A few boring hours later, after Celestia was done with all her ruler work which consisted mostly of barking new orders and arranging better recovery conditions for Silverline, Chip got summoned to her private study.
It reminded him of his hive home – a stone interior with tons of books and clutter stattered about, with a heavy desk in the center. Celestia’s flowing mane cast small rainbows on the walls, which contrasted heavily with the mare’s serious face.
“Chip. I want you to listen to me carefully one more time,” she spoke, weighting every word, her brows furrowed. After a short pause she continued. “Can you tell me without a shadow of a doubt that Silverline is free of changeling control?”
“I wish I could, your majesty,” reluctantly replied the colt, bowing deeply. It was hard to discern anything in his state, and the changeling didn’t know the subject well enough to know how it acted before this whole mess.
“I suspected as much. As we stand now, there are two options. Either he really escaped and is telling us to immediately prepare for an invasion, or he is lying and is, in fact, a double agent now.” She bit her lip, her eyes stuck somewhere in the floor. The sun goddess sighed and looked Chip straight in the eye. “I need you to spy on him now.”
“Huh?” The changeling scratched his head at this. For him, the matter was simple. The wounded soldier was a potential liability. He should be terminated, both because he could be a traitor and was no longer fit for combat. Equestria had lots of stallions that could fill his place. “How, my Princess?” he cautiously inquired, deciding to not test his master’s judgment in her current state.
“That’s the part of the plan that I don’t quite like. But I see no other alternative,” sighed the Princess. “Hear me out. Maybe you’ll have a better idea yourself.”
“Silverline is a special pony. Not a regular soldier like these here, no. He is, or rather was, part of an elite force I used seldom, and only in dire need. They are highly trained ponies, veterans of many fields, their tradition and skills reaching back to the times I first founded their organization during the Disharmony Wars. Long story short, I’d wish for this particular colt to stay on our side,” grimaced Celestia, picking the stone floor with a hoof. “Now, the way I see it, he needs new recruits. His squad has been wiped, regardless of circumstances. The usual procedure is to select top guardsponies in the Kingdom and recruit them into the special corps. I’d like for you to be one of those recruits, Chip. Disguised, of course.”
“As you wish, my Princess,” replied Chip. He didn’t think much of the plan, and it was far better than his idea of sinking a fang or two in his throat to end his misery.
“There is one problem, and it worries me the most,” said Celestia, pacing slowly from wall to wall. “You have proved to me, and not once for that matter, that you know little of our culture. And that leads me to believe you know even less of our laws, traditions, politics…”
“Yes,” remorsefully replied Chip, allowing his ears to drop. Of course, he did read some books, but the Princess knew better. She was the leader here.
“Yes…uh,” sighed the regal mare, turning once again to look at the now sitting black colt. “I’m afraid I will have to put you through a crash course of guardspony duty. I just hope that my captain will be able to handle the likes of you. I ask of you, please,” said the Princess, coming closer and touching Chip’s cheek, “please take this seriously and do your best.”
“I have never done less than the best I can, my Princess,” assured the stallion, proudly displaying his black armored chest. If his ruler wanted him to become a guardspony, he would become the damn best watchdog the Kingdom has ever seen.
“I do not doubt that. But even with your supernatural abilities, will you be able to understand it all in just a month?”
“A month?” repeated Chip, deflating a bit. “Why so long, my Princess?”
“Long?” echoed the regal mare, surprise on her face. “Guardsponies are trained for years. Their bodies are strengthened, they are taught the law and various martial arts, as well as codes of behavior for those that deal with royalty. A month to fit that all into your head isn’t enough.”
Chip smirked. “Of course, a pony couldn’t handle it. But changelings are different, my liege. We adapt and learn extremely fast. We don’t live long compared to you, so we have to compensate. Do not worry…I assure you I’ll be as good as, no, better than whatever guardspony you can imagine!”
I just hope you’re right, thought the worried Celestia. Only you have a chance to save Silverline and the heritage he represents…
* * *
“Atteeeention!” shouted a white unicorn stallion. He wore a purple and gold armor chest piece and a helmet of the same color, adorned with a crest of electric blue hair. His name was Shining Armor, and the changeling was fairly certain he heard it before. But where? And from who?
