//------------------------------// // Chapter 15 - Changing of the Guard // Story: Break the Walls Down // by Super Saiyan D //------------------------------// =============== 8:12 AM Canterlot =============== Earlier that morning in the Royal Guard designated section of Canterlot Castle, the mess hall was filled with the bustling of new recruits, their voices echoing through the cavernous room as they shuffled through lines for food or talked over shared meals. The pegasus trio of Flash Sentry, Drizzle Hoof and River Mouth sat together at one end of one of the long tables. Along with them were fellow privates Ear along with table, their attention focused on Drizzle's animated storytelling. “And that’s when I slipped out to the palace wall to get a closer look at the action. I had a birds-eye view from the top of the wall of the Mystics taking it to those giant metal puppets. Blasting them to bits!” Drizzle Hoof said, dramatically gesticulating with his hooves. “And you should have seen Commander Dawn Stride out there! All the magic she was whipping around. Water, fire, the whole shebang!” Flash Sentry, sitting across from Drizzle, looked awed by the story. River Mouth, sitting next to him, had eyes only for the plate of food he was currently devouring. “Wow,” said Flash, “that sure sounds like something.” “Oh, that’s nothing! Then there was that famous captain of Coeurl Company. She took out dozens of those—” He paused, thinking. “What are they calling ‘em… robots? Yeah, that’s it. She was carving up dozens of those robots all by herself!” A snort came from the Earth mare sitting to Drizzle’s left. She leaned back in her seat against the wall, her brow furrowing skeptically. “Oh, come on. One mare did all that by herself? You saw it?” Drizzle paused, his mouth opening and closing as he considered his answer. “Well... okay, I didn't exactly see it. But I heard about it from a couple of Coeurl guards. And I saw what was left of them during clean up. The whole west side was covered with diced-up parts, like something went through ‘em like a hot knife through butter. The place looked like a scrap heap.” “Not saying much, considering the whole city looks like a scrap heap,” the Earth mare, Swivel Step, said. As Flash opened his mouth to respond, River Mouth bit into his sandwich so hard that a spurt of mustard shot out from the side into the” “Ugh! River! Flash shot River a look of disgust, picking up a napkin to wipe himself clean. “Can you at least try and eat with your mouth closed?” River, caught off guard, swallowed his mouthful of food and gave a sheepish smile, his ears pinning back in embarrassment. “Sorry about that, Flash…” he apologized, wiping his mouth with the back of his hoof. He shot a glance at Drizzle before returning his attention to his meal. Then Drizzle suddenly spotted somepony out of the corner of his eye. He flashed a surprised smile, raising his hoof and calling out. “Hey, Stiff!” The group looked as brown pegasus approached the table side by side with Cloud Zapper. Both held their meal trays with a wing. “Well, well, River Mouth. Never thought I’d see you here of all places.” Drizzle grinned even harder, his eyes shining with a youthful enthusiasm. “Can’t let you hog all the glory.” “You guys know each other?” asked Flash as the pair took their seats. “Unfortunately,” the brown newcomer joked. “We went to school together back in Cloudsdale. Name’s Stiff Breeze.” He nodded to his teammate. “This is Cloud Zapper.” The table of pegasi shot friendly nods Cloud Zapper’s way, who gave a quick wave back. “So anyway,” Drizzle Hood went on, “I was just trying to tell Swivel here about Coerul Company's captain they say took out a whole swarm of those metal monsters all on her own.” “And I’m telling you that’s impossible.” Swivel Step earth mare rolled her eyes, her voice dripping with scorn. “Taking out just one of those things would be hard enough, let alone a whole squadron.” “Don’t be so sure about that,” said the voice of a green Earth stallion, coming to join his squadmates Cloud Zapper and Stiff Breeze at the table. “Sorry to interrupt. I’m Greenbay.” He nodded to Stiff Breeze and Cloud Zapper. “We’re with the 51st Sentinel Company.” Flash perked. “Shining Armor’s unit?” “Yeah,” Greenbay confirmed before continuing. “You rookies haven’t seen Captain Stiletto during our group sparring sessions. Believe me, she’s the real deal.” Drizzle brightened, happy to have somepony in the know backing him up. Swivel Step wrinkled her nose, remaining skeptical. “I seriously doubt one pony could take on so many of those monsters by themselves, no matter  who they are. Sounds like somepony’s blowing smoke.” Flash Sentry’s brow furrowed with recognition. “Stiletto? As in the Stiletto family?” he asked Greenbay. Greenbay nodded. “That's the one.” “Who are they?” River Mouth asked while he chewed his newest mouthful. A charming voice suddenly chimed in. “You mean you don’t know?”   