I sat and watched as the Young soldier came to terms with the death of another. As I looked to Alan, I could see the broken spirit lingering.That's when I watched him falter, he became angry. Shining Armor had moved to try and console him. but to no avail. As I made my way towards the temporary base of operations there was a brief moment of fear. I felt my aunt's presence behind me "Blueblood, what happened back there"
I simply lowered my head."alot of things Aunt Celestia" I explained what happened in great detail. how Rocky had fallen to protect us from whatever is coming. "BlueBlood, what I say now, stays between us"
"corporal Rocky Rhoads knew the dangers of the job, and so do you, he gave his life to buy us all enough time to stop the Changeling threat," she took a moment to think. "now think about it, He needs help, and lots of it" she took a deep breath then called for Shining, Issuing the feared order.
Order 217.
the march of war.
War... War never changes. The Romans waged war to gather slaves and wealth. Spain built an empire from its lust for gold and territory. Hitler shaped a battered Germany into an economic superpower.
But war never changes.
Like a deadly plague that sweeps across the land, claiming all that it touches. War corrupts, demonizes and changes people.
some for the better, others for the worse.
It was within the last few months that the fighting got worse. thats when the squad was once again put into action.
Alan sat there with a grim expression on his face. the kind of expression one would see before they die. He wore it well. looking to the other squad members, I noticed things. Showdown was absent upon request, Alan felt as though the poor sniper had been through enough already.
It had been two whole months since this war started.
Tarturus looked more and more appealing by the second.
The war raged, ever oblivious to the flow of time. I stood, watching as soldiers continually gave their lives for Equestria. I did what i could with the little healing magic I had. but in the end, It wasn't enough. the dead were in the hundreds, but for the changelings it was a different story.
Alan was there, on the front lines. He was doing what he now does best. The impossible. But that was it, He could only do so much. I watched as he became more and more fatigued, but he still kept going, Like something was driving him. I took notice of the sword, It's ethereal glow shining through the blood. but that's when it all began to, as the commoners say, go to shit.
Alan fell to his knees, but continued to defend the injured. I could only watch as he struggled to his feet. I began to assault the enemy with magic before finally reaching Alan.
It was apparent at that point that the injuries sustained on that day were nothing compared to this war. I carried the poor hero back to camp, giving Shining a nod and a solemn look. Alan was now becoming unfit for duty. I knew what I had to do.
I had to take the fight to them, whatever the cost. as I called forth my own personal guard, I began to question my own self. Thinking back to what had been said, everyone was right about me. if it hadn't been for Alan, I'd simply be sitting back watching the world burn under Tirek's rule. I decided to put together a plan. A plan that would most likely cost me my life.
"Aunt Celestia," I called forth. "I need to speak with you again" within a few spellbinding moments, Celestia appeared. "Nephew, what is wrong?" I had explained to her about Alan. "With all due respect, Alan can handle it"
Once again, she was proven wrong. "He can barely stand, the poor man is no soldier" "He volunteered like the others" Celestia argued, but deep down she knew I was right. I took a deep sigh. "so what? if he dies out there, your student won't be the same" Celestia recoiled. she looked as though she were in deep thought.
"let the boy get some rest at least, I've got a plan"
"do what you must dear nephew" Celestia promptly left soon after.
I looked toward the battle ground with uncertainty. the changelings had opted to use cowardly tactics in an attempt to get us to fight each other. never worked though. As the sun gave way to the moon, I could detect life on the move. "BlueBlood, why did you pull me out?" I heard Alan speak. I turned to him and thought for a moment. No-one has had the courage to speak to me like that and get away with it, he gave me the kick in the ass i needed, and he's asking me why i pulled him out?
I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came. "Nevermind, just.... when I'm 100% again, I'll be back out there" He spoke with a tone you shouldn't argue with. Like a man on a mission. As He began to walk away, I decided to report to the armory, Intent on doing what I must in order to keep the poor man safe.
but there was nothing to stop what would happen next. not even my aunts could.
Something a few meters away had exploded. if I hadn't known him, I would have stood still, but something in me compelled me to jump in the way. As the shrapnel bore into my flesh, I fell to the floor.
Fading in and out of consciousnesses, I could only pray that the suit had arrived in time.
