• Published 31st Mar 2015
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Defender of Equestria - twilightsparkle3562



Shining Armor faces off against a Changeling General who kidnaps Cadence and Twilight in an effort to avenge Queen Chrysalis's defeat.

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Student Meets Teacher

Chapter 3

“Student Meets Teacher”

While his sister and his wife sought after his disgraced mentor, Shining Armor went about the usual business of overseeing an entire empire. Although his wife was mainly the one responsible, Shining Armor specialized in military and overall defense of the empire. It was the drills that he oversaw that kept the Crystal Ponies safe from Discord and Tirek during their rampage. However, he knew that with each challenge that he faced and failed to accomplish was a blow to his self-confidence and a disappointment to all that he looked up to.

It was during a strategic defense meeting that the Prince of the Crystal Empire was interrupted by a knocking sound at the door.

“Enter,” he called, his voice slightly irritated being that his meeting was interrupted. “Excuse me, sirs.”

So, Shining Armor walked to the door and opened it to reveal Flash Sentry, one of the guards on duty.

“What is it, Sentry?” asked Shining Armor, as the young guard saluted his superior.

“I’m sorry to be interrupting you, Prince Armor,” replied Flash Sentry. “But, there is a pony from the Everfree Forest who wishes you royal greetings.”

Shining Armor turned away for a moment and faced the ponies he was meeting with, then he turned back towards the young Pegasus stallion.

“Tell him his highness is busy and wishes for him to return in the afternoon,” replied Shining Armor.

He was just about to shut the door in Flash Sentry’s face, when he suddenly saw Twilight and Cadence walking towards him with Lock Down right behind them. This caused Shining Armor to step out of the room he was in and walk towards them.

“Then again,” said Shining Armor, upon realizing who it is. “He can see me at once.”

Flash Sentry then backed away nervously after saluting his superior and seeing his princess and her sister-in-law approach him. Once the young Pegasus was gone, Shining Armor excused himself from his meeting and approached the two princesses, however with a look of disgust deep in his faces upon seeing Lock Down, his mentor and predecessor for the first time in a long time.

“Look, Shining Armor, we felt that…” began Cadence before being interrupted by her husband, by having a hoof placed in her face.

“Why did you have to bring him to me?” asked Shining Armor, sharply. “Do you think Lock Down should be here after I have failed him?”

“We are only trying to think of what was in our own best interest,” protested Twilight, trying to stand up for her sister-in-law. “Lock Down and you are just like me and Princess Celestia: student and teacher.”

Shining Armor knew that his little sister was right; Lock Down was his mentor, just like Princess Celestia was to Twilight. But, if there was one similarity that Shining Armor had with his sister, it was that they both feared of disappointing their mentors.

“You’re right, Twily,” he said, scratching his neck in embarrassment for his sharp tone. “He is my teacher and he probably wants to catch up with me. Willing to listen to all the failures I have caused under my watch.”

Both Twilight and Cadence looked at each other with looks of disappointment on their faces and left Shining Armor to be alone with his mentor. Realizing that he had a lot of catching up to do, Shining Armor opened the door to his meeting and informed the ponies inside that he had an emergency to attend to.

“I know what you are going to say,” said Shining Armor as they walked into the throne room. “You probably have heard of the events with Tirek and the Changelings and how I failed to defeat them?”

“I have heard of those events,” replied Lock Down, walking towards one of the windows. “But, while I do commend you on attempting to face off against Discord and Lord Tirek, there is a matter of great concern to me that I must share with you.”

“What is it?” asked Shining Armor, worriedly. “Did Cadence or Twilight tell you anything private?”

Lock Down sighed to himself for a moment and then, as his dog laid down on Cadence’s throne, turned back towards his pupil.

“There was something that they told me that upset me greatly,” replied Lock Down. “I know that I taught you to always be aggressive to an enemy, no matter if they are guilty or not. However, the changeling invasion could have been prevented if you had heeded the warnings of your only sister.”

A look of despair went onto Shining Armor’s face when he learned that he was once again reliving that dark day at the wedding rehearsal, when Twilight was trying to warn everypony that his wife wasn’t who she was.

“I taught you that if there was ever a sign of trouble, you take that warning seriously,” Lock Down said, sternly walking towards Shining Armor. “The Changelings are a dangerous race, although they can be easily defeated if you find their weakness. You had a chance to find their weakness and use it to your advantage. Their weakness is if you can see through their disguise and you ignored it, thinking that Chrysalis was your wife who now rules this very empire alongside you.”

Feeling shaken by this stern confession, Shining Armor could only gulp nervously at this one case where he could sense a taste of the disappointment that his mentor could sense.

“But, Chrysalis didn’t show anything unusual,” protested Shining Armor, trying to explain himself for his actions. “I thought the pressures of planning the wedding were getting to Cadence. I was suffering migraines from keeping my barrier in place.”

“Then you are supposed to control your mind when you do that,” said Lock Down, his horn flashing a grayish aura. “I taught you that the best cause of defense can only happen if you focus your mind on the defense and nothing more.”

“Cadence and Twilight told you everything that has happened, did they?” asked Shining Armor, feeling that Lock Down was telling him much more than he was. “They told you about everything I was involved in?”

Lock Down lowered his head for a moment and then walked back up towards the throne where his dog was and sighed heavily.

“Yes, they did, my student,” he replied. “They told me everything from the Changelings to Lord Tirek and they told me how you feel like a failure for your actions.”

Shining Armor took an enormous gulp as Lock Down continued his lecture. The prince of the Crystal Empire could only think back to the days of his training, when Lock Down would give these kind of lectures if he did something wrong.

“However,” continued Lock Down, sitting down on Cadence’s throne. “I know that what I have done and taught you have sometimes been called into question and I have no excuse for it. My goal was to make the elite of Equestria the most powerful in any nation. For a while, it seemed, I thought that my goal was getting through to all who enlist in the Royal Guard, including yourself. Since I have become a bounty hunter, I had a lot to think about for my actions and I am just like you.”

Shining Armor was surprised by this and was wondering why Lock Down would talk in such a manner.

“In what way is that?” wondered Shining Armor.

“I have been meaning to one day prove to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna that I what I have done was wrong and that they would give me another chance. I was a different pony back then and I hope that they one day see it.”

It seemed at that moment, that Shining Armor could see that he was the not only pony that sought redemption for his errors. Yes, Shining Armor made mistakes, but he could see that if his own mentor could seek redemption, then maybe he could as well.

Suddenly, a loud set of screams were heard and knowing that something was wrong, Shining Armor ran to the windows and saw what appeared to be a recent enemy of his.

“It can’t be,” he gasped, seeing what appeared to be a series of black winged creatures taking to the air. “How could they…?”

He was then stopped mid-sentence when he saw two alicorn ponies being lifted up by the hoardes.

“Twilight! Cadence!” he cried, his warrior instincts jumping into action. Knowing that his wife and sister were in danger, Shining Armor broke through the window and started to make chase towards the hordes of Changelings taking his loved ones prisoner with his mentor not too far behind.

“I swear on my life if anything happens to them…” thought Shining Armor as he ran towards the horde until his breath gave out while the screams of his wife and sister soon gave out as they flew away.

It seemed now that the time for both Student and Teacher’s redemption for their ill actions was now…