They say patience is a virtue. If one waits for the perfect opportunity and is bold enough: the world is theirs.
For one guard, It was a lesson he wouldn't soon forget.
It started during a crisp night in the capital of the Griffin Clan, high in the mountain ranges beyond the border of Equestria. The capital was surrounded by a 50-foot wall that was considered throughout the known world as impenetrable for the ten generations it has stood. The Dragon Clan and their magic were the closest to breech the wall around a century ago, and if by close you mean to stain the bricks black with no damage.
One guard was on his nightly patrol on top of one of the walls that stretched for miles. That wall in particular faced in the direction towards a ungoverned desert region hundreds of miles away. "The Badlands" they were called; where stories of a dark, agile, and aggressive colony of bloodthirsty creatures existed.
In the grand scheme of things: This guard was not special. He wasn't in the top 10 of his class. He didn't have any special powers. He didn't learn magic like some of those in the Pony or Dragon clans. He was just a guard doing his shift, trying to serve his clan and make some bits on the side as well.
Armed with only a sword, musket, a lantern, and his instincts, the young man made his nightly patrol from one tower to the other. The trek between each end of the wall would take a few hours each way, and would test a person's fear of heights. That night was a bit more difficult than most due to the new moon, so the visibility was only how far would the lantern let you see.
The first five minutes of his shift seemed normal. He left the warmth and security of the northwest tower and started his nightly patrol. A light breeze was chilling his exposed hands, and it made the bottom of his brown cloak dance.
The guard wished he was at home, cuddled with his dog by the fire as he stopped for a break and kneeled down to place the lantern down to blow hot air into his hand. He didn't expect the wind to pick up, even if it was for an instant.
Problem was...
"That was no wind," his instinct told him. He looked around at his surroundings, even though he could of barely see in front of him. He could of easily seen the lights in the city, and the lantern light from the guard on the other side of the wall. He did look to the guard on the other end of the wall miles off in the distance: Everything looked normal at first, but he could only watch as the lantern from the other guy was swarmed with... whatever nearly took him not a moment ago. The guard left his lantern, and bailed back to the tower he was started from in full sprint.
He turned around while running to see that the light from the tower on the other side of the wall was also being swarmed. Whatever they were, they were crawling into the tower itself through the windows. The sounds of musket fire in the distance made the guard run harder: This was no hallucination. The guard pulled out his sword as soon as whatever was attacking the city starting jumping over the wall and nearly colliding with him.
Down in the city was chaotic from the guards vantage point: Fires were being started from the lanterns and candles that were being knocked over. Sounds of screaming, musket fire, and the blazes can be heard. Many of the towers started firing distress flairs, hoping that any of the cities nearby would see the signal.
"Open the door!" the guard screamed at the tower with the creatures leaping the wall all around him. The iron doors swung open, revealing two of his comrades motion him to hurry up.
"Close the dammed door!" the tower commander barked at the two guards as soon as the wall guard made it inside. As they were closing the door, of of 'them' jumped through. The thing was ugly: All black, green bug like eyes, sharp claws, and a horn protruding from the head. It looked around at the scared faces, Hissed, and went right towards the tower commander.
Being the only one ready, the guard that ran through the attack shoved the commander out of the way, took a knee, and held his sword up like a pike. The creature ran into the sword, causing a crunching sound that made everyone in the room cringe.
The creature was motionless as the guard unceremoniously kicked it off his blade, which was covered in a green goop. The entire tower became face to face with what they were dealing with.
"Changelings," the commander announced. The guards were unnerved by that revelation. They grew up knowing the stories of the Changelings and their nasty ways of killing unsuspecting trespassers to their territory.
"Sir! A messenger came with a order!" screamed a guard from the first floor, with a man that everyone recognized from his attire as a member of the elite royal guards.
"The king has ordered all able-bodied men to defend the castle. He also has specifically ordered tower defenders to carry as much supplies as each member can. This looks like something that we can't beat back in one night," the royal guardsman decreed.
