Blight Squad

by Fafnir the Flameborn

Odd Occurrence

The following morning, we woke the way we always do on missions: to the sound of Reveille just before Princess Celestia raised the sun.

I threw off the warm blankets, stretched as far as my cramped tent would allow, donned my now-freezing armor, and quickly made my way outside.

The sky was clear as it waited for the sun to take its place within its dome.

Immediately after breakfast an assembly was called at the center of camp.

Round Shield was standing with Silver Hooves, his second-in-command, named so for his shiny grey hooves.

"Stallions! We're camped about three kilometers away from Everfree Village--the town that we got the messages from saying they were attack by Changelings. I need three Pegasi volunteers to fly over to the village and see what the status is of the survivors." With that he had Silver Hooves point to three random Pegasi and continued, "Congrats, you volunteered. I want that report within the hour, understood?"

The trio replied, "Yes, Sir!" saluted, and departed for the village.

"As for the rest of you," Round Shield continued, "if this camp isn't cleaned up and ready for march by the time those Pegasi come back then I swear by my pretty, shiny helmet I will kick all of your rumps so hard, Princess Celestia won't have to worry about banishing you to the moon 'caus I'll have sent you all there myself!" He finished off with a curt, "Dismissed!" and we scattered to pack our things and wait for the Pegasi to return.

I had just finished packing my tent away when I heard a commotion coming from the far end of our now rather vacant-looking campsite. I decided to go over and wee what was going on. Round Shield was questioning the three Pegasi that he sent to check on the survivors.

"'Just fine?' What do you mean they're 'just fine?'" he shouted.

Despite the volume, the Pegasi remained standing, stoically, at attention.

"Exactly what we mean, Sir," a light-beige Pegasus with white wings, a blonde mane, black hooves, and glasses, replied. "All of the buildings are fine--not a scratch! Nopony looked injured or in mourning. We even went down there ourselves and asked around if there had been any attacks at all since summer." He paused to catch his breath and continued, "They just looked at us with confused expressions, said no, and went on with their business. The only scratches we found were the ruts in the mud from years of carts running through it."

Shield looked to the other two Pegasi and asked, "Is what he's saying true?"

"Yes, Sir!"

Round Shield stared at the ground while deep in though and finally shouted, "Everypony! Stop what you're doing and set your tents back up! We're going to be staying here for a while!"

Everypony looked at each other with confused looks--me and Kwill particularly--and shuffled away in quiet frustration to set our tents up again.

"Everfree Village wasn't attacked?" Kwill asked me as we walked to our tents after dinner. "Are you sure you heard them correctly?"

I looked at him sharply. "If I didn't then my Cutie Mark isn't Draco!"

"Do you..." Kwill began, but then shook his head and said, "Nah, she wouldn't."

"Who wouldn't do what?" I asked.

"Well..." he looked around to make sure nopony was eavesdropping, motioned for me to move closer and whispered in my ear, "Do you think, perhaps, that somepony set us up?"

"Well," I began, carefully wording my sentence, "I've been having my own suspicions of that as well; I'm pretty sure everypony here has. The only question here is who?"

A worried look crossed his face as he said, "I've heard some ponies say that Princess Celestia is to blame."

I looked at him curiously. "I don't think she would do that; it would paint a pretty bad picture for her if we were to report it."

Kwill shrugged and said, "She could cover it up with propaganda and/or call the reports acts of treason against her."

I shook my head. "I'm pretty sure just talking about this is treason."

When we arrived at my tent I bid Kwill goodnight and slipped inside, took off my armor, putting it away this time, and crawled under the blankets. I was stuck in deep though that night.
There was no way that Princess Celestia would set us up for this. But if she did...why?

I put myself to sleep by humming the song that Princess Luna hummed during my dream the previous night. That night, I had a dream that, from then on, changed my entire life forever.