While the real Royal Wedding had been underway, it had been up to the Royal Guard--both day and night--to help round up the wounded. Thankfully--and shockingly--there had been no fatalities despite the massive invasion of Changelings. They had outnumbered everypony at least 3 to 1, perhaps even more. The Royal Guard had been absolutely...well...useless. After all, Equestria was generally peaceful. While some saw combat with various monsters, it was rare, and the majority of the Guard had never been in a real combat situation. Training wasn't the same. Mock combat, drills...they didn't prepare you for that feeling you get inside you, that cold clutch around your heart when you were fighting for your life, or the lives of those around you.
Guards who had been on the job for years froze up. Many younger rookie guards had, too. The Changelings had done their job well. Confusion and chaos reigned, the guards had been overtaken and overwhelmed. When Shining Armor's spell had reactivated and sent the Changelings to Celestia knows where, it had been a relief. As the Royal Wedding preparations began again, the Guard, even those to the point of exhaustion, began the reparations of Canterlot and helping its injured citizens.
After Canterlot had been restored and its citizens tended to, new training regimens began. The ponies capable of magic began training with Shining Armor to learn the Changeling shield. Celestia had found out the hard way that having only one pony capable of such a thing could be disastrous. Granted, it was a very difficult spell, and to maintain it the way Shining Armor had would be nearly impossible for any one of the ponies alone, including the Pegacorn in the midst of learners.
Licorice Twist had to admit he was impressed. To uphold such a spell for such a massive duration, he couldn't fathom it. He'd been one of the ponies to run himself to exhaustion during the attack. He'd found a family of ponies and had protected them with his life, maintaining a defensive shield spell around them, having it battered, and dropping it to lash out with his wing blades, constantly moving, fighting, and using magic,. He'd forced himself to go through the night, however. He had a duty, and his duty was all he knew. That Shining Armor had been able to uphold such a massive, draining shield for so long made him feel almost...incompetent. But he'd been starting to be able to work the spell. Perhaps not to Shining Armor's extent, but at least he could perhaps do one pony at a time.
And so the days went by, the Royal Guard busier than ever with added training, twice extra for those learning Shining Armor's spell. They were also taught a signalling spell. The signalling spell would alert the Princesses that changelings, or perhaps a new threat, had made themselves known. Of course, the ponies would not question Shining Armor, but none knew why they would need to learn such a spell. That became clear quite soon.
Another week had gone by, then one by one those that had at least a usable grasp of Shining Armor's spell were called into the throne room. When it was Licorice Twist's turn, he was surprised to find both Princess Celestia and Luna standing before him. He lowered himself to one knee, his other foreleg stretched before him and tip of his horn touching the floor, bowing deeply before his Princesses.
"Your Highnesses," Licorice Twist greeted them humbly, standing once he'd been given acknowledgement.
"THOU HAST SERVED US MOST HONORABLY, LICORICE TWIST!!!!!"
Licorice Twist blinked his eyes a bit, feeling his mane and tail fluttering from the force of Princess Luna's 'Royal Canterlot Voice.' He also completely ignored Princess Luna covering her mouth with her hoof to hide a little chuckle. Would she never get over having a Guard named Licorice Twist? No, likely not. He'd learned to ignore it quite well by now. The first time she had met him, after her first Nightmare Night, she had actually downright laughed. Fell into a right fit of giggles. He'd been so angry and so...humiliated. She had apologized, of course, and had managed to--mostly--contain herself after. But that little snicker still got through every now and then.
"WE HEREBY AGREE WITH OUR SISTER AND BEHEST UPON THEE A SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT!!!!"
"LUNA!!!"
Luna giggled and gave her sister a little pout. "But SIS! I like that voice!"
Celestia made a face at her younger sister and looked down upon the still blinking, unique-looking pony before them. She bowed her head to Licorice Twist lightly and smiled. "What my sister is trying to say....we are assigning a special mission to you. We have picked cities throughout Equestria and those of you who have learned Shining Armor's spell well enough will be sent to keep watch. You will act as protector and warning bell. Should any Changelings appear, you will use the signalling spell you learned to immediately alert us so we can send reinforcements."
Licorice Twist used much of his willpower not to allow his ears to droop down. He was being sent away! Was it because he hadn't done well as a guard? Had he failed? HOW had he failed? He'd protected that family til he nearly fell over from sheer exhaustion! He'd worked so hard during the attack and the aftermath, even though he'd been dead on his hooves! Oh shit, had he missed something? Did he zone out? As all this raced through his mind, however, he simply nodded at this news. He would not outwardly question his Princesses.
"Am I to be heading back to Fillydelphia, Highnesses?" Of course, it was a natural assumption.
"No," Celestia shook her head. "My sister and I have discussed you at length. She did not want to lose you. But with what she knows of you and has told me, I have decided to send you to a city very important to me. You will go to....Ponyville."