A group of twenty chained changelings slowly shuffled into the palace courtyard, led by five grim-faced royal guards. While the changeling’s ages ranged from young adult to the elderly, they all shared the same dull tone in their chitin and faded eyes.

“Halt!” one of the gilded guards shouted. The chained group came to an abrupt stop, their bondages clanking against the shackles.

“Left face!” Almost all changelings turned to their left, facing a set of double doors. The few that didn’t turn in time slowed down the group, but they reached their destination eventually.

A sleek earth pony guard walked up to the row of prisoners and leered. “I bet you thought you could get away from the law, huh? Bet you thought we wouldn’t find you. Well, guess what? We did!”

“We are guilty of no crime!” one of the changelings spoke out.

The guard slowly moved up to him and chuckled. “You have the audacity to assert your innocence?” She laughed and faced her comrades. “Hey, get a load of this guy! Says he doesn’t know what his crimes are!” She drew out her baton and slammed it across the changeling’s chest, forcing him onto his front knees. “Your crime is being a changeling, scum!”

“But we have done nothing wrong!” one of the older changeling mares cried out. The earth pony guard slammed her baton over the changeling’s face. She stumbled back, losing her balance as a thin trail of blood formed on her brow. Her fall took the whole line of prisoners down.

The double doors swung open, and out walked a tall white unicorn in gilded lavender armor. He looked at the line of changelings and grimaced.

“Captain Shining Armor, sir!” all the guards shouted, snapping to attention.

The captain moved up to the earth pony guard, who quickly tried to stand up more rigidly. “What is this?” he asked, glaring daggers at the guard.

“It’s nothing, sir. Just a little bit of disciple,” she replied, fighting hard not to smirk.

The captain’s eyes narrowed. “Discipline?” He turned to gaze at the slowly recovering changeling. “This is not discipline!” He quickly snatched the guard’s baton away. “You’re relieved of duty.” He turned to the other guards. “No prisoner is to be harmed under any circumstance. Do I make myself clear!?”

“Crystal, sir!” all guards replied in unison. The sleek guard glared at the captain as she left without another word.

The captain let out a single snort as he turned to his other troops. “Well, don’t just stand there! Get this prisoner back on her hooves!”

The guard nearest the captain saluted and raced to pick up the changeling mare. He galloped back into line once he made sure the prisoners were standing correctly.

The captain took a single step forward, his face chiseled to a steely scowl. “You are all here because you have been found guilty of treason against the crown.”

“Lies!” an older changeling cried out. “I have lived my entire life in Equestria! I have paid my taxes, worked every day, and done nothing but help my fellow neighbors! I am no criminal!”

The captain completely ignored the older changeling’s words. “Your crimes are as follows: Identity theft, conspiracy against the crown, aiding a foreign enemy, bein—”

“Captain Shining Armor!” a voice boomed from the nearby balcony. The captain quickly turned to face the source and instantly bowed before the presence of his rulers and wife; Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Mi Amore Cadenza.

“What are these changelings accused of?” Celestia continued.

“Princess, theses changelings are traitors to the nation. They were found hiding despite there clearly having been a public demand for all changelings to report to the nearest internment camp.”

Princess Luna stepped forward. “Captain, are these changelings citizens of Equestria?”

The captain hesitated for a moment, but finally answered. “Yes.”

Luna turned to face her elder sister. Celestia’s expression was tired and worn, as if she couldn’t bear the emotions in her heart.

“Shining Armor,” boomed the voice of Cadenza. Her normally soothing quality turned to a high-tone command a few short decibels from being a shout. “You know well that it’s against the given laws of our nation to detain citizens, even if it is because of public demand.”

“I understand,” the captain replied. “But th—”

Luna again stepped forward. “Captain!” she stomped a hoof on the balcony floor, “we order you to release them at once!”

The captain hesitated for a second, his gaze shifting between Luna’s fury-stricken visage, Celestia’s somber—almost disappointed—gaze, and his wife’s near tear-filled expression. Finally, he sighed and turned to face his guards. “You heard your princesses. Release them!”

The guards followed the captain’s order without a single moment of hesitation. Once the chains were off, the changelings all turned their collective eyes to the balcony and bowed. Some of the younger ones started to cry, while the older ones tried to hold their heads high as they were led out of the courtyard by palace attendants.

As they walked, whispers could be heard from various castle workers. When the double doors of the palace courtyard swung open into the greater city, the whispering quickly became a cacophony of rage.

