//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 
// Story: Destiny's Gambit Part I: The Wayward Soul 
// by Echoes of the Voice 
//------------------------------//



Theme: “Ashielf Pi” by E.S. Posthumous

The threat of an invasion was real, and there was nothing else to go on. Captain Shining Armor made that much clear to the Royal Guard when Princess Celestia ordered for increased security. They were posted in strategic areas throughout Canterlot, especially the castle and the main plaza; though a large number of them were assigned to the train station. The reasons being that this was the only way out for unicorns and earth ponies in an emergency situation, and this was where the shield was intentionally weakened, so the train could pass through with little difficulty. Tomorrow would be the day of his wedding to Princess Cadance, however, so he was otherwise occupied, but his contribution was more than enough. The entirety of Canterlot was encapsulated in a massive shield, and the only two things that could penetrate it was unicorn magic and air. This was likely why tensions among the guards were nearly nonexistent, despite how serious and attentive many of them were. No invasion could touch the cliffside city. Even so, messengers were spread throughout, urging the citizens of Canterlot to be prepared, in case the city became a sudden battleground.
A few guards engaged in idle chatter, which Lieutenant Forest Evergreen allowed. So long as they paid enough attention to keep their spears from falling out of their hooves, then he had no issue. He was on the roof of the train station, presiding over his regiment. Unlike the rest, he was unarmed, since he preferred hoof-to-hoof combat. Next to him was another lieutenant, South Gale.
They were as night and day, standing together, despite both wearing the standard armor of the Royal Guard; the only deviation being a dash of purple on their helmets to mark their rank. Forest’s fur was an emerald green and eyes blood red, and beneath his helmet was the color of juniper. South was rustic orange and bore raven hair; her eyes were even darker, like obsidian. What made her stand out even more, however, was that she was one of a hoofful of pegasi officers, and further still was the fact that she was a mare in a line of work largely dominated by stallions. In this regard, Forest blended in among the officers perfectly, which in many ways was exactly what he wanted.
“So,” South said, “did you hear about who’s arriving on the train today?”
“No," Forest said. "Somepony important, I take it?”
"Oh, I'll say!"
“Well, who? Don’t keep me in suspense.”
South leaned in closer and whispered, “The captain’s sister and her friends. You know, the ones who defeated Nightmare Moon?”
“Yeah, I know who mean, but are you really surprised? It’s the captain’s wedding, so of course his sister is going to be there.”
“But she’ll be coming through here, while we’re here, too! We can see the heroes with our own eyes. We can finally see what they’re like.” South bounced from hoof to hoof in excitement, her eyes shining with wonder.
The story of the Element Bearers' defeat of Nightmare Moon spread like wildfire among the Royal Guard, in no small part due to the captain. Ironically, the rest of Equestria was largely ignorant of who saved it. Apart from the story, Forest fell into this category as well, though it was mostly from lack of interest. He saw the stain glass window in the throne room depicting their likenesses often enough, but never did he feel the need to ask the captain about them.
The next hour passed without incident. Forest had been a royal guard for over six years, so subconsciously taking note of changes was second nature to him: fresh guards coming to relieve those that were more tired of boredom than tired; a pony who seemed intent on taking the train out, but was politely declined; and a flock of birds skirting the outside of the shield, banking east toward Foal Mountain. He focused mainly on his own thoughts, however, along with the odd conversation he had with South.
"Any minute now..." she said excitedly, grinning.
Something caught Forest’s eye. He thought it was an insect, but it was spinning and swirling way too wildly for it to be under any sort of control. Curious, he activated his levitation spell and brought it closer. The “wings” were yellow and the “body” was brown. Now that he had a better look, it seemed less like an insect and more like a bat.
“Oh, that’s a birch seed!” South said. 
"A seed?” Forest asked.
“Yeah. It’s been a long while since I saw one. Where did it come from?”
“It must’ve come off a tree here in Canterlot, unless it flew in after the captain put the shield up, somehow."
