member.

"He'll make a complete fool of himself and get stuck with us, yes you've told me this before, sir." Lyacon states with an eyeroll.

"Mmmm, yes." Troilus states with a sly grin, almost as if the mental image of the moment was enough to cause intense pleasure on the part of the maverick.

"Alright, but what about the Acting...?" Lyacon begins to ask again, only to be interrupted by a sudden flash of bright blue light that draws the attention of both stallions.

The glow of bright blue light resolves into a floating circle of flame-like magic energy, with the area inside the circle becoming dark and opaque to whatever is behind it. An off-white hoof sticks through the portal, causing an involuntary recoil by the two stallions. The hoof becomes a full leg, then another hoof appears parallel to the first one, and by that point both Troilus and Lyacon can see who is walking through the opened portal...

"Chancellor Neighsay, good timing! We were just talking about you!" Troilus exclaims.

"I must say, sir, you sure know how to make an entrance!" Lyacon quickly adds with a quite impressed look on his face.

"Thank you, both of you." Chancellor Neighsay answers with a proud grin as the portal closes behind him once he is completely through.

"How did you find us here though?" Troilus naturally follows up.

"The magic lines of Princess Celestia's monitoring are easily... never mind, I don't think it's worth the time it would take to explain it to you..." Neighsay begins, only stopping when he realizes both Troilus and Lyacon are giving him blank stares back to his words.

"Wait, 'monitoring'?" Lyacon pipes up, apparently that word having been the only one that stuck out in his mind.

"Never mind, Lyacon. I'm pretty sure Princess Celestia's capabilities in viewing the lives of private citizens are overblown at best." Troilus answers reassuringly, covering up his own concerns with a well-performed act of confidence.

"So then, down to business." Neighsay states. "First off, I must congratulate both of you, and your junior comrade, on a job well done with inciting that riot. I don't think I could have done a better job myself."

"Thank you, sir. We both knew it would temporarily get Shining Armor and his supporters off our backs, so we could focus on the next phase." Troilus answers with a tone mixing pleasure and deliciously evil anticipation of what was to come next.

"Speaking of the next phase, I have an update on those alternative candidates for EEA Chancellor." Neighsay dangles out, giving a vaguely seductive look as if to further entice the two fellow unicorn stallions into hearing what he had to say.

As soon as the two stallions were riveted in attention to him, he makes his update statement: "Your mystery poison has eliminated one alternative candidate, and I just got a written statement from another candidate which announced he was withdrawing his nomination. However, there is still work to be done for both of us, because there are other candidates still more suitable for the Chancellorship."

"Oh?" Troilus asks, disappointment visible in his expression as he sees Neighsay use orange-colored magic to pull out a small sealed envelope from the side-saddle pack he's wearing.

"There are others that Celestia would still choose over me. The names are in the envelope, they must be eliminated." Neighsay answers, Troilus taking the envelope with a sickly-green color of unicorn magic and then opening it while still holding it in mid-air.

Guard Upper Class Lyacon slides up next to his Lieutenant as the latter pulls out a small slip of paper with the unicorn magic and unfolds it, still keeping it hovering beside the opened envelope. Both renegade unicorns silently read the names on the envelope, then Troilus folds the slip of paper and returns it to the envelope, giving Neighsay a silent nod as he does so.

"Your mystery poison might work wonders for confounding the hospital staff, but I would be careful not to use it any more than is necessary." Neighsay cautions. "Even the Agents of Chaos couldn't bring down that griffon with it. Probably has something to do with their biology..."

"Of course sir, we can always fall back on the cyanide solutions..." Troilus comments.

"Good enough. I will be expecting good news from you soon." Neighsay again warns, the glare in his eyes making it clear that failure would not be acceptable to him. He turns and fires an orange-colored beam from his horn, opening the same kind of portal he had used to get here, and the two other stallions can see a bit of the EEA Chancellor's office through the portal as Neighsay steps through it.

The portal closes behind Neighsay, leaving Troilus and Lyacon alone again. The two maverick unicorns turn to look at each other, and the Lieutenant gives his subordinate a satisfied smile - all was going according to plan, and some time soon, perhaps even the very night of the Grand Galloping Gala, they would be able to start their anti-pegasus march out of Canterlot.

"Shining Armor has been neutralized. Even if he does not fall, anything he or the princesses do will only add to the strength of our cause." Troilus comments with an evil glow in his eyes. "We can squeeze his allies at will, and at the same time help Neighsay secure that Chancellorship position. Now, let's go back to the underground lab and brew up another batch of the special poison, there's work to be done yet!"

"Right behind you, sir!" Lyacon comments as he moves behind the Lieutenant, first briefly in doubletime to catch up with him and then in lockstep march once the two emerge from the alley and head down a Canterlot street back toward the castle.

