Well, I made it through the first half of my training. I’m on my way back to Canterlot now, and once I get back to the Academy, I’ll be able to see my family probably once a month.

During this first year, I went through a lot. And, as was likely intended, I became stronger, in every sense of the word.

Every morning at 1:00 AM, the colt who took us on the tour (we now refer to him as “Sarge”) would come by everypony’s cabins and shoot everypony inside with a bee-bee gun. Pretty soon, Vigil started wearing his armor (which we’d gotten our first day of training) to bed! “I ain’t ashamed,” he’d say whenever Bolt or I teased him about it.

Throughout training, we learned hoof-to-hoof combat by being forced to beat each other up at random. We learned how to shoot various firearms and wield swords… that is, after we learned to clean toilets and floors, do perfect push-ups, and crawl through obstacle courses without getting snagged on any barbed wire. We went on 20-mile gallops at 5:00 AM each day, and if we broke any rules, we were put into the tear-gas chamber without gas masks and made to recite the Guard’s Creed:

I am an Equestrian Soldier.

I am a Warrior and a member of a team. I serve the people of the Equestria and live the Royal Guard Values.

I will always place the mission first.

I will never accept defeat.

I will never quit.

I will never leave a fallen comrade.

I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills. I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.

I am an expert and I am a professional.

I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the kingdom of Equestria in close combat.

I am a guardian of freedom and the Equestrian way of life.

I am an Equestrian Soldier.

Most of the stuff went on isn’t really worth writing about. It was the same routine, most of the time. We just went through drills, ate, cracked a few jokes, showered and went to bed. After our first encounter with them, the Pegasi we bunked with just ignored us and went about their daily routines. They still taunted us every now and then, but as soon as we looked at them, they would just shut up and act like nothing happened.

After only three weeks, their time here was up and they left. They hadn’t enrolled in the Academy, so they just went straight into the Guard. Seeing as this Training Camp in particular was suffering a shortage of new recruits, we got the cabin to ourselves.

A week before we were supposed to leave, we all stayed up and talked more than usual.
Bolt had just turned out the lights, and we were all lying in our separate cots. Out of the blue, I said, “Well, only a week left.” “Yup,” I heard Vigil and Bolt reply in unison. In the darkness, I could see Bolt fiddling with a pencil he’d found, and Vigil just lying there, his armor occasionally glinting in the moonlight that shone in through the window opposite him. “Say, Shining,” I heard Bolt ask, “You got a family or anything? Any particular reason you enlisted?”

“Y’know, we’ve all known each other for almost a year now, and…” Bolt trailed off.

“Well, like I told you months ago, I joined because I felt like I could help,” I answered, “But as for family, I’ve got two awesome parents with great senses of humor. I also have a little sister; her name’s Twilight Sparkle, and she’d be about six by now, and I’ll tell you, she is the smartest filly I’ve ever known. She’d started reading essays by Gordon Freecolt when she was five. We’re… really close. Mom and Dad told me that she calls me her ‘BBBFF’.” I paused a bit, waiting a bit for a response. When none came, I explained. “It stands for ‘Big Brother Best Friend Forever,’ in case you’re wondering,” I said, and saw Vigil nod in understanding. “Anypony else?” Bolt inquired.

“Doesn’t sound like it to me, the way you’re talking about her,” Bolt stated, grinning.

“I dunno, it’s confusing, right now,” I sighed, “I’d rather not talk about it…”

Bolt was silent for a while, then said, “Well, I was unemployed, before this. I was always looking for work and… here I am. I’ve got two little brothers to take care of; since my dad died in a mining accident and my mom’s extremely sick, I’ve got to feed everypony myself. It’s gotten me into the habit of always having to do something to occupy myself, since I’m usually working.