“At this high of an altitude? Yeah, no. It’s weird, though. I’ve never seen a birch tree here."
“Could it have come from a part of the city you’ve never been to?”
“Must be, but I’ve been through most of it. It must’ve come from clear across the other side. That's crazy. Mind if I see it?”
Forest obliged, hovering the seed before South’s nose.
She eagerly studied every facet as a wistful expression swept over her face. "You know, when I was a small filly, I thought these were little spirits who somehow lost their way. I’d see how they’d slow down and fall to the ground and thought that they lost hope, giving up on ever finding their way back. I’d flap my tiny little wings to give them the needed push to move on and possibly find their path again. It wasn’t until I was older that I realized that they were only seeds and that I may have hurt them as much as helped, but at least I meant well.”
"You grew up in... the Neighagra Woods, right?"
South nodded. "Yep, we had a small cottage pretty close to the falls. Too bad Canterlot Mount's in the way, otherwise I could probably see it from here." She glanced at Forest in the corner of her eye, and that familiar mischievous spark entered her eyes, and she coyly smiled. "You know about my childhood, Forest. So when are you going to tell me about yours?"
"My answer is still the same."
She sighed and shrugged. "Can't blame a girl for trying. It's only a matter of time before you change your answer."
Forest brought the seed back in front of him, twirling it thoughtfully. An idea entered his mind, though he debated back and forth on whether he should suggest it or not. It seemed unprofessional, maybe even negligent of his duties, but it would brighten her day all the more.
“The train!" South shouted. "I see the train coming! It’s them!”
Forest looked on and sure enough, he spotted the slight distortion of purple, pink, and gold that formed the locomotive as it approached the shield. He brought the seed to the roof tiles below him and gently placed his hoof over it; enough to hold it down, but not so much as to crush it. The guards outside the shield parted their spears and, using their magic to create a gap, allowed the train to pass. This would be the last allowed to enter the city until further notice, by order of Princess Celestia herself. Here it would stay until the threat has passed, nor would any others come up behind it. Once captain gets word, he'll make the final reinforcement of the shield, and Canterlot will be in complete lockdown.
The train screeched to a halt and the doors opened. Three ponies poked their heads out. South immediately leaned in front of Forest, nearly pushing him out of the way in a vain attempt at a better look. When they stepped out, she ducked and backed away from the edge of the roof, then cautiously scooted forward to peer down at them. Forest recognized the blue pegasus and white unicorn, along with the orange earth pony with the Stetson hat. From this distance, he couldn’t make out much else in terms of physical features. They seemed to be muttering to themselves, looking at the guards around them. South lifted her head a little higher, still staring. A pink earth pony came trotting out gleefully, then stopped to sneeze. South flinched, not necessarily at the sheer volume, but at the confetti that shot out of her mouth and nostrils. Then the pony proceeded as if nothing strange happened. As South stood nearly to her full height, a yellow pegasus flapped out, joining the group. The one with the Stetson hat turned back to the train, where one more pony emerged: a violet unicorn with a purple mane.
Twilight Sparkle.
Finally, a name that came with the face. Forest once overheard the captain talking with the others about how reckless it was for Twilight and her friends to go into the Everfree Forest with barely a plan in mind; but he knew that he was also proud of her victory, as well as her progress as Princess Celestia's student. A second memory flowed across his mind immediately after the first. Before Shining Armor became Captain Campaign's successor, Forest once spotted him and Twilight flying kites in Pentennial Park. He was envious of their bond, but quickly buried the feeling in order to focus on the task at hoof. What that task was exactly, he couldn’t remember.
Twilight slowly stepped off the train, but then blew past her friends, not even slowing down for the guards to part their spears, who allowed passage just in time. Her friends exchanged looks as an unexpected sight emerged from behind them; a small dragon, far smaller than Forest expected one would be. Twilight seems to keep some strange company. They trotted after her, disappearing from view.
“She didn’t seem too happy,” Forest observed out loud.