No pony that they passed by could've seen that they were up to anything other than usual Royal Guard business, and that was exactly the point: hidden sinister motives would remain hidden until revealed at the most appropriate time to advance their own cause and erode public confidence in the E.U.P. Guard, to create a way for others to get in...

Author's Note

(And again with work overtime delaying a chapter a week, sorry everyone...🙄)

Try Try Again

"YOU EVER COME IN HERE WITH THAT INTERVIEW NONSENSE AGAIN AND I'LL COURT-MARTIAL YOU! NOW GET OUT OF MY OFFICE!"

Guard Upper Class Lyacon and Guard Lower Class Petronius wince as their senior officer, Lieutenant Troilus, stumbles out of Captain of the Guard Gibraltar's office in a hurry. Both the explosive blast of words from the Captain of the Guard and Troilus' mortified expression indicate the mission had not gone well at all.

"I guess that's not an option, sir..." Lyacon comments with serious understatement as Troilus tries to straighten his dress uniform.

"The only question is what do we do next?" Petronius adds.

"Well, we can't talk about anything out here. Let's find some place more private for that." Troilus answers in a hushed tone...

A little later, after the group had reassembled at the end of a dead-end castle hallway, Petronius posted at watch to prevent the other two unicorn conspirators from being surprised by unexpected visitors, Troilus and Lyacon feel enough at ease to plan out the next move in the interviews, Lyacon speaking first:

"So I guess interviewing Captain Gibraltar is completely out of the question?"

"Indeed. And I have to assume that Lieutenant Captain Fidelitas is not going to be available either, blinded as he is by being too close to Celestia's favorite."

"Then who are you going to try to interview? If the Captain discovers..."

"There's one more I can try, Lyacon. Hopefully, we can crack him easily, he doesn't look like the type to put up a stiff fight anyways. But I need to know if you heard back anything from Buck Withers."

"Negative, sir. He says to be patient because the duty schedules for the Grand Galloping Gala haven't been released yet."

"Pfft, that's a lie! I am sure Celestia plans out something special for Shining Armor and Princess Cadance, what else explains why they've never shown up at the Gala?! We just wasted our time with that mud pony..."

"At least we won't have to shoot him up with the Poison-X. And speaking of which..."

"You got a report from Neighsay for the alternative candidates for the Chancellorship?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, you might as well lay it on me."

"None of the alternative candidates have responded to the threatening mail we sent out."

"Hmph, we'll have to apply more direct measures then..."

"Brewing up another batch of the Poison-X?"

"You'd better believe it, Lyacon. Now come on, we're wasting our time just standing around here..."

MEANWHILE, IN CAPTAIN GIBRALTAR'S OFFICE...

The Canterlot Guard Captain was fuming, appalled and irritated by the nerve Lieutenant Troilus had shown in his attempt at getting an "interview" to head off the coming board of inquiry concerning the stadium riot. Technically, Troilus had not broken any military protocols with his request, so there wasn't grounds for discipline, but the arrogance he had shown was enough to ensure trouble in the future.

Spread out on the desk were all signs of another out-of-control conspiracy playing out before him. On the left side of the desk, a tabloid list of all pegasi Lieutenants (and a few other notable ones of lower rank, like Guard Upper Class Flash Sentry) serving in the Palace Guard that were to be "heckled, jeered and spat upon as traitors at heart". In the center, a toxicology report on ex-EEA Chancellor Trailblazer's death, the final conclusion it being from "an unknown and unidentified poisonous substance". Off to the right side, a cut out of an "editorial" article from Acting EEA Chancellor Neighsay in the Canterlot Daily newspaper, raging that the Wonderbolts deserved everything that had happened to them and that Princess Celestia was "a complete fool" for putting Lieutenant Captain Shining Armor to try to protect them.

It was all enough to make his head spin. At least with the Agents of Chaos there was a straightforward path to follow once that path was found, but this conspiracy seemed to be a multi-headed hydra that would critically split attention and resources to address. He lets out a low moan, leaning back in his chair nearly enough to fall over backwards.

When Gibraltar recovers from that surprise, he gives a weary look up to the ceiling of the office and moans out, not for the first or last time: "What in all Equestria is going on here?!?"

Gaffer's Big Gaffe

"Look at him, shaking like the trees at the Running of the Leaves competition! He'll be an easy one to crack for sure..."

"Sir, not so loud, he'll hear you!"

"I don't care, he's already said he's willing to cooperate and that's all the give I need..."

Guard Upper Class Gaffer quivered in his chair as the two previous speakers - Lieutenant Troilus and Guard Upper Class Lyacon - emerged to begin the "interview", both dressed in full armor and carrying pikes. Sure, Gaffer had performed bravely enough fighting against the rebels in countering Operation Whirlwind, but there he had 8-Bit and the rest of his squad beside him to steady his nerves, not to mentioned the conviction he was fighting on the side of righteousness. Here, though, was a very different story.

