Shining Armor Hates(?) Anon - Chapter One

>As the moon drops below the horizon again for the umpteenth time over the past five hours, the sun reappears and brings light to the city of Canterlot.
>Some part of you wishes it hadn’t.
>From your rooftop perch, you survey the damages and while you’ve seen some strange things during your time in Equestria, this certainly takes the cake.
>The fountain in the square is spewing rocks into the air, restricting travel to the alleys of this residential district. Pink clouds hang low and fat in the sky, bringing with them a torrent of chocolate milk that threatens to wash out some of the low lying portions of the city. And patrolling the cobblestone streets are the shock troops provided by none other than the Master of Chaos himself.
>You grit your teeth as former playing cards, diamonds this time, continue their march along the narrow roads; pounding on doors and trying to force their way into a pony’s home. You’re pretty sure that no one’s inside, but you have no way of knowing for sure.
>The flutter of wings brings your attention away from the mess on the ground. Turning, you nod to the pegasus courier.
“Message from the castle?”
>The winged pony nods and hands you a scroll before zipping off towards another location. She’s almost out of sight before you see a flash of light and watch as her mailbag begins to snap at her, barking like an enraged dog. Within seconds she’s spiraling towards the ground as she wrestles with the leather pooch.
>Turning away, you shake your head and sigh, knowing that some kind of creature will be on her seconds after she hits the ground. And she’ll walk away unhurt, but drained of everything that made her who she was, right down to her technicolor mane. Your mouth burns with a slight tinge of bile at the thought, so you try to ignore it as best you can.


>“Well, this is a right mess, don’t you think?”
>A pale white and grey pony sighs as he trots up beside you.
>“It looks like it’s just going to be us for the time being.”
>“I suppose so Glory.”
>You sigh and snap the seal on the scroll, pulling it open to get an idea of what the situation might be and how to improve it. The corner of your lip curls into a scowl as you catch sight of the words on the page. With an indignant huff, you toss the paper on the earth pony beside you and stalk over to the edge to get another look at the ground below.
>The cards have given up on the door; it’s either too well fortified or nobody’s home. They’ve taken to patrolling again, marching in lockstep as they spread out from the center of town.
>Behind them, dull caricatures of familiar faces stumble about through the streets, some sullen, some angry, some even indifferent, but all of them miserable.  Coughing through your teeth, you turn back to the handful of guardsponies at your disposal.  Glory Road, your commanding officer, is rolling up the scroll again.
>“It looks like the situation is under control. The latest reports have the Elements of Harmony back in Ponyville; seems they’ll have this wrapped up pretty soon.”
>The obvious looks of relief shared between the ponies make your stomach turn a little bit. Of course it’s great that the Elements are okay, but this is the third report regarding them and still no sign of the chaos abating.
>What are the odds of the Royal Guard providing information designed to keep the morale up in the city? It wouldn’t be the first time. Meanwhile, those ponies on the ground need help.
>Clearing your throat, you look to Glory.
“So, what are you going to suggest that we do?”



>A silence several seconds long settles in as the stallion mulls that over. He makes a few short sighs, shifting his weight from one side to the other before looking skyward. The pink clouds continue to gather, enormous masses condensing in some places to create a deluge of chocolate milk. At last, he grunts and looks to you.
>“While the City generally operates independently of the Royal Guard, the castle is currently telling us that we stay put and wait for the Elements to make their move in Ponyville. Considering the situation, I’d be inclined to say that they’re right.”
>Turning to regulations at a time like this? You bear your teeth, clenching your fist as you hiss back at him
“Even if that means we have to abandon the ponies in the city?”
>The stallion reels back a little at that but his face remains largely stoic. After another moment, he looks down on the street and shakes his head.
>“Anonymous, what good are we going to do down there? Every time we’ve tried to push back against them, they’ve managed to hit us back harder than before.”
>Lifting his hoof, he points to the castle in the distance. A horde of playing cards is already swarming the gate, with more parading up the streets after them. Even from this distance, you can see the colorful pops of discharged magic as the Royal Guard sees to the safety of the fortress. Glory shakes his head and continues.
>“They’re not alive; they don’t feel like we do, so they don’t know fear, and every time we take one of them out whatever force is bringing them to life ends up sending three more our way.”
>You set your lips into a thin line as the pony paces in front of you. On a practical level, he’s right; it would be better for you to stay up out of the way and not compound the problem. But still...
>Clearing your throat, you fix the stallion with a stern expression.



