//------------------------------// // Promotional Blitz // Story: Consequences // by GJT_Productions //------------------------------// Lieutenant Captain Fidelitas had to leave behind the broken-hearted Wonderbolts after delivering the heavy consequences of Princess Celestia - there were other ponies to be visited in Canterlot General hospital. A few were civilian staff that had been unlucky enough to cross the path of rebel forces, but most of them were Royal Guards that had stayed loyal and ended up killed or wounded by the rebels. On authorization from Captain of the Guard Gibraltar, he promoted any wounded Lower Class Guard to Upper Class, and also told any wounded Upper Class they had been pushed to near the top of the list of potential choices for a Lieutenant's commission. Some of these honors were given posthumously, to grieving friends and family members just learning of the death of a stallion they admired and were proud of. At the end of this grueling effort was the most consequential and important Royal Guard member currently being cared for by the hospital staff - Lieutenant Stratocumulus, having spent the overnight and duration of the Operation Whirlwind rebellion safe in the hospital. Fidelitas could tell as soon as he laid eye on Stratocumulus that the lightly sleeping Lieutenant had had a harrowing night, and quickly he turns to his nurse escort to get more information about the Lieutenant's condition. "What happened to him, nurse?" Fidelitas asks as he looks over at the nurse, his expression one of great concern and some weariness from his previous efforts. "The Lieutenant lost a lot of blood, sir." the nurse replies sadly. "When he was brought in, he was bleeding pretty profusely - we still can't get a straight answer on what attacked him and bit him on the neck. It was fortunate we were able to do a transfusion before the others affected by last night's events started coming in, otherwise his odds of making it through the night wouldn't have been good." "Well, what did he say about what attacked him?" Fidelitas asks again, very curious about the strange attacker and wondering if he or it was affiliated with the Agents of Chaos in some way. "The closest we've gotten - and we have to take this with a grain of salt as he was clearly dazed when he said it - is a 'bug-winged pony with bat fangs'." the nurse answers. "Is your service going to look into whether there's anypony which matches that descrption in the city?" "Indeed we will." Fidelitas responds, using his unicorn magic to pull out a notepad with charcoal pencil and write down the description of Stratocumulus' attacker - completely unaware at the time of what this would mean for his future in the service and Canterlot in general. "He's stable now, but we'll keep him here under observation for at least a few days just as a precautionary measure." the nurse explains. "Understood, I would like to talk to the Lieutenant as part of my orders given by Captain of the Guard." Fidelitas asks. "If he is awake, you can talk to him. I will be waiting just outside the door if you need anything, sir." the nurse answers, slowly moving to the doorway of the patient room Fidelitas and Stratocumulus were in. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The unicorn Lieutenant Captain spares one look back at the nurse before walking over to the bed-ridden Stratocumulus. The pegasus Lieutenant's breathing was shallow but steady, a heart monitor beeping in reassuring rhythm. Stratocumulus moaned and tossed his head in his sleep - Fidelitas could only guess at the nightmares the pegasus must've been having at that moment, but doubtless being associated with a group that was both active and ruthless in rebellion could produce very nasty ones. As Princess Luna had only in recent days been able to "dreamwalk" successfully in a consistent manner, it was up to Fidelitas to fix the problem this time. "Lieutenant? Lieutenant Stratocumulus?" the unicorn stallion gently asks, and after a moment haunted, bloodshot eyes, speaking of sleeplessness and recent intense pain, open on his pegasus counterpart. Fidelitas recoils briefly as Stratocumulus goes into deep gasping breaths, as if the sudden awakening produced a shock. The breathing stablizes again, and Fidelitas waves away with a forehoof a concerned peek from the nurse nearby. The pegasus on the bed looks up at Fidelitas, moaning and letting out a weak cough - the drugs running through his system were dulling the pain he felt, but it was obvious in his eyes he was looking for an escape, some way out of this nightmare he had stumbled into desperately trying to stop the previous night's rebellion. "Lieutenant, you can hear me? Understand what I'm saying?" Fidelitas asks, and Stratocumulus responds with a weak nod - the former quickly realizes trying to get the latter to talk would be a bad idea, so accepts the nod as an adequate response. Fidelitas gives a relieved smile as he can finally proceed to what he came here to do: "I have very good news for you, Lieutenant. Your biggest contribution in service to the princesses of Equestria and the integrity of the Royal Guard can finally be made public. The Agents of Chaos did indeed strike in rebellion last night, as I'm certain you set out to warn us before you were attacked, but they were defeated - their leader, Lieutenant Captain Aten as 'Agent Snake', personally by Princess Celestia herself. You have no more to fear from them any more, and one of the things Captain Gibraltar assigned me to do here is present you with something very special." Suitably intrigued by the words of the afternoon shift unicorn, Lieutenant Stratocumulus focuses (albeit weakly due to his condition) on the superior officer as Fidelitas uses unicorn magic to pull out a special scroll and unroll it. The unicorn begins reading the writing on the scroll, carefully crafted by Captain Gibraltar earlier in the morning: "By direct decree of Princess Celestia and my authority as Captain of the Guard, Canterlot Division, we now recognize and state in public record the actions of Lieutenant Stratocumulus as 'Agent Double Bar', risking life and limb to thwart several plans of the rebellious Agents of Chaos by providing information and other assistance to loyal members of the E.U.P. Guard over the course of a number of months previously, undetected by the rebel forces who had entrusted him with such a high position within their ranks. Having proven his loyalty to the alicorn princesses beyond any doubt and also placing in consideration his sterling service record previously, Lieutenant Stratocumulus has been recommended for promotion to the rank of Lieutenant Captain, assigned in command of the Canterlot morning shift. This promotion will be effective as soon as Stratocumulus has been discharged from hospital and deemed fit for duty." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The surprising nature of this decision was quite obvious to everypony in earshot - Shining Armor, favored as he was by Princesses Celestia and Cadance, had taken at least four years in service to go from Guard Upper Class to Lieutenant and then to Lieutenant Captain, whereas Stratocumulus had made the same leap in less than a year's span! Although the risks Stratocumulus had taken doubtless would've merited him such an achievement in due time, the immediate promotion of a relatively "wet-eared" officer into such a high position was more a decision made of urgent need - a consequence of the existing staffing stresses that the rebellion had severely increased, and would ultimately lead to the Changeling invasion as that enemy took advantage of the critical weaknesses that resulted from the staffing shortages. "Well you've definitely earned it, Lieutenant. I'm very proud of you, and all your loyal comrades in the service I'm sure share that sentiment." Fidelitas comments, shaking his head as he rolls up the scroll and levitates it with unicorn magic over to the side table beside Stratocumulus' bed. The bed-ridden pegasus looks back at Fidelitas and after some effort finally gives a weak smile at the news he had just received, and that weak smile was enough for Fidelitas to forget about all the other unpleasant duties he had executed in Canterlot General hospital... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MEANWHILE, JUST OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL... "You've brought 'the two witnesses', Agent X?" "Yessss. Have any other Agentssss appeared?" "No. With Snake incapitated and all others outside the city, I am assuming you are in overall command now?" "Indeed. 'Misssster Hoofer' issss long dead and 'Lord Zedd' hassss ssssucceded in ssssuicide missssion." "Then there is just the two of us, deeply embedded, to get him out." "Out of the city, and to our true leader." "But will he be willing to go?" "What alternative doesssss he have? Being executed in public?" "Good point. We'll focus all our efforts on getting him out then." "Indeed. One enemy out ssssso he can help ussss get in further..."