Chapter 24 sneak peek! (And more)

Hey guys!

Here's a little sneak peek of the next chapter. I'm afraid it's coming a little slower than I had planned, but it's already halfway done. It was actually going to be a two-chapter one, but I thought in the end that it isn't important enough to be actually two chapter long, so instead it's going to be one 6000 words estimated chapter. I have 4000 so far, which is how I got the approximation of how long it is going to be. Hopefully it's good.

As always, ke me know what you guys think of it!

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Chapter 24
"Back stab"

A shot fired through the kitchen as Davis retrieved his gun rapidly from the holster and shot. Immediately, another changeling fell hard, clutching its neck. The shot had caused a sound strong enough to cause everyone, even Davis, to cover their ears. Apparently, firing a gun inside a kitchen that had a lot of echo wasn't such a good idea.

Davis aimed again and ended the other changeling before he could recover. Striker watched the changeling let out a scream of pain as he fell on his back the second the bullet rang out of the gun. Davis aimed to the head and shot again, ending him.

"Are you alright?" Davis asked Striker as he looked around for any other changelings. He saw the first one they had seen and then at the two laying dead.

Just as he asked, another changeling appeared out of nowhere and crashed against him. Davis felt as the gun slipped off his fingers and landed on the ground with a clank! He immediately tried to shove it off by thrusting his arms against his belly but felt the hard surface of the changeling's naturally armored belly. He cried as his fingers screamed in pain. The changeling recovered quickly and Davis saw as his horn light up in an eerie green light. He didn't manage to react fast enough as the tip of the horn passed by mere inches from his neck. He felt a surprisingly strong wave of heat as it did and immediately stood up. He reached for his sword and unsheathed it swiftly; he had been practicing that a lot.

The changeling hissed strangely as he took a more menacing pose. David moved the sword forward and prepared to meet the changeling's horn. He noticed Striker was standing beside him as well now, also taking a more aggressive position by unfurling her wings. The changeling didn't flinched and so their staring contest continued.

Suddenly, the changeling charged and fired a magical beam. Davis jumped to the side as the magic blast blew up a table that had been right behind him. Striker leaped forward using a swift and fast stroke of her wings and rapidly punched the changeling in the belly. Her hard hooves seemed to find it more easy to punch a changeling since she didn't looked pained at all, and the changeling was clutching his side belly in pain. He saw as it turned and ran. Davis ran after him and picked the gun. As the changeling was abou to exit the door, he aimed and fired. The bug fell hard against the floor too, just as his companions.

Davis looked at Strikerabout to ask thesame question, but she interrupted nodding slowly.

"Yeah, I'm fine..." She walked towards the changeling she had hit first. "He's still alive," she points out.

Davis grinned. "We need to see if there are any other bugs around," he said, looking wearily at the changeling's slow breathing. "We need to make sure this guys doesn't attempt anything when he wakes up, though."

He hadn't finished speaking when he noticed Striker was looking for something in a cupboard.

"What are you...?"

Striker smiled as she found a rope. She then took the chair that was laying in the ground and looked at Davis. "Place the changeling on the chair."

Davis picked the changeling silently and then placed him on it. Striker then proceeded to tie a knot, starting with his legs and then ending with a knot on his horn.

"Not quite a magic suppressor," she said, "but it'll do the work." Davis wanted to ask a little about what she had meant by magic suppressor, but he knew there were more important things to do first.

"Do you think it was only here?" he asked Striker. Striker shrugged.

"Let's find out, and fast." She ran out of the kitchen with Davis close behind him...

*** *** ***

Louis suddenly rose his hand making a sign to stop. Immediately, Ace, Silver Ink, two other generals, and a few royal guards and army officers stopped.

They were walking in a long hallway, right after being attacked by ten changelings that he had no idea where they had come from.

They had been walking in that hallway when the attack begun. No one expected it, and immediately most of the escort of royal guards and an officer went down. He remembered the changeling's bloodied horns as they stabbed nonstop at the surprised and vulnerable ponies.

Louis had been frozen in place until Ace shouted his name. He had immediately taken his gun and started shooting. The big problem was that the guards had already engaged in sword fights with the changeling's and if he shot he could hit one of his own.

Still, a few of them had attacked Louis. He used his gun but ended up using his sword. It took a few minutes, but soon the changeling's laid dead.

A few of the ponies hadn't made it though.

Now, the guards had insisted in taking the generals to a safer place in the castle, but Louis had taken the lead. They were heading for the royal tower, where the princesses were. He knew the princesses could be in danger as well.

He looked behind him and saw the ponies. Then, looking back forward, he spotted two royal guards. They were guarding a door, but Louis knew they could very well be changelings.

"Wait here," he told them. The captain in charge of the guards, who was beside him, was about to protest. "I'll be less suspicious." He didn't waited for a response and immediately walked forward, like if nothing bad had happened.

"General!" one of the guards said, saluting. The other saw him and saluted as well.

"At ease," he said as the ponies relaxed their hooves. "I was wondering, what are you guarding here?"

One of the guards spoke up. "It's a treasure, sir. Celestia had us post here herself." Louis nodded.

"I suppose it's fine then. Keep on with your jobs," he turned. Immediately, one of the guards sprung forwards as Louis turned his back to them. He reacted fast unsheathing his sword; still, he had been slow. He felt the hard hit as the disguised changeling's body slammed against his back and sent both tumbling down. Louis tried to stand up but the changeling managed to stop him by kicking his back.

He pulled his gun and fired blindly at where he thought the changeling was behind. H e heard a satisfying thump as a body slammed against the tiled floor of the palace. He also heard rushed hoofsteps as the rest of the ponies ran to help.

"Louis!" Ace shouted as he stopped beside him. Louis grunted as he tries tries sit only to feel a sharp pain on his ribs. He grunted.

"Lay still" Ace said as he saw him. Louis opened his eyes. He was laying in he floor in an slightly uncomfortable position with his ribs burning in pain.

"What is it?" he asked.

The other ponies seemed to look around uneasily, expecting other sudden attackers. The other guard that had been with the changeling was staring wide-eyed at his fallen ex-companion-changeling thing.

"One of your ribs is broken," Ace said as he inspected it. "I'm not a doctor, but that purple color isn't something good. We need to get you to the infirmary."

Louis shook his head. "No, I don't need that." He tried sitting again but Ace stopped him...

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So here it is guys! Let me know in the comments what you think!