Heads turned to a red-furred, pink-maned unicorn mare came striding up to the table on the left. Only her left eye was visible, the front of her flowing main hanging over the right side of her face. “You’ll have to excuse us ignorant commoners,” Swivel Step said with a bit of sarcasm. She already didn’t like the vibe of this approaching mare. “And who are you supposed to be?” “Hey, Swivel, come on now. Don’t be rude.” River seemed especially keen on taking up for the charming stranger. The unicorn’s bright orange eye flicked to Swivel, glinting playfully. “Oh dear, don't mind me…” Her voice almost purred as she leaned down beside the table. “My name’s Sizzle Pop. I’m part of the Mystics division. I couldn't help but overhear your little conversation.” “Don’t worry about it,” Drizzle Hoof added pleasantly. “Most of us are brand new. Nice to meet you, Sizzle.” “The pleasure’s all mine,” Sizzle said smoothly. Drizzle took a minute to give quick name introductions to the others at the table. River Mouth swallowed his next bite and asked, “So, you know about this so-called Stiletto family?” “Most in Canterlot do,” Sizzle replied. “Some ancestor of theirs was a famous swordstallion back in the day. Now the family runs the biggest fencing school this side of Equestria. Several of them are even officers throughout the Royal Guard. Very wealthy, very influential.” “Very condescending,” Flash added, some scorn making its way into his voice. “Oh? Someone gave you some ‘rich privilege’ trouble along the way, huh?” Sizzle laughed gently. “Well, I'm afraid I can't help much in that department. I'm a rich brat myself.” The unicorn smiled widely, playfully waving a hoof. “But then, so are you, aren’t you Mr. Sentry?” Without ever meeting Flash before, she seemed to know of his decorated family history. Flash eyed her carefully. “Somepony sure knows their stuff.” “I'll admit, I'm a bit of a gossip.” The unicorn tittered and gave her mane a playful shake. “Can't help myself.” “Bet you can’t…” Swivel mumbled under her breath.  “But Captain Sangra’s isn’t like that,” Greenbay put in. “She’s nothing like those elitist pricks.”   Cloud Zapper made a disapproving face. “You shouldn't talk about our superiors that way, Greenbay.”   “Well, there’s always exceptions to every rule.” Sizzle shot another quick grin. “From what I hear, she’s considered the black sheep of the family.” “Why’s that?” River Mouth asked, his brows rising in interest. “Too ‘unrefined’, so say the other Stilettos,” Sizzle said. “She’s the rough and rambunctious type. Would rather get in a mud fight on the streets than make any attempts at class. She has quite the rebellious streak.” “She sounds like quite the mare,” Cloud Zapper commented with interest. Sizzle chuckled. “Indeed she is.” There was a glitter in her eyes as her gaze turned to the blue-and-white-haired colt. "And you must be Cloud Zapper.” Surprise showed in the young stallion’s face. “You know me?” “Word gets around fast,” Sizzle said, her voice purring sweetly. Her eye swept over the younger pegasus before her. “You've been the talk of the barracks. The Inquisitors said they found you around piles of those metal monsters. You must be quite the fighter.” Cloud Zapper blushed, suddenly feeling a little awkward under her gaze. “I just did my duty, that’s all.” Sizzle couldn’t stop the giggle that escaped her, her orange eye sparkling. “A modest soldier, I see. Nothing wrong with that... it suits you.” With a playful swipe, she gently tugged at his mane Swivel Step cringed and leaned herself away. She could barely believe what she was seeing. This mare had just met Cloud and was practically fawning over him? “Well, as you can see, there aren’t any unicorns here,” she said brusquely. “So we won’t be seeing much of a Mystic.” “Not necessarily.” Sizzle’s eye narrowed slightly. She maintained her cheerful and flirty demeanor, but Swivel’s words sounded something like