“Be that as it may…”
>You pause, waiting for a nod from the command pony before continuing.
“It is my opinion that the ponies of the Royal Guard are in no position to be dictating orders to us and we should feel free to operate independently.”
>Smirking a little, the stallion plops himself down on the roof and raises an eyebrow before responding.
>“That’s all well and good, but protocols dictate that when Canterlot is in a state of emergency, the City answers to the Royal Guard in order to create a more efficient chain of command. It’s a moot point; we have no say in the matter.”
>That half smile tugging at the corner of his lips, he’s just begging you to challenge his authority. But you’ll have to meet him on his terms.
>Crossing your arms over your chest, you mull over the regulations regarding incidents like these. After a moment, you meet his cocky expression with one of your own.
“Protocols also say that officers in the Royal Guard are to take command of patrols within the city and that their word is not to be questioned; however, as the entirety of the Royal Guard is currently pinned down inside Canterlot Castle and unable to lead us, it would not be out of order to assume that the chain of command has been disrupted and that help isn’t coming.”
>Nodding, Glory frowns and the sun dips out of sight again. In the pale light of the moon, you can see his eyes shining with a restrained anticipation.
>“You realize that you’re suggesting we go against orders.”
“I’m suggesting we act as usual”
>You snap back, taking a moment to clear your throat and settle down the nerves jerking around in your belly.
“As guardsponies we are tasked with keeping the peace in the city and protecting her citizens.”
>“How is standing on the ground going to do anyone any good? Any pony that has a lick of sense has already left the city or huddled together in defensible locations.”



“What about those who didn’t make it? I know I’ve seen some still scampering through the streets, so I’m sure that you have as well. Moreover what good are walls and doors going to do them if Discord himself comes calling?”
>Pointing off in the general direction of the courier from earlier, you shake your head and scowl.
“He can make inanimate objects come to life with a snap of his fingers, there’s no way civilians can stand up to that! The only way we can do our job is to seek civilians out and assist them, not stand around up here waiting for orders.”
>“Command would never-”
>You cut him off with a growl.
“Of course they wouldn’t! But we have no way of knowing if the command structure has been compromised or not. Our role is and always has been to see to the safety and security of this town and the citizens we protect. As it stands we are failing in that responsibility.”
“The way I see it, we can be proactive and do our job, or we can sit on our flanks waiting for a cavalry that isn’t coming, right up until Discord decides to send something with wings into the town; then we’ll be the ones scrambling to find a defensible position and hoping that someone from the castle comes down to save our bacon!”
>The staring contest goes on for several seconds more before Glory smirks and nods his head.
>“Fair enough; I can see where you’re coming from and I agree, but we were brought on as guards, not guerillas; this is way above our pay grade.”
>You grit your teeth, struggling to come up with an appropriate response when Glory continues.
>“I don’t disagree with you though.”
>Turning to the rest of the unit, the grey stallion sets his lips into a firm scowl and nods.



>“I’ll be going street side with Anonymous when the sun pops up again. We’ll be searching for stragglers and making our way towards a defensible safe house, and I’ll take any guard who wishes to come along. If you want to remain, feel free to do so. Lets get a head count and adjust assignments as necessary before we split up.”
>Your shoulders quiver as you watch the guards huddle up and begin chattering back and forth. Exhaustion overtakes your body and you leave the ponies to discuss their decisions, choosing instead to sit down on the edge of the roof. Rivers of chocolate milk catch the light of the moon, reflecting a muddy glow on the street below.
>You have no idea what’s going to be waiting for you when you get down there, but you can’t sit on your hands while Canterlot’s in danger. After several minutes, your friend trots up behind you and chuckles.
>“Well, it wasn’t the most logical argument, but you made up for it in passion, don’t you think?”
>Glory gives a hitching breath as he sits down beside you. The best you can manage is a halfhearted grunt, but the fiery-maned stallion takes it in stride and nudges himself against your shoulder.
>“A bit anxious?”
“Without question.”
>You mutter, offering the stallion a small smile in response.
“This is my home after all, seeing her like this really does a number on you.”
>Another grunt and the stallion heaves a heavy sigh.
>“You do know it’s not really your home, right? It’s not like you were born here.”
>He fixes you with a frown and you roll your eyes. This again. Smiling, you pull a knee to your chest and lean your chin on top of it.
“Maybe, but I could say the same thing about you. Neither of us are natives to this city; the only difference is that I don’t remember anything from before I woke up in Canterlot.”



