Officer Strikes diaries part 1- Aftermath of the changeling attack

[Officer Strike 152]

 

Officer Strike's Diaries

Dear Diary

 

It was a fine morning in Pony Ville and I was up and out of my bed already. I was on my patrol guarding Pony Ville since the latest attack on Princess Cadences wedding had occured and the changelings had attacked Pony Ville beforehand and it had been crashed up. I sighed and looked at the wreckage of some houses as I held my spear guarding the place and looking out for any signs of danger.

As the officers we had to clean up the wreckage and I looked down. There was debris everywhere and ponies were crying. I sighed and shook my head. Chrysalis's attack was so harsh and now I was unsure where she was myself. As a Junior Officer that was not my problem anyway and so I cleared up the place as we dumped the pieces.

I spotted Twilight in the distance. I knew that she was hanging around after the attacks and trying to help as many ponies as she could. I deeply respected her. She was the student of Princess Celestia herself and I would never mess with Princess Celestia. I was deeply loyal to her as she was who I worked for afterall.

Twilight Sparkle spotted me. We didnt know each other as well as me and Rainbow Dash did. Rainbow Dash knew about me. The young pegasus who had joined the royal guard officer in the mare sector of the royal guard. Of course there were more stallions than mares but mares were allowed to train and we had the same training as stallions in the royal guard academy.

I was named Lightning Strike but mostly my name had become Officer Strike. I had joined the royal guard a year ago but I was training up and already ranking quite high for my status but I had to learn much more of course. Captain Shining Armour was my teacher as well as the other Junior Officers.

Rainbow Dash and me had met. We liked racing each other but she always seemed to win but there had been a time that I had beaten her once or twice. I didnt gain my lightning bolt for nothing. That bolt meant many things and I had gained it for a multiple amount of reasons.

I had been racing quite fast on the same day but I also loved writing stories and an idea always struck me like a bolt of lightning. 

Twilight Sparkle came up to me. The other Junior Officers and me were busy clearing up the mess as I gritted my teeth and lifted a heavy piece and chucked it into the dump with my hooves. I had used to all my strength and wiped my forehead. Twilight Sparkle was hesitant at first. She was not used to seeing a mare in the royal guard but there were quite a few around me.

".....What happened here? The ponies were all asking me about it......" Twilight Sparkle said biting her lip and looking around and I sighed and shook my head.

"I am sorry maam....you see there was an attack on the same day as the wedding was attacked by the changelings........to be honest I am not sure.......but we are clearing away the bits that were left.......it was not houses......just barns really......" I explained to Twilight and Twilight frowned.

"Well......its good for young officers to help out the ponies anyway.....and help them with there clearing........I have seen you before........you are a friend of Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked and I nodded.

"Well yes sort of I guess.......we are racing partners........we hardly ever talk to each other......I am busy training in the royal guard......." I said to her.

".....Your name is Lighter Striker?" Twilight asked and I smiled.

"Lightning Strike....Officer Strike........in the mare sector and Junior Officer..." I said proudly and Twilight nodded. She trotted off turning to help the rest of the ponies. 

"Hey Strike help me out with this lot!" ordered one of the Senior Officers and I obeyed galloping towards their aid and helping them lift the heavy lot. I was soaked with dirt and my armour was full of mud. I brushed some of the soil from my helmet. My plume was just as dirty with bits of black stains in it.

Every other royal guards helmet and armour was like that as well. Soon we had to return back to the royal guard training academy and clean the armour and then we could go home back to our families after that. The royal guard training itself was challenging but it was not very harsh at all. The royal guard were motivated and that is why they self disciplined themselves.

"Alright we have cleared up! You lot in a line!" yelled the Senior Officer and I saluted. I lined up and the royal guard officers all lined up.  Shining Armour trotted in front of the officers and looked at them sternly. He was not very happy to be out here when he had just got married a few days ago.

"Alright then officers! Good work.....the place looks much better........to serve and protect is our aim and you have done that.....now then......you must all go back to the academy and sort yourselves out before you are dismissed!" he ordered.

"Yes sir!" I called and I turned marching with the royal guard in the troop back to the royal guard academy and we had to catch the nearest train. I soon looked up seeing the familiar iron gates of the academy and smiled. We were told to get ourselves out of her armour and polish it. As fast as I could I sat down wearily and began cleaning the dirt off my armour.