“Why are those monsters being released?”

“Have the princesses gone mad!? Those things aren’t citizens!”

“Why aren’t those pieces of filth in the camps? I paid good money to aid in the construction of the camps!”

A young colt picked up a rock and tossed it at the nearest child changeling, knocking him down. Slowly, he got up, glaring at the young pony before turning away.

“Yeah, you better run, you filths! Freedom’s too good for you all.”

As the changelings marched, several bulky unicorns tried to rush the freed prisoners, only to be held at bay by palace guards.

“Out of the way! If you can’t do what’s necessary, then let us take care of those monsters!”

“Yeah, if our leaders don't have the backbone to put those things where they belong, then it’s only fair we take matters into our hooves!”

It wasn’t long before the discussion turned into a mini riot as guards tried to keep the enraged citizens of Canterlot at bay.

Luna gazed down at the captain and scowled. She seemed ready to shout something, but she was stopped by her elder sister, who merely gave her a shake of her head. The captain gave a silent sigh as he turned to his troops. “Alright, that’s enough of that. Go help the gate guards keep the peace.”

“Sir, yes, sir!” the guards replied in unison. They quickly marched to the gate, leaving the captain with one final look at the balcony. His eyes again fell on his beautiful wife, but instead of being blessed with a soothing beam, he was met with a scornful glare. He took off his helmet and once again sighed. “Cadence… I’m sorry.” He turned around and headed out of the courtyard.

As the three princesses walked back into the small balcony room, they were met by a duo of figures in hooded robes. One was significantly taller than the other. The princesses gazed at them for a few seconds before sighing. “You were right,” Celestia started, eyes filled with deep disappointment. “I didn’t want to believe it at first, but you were right. He has indeed been consumed by hatred.”

“Sister, why do we still allow this?” Luna asked as she stomped a hoof. “Not only have the citizens of our nation commissioned and built camps even after we refused to, but now, even our Captain of the Guard has turned to bigotry. We have to do something before he ends up hurting more innocent civilians!” She turned to face princess Cadenza, who was keeping very quiet. “Princess Cadenza, we apologize for what we say, but you must see what has happened to your husband.”

Cadenza chanced a glance at Luna, and only nodded in reply.

“It’s not that easy, Luna,” Celestia suddenly said. “Shining Armor is still the best captain of the guard this nation has ever had. Replacing him isn’t going to be easy. The search for a new captain alone would leave our guard unable to react in case of another emergency.”

“But it’s clear that the longer Shining Armor is in command, the more damage he is doing to our nation.” Luna gazed at her sister with pleading eyes. “Please, Celestia, can’t you feel the hate he emanates? It’s poisoning the rest of the guards. If we don't do something now, his loathing will spread across Equestria.”

“It may already be too late for that, Princess,” the tall mysterious figure said in a deep and raspy voice. “Your nation is already consumed by fear and antipathy.”

“You’re wrong,” the shorter and slimmer figure said in a lustrous tone. “I have seen the good that is still left in you Equestrians. Hatred may have a hold over your captain and guards, but that doesn’t mean acceptance is out of reach. You just have to move now if you are to achieve it!”

Celestia’s face grew grim. “You both know well what is going to happen should you succeed in your task.” She shifted her gaze to the nearest set of windows. “And what of Shining Armor? Do you really believe he can handle this assignment without letting his feelings get the best of him?”

The taller figure sighed. “The captain may not be able to forgive her and let go of his growing hatred. He doesn’t show it, but I can feel it. He’s being poisoned by his own loathing. In some ways, I can’t really blame him. He was the most direct victim of her treachery.”

“That does not excuse him!” Luna interjected. “What Shining Armor has done over the last six months has bordered on everything we stand against. Even during his wedding reception, we could see the dark resolve growing in him.” She turned to face Cadenza. “He refused to go on his honeymoon and instead chose to hunt down changelings, leaving Mi Amore Cadenza alone for two days.”

“But he is not lost,” the shorter figure said. “Let him lead this mission. It’s the only way he will be put to the test.”

The three rules of Equestria turned to face each other. “Do you trust him to make the right choice?” Celestia asked.

“I do not know, Princess” the tall figure replied.

“What your captain ultimately does is a mystery, but I have hope that he’ll make the right choice in the end,” the shorter figure said. “After all, if he doesn’t, then he’s truly lost to his hatred.”