an attack. “I guess you haven’t heard. A big push for inter-division transfers is coming up soon. Plenty of openings for anypony wanting to shake things up.” Cloud Zapper tilted his head. “So, you’re planning on joining the Militia?” Sizzle’s expression brightened as she gave a soft laugh. “Oh, no. I'm more interested in the Aerial division.” That came as a surprise. Along with pulling and escorting the princess’s carriages, the Aerial Guard flew and operated the royal airships. Historically, it was a division reserved specifically for pegasi, as the Mystics were exclusive to unicorns. Only the Militia and Inquisitors had always been available to all races. Swivel seemed less than amused. “The deck of an airship sounds like a weird choice for a unicorn.” “Shows what you know,” Sizzle replied with a hint of haughty sass. “The high command is looking to change up their approach after seeing what Doctor Eggman and his metal golems can do. Story goes they’re looking to make more airships, and outfit them with weapons that pack more of a punch.” Swivel frowned. “What kind of weapons?” “The magically operated kind,” Sizzle answered with a smirk. “So they’ll need a steady set of unicorns for each ship.” Stiff Breeze looked mildly amused. “Got your eyes on the skies, huh?” “You've gotta be smart with where you place your chips,” said Sizzle. “Then I guess Drizzle and I might be seeing you after all,” said River Mouth. “That’s where we’re headed.” Flash Sentry raised a brow, his ears pinning back in slight disapproval. “Really, guys?” “Oh, don’t give that look, Flash,” Drizzle huffed. “You know I love flying.” “Not to mention it’s one of the most prestigious spots,” River Mouth added. “They’ve got some of the best perks.” “Suit yourself,” Flash muttered. “I wanna be on the ground, in the fight. Not flying over it.” “Aerial is a smart choice,” Sizzle commented. “They don't get as banged up on the front lines as much as the ones on the ground. Gotta be smart with where you place your chips.” “Whatever helps us beat those things,” Cloud Zapper spoke up. “Anyway, it’s also nice to know we’ll have someone else helping us out in this fight.” Several heads turned in Cloud Zapper’s direction. His statement had just broached the now widespread topic of discussion that was Equestria’s other alien visitor. Sizzle was the first one to address it. “You mean the demon?” “His name is Sonic,” Cloud Zapper said, surprisingly firm in the hedgehog’s defense. The other stallions leaned in to listen more closely, their focus sharpening on the exchange. Sizzle smirked, clearly finding the colt’s defensiveness fascinating. “You two buddies or something?” “He saved my life yesterday,” Cloud Zapper said. The ponies shared looks of surprise; Stiff Breeze in particular. This was the first time he had heard about this from his squadmate. Sizzle’s smirk softened into a small smile as she tilted her head. “When?” River Mouth asked. “Where?” “It was on 3rd Street, by the collapsed Grandeur Suite motel,” Cloud Zapper explained. “My whole unit got overwhelmed by a horde of those… er, robots.” Stiff Breeze seemed to nod along. He’d been captured and thrown into one of those big metal containers too before reinforcements had come along to free him. “I was on my own, thinking it might be the end. Then he came out of nowhere...” Cloud Zapper sounded awed as he recounted what he’d seen. “Took them all down in a flash.” Drizzle Hoof’s ears perked up. “In a flash?” He seemed to be picturing it in his mind. “I can vouch for that,” Greenbay added. “I was with the squads further west when one of those giant ones with the hammer and its escorts were wreaking havoc. I saw him stop one of my team from getting a lance through his chest. The guy moves like the wind.” Flash Sentry stared without blinking. An alien hedgehog joining the Equestrian forces in a fight against an unknown invader? It was a bizarrely fascinating prospect. “So, he just decided to fight alongside the guards? Just like that?” “You haven’t seen the news or the paper?” said Greenbay. “Him and that Eggman guy who led those robot things have beef.” “Beef?” Flash repeated, raising an eyebrow curiously. “What kind of beef?” Sizzle couldn’t help but chuckle. The thought of two mysterious invaders having a personal quarrel seemed to amuse her. “According to him, Equestria’s not the first place Eggman has tried to take over,” Greenbay said. “Wherever they’re both