Everypony, including the changeling wearing a red stallion skin, puffed out their chests and stood there motionlessly. Chip was quite excited to be honest – he barely got to know the captain and already they would play a game that he knew from his books. It was called “Simon says”. Shining Armor didn’t follow the rules exactly, but being a Captain and wearing such fancy armor, the changeling concluded that he was the one that makes up the rules.
“As you may know, my name is Shining Armor. You will call me either Captain or Captain Shining Armor. Is that clear?” he asked in a loud voice, directing a hoof at a colt right of Chip.
“Sir yes sir!” barked the soldier, earning himself a displeased grunt from the captain. Noticing his mistake, the recruit corrected himself, shouting: “Sir yes sir, Captain Shining Armor sir!”
“Better!” lightened up the white pony, inspecting the troops given under his command. He paused in front of Chip, staring him down with most unwelcoming eyes.
“What are you looking at, yellow belly?” spat Shining Armor, closing in the distance between their faces. Should the unicorn advance any closer, he could effortlessly poke out Chip’s eye.
“Sir, Captain Shining Armor sir?” asked the changeling in a confused tone. Celestia told him that the captain was made aware of his presence and that, apart from regular training, he would receive additional lessons from the white pony. Did Shining Armor not recognize him?
“You don’t look like a soldier to me!” barked the captain. “You look like a hillbilly stallion, brought here straight from the muddy fields and thrown here as a prank!”
Everypony around fought to suppress giggling and evil grins. What gives? thought Chip, unable to do anything besides staring back into his ‘superior’s’ blue eyes.
“Look at yourself! You came here to Canterlot thinking guard duty is just drinking and complaining near the town gates? Well, you were wrong!” continued Shining Armor, his steel gaze actually managing to irritate the changeling.
“This is serious business! We are the royal guards of Equestria! We have served the Princesses ever since this damn Kingdom was united under that banner!” yelled Shining Armor, forcibly turning Chip’s head towards a flag flapping in the wind. Under his skin, the masquerading colt was ready to bear his fangs at the insolent pony’s behavior.
“So I ask you again – the hell are you doing here, coming from the dirty fields and spreading mud all over the pristine castle floors, huh?”
Chip risked a glance down. He noticed his hooves were as clean as the next pony’s.
“Look at me when I’m talking to you, pony!” barked Shining Armor, slapping Chip across the face with an armored hoof. The strike wasn’t exactly hard, but it did turn his head and produce a nice wet slap that everypony else regarded with delight. “Now, don’t make me ask your stupid face again! What did you come here for?!”
“To be a royal guardspony, Captain Shining Armor sir!” barked back Chip, displeased and angry at the colt before him. If it wasn’t for Celestia’s explicit orders, the changeling would already gleefully be watching the ‘pristine white floors of Canterlot’ run red.
“Finally! Sweet sun, took your brain damaged flank long enough!” sarcastically replied the captain, laughing out loudly. “That’s right! You are here to become real stallions! No more running to mommy or cowering under your blanket! This is real business! This is about protecting the very Sun and Moon! You are here to give your lives so they can peacefully devote theirs to the well-being of our country! Remember that, and be proud of it! Be proud of being the royal elite of the guards!” he yelled, earning a round of cheers from his ponies.
* * *
All the new recruits were in high spirits while entering the cool barrack interior. All except a sulking Chip, who at the moment was allowing his imagination to murder the smug Shining Armor for the twenty-seventh time.
Once the introduction was done, the Captain toned down with the shouting a bit and showed his colts around, introducing them to the local field medic, Lovely Ladybug, and the smithy who preferred to be called Smithy.
Everypony was chattering and struggling for the best beds and spots when Shining Armor came inside, his helmet removed, revealing a short mane the color he wore on his helmet’s crest.
“Supper is at 1900 hours. Be late, and you don’t get to eat. We’ll have some evening exercises at 2000 hours, so don’t take too long eating. Ponies that show up late will do double time and twice as much. Lights are out at 2200 hours and we start our day with morning exercises at 0500 hours.”
