Casus Belli I: Shining Armor`s Last Battle

“Its been a long time since we heard a status report from battalion one, two, and five. Shining Armor will not be amused if those lieutenants dont fulfill their daily report duties only because there`s currently no known threat.”

The canterlot captain looked to his fellow stallion.

“I would understand it if one camp would have been silent, but three of them? I think there are problems with the messenger routes. Maybe high-water or something…”

“Dont be foolish. The messenger are pegasi, they dont care for highwater or anything else. There is another problem with the battalions… we have to inform the general.”

A messenger from the 4th batallion just arrived at that moment. “Well at least there are two camps still working” the captain said and went on to meet the messenger. “So how are you holding up? Solved the food problem?”

“Captain, the 4th battalion is fine and ready. The problems are all solved.”

“Glad to hear that. Got any news from other battalions? We didn`t receive a status report in days. Except the 3rd batallions and yours of course.”

“Yes sir, we just received a message from battalion 5, they`re fine too” the messenger replied.

“Well thank Celestia, those are good news. You know I just told my fellow stallion over there that there has to be a problem with the messenger routes. And he said he thinks that the camps are under attack, can you believe that?” the captain laughed, “who should attack us? The dragons honor our truce. The diamond dogs are too stupid to organize an army like they did under sovereign Wulf and the changelings were torn apart from general Shining Armors energy shield. Yes this shield killed a lot of those worthless bastards. They will never recover from this day. And you should see her queen Chrysalis flee from the energy shield. Worthless coward! No they wouldnt attack us either.”

After his speech the captain looked in the eyes of the messenger. But instead of the expected amusement the captain only saw glowing hate.

“No one makes fun of our heroes. No one insults the queen like that.” The messenger growled and attacked the captain.

The captains fellow stallion watched the scene from his guard post. He didnt hear the conversation but he saw the attack on the captain. Quick as the wind he grabbed his gear and run to assist his friend in the fight against the messenger.

Due to his training the captain was able to survive the surprise attack of the messenger. There was no time to wonder what couldve caused this messenger to go berserk. He quickly remembered the basics about fighting stallion to stallion and used them to block the attacks. Only a few seconds later his fellow stallion joined the fight. Together they managed to gain control of him but the messenger didnt gave up that easy. There was no reasoning with him, this stallion was completely crazy and dangerous. The captain just hoped that they could overwhelm him before anybody got killed.

General Shining Armor who was just about to visit the guard post to get information about the missing reports from his battalions saw the fight by the gate. Three ponies of his royal guard were fighting with each other and two of them had the rank of a captain. What a shame! While he approached the gate Shining Armor thought of a good speech that would bring professionalism back to these soldiers.

When he reached the battle ground the messenger recognized him immediately.

“You…,” the pegasus growled with eyes full of hate.

“What`s going on he….” Shining Armor wanted to ask but before he finished his question the messengers rushed towards him and tried to bite his throat. Now with their general in danger the two captains of the royal guard lost all restraints and attacked the messenger together.

Deadly wounded the messenger broke down on the ground. His eyes were still full of hate and focused on Shining Armor. In the moment of his death the messenger changed somehow. On the ground right in front of Shining Armor was now a dead changeling corpse. Suddenly Shining Armor realized the whole situation. Battalions are not responding, messenger didn`t return from their routes and now there was a dead changeling. Not the weak type he encountered on his wedding. This changeling fought against two of his best royal guard captains. If all changelings are now as strong as this one here….

“Send group of pegasi to the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th battalion immediately! They shall recon the camps. Tell them to prepare for hostile encounters on their way.”

„Mylord, theyre dead. The camp is burning. The corpses are burning. Theyre dead... all of them. The changelings did it, I could evade an attacking group of them, but the others werent so lucky.... Mylord the camp was completely destroyed. This wasnt a rampaging group of changlings. This was an organized army, a planned attack. The whole 4th battalion is gone.” The returning messenger was in a bad shape. Still he was better off than his fellow stallions because he should be the only one who returned to Canterlot this evening.

Shining Armor looked to the messenger. He saw the shock of this discovery in the pegasus eyes. He saw the wounds from the changeling attacks on the pegasus body. This messenger wasn`t lying. There was a war coming on, and general Shining Armor just got the information that he had already lost a large part of his army.

“We have to assume that there is only the 3rd battalion left outside of Canterlot. We need those troops inside the castle! Send also messengers to all the cities in Equestria. They have to be evacuated immediately, we can`t provide protection anymore. I want all the guards mobilized and on full alert. I want the castle to be prepared for an attack. Evacuate all the fillies and the mares to the royal palace and get your stallions into position. I have to inform the princess about this.”

The messenger who was sent to the 3rd battalion found the camp in good shape. When he entered the office the lieutenant couldnt believe the message he was hearing. An immediate pull back to the castle would mean abandoning the camp and all the resources in the warehouse, just taking the soldier and the basic war gear with them. This sounded like a very bad joke. But then he saw the royal seal on the messengers necklace. This seal proved that this messenger was not only sent by the royal guards but also with Princess Celestias specific permission. He immediately called for his captains to organize the march back to Canterlot.

The entry of the 3rd batallion in Canterlot was a never seen before event. All the mares and fillies who received the call for evacuation just a few hours ago stood by the streets to watch a whole battalion of royal guards moving inside the castle.

“Why should I leave my home?” a mare asked her friend, “Look at these stallions. Look at their numbers. No one will defeat this army. We`re in no danger. And this is only one battalion, as far as I know the royal guard has five of it, right? No one will stand against Canterlot. All this commotion for nothing.” But her friend stayed silent.

As the last soldiers entered the castle Shining Armor gave the order to close the gate and to barricade it. Suddenly he heard a screaming from the crowd of ponies.

“No, dont close the gate! My son is still out there. Dont close the gate yet or else he can`t come into the castle. Just leave it open for a few minutes, he will enter any time.”

Shining Armor looked to the guards in the gate tower.

“There is no one out there mylord. Our forces and the civilians entered the castle completely”, the guard replied.

“No! No, you must be mistaken. My son is still out there. He is a grey pony like his father and a soldier like you. He is an earth pony and cant fly over the walls. He was stationed with the 5. battalion in the camp outside Canterlot. He… he promised me to come back just in time for Hearts and Hooves day. He will enter the castle in a few seconds, youll see. Let that door open!” a mare left the crowd to face Shining Armor.

He slowly walked to the crying mother. “Mam, we have no survivors from the 5th battalion. I´m afraid your son gave his life in his duty to safe princess Celestia. I am very sorry for your loss.”

“No he is still out there, returning any second to his mother. He promised me to return just in time for Hearts and Hooves day, not like his father who didnt return from his guard post after the changeling invasion. No, my son will return, youll see. He promised it. He prom….” ´

Some caring neighbors brought the mare back to the crowd where she broke down crying. Shining Armor returned to his soldiers.