from, the blue guy seems to make a hobby out of ruining his day.” That got a few chuckles from around the table. Swivel Step frowned. She had heard of this ‘Sonic’ in yesterday’s latest paper. Following the wild speculations and accusations from just about every other press in the country, Equestria Daily had released its own piece after the battle. In stark contrast to all the rest, the Manehattan-based paper sang the hedgehog’s praises as a heroic defender. She’d also seen the main story on Equestria News Network that had been rolling since yesterday, where Sonic himself had answered a string of questions on the entire matter directly to reporters. Even so… “And we can trust him?” “He's on our side,” Cloud Zapper said firmly as if the words were clear fact. “And how can we be sure that’ll always be the case?” Swivel challenged. Flash watched the exchange with tense interest. It seemed that the table’s opinion of this hedgehog was mixed; a fair amount of skepticism from Swivel, and admiration from Cloud Zapper. Sizzle appeared to find the topic amusing, watching the pair go back and forth while keeping out of the discussion. This hedgehog was making for a fascinating study. “He kept me and my buddies alive,” Greenbay put in. “That's good enough for me.” Greenbay’s comment seemed to give the others pause in consideration, though Swivel still seemed to have a trace of doubt. She remained silent, waiting for somepony else at the table to share their thoughts about this ‘Sonic’. “He sounds like quite the impressive character,” Sizzle said with a smile. “Sure does,” River agreed. “If we’re lucky, maybe we’ll get to meet him ourselves.” Drizzle gave a half smile. “Maybe.” And then Drizzle happened to notice the clock. “Whoops, looks like it's getting about that time. We need to head to the training courtyard.” The privates nodded in agreement. Swivel Step was the first to stand, her mane and hooves settling as she looked forward to the upcoming exercise. Flash and the others followed suit. “Good luck, boys and girls,” Sizzle purred. “From what I hear, you’ll need it.” And then she turned and strutted away. “Uh... what do you think she means by that?” asked Flash. “Who knows?” Swivel said with a snort. “She probably just likes to come off as cool. Not even sure she means half the stuff she says.” In Swivel's mind, that flirty mare was trouble. The young privates began their stride from the mess hall and made their way outside. Between making their way around the palace pathways, getting to the courtyard, and forming up with the collection of other recruits, the whole process took no more than ten minutes. The morning sun was just rising over the horizon as they milled about in the rows of other pony recruits. “Attention!” Sergeant Boomer bellowed in classic military cadence, a signal for all the troops to straighten up and salute. The squad members, as well as the others gathered, did just that. The drill sergeant began to inspect the various recruits on each physical detail, ensuring everypony had their armored uniforms up to code and their appearance properly maintained. And the call was for another reason: a high-ranking officer had just arrived. At the head of the group, in black and gold armor, came a tall, thin, blue unicorn mare. Colonel Fotia strode across to the center of the field in front of the group, turning to peer over the group of new privates. “At ease,” she said, her voice calm, cool, and relatively soothing for a hardened higher-up officer. The squadron members lowered their hooves and relaxed their positions, though their bodies remained straight as they focused on the new unicorn that stood in their sights. Flash and most of the others were intrigued; Cloud Zapper, however, instantly recognized her. “My name is Fotia,” the mare said. Her reputation preceded her: the commanding officer of the Militia’s 51st Battalion. One of the highest-ranking officers in the entire Royal Guard. Her voice was crisp and clear, but never harsh. “But you’ll call me Colonel or ma’am. Understood?” Everypony responded to the colonel with a firm “Yes, ma’am!”