BlueBlood lay there on the operating table in the medical barracks. there was little hope for the injured man. Alan stood by and simply waited for news, news from home, news from the frontlines, any news would be good. but nothing ever came. for a brief moment, he noted the Heart monitor stop and start. BlueBlood seemed to be clocking out.
As medics rushed toward the prince, The bleeding blonde grabbed a lapel. an air of a whisper floated by Alan's ears. "Proceed with order 24601- operation Proto"
Operation Proto. a medical and military breakthrough. designed to combine the strength of an earther with the magical capabilities of a Magi. Of course there have been a few mistakes made along the way but, when has anything gone according to plan. As I was wheeled into a larger room, I began to prepare my mind for hours of pain, but it would be worth it. having looked over the plans, I noticed it was originally intended for Alan, not as life support but as armor.
I needed both. Alan had fought so hard these past few months while i just sat back and made sure no-one was badly injured. I can't help but feel useless. But none of that matters now...
the scent of disinfectant and the sounds of steel scraping against bone had become more apparent, as if the sounds themselves echoed around my cerebral cortex. I simply looked at the doctor and gave them the greenlight. They began to operate, pulling shards of metal out of my body and fixing a crystal imbued with magic to my heart. The feeling of having raw magical energy surging through me was enough to make me scream out in agony, but I gritted my teeth and carried on. then they began the painstaking process of suturing the smaller wounds.
Oh the joys of no anesthetics. I could feel the needles piercing my skin. If Alan could see my face, he'd be laughing. after the needles had stopped their hellish bombardment, I looked across to the other operating table. "how is he, doctor?" The doctor looked at me for a moment then sighed. "He'll make a full recovery, but...he'll" "want to go straight back out there, I know" with in a few seconds, I had movement in most of my extremities again. Within minutes I was being showered with healing magic.
I looked around the medical encampment, seeing casualties either side of me. I began my painstaking walk to the armory. As i walked, I could hear soldiers shouting and barking orders at one another, then came the explosion again. followed by painful silence,
I finally reached the Armory and walked to what looked like a gigantic block of cement. the two guards looked at me in apprehension. "Open it" as they did, the light caught the armor, refracting off into different points. I stepped into the armor with a sigh.
my final thought before taking the fight to them? I knew i should have stayed in bed today
Or meanwhile, at the hall of justice...I mean inside Alan's head
Arthur sat there, looking at Me in slight contempt. I couldn't tell what he was thinking. "You're a fool, Alan Knightly... A goddamn fool" I dare not raise my head to look him in the eye. As far as i could tell, I failed. I failed at protecting everyone, and in the end... my life was saved by a self-righteous, Self centered asshole. Merlin grabbed me by the arm and lifted me up. "okay Arthur, that's enough" Arthur then got up into Merlin's face and began to shout. "Is it? IS IT? We wasted our time, we should have waited for someone more worthy but NO, You had to decide to just pick this little crying bitch because you thought there was something in him" Merlin was taken aback by the comment. the dark haired man then hung his head before turning to me.
"i'm sorry Alan for..." Merlin trailed off as i finally raised my head. I watched as they stepped back in fear. "tell me everything" Arthur saw the grim look and resigned himself to his fate. "There was another who came before you," He sighed as he continued, "He was a hero and your brother and my son, He fought the darkness, and the darkness won." I looked at the former King of camelot, and with a deep regret weighing down on me, I too sighed in defeat. "he fought bravely, and he died bravely But he was forsaken by the ones he wished to save. And when he died he died in vain"
I looked up at Merlin who had continued to explain. He looked as though he was about to punch something. "listen carefully, You need to know that you are not him and that this fights not yours" I took a deep sigh as i stood up. I then began to walk off into the other parts of my mind. Taking each step as it comes, I could see memories of the past. how i had changed into a soldier willing to give up everything. looking back, I saw the time spent with Twilight.
I stopped running. "I need to wake up from this" I sighed. Arthur and Merlin stopped to look at me for a moment, then without warning, the former king lunged at me with his sword. "the one thing you should know by now is that there's no easy way out" I rolled out of the way. "ARTHUR" Merlin shouted. he then attempted to use his magic to stop the king, but it never worked. Merlin was thrown away by Arthur, who then proceeded to launch a flurry of attacks my way. As usual i defended.
"This wont solve anything," I said between breaths. "your blind to the truth" I grabbed the blade of Arthur's sword and tore it out of his hands. "And besides, the people need me, so let me wake up!" the last sentence was abruptly cut off by a backhand to the face. I stood defiantly against the foolish king. Growing ever more pissed off.
