//------------------------------// // Bonus chapter 1 // Story: In the Royal Guard // by J8ck78 //------------------------------// Hiya, Well upon watching the new episode(s), I loved it. Music was awesome and catchy, Luna made a appearance(She my favorite princess) and the whole story had a very touching feel. The Guard meanwhile had quite the few appearances, and having one of the larger and apparently successful Guard stories out there, I was happy. Hell, there was a Earth Pony Guard! Earth Pony, I remember a debate over at Deviant Art that Earth Ponies are in the Guard. I figured with all the security around Canterlot, once the Changelings invaded, Guards gonna throw down! When the fighting started, I had a muffin and popcorn read. Well, Canterlot faced one heck of a fight, and the Guard was criminally under viewed in my opinion. Once the fight started and the Changelings invaded....... well, we got a funny shot of two Guards all gooed up but that's it! Come on, they were all over the place and then BOOM! they're gone! I mean, a few shots of the Guard fighting the Changeling's, or covering the Mane 6 as they tried to get to the Elements of Harmony. That would have made my day ten times over. Nope, we got nothing....... Well, I got a group of Guards in a moderately successful fanfic here time to right that! So then, I present to you the Bonus Chapters of In the Royal Guard. Don't know how long it's gonna go, but Imma gonna do it! __________________________________________________________________ Filly skipped merrily around David's desk merrily singing "The wedding, the wedding! The wedding is today!" David himself had been listening to that song for probably half a hour now and had long since gave up trying to get his adopted daughter to go away and just read the paper. Half the paper was about the stupid threat given to Canterlot from who knows where. Random threat, if the wedding wasn't today, they wouldn't be in this state of alert. Guards everywhere from the donut shop to the bathroom, much to everyponies dismay including the Guard sent to do that job. The biggest laugh he got out of this whole mess was the shield surrounding the city. Officials were saying that Captain Shining Armor was going to keep the shield up for as long as needed and that the Royal Palace and the Capitol of Canterlot was safe. He swore the shield was just a excuse to wear out the Captain when his powers could be used elsewhere and to keep the Guard from pointing every cannon, ballista, catapult, and spear up into the air. That alone would have been much more intimidating to a enemy to see a couple hundred dozen heavy weapons aimed to shoot then a giant pink bubble around the city. Still he had to give the Captain some credit. Keeping that shield as big as it was up for this long, he felt safe nonetheless being under Shining Armor's command no matter what. The other half of the paper was all about the wedding. The cost, the style, the design, the fact the "Mane 6" the heroes who fought against Nightmare Moon and Discord with the Elements of harmony, and infamous in the Guard for crashing the Grand Galloping Gala, were arriving as honored guests and wedding planning staff. Others were interviews with people who were already on the staff who said they were so excited but the majority of the articles on the wedding were how Princess Cadenza was growing increasingly difficult and angry, losing her temper over every small detail and becoming more rude by the day. Most attributed it to Wedding day stress and anxiety. David just attributed to the fact she was Royalty! Upper class Canterlot! If Blueblood was any example, he was surprised about it to no end. "What are you doing!?" came a loud yell from afar David didn't move his head from the article he was reading until a bat like wing tore the paper from his hooves. "Hello Captain." said David "Are you reading the paper!?" asked Shadow, "I thought we agreed to not read the paper!" "You agreed. I just listened." said David The whole city is on high alert! You should be as well!" yelled Shadow "We got enough guards pulled in from the surrounding cities to have one Guard per every three Ponies, and the Manehatten and Fillydelphiea Garrisons are on high alert and ready to move in at the slightest sign of the shield failing." "David, regardless of your premonitions, you are going to pull your weight around here, especially with that new rank!" David looked down to his armor and saw the new Staff Sergeant rank he now bore. It came with extra pay, but he forgot about about the added responsibility. "Look, David, it's almost no different than what you normally do." said Shadow in a softer tone, "Just stand around and look busy. That's what you're good at!" "Do I get to keep the paper?" asked David Shadow gave him a dark look, to which David just laughed and stood up, pushing his chair in. He saluted to his wife to which she returned it and walked away. "Come on Filly. Sarge needs to work now." "Awe okay." said Filly, "Bye Sarge!" "Bye Filly." said David She bounced off in tow behind Shadow and David remained standing. Some time passed as David slowly got into the mindset they taught one in training on how to be a Guard. It was a set where time seemed to pass faster, but the senses were heightened to where just about everything could be seen, smelled, and heard, felt even to really experienced Guards. David soon saw movement in his right eye and saw two Guards heading toward him. He followed them out of the corner of his eye as Charger and Crescent walked up. "Celestia be praised! Sergeant David is standing up!" laughed Charger "That's Staff Sergeant, Private First Class Charger. Learn the new ranks we all got. I'd keep it quiet on you're end, that Guard in the latrine