. Flash Sentry’s ears perked up, finding her speech to be rather calm and soothing compared to what he was used to from the rough and strict Sergeant Boomer. Everypony’s eyes were now focused on the colonel, all their ears listening closely to hear what she had to say. “Allow me to make something crystal clear for anypony who’s unaware: we have a new enemy. Yesterday's attack on Canterlot was repelled, but the mastermind behind it will return.” Fotia’s gaze hardened imperceptibly. “War has come to Equestria's doorstep.” Flash felt an empty feeling in the pit of his stomach. War. Notwithstanding his brave words in front of his squad, that’s the one thing he’d been trying to avoid thinking about since yesterday. Something, he was willing to bet, neither he nor any of his fellow recruits ever dreamed they’d experience in their lifetimes, let alone right out of the Academy. Despite his attempts to push the thoughts to the back of his mind, the colonel’s harsh reminders brought them bubbling back to the surface. He wasn’t alone. The words sent a wave of uneasiness over the entire group. River Mouth’s ears lowered, his expression anxious by the time the colonel had finished her statement. After a thousand years of peace, Equestria would now face war. “Their Majesties have placed me in charge of your training,” Fotia said further. “It will be my duty to see that you are properly prepared for the battles to come. I intend to fulfill it.” Even though the news about the coming battles that all their lives were about to be intertwined with made the air heavy, there was a quiet buzz around the young soldiers as they heard the colonel’s statement. “Fotia the Blue Flame” had earned quite the reputation over her years of service, especially after yesterday’s battle. The training was going to be intense, and from the sounds of it, not just physically but mentally as well. The new privates perked up, their bodies tensing as they anticipated the upcoming physical strain of the exercises ahead. “And for that purpose, I will have another officer assisting me,” Fotia said, her voice remaining firm and clear. Both she and Boomer turned their heads to the right. From somewhere in that direction, a shape suddenly glided down into view, landing a few feet to Fotia’s right. This pony was shorter than average. The leathery wings distinguished her as a bat pony, and the blue-shaded variety of an officer’s armor she was clad in marked her as a member of the Night Guard—the division directly under the command of Princess Luna. The chest piece of her armor and the forehead center of her helmet featured emblems in the shape of a crescent moon, as if to proudly display that very fact. But the helmet had been modified, including a piece that hung over and covered the wearer's face like a mask, concealing all but the eyes. And her jade eyes were piercing. The entire group’s focus fell to the new officer. Flash’s eyebrows rose. He’d never seen one up close before, but he’d heard enough to know the presence of thestrals was a given in the Night Guard. But there were long-standing rumors of their aggressive, almost predatory nature, and outright viciousness in battle. Even with that in mind, this one seemed… different. The lavender and pale green colors on the visible parts of her wings and body. That masked helmet seemed custom-built just as much to intimidate as it was to protect. And those eyes… Flash looked at the slit pupils inside the jade orbs staring out from the helm, and a shiver went up his back. His ears involuntarily lowered in submission, and he couldn’t but glance away. “This is Captain Umbra,” said Fotia, introducing the lead officer of the entire Night Guard. “She’s one of the most gifted young fighters in all the Royal Guard. I expect you'll learn much from her.” Flash was a little taken aback by the fact. He’d expected the lead officer of an entire division to be an older, grizzled veteran. He didn’t know much about the captain, but one could only presume that being chosen for such a rank would be a big responsibility, with all the high expectations that came with it. It spoke volumes to him of her capabilities. He gave the Night Guard captain another respectful but fearful glance. The sheer air of menace the young mare carried was almost frightening. It made even the most intimidating drill sergeant look like a gentle kitten by comparison. Like she could bring down virtually any soldier on the spot, and was almost waiting for an excuse to do just that to any who dared to cross her. ‘Celestia knows what she’s going to be like as an instructor…’ Flash thought to himself, glancing around. Judging from the others’ faces, they all had the same thought. “Now then,” Fotia said at last, “let us begin.” Artwork: Umbra (updated helmet)