I sighed and took a sip of water before turning to my friend. Her name was Jumping Jacks and she was a very flexible pony fit and ready all the time to do training. I was fit but she was super fit and she smiled.

"Nice day huh then Strike? You already seem that you are ranking fast.....not long before I become a Senior Officer though..........." Jumping Jacks murmured and I nodded.

"Wow.........a Senior Officer........I can imagine you though! Your loud and confident but you know.......I mean I am loud...really loud you have heard me..........but you know I am not as confident as I could be........I love the challenges that I face in the royal guard....but I could never be ordering Junior Officers around......" I admitted to her and she rolled her eyes.

"Oh come on your a fine royal guard! You have learned a lot! You have learned what a patrol is and how to defend yourself but everyone needs to face challenges......I am sure one day that you'll become a Senior Officer in the royal guard as well!" Jumping Jacks said and I grinned.

"Yeah you are right I suppose. I do want to become  a royal guard Senior Officer and train up our future. The royal guard......couldnt really handle the threat of Queen Chrysalis but they did try........I mean I was there......at the wedding................guarding the place......I spotted her army of changelings and warned a General but by then it was too late......she trapped the lot of us......thank god my mother wasnt there....the wedding was fun though.....I mean later on they organized a party...........and the royal guard were allowed to join in......." I said laughing and Jumping Jacks nodded.

"Yeah.......Chrysalis is a hard mean one........." Jumping Jacks said sighing.

"I know.......but you have to admit she is kinda cool busting in like that......I mean I hated her for trapping me in that rope......I was stuck in it for a long time and I couldnt get out.....Im not exactly good with knots......I was bare stuck until finally Commander Courage came and untied me.........I was stuck in there for a long time......" I remembered that annoying knot that the changelings had tied around me.

Many of the royal guards had been hurt in that incident and I had fought off one or two changelings. I also saw the mane 6 running around frantically but I rememebered Chrysalis coming face to face with me. It was really scary. She had spotted me in the hall and I had grabbed my spear. I soared up as high as I could and she kept on tricking me by shapeshifting into different things but after that she caught me and I struggled. I tried to defend with my spear and hold her back off with a couple of Junior Officers. One of which was Jumping Jacks and she laughed at me.

"Look who we have here.......a bunch of young Junior Officers.......your generals are all kidnapped you know........Spears cannot do much against me now...." Chrysalis spat coldly.

I had always had a soft spot for villains however and if a villain was not real I would have become a fan of them and start writing stories about them but this one was real and so I knew that I was on the good side here.

Jumping Jacks was unstoppable then. She bounced right up so high and gave Chrysalis a slap on the nose but that just drove Chrysalis even more mad. Jumping Jacks was almost killed with a blast of dark magic from Chrysalis herself. She spotted me. I was scared to death but I knew I had to do something. So I seized my spear and bashed the heck out of her horn clumsily and it dazed her for a while.

"Apart from all this and that you are my enemy.....you are pretty cool....." I had managed to blurt out loud and the Junior Officers just stared at me. I had to keep my mouth shut after that and said nothing.

I blinked and Jumping Jacks laughed.

"You always have a soft spot for evil and villains and always are wondering how to avoid war with them.......I have snooped at some of your stories........about a villains point of view.....you do really go mad about it..." Jumping Jacks said to me.

We both finished polishing out armour and were told to put it back into our lockers in the training room.  I knew we had training tomorrow and then a shift to guard Canterlot Castle. Guarding may have seemed boring and at many times it was. You just stood there holding a spear but there was a lot more to it and there was a lot of study that I had to go through as well such as massive textbooks and a lot of homework.

It was also a skill though. To be patient and to be honest I just stood there guarding and thinking about the stories and races that I had. 

We lined up as the royal guard were dismissed from the academy and I held my satchel around me which was full of the books and textbooks that I had to read back at home since it was homework from the royal guard academy. Later on tomorrow I would be on quite a long shift as well.

My satchel was marked with a shield. It told everypony that I was a royal guard. I also had a badge which was clipped onto the satchel showing my rank and name. I shrugged and gave a wave to Jumping Jacks as she turned the corner and left in a hurry since she told me her mother needed help back in Pony Ville.