While Celestia and Luna seemed to ponder on the answer, Cadenza sprung forward. “Yes. We will send Shining Armor on this mission.” She walked up to the tall figure and placed a hoof on his shoulder. “I just pray that you two are right about my husband.” Her eyes grew watery as tears swelled up. “I… I just want him back…”

The tall figure nodded to Cadenza, who wiped her eyes as best as she could. He turned to his companion and the two set out of the room. As they did, their robes swayed with the wind, revealing porous and chitin-covered limbs.

Luna walked towards the balcony and stared into the horizon. Celestia strode next to her and smiled. “Something on your mind, Lulu?”

Luna turned to her sister and sighed. “We hope that when the time comes, Shining Armor will find it in his heart to forgive her.”

Celestia stood beside her younger sister. “I have faith that he will. He’ll forgive Queen Chrysalis, just wait and see.”

“He’ll do it,” Cadenza said, her tone full of resolution. “You’ll see. Shining Armor will beat this hate. He’ll find a way. He has to….”

“ 'Manticores!' I heard a shout erupt not that far ahead. It was followed by the cacophony of several dozen ear-splitting roars. All guards around me raised their shields and lances up. I tightened my fetlocks around my spear.

“Not three seconds after the warning went out, I heard a crash. I took to the air alongside a dozen other pegasi guards. Only yards ahead, I saw a dust cloud. Even more frightening, though, I could see earth pony guards being tossed into the air like ragdolls. I gulped and chanced a gaze back to the town we were protecting. Failure meant the death of hundreds.

“With a deep breath, I adjusted my helmet and pulled down my visor. I let my wings stop beating for a second and fell. As soon as I was in a dive, I beat my wings back with all the force I could muster, speeding down to the ground like an arrow. I saw my target: a female manticore using one of my fellow guards as chew toy. It only took seconds to cover the remaining distance.

“With one mighty shove, I drove my spear into her head. Instantly, the beast recoiled in pain, clawing and thrashing in desperation. I forcefully plucked the spear out of her head and shot up into the air again. A small adjustment in my flight trajectory, and I once again dove.

“The beast caught sight of my attack and swatted me out of the air with her powerful paw. I landed a few hooves away from her, my spear missing my head by millimeters as it pinwheeled past. She roared and pounced on me. I went for my weapon and brought its sharp tip to bear. The mantico—”

“I’m calling bull!” a loud voice suddenly rang, snapping me out of my own little trance. I fell down back to reality, and after a few blinks, once again found myself sitting on the old round table. “I was there, Bonaparte, and you did none of that!”

After blinking a couple more times, my sight settled on the unicorn that had so rudely interrupted me. I smiled. “Who’s telling the story here, Blitz?”

“I’m still calling bull. You didn’t kill any manticores that day. You were too busy flying around to, how’d you put it, ‘speed down to the ground like an arrow.’ ”

I grimaced.

“As a matter of fact, the only thing you really did that day was scream like a little filly soon as you saw those monsters.” He snickered. “You sure did take off ‘like an arrow’ though! Oh, how I wish I could have had a camera to save that moment.”

“Blitz!” I shouted, my face growing into a vicious scowl.

I heard a giggle, and turned to face the source: a tangerine mare sitting next to me. She smiled as she put her cards face down. “Not that the tale wasn’t engaging or anything like that, but I’m curious. Which of you fine gentlecolts is about to fold?” She ran a hoof over her wavy hazel mane and fluttered her eyelashes.

Blitz and I gave each other sideways glances. His cyan eyes narrowed at me, and I could see his shoulders tense. Normally, me and the beige unicorn were good friends, but Blitz’s competitive nature often got the better him. He blew a strand of hazelnut hair out of his eyes before looking back to his cards. I shifted my gaze to the tall crimson stallion across the table: Titus. His face revealed absolutely nothing about his cards. He was quite the gentle giant. Taunting him would be futile.

“So, just how long have you two been in the guard together?” I suddenly heard the tangerine mare ask Blitz.

Without looking away from his cards, Blitz answered. “Bonaparte and I have known each other since the Academy. I was the one that taught him how to ‘blend’ into Canterlot society.”

“So, Bonaparte, you aren’t a native of the capital?”

“No. I hail from Cloudsdale,” I replied before once again looking from my cards and to Titus, who remained just as stoic as ever.

“And my guess is that your armor makes you appear white and blonde, correct?” Amber asked me.

“What’s it to you?” I asked.

