Author's Note

Requested by Mpony1 and Agent Korpsman

Rain Shine

I trotted down the castle halls, looking back and forth with a magic spell to help me see down the dark corridors. It was the same hall I'd walked down ten times already, but the night shifts were boring. Typically I only work in the day, but I needed the extra bits.

I saw a flash in the darkness.

"Show yourself. Now!" I ordered.

The dark shadow stopped and I let out an exasperated sigh.

"You do realize right that by just stopping, it doesn't do anything? I can still see you."

The shape started walking to me and I prepared to pull out my sword.

"Hello Sergeant." I froze.

"Shadow."

"In the flesh." The changeling smirked. I narrowed my eyes and gritted my teeth, my magical grip holding my sword once more. Shadow had convinced me to let him escape after the initial invasion of Canterlot when Chrysalis captured Cadence because he was injured in the fighting.

"Why are you even here?" I demanded.

"Scouting the area out." He said simply.

"And what for?" I demanded.

He shrugged. "If I tell you, then I'll have to kill you. But don't worry, you're not the target."

"And which princess is?" I asked.

"And how do you know it's a princess?" Shadow asked me amused.

I snorted. "Please, nopony breaks into a castle and scouts it out just to kill a maid or a guard."

Shadow smiled. "Smart stallion. You know, you could always help us."

I drew my sword and held it against his neck. "Tell me why I shouldn't kill you now. You are technically trespassing and hinting at killing a princess."

Shadow rolled his eyes. "Because I came here for a purpose. Firstly, to find you and hopefully recruit you. Secondly, you brought up killing a princess, not me."

I kept my sword at his throat. "And why would I even join you?"

He smiled. "I know you're getting tired of this job. Walking the beat, being the same rank for ten years. No raise or any bonus for your hard work. Hell, you hardly even get any time off for your family. I know you're a family stallion. Serve my new queen and she can give you everything you want and more. Bits, power, a high command in the military. And time for your family whenever you want."

I pulled the sword away warily. "That....does sound convincing. Being the same rank for as long as I have. Hell, I've been here longer than Shining Armor and he gets promoted before me." I scoffed. "Ridiculous."

Shadow got closer and looked me in the eyes. "War is coming. Do you want to be on the wrong side, where you're underappreciated or be on the winning team where your skills and expertise will be valued? My queen will treat you way better than Celestia or Luna could ever hope."

I looked at my reflection in the mirror and stared at my gold armor. I turned back to Shadow who waited for my response. "I'm in."

"Excellent decision." He grinned. "I'd hate to have to kill you if you said no, being old friends and all."

I scoffed. "Please, we all know I could kill you first."

Shadow rolled his eyes. "Keep telling yourself that."

I trotted into the guard station and looked both ways before approaching the two new guards sitting bored at the station.

"Has there been any new reports about any crimes?" I asked.

One shook his head and I internally sighed in relief. My position in the Guard allowed me to keep updated on anypony uncovering our plans.

"Wait." One said. "There was that one pony who came in the other day, something about a plot to murder a princess."

I froze and turned to the two. "Who was it?"

He shrugged. "You know the rules, when it's an anonymous report we aren't allowed to ask for names or addresses. Confidentiality."

"Did you file the report properly?" I asked calmly.

The other nodded. "Yeah the reports right here. Do you want it?"

These guards are so gullible, I thought to myself. They just gave me the perfect excuse to cover up any other reports. "Yeah, I'll look into it. And give me any reports about this in the future, so I can properly investigate it."

The guard hesitated and looked to his partner before he slid it over the desk.

"Thank you Cadet. I'll put in a good word for you two with your commanding officer." I promised and walked out to home.

The two guards looked to each other. "Did that seem a bit weird to you? We aren't really supposed to give out files to anypony like that?" The second asked.

The first rolled his eyes and waved his hoof. "That's Rain Shine. He is Celestia's go to guard for anything. He lead the investigation into Flurry Hearts ransom ponynapping that one time. The princess probably sent him down to collect the file to investigate. Besides, he's the poster boy for loyalty in the guard alongside the Captain. I wouldn't worry about it too much, but I will agree it seemed a bit off."

The second looked where Rain Shine had went. "If you say so. It just doesn't feel right, something feels off." The first rolled his eyes and went back to his book.

