Despite considering the remark an affront to his leadership capabilities, Shining Armor kept quiet about it and merely dismissed Sound Barrier. It wasn’t long before night fell and Shining Armor got Revenant and headed down to the police station to speak with Lieutenant Roscoe. Shining hoped the conversation would momentarily distract him from Braeburn’s sudden attack on his credibility and would give more insight as to what happened.
Lieutenant Roscoe was a young stallion, chocolate brown with a spikey blonde mane. He carried a baton underneath his coat at all times, partially hidden away from view yet well within reach of mouth or hoof should he require it. He seemed nervous about Shining Armor asking him questions and constantly went to get a drink of water.
“…and before I knew it, it had changed to look like that mare that works the general store. Cherry Breeze, I believe her name is.”
“Did you ever have an attraction to this Cherry Breeze?” Shining Armor asked. Revenant Wings speedily wrote down the exchange, and looked to Lieutenant Roscoe eagerly to see what he answered with.
“Yes,” Lieutenant Roscoe said quietly. He picked himself up and went for another glass of water. “Yes, I have a crush on her. I never let her knew of it. And, with this bug-pony suddenly changing itself into her, I don’t plan on doing so soon.”
“So, what happened afterwards?”
“Best I can explain is that I suddenly found my energy depleting. I became tired, fatigued. I probably would have stayed like that unless I found the fang.”
Shining Armor nodded. “Definitely sounds like a Changeling. It transformed into you and started to twist your mind to feed off the love you had for your crush. It must have been weak if the transformation into your love wasn’t complete.”
“I think I would have preferred it biting and scratching me,” Lieutenant Roscoe said. “I imagine that would be what Tartarus is like, having to suffer at the hooves of what you love.”
Shining Armor looked over to Revenant, who didn’t say anything but raised an eyebrow as he continued writing. “What happened next?” Shining asked as he turned back to Roscoe.
“Well,” the Lieutenant said, “I fought off its influence. It tried tricking me with the look of Cherry Breeze again. I knew something was wrong with it, but I couldn’t fight back like that. So, I took my chance when it became a Changeling again and beat it to death.”
Shining Armor’s eyebrows widened in surprise. “You beat it to death?” he asked, a touch more surprised and empathetic than he would have wagered.
“That thing was a monster!” Lieutenant Roscoe nearly yelled, looking to Shining Armor with wild eyes. “What was I supposed to do? Let it drain me of my energy? Let it do the same to others? My duty is to this town and its people, Captain, and if it means beating it to death, I would have eagerly done so again!”
At this point, the Lieutenant broke down crying. He dropped his head, and turned away to get another glass of water. He spilled it all down his front and ended up getting another one to make up for it.
“I do not blame you in the slightest,” Shining Armor said after he’d allowed the stallion a few moments of silence. “Changeling magic is not exactly a pleasant experience. It was good that you attacked it and were able to fight back.”
Lieutenant Roscoe choked, but didn’t say anything.
“I have one more question for you,” Shining Armor said gently, “and then I’ll let you go. Where did you find these two changelings?”
Lieutenant Roscoe composed himself. “It’s by the farm owned by Braeburn. You know of it?”
“I do,” Shining Armor said. “I’ve been down to speak with him once.”
Roscoe nodded. “Head east from the orchard. Go across the desert to the first hill you find. On the other side is where I found the bug-pony crashed in the sand. His partner wasn’t far away.” He shrugged. “Don’t know how much you’ll find of him, though. The desert is keen on hiding those it takes.”
Shining Armor nodded. “Thank you very much, Lieutenant Roscoe. That is all. Where do you go from here?”
The Lieutenant took to one of the desks. “Whatever doesn’t put me in contact with one of those things again.” And he took up to writing up some report as Shining Armor and Revenant Wings left.
“Well, that sounds like one off the list,” Revenant Wings said solemnly as they went back to the hotel.
“Indeed,” Shining Armor said. “But we still have the support of the rest of the Sheriffs. Roscoe acted bravely and quickly, and he possibly saved some lives. He’s already lived up to his duty.”
“What is our next move, sir?”
“We’ll drop off your notes at the hotel,” Shining Armor said. “Then we’ll collect Sound Barrier and go and check out the site.”
“But so late?” Revenant Wings said, motioning to the increasing night. “If it gets much darker, they could melt into the blackness.”
“You can carry a lantern,” Shining Armor said. “And besides, it looks like we’ll be gaining Princess Luna’s help tonight.”
The moon was shining brightly in the sky as Shining Armor and Revenant reached the hotel. Revenant was outfitted with a spare railroad lantern and his spear while Shining Armor and Sound Barrier carried their spears. Shining Armor and Sound Barrier galloped down the road with Revenant flying overhead in high pursuit as they headed through town and over to Braeburn’s orchard.
The lights in the farmer’s orchard were dark and the pale light of the moon gave the orchard a strange feel. Shining Armor led the way through the orchard and turned eastward once they’d hit the road bisecting the orchard, shadows jumping out of the way as Revenant’s lamp passed over them. Shining once swore he saw a pair of green orbs staring at him, but when Revenant flew over to check with the lantern nothing was there.
