//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: The Lightning Bolt // Story: Royal Guards in Training // by Foal Star //------------------------------// A young royal guard with his gold plated armor, white coat, dark blue mane, green blue eyes, and short cut tail, was now flying through the sky, sweating profusely as he landed in the middle of Ponyville. He was breathing heavily as he looked around the town and the ponies going about their business. He mumbled, “Did I I arrive in Ponyville? Am I too late for the Summer Sun Celebration?” “Private Cannon Feather, there you are!” He jumped into the air when he turned to see a gruff looking royal guard, that looked similar to him in every way. The guard known as Cannon Feather freaked out, jumped up and saluted,”P-private Cannon Feather reporting for duty!” The gruff looking stallion came up to him and looked him dead in the eyes. making the private sweat as he growled, “You're late.” Private Cannon Father meeped, and whimpered, “I’m sorry, Sergeant, I got lost flying here from Canterlot on such short notice. Then I forgot my helmet and then I…” The sergeant shouted, “Get ahold of yourself, Private! Now stand at attention!” Private Cannon Feather stood alert, as another royal guard came upon the two others. He looked similar yet older than the other two as he coughed and asked, “What are you two yelling about?” The sergeant spat as he pointed to the youngest of the trio and spat, “Private Cannon Feather here just arrived, and Princess Celestia is going to arrive anytime now!” The newcomer sighed, as he looked up with a bored expression, “Sergeant Bucket Bridle, stand down before I have you mopping the latrines all night!” Bucket Bridle grunted as he backed down from the private, who sighed in relief. He then looked up at the captain and said, “Thank you sir...I guess you’re Captain Bright Wing...That’s your name, right?” The captain lazily bowed his head, “Yeah, that’s right, and you're quite anxious for a royal guard.” Cannon Feather laughed as he scratched the back of his head, “Yeah, that's what my drill instructor said.” The sergeant spat and muttered, “We got a baby straight from training? Just wonderful.” Captain Bright Wing didn't seem to care, his bored expression didn't change as he continued in a monotone tone, “Princess Celestia would not assign him to us for no good reason. Now we better get going before the mayor nags me to death for being late.” He sighed as he left and headed to the town square. Sergeant Bucket Bridle and Private Cannon Feather followed suit, when Cannon Feather was smacked on the back by Bucket Bridle, as the two followed Bright Wing down the road. The Mayor was in the town square ordering ponies about, shouting at pegasus’s to lift a banner. The guards came up to the Mayor as she turned with a glare, “There you three are.” Captain Bright Wing bowed his head as he apologized, “Sorry for keeping you waiting, we had a late comer.” The Mayor pushed her glasses back on her nose as she continued, “Well you three, don't stand around, I need you to guard the back entrance just in case of intruders.” Bucket Bridle shouted back, “Wait a second! We’re just pulling sentry duty in the back?!” Bright Wing turned with irritation as he shouted, “Sergeant Bridle, stand down!” He muttered and looked at the ground. Bright Wing turned to the mayor and replied, “If you believe that is where we are needed, then I trust your judgment,” He bowed his head as he said to the private and the sergeant, ”Now you two better listen to my orders. I am the highest ranked here after all.” Private Cannon Feather gave a salute, “Yes sir!” Sergeant Bucket Bridle grunted, “Well, at least I get to see Princess Celestia. Maybe she’ll even notice me.” Bright Wing blinked a few times before replying, “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that. Now this is going to be simple, the three of us will pull the shift together. So even if one of us needs a break, two will be standing guard near the door. Just watch for suspicious ponies and make sure nothing ruins tonight's celebration. I’d rather give Captain Shining Armor a good report.” The two guards both saluted once more as the three went by the back door and stood guard while the mayor smiled at them, “These three do seem odd at first, but I think with them keeping guard nothing can possibly go wrong.” She thought. a few hours later.... Sergeant Bucket Bridle was muttering under his breath and grumbling about not being near Celestia, as Cannon Feather stood at attention, looking at everypony with intensity and muttering, “All seems well to me.” “Yeah, and why wouldn’t it?!” Pinkie Pie shouted as she came up to the guards. Sergeant Bridle shouted back,”What are you