He hated the thought of his old friend, Lieutenant Captain Shining Armor, disgraced in tribunal and forever unable to marry Princess Cadance. He hated the anti-pegasi rumors being spread in the tabloids, that were just reprinted without thought of checking for truthfulness. He hated the fact that there was a "mysterious killer" loose in Canterlot with a poison that thwarted all attempts at cure. He hated everything that was going on around him, and when Troilus told him that Gaffer could stop it all by answering "a few simple questions", Gaffer jumped at the chance despite the voice inside him insisting he was just being played for a sucker.

"Now, let's get down to business." Troilus begins, Lyacon at the same time setting aside his pike and using sickly-green magic to grab a clipboard and charcoal pencil. "A few simple questions. That's all we need out of you."

"And nothing more bad will happen to Shining... right?" Gaffer cautiously replies.

Troilus and Lyacon exchange a look before Troilus turns back toward Gaffer in reply: "That will depend entirely on what Shining Armor does during and after the tribunal. But I'll let you in a little secret, Guard, just so that you have a perfect understanding of the situation here."

"Yes... sir?" Gaffer again cautiously asks.

Lyacon looks around to see if anypony else is within hearing range, and then gives a nod toward Troilus when there is no one. Troilus sees this nod in his peripheral vision, and plunges straight in when he does: "You know that 'mysterious killer' that's been poisoning ponies around Canterlot? The one with the 'no antidote poison'? He's in our employ, works at our command. Just one word, and he can bring down anypony that isn't an alicorn. Including your precious Lieutenant Captain. Including you, if you aren't cooperative. Are we perfectly clear now?"

Gaffer recoils back from the sharp end of the pike pointed right into his face, which had been leveled at him as soon as Troilus said the word "you", and replies with another simple "Yes, sir."

"Good. And one more thing. If you repeat anything we are telling you without our permission, you automatically become next on our hit list!" Troilus adds on quickly, returning the pike to its upright position.

"Understood... sir." Gaffer quietly answers, eyes darting around all over the place.

"Alright, no more messing around. Lyacon, are we ready?" Troilus asks, turning to his partner as he speaks.

"Yes, sir." Lyacon replies with a salute, returning to his focused pose on writing.

"Good. Question 1, Guard: Is Lieutenant Captain Shining Armor supposed to be on duty during the night of the Grand Galloping Gala?" Troilus asks, returning his intense focus to Gaffer as he speaks.

"No... sir, the Captain of the Guard will stay on duty through the whole Gala." Gaffer answers.

"Question 2: Do you know where the Lieutenant Captain might be during the night of the Gala?"

"Well... if he's not going to be at the Gala itself, with his sister, then he would be with..."

"With WHO?" Troilus asks impatiently, trying to get Gaffer to the point.

"Princess Cadance. You've... probably noticed that..." Gaffer draws out.

"She's always been excused from the Gala? I am aware of that, Guard, please continue."

"Yes, well, he's never told me personally, but on the night of the Gala Princess Cadance and the Lieutenant Captain are always..."

"So you believe the two of them will be out on a 'date night', for lack of a better term, instead of attending the Gala?"

"Yes, sir, but it might be different this year because of Twilight Sparkle being..."

"Never mind that, Guard, we'll be able to tell apart the two possibilities ourselves." Troilus interrupts, waving a dismissive hoof as he does so.

There is a pause of a few moments, and then Troilus turns to Lyacon and says: "We can work with that, right?"

"Yes, sir, I believe we have enough time between now and then for whatever we need done to get done." Lyacon replies affirmatively, the cryptic nature of the comment again causing Gaffer's unease to flare up.

"Very good, Lyacon. I believe we are done here, although I would like to say one more thing to our interviewee." Troilus states.

"Yes, sir?" Gaffer asks, daring himself to let out a loud exhale as the tension in the room began unwinding itself.

"If I found you have lied to me, Guard, then not even Princess Celestia herself will be able to save you from the retribution that will be marked out for you. You are dismissed, Guard." Troilus explains with cold, biting words, giving his most deadly glare as he does so.

This coldness is enough to prompt Gaffer to give a nervous salute before turning and marching out doubletime - both Troilus and Lyacon sensed he would have ran like a scared dog if protocol allowed it. This thought prompted an impish smile to spread between them.

As soon as Gaffer was out of earshot, the impish smile becomes even more malevolent, and Troilus speaks again to his subordinate: "So it will be safe to hold the rally and start the march that night of the Gala. Lyacon, see to it that Prince Blueblood is 'properly prepared', and that there will be no doubts in his joining our glorious march."