"This is getting old Arthur, You and I aren't enemies" I then brought my fist up to his chin. "its over man, just give up" I then shouted at the king.
he rolled over and simply shot me an indignant look. "Fine, but don't expect a warm welcome"
I woke up in a hospital bed with a minor concussion. "Doctor?" I called out. the hospital was quiet except for the noise of the heart monitors beeping away. I simply laid there, staring at the ceiling.
then came the sounds of fighting, people shouting and issuing orders and the screams of injured patients. It had to stop.
The armor grafted itself onto the special suit I wore. I had the wind knocked out of me from the torso armor during the process. gritting my teeth, I broke through the pain. I knew it was only going to get worse. all the while, soldiers were losing their lives on the battlefield. the next pieces attached themselves. I gave a small flex of my fingers, noting just how easy it was to move them within the suit. letting out a small sigh, I then awaited the next parts with baited breath. I then awaited the helmet. the helmet descended in front of me. I noted the color. Red.
the color of blood. the color of resistance. I remembered a small song with Alan had sung a few months back. "do you hear the people sing? singing the song of angry men..."
I realized that this was war. It causes nothing but grief and pain. Right now, my pain meant nothing compared to what the Knight of the wind faced everyday. nothing compared to what Tirek did to him. nothing compared to what he almost did to himself.
I watch him lose his humanity as he fought against those creatures. the green blood of the changeling stained his armor. the light in his eyes had dimmed. He was no longer the shining beacon the princesses had hoped him to be. He was only human.
I grabbed the sword and prepared to walk out of the barrack doors. taking note of the on-going battle around me. I saw Alan draw his sword, running into the fray. Blood effortlessly being drawn from the black creatures, ripping them apart like paper dolls. I carried on heading toward the battlefield, carving a path to the changeling Hive.
As i arrived in front of the hive, I could only pray. but as i stood there, I felt a wave of unease surround me. The armor, the crystal was being rejected by my body.... as if it was a separate entity. I collapsed, hidden by bodies of soldiers long dead.
I faded into unconsciousness. In reality, I began to learn just what Alan went through.
meanwhile
lan continued to make his way through the waves of changeling fodder. considering no brutes showed up, he caught a glimpse of BlueBlood making his way to the battle field. "that idiot" the knight growled under his breath. more splatters of green hit his helm as he pulled his sword out of a nearby changeling. the Knight spun around to strike a changeling behind him. the changeling cried out in pain. "good" the knight spat as he mad his way towards the bloody field.
he had made his way to the edge of the field. seeing his friends fighting for the whole of equestria made his heart sink further. replacing his frown with a scowl, he slowly made his way towards the pile of the dead. it was then that his eye was beginning to twitch.
A word began to creep inside of his head. the word played over in his head over and over.
Vengeance.
One by one they will fall. No mercy will be shown. No hesitation. These are Creatures. They cannot feel pain. They cannot understand what drives the equestrian army onward. The rage is lost on these soldiers. Alan has his target now. The Commander of this army will fall. All the wreckage he must wade through to get there is insignificant.
He began to focus, gathering energy into the pendragon. He was surrounded, defending his fallen comrades to the end. All looked lost. he finally plunged his sword into the ground. I'm sorry Twilight... looks like I might not be keeping my promise after all. His final thought. It was then that he heard the voice, carried on the wind...
"I will not sacrifice this land. We've made too many compromises already; too many retreats. They invade our space and we fall back. They assimilate entire towns and we fall back. Not again. The line must be drawn here! This far, no further! And *I* will make them pay for what they've done" it was the royal voice of Celestia. Reports had been made.
the weary knight tried to stand once more, but was slowly running out of energy. "If you believe in your heart that you are right, you must fight with all your might to do it your way. Only dead fish swim with the stream all the time" Celestia said as she landed next to the weakened man. as Alan looked to the princess, he noted something.
she was wearing armor.
Shimmering, golden armor.
the Knight of the wind was saved.
inside Blueblood's mind
"You're trying to understand. I tried to let you have control... but your body rejects me" a dis-embodied voice, a mimicry of my own, echoed of the walls of my mind. I try to stand, but feel weightless. "Show yourself" I order as i figure out how to right myself. like a child, I slowly learn to move in this new environment.