They soon had reached the desert and headed for the hill that looked like the closest. Shining’s and Sound Barrier’s hooves pounded along the rocky sand while Revenant glided quietly overhead, looking around and causing the lantern to swing around. Revenant dropped down alongside them as they ascended and stood at the top of the hill.
“Either of you see anything?” Shining Armor asked.
“Not a thing,” Revenant said through the lamp handle.
“I agree, sir,” Sound Barrier said. “Not much is visible in such little light.”
“Perhaps we should go closer,” Shining Armor said. “Ready your weapons. Revenant, keep a few feet above us so we get a good spread from that lantern.”
Revenant nodded and took off again, spear clutched in his hoof. Shining Armor readied his spear in his magic and Sound Barrier clutched his in his hoof and flew a few inches above the ground. The three headed down the hill and looked at the scene.
There was a definite hole that looked like it was hollowed out, but nothing remained except for a little tiny piece of what looked like green armor. Shining picked it up out of the hole.
“Changeling under-armor,” he said, taking a look at the acid-green substance. “Definitely one crashed here. Doesn’t look like he survived, though. It’s hollowed out here as though he might have decomposed here.”
“Disgusting,” Sound Barrier said.
Revenant landed alongside Shining Armor and Sound Barrier.
“Sir!” he said quietly. “I’ve spotted another just over that hill!” Revenant pointed to the next closest hill going away from Appleoosa and the orchard. “It looks like it’s alive, but weak.”
“Come on,” Shining Armor said. “We’ll head for the hill. If it looks like it’s alone, we’ll leave it alone.”
“And if there’s a group with it?” Revenant asked, adjusting the lamp in his mouth.
“We’ll guess our odds. Come on.”
The three ascended the hill as quietly as possible; Revenant Wings and Sound Barrier glided up while Shining Armor picked his way carefully along the sand, careful not to make too much noise.
Sure enough, as Revenant said, there was a lone Changeling. Its wing was bent out of shape and it looked like it couldn’t fly, and it had a spot along its back where it was bleeding. It seemed to have been bleeding for a while, as there was a small trail of red along the desert floor. It was struggling to drag itself forward, occasionally giving a pained cry.
“Revenant, take a look at the surrounding hills. Look for any strange shadows.”
Revenant Wings nodded and took off, taking the lantern with him.
Shining Armor and Sound Barrier crouched down behind the hill, looking at the Changeling as the lantern’s dull orange glow circled around the hills nearby.
“Do you suppose the damage is real, Captain?” Sound Barrier asked.
“Must be,” Shining said. “That trail of red comes over one of the hills over there. He’s probably looking for others. But let’s wait until Revenant comes back.”
Revenant came back and landed so that the lantern’s glow vanished from the changeling. “I don’t like the looks of it, Captain,” he said. “I would have said there were none, but there’s a Changeling horn sticking out of the sand more north; it was uncovered by the breeze.”
“Take another check around, Revenant.”
The pegasus nodded and took off again.
When he came back, the news was worse.
“It looks like there’s about five,” he said. “The wind blew off and uncovered more.”
“Could we take five?” Sound Barrier asked.
“Probably, if they’re weak.” Shining Armor looked almost sympathetically at the wounded Changeling. “To think they’re using one of their own as bait. I wonder if they found him like that or did the damage themselves.”
“Either way, it doesn’t bode well for us,” Sound Barrier said.
“Yes,” Shining Armor agreed, “but we’ve got enough. We three strong stallions have more than enough to take on five.”
“Remember what Lieutenant Roscoe told us,” Revenant Wings said. “He was strong, too, and the only way he beat it was through sheer force of will.”
“But he was not trained professionally in combat,” Shining Armor said. “We have something of an advantage. Ready yourselves, men.”
Revenant Wings and Sound Barrier tightened their grip on their spears. Shining Armor did not go towards the Changeling, but led them around the hills towards the hills where Revenant had indicated he saw the horn. It had only recently come into sight when two Changelings popped up out of the sand, wings buzzing and faces hissing at them.
Revenant Wings and Sound Barrier took on one, while Shining Armor started up on another. The Changeling was fast and avoided his spear, even blocking it with its holed horn once. It glared at Shining Armor and its horn started to glow, but the stallion was quick and lashed out with a hoof, breaking its focus. He swung his spear again and caught the Changeling right in its armored carapace, throwing him up and over the hill and causing it to roll on down the side to where the wounded Changeling was, joining his comrade.
The others, noting their companions in danger, had come over. Three more Changelings now swarmed on the stallions. Revenant Wings and Sound Barrier took to the skies as Shining Armor continued attacking from below. Sound Barrier shot through the Changelings with surprising speed and rammed one with the edge of his spear, leaving nothing in its place but a grey streak and a small pool of blood. Revenant dangled the lantern in their faces, noting it left them dizzy, before lashing out with spear and hooves, weakening them so that they fell to the ground in a heap.