"Yes, sir!" Lyacon replies with a salute, taking the charcoal pencil and clipboard but leaving his pike behind as he rushes toward Prince Blueblood's suite inside the Canterlot castle.

It was thus Lieutenant Troilus was left alone in the conference room, deliciously anticipating what was to come in his anti-pegasus campaign. Again, everything was unfolding as he planned out, and Gaffer's completely naive cooperation had now opened the way for the anti-pegasus campaign to go to the next level of hatred and violence and deception...

Author's Note

(sigh) Better late than never, I suppose...

A Big Waste

The day of the board of inquiry arrived, and both reporters and curious citizens of Canterlot packed the High Court building. Princesses Celestia and Cadance were silently perched in the royal box - Canterlot elite such as Fancy Pants in other boxes beside that one, all engaged in gossip and speculation - and could see Lieutenant Captain Shining Armor in fulldress below in the defendant box, looking around nervously at all the buzz around him as polished buttons and medals gleamed reflections of the sunlight outside.

The bench with seven chairs - normally filled by the members of Equestria's High Court - instead had three stallions in military fulldress, each perched in one of the central three chairs. The one in the middle was the current Captain of the Canterlot Guard, Gibraltar, who headed the board of inquiry. To his right was Gibraltar's predecessor, the now-retired Captain Castile. To his left was the Northern Field Division Captain, named Scopum, who had been recommended to fill the third position by the Canterlot Guard afternoon shift Lieutenant Captain Fidelitas. The objective of these three stallions was to determine whether Lieutenant Captain Shining Armor was guilty of "professional and procedural negligence" in failing to stop the anti-pegasus riot during the abortive Wonderbolts performance.

Lieutenant Captain Shining Armor sat in the defender's box with only one stallion - Lieutenant Scriptor, acting as his secretary during the trial - beside him. He would speak in his own defense, despite much public speculation that this would be a huge mistake. The prosecutor's box was strangely empty - Lieutenant Troilus, who had filed the formal motion for the board of inquiry and thus had right to prosecute, had not yet shown up. Lieutenant Biro, who was acting as the prosecution secretary, had left the courtroom to look for him, and the emptiness of the prosecutor's box was beginning to draw the attention of the gossiping upper class.

Princess Cadance dares a look at the looming clock behind the bench with seven chairs - the time for the board to begin proceedings had arrived, and she was both confused and concerned over the whole affair. This was not just applied to her beloved Shining Armor, but to the fact that the "prosecution" did not seem to have shown up for the "trial". She was about to share her thoughts with her adoptive aunt Princess Celestia when she noticed the latter fixed on something at the back end of the main hall.

Cadance follow Celestia's gaze, and notices with some alarm two different sets of protesters: one group of pegasi demanding justice for relatives or friends hurt or killed in the anti-pegasus riot, and a counter-protesting group of unicorns in a faceoff with the first group. Some of the Royal Guards posted at the doors leading into the main hall of the building had had to abandon their posts in order to keep the two groups apart, and the significance of the presence of these groups is not lost on Cadance - or Celestia, for that matter.

"I sense something else is planned here." Cadance gives in a stage whisper (due to the noise around them) to Celestia.

"We'll find out once Lieutenant Troilus arrives." Celestia answers in the same stage whisper, her glare becoming darker as she speaks.

Cadance returns her attention toward the front of the main hall, and she notices Shining Armor had turned around and was looking back at the two groups of protesters. She concludes based on what she can see of his expression that he may have figured out the same thing she did, but any further speculation is interrupted by the opening of the great doors into the hall, which also draws the attention of everypony else and abruptly cuts off the buzz that had filled the room previously.

Two stallions walk through the opened doors, both unicorns but one wearing a Royal Guard dress uniform and the other wearing the standard Guard armor. Cadance recognizes the stallion in the dress uniform - Lieutenant Biro - but not the one in the Guard armor, other than assuming he was a Lower Class member of the castle guard contingent. The speculation buzz initially quieted by the doors opening begins to resume, and Guard Captain Gibraltar has to bang the gavel in front of him loudly in order to quiet it again as the two stallions enter the prosecutor's box and take seats inside there. All eyes are focused on the duo as the stallion wearing armor uses his unicorn magic to pull out a sheet of parchment.

The armored stallion in the prosecutor's box briefly looks up at the three high-ranking stallions looking down at him in confusion, then begins his statement, reading from the parchment hovering in front of him: "I am Guard Lower Class Petronius, speaking on behalf of my squad leader Lieutenant Troilus. The Lieutenant has ordered me to inform the board of inquiry that he has withdrawn his acceptance of role as prosecutor and will not be attending this inquiry board meeting today."

A short message on the parchment, but enough to send a shock of disbelief and irritation throughout the entire crowd present in the courtroom. Princess Cadance in the royal box only just stopped her jaw from dropping open in shock, completely aghast at what had just transpired.

