In The Arctic, No One Can Hear You Scream
Northern Equestria is known as a frozen wasteland, nothing there but snow and bone chill. At least, it used to be just snow and bone chill until Equestrian Guard bases were built there. After the wedding fiasco, the whole nation of Equestria became paranoid of changelings, wondering if their lover was real or not. To strengthen the kingdom's security, Princess Celestia has commissioned bases around the frozen north to make sure no changelings get through and make it to Canterlot. This is the story of Base Forty-One and it's encounter against the shape-shifters.
The polar winds licked at Lieutenant Lance's heavy coat as he trudged through the snow. He had only been stationed at Base Forty-One for a few weeks and he was already starting to hate it. Sure, being picked by the Princesses themselves was a perk for going here, but was still not a good trade off of warm sun for cold winds and ice. He couldn't even use a heat spell for the fear of the spell freezing on his horn.
When he reached the entrance to the arctic base he opened the door, ran inside, and closed it quickly, happy that Jack Frost wasn't pursuing him anymore. In the middle of the base was a table, where the other three guards that were stationed with him were playing a friendly game of cards.
"Did you find anything?" Asked Captain Borealis, the pegasus revealing his hoof to the other two guards.
"No. Not a thing." Sighed Lance, taking a seat with the other three.
Recruit Thornton eyed the other guards and asked, "Just why the hay are we here? I don't see any point to it."
"They want us to make sure that no changelings get through here remember?" Answered Corporal Tectonic, the earth pony taking a sip of cider from his mug.
The unicorn sighed, "I know. It just doesn't make sense though. Why would a changeling go through the arctic to reach Canterlot?"
Lance laughed, "Why not? They probably know no normal pony will be here, giving them an element of surprise when they arrive at Canterlot. Unfortunately for them, we're not normal ponies."
Suddenly, the door swung open, causing the four guards to drop their cards and mugs and rush to the door. When they got there, a mare was face down on the floor. They couldn't see the mare's face, as it was covered by a green colored mane. The four guards looked at each other quizzically. "Why do you think she's here?" Lance asked the others.
"Well, she looks like a guard pony if that tells you anything." Observed Thornton, noticing the toned onyx body.
The mare's head suddenly sprang up, startling the guards. Her azure eyes looked around the base and found themselves staring back at the guards. "Is this another guard base?" She asked.
"Yes it is." Answered Captain Borealis, "Who are you?"
"My name is Floral," Answered the earth pony mare, "I am a guard stationed at Base Forty-Six. Please, follow me."
What the guards of Base Forty-One saw when they followed Floral to Base Forty-Six was disturbing beyond belief. Hanging from three green cocoons were the rest of the guards in the base, Floral being the only one to get out there unscathed. That one major detail bugged Lance to no end.
"You see," Floral explained, "A changeling managed to find it's way into Base Forty-Six and incapacitated the other guards."
"Where you in the base?" Asked Borealis.
"I was taking a walk." Answered Floral, but hastily added, "Because I was looking for changelings. Kind of cruel irony if you think about it."
Lance looked at the black coated mare uneasily, "We can let you stay at our base until we can take you back to Canterlot."
Floral smiled, "That will be great. Thank you."
That cruel smile that Floral gave them would scare Lance for days on end.
The next day for Lance was like the last; with him on patrol while the other three were in the base, snug under blankets holding cider. When he found his way back into the base, he felt something squishy. When he looked down, he saw green slime. The only explanation his startled mind could come up with was that there was a changeling in the base. He bucked down the doors and levitated out a nearby crossbow and trotted towards the four ponies garbed in a blanket.
"What's wrong Lance?" Asked Floral, approaching Lance, but soon got the crossbow pointed at her.
"Be quiet changeling!" Lance screamed, pointing his crossbow at the others, "Any of you could be a changeling!"
"Snap out of it lieutenant!" Roared Captain Borealis, punching Lance in the snout with his hoof, causing him to be knocked unconscious.
"What should we do with him captain?" Asked Thornton.
"Throw him in the brig." Answered Borealis, "That should calm him down."
As the other two guards grabbed the silent Lance, Floral approached Borealis and put a hoof on his shoulder, "Can you believe that?" She asked disbelievingly, "Calling us changelings!"
"I know. We've known the guy for years. Why he's acting like this is beyond me." Replied Borealis, but before he turned around and made his way to the brig, he could've sworn he saw Floral's eyes flash green.
Lieutenant Lance awoke with a painful headache. After seeing the soot covered walls, his hooves chained, and the smell of alcohol, he concluded he was in the brig. He was trying to save everyone and he was thrown here for doing so. He heard locks being unlatched and the door creaking open. The one to step in was Borealis, his stare harder than it ever was. "Had enough solitude?" Borealis asked him.
"I don't know changeling," Lance spat, "Did I?"
"What the hay's wrong with you?" Borealis asked, "You were never like this. What happened?"
"On my way back here I saw green slime by the door." Lance answered seriously, "Meaning one of you ponies is a changeling."
"Look, maybe one of us stepped on it in Base Forty-Six on the way back here." Rationalized Borealis, not wanting to call his ponies changelings straight away.
"Not possible," Replied Lance, "There was no slime there to speak of. That, and Floral's a liar."
"What do you mean lieutenant?" Asked Borealis, obviously confused by what Lance had just said.
"When you slapped me earlier," Said Lance, "I remembered something. The thing was that there are only three guards in Base Forty-Six."
Borealis' eyes widened in realization, "You don't mean..."
Lance nodded, "I do."
Borealis took off Lance's chains, "Come on. We have a changeling to bust."
When they entered the main room of the base, it stunk of slime. To the sides both Recruit Thornton and Corporal Tectonic were covered in separate cocoons. The changeling already struck and now it was on the hunt for Lance and Borealis. The two advanced to the table and noticed a lump under the blanket. When they removed it, they saw Floral curled in a ball. She picked her head up and looked at the two and stood up.
"Did you see what happened to them?" She said disparagingly, but her acting wasn't fooling the two.
"Yeah," Said Lance, "We have a changeling in our mists."
"Have you seen one?" Asked Borealis.
"No," Floral answered, "I was outside and when I came back, they were like this."
"Just like Base Forty-Six huh?" Lance asked cruelly.
"Yes," She replied, hurt by what Lance had said, "Don't you believe me?"
"No, no I don't Floral." Said Borealis stepping closer to her, "Or should I say changeling."
The onyx mare narrowed her eyes, "So you found out?"
"It was easy really." Answered Lance, "First was how you quickly answered us at Base Forty-Six. The second thing was that there are only three guards in that base. The final thing was the slime near the door. Those three things add up quickly don't they?"
Floral only answered with a hiss as green flames enveloped her. Once they died down, what stood before the two guards was a black platted, crooked horn and insect wing bearing, love sucking changeling. And it did NOT look happy. It raised it's hooves and bucked Borealis to the ground, knocking him out cold. The changeling began to rush towards Lance, it letting out a powerful hiss as it did. Lance saw the crossbow from earlier and levitated it up and fired it, the bolt missing the changeling entirely. The changeling rose to the air and began circling Lance, intent on ending his life.
Lance reloaded the crossbow and fired, and again, and again, until he had one bolt left. He fired the last round, the arrow hitting one of the wings, causing it to fall to the ground. Before the changeling could get back up, a cider mug smashed into it's head, and Borealis was standing above it.
Lance smiled and pointed at the cocoons, "Let's go take this slime off of them."
"Sure thing." Borealis said following Lance, but noticed insect-like wings on Lance. He just shook his head and laughed, "I really must be tired. My imagination is running wild." He said to himself and began to trot towards the cocoons.