"What now?" I thought to myself. I was in Canterlot and I knew that I needed to take the train back home and so I trotted over towards the train station and waited for my train to come. As I did I looked through the massive and long but interesting textbooks. I adored reading and I could read anything. Even if it was just a big book about getting bored.

I was allowed to borrow books from Canterlot Castles library since I was at the royal guard academy. Mostly it was aimed for my studies as I read the Royal Guard History book. I was fascinated about the history and how the armour had been crafted back long time ago.

As I waited for the train I spotted one of the mane 6 on the platform. It was Rarity. I was unsure what she was doing there but I said nothing. We hardly spoke to each other but that was not because we hated each other or anything. It was because you would have never seen me walking to Carousel Boutique for anything. I hated wearing fancy hairstyles and I wanted to stick to the plain royal guard me. Serving and protecting whilst also being a normal fast pegaus pony carefree and wild.

She would have never recognised me if Spike had not been with her. Spike had seen me aroudn before. Twilight herself only lived a few streets down away from me and he wondered off everywhere. He was a  close friend of mine. I treated him like my own dragon. I liked him so much. We often had chats.

"Hey Strike!" he called waving high and I smiled and looked at Spike.

"Hi Spike...what the hay are you doing here? Isnt Twilight supposed to be with you?" I asked and Spike nodded.

"Rarity asked me to help her sell her jewels back in Canterlot.......and when Rarity asks you.....you have to go......the jewels........diamonds..........yummy......" Spike was dribbling all over me. I sighed and rolled my eyes brushing the dribble away. Rarity was looking at me curiously in the distance.

"Spike who is this?" Rarity asked curiously and Spike smiled.

"Oh she's just a neighbour of mine......Officer Strike....well Lightning Strike.......shes in the royal guard and a Junior Officer! That must be so cool! It must be hard to pass the entry test though but you did it! We often chat......." Spike muttered and Rarity nodded.

"Well..........hello there Strike........I have heard that Rainbow Dash has raced with you sometimes.......me and Spike were just around......" Rarity explained and I understood.

"Well.........thats cool and everything.....I guess thats my train back to Pony Ville....wait you guys live in Pony Ville as well so your going on the same train?" I asked interested and Spike laughed.

"Of course we are!" Rarity cried.

I was on the train soon enough and I shuffled through my book and began doing my homework in the train. Once you got into your homework it was not so bad after all but I was also very tired. I wanted to slump down at home and tell my mother and sister everything and then my father would come home back to the house and we could have a chat.

"So....you are aware of the attack that had happened recently....." Rarity asked as she looked through the paper and I was aware. I told her everything that had happened to me and she was shocked at the story.

"I didnt even know the changelings attacked Pony Ville as well.......so you royal guard had to clean up the whole of Pony Ville! Those disastrous changelings. I suppose though the royal guard came to the rescue once again and made Pony Ville a nicer place........You should be proud of yourself that you were involved in cleaning up Pony Ville...." Rarity pointed out and I smiled.

"Oh yes I am proud to help.......I do like to help I guess.......It was kind of fun....well that is Pony Ville I guess........see you around later Rarity and Spike I really have to get going!" I cried and Rarity and Spike waved and I flapped my wings and soared right into the air. 

I was in the air flying around Pony Ville now and looking down at it. I loved to just speed around and have some fun and I spotted Rainbow Dash but it was best to avoid her or I would get caught up in another challenge. Instead I landed back down onto the floor and decided that since I had a little bits I could spend them on something.

I looked around the Pony Ville stalls that were in the market square. I could quickly buy something but I was unsure what it was going to be. My mother did want some apple pies and I could buy it for the whole family. I sniffed and I saw that a stall was open. It was none other than Apple Jack's store.

"Howdy there then........let me guess.....I spotted you cleaning up the place...mighty you are a royal guard! Well then what would the young officer like to buy?" Apple Jack asked cheerily and I sniffed.

"Oh those smell delicious.....I suppose just four pies then.....how much do you want for that?" I said while I was thinking about the homework that I had been doing beforehand.

"......Four bits...each of them are only one bit each....." Apple Jack said. 

I took the offer and handed her four bits and she gave me four apple pies back and I stuffed them in a bag and raced off towards home. I felt the wind whistle through my hair as I flew and soared high and dodged obstacles. Finally I landed and knocked on the door.