I grunted in pain as the hoof was rammed into my stomach again. "Who else helped?" A white pegasus in Twilight's guard armor demanded. She slapped me. I was in a cell under Canterlot Castle. A dripping sound came behind me. It was driving me crazy.

"You have to talk sometime. Everypony has a breaking point." She said coldly.

"Give it up, White Lightning. You've been at it for hours. He ain't gonna talk." The yellow pegasus at the door said. She was slumped in a chair reading a book, her helmet laying next to her chair.

"We aren't pushing hard enough." White Lightning protested. "Rainbow wants answer, no matter the cost. Remember Raindrops? Do you want a turn?"

Raindrops turned a page in her book. "Nah, I'm busy reading. Besides, you seem to be having fun."

She held up the book in our direction. "Look at this, did you know Cadence and Shining Armors favorite date night spot is MareDonalds?"

"Everypony knows that." I scoffed and then grunted again. A white hoof rammed into my stomach again.

"Shut the hell up unless you're spoken to." White Lightning growled.

Raindrops rolled her eyes and continued reading.

Two hours later, White Lightning stopped hitting me.

"Why won't you talk? Everypony does!"

I lifted my head and looked her in the eyes. "I'm not everypony."

A snore at the door distracted us. Raindrops was sleeping in her chair.

"Are you seriously asleep right now?" White Lightning demanded and threw a coffee cup at her partners head.

"I was till I was rudely awoken." Raindrops grunted.

"Who hired you?" White Lightning focused back on me.

"You don't need to know that." I replied.

She slapped me again. "We do actually. You betrayed the princesses and your oath. You've been here longer than anypony. It just doesn't make sense that you did this."

I decided to give her a bone, mainly because of her devotion to getting answers. I respected that.

"All I do is in service to my new queen."

Raindrops ears perked up at that and she looked at me.

"What queen?" Lightning demanded and prepared to punch me.

"You know, physical torture is effective and all, but mental torturing is more fun. Plus the sense of satisfaction after breaking down a pony mentally is so good. It's harder to do than physically harm them but it's worth it. Plus, he's a unicorn you can always break his horn.

The two guards turned and gave their new arrival incredulous looks.

"Didn't hear you come in Cadet Silverspeed." White Lightning stated.

She shrugged. "I'm quiet."

"Clearly." White grumbled.

"How do you even know about mental torturing?" Raindrops demanded.

Silverspeed shrugged. "What, I studied psychological warfare before I graduated West Hoof. It's very effective." She turned and left at that.

A moment of stunned silence before Raindrops spoke. "Huh, guess it's always the quiet ones."

White Lightning nodded and turned back to me.

Hours later, the door swung open. "Celestia's coming!" Silverspeed said to her two guards.

White Lightning froze mid swing. "Shit!"

She looked me over at my multiple bruises.

"We don't have time to put makeup on him." She swore again.

"Relax, Whitey." Raindrops scoffed. "We already got told his punishment, it doesn't matter if he gets roughed up."

The door opened and I looked up. Celestia stood there glaring down at me coldly.

"Leave us." She ordered the guards. The three saluted and exited the room, shutting the door behind them.

"So, your turn to interrogate me I suppose." I said coldly.

"Why did you do it?" She said softly. "I trusted you. Twilight trusted you. And you betrayed her." She spun around to me and I could see the tears at her eyes.

"You really think you're the only pony out there who rules a county. My new queen has offered me a better position in the military, more money and most importantly, time with my family." I snarled out, showing my teeth.

"You did it for power? Seriously? You took my daughter figure from me. And you could have requested family time off." Celestia snapped.

I rolled my eyes and growled. "Oh, pleaseeee. Everytime I requested it, you denied it. Personally! Loyalty can only be given if it's given back."

She shook her head sadly. "There's no arguing with you. You made your bed, now lie in it. You're being sentenced to death. Execution is tomorrow morning." I sat in stunned silence. We haven't done executions in centuries. She left the room.

Celestia stopped outside the door. "Oh and White Lightning?"

White Lightning snapped to attention and saluted. "Princess."

"Don't beat him too hard, we need him alive for tomorrow." She walked off, leaving the guards stunned.

Morning came too soon for me. I watched as my fellow conspirators died. I was lead out and I held my head high and proud.

When they chained me to the post and I stood on bloodstained ground, I searched the crowd and smiled up at them. I saw my daughter sitting among her friends and she looked away. I regret nothing.