“Everything I learned about life, everything that made me who I am, everything that matters to me is inside this city. If that’s not ‘home’, then I don’t know what is.”
>Glory grunts and then nods.
>“I suppose so. It’s been two whole years since you arrived in this town; considering your situation, the attachment you feel is natural. But really,”
>the stallion smirks, giving you an obvious wink,
>“not everything you care about is in Canterlot, right?”
>Bringing that up again? You roll your eyes again and prepare to come back with something snappy when the blinding light of the sun bursts back onto the stage of the sky. Shielding your eyes for a moment, you hear your friend call out to the rest of the ponies.
>“Those of you who are coming along, saddle up, it’s time to move!”
>Well, that’s that. You stand and dust yourself off before grabbing your spear along with the rest of the ponies who have decided to meet the threat head on. A handful of guards remain behind, with Glory’s blessing, while the rest of you make your way down to the street.
>The scent of slightly spoiled milk assaults your nostrils as you reach the cobblestones below while Discord’s howls of delight echo somewhere in the distance. The ponies immediately begin to scrunch together, walking in tight formation down the alleys.
>You end up on point with a pegasus named Dandelion who, true to her namesake, has an enormous fluffy grey mane that would look more appropriate in the savanna. Still, the two of you lead the guards through the narrow streets, determination driving each step forward. It’s time to take back your town.



>Across town…
>Princess Luna storms through Canterlot Castle, her lips set into a deep frown that runs several creases across the length of her muzzle. If one was to think of a ‘night mare’, she would be it, wrapped in a glorious coat the color of a full moon sky, her mane giving the impression that the stars themselves followed in her wake.
>Forcing the doors of the throne room open, she trots up to the majestic pony seated there. The elder alicorn Princess’ ethereal mane quivers, pastel purples, blues and greens licking hungrily at the still air as she glances at her sister.
>“Luna,” Celestia sighs, offering the dark mare a tired smile. “I suppose that you’ve been made aware of the situation?”
>“Indeed, Sister, We have heard that your pupil and her friends have failed to return Discord to his stony state.”
>Taking a long step forward, the Moon Princess snorts and adds, “Aside from that, he is already knocking at our gates! Canterlot is under siege and you-” The Princess gives a dismissive shake of her head. “What means are available to stop his rampage?”
>“I have just the thing,” the mare with the white coat says with a smile as she brings a bound scroll up in front of her face. Luna’s lips contort into a scowl as the scroll vanishes in a burst of yellow light.
>Princess Luna watches the motes of light rush out the window, giving a derisive snort as they disappear from sight.
>“Has the situation already deteriorated to where Canterlot must request assistance? Who would possibly be willing to stand against the avatar of Chaos itself?”
>Celestia picks up another scroll and repeats the process, giving the dark mare only a fraction of her attention as she answers.
>“No one, but these aren’t requests for help. They’re letters that Twilight Sparkle has sent me.”
>Seeing her sister’s eyes narrow, the Sun Princess smiles and cocks her head to the side. “I believe she could benefit greatly from reading them again.”



>“Madness!” Luna snarls, the combination of her booming voice and the stomping of her hoof against the floor resounding off the walls of the throne room like a thunderclap. The alicorn’s wings flare out as she begins to gather magic into her horn.
>“Sister, the city of Canterlot has been occupied and the castle is under siege; this is not the time to be reminiscing with your student! This conflict must be resolved, by Ourselves if necessary, lest we fall back into another Age of Chaos!”
>Another friendship letter disappears in a puff of yellow magic as Celestia turns her full attention to her younger sister. Her calm demeanor seems strained as she scowls down at the dark mare.
>The Sun Princess opens her lips again and a chilly voice escapes, the cold tone enough to make Luna shudder.
>“You think that I don’t know that? We’re very lucky that Discord finds such delight in his work and drags it out for as long as possible, or else he would have already taken all of Equestria for himself.”
>Finding her nerve, Luna takes a step towards her sister, pleading.
>“Then you must see why we must act now! We may have been reunited for only a short time, but it has become clear that trouble is looming beyond the horizon. If steps are not taken to prepare for the coming darkness now, then it will threaten to overwhelm this land. Sister please, listen to reason.”
>The ghost of fear rises up from the pit of Luna’s chest as she looks up at the Princess of the Sun with a mixture of hope and trepidation. But Celestia can only shake her head.
>“I am aware of that, Luna, but that is why I have entrusted Twilight Sparkle and her friends with the Elements of Harmony. She will be invaluable as the tide turns against us.”
>The dark mare opens her mouth to respond, but Celestia cuts her short with a glare, continuing.
>“I have full confidence in the ability of my student and her friends. They will succeed.”