“Oh nothing, it’s just that I find it odd that Royal Guard armor changes a pony’s coloring.” The mare turned to face me. “For example: Blitz here, despite being beige with a hazel mane, ends up looking light gray with a silvery mane.”

Blitz scoffed. “That’s because our armor is also our uniform. We’re all part of a singular whole, so looking alike is part of the effect.”

“I can see that.” The mare giggled. “So, Bonaparte. I’ve heard a fair bit about you. It seems you’re the best pony with a lance in the outfit.” She let a thin smirk play across her lips before she out a giggle and leaned towards me. “Care to put a friendly wager on that fact?”

I shook my head at her attempt to unnerve me. Thankfully, I didn’t have to say a single word, as Blitz spoke on my behalf. “Get your story straight, ‘Amber’.” I noted how the mare groaned at the mention of her name. “Everypony knows I’m the best fighter in this outfit.” He gave her a wide grin.

At first, his taunt seemed to have worked, as Amber visibly shifted her weight around while forcing a smile. Her true emotions were soon revealed, however, for she scoffed and laughed at Blitz’s words. I could hear slight hisses in every one of her chuckles. She put a hoof on her forehead. “Oh, woe is me! What’s a gal like me to do when she’s accused of being frail?”

“Uh, what?” Blitz found himself asking, eyebrows rising at Amber’s nonsensical reply.

For her part, Amber giggled and quickly regained her composure. “At least I’m honest about my capabilities. Do you see me boasting all over the place about being ‘the best’? I don’t think so.”

“Uh…” Blitz turned to face me. All I could really do was shrug. He turned back to Amber and cleared this throat. “Says the chronic liar!”

I couldn’t help but wince at Blitz’s poor comeback. Amber merely shook it off as she confidently put her cards on the table. At that, she cleared her throat and turned to face Blitz with a wide toothy grin. “Everypony is a liar, Blitz. You’re no different.” She turned to face me. “At least some stallions at this table are quite humble,” she said, giving a wink. “At any rate, full house, colts.” Amber flipped her cards face-up. “Beat that!”

Blitz and I looked over her cards, utterly lost for words. Blitz scoffed, slamming his cards face down. I hid the sudden twinge of failure running through me. He turned to look at me with narrowed eyes. It was obvious he wasn’t going to let me live it down if I lost the play. I looked down at my cards; a pair of Princesses, a Jack, a three of Spades, and a three of hearts.

I shook my head and put down the cards without a single word. Blitz let out a loud groan. “Great. Just great! You had to go and lose the draw!”

I didn’t even bother with a reply. There was only so much that I could do with bad cards.

Amber smiled broadly at her companion. For his part, Titus remained stoic—not a single hint on his face that could show what his cards held.

Amber gave a sunny smile as she leaned on her forehoof. “I guess I win!” She moved to claim her prize: a pile of sugar cubes and a bottle of hard cider.

Just then, Titus smiled. He quickly placed a hoof over Amber’s as he revealed his cards: four aces. He didn’t say a word, but the message was very clear.

Amber’s face furrowed at first, but then the corners of her mouth slowly rose. She moved her hoof back and motioned for Titus to claim his prize. He didn’t waste any time. He let his horn glow as powerful telekinetic magic enveloped the pile of goods. Without wasting a second, he levitated a single sugar cube to his lips. Next, he moved the bottle of hard cider. At first, it looked as if he would just drink it, but then he surprised us by tossing it to Amber, who telekinetically caught it with a wide smile. She popped the cork and downed a rather big gulp, sighing with satisfaction.

“You Equestrians sure know how to make your cider taste good. Ten times better than the crud we have back home.” She laughed. It was one that Titus seemed just about ready to return, but he cleared his throat and shook his head instead. Amber gave him a smile and drank some more from the bottle.

At that moment, our captain walked into the room with a face as hard as steel. He was accompanied by two other guards: the elite corps. Both troopers looked ready to draw their blades at any moment and strike down anypony they deemed a threat. The extra protection was warranted however, considering the captain was Shining Armor—now officially Prince Shining Armor.

He wore his gold and purple armor with pride. Compared to the rest of the filth around us, his regalia was surprisingly clean. The young captain’s build was considerable, though not exactly “burly” by earth pony standards. He was still fairly husky for a unicorn, which showed just how committed to the training he really was.

“Attention!” one of the elites called out. Instinctively, Blitz and I stood up and saluted.