Everypony, save for Chip, gave out some form of understanding grunt and resumed their bickering for a comfortable bed.
“You. My office. Now,” finished Shining Armor flatly, pointing a hoof at Chip.
The room pretended not to notice this, but as soon as the changeling’s brown tail disappeared behind the door frame, excited whispers and giggling commenced. Everypony was happy that the captain already found somepony to shout at and unload frustrations on, in addition to providing some pretty amusing gossip material.
* * *
Chip was happy too. If the captain wanted to have a go at him alone, in his own office, he hoped to Celestia the castle hired good cleaning services. He’d have Shining Armor spread all over the walls, as equally as possible, preferably beating him up into a bloody pulp beforehoof.
The two ponies marched across the training grounds and into a tower, watched all the time by several ponies off duty. Word spread fast around Canterlot, especially the staff, so everypony already recognized the poor soul that got on Shining Armor’s bad side simply because he existed.
The white stallion led his recruit up the stairs and into a room that looked like his office. There was a merry fireplace crackling near the north wall (a perfect place to bake some Shining Armor shish kebab ) a bed in the corner (maybe it had springs in it? They would be most useful) and a large desk with lots of paper and quills on it (Chip could practice hoofpainting even after the ink was gone!).
The Captain stopped in the middle of the room and closed his eyes, allowing his horn to glow a shade of purple. It kind of reminded him of Twilight’s magical aura. An aura he hasn’t seen in some time now. Maybe he should visit her now that he was well? Maybe she already had an answer for him? Or maybe she threw away the letter without even reading?
The changeling’s space out was interrupted by a pink bubble washing over him, a spell he did not recognize. He was now trapped inside with Shining Armor, surrounded by a rather firm looking barrier. Not that it mattered. The spell would fade away after removing his horn anyway.
“Redberry,” started Shining Armor, addressing the changeling by his fake name, “let me start off by apologizing for shouting at you so much. Sorry. I hope I didn’t hurt you too much with my punch? I tried hard to make it sound right, but using some force was necessary.”
The sincere and embarrassed expression of the stallion before him made Chip loose his battle hardiness.
“Huh?” was all the changeling could muster.
“Alright, let me start from the beginning. As you know, I am Shining Armor, Captain of the royal guard. And as far as I know,” said the white stallion, pointing at Chip, “you are Redberry, somepony who needs to learn the ins and outs of a guard’s duty in less than a month. Correct?”
“Uh-huh,” murmured Chip, still taken aback by this sudden change of tone. Little by little, his red coat became more intense on his cheeks. All the murderous thoughts he had up until now made him blush and mentally bash himself for not thinking straight.
The words that followed should have been obvious for Chip. “I had to make up a story that would justify you meeting me at strange hours. Ponies around here aren’t too sharp, but they ain’t stupid either. This is military work after all. Sorry, but I thought that it would be more believable if I simply had a go at you, rather than favoring you for no apparent reason.”
“Yes. Of course,” mumbled Chip, his embarrassment reaching new heights with each second. Celestia was right – he knew nothing about politics and intrigues. It seemed that being a changeling didn’t grant him special powers in that regard. He might have had a good instinct about it, but experience was what mattered in these situations. Experience and knowledge of who you were dealing with.
“So, I hope that since we have that cleared up, we can begin proper. I’m not such a bad colt once you get to know me, I promise,” chuckled the stallion, extending a hoof in a friendly gesture.
Chip accepted and shook his arm, excitement coming back to him in waves of questions he wanted to ask.
“Oh, just remember this. Outside this room, outside this bubble to be more precise, I am the angry and bad Captain Shining Armor that hates you. Please remember that, okay? I will shout at you, probably force you to do a lot of stuff you don’t deserve et cetera,” said the pony, apology in his eyes. “Know that I don’t have anything against you, and once this is all over, once your mission is over, maybe we could grab some cider or something.” The word cider made Chip feel a bit bad to the stomach, but he didn’t let Shining Armor notice that. “I could even introduce you to my fiancée and sister. I’m sure you’d like them, they are both great mares.”
Chip smiled and nodded. Maybe this wouldn’t be a total disaster after all.