A Great Change: Chapter Thirty Eight-Introductions

By: TammoWoodsorel

After a few minutes of running as fast as their legs could carry them, Shining Armor, Princess Cadence, and Hugo all arrived at the scene of torment. Princess Cadance gasped, horrified at the sight of five ponies on the verge of starving to death.

Shining Armor went to comfort his fiance saying, "Hey, don't worry. We're here now and we can help them. Just do your best to keep them alive until our servants get back, got it?"

Princess Cadance nodded, took a deep breath while outstretching her hoof in front of her, and said, "Alright, can you help me?"

Shining Armor smiled and said, "Of course."

After saying this, Shining Armor sent a beam of blue magic that connected to Princess Candace's horn. She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the power build up in side of her. She possessed the magic of love. She knew that love is a feeling that kept a pony that was near-death from dying. Love is a powerful magic that can change the tide of life and war. Princess Cadance knew this and has spent her entire life honing her skill. She knew that if she could instill the magic of love in these ponies, then they might have the willpower to fight their hunger and live for just a little longer. She opened her eyes, stooped down slightly to take am, and sent a pink aura from her horn that completely surrounded the five ponies that were on the ground.

She smiled when she saw them stop trembling. She let the magic flow from her horn and was surprised to see that the ponies were actually looking better. She hadn't been aware that her magic was able to heal ponies. While she was surprised, Princess Cadance did not stop. She wanted to help them in any way that she could, so she kept on letting the love flow to them. It did not take long for them to feel strong enough to stand up. They looked to the pony that saved them and, realizing that it was an alicorn, bowed. Bruno and Maxie got back at this point, returned to the group, and bowed as well.

Princess Cadance was rather flustered, she did not like being treated in such a manner, "You can stand up, I don't mind."

Knight Mare was the one to respond, "Your majesty, allow me to thank you for your help."

Princess Cadance laughed awkwardly and said, "You can just call me Cadance and it was no trouble at all, really."

Shining armor, however, was not in such good spirits, "Alright hold it. I want you three stallions behind me. You five get in a line in front of me, now."

Surprised, everypony did as they were told.

Once they all did as instructed, Shining Armor said very seriously, "You know, Princess Cadance has the magic of Love, not the magic of healing. The only ponies I know of that starve to death a rapid rate and are healed with Love are Changelings and Changelings are forbidden to be seen in Equestria unless given special permission by Princess Celestia herself. So which one of you wants to fill me in as to why you are taking the huge risk of coming here when you could receive life in prison for it?"

Just as he asked this, there was a blinding flash of light. Once they were able to see again, they saw that they were completely surrounded by an entire army of Changelings.

Looking around, Shining Armor saw Queen Chrysalis and yelled, "Ambush!"

Queen Chrysalis saw Shining Armor and immediately recognized him as well as Princess Cadance. A smile beamed across her face and she ordered a charge. However, the army did not make it two steps before they were met with a magic wall. In the short time that Shining Armor had noticed the ambush, he had placed a barrier dome that completely sealed them away from the terrifying army on the other side of the see-through wall.

Shining Armor turned back to the line of Changelings and yelled, "So that was your plan all along?! Use our good nature to lure us out here and then ambush us?"

Knight Mare was panicking and tried to reassure Shining Armor, "No, sir, I swear. We had no knowledge of this ambush and it is probably meant for us."

Banging was heard outside the barrier as Changelings began ramming into it in an attempt to break it and Shining Armor said, "Go on. Tell me everything. Convince me that I can trust you."

Knight Mare said, "Long story short, our friend here is Commander Draco of the Changeling Military. Queen Chrysalis has come up with a plan of taking over Canterlot and he went to the Queen and questioned her methods. He was branded a traitor and chased out of the Changeling Capital. His plan was to fly straight to Canterlot and warn them of the plot, but he was intercepted, arrested, and thrown in jail with a life sentence. Us three, being very good friends of his, agreed with his ideals and thought it wrong for him to be locked up. We busted him out of prison and were on our way to Ponyville to meet with some friends that he made that he said would be able to get him an audience with the Princess for our 'special permission'. We had been receiving our energy from an alternate source since Queen Chrysalis cut us off from her supply. On our way to Ponyville, the source failed and we were stranded here until you came along. We knew that Queen Chrysalis was after us and was trying to capture us, but we were not trying to get you caught up in all this."

Shining Armor turned to Viñyl and asked, "What about this one?"