Shining Armor bucked another Changeling leaping to him with intent to bite and slammed him into a rock. His spear tore down on the Changeling and the carapace shattered into pieces. Shining Armor brought the spear down again and the Changeling seized and went limp, rolling like a rag doll off the rock.
There were only two more to go: one fighting in the air with Revenant Wings and Sound Barrier and the wounded Changeling still crying in pain on the desert floor. Shining Armor went and tore off over and down the hill to where the Changeling lay. He raised his spear and charged the Changeling as it opened its mouth to give another painful cry.
“No! Shining, please!”
Shining Armor stopped in his tracks, his spear positioned over the body of the Changeling. He stopped, looking into the big, bright green orbs. He tried comprehending what he had just heard, but couldn’t seem to make it out clearly. He closed his eyes and shook his head only to find himself staring at Cadence.
“Shining, please! Stop this!”
“Cadence!” Shining Armor called, spear still raised in the air. “I thought you were still at the castle.”
“I was,” Cadence said, choking back tears. “But you left so suddenly I was worried about you.”
Shining Armor felt the spear lower, though he did not release it. “I’m sorry, honey,” he said gently. “It was an urgent summons. I had to leave right away by Celestia’s orders.”
Cadence smiled at him and brought a hoof to his face. Shining Armor felt the spear release from his magic as Cadence gently stroked him. Shining looked deep into the eyes of his beloved, feeling himself falling in love with her all over again.
“Damn Celestia’s orders,” Cadence said sweetly. “Every single time we finally start having peace, you have to go and fight somewhere. You know how much I hate being away from you for so long.”
Shining Armor laid himself down on the sands next to her. “But that’s my job, honey,” he protested weakly. “I… I have to…”
“Aren’t there other capable soldiers?” Cadence said softly. “Why can’t you just leave the others to do it? You should be back in Canterlot with me.”
Shining Armor felt woozy and drowsy. “I… I can’t… I can’t stay here… I want to come home to you…”
“You will soon, my dear” Cadence said, nuzzling him tenderly and causing his eyes to droop. “You will soon…”
“CAPTAIN!”
Revenant Wings’ spear launched out of nowhere onto Cadence’s back, causing her to let out a very un-princess-like “SCREEEEEEE!” Shining Armor jumped backwards and grabbed his own spear with his magic, feeling suddenly alert as the Changeling continued screeching like a banshee into the night.
The other Changeling that Shining Armor had wounded before looked like it was about to pounce and bite the prince, but he put up his spear so that it merely bit the shaft. Shining Armor grappled with the Changeling for a while before pushing it off him and bucking it hard so that it lifted into the air. It tried to right itself, but a grey streak tore across the sky and Sound Barrier finished off the Changeling so that it fell on the ground in a bloody heap.
“Captain!” Revenant Wings called again, rushing over to Shining Armor and shaking him with his hooves. “Captain! Please! Are you alright, Captain?”
Shining Armor pushed Revenant’s hooves off him. “I’m fine, Revenant. I probably have some dirt in my coat and blood on my spear, but nothing too serious.”
“Captain,” Sound Barrier said, “it had you caught. You were zoning out and talking to Cadence.”
Shining Armor took a step backwards in surprise. “But… that wasn’t Queen Chrysalis. No other Changeling could have changed into Cadence and had their magic be able to work on me.”
“It would have been flawless if it was,” Revenant Wings said. “But that Changeling was so weak it simply decided to play it up. Stay where it was and convince you to let down your guard so that its partner could attack.”
“Had it gotten up or revealed its fangs,” Sound Barrier continued, “you would have busted out because the look would have been off. And if he had taken much longer in his ploy it would have fallen away.”
Shining Armor nodded. “Are the others dead, too?”
“I’ve double-checked already, Captain,” Sound Barrier said. “The rest of them are dead. Six Changelings gone.”
“Let’s do it again,” Shining Armor said. “We’ll run by each of them and stick our spears into them. It’s dirty work, but I rather it be done than have it come to bite us later.”
The three went and each slammed their spears into each Changeling, making sure that each was dead, before Revenant Wings took off with the lantern and led the way across the deserts and back to Appleoosa.
Back at the hotel, Revenant Wings and Sound Barrier immediately headed upstairs to sleep. Shining Armor, however, went to the bar and asked the bartender for a drink. The bartender quickly fixed up one and gave it to Shining, who drank it in long, slow gulps, thinking of the message Braeburn had sent him.
He wondered if you were fit to lead, Sound Barrier had told him.
Did he mean if he could resist the Changeling’s magic? It had nearly failed him tonight, if not for Revenant Wings and Sound Barrier being quick on their hooves. Perhaps the stallion had a point. Perhaps Shining Armor would have troubles going up against his old enemy again.
No, Shining Armor said to himself. I’m stronger than that. I’ve beat Chrysalis once, and I can do it again.
With that, he finished his drink, wrote a report on finding and killing the six Changelings outside Appleoosa, and went to bed feeling satisfied.