The Captain looked around at the room, eyes narrowing on Amber and Titus. Blitz and I quickly sat back down on our cushions, though we still kept our attentions squarely on the captain. He turned to his elite guards and motioned them to patrol outside. He returned to face us once more, focusing more on Blitz than myself.

“Is there any particular reason why our ‘guests’ have a pile of sugar cubes and a bottle of hard cider?” He was keeping his voice as neutral as possible, but then, it sounded quite threatening.

“It’s their prize, sir,” I answered.

“Prize?” the captain repeated. “Why would these two have prizes?” He looked down at our cards in the process. His brow furrowed. “Poker. I see. Just what in the name of Celestia do you two think you are doing playing cards?” I hesitated for a second, but ended up nodding in agreement. Blitz shook his head. “I hope you both didn’t lose anything else to—” he snapped his glare to Amber and Titus. “—these two.” His voice carried venom.

“Now, now, Mr. Armor,” Amber started, tone emulating what one usually heard from the Canterlot elite. “Your colts here haven’t been anything other than courteous all evening. Why, they should be commended for their outstanding service when it comes to handling prisoners.” She licked her lips soon as she said the words.

While sincere, Amber’s words were charged with meanings that the captain obviously picked up on. He turned slowly to her, eyes cold and still. “Is that so?” He turned to face us. “If what our ‘guest’ here says is in any way true, the two of you might find yourselves having a talk with me personally about your careers and residency in Equestria. Do well to remember that when dealing with them,” he said giving a harsh nod toward Amber and Titus.

“Of course none of that is true, you silly unicorn! You really need to liven up!” Amber interjected.

The captain stood closed his eyes and let out a breath through his nose. “Liven up and let my guard down?” He turned to face her. “I think I’ve done that enough around changelings. You’d do well to remember your place. The circumstances we provide for you now aren’t set in stone, so I’d stay on best behavior if I were you and not talk without given permission.” The captain shot a glare at the pair. As he did, he seemed to gaze deeper than most others could. “I’ll only say this once: drop the disguises.”

Titus and Amber looked at each other; Amber rolled her eyes, and Titus shook his head. “Booooo, you’re no fun,” Amber said. As she said that, her body became enveloped in bright emerald flames. Just as quickly as they had appeared, the flames vanished, leaving behind a shiny black equine. She had chitin for skin, a carapace for a chest, bug wings where there had been none, a somewhat sharp-looking horn, sky-blue shining eyes, fangs, and holey limbs. The changeling stretched her short wings and limbs before looking directly at me and Blitz, eyes still showing a certain amount of sultriness. “Well, colts, seems the captain prefers my natural looks. Better for me! Keeping up that pony form was starting to get old.”

The captain looked at Titus. The large stallion only shrugged. Seconds later, he too was enveloped in green flames. When they receded, another changeling sat where Titus had. Not only was he taller than the captain—yet somehow sported wings that seemed to be smaller than the average changeling, almost as if they had atrophied—but also had no holes on his limbs. Most striking of all was his right eye, which looked to have been injured. The injury had healed for the most part, but it left a scar running from his forehead down to his right cheek. The battle scar passed right through his glossy cyan eye, leaving behind a red gash and ring around the edge of the “eyeball.”

The captain glared at the two changelings. “So, Aga’dotis—” he said, looking to Amber. “—And Kr’agtaturn,” he said, looking to Titus. He turned back to Amber, his brow furrowing as he let out a groan. “Why can’t you changelings ever just use normal Equestrian names?”

“Just like you ponies, we use our own language to name ourselves.” She crossed her hooves and frowned. “Not all other races around the world worship Equestrian culture, you know.”

“Wouldn’t using Equestrian names be the easier thing to do?” I asked. “You know, considering your race tends to spend a lot of time among Equestrians anyway.”

Amber looked at me, eyes narrowed and snout twisted into a snarl. “Of course not! A changeling’s name is everything! It’s the first thing we hear when we’re born, and it’s the last thing we hear when we die. Why, to degrade ourselves with Equestrian names is—” She visibly shuddered at the thought. “It’s simply abhorrent!”

“But Equestrian names are full of meaning and purpose!” Blitz replied, rising from his cushion.

“Maybe for you.” Amber gave Blitz a nasty glare. “If you Equestrians recall, most pony names are based on trivial matters, such as objects or certain family professions. Naming yourselves after such things only signals your enslavement to the material. To changelings, that’s outright idiotic. We pick our names based on our family and their deeds. To bear the name of our forefathers and foremothers is the greatest honor of a—”

“You two, keep an eye on the prisoners,” the captain barked, interrupting Amber outright. “If these two aren’t here come morning, you’re off the guard.” With one move, he stood up and walked out of the room.