Knight Mare said, "That is Captain Fear. He was the one that was out trying to kill Draco. He took control of a pony and for some reason that pony ended up taking over his body. His mind is till in there but she is able to suppress it using the power of her own brain. Thinking about it, that was probably hos Queen Chrysalis found us. Just before you showed up, I had manually cut her off from Queen Chrysalis' supply of energy and hooked her up to ours before it failed. Queen Chrysalis probably was able to feel that and guess that we were here too. We are sorry to have gotten you into this predicament."

Shining Armor had his eyes closed, taking it all in.

He opened them and said, "Ok, I believe you. There's one problem though. The law is that we must turn over all Changeling fugitives to their Queen for punishment. If you're all in trouble with your law, then I have to turn you over."

Knight Mare thought for a moment and said, "Not if you arrest us," at Shining Armor's questioning glance, she explained, "If you arrest us then you are allowed to take us into holding at Canterlot before you are required to turn us over. That would stall for long enough for us to get the permission that we need."

Shining Armor looked very seriously at her and asked, "What makes you so sure that you will be approved?"

Knight Mare returned his stare and said, "Because, we hold vital information to the survival of the the citizens of Canterlot."

Shining Armor nodded and said, "I'm assuming you're the commanding officer?"

He was talking to Dragonshy.

Knight Mare stepped in and said, "He was the commanding officer, unfortunately he suffered a major head injury during his attempted escape and lost his memory. Because of that, I have taken charge of this group."

Shining Armor was a little annoyed by her and asked, "Is there a reason that you're the only one doing the talking?"

Knight Mare wasted no time in explaining herself, "Draco is not mentally equipped to answer all your questions or properly explain the situation, no offence. That big guy there does not like talking. That skinny guy there likes to talk a little too much and has an accent that is a little difficult to grasp. She doesn't know what is going on and would have to waste valuable time to ask the voice in her head to explain it to her and her to you."

Shining Armor rubbed his head. To be receiving all this information at once and having to keep the barrier up was starting to take its toll.

He looked to her and said, "Well do you mind if I take charge, Miss..."

Knight Mare responded as she stood to attention and the others follow suit, "Knight Mare, sir, and we are ready and willing."

Viñyl, Bruno, Hugo, and Maxie were not standing to attention at first. But when they saw that everypony else was, they did the same.

Shining Armor nodded and said, "Quickly, I need the strengths and limitations of everypony here."

Knight Mare stepped forward and said, "Second Commander Knight Mare, class 'A' magic but class 'C' hoof to hoof fighter, Sir!"

Renegade stepped forward and said, "Second Lieutenant Renegade, class 'A' fighter and charger and a class 'F' ranged, Sir!"

Terror Tooth stepped forward and said, "Probational Lieutenant Terror Tooth, class 'A' strategist, dog-fighter, flier, hoof to hoof fighter, and siege specialist, Sir!"

Dragonshy stepped forward and said, "Dragonshy, Sir, my military ranking is unknown to me."

Viñyl stepped forward and said, "Viñyl Scratch, betta' known as DJ-Pon3. Absolutely no military trainin', Sir."

Bruno, Hugo, and Maxie stood forward at the same time and each said their name before Maxie said, "Ex-sailors for the 'Gold Shark'. We we discharged three years ago but have not lightened up on our physical exercises, Sir."

Shining Armor turned to Knight Mare and said, "I'm guessing that you five are going to need a constant source of energy to stay in this fight."

Knight Mare nodded and Shining Armor began to issue orders, "Alright, this barrier is not going to last much longer. I need everypony ready. We're going to fight our way back the way that we came. After the barrier goes down, I'm going to send out a distress signal. That's going to call a platoon of Royal Guards that are on standby to us. We just have to meet up with them and they will be able to hold off the Changelings while get away. Renegade, I need you to lead the charge with me, Bruno, Hugo, and Maxie right behind you. We'll be clearing a path in the crowd for Cadance, Viñyl, and Dragonshy to pass through. Terror Tooth, you support us and keep any ranged attackers at bay. Knight Mare, take up the rear and keep up a barrier behind us to assure that we are not his with anything from behind. Cadance, I need you to to keep a connection with all the Changelings. I am sorry to ask so much of you but it is important that you focus on them and make sure that they are all supplied sufficiently. Viñyl and Dragonshy, you two are to be a last line of defense. Call me a sap but if anypony makes it out of this it needs to be Cadance. Protect her at all costs. Everypony Ready?!"

They did not have time to answer. Just as he was finishing his orders, the barrier came down. There was a moment during which nopony moved a muscle.

Breaking the silence were the voices of Queen Chrysalis and Shining Armor yelling at the top of their lungs, "Charge!"