Rainy yawned as the early rays of the winter sun hit his face. Although further north there was currently a controlled fall going on, the rest of the world had already succumbed to an early winter with chilly temperatures and grey skies. The little colt shivered under his blankets for a little while, drawing them over his head to block out the sun. He was not ready to wake up yet, as he wanted to stay late at the party tonight.

The church had announced the previous day that a festival was to to be held tonight in glorious thanks to God that Equestrians had died horrifying deaths in Canterlot. Many had been slain in the streets and left to bleed and die alone, while others had simply been burned to death. Still some others- those wounded in battle- had been left so brain addled that they were unable to be of any use in life anymore, and would probably live the rest of their life in a comatose state.

Rainy wasn't fully sure why they needed to celebrate the deaths of civilians, but if Equestrian soldiers were dying it meant that was one less soldier to oppress them. Every tap on his window was the beat of a drum as Equestrian soldiers fell on the fields of battle, dying to protect their stupid homeland.

Rainy blinked and threw the covers back, looking at his window as the tapping noise continued. He regretted his decision instantly and drew the blankets around himself once more. Unfortunately, there was no returning the lost warmth as he crawled to the window and opened it, letting in a cold draft. Nearly flopping onto the bed, a pigeon fell inside, sticking it's leg up in the air to show a heavy looking parcel. Rainy untied the parcel and shut the window, giving the dead looking bird some time to rest at the foot of his bed. Meanwhile, Rainy had already unfolded Reddling's note and tossed the small bag of bits over to join the larger bag of accumulated coins on his desk.

Rainy,
I am unsure how fast news travels. You are aware of the events that took place in Canterlot by now I am sure. I am sending this by the fastest mail possible to tell you that I am okay. I was heavily involved in the fighting against monsters that I must advice you to be on the lookout for. They can look like any of us, but they're not us, so be careful. Trust nopony that looks like me unless you can make sure it is me. Please try not to forget this Rainy. I will be visiting home soon.
As nopony can be bothered to intercept mail, I am letting you in on a "secret". Princess Cadance has been successfully poisoned and inflicted with a crippling disease. She is less than a pony, and has become one of the monsters we fought. All I know is that they are called "Changelings"... and that Princess Cadance will never be a pony again. Her death no longer matters, and tell the church to treat my mission as being a thirdly completed. One step closer to coming home.
Rainy, I hope to hear from you when I am Silverfield. Please, stay safe.

Thinking about you with overwhelming fondness,
Reddling Rain

Rainy wasn't sure what to make of the message. The news that Reddling had incapacitated one of the Princesses was surreal. Granted, she was not dead, but if she was no longer a pony, she may as well be dead to her country. Not wanting to waste any time, Rainy grabbed his sword and some of Reddling's clothes, bundling himself up before opening the window and throwing the bird back outside. Sprinting down the steps, Rainy dashed towards the town of Silverfield, heading straight for the church.

"Father, I am afraid there is still no news on Princess Cadance..." A priest knelt before an old, grey bearded pony who sat in a modest throne. The inner hall of Silverfield's church was considered a sanctuary for the most loyal of Silverfieldians, which was almost exclusively limited to the celery.

"None, that is... surprising. I'd find it likely she is dead then, and they are withholding the news to keep the population from being crippled with fear." The Father said, closing his eyes and putting a hoof to his temple. Once more his robes were adorned with the finest silk, which lay comfortably against his coat and skin. While more detail had been applied to his robes, they were arguably no less comfortable than the other silk robes worn by the common priests of the church. Still, their main trait could not be denied as Rainy rushed towards The Father in his oversized dirty clothes.

"Hey, you can't just, STOP, FOAL!" A church guard shouted into the hall. Rainy had pushed his way past all of the guards and into the church's inner sanctum, where he bowed next to the priest, an envelope in his mouth.

"Dammit, You pesky little-" The guard stopped as The Father waved a hoof, smiling down at Rainy.

"Rainy, I assume you bring me good news, if you have pushed this far past our security." The Father said, Rainy stood up, presenting the envelope to a panting guard who had finally caught up with him.

"A letter from Reddling!" Rainy decreed proudly. "He sends news of Princess Cadance's demise! She has been struck with a crippling disease, reducing her to being less than a pony!" A hushed silence fell over the few guards now milling around in the room as The Father took the envelope, opening it up and reading Reddling's letter carefully. When the old pony was done reading, he smiled down at Rainy. Rising from his throne, The father stepped down towards Rainy and offered the letter to him.

"Rainy, here, take this letter, and put it with any others you keep." The Father said. Rainy took the letter in his mouth and turned, still beaming. The moment that Rainy had turned, a loud yelp filled the hall as the Father landed a sharp kick into the flank of the foal, punting him several feet across the sanctum. He had moved with great agility for a pony of his age, and indeed most of the guards had only seen a quick flurry of robes before The Father was standing stock still again, looking at a scared and surprised Rainy laying on the ground.

"If you ever break into the inner halls without an appointment again, you'll greatly regret it. Leave, child." The Father said, smiling to Rainy. With tears in his eyes, the small foal stood up and galloped from the room, soft sobs beginning to fill the air as he went.

The Father resumed his seat, smiling down at the priest and guards still in his company. Brushing his mane back, The Father smirked to his underlings as he began to slowly make a decree, carefully choosing his words.

"Reddling Rain... has failed us, just as we always knew he would. However, I feel that since he has obtained such intimate knowledge of the princesses- or at least that he claims too have done so- makes me feel he may have become a liability. I do not wish to see Silverfield threatened because he eliminates Equestria's leadership the one time they could be useful for us." The father ended his decree with a large smile, looking down at the guards, who stood awestruck.

"Is there a problem?" The Father asked, maintaining his large grin. The guards all looked at each other, some of them shrugging and turning to go, others simply trotting away. Finally, only the guard that had chased Rainy in and the Priest remained.

"With all do respect..." The Guard piped up. "I grew up with Reddling. I know he was violent, malcontent and... cold. He lacked any Equinity or real emotions, at least that I could see. Do you really think that such a malcontent clip could even get close to the Princesses?" The Father simply stared at the Guard, who coughed and continued, "Are you certain that I have to kill him?"

"You know better than to question orders, Maelstrom." The Father said. "You, Glaze, Moonless Nights, and Duskmarch will leave immediately for Equestria. Keep this spotless. I have no further comments to the cleanup crew."

Maelstrom was silent for a moment, looking down. Several tense moments went by before he looked up at The Father, not blinking as his jaw tightened. "Reddling's nephew though, can you really ask us to separate them? To rip away something that keeps Rainy going through his days?"

The Father smiled, his fat mouth twisting into a cruel smile. "I'm sure that Rainy's faith will be able to heal any ...loss he may be suffering later.

Maelstrom turned wordlessly, staring at the green carpets as he retreated from the room. His heart was not in this, but orders... orders were orders for Silverfield's special task force, and every Templar had a flawless record. Anypony in the Templars that failed- like Reddling- could not be a real Templar.

Yes, it feels filler to me too. So have two chapters to celebrate Bronycon, or something.