//------------------------------// // Chapter 27: The Royal Canterlot Wedding; Part 2 // Story: The Centurion Project // by TheEighthDayofNight //------------------------------// As Elias limped through the trees, he scanned for any branches that would make good crutches, while at the same time, scanning the brush for any changelings that could be creeping about. While it was important to keep an eye out, looking about also had the added benefit of allowing him to ignore the looks that Luna was giving him as she led their group forward. Night Flash stalked the rear, diving in and out of the bushes as he did his best to blend with the background. More than once Elias lost track of the pegasus, only for him to appear from the branches of a tree, or crawling on his belly through the dirt as he crept from bush to bush. A low buzzing was Elias’ only warningof an attack before two changelings dropped from the trees to bar their path forward. Elias pushed off of Luna and lurched forward, dragging his broken leg behind him as he limped at the enemy. Though he couldn’t understand them, Elias was sure that the changelings were laughing at him. He couldn’t expect help however; Luna still refused to join in the fray for some mysterious reason, and a call from Night Flash told Elias that the pegasus was facing his own opponents. Elias let out a war cry to better ignore his broken leg as he swung hard at the left changeling, hoping his superior reach would work in his favor. The changeling easily dipped back, and the second one hissed, lashing out with its hooves to swing at Elias’ chest. Elias blocked the swing with a cut from Feather, the blade biting deep into the changeling’s leg. The creature hissed and fell back, and as Elias moved to pursue it, the left changeling struck, slamming into Elias’ shield in an attempt to bite at his face. Elias tucked his cheeks below the shield edge, and he felt teeth scrape against his helmet. He grunted in pain as he adjusted his right foot to better hold his balance, then Elias shoved outward, pushing the bug back, allowing him to swing at the approaching right changeling. The slash took off the creature’s jaw, and it collapsed with a wet scream. The left changeling was startled into stillness. Elias showed no mercy and cut its creature, then finished off the jawless one. With the fight temporarily finished, Elias fell to his left knee as exhaustion caught up to him. He felt sweat pool under the rim of his helmet, and rivers of sweat rolled down his back, soaking his tunic as he tried to ignore the stabbing pain in his right leg. He really wished he hadn’t broken the limb; even a serious bruising could be ignored, but broken bones? They were already exacting an enormous toll on his energy, and the pain lancing through the crippled limb would only get worse the more he moved about on it. Luna helped the human to his feet, guiding his arm around her neck as she pushed forward, a goo stained Night Flash darting to her side to check on them, before disappearing back into the trees. “Come Elias,” Luna said, her voice near a whisper. “We are not far, then we shall get you proper medical treatment.” “I’m fine,” Elias grunted in reply. “I can still swing a sword, so I can still fight.” “Of course you can Guardsman,” Luna answered. She waved the other ponies on, and they continued pushing through the gardens, following a series of increasingly obscure paths as Luna guided them toward her personal safe room. Elias briefly wondered why they hadn’t covered it during training, but assumed it was for this very reason. The