doing here?! We're on duty, now move along!” Pinkie Pie giggled and asked, “Why would I do that? You seem grouchy on a super spectacular Summer Sun Celebration!” She went up into his face as she shouted, “Well, maybe I can make you smile before the celebration begins.” “Yes, I recall from the briefing that Princess Celestia gave me, we are to smile and have some fun.” Cannon Feather smirked at Sergent Bridle. Bridle glared at him, “I out rank you, don’t forget that!” He then turned to Pinkie Pie and shouted, “We’re on duty! Now scram!” Pinkie just laughed, “Oh, now I get it, you're trying to impress Princess Celestia!” He blushed and backed up with a sheepish smile, “Uh, no that’s not it...I...I just.” Pinkie jumped and shouted, “I did it! I made you smile!” She jumped in glee as she bounced away. Cannon Feather laughed out loud, “Wow, she got you good.” “Who got who good?” Bright Wing yawned, as he came back in the large now crowded room and asked, “Anything to report?” Bucket Bridle muttered, “It was nothing sir, just a pink earth pony who started to annoy me.” Cannon Feather saluted as he replied, “Sir, nothing to report from my account. I think everypony seems normal and happy to see Princess Celestia, in fact the only ones who seems unhappy is Sergeant Bridle, and that purple coated unicorn over there. The one with that violet-red stripe in her mane.” Cannon Feather pointed through the crowd at the very unicorn he mentioned. Bright Wing in turn responded, “She just looks exhausted, and if that’s the only problem it’s smooth sailing from here,” He sighed and leaned back on the wall as he continued, “Princess Celestia should be here soon, she’ll raise the sun, and then I can spend the rest of the day sleeping.” Bucket Bridle eyes gleamed, “Yes, and I will be able to gaze upon her.” Cannon Feather stifled his giggles as Bright Wing rolled his eyes. That was when they heard a symphony of bird songs echo through the hall, and the mayor of Ponyville starting her speech. Cannon Feather suddenly started to get worried, as he whispered to Bright Wing, “Hey, let’s say something happens to Princess Celestia, whose orders do we follow? Bright Wing’s eyes lit up, “Good question…. I do believe the mayor is in charge if Princess Celestia is not around.” Sergeant Bridle muttered, “But nothing is going to happen to Princess Celestia. Not while I’m here.” “And now it is my great honor to introduce you to the ruler of our land. The very pony who gives us the sun and the moon each and every day. The good, the wise, the bringer of harmony in all of Equestria….Princess Celestia!” The mayor declared, as the curtains above the foyer were opened. But to everypony's surprise, Princess Celestia was nowhere to be seen!” Sergeant Bridle shouted, “The princess has been foal napped!” “M-maybe s-she got attacked on the w-way here!” Cannon Feather stuttered. Bright Wing opened one eye and mumbled, “Or she could just be running late.” That was when a strange alicorn like creature, with a strange blue ethereal mane blowing in the wind appeared before everypony. “My beloved subjects, it’s been so long since I’ve seen your precious sun loving faces….” Sergeant Bridle immediately shouted, “That’s it! We need to capture her and find out where she’s holding the princess! She has to be responsible for all of this!” Cannon Feather held him back, “Hold it, serge! We can't attack unless we’re ordered to!” “Private, you let me go, now!” Sergeant Bridle bellowed. Bright Wing got up and yawned. “Hold it, you two! Look at our mysterious unicorn.” They all watched as she stood up against Nightmare Moon. They couldn’t hear what was being said, but they did hear the last bit of Nightmare Moon’s speech. “The night, will last, forever!” As she laughed maniacally, with lightning and thunder clouds rolling around her. The mayor got up and angrily shouted, “Seize her, she knows where the princess is!” Cannon Feather shouted, “Now we can capture her!” And he and Sergeant Bridle flew into the air as Bright Wing mumbled “So much for an easy mission.” And followed suit. “Stand back you fools!” Was the last thing Bright Wing heard, before a lightning bolt hit him and he fell to the ground with a crash! Bright Wing woke to blackness surrounding him, with his ears ringing. He slowly got up as he heard the clank of metal falling around him and he muttered, “Wha happen wha's goin' on?” He looked around but something swiveled as he heard a toddler shout, “Why my awomw so big?! I can’t get this off!” He turned again when he heard, “Why the place is so big now!?” “I don't know, but can ya give me a hoof? This thing is stuck!” The other voice sounded like a toddler shouting. Bright Wing realised that the darkness must be his helmet. He threw it