Soon as he was gone, I let out an uneasy breath. I turned back to Amber, curious as to what her little speech was going to lead to. “So, what does your name stand for?”

Amber glared at me at first, but quickly smiled. “ ‘Ago’dotis’ means ‘she who spreads love.’ It’s a name that’s been passed down from mother to daughter in my family for generations.” Amber looked to the ceiling rather longingly. “The name was bestowed on my ancestor after she selflessly gave her love reserves when our hive faced a famine. She died a heroine.” She turned back to Blitz. “This is why my name is precious.”

“Bah!” Blitz exclaimed. “If you lot really believed what you preach, you wouldn’t have thought invasion was the best way to promote peace and harmony. It’s no wonder your kind’s where it is now.”

“Not all of us wanted conflict,” Titus suddenly whispered. This shocked us all, particularly Blitz, whose eyes widened. “Some of us wanted a more diplomatic approach. Sadly, whatever our queen says goes.” Soon as he finished his words, he straightened up his cards and moved to take ours. He then shuffled and started dealing. As I picked up my new cards, my mind started wandering. I gave Blitz a sideways glance and wondered what he was thinking. My mind somewhat went to the past.

Me and Blitz had been part of a small detachment of border guards when Titus and Amber had approached us. The two changelings had chosen to defect because of Queen Chrysalis’ recent actions, which had taken a vicious turn the two felt was putting the entire species in peril. We had both been shocked to hear of “honor” among changelings, especially after their failed invasion of Canterlot. On further analysis, though, we found it somewhat believable, since during the invasion we had seen several of the invaders going out of their way to prevent any type of unnecessary casualty. Sure, it might have been a way to preserve resources, but a respect for life was still a form of honor.

Our commanding officer at the time, having thought that me and Blitz were the most “adequate candidates” for the job—meaning he wanted us out of his mane—gave us the assignment to escort the pair to Canterlot. It took us a good month and a half to actually get there since we were forced to travel half of the way by hoof. Along the way, we ran into a few strange occurrences, but perhaps the oddest of them all was how Blitz and I had grown amicable towards the two pseudo-ponies. We eventually took to calling them by the nicknames of Titus and Amber.

Titus had kept mostly to himself during the trip, speaking only when the need arose. Amber had been the lively one, speaking out whenever possible. For reasons that I could not fathom, she had taken a very strong liking to me.

I feel a smile creeping on my muzzle. I guess I had fallen a bit for Amber. Sure, she tended to be annoying, and she was still a changeling, but she was one of the few gals that actually made me feel just a bit warm and fuzzy on the inside. Of course, she didn’t know this. No one could ever know this.

Eventually, we reached Canterlot and bid the odd pair farewell as custody was officially passed over to captain Shining Armor. Me and Blitz, having traveled at very least a few hundred miles, asked for a week-long shore leave to relax and plan our return to the borders. Two days into our leave, we received our new orders. The message was short but very clear: we had been assigned to Shining Armor’s detachment as caretakers for the changelings. Now, it was two months later. We were in the last legs of the mission—arguably the most dangerous part.

“Bonaparte! Get your head in the game,” Blitz suddenly berated me. I shook my head and looked down to my cards.

Again, total garbage.

“Well gentlecolts, I’m bored and beat,” Amber said, followed by a yawn. I looked at the living room clock and realized that it was eleven minutes past ten. Not terribly late, but just enough to see Amber’s point about being tired.

I turned to Blitz, who put his cards down and groaned. He glared at the two changelings, but that changed when a yawn escaped his lips. “I guess we can call it a game here,” he finally said sheepishly. “Bonaparte, what’s the final tally?”

“Let me see here,” I said, pulling out a small scorecard I had kept out of necessity. “Titus has twenty wins. Amber has fifteen wins. I have six wins, and you got nine.”

“Amber got all her wins because she was cheating!” Blitz said.

Amber, in return, crossed her forelegs and gave Blitz a very foul glare before shaking her head and turning to face me. “Can you believe him? Blaming a lady such as myself of cheating! Seems to me more like somepony just doesn’t know how to take a loss well—unlike some fine gentlecolts I know~” She leaned in closer to me. Before I could form some kind of reply, the captain once again walked into the room, this time unaccompanied by his elite guards. Again, Blitz and I instinctively snapped to attention, easing up only after the captain saluted back.