They didn't take long to strip the tower of carry able supplies. The supplies were divided into and crammed into bags that each individual guard had to carry on their back. The thirty man tower unit was huddled near the street level iron door, trying to mentally prepare to enter the fight.
"Remember boys: Stick together. Someone goes down, get their supplies if its the last thing you do. If one of 'them' aren't attacking our unit: let them be," The royal guard yelled to the the tower unit. The entire unit looked scared, but they knew they had to do it to save their homes and families.
"Lets go!" Barked the tower commander as two of the guards swung open the tower gates. The unit rushed outside to the chaos that was the capitol streets.
It was pure chaos: entire blocks were ablaze, the dead and dying human and Changelings were lying on the streets. Civilians were running in every direction, with Changelings giving chase.
The unit ran as one, passing by the dead and dying. For the most part, the Changelings largely ignored the men. One against 30 armed humans was suicide and they knew it.
Sadly, did not stop one Changeling to ambush a guard who was on the very rear of the unit. The Changeling leaped from a dark alleyway and tackled the rear guard, slashing away with its sharp claws through the guard's unarmored body.
A barrage of musket fire ended the Changeling's attack, but it was too late to save the guard. In fact: The guard was gone from the first swipe. As the rest of the unit had to stop and watch as a few of the guards pulled the bag from what was left of the body.
The closer they reached the castle in the middle of the city, the less amount of Changelings were spotted.
The unit was carved down to 20 men, many had injuries from scratches and deep slashes. One was unfortunate enough to lose his arm. A collective cheer broke out in the unit as they approached their fellow guards where on rooftops and behind wooden, makeshift barricades.
The unit made their way into the outer walls of the castle. The massive courtyard that was usually filled with Lords, Dukes, and Barons were now filled with Soldiers, Blood, and Fear. The once luxurious Gazebo was turned into a triage center, servicing military and civilians alike.
"Supplies goes by the fountains! Anyone who is injured: go to the triage center," one of the guards repeated in the chaos of the hastily made defense.
The unit began to drop off their supplies and began to carry their injured to triage, the tower commander among them.
"My boy, come here," the commander ordered the wall guard. The wall guard who survived the initial attack listened as the guards who was carrying the injured middle-aged man stopped. "I'm in no shape to make the trip to the throne room to report our unit battle ready. You must do it, you must tell them what you saw," he said as he was carried away.
The walk up to the emergency throne room was a long one. The emergency tower room was located on top of the massive tower sticking out of the castle. The entire trip though the never ending stone stairwell took around twenty minutes.
The emergency throne room near the top of this tower was not as luxurious as the one in the castle, but when that room was to dump many of the injured in the city, it had to do.
To the guards surprise: the prince and princess were the only ones awake in the room. The king and queen were slumped to their chairs.
"Guard," the prince commanded. "What information do you have for us?"
"I was to report that my tower unit was ready for the King's defense," the guard announced with a salute.
"I see," the prince said uninterested. "The king is in slumber, so you must be on your way. Although..."
"Why would the King be asleep at a time like this?" The guard accidentally asked out loud.
The prince snapped. "How is that your business, pheasant?! The king decides when he sleeps, not you!"
"My apologies, my lord," The guard replied. "Anything else I can do for you?"
"Now that you mentioned it: The generals have kept me in the dark about the strategy to defend the castle. What are they?"
"They didn't tell me outright the strategy, but from the looks of things they are making a final stand at the outer walls of the castle," The guard observed.
"Thank you guard. And for your bravery: you are relieved from the upcoming battle," the prince said as he dissipated into a bright green light, along with the princess. The guard can only watch in horror as two tall, regal looking creatures came out. The eyes, horn, claws, and holes on the legs was a dead giveaway: They were Changling royalty.
The guard attempted to make a desperate break for the stairwell, but was stopped by seven changelings blocking the exit. As the two Royal Changeling Drones and the common ones walked closer, the guard could only pull his sword out, and prepare to defend himself.