"Its Lightning Strike mum! Hey Strike come in! Rarity popped over beforehand and she handed me some extra supplies for my latest sewing work I have been doing......" Stylish Mare said to me.

Stylish Mare was my little sister but she was the opposite. She popped by a lot of times to Rarity's boutique and borrowed many items. I was surprised that Rarity had not known that she had been giving my sister sewing lessons. Stylish Mare loved to style around and her cutie mark was a stitched up flower with hearts around it.

She was in fact a unicorn. That was because my mother was a unicorn but my father was a pegaus and so I was a pegasus whilst she was a unicorn. I was not really interested in using magic for anything but she found it easier to sew using her magic. She was not really interested in learning any spells.

Mum came trotting to me (too tired to call her mother now) and smiled letting me in. I raced up to my room and smashed my books all over the floor. I lay in my bed and locked my room door since I was tired and didnt want to be bothered. Typical for a teenage mare like me and I began continuing a story that I was writing.

I was totally absorbed in writing my story. It was about Queen Chrysalis herself. I knew a lot about her since I had borrowed books from the library about her and was interested in the whole character of her. I always wanted to know whether she was destroyed or she had returned for revenge. 

I had written many stories about the villains that threatened Equestria. From their point of view and what the world was like to them. I tried to understand why villains would do things. Maybe because something occured to them in life or maybe because they were simply evil. As much as I was obsessed with the topic of evil in my stories I was glad that I was good.

Later on though I raced back to play a game with my sister after a while. After finishing my homework and taking my mind off my story we both had played a game of cards. I was a very sour loser against her since I didnt want to be beaten by my sister. We immediatly started fighting.

"Who would want to play with a cheater!" yelled Stylish Mare and I was angry.

"Just get on with it and play with me!" I shouted back and it became into a heated fight. I soared right up to her and wrestled the stupid mare down to the floor and we began fighting. These fights were never going to end and my mum shouted.

"Just stop it both of you......go and do your own stuff!" she cried and I was fuming. Stylish Mare and me had bruises all over each other since we were hitting and wrestling with each other. Stylish Mare had even threw a ornament on my head with her magic.

"Annoying fart......" I thought to myself. I hated all these stupid fight we got into and I forgot about the game completly. It was obvious that I was quite tired since I wrote stories all night and read books all night. That was why eventually I had needed to wear glasses for certain things and popped them on my face.

Later on my mum called me and said that I was allowed to go and have some fun for a while and maybe play some games with my pony friends or something. I soared down without saying anything and spotted Rainbow Dash chilling outside. She was staring at me.

"....Race let me guess?" I sighed asking and Rainbow Dash grinned.

I grinned back. I knew that I would enjoy this even if i was in a bit of a bad mood and so I soared with her as we began racing. She was so fast and her rainbow shot behind her. I continued flapping and racing as high as I could and eventually I was dead tired.

"Come on lazy bones......" Rainbow Dash said and I caught my  breath and shook my head.

She knew clearly that we had been doing this for over 3 hours but she was a super pony and she had obviously also been trained in the wonderbolts academy. For a while I practiced doing push ups on the floor for training and picking up a stick and practicing combat moves.

"So then.....whats up with the royal guard thing..... Rainbow Dash asked me.

"Good and everything.....I'll be recieving the highest reward for my rank soon......The Royal Guard Sergeant award.......I am moving from Sergeant at last..........and training is fine and everything........Jumping Jacks is cool......" I explained.

Rainbow Dash nodded completly uninterested.

"Chow......see you later then......." I said waving and she was off so fast. I soared right back up after resting my wings for a while and flew right back up into the air. For a while I just flew gently but it turned into racing back home as it began to grow quite dark and Princess Luna was rising the moon.

I was back after a while. I had raced quite a lot with Rainbow Dash and I had won at least one race and I ticked it off. Stylish Mare spotted me and it took ages for us to get ready for bed. We had heard that my dad was staying at his mothers house somewhere out of Pony Ville for the time being and that meant that it was a mares night.

"Cool........so what do you guys have planned?" I asked Stylish Mare and my mum and I got my answer. Throughout the whole night we mostly snacked and talked and played games. We played a game of pin the pony on the tail and we all burst out laughing.

That night was the best night that I had ever had with my family. 

 

But the worst night was about to come.