“Blitz, Bonaparte, I’m afraid I have bad news. Our mission has just been severely delayed.” He took a seat and sighed. “We were supposed to move out by tomorrow afternoon, but some of the scouts I sent on patrol have reported that there’s an unusually large amount of manticores gathering in the nearby Everfree. Those manticores are currently hunting just outside the outskirts of town, and should be considered hostile. As guards, it’s our duty to ensure this town’s safety before we can even consider moving out.”

Amber groaned. “So we’re stuck in this town ‘til your guards either get rid of those manticores, or the manticores decide to move on? Oh, goodie!” She rolled her eyes and gave a sour smile.

Shining Armor glared at the changeling. “We’re all stuck in this town ‘til I’m one-hundred percent sure no pony is going to be harmed. I am not going to take any unnecessary risks with my troops or the townsfolk.” He turned to face Blitz and me again. “At least there is some good news. The beasts seem to be somewhat occupied with their hunt at the moment. Barring an attack on the town, we just have to wait them out.”

“Sounds good, sir,” Blitz replied, though his voice wasn’t as enthusiastic as he would have liked the captain to believe. Nonetheless, the captain nodded at his words before turning to our “guests.”

His eyes suddenly grew hard “I know you don’t like your situation, but I don’t care. Personally, I want nothing to do with your race, but Celestia thinks that we should try and coexist, and I’m bound by my oath to follow her orders. So let’s play a game: if you give me any reason to suspect that you are going to hurt any of my princess’s subjects, or betray her trust in you, then I will have you thrown in Canterlot’s deepest, darkest dungeon.” He snorted out as he turned to face Blitz and myself. I prepared myself for some kind of speech about us being too friendly with the “enemy,” but the captain instead said “carry on” in a voice that sounded restrained.

At that instant, the mare whose home we were using as temporary headquarters, Rosovyy, walked in. She had a no-nonsense attitude and was quite cranky to boot. Noting the rather high tension in the air, she turned to face the captain and gave him a glower. The captain apologized to her before leaving us to ponder his words. I looked back to Rosovyy, who shot the captain a nasty glare before closing the door and heading off to the kitchen.

Rosovyy. Now there was a very strange mare. I heard a snicker in the background. I turned around to see Amber holding back a laugh. “What’s so funny?” I asked her.

She shook her head, smile still plastered on her lips. “I was just remembering when we first met Rosovyy.”

Blitz grimaced. “That mare tried to bust our heads open with an axe!” He visibly shuddered at his words.

Amber just barely managed to stifle a laugh. “Aww, what’s the matter, Blitz? Afraid of the little bad mare with the axe, or are you simply too ashamed to admit that Kr’agtaturn here saved your sorry flank?”

“Oh, very funny, Amber.” Blitz replied. Once again, Amber groaned at the use of her nickname.

I turned to face Titus, who was still as stoic as usual. Somehow, this changeling had wound up as Rosovyy’s “Very Best Friend for Life” when he had not only stood up to her threats, but actually had proven he was willing to work alongside her gathering wood from the nearby Everfree. That act had gotten us shelter with her. Now, Titus would be at Rosovyy’s heels at every possible moment, either carrying baskets full of produce, or cutting up more trees in the everfree.

As Amber would tell me later, Titus was the sort of changeling to go leaping before looking. He also had more of an eye for ponies than his own kind. He was fortunate that Rosovyy seemed willing to accept the fact that he was a changeling and seemed to be taking a strong liking to him and his “strong silent ways.”

I sighed. Part of me wanted Titus to find his happiness here, away from all the contrived plots of nations, but I knew better. He was still the enemy. He was only using her. No, that’s not it, I thought to myself. If he was feeding, he could just take love from the couples back in town. This was something else. Maybe there was more to Titus than I was willing to give him credit for.

I momentarily wondered if things would be better in the morning…

...They weren’t.

A few hours passed by before Amber and Blitz got to arguing again. It was a continuation of their earlier disagreement, only now it was focused on the “subjugating nature of monikers” as Amber put it. Somehow, after a few minutes of non-stop bickering, the argument moved to old history. It was at this point that Amber started cursing her own kind for starting the Griffon-Equestrian war some six hundred years earlier. Naturally, Blitz tried to invalidate her claim by stating that changelings had no role in that war, and that the fault lay squarely on the griffon’s expansionist tendencies and the splintered dukehoods that Equestria was before full unification. Titus, who was sitting at the nearby tale, could only look at the two of them with a bemused, yet amused look.