“My brothers are both earth ponies, like my dad. The older of the two, Fritz turns thirteen in five days, and the other one, Coil, is eight. My mom’s a unicorn, but that doesn’t do her much good. She can barely lift a quill, her magic’s so weak…”

We both looked to Vigil expectantly, waiting for him to start talking. When he noticed, he said, “Aw, c’mon!” Do I really have to give you my whole life’s story?” he stared at us both with his crimson eyes,, before telling us, “I’ll give you the short version. I was helpful and underappreciated. I tried to get into the Royal Guard, but they wouldn’t let me in, so I made myself some wings, ‘cuz I’m a freakin’ genius, and managed to get myself enlisted when I’d proven that they were real wings that I’d created myself. And before either one of you asks, no, I don’t have a family or friends, besides you two.”

With that, he turned over in his cot and went to sleep, or at least pretended to. Wordlessly, Bolt and I decided that it would be best to get some shut-eye, too.

It’s hard to believe it’s been a whole year since I’ve seen my own family.

I made it to the Academy a month ago. I’ve started taking various classes over various topics, from computer engineering to psychology.

That’s not why I’m writing this entry, though. I’m writing because of something that just happened.
I had just gotten out of some chemistry-related class I forget the name of. Because of the events that transpired over the past hour or so, it seems stupid that I’m worrying about something like that. Anyway, I was just walking out, when the professor teaching that class ran out of the room at me. He said something along the lines of, “Shining, you forgot this.” He handed me a piece of paper with some essay I’d written. “Wasn’t I supposed to turn this in to you?” I asked, giving the paper back to him, “You haven’t graded it yet.” He took the paper back, saying, “Yes, of course. My bad.”

I continued down the empty hallway. I was on my way back to my apartment, which I share with Vigil and Bolt. I passed a closed door and stopped. Something was banging on it. I trotted back, hesitantly. The banging was getting louder. I reached a hoof to the doorknob cautiously, and opened it. Behind the door was (as I already knew) an old classroom nopony had used in years. Inside was… the same professor I’d just talked with, bound and gagged. His forehead was bleeding profusely, and he was rolling round in a pool of blood, trying to scream through the gag in his mouth. I rushed to his side, untying him and yanking the gag out of his mouth immediately.

“What happened?” I asked him in a quiet voice, trying to help him stay calm. He stared at me, wide-eyed for a few moments, babbling incoherently. Eventually, he managed to get out, “Ch-Ch-Ch-Changelings…” before slipping into unconsciousness. Just then, I heard the door slam shut behind me. I turned around to see the other professor, who I now knew was an imposter. He was engulfed in green flames that soon consumed him, leaving behind what looked like a dark green alicorn with insect-like wings.

We stood there, staring at each other for a full minute. Finally, the intruder leapt at me. I rolled aside, causing it to miss and ram into the opposite wall. Almost immediately, it shook its head and turned back to face me. It closed its eyes for a few moments, then grinned. It was just then that I began to feel… anxious, like it knew what I was thinking, or something. Then, it was engulfed in another green flame.

She was older than when I last saw her, but only by a year or so. “It’s okay, big brother,” she said calmly, “It’s just a nightmare. You’re home. Now, do me a favor, and wake up.” “Twilie,” I gasped, reaching out to touch my little sister. Could it really be her? Suddenly, I felt very serene, like everything was going to be okay. I ran forward and embraced her, tears flowing from my eyes.

Then, I remembered the unconscious body that I had left right behind me. I looked back, and it was still there. Suddenly, the serenity I had felt just seconds ago shattered. I looked back to her, horrified, as a realization crept over me. “You’re not Twilight…” I muttered, rage building up inside of me. “Of course I am, silly,” she – no – it scoffed. “What’s the name of the doll I gave you when you were born?” I asked through gritted teeth. “Oh, that old thing? I threw it away years ago. You know that I’m too….” I cut it off. “WRONG!” I screamed, kicking the changeling with both of my hind legs. It flew backwards, into the same wall it had hit earlier. It began to levitate as I grabbed it with my magic. Before it was aware of what was going on, I threw it down to the ground and held it there.

It writhed on the ground, trying to escape its bonds. It even began shooting beams of magic from its horn in random directions, hoping to hit me. “WHY ARE YOU HERE?” I yelled at it, approaching it.