"Can he even do that? Is that even legal?" Cadance whispers over to her aunt, who doesn't seem to hear her.

Instead, Celestia's attention is again focused on the two protest groups in the back of the courtroom, her eyes darkly glaring as she speaks only one sentence: "I hope the Lieutenant is happy with the time and money he's just wasted for all this..."

Cadance again follows Celestia's gaze, and she sees the pegasi protest group's agitation begin to increase as the shock of realization that Lieutenant Troilus had simply walked away from his promise to speak on their behalf at the board of inquiry. The emotional pressure begins to boil over, angry and insulting shouts coming from the pegasi toward the unicorn counter-protesters, who in turn start their own round of angry and insulting shouts.

The Royal Guards between the two protesting groups are now hard-pressed to keep them apart - this was vital as it seemed certain the two groups would come to blows if they weren't - and the prospect of a brawl causes the upper-class observers to begin exiting the courtroom as quickly and discretely as they can manage. Cadance can only stare speechlessly, and the thought crosses her mind that Troilus had done all this on purpose, to light the fuse on another potential riot in a packed courtroom. The desperate banging of the gavel proves futile, and the three stallions abandon their seats behind the high bench to help the beleaguered guards.

Cadance looks away from the scene for a moment - just in time to see Celestia slip out of the box heading back down toward the ground level. The younger alicorn realizes she must follow her aunt, and only dares one more glance down - to the love of her life, now also heading to help the guards keep the protesting groups apart - before also abandoning her seat and following Celestia down into the crowd...

MEANWHILE, IN CANTERLOT OPERA HOUSE...

As far as Lieutenant Troilus was concerned, he had better things to do than stand in that courtroom. Instead, he was standing on a stage - the same one where the traitorous Aten had rallied the Agents of Chaos into open rebellion and depravity several months before - and preaching to a crowd of converts, about 100 strong in the seats of the opera house, all of them unicorns. The most notable members of this group were Prince Blueblood, silently and uncomfortably standing beside Troilus on the stage, and Moon Dancer, in the crowd with a very worried sister by the name of Java Jive beside her.

"Mares and gentlestallions, I stand before you today on the very same stage where the traitorous Agent Snake called for death, destruction and depravity!" Troilus was thundering out. "I am here to call for revenge and retribution in the name of justice, fairness and the natural order of the superior unicorn!"

Several from the crowd shout affirmative replies, Moon Dancer among them. Java Jive just watches from her seat, too worried to feel embarrassed about her lack of enthusiasm. Meanwhile, Troilus continues railing on: "The Wonderbolts collaborated with the Agents of Chaos, and deserved every bit of pain and suffering they endured in that stadium, as did those that share the trait of wings they possess. I was supposed to proclaim this argument in court today, but the alicorns are corrupted by the favor of the one they chose to protect the Wonderbolts, and their minds are already made up against me! I ask of you, mares and gentlestallions: Is this a fair or equitable outcome, as our justice system requires?!"

The crowd responds to this with a mixture of loud "NO!" and booing, Moon Dancer joining in the latter as Java Jive begins to sink into her seat out of fear. Troilus pauses briefly to relish in the support of the crowd, enjoying every moment as if it were a sumptuous meal.

The renegade Guard Lieutenant then continues on: "Fellow horn ones, our system is blind and broken! We cannot trust the Princesses or their words! The rebel Agents of Chaos are still out there, and by our own hooves and horns we must deliver justice, fairness and the correct order to the world! The night we start our glorious campaign is coming soon, and all must be ready! Who among you is ready to join me in delivering justice in cold steel?!"

At this, the crowd erupts into a mighty cheer, continuing to shout and make statements such as "For Justice!" and "For the Natural Order!" reverberate across the opera house. Moon Dancer is among the many standing on hindlegs, shouting at the top of her lungs, while Java Jive slowly sinks down to the dirty, carpeted floor between the opera house seats.

Java Jive is worried. Very, very worried. Very worried about what is going to happen next. Very worried about the change she has seen her sister undergo. And worried most of all what will become of her family and everypony caught up in this demented unicorn's sway...

Fading

"Lieutenant Captain Shining Armor? She is ready to be seen now."

"Thank you, ma'am. I promise this won't take long."

The Lieutenant Captain in his dress uniform rousts from his position in the waiting area of Canterlot General's emergency room and marches slowly into the hospital itself, passing staff that stop just for a moment to stare - something Shining privately wished they wouldn't do considering all the recent events.

The withdrawal of the "prosecuting" Lieutenant Troilus from involvement in the board of inquiry had thrown the latter effort into confusion, prompting temporary restoration of him in active duty despite some protests from the pegasi population in Canterlot. He had also heard a rumor Princess Celestia intended to cancel it by decree, but privately Captain of the Guard Gibraltar told Shining that the rumor wasn't true - it would simply remain suspended until the upcoming Grand Galloping Gala (which Shining would not be attending) had come and gone.