off as light hit his face. He blinked a few times, to see two other foals kicking off bits of their armor. He blinked a few times as he gasped at what he saw! The foals were white with little wisps of blue for manes, and were quite chubby, with all their excess foal fat bulging around them and their tiny wings flapped constantly, but they no longer had the ability to fly. Bright Wing turned to see that the more angry foal was looking at himself as he shouted, “What happen?! Why did we turn to foaws?!” The other one just giggled, poked Sergeant Bridle’s stubby fat body and babbled, “I dun know, but you gots to admit ya wook really cute now.” The angry foal tackled his comrade as he shouted, “Shut it Cannon, ya gots ta turn us back to nowmaw.” “Wht, ya tink I did this?” Cannon Feather asked, as he rolled around with his former sergeant. “Of couwse ya did! How elsw di we tuwn to foals?” Sergeant Bridle shouted as the two got up from their fight. Cannon Feather just looked around at his flanks as he replied,”I don 't know, bu it also looks like were bwank fwanks.” Sergeant Bridle looked at his flank and screamed in horror. “My awsome cutie mawk Is gone!” Cannon Feather just laughed out loud while clapping his tiny hooves. When Bright wing shouted, “Enough ya two!” The other two foals looked his way as he continued with a straight face, “Now if ya two fowgots, Pwincess Cewestia is still by that weird alicorn.” Sergeant Bridle got a serious face as he nodded in agreement, “Ya wight, we gots ta find her!" He waddled away as Cannon Feather quickly followed behind. Bright Wing sighed and tried to follow suit, only to stumble as pieces of his armor fell all over him! He suddenly felt tears come to his eyes as he began to cry a bit. Cannon Feather rushed back and helped pull Bright Wing up as he asked, “Are ya okay?” Bright Wing sniffled as he threw off his plates and mumbled, “Ya, I fine. Now wets get goin, we gots a pwincess ta save.” Soon the three were running out the door together in hopes they could find the missing Princess Celestia. The three toddler guards were now looking around in amazement at all the ponies that gathered outside. They looked up and saw Princess Celestia and the weird alicorn from earlier, but for some reason she seemed less menacing than before. The three foals turned down a street and watched her as Cannon Feather exclaimed, “Look, its the foawnappew!” “Yeah, but Cewestia is with her, and talking with those six ponies,” Bridle Bucket said, then pointed at a group of six ponies that included the pink mare from earlier and the mysterious unicorn. “There's that cwazy pink mawe with hew! I bet she’s hewpin the evil alicorn! Wet’s go get them!” Bucket Bridal plucked up the courage to waddle down the road, running at full speed with his stubby legs! Cannon Feather giggled and chased after him, as Bright Wing just mumbled something and followed them. Luna was just looking around a bit confused still after all that happened the previous night. She then heard, “We gonna save ya Princess Celestia, I commin!” She looked down, as a tiny white pegasus foal jumped onto one of her legs and started to suckle on it. She laughed as she cooed, “Hey, that tickles.” Celestia’s eyes went wide as she asked, “What in Equestria?!” That was when another small pegasus foal tackled Luna’s back left leg and tried tickling her with one of his feathers, making her start giggling, “Yeah, thats wight, even evil alicorns aren’t immune ta tickles!” He exclaimed. Luna couldn’t help it, as she fell to the ground laughing, and Cannon Feather crawled ontop of her. Then a more aggressive foal shouted, “Therlwe, we gots hew down!” He crawled over to Celestia and began tugging her hoof as he pleaded. “Come on, Princess Cewestia, we gots ta go before she get's up!” Everypony just laughed out loud, including Princess Celestia. Luna got up, cuddling the other foal, “Oh thowest are the cutest thing that these eyes have laid upon in over one thousand years.” The foal gurgled and cooed at the compliment, liking the attention. Luna then placed the foal besides the other. as the two foals gazed up at Princess Celestia with their big blue eyes. She bent down and said to them., “Now you all seem quite brave, but I think you should go back to your parents. Foals like you shouldn't be wandering about on your own,” She then looked at their tiny flanks and asked, “Also, are you potty trained yet?” Sergeant Bridle crossed his forehooves over his crotch and babbled, “Of course we potty trained, there's no way ya gonna make me wear a diapee,” He then sat down on his rump, “Also, we not foaws, we ya woyaw guawds.” This made the crowd laugh louder as Celestia smiled, “I'm sure you will be royal guards one day.” Cannon