A mirror appeared out of no-where. I looked at the reflection. as I did so, the mirror image looked back, I looked to my armored hands, he looked to his. the difference was.... he was wearing no armor. "I am what you once were.... an arrogant, selfish, floundering, mewling quim of a man" I was about to speak, but no words escaped my mouth. "you've become a serious man in this war, you have... as the knight would put it.... Grown up" he summoned a blade. "Prove yourself" The doppleganger pointed his blade towards me.
He charged towards me, but I knew better. sidestepping out of the way, I swung for his back. he jumped over the blade and stood on the tip. "this is my domain, but your body.... this will change" he began to step forth and stab me in the throat. I pushed up with the blade, drawing blood from his foot. "very good," the mimic cackled as blood pooled around the floor. "but not good enough" he swung once more, catching me in the chest. the armor stopped the blade going through.
wheezing for a moment, I stood up. his stance was a mirror image of mine, although it was a cheap imitation. "Have at thee" I led the charge this time. sliding under his legs and bringing a sword across his back. "this is my body, DoppleGanger"
the blade ripped through the copy. "then it is your armor"
the whole situation was a simple comment on how much i had changed within a few months. I was no longer the asshole people thought i was. I was respected as a leader...
some leader i turned out to be.
I awoke with several bodies next to me. I took note of Alan, looking tired. more tired than ever. celestia was with him, fighting.
I grabbed the hilt of my sword and entered the Hive.
As I fought my way through the Hive, I heard the cries of agony emanating from the walls. I watched as one man was slowly absorbed into the wall. I saw enough. the walls of the hive began to look more and more disgusting... then I remembered about what Alan had told us. it was several months prior to all of this.
He was sitting on the transport to the barracks, looking angry. more angry than I had ever seen him. he took a deep breath and told us what he saw. "the walls looked like they were covered in some kind of secreted resin, I'd seen this kind of thing before" most of them looked at him with a puzzled face. I looked at him with intrigue. he then told the tale of a young woman named Ellen Ripley. needless to say, if the soldiers weren't afraid of these Changelings before...
He went into detail of how extreme temperatures seemed to have a detrimental affect on the creatures known as Xenemorphs. it was also at that point he said this. "It's lucky that it's only a film, Otherwise, Changelings will be the least of our worries" the young man turned Knight then sighed. "they don't make films like they used to" he gave a small nostalgic look out of a window.
none of that matters now. all that mattered was finding the solution to the changeling problem.
I began to push forwards, taking down whatever got in my way. I was finally nearing the point between heroics and suicide. There was more screams. they sounded like a young woman in pain. I ran to the source. As I arrived, I saw a woman completely drained. she was unceremoniously thrown into a pile of half decomposed bodies.
In that exact moment, I knew exactly what needed to be done. I could just as easily turn away and run like the coward I used to be. But what good would that do. I decided to stand and fight.
The king looked at me and laughed. "So, You are the mighty Pendragon?" the King choked between bouts of laughter. I simply did what i thought Alan would do and charged at him, sword at the ready. "And i thought you were a man of honor" he guffawed as he deflected the first attack. blood was drawn, trickling slowly down my back.
I turned to face the dark king head on. Alan always made it look easy. but then again, he seemed to be already used to fighting for his life. I launched myself at the beast once again, ready to plunge my sward into his chest. "not so fast" he threw a hand forth, pushing me into the wall behind me. I collapsed to the floor as he then plunged his own blade into me.
I began to cough and laugh as the king began to gloat. "You think you killed the Pendragon?" he turned to me, then watched in horror as I removed my helmet. the helmet rolled along the floor revealing blond hair, blue eyes and a cheeky smile. I spat out a small amount of blood as a tried to apply pressure to the wound.
I used my sword to stable myself. "you think you killed me?" I charged forth once more and took a fist to the stomach. the sword soon made its way into his chest. I looked to the King, who's face showed surprise. "how?" he asked.
"The Will of one" Alan's voice echoed from the dark corridor.
Many lives had been lost in this war. amongst the dead where friends, families, lovers, brothers.... too many had died. one death too many.
all this fighting seemed to be for nothing.
Alan had carried me out of the Hive, looking to Celestia for aid. It was almost too late.
He dragged me all the way to the medics. "looks like thats two I owe you, Blues" I didn't argue. "Blues? I like it" I gave a weak smile as I was laid onto a stretcher.