“No, she didn’t…” South trailed off. 
He turned to her, surprised. "What's wrong?"
"Well, frankly...I’m disappointed. I was expecting something… I don’t know, majestic, maybe? Instead, the whole thing just sort of came and went. These are the Element Bearers, the heroes of Equestria! And…I don’t mean to sound judgmental, but half of them seemed pretty weak. If Rarity’s magic was powerful, that’d be one thing, but I feel like I could blow Pinkie and Fluttershy over like dust bunnies.”
Forest was about to comment on her sharp eyes, when another voice cut him off. “And yet, they were chosen.”
They turned around to find their superior officer standing behind them. Commander Firebrand matched Forest in terms of stature, but his fur was dark red with a bright yellow mane, giving the appearance of a pony-shaped blaze. His helmet had the same dashes as Forest’s and South’s, but his armor was outlined with purple as well. The added swirls gave it a more regal design, outmatched only by the captain’s.
“Hope you don’t mind, I’ve been dropping a few eaves behind you," Firebrand said.
"Commander,” Forest acknowledged.
“How goes it, sir?” South asked.
“About what you’d expect for an invasion—calm and quiet. Anyway, I couldn’t help but overhear your thoughts on the Element Bearers and I have something to say about that.”
“And that being?” Forest asked.
“Get ready for the sappiest drivel you’ll hear this side of Equestria! Physical prowess is all well and good, but...”
“Oh, no.”
“…it’s what’s inside that counts!”
Forest facehoofed as South groaned.
Firebrand laughed gleefully. "As cheesy as it may sound, that is pretty much how it works. The Elements of Harmony chose them for who they are, not their strength or fighting prowess. And speaking more broadly, it's easy to put your heroes on pedastals and build them up as more than regular ponies. Meeting them will give you that reality check, and you may feel disappointed, but when you next meet them, it'll be easier to approach them as the regular ponies that they most likely are. It may be a good idea to keep that in mind in the future.”
“Yes, sir," South said.
“Alrighty, then. There's a whole lot of nothing going on here, it looks like?"
“Apart from a rogue seed,” Forest said, “nothing noteworthy.”
“A rogue seed?”
“One from a birch,” South explained as Forest levitated the seed up to show Firebrand.
“How’d that get here?”
“That’s exactly what we were—oh! I thought it blew away.”
"I held on to it," Forest said.
“Why?”
He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Uh, Commander? Would it be too much trouble to disturb the shield and allow the seed to pass?”
Firebrand chuckled. “You really need to ask? I’ll create the gap, you just send it on through.”
“Actually, sir, there was something else I had in mind." Forest faced the shield wall, then levitated the seed in front of South once more. "Want to do the honors?"
She blinked in surprise. “You're setting this up for me?"
“Well...yeah, I am."
“Wow, just...that's really thoughtful of you, Forest."
He felt his cheeks redden, and hoped that the green of his coat would cover it up. “Just do it.”
She smiled and extended her wings. “Ready.”
“Now!”
He released his hold and with a firm flap, South sent out a gust of wind. Firebrand opened a gap in the shield and it slipped smoothly through, flying over the precipice and downward, in the direction of Ponyville. From here, he could see only a single large tree, in the center of the small town, that hung over the thatched roofs. Many times, he'd heard of the friendly attitude and boundless hospitality of Ponyville. In other words, a place he must avoid, if at all possible.
Forest felt a hoof on his shoulder.
“Thank you," South said.
“Don’t mention it," he said.
She gave him a light punch on his foreleg. “No promises. And you, Commander, have earned yourself a hug once we're relieved."
“Can't wait."
“Great. Have fun patrolling!" she called out as Firebrand walked off.
Forest was left alone with South. He was mostly silent the rest of the day, pondering, but always wary. As twilight arrived and the moon rose, the ponies that would be Honorary Lieutenants for the night came to relieve them. Increased security meant longer watches, so the thought of soothing his aching hooves spurned him homeward. South followed through on her promise to the commander and bade him and Forest good night before parting.
