It's been a good few months since the recent incident in Equestria has been resolved. The Princesses were all safe. The heroes were celebrated and praised for their victory, and Equestria has a new batch of allies to coexist with. To any and all, this was great news. A step further towards harmony, a leap closer to the peace they were looking for. How could anyone not love this turnabout?
Well, for a few, there is a reason to dislike how this all played out: these recent events involved the Changelings.
For many years, the Canterlot Wedding has lingered on the minds of ponies, slowly fading into the back of their minds as the newly wedded couple had their big day, and rode into the sunset.
But it wasn't without its setback, the one thing that will make it both the greatest, and worst wedding to be put in the record books.
The invasion, the damned bugs, Queen Chrysalis. Nopony could forget them, and when this recent incident involved them, it felt like the Canterlot Wedding all over again, just at a wider scale. After all, the Changelings had managed to not only capture Princess Cadence this time, but every important and regal figure that posed a threat to them. The Royal Sisters, Shining Armor, Princess Twilight and the former Elements of Harmony. They even got their sticky hooves on Discord when they disabled his magic with the Hive's throne.
And where was the guard? Completely oblivious and tricked. Just like last time, and like that last time, something didn't sit right amongst the ranks.
Silver Wing paced back and forth down his sector of Canterlot Castle, eyes forward and posture at the ready. His guardspony spear was held under his wing, wrapped firmly by the feathery appendage as he kept moving back and forth. To any other guard not worth their salt, or to any outsiders, this appeared to be the stature of a guard who took his job seriously, despite being present in the force for only half a decade. Within Silver Wing's mind, however, that was a different story.
Something didn't add up, not only with the Canterlot Wedding, but with the Hive Incident as well. It was all too... easy, for the Changelings. Really think about it. 4 years ago, an alarm was tripped, and the guards were made aware of a threat to Canterlot. Considering what day it was, and the importance it held, the guard did EVERYTHING to ensure that this wedding would proceed safely. They covered every exit and entrance, checking ponies on foot or in trains with a spell to identify them. Hell, they even had their very Captain set up a protection barrier around the capital of Equestria to keep anything that warranted harm out till the wedding was over.
It was all a moot point, an endeavor that didn't matter in the end. All that work, and they were overwhelmed in a matter of minutes. Queen Chrysalis had already been inside, and she'd whittled down Shining Armor's power until the barrier was weak enough for her drones to sweep in like a swarm of angry wasps. She had done this by wearing Princess Cadence's face, tricking all of us into believing she was with us when really, she was several miles underground, in the forgotten mines of Canterlot, doomed to forever walk through the old caves in a vain attempt to return and exact early justice. Everypony had only Twilight to thank for seeing through the guise of Chrysalis and pulling Princess Cadence from the depths.
Yet, despite all of that; despite the fact that the stallions were not able to have that beer with Shining Armor at his Bachelor Party, that was not what bothered Silver Wing.
No, what bothered him was what happened to guards, how thin the forces were spread out. It was so easy, so easy that it felt as if that was planned. They were all picked off like flies, captured or killed in pairs. Silver Wing was with his superior: Blade Smith, when they were caught. They couldn't even put up a fight before the Changelings were all over them, sticking them to the ground in that weird goo they used to trap their prey. It was a sad sight to see, when a bunch of civilians were putting up a better fight than they were.
Silver Wing growled as he stopped by one of his posted doors, standing by it to stare forward and think while stationary. His feathers ruffled at the reminder of that day, and his eyes narrowed further.
"Something on your mind, Lieutenant?"
Silver Wing turned his head to the side, seeing the aforementioned superior walking towards him. Saluting his commanding officer, he shook his head.
"No, General Blade Smith. Just coming back from patrol."
"At ease, Silver Wing. We're not in any important company. Relax a bit, and walk with me."
The two guard made their way down the opposite hall of Silver Wing's assigned route, Blade Smith brushing his armor against his barrel as he glanced at his fellow soldier.
"So, what's eating you?"
"Nothing, sir."
"Kid, I've been in the Royal Guard for well over 12 years. I know the signs of a pony who's disturbed or shaken up at an idea or a thought. C'mon, spill it. Nopony else is patrolling this wing."
Silver Wing swallowed a lump in his throat, clearing out his esophagus before speaking.
"The Canterlot Wedding."
"What about it?"
Silver Wing glanced at a window.
"Since this recent skirmish with the Changelings in their Hive, ponies have been on edge, asking questions. Good questions."
"I take it you're one of them?"
"No, sir... I... I've actually been doing a lot of thinking."
"I take it this resurgence of Changeling activity got you reminiscing about the invasion 4 years ago?"
Silver Wing nodded as they rounded a corner.
"Tell me something, sir. Did... anything seem particularly off about that day?"
"Off? We had a whole bunch'a bug ponies pile onto Canterlot like a tidal wave, taking lives and sucking out lost love from the corpses. No shit something was off."
"That's not what I meant. I mean, about the guard. How we were moving and posted that day."
"Mm..."
Blade Smith turned his head forward, eyes narrowed slightly. His dark fur seemed to stand as the memories of that day sent chills through his old bones.
