Paper Pusher massaged his temple. It was not something he used to do, but now it seemed to be an hourly occurrence. Twenty-three minutes ago, Princess Celestia had used a window to exit Day Court. Twenty-two minutes ago, every pony looking towards Ponyville was blinded, and the Canterhorn gained a new tunnel through it. Twenty-one minutes ago, he scrambled the fastest flyers he had to investigate. Two minutes ago, he had sat at his desk and seriously considered drinking that bottle of contraband he found stashed in the bottom drawer.
He pushed the thought aside and looked at the cause of his latest headache. It was just a tiny strip of paper, placed into his hoof as fast as any Wonderbolt short of Rainbow Dash could manage.
Bearers MIA, SAR not possible.
The detailed report would take much longer, but he did not need it to know what needed to happen now. There was just no way to do even half of it with the current ponypower under his command. Not for the first time, he considered stepping down. Not that he could. There was literally nopony better available.
He sighed, set his guard guidebook on the desk, and flicked through it. This had to be done right, and the orders had to be written in the right way. The defence condition of the whole nation was required to rise, and given where it was left after the blight…
A draft. Conscription. Never in his life did he ever think he would see the day? Even with his less-than-perfect social skills, he could just see how badly many of the ponies would take this.
What is the world coming to? He thought, and it seemed like it was becoming a very different place than the one he grew up in.
A knock on the door broke his chain of thought.
"Come in."
The door opened, and a colt, far too young to normally be in the guard, trotted in. He snapped to attention and saluted. "Reporting as ordered, Sir."
"At ease and take a seat. We are still waiting on the others."
The minutes rolled by, and two other Royal Guards arrived, but not a single hair from a Nightguard was in sight. Where are they?