Now alone, Forest took his usual route through the main square, walking the now calm and mellow city. This was so familiar that he could allow his mind to wander and he’d still wind up at the barracks. However, his sight settled on something that brought him back to reality. It was Twilight and her friends. They were sitting at a table, drinking what he supposed were smoothies. The pony of note was the only one on her hind legs and speaking, while the rest lounged on plush cushions, concernedly listening.
He shrugged and went on his way, then heard Twilight’s raised voice. “I am not being possessive, and I am not taking it out on Cadence. You’re all just too caught up in your wedding planning to notice that maybe there shouldn’t even be a wedding!”
There was a loud thunk that emphasized her point. At this, Forest turned around. The smoothies were spilled out all over the table and Twilight was walking away in a huff—in his direction. For a brief moment, they made eye contact. Twilight’s expression, one of annoyance and irritation, didn’t change when she looked at him, not when she looked past him, and not even when she nearly ran him over. 
“Excuse me,” she muttered angrily.
This caught Forest off guard. He said nothing, merely stepping aside as she brushed past him, even though there was room for her to walk around. A voice in the back of his mind shouted to run after her and ask what happened, to ask what was wrong. But those words never made it to his mouth, nor did his hooves budge an inch. He just watched in silence as Twilight rounded a corner and passed out of sight.
He shook his head. It was better this way, anyway.

It was midmorning, and it was about as loud as a rustling leaf. Firebrand didn't let it show in his face, but underneath his armor, he was sweating by the gallon. There was very little precedent concerning assaults on Canterlot. The closest thing in recent memory was the Diamond Dog Rebellion, and that could hardly be considered a battle. Every pony in the Royal Guard had never been on a battlefield, himself included. There was no telling how they, or he, would react. All he could hope was that the threat would not come...
The bell rang out, loud and clear. Firebrand's mouth and throat went dry instantly, and he felt the color drain from his face.
...to pass.
The soldiers, interrupted from their usual banter, now looked around, alarmed, some even fearful. Forest and South were comparatively calm, but no doubt they were as scared as the rest. They were trained to hide it better. Firebrand gulped. They all knew what that bell meant, and no doubt similar bells would have heard and begun ringing across the city, warning the citizens of Canterlot.
Rapid and frantic hoofsteps approached from behind. Firebrand whirled around to find a guard running up to him, out of breath. "Commander! Scouts on the outer perimeter have spotted assailants approaching!"
"What are they?"
"Changelings, sir. There's a large swarm, so many that we can't count!"
"Changelings...?" Firebrand recalled what little there was known about the species. They weren't exactly friendly, but neither were they hostile to ponies. What could've changed? But there was no time to question that now. He ran over to the nearby ledge overlooking the railway platform and the dormant train, and propped himself up on it.
"Listen up, everypony!" Firebrand shouted. "I've received word that a swarm of Changelings are bearing down on Canterlot as we speak! The invasion is here! Steel yourselves, defend yourselves, and defend Equestria! Lieutenants Forest and South, on me!"
South was giving Forest a lift down as they descended from the roof of the station. Once they were low enough, she let go and he landed gracefully. Firebrand ran up to them, and tried harder than he'd care to admit to keep his voice from shaking.
"We're going to go with Plan C, it'll be the most effective against aerial assailants. You remember what that consists of?"
"Yes, sir," they said in unison.
"Good. Spread the word to your companies and get...ready..."
The words died in his mouth as the swarm came into view, a black infectious blight that grew bigger and larger, threatening to consume the otherwise gorgeous day. The swarm surged upward and outward across the shield, like locusts discovering a rich crop to devour. The mouths of the guards opened wider and wider as the gravity of the situation sunk in, the shadows of the Changelings passing over them, nearly blocking out the sun. The clank of a couple spears slipping from the grip of the guards resounded through the darkened train station.
"There must be hundreds of them..." South muttered.