"I did see some oddities when looking at the map of Canterlot back in the barracks. We were doing a good job keeping the city safe then. The plan was to have the perimeter secured before we made a clean sweep of the inside, but then..."
He turned his eyes down to the floor.
"I get word that some of the guards were sent out of their posts and into Canterlot prematurely, and that's when I went to get you to suit up."
"Yeah..."
A moment of silence reigned over the two as their minds were turning gears, and it wasn't until they reached another end to a long corridor did Silver Wing speak up again.
"Lemme... Lemme ask you something, General."
"Shoot."
"How, exactly, did Queen Chrysalis get in?"
"Pardon?"
"The Bug Queen. She had gotten in long before the alarm was tripped and we moved into place. I'd say maybe about an hour if we are accounting Princess Cadence's sudden mood swing."
"She must've used another disguise."
"Yeah, that much is obvious, but I'm not talking about actually getting into the city. I'm talking about forging Princess Cadence's identity. Despite what happened recently, the Princesses are very strong and attentive. They're more alert than any guard or elite in the castle and then some. How did Chrysalis get in...?"
Blade Smith stared at his disciple for the longest of time, not knowing the answer himself. Or, rather, he did have an answer, but one that he was hoping he was wrong about. It seemed that Silver Wing had the same idea.
"You don't think-"
"On that day, no."
"But after that. Do you think the Changelings had one?"
"Look, Silver Wing. Anything is possible. We don't have evidence that our joint thought is true."
"And yet, it would make sense. A deal struck between a pony looking out for himself and a Changeling Queen who wants all the love she can feed on. Canterlot is full of that love, and so is the Crystal Empire."
"But who exactly would this pony be?"
The lower-ranked guard mimicked his superior when he looked down at the floor.
"It had to be someone with a bigger motive than just bits or a small-time favor. Someone who needed something badly, like a position or a spot in the ranks."
"Ah, so it ain't just me."
Both Blade Smith and Silver Wing turned around, seeing one of the Night Guard Captains: Azure Pearl, gliding down from the shadows of the ceiling. Landing in front of the two, the bat pony set her amber eyes on the two.
"There is definitely something off about the Royal Guard, especially after the recruitment of new Privates the week after the wedding."
She trotted towards the two.
"I've done my fair share of scouting and poking around over the years I've been one of Princess Luna's faithful Shadow Guards. If it's answers you two seek, then you might wanna make a quick and thorough search through the barracks."
She walked between the two, brushing her wing sensually past Silver Wing's barrel, getting him to turn red for a moment as she passed.
"You might find something interesting.~"
Before either of them could turn and respond, Azure Pearl was already gone, delving into the shadows and swimming through it in flight down the adjacent corridor. Blade Smith grunted, his nose scrunching slightly as turned away.
"F***ing bat ponies..."
Silver Wing looked after Azure Pearl before turning to Blade Smith, who was already on his way around the corner.
"We're not going to look, sir?"
Blade Smith looked back at him.
"We have no business rummaging through the belongings of the new recruits, Lieutenant."
"But we might find something. Something that could make or break our suspicions."
"YOUR suspicions. I'm entertaining the thought, sure, but you're the one with the theories."
"Sir, this could be big. If Azure Pearl is right, then we have to know for sure."
Blade Smith narrowed his eyes at the white-furred Pegasus guard, taking a slow breath before trotting back over to him.
"If we get caught, you're on your own."
"Deal."
The two turned back to the corridor they'd came from, moving with more purpose through the halls of Canterlot. Making their way down the steps to the ground floor, the two found the barracks, and went inside. As expected, a few guards were already there, either hanging up their armor for the day or suiting up. A few glances and nods were given, but otherwise, they didn't garter any attention. Moving to the rooms with the bunking cots aligning in rows, they peered around, making sure not to touch anything without confirming anything suspicious that ties to the Changelings. Many recruits turned up with nothing. Only a few illegal items that Blade Smith is gonna have a chat with them over, but otherwise nothing. It wasn't until they got to the last bed did Silver Wing's ears perk up. A weird humming sound was coming from one of the duffel bags, one that drew Silver Wing closer. Opening up the bag, he poked through, finding a hidden compartment with four familiar objects that were confiscated after the Hive Incident.
"You find something, Lieutenant?"
Silver Wing pulled his hoof into the bag, and drew out the four items, dropping them onto the bed. Blade Smith's ears dropped when he saw them.
"Those... Those are-"
"Those weird insect devices the Changelings used to contact Chrysalis back in Twilight's Castle."
"But, why are they here? We confiscated them. Who could have possible taken these from the evidence lockup?"
Steel Wing looked back into the bag, digging out two items. Frowning, he tossed them onto the bed.
"Well, does this Maximum-Clearance Rune and shield emblem give you an idea, sir?"
Blade Smith turned his head to the latter object, picking it up as he slowly boiled with rage-fueled realization. The emblem was that of a blue patterned shield with a crooked yellow lightning bolt going down the center. With his hoof shaking in his anger, he seethed out the name of a stallion he didn't trust since day one of boot camp.
"F***ing Flash Sentry."