On the final turn to his destination, Shining Armor notices a familiar stallion - Lead Wingpony Soarin' of the Wonderbolts - standing as if posted on Guard duty! This puzzles Shining for a moment, but the name plaque on the door leading into his destination room - "Wonderbolt Captain Spitfire" - enlightens him enough to figure out what he should do next.

"At ease." Shining says to Soarin', as if talking to a subordinate. This prompts the latter to relax a bit from his at-attention stance.

"How often have you been doing this? Don't you have your own set of responsibilities to the rest of the Wonderbolts?" Shining next asks the Wonderbolt second.

"All we can do is practices and paperwork, sir, and Fleetfoot is fine enough as Acting Captain for that." Soarin' explains. "Spitfire wants me here standing guard as often as I can, and the hospital staff hasn't objected to me being here, so here I am staying."

"Fair enough. I've been too busy with other things to get a status update on how she's doing, so I came here for one." Shining explains in return.

Soarin' took a sighing breath, then plunged straight in, beginning to mist up as he does so: "She was bleeding terribly when we got her to the hospital. They put her in operation immediately, tried to remove the foal she was pregnant with - she made it, the foal did not. Too premature to survive outside..."

"Goodness. I'm terribly sorry to hear that happened. I'm assuming you had to tell the other Wonderbolts about the foal?" Shining asks, and the silent nod given by Soarin' more than adequately answers the question. Shining can see Soarin' on the verge of tears and a wince forming on his face - he didn't doubt the announcement would've been one of the hardest Soarin' had ever had to give as a Wonderbolt.

What strikes Shining the most is not the pain he sees, but the sense of utter helplessness in the expression he sees in Soarin'. At least after Operation Whirlwind the Wonderbolts could claim they were victims of a shameless, ruthless liar and deceiver. This time, they couldn't even do that, seeming to simply be victims of a reckless hate, a hate their own past mistakes appeared to mark them as targets for. And when Shining was honest with himself, he realized he couldn't do much to change things this time around.

"Do you want to come in with me?" Shining finally asks the pegasus stallion in front of him. Soarin' just silently nods, and slips in behind Shining as the two enter through the doorway into Spitfire's hospital room...

The Wonderbolt Captain Spitfire weakly turns to look over from her bed confinement as Shining Armor and Soarin' slowly walked in to the bedroom. Forced to remain on her back in the bed, she gives a weak cough and then a low moan. Shining can see her blushing intensely, doubtless from a mixture of embarrassment and helplessness.

"Maybe I shouldn't be surprised you're here, but I am..." Spitfire weakly comments, looking away from Shining as she speaks.

"You've been through things no good mare should have to endure. I don't know what..." Shining begins, but is interrupted when Spitfire speaks again.

"I am not a good mare. I don't think I'm fooling anypony any more about that." Spitfire all but moans out in reply. "My future is fading. Yours will only grow brighter. You will aid in the rise and fall of kings and queens. My only hope is to work for the future, so that I will rise instead of drop..."

"What is she talking about?" Shining asks Soarin', not realizing that the Wonderbolt Captain was speaking more prophetically than she ever would've known at the time.

"In the old times, pegasi wouldn't bury their dead, like earth ponies did." Soarin' begins explaining. "Instead, they would take their dead to ground level and cremate the body on a pyre to release the trapped soul within. What happened to the soul depended on how heavily it was weighed by the sins of life. If light enough, the soul would rise back to the clouds to become incarnated as a pegasus again, or become a spirit of wind or stars if it was valiant enough. Souls weighed down too heavily would stay at ground level and be put into the body of an earth pony or unicorn, to allow the chance to work out their sins in the next life. If the soul has too much sin, it will become a non-pony creature, or sink all the way to Tartarus in the worst cases. Like Aten deserves to be."

"Do you really believe that?" Shining Armor naturally asks in response to the explanation.

"That is what we are taught as foals up in Cloudsdale. I don't really know what else to believe." Soarin replies with a shrugging motion, looking over at the weary Spitfire as he does so.

"The Gala is in a few days - I should..." Spitfire tries to speak, before giving up in a cough again.

"Not if you keep trying to push yourself, Captain. Just rest up, like the doctor wants you to do." Soarin gently reminds his superior officer.

"I need to meet her, the Loyalty Bearer. We won't have a future without her. We must not push her away." Spitfire tries again, a single tear streaking down her face as she speaks. In that tear was not just her quiet hopes, but her all too obvious fears. And Shining Armor knew that Rainbow Dash - the "Loyalty Bearer" Spitfire mentioned - would be the only one that could calm those fears of the future.