It laughed and said, no longer struggling, “The time of darkness is coming, young foal. Equestria will perish; the Queen has foreseen it. The Elements no longer realize Princess Celestia as their master, and your armies are no match for the many evils that await you. Equestria will die. I merely came as a messenger.” It then burst into a fit of insane laughter. I continued to hold it down, but it still managed to roll around on the ground, cackling. Eventually, the laughter began to grow weaker and weaker. It began to move more slowly, until, eventually, it just lay there, gasping for breath, and then, even that stopped. I stood over it and let go of it. Before it died, I heard it mutter, “First, the banished Princess bringeth nighttime eternal. Second, Equestria shalt fall into discord. Finally, whence love is at its strongest, one shalt deceive its betrothed and thus, creatures most foul shalt claim their landing, awaiting a future unforeseen.”

I picked up the professor’s body and managed to get him out into the hallway. Being unusually exhausted, I had to place him in the hallway and called for help. When somepony finally came, I told him everything and showed him the dead changeling. He then took the unconscious professor and called for some passing guards, who told me to come with them. I had no choice but to follow, and didn’t question where we were going. At least, I didn’t, until we started trotting down the street toward the palace. “Uhh… Where are we going?” I stammered as the guards continued marching. Without pausing, the one obviously leading the group answered, “Princess Celestia wishes to see you.” I kept walking on silently, my mind a mess of questions.

Why did Princess Celestia want me? Had she found out about what had happened that quickly? Was I going to be punished for what I’d done?

I pushed that last thought out of my head. That was ridiculous. I’d acted to defend a professor. Suddenly, though, I remembered what had happened on the carriage last year.

Ten minutes passed, and finally, we arrived at the palace. After entering, we navigated a maze of corridors until we came to immense double-doors that must lead to the throne room. Two of the guards pushed the doors open, while others stood aside. I hesitated for a few moments, not sure what to do. Then, I noticed one of the guards gesturing inside. He looked familiar…

The guard who had offered to recruit me all those years ago. He smiled, reassuringly and mouthed, “You’ll be fine.” I nodded, and, filled with new confidence, marched into the large room.

There she was. Princess Celestia looked exactly like how the legends described her. She was an alicorn that towered over me, looking down with calm, knowing eyes. Her mane flapped, as if in some nonexistent breeze. Then, I saw two ponies I did not expect to meet. Bolt and Vigil sprinted into the room, yelling, “He’s innocent! He didn’t do anything! You can’t punish him!”

I then thought about how they were doing this, even when they had no idea what had happened.

“Calm yourselves” the Princess said. Instantly, Vigil and Bolt felt silent and trotted to stand by my side. “It was Vigil’s idea,” Bolt whispered into my ear. Vigil scowled at him, and I struggled to keep a straight face. Princess Celestia eyed the three of us, almost like she was sizing us up. “Shining Armor,” she said with a tone of authority, (which makes sense) “I have hear much about you and your friends in this. I have heard about how you have taken several risks. In fact, I personally observed your training.

As you already know, a changeling infiltrated our fine city today. I was already aware of this, and had been preparing to send guards to eliminate the threat. By the time they had arrived, however, this threat had already been dealt with.”
She smiled.

She chuckled. “You must remember that I am a goddess,” she said, “Also, it helps that I own a telephone.” She gestured to a phone sitting in the corner of the room. I looked back to the door and saw one of the guards pull a cellphone out of one of the pockets on his uniform.

“I commend you for the swift action you took,” she continued, “You did not disappoint. Your friends did not, either, as they rushed to your aid, ready to help you, even when they were not aware of how they could.” Bolt beamed as she finished. Vigil simply nodded, as if in approval.

“Now, on a darker note,” the goddess continued, “I need you to tell me exactly what happened.”
So, I recounted the entire experience. I told about how I found the professor, how the changeling had turned into my sister, and about its prophecy.