Before either Blitz or Amber could continue their debate, Rosovyy slammed down her iron and pursed her little rosy lips as she turned to face the pair, fire in her eyes. “Ms. Amber, Mr. Blitz, you can think you deceive because I'm simple country pony. You can think I will eat up whatever nonsense you say because you are soldiers. But know this: I know what started the war between ponies and griffons six hundred years ago: it was sultan of Saddle Arabia who stole the holy dragon sword out of the temple of Neighpon, took it to the griffon lands, and convinced half-eagles to hide it. Quilins of Neighpon turned to Equestria for aid, and when sword was discovered in the Griffon Kingdom, war was declared.” She nodded with a grunt and a smile as she grabbed her iron and turned back to her task.

Amber and Blitz only looked at each other, confusion clear in their eyes. Titus smiled broadly as his gaze fell on the young mare. He almost looked at her dreamily. Rosovyy might've had a point—if any of that had actually happened.

She continued to fix the pair with a glare, but returned to her ironing. She was quiet for a few seconds before speaking again. “I know that look you both give me. You think Rosovyy is crazy mare. You think Rosovyy is out of touch with modern Equestria.” She once again put her iron down with a slam. “To you, I say Nyet! I know my history better than most. It is you both that need to learn how to see the truth for what it is.” She picked up her iron and returned to her task. “I am no silly pony. Sure, I wear manticore pelt, but I hunted the beast with my own two hooves. I am entitled to wear skin of dead animal.”

Before any of us really had an answer for Rosovyy, Captain Shining Armor entered the house. He was sporting his full battle regalia, and was brandishing both spear and sword. Blitz and I instantly saluted him.

“Blitz, Bonaparte, listen up,” the captain started. “We have a situation unfolding. Our scouts report that a group of manticores is heading directly at the town.” I hear the scraping of metal. I turned to face Rosovyy, who was holding her trusty exe in fetlock. “I’ve already ordered all guards to station, but we need everypony if we are going to push those monsters back.” The captain walked up to Amber and Titus. “As much as I hate the idea, we are going to need your help as well.”

“And why would we help you?” Amber asked. “You’ve done nothing but insult us and treat us like garbage.”

He turned to Titus, completely ignoring Amber’s words. “We’re in this together. If you don’t want to be manticore food, you will help us.”

“Hello!? I’m right here!” Amber said, waving her hooves at the captain.

The captain’s face turned to a scowl as he turned to Amber and stomped a hoof. “Will you shut up and listen!?” He sighed in frustration.

Amber rolled her eyes. “Not with that attitude, I won’t!”

The captain put a hoof over his face. “Ago’dotis—” he started, but then only shook his head, “—we don’t have time for this! Just do as you’re told!”

Amber scowled. She moved to retort, but Titus put a hoof in front of her face and shook his head. Amber snorted and scoffed. “Fine.” She turned to me. “But only on the condition that I’m partnered up with Bonaparte.”

The captain grunted, but nodded in agreement. Amber quickly moved next to me and grinned.

“I come too,” Rosovyy said. “This is my town, and this is my home. No manticore is going to come in and ruin way of life.”

The captain turned to face the young mare. “I’m sorry ma’am, but I will not let a civilia—”

Rosovyy grabbed his armor by the neck and brought him to her eye level “I. Come. Too!” She shoved him away. “Pampered prince is not going to stop me.”

The elites around Rosovyy drew their weapons and pointed them at her neck. In return, the young mare brought up her axe and bit down on the handle, glaring at the group of guards.

“Enough!” the captain bellowed. He glared at Rosovyy. “You want to go out there and possibly get mauled? Fine by me! Don’t say I didn’t warn you, though.” He turned to his elites. “Put those things away before you stab somepony’s eye out!” As instructed, the elites sheathed their weapons, but never stopped glaring at Rosovyy. He turned to me and Blitz, and his face livened up considerably. That didn’t last long though, as his face quickly turned back to as steely one. “Get your armor and weapons ready. We leave five minutes ago.”

Me and Blitz saluted and took off to gather our supplies. As I strapped on my armor and helmet, I kept getting this bad feeling in my gut. It told me that something wrong was coming. I tried to put it out of my mind, but the nagging just kept returning and returning. I gazed out the nearest window and saw the dark clouds gathering near the forest.

The words “something wicked this way comes” played over and over in my head. Never a good omen.