Silence again falls briefly in the hospital room, Soarin' looking out the window at the city outside. He speaks, his tone lacking confidence and mirroring Spitfire's own fear: "I don't know what will become of us once the Gala comes and goes. I am afraid, sir. We all are. And none of us know what to do to fight this fear."

"The only thing I can tell you, Soarin', is what I tell myself when I don't know what else to do." Shining Armor answers as honestly as he can. "We must stand on the beliefs of Equestria. The belief that love and friendship is greater than hate, the belief that order is greater than chaos, the belief that serving others is greater than serving ourselves and our selfish desires. We must stand, and we must stand together, or we will fall separately."

MEANWHILE, IN THE OFFICES OF THE EQUESTRIA EDUCATION ASSOCIATION...

"I have heard you have some very good news, Neighsay?" Lieutenant Troilus in his dress uniform was asking, Guard Upper Class Lyacon beside him also in dress uniform.

"Indeed I do." the Acting Chancellor answers, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. "The last alternative candidate for the Chancellorship has withdrawn their bid, meaning Princess Celestia will have no choice but to confirm me into the position. Your assassin does good work, but I'll have to be more careful who I hate on from this point forward. Maybe I'll start picking on the griffons instead..."

"Sounds reasonable to me, sir." Troilus comments with a shrug. "Did I tell you about the campaign?"

"Yes, you did. Sadly, I will not be able to join you on your endeavour, but I wish you and your followers the best of luck." Neighsay answers again. "Those pegasi deserve to be strung up with their wings cut clean off."

"Agreed. I am confident the Grand Galloping Gala will provide the cover for the moving out of our campaign." Troilus explains. "The setup is complete, and our followers will be ready. All that is needed is patience."

"And faith?" Neighsay adds.

"And faith. Because we are the truly righteous ones, and our righteousness will protect us from all danger and obstruction." Troilus answers, his confident smile obscuring the untruth of his words.

With Shining Armor's influence temporarily neutralized, hope for pegasi being fairly treated fading fast, and the only other unicorn able to push aside the rising tide of hate critically and unwittingly compromised, the seeds of future disasters had been sown. The first of these would be triggered in the upcoming Grand Galloping Gala, after the deception of several important figures was revealed to have succeeded...

Author's Note

"Our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become." - Unknown

"Nothing truly valuable arises from ambition or from a mere sense of duty; it stems rather from love and devotion towards men and towards objective things." - Albert Einstein

The First Interview

"So I was interviewed today."

"Who was doing the interview? What for?"

"Lieutenant Troilus did the interview. I don't really know what the purpose was for it though..."

The mention of Lieutenant Troilus perks the ears of every member of the Canterlot Castle Oubliettes and Ogres roleplaying group, and all attention to the game is temporarily dropped as eyes turn to Guard Upper Class Buck Withers, the original speaker. Even Princess Cadance, who was temporarily GMing in place of the suspended Lieutenant Captain Shining Armor, peeks over the top of the privacy screen. Buck shrinks back temporarily from all the attention suddenly flung his way.

"What in all Equestria could he want to interview you for?" the pegasus Lieutenant Aldebaran snorts out from across the table. He, like most of his pegasus comrades that hadn't soiled themselves by associating with the rebellious ex-Lieutenant Captain Aten, highly resented Troilus for his apparent attempt to run them out of the Royal Guard by throwing out transparently fake charges of subversion to the gossip rags and letting them inflame public opinion.

"I don't know. One of his squad members told me they wanted to interview me because I had been a major victim of the Agents of Chaos and that Troilus had no particular animus against earth ponies." Buck replies with a shrug. "In hindsight, I should've listened to the voice inside saying that it was a setup, but I felt I owed it to the Lieutenant Captain to try to help him out, so I said yes to the interview."

"And what actually happened during the interview?" Princess Cadance asks as the rest of the ponies at the table - Princess Luna, Lieutenant Aldebaran, Guard Upper Class 8-Bit and Guard Upper Class Gaffer - glare darkly at the suspicion of Troilus' true intentions.

"I suppose it would be best if I started at the beginning..." Buck Withers reluctantly starts, describing what had happened in the interview that afternoon...

"Lyacon here will be recording everything that is said and done for future reference. Let's start with your name and rank, for the record." Lieutenant Troilus states primly, Guard Upper Class Lyacon seated beside him with parchment and quill pen. Buck was seated opposite Troilus and could see the intense glare drilling into him, as if Buck wasn't being viewed as trusted.

"Guard Upper Class Buck Withers, sir." Buck answers, his mouth dry but his stance unflinching despite the glare.

"An earth pony stallion, not a common thing in the Royal Guard unless your hometown is Ponyville. Or you have relatives in politics, which I know is true in your case Buck Withers." Troilus states offhandedly.