That guard at the start was right. There was no use counting. To say they were outnumbered was an understatement. Thank Celestia the shield was still active and strong.
Firebrand took a deep breath, then once more called out to the guards. "Stand your ground! Even if they somehow break through, they don't have the training or tactics that we do! So long as keep our heads cool, we can beat them! Lieutenants, you have your orders."
They saluted and returned to their respective companies. South leapt into the air and hovered over the soldiers under her command, so she was in full view of all of them. "Listen up! We're going for Plan C! Unicorns, prepare your combat spells. For all of you, we're going to use the phalanx splinter maneuver. Keep your spears at the ready!" The soldiers saluted, then lowered the spears so they were horizontal in front of them. Forest echoed South's orders, and once again, there was no resistance. Good. Firebrand half-expected some of them to ask what was the point in preparing for battle if they were safe. But all understood that in this situation, there could not be enough preparation.
Many of the Changeling swarm concentrated over the train station, and began slamming the shield with their bodies. This was the first time Firebrand could see them individually. Though they vaguely resembled ponies in size and stature, they were much more beetle-like, with black carapaces and thin, transparent wings. Their tongues like those of snakes hung from their mouths when they weren't gritting their teeth, as they pounded away with increasing ferocity.
Firebrand once again wondered why they were suddenly so aggressive and hostile. The worst a Changeling would do is impersonate loved ones, consume the love that their victim made before they knew what hit them, then leave before the real one returned. They were deceptive, perhaps malicious, but didn't go out of their way to cause harm. What changed? He thought about the most common causes of wars: ideological differences—that definitely wasn't it—and...
A chill went down Firebrand's spine. He looked up, at the swarm high above the city. His suspicions were confirmed. A large number were heading for Canterlot Castle, but the majority of the swarm was concentrated over the residential quarter.
Of course. It was obvious.
Resources. Food.
"They're targeting the citizens," he muttered to himself, breathless. That part of the city wasn't considered strategically important, so there were only a hoofful of guards stationed there, at most. They'd be overwhelmed instantly.
"They're breaking through!" one of the soldiers shouted.
Firebrand snapped out of his thoughts and focused on the Changelings before them. Cracks were forming across the barrier, and small gaps were opening up. He could barely believe what he was seeing. The swarm shouldn't be penetrating the shield so easily. Why isn't the captain reinforcing it? He must know what's going on. He's not deaf, blind, or stupid! At this rate, the shield will fall, and Canterlot will be under direct attack.
Questions must come later, though. Firebrand immediately sprung to a gallop in Forest's direction. "South, on me!" he shouted. She flew down just as the two stallions met. He spoke urgently and quickly, laying out the plan.
"But, Commander," South said, "what about the castle?"
Firebrand's mouth formed a thin line as he gritted his teeth. "Celestia, Cadance, and the Element Bearers are there. We have to trust they'll be able to hold out. Go, Forest, now!"
"Yes, sir. Listen up, ponies! We're heading for the residential quarter, where most of the swarm is poised to attack. We're to ensure the safety of the citizens, beat back the swarm, then link up with Commander Poppinfresh's vigil in the main plaza. We're taking Lieutenant South's rearguard with us. Let's go!"
The eighty-one-pony army conjoined into a stampede straight down the street, with Forest taking the lead. The earth quivered from their combined gallops, and gradually lessened as they disappeared from view. That left South's vanguard and middleguard, a total of forty-two ponies. Fewer in number, but the soldiers in these companies were stronger and more practiced than the rearguard, with the vanguard containing the best of the company.
That was all he could hope for, as the cracks were now overwhelming the shield. Finally, the Changelings pulled back and, as one, slammed against the barrier. The spell was broken, and crumbled. The pieces of the shield shattered and disintegrated, cascading downward. The enormous power that expelled from the collapse quaked the ground, causing a a number of guards to lose balance and fall over.
The shaking stopped. The barrier was gone. As one, the swarm descended upon Canterlot.