Feather looked up at her with his adorable blue eyes and replied in his lisp, “But is true, we are ya royal guards, I Cannon Feather.” Celestia gasped,”Cannon Feather?! That names does ring a bell.” All of a sudden her eyes lit up, as she turned and asked, “Where are the three royal guards I assigned for security?!” Bucket Bridle got flustered and shouted, “Where do ya tink?! I wight hewe!” He started bouncing up and down, as Celestia turned to the angry colt with a smile and asked, “So I’m guessing you’re Bucket Bridle?” He blushed and bowed his head as he mumbled, “Yeah, I Bucket Bridle, but ya can call me Bridle for short.” Princess Celestia then heard a toddler shout, “Princess Celestia!” She turned to see a toddler waddling down the path as he replied, “I so happy ya safe!” He gave her a big, adorable grin, making the crowd daww. Princess Celestia looked at the three foalified guards and asked, “But how did you three turn into foals?” The whole crowd gasping seeing the three royal guards now as foals. Even Twilight was stunned and replied, “Wait, I did see them get hit by Nightmare Moon’s lightning when they were trying to capture her. That’s probably what turned them into foals.” Celestia looked around and asked, “So they attacked Nightmare Moon, under whose orders?” The Mayor walked up and bowed as she replied, “Princess Celestia, it was I who gave the order. When Nightmare Moon appeared, I thought it best these three captured her to find you.” Princess Celestia looked at the mayor and softened her gaze upon the foals, “Very well. I see that you three were fulfilling your duties as part of the royal guard. It was foolish and stupid of you... but brave.” She then took the three into her magical embrace and gently put the colts on her back as Twilight suggested, “Wait, maybe I can turn them back using the Elements of Harmony?” Celestia pondered before she said in reply, “Maybe, but I’m not so sure. This may require further looking into,” She then turned and asked Luna, “Sister can you remember what spell you used on them to regress them?” Luna shook her head, “We do not recall the spell we used. In fact we do not recall much after Nightmare Moon took over,” She looked down and whispered, “We apologize for regressing your royal guards, this is all our fault.” Celestia nuzzled her sister, “It’s okay, I am sure we can get these three back to normal eventually. We are alicorns after all.” Luna cheered up a bit, as Princess Celestia turned to Twilight, “Now, I must be off to fix this little problem. I will await your first lesson of friendship.” Twilight bowed her head, “Of course.” Celestia smiled and walked off with her sister, back to the chariot. Celestia sat down and placed the foals into her lap. Her horn lit up and three plain white diapers were strapped around their rumps. Cannon Feather whimpered as he scrunched his diaper and asked, “Why did ya put diapees on us?” Celestia motherly cooed. “Because it's going to be a while before we get back to Canterlot, I'd rather not have you three have an accident on the way there and have to clean it up.” Bright Wing looked up at Celestia and asked “Alright, but can ya take them off when we get thewe? I promice to use the potty like a big pony.” Celestia nuzzled Bright Wing and cooed, “Of course I will. If you can prove you’re still potty trained then I’ll be glad to let you go without diapers,” She then turned to Bucket Bridle who was tugging at his diaper with his mouth, trying to take it off. She quickly shouted “Bucket Bridle, you stop it this instant or you’ll get a spanking!” Bridle Bucket looked down, blushing as he babbled, “Alwight Celestia, I’ll wear the diapee.” Celestia then levitated the guards towards her underbelly, where they all nuzzled deep into her fur, making her blush a bit as she whispered. “Now just relax you three, we’ll be back at the castle soon.” Bucket Bridle grasped at her fur as he cooed, “Ya so soft and warm, Tia.” He gasped at the nickname he just gave Celestia, which made Luna laugh out loud. “How hast thou learnest of that nickname?” She inquired Bucket Bridle looked up and apologized, “I sowie Tia, I mean Pwincess Cewestia.” Celestia smiled down at him and nuzzled him as she whispered, “It’s okay, you're a foal now. So I guess it’ll be easier for you three to call me Tia.” The three all nod in unison as the chariot took to the air. Cannon Feather then rolled over to Bright Wing, who grasping onto Celestia and asked, “Bright Wing, what's happenin again? Because I have no idea why that weiwd Wuna is good, why we foawa, and what are the Ewements of Hawmony?” “I dun know Cannon Fewther.” Bright Wing mumbled as he nuzzled deep into Celestia’s underbelly and in his padding until he fell into a deep sleep.