"Yes, sir. My family hails from the Canterlot Valley, and my father represented that area in the Equestrian Congress for..." Buck begins replying, but is cut off when Troilus raises a hoof.

"I am well aware of what happened to your family." Troilus comments with slight irritation in his voice. "That despicable pegasus traitor orchestrated the deaths of both of your parents, one of your highschool friends, and came close to taking you with them. I have also lost friends and comrades to their treachery, which is why I reached out to you. To seek your help."

"My help, sir?" Buck asks, wondering what exactly Troilus was talking about.

"I have no particular animus against earth ponies, and if you perform well in my campaign you could even serve as a Lieutenant of mine, something that will never be available to you as it stands now." Troilus answers.

Buck simply gives an aghast look back at Troilus' offer, the only sound briefly being the scratch of quill on parchment by Lyacon. When Buck finally speaks, it is in shock: "That campaign won't ever be sanctioned by Princess Celestia, why...?"

Again, Troilus interrupts with a raised hoof, and the look turns more stern as Troilus speaks again: "I know you owe a huge debt to the Princess and the Lieutenant Captain, but you surely are aware that the Lieutenant Captain is in huge trouble. The Wonderbolts associated with those traitors and should've been left to fend for themselves instead of Celestia sending her favorite to protect them, that's why the riot happened! Are you serious in not hedging your bets by joining with me to deliver proper justice to those traitors out in the desert?"

"Yes, sir, I am." Buck firmly answers, a determined look forming on his face.

This prompts an exchange of looks between Troilus and Lyacon, and then a whispered conversation between them that they apparently thought Buck couldn't hear, but he did anyway:

"Why are we wasting our time with him? He's a lowly earther, and owes too much to Shining Armor to ever betray..."

"Lyacon, I am not about to give up! There's something else we can press him for anyways."

"But sir! Would he even know...?"

"He attends that silly group with both of them, I'm sure at least one of them has said something to him."

"... Alright, sir, but I still think..."

"We have him here, we might as well try."

Buck must've made his curiousity a little too obvious, because Troilus gives a deathly serious glare back in his direction, causing Buck to promptly snap back to attention as a result. Troilus clears his throat and uses his unicorn magic to tug at the dress uniform he's wearing, as if trying to straighten it out. An extremely awkward silence follows for a good 15 seconds, eyes of all involved darting around the room seemingly at random.

When one pony finally dares to speak, it's Troilus again to Buck, very sternly: "Let me make something very clear, Guard, I want you to ignore whatever you might have heard in conversation between Lyacon and myself. If I hear you have repeated this information to anypony else, I will petition for a court martial for conduct unbecoming a member of the Guard. Are we perfectly clear on this?"

"Yes, sir." Buck answers, unnerved slightly and becoming anxious to leave as quickly as possible.

"Now, even if you won't join our campaign, there is another way you can help us out, and maybe even get your Lieutenant Captain out of trouble in the process before it all comes to a big hearing nopony particularly wants to go through." Troilus tries again.

"Yes sir?" Buck asks with cautious hope.

"I want you to learn about what the Lieutenant Captain is doing on the night of the Grand Galloping Gala and report it to me." Troilus firmly answers.

"... I'm sorry, sir, did I hear you right that you wanted me to spy...?" Buck asks again with a confounded look on his face.

"You don't need to spy, just ask him or Princess Cadance what his duties are that night while you're at O&O club, or whatever it is you do with the two of them, and repeat them to me. You understand?"

"... Well sir, I don't know if it will..."

"Listen, Guard, you want to help your Lieutenant Captain, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"And you want to see justice for the Agents of Chaos over what happened to your family and friends?"

"...Yes, sir."

"Then do what I ask of you. I promise, it will save everypony much trouble and stress if you cooperate."

"...Well, I have a club meeting later, I can try..."

"Good. Then I am satisfied. This interview is over, you may leave."

The remaining members of the Oubliettes and Ogres club give glances suggesting the same thing - a dark intent on Troilus' part. Nopony speaks for a minute though, until Princess Luna finally decides to try: "I do not like this, or trust what the Lieutenant is up to is really in the best interest of everypony involved."

"I completely agree." Princess Cadance affirms, turning her gaze toward Buck as she continues peeking over the DM screen. The gazes of the other members of the club quickly follow hers.

"Buck, I want you to take this as a direct order from myself and from Princess Luna." Cadance begins in a very firm tone, reminiscent of the times she had to be stern with a foalsitting charge in her teen years. "DO NOT tell Troilus ANYTHING. If he corners you and demands answers, just say that the assignment hasn't been given out yet, that oughta keep him off your back - and ours. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am." Buck Withers replies with a practiced salute.

"Good, alright, I think we've got this situation under control. Let's get back to the game. Roll for initiative." Princess Cadance comments, settling back behind the GM screen as the tense mood starts to calm down again...