>Letting out a heavy sigh, the Princess of the Moon turns away and shakes her head.
>“We hope you know what you are doing, Sister. There is a great risk in keeping the Elements of Harmony in the hands of your student and her friends.”
>Celestia nods and Luna closes her eyes.
>“So be it. We shall assist your Captain in his defense of the castle while you provide your pupil with another opportunity.  Fare well, Sister.”
>Watching her sister go, Celestia feels an uncomfortable tightness in her chest. Bringing up another letter, she whisks it away to Spike before taking a moment to breathe. With a tired sigh, she tries to ignore the heavy rings weighing down her eyelids as she whispers under her breath.
>“You must succeed here, Twilight; I’m not sure that Luna and I together would be enough to slow him down.”
>Luna storms out of the throne room, trotting down the halls as she bites back a snarl. On either side of her, dark armored ponies trot two wide. The sounds of conflict grow into a steady roar as she approaches the balcony overlooking the courtyard, a lone stallion standing off to the side, shouting orders at the gaurdsponies below.
>“Brace that door! Tear apart every bench in the castle if you have to, but keep those creatures out!”
>The purple armored pony turns to the ramparts, bringing a hoof to his mouth as he calls out.
>“We need more support at the front gate! Any available ponies, head over there now!”
>Overhead, pegasi rush from the walls to the castle, carrying supplies out and wounded back. The stallion grits his teeth as another unicorn is flown to the infirmary, her eyes sunk deep into here head and her tongue lolling out. The Princess scowls and steps forward, clearing her throat as she does.
>“It would appear your troops are suffering from exhaustion, Captain Armor. Have things taken a turn for the worse?”
Shining Armor turns, his lips seemingly turned into a perpetual scowl.



>“I suppose you could say that, Princess. It’s not easy holding back this horde and a number of us are already burnt out.”
>He brings a hoof up and taps at his own horn.
>“I can barely stay up on my own four hooves myself, otherwise I’d create a shield large enough to push every last one of those flat-faced freaks out of Canterlot. As it stands, I’m stuck giving orders.”
>Nodding slowly, the dark mare turns and glares at the gate with a sour expression. The thick wooden portal shudders as the chaotic creations crash into it again. Ponies on the ground scatter as they are knocked aside like bowling pins. Glancing to the white stallion, she gives a firm nod.
>“Perhaps We might buy you time. Gather your forces and have them prepare to brace the door again.”
>The Captain shakes his head, taking a step forward as though to block her from coming out further onto the balcony.
>“Princess, I can’t allow you to do that!”
>In an instant, the alicorn’s wings unfurl with a gentle pop as she fixes Shining Armor with a sly grin.
>“Captain, you are in no position to stop Us. Wait for Our signal, you shall know it when it comes.”
>The rush of wind forces Shining Armor to close his eyes, the leathery flapping sounds of bat ponies taking flight following soon after.
>Luna lands upon the ramparts, guardsponies scattering as she scowls out at the invaders. They charge the walls in a mass of slender limbs and flimsy bodies, but with each strike the foundation seems to shudder. Face to face with the invaders, the Princess can only curl her lip as she watches them scramble about, not a single thought in their heads.
>Her horn begins to glow with a dreary light, as though the night itself were about to spill out from its tip.



>“We believe that it is a travesty that ponies fear Our night.”
>While the cards on the ground pay no attention to the Princess, she slowly smiles and lowers her horn towards them, hungry tendrils of magic licking at the air like a flame.
>“But We shall gladly drive that fear into you.”
>For a moment, the skies over Canterlot go dark, even the stars themselves cease to shine. And just as quickly, the sun bursts back into its full vibrance, even as the mountain shudders down to its core with the force of the attack.
>Luna sneers at the road up to the castle, now pockmarked with craters of various sizes and depths. Remnants of the attacking force lay scattered, torn, burnt, and shuddering in the wind. Glancing back at the castle, the Princess smirks.
>“Have you seen yet, Sister? Your faith in your student is-”
>The words catch in her throat as she stumbles forward, her regal frame seeming as though it were suddenly carrying the weight of the world. Luna’s breaths come in short, strangled gasps as she struggles to remain steady. At last, she drops to her belly, eyes wide. The guards fall on her immediately.
>“My Princess!”
>One of them grunts, putting his face near to hers, slitted eyes alight with concern. After a moment he shakes his head and glares at two of the other guards.
>“Guardsponies Moonflower and Stardust, take the Princess to the infirmary. Hurry!”
>As Luna’s vision spins, the two bat ponies work their way underneath her and take flight. From the balcony, Shining Armor shakes his head and calls down to the ground forces.
>“Guardsponies, are you going to waste this opportunity your Princess has given you? Barricade that door before the next wave comes!”
>An uncertain cry goes up as ponies rush the door, securing it once again. For the moment, Canterlot Castle is safe. But as they watch Princess Luna be escorted back to safety, those left behind can only wonder for how much longer.