is ready to trade out his job." Charger shut up and didn't say another word. "So, the Wedding is in a hour?" asked Crescent, "Will we be able to see it?" "No." said Spirit as he walked up The PFC's and the Staff Sergeant saluted as Spirit walked up and saluted back. "Why not?" asked Crescent "The Wedding is a public event. Uniformed grey Guards will be present at the ceremony. The rest of the Guard will be elsewhere defending the rest of Canterlot. So, you have your orders and you have your posts. Get to them." "That would be on the western Palace balcony with Flower and Starlight." said David reading his papers on his desk The two Guards saluted and walked off to their posts. Spirit read over the papers on David's desk and saw all Guards had reported in. David raised a eyebrow and Spirit smiled. "You got those balcony Guard seats?" asked David "Oh yes." answered Spirit "We'll be watching the wedding?" "Oh most definitely!" "Yes!" said David A hour later, the two were standing in the balcony trying to blend in and look like Guards who did not pull strings to get good seats. David though managed to sneak in some popcorn and was secretly eating them with his wing. "I'm getting serious deja-vu here." said Spirit "Like the Summer sun celebration?" asked David "Yeah. Both of us on a balcony watching the event with secret seats." "Yeah but Captain Armor is down there and no chance of him coming up there! No surprise officer showing up this time!" "I wouldn't bet on that David." said a voice both two knew all too well Spirit tensed up as David lowered his head knowing full well Shadow was the cause they got these seats as she walked up and took some of David's popcorn. "I thought you were down there Ma'am." said Spirit nervously "With those stuck up Canterlot ponies?" asked Shadow, "No way!" "You are really good at what you do!" said David as he ate some popcorn "Ssh! It's starting!" The trumpets sounded and Princess cadenza entered. The Flower Filly's bounded through as the Princess walked on as regal as a niece of Celestia could be. "She singing?" whispered David "I don't know." whispered back Spirit "Ssh!" said Shadow as she watched "What's wrong with the Captains eyes?" whispered David again Spirit shrugged. "Would you keep quiet!" hissed Shadow "Mares and Gentlecolts." said Celestia as the organ played, "We are gathered here today to witness the union of Mi Amore Cadenza and Shining armor." Celestia went through the whole vow speach as they all watched with anticipations. "Princess Cadenza and Shining Armor." said Celestia "Here it comes!" said Shadow "Whoopie." said David as he munched on the popcorn "It is my great pleasure to announce you-" started Celestia "STOP!" This caught everypony in the rooms attention as they turned to see twilight Sparkle enter the room. Princess Cadenza began to cry as Twilight stood there. "Alright, wedding crasher." said David turning to Shadow, "Should I go in?" Suddenly from afar: "Because, it is not your special day!" "Wait a minute what?" asked David turning back to the wedding "It's mine!" said a battered and bruised Princess Cadence as she walked in Everypony gasped upon seeing the second princess enter. Spirit and David had their mouths hit the floor as Shadow took another bit of popcorn. "This is getting good." she said As the apparent real princess explained how she escaped the bridesmaids and leaving the rest of the wedding in sheer utter confusion, the battered Princess revealed herself to be the true one before dropping a bomb. "Changeling!" said Spirit "We're screwed!" said David "On alert Guard!" ordered Shadow Suddenly a ring of green fire surrounded the imposter Cadenza as the fake Princess transformed into a new form. Translucent blue wings, black skin, a twisted horn, holes just about everywhere on her body before she revealed herself to be the Queen of the Changelings and exposed her plan. "Don't attack!" said Shadow, "She's too powerful for us! Let Shining Armor and the Princess deal with her." "The captain looks pretty much out." said Spirit Shining Armor hadn't moved form his spot, his eyes in a weird green look. It was when the Queen laughed at the protection spell did they return to her. "Oh I doubt that. Isn't that right dear?" Much to the Guards horror Shining Armor agreed. She explained that she had been feeding off Shining Armor's love for Cadence and that her subjects were chipping away at the shield. As Spirit and Shadow got into attack stance to make a move on the Queen, David stepped back. As the Queen laughed at how she had Shining Armor under her control and her plans to take Canterlot and all of Equestria Celestia stepped in. "This is going to be good." said Spirit as he watched his Princess walk up to the Queen After quick trade off of threats and words, the two began the duel. Celestia and all the power of the sun aimed for the Queen, who was starting to falter. Hopes filled the pony's hearts as Celestia nearly vanquished the Queen, until the tables turned. Celestia was hit in the horn and fell to the ground defeated in a brilliant green flash. "What kind of bullcrap was that!?" yelled Spirit as he saw Celestia's limp body fall "Come on Spirit! We need to get the Guard at once!" The two looked for David, who was standing on the outside. They ran over to him as he store up into the sky. "David! Celestia has fallen! We need to round up as many Guard as we can and stop the Queen." said Shadow "Yeah, we have another problem?" "Huh?" asked Spirit "About a couple thousand problems." said David pointing up They looked to see uncountable numbers of Changelings slamming into the shield. Without Shining Armor to recharge it, it cracked under the stress. Then all flew up and hit the shield at once, shattering it like glass.