“Hmmm,” the Princess pondered as I finished, “This is not what I expected. You may leave.” She looked back to us and gave a dismissive gesture. As I made for the door, Princess Celestia stopped me. “Shining Armor,” she called, “Due to the events that transpired tonight, you and your friends are excused from all of your classes for the rest of the week. During this time, I want the three of you to visit your families, to make sure they are safe.”

Obviously, it’s been three days. Vigil, Bolt and I split up for the first two days. Bolt and I went to see our families, while Vigil stayed behind at the apartment.

Eventually, I was at my front door. I took in a deep breathe. It had been so long since I’d seen them. I hadn’t contacted anypony, so they didn’t know that I was coming.

Two whole minutes passed, but they felt more like hours. I decided that I would just wing it. Without further delay, I knocked on the door. I heard a muffled voice call from behind. After about ten seconds, it opened, and before me stood Cadence.

She stared at me blankly for a while, probably still processing what she was seeing. Suddenly, I was wrapped in her warm embrace. “I was so worried,” she whispered. “It’s alright,” I replied, “I’m here now.” I stroked her mane as we stood there, hugging. We didn’t say anything. Too soon, she pulled away from me. Smiling, she said, “Welcome home.” I grinned back at her.

She stepped aside as I walked in through the front door. I observed my surroundings. “Place hasn’t really changed much,” I commented. “Nope,” Cadence answered, closing the door behind us, “Your mom and dad are out running errands, by the way. They should be home in an hour or so.” “’Kay,” I replied, “Is Twilie still here?” Cadence pointed up the stairs, saying, “She’s in her room, probably reading.” “Alright, thanks,” I said, already trotting up the stairs. I came to a landing and turned left. Immediately I was faced with a familiar closed door with “Twilight Sparkle” carved into the wood. I slowly pushed the door open and poked my head in.

Inside was Twilight. She looked a bit older than when I last saw her… almost identical to the way the changeling had looked when it took her shape. There was one distinct difference, though: this one had a cutie mark. The mark looked like some violet star, surrounded by smaller, white ones.

She was, of course, reading. With one of her forelegs, she was holding Smartypants tightly.

“Hey, Twilie,” I said quietly. She turned to look at me, and her eyes immediately widened. She ran up to me, gave me a quick hug, and started yelling in a singsong voice, “SHINING’S BACK! SHINING’S BACK” while jumping for joy. She sprinted down the stairs and I heard her exclaim, “Cadence, guess what? Shining Armor’s back!” “I know! I saw him while he was going to see you!” Cadence replied cheerily. Just then, as I was coming down, the front door opened, and there were my parents. Mom was carrying a bag of groceries, which she dropped upon seeing me. Dad just stood there, staring. “Hi, guys,” I said, before hugging them for a few seconds, then pulling away. “Welcome home, son,” Dad said, patting me on the back. “Thanks, Dad,” I replied, “I’ll only be able to stay ‘till tomorrow evening, though. I have to get back to the Academy” “Oh,” Mom gasped, “I don’t think I got enough groceries! You must be famished!” “Mom, I’m fine,” I said, calming her down.

After that, we all sat down and I told them about Bolt and Vigil. I told them about everything that had happened since I left.

After I told them about the changeling, Twilight was a bit nervous, and everypony else was fairly concerned as well.
We changed the topic and, for the rest of the day, just hung out. Same with the next day. Eventually, evening came, and it was time for me to go. We said our good-byes, and when I got to Twilight, she said, “Shining, about what that changeling told you?” “What about it?” I asked.

“It said there would be ‘nighttime eternal’. And, in this book, I read about someone named Nightmare Moon, and how someday she would…”

“She isn’t coming back, Twilie. Don’t worry. I’m sure that changeling was just trying to scare us. I love you, little sis.”

When I got back, none of us talked about the past two days. We all just went to a bar, the Green Dragon, and had a few drinks (I don’t remember that night at all).

I woke up the next morning with a headache and feeling sick to my stomach. Today’s Friday, so I’ve got two more days before having to get back to classes.

Loose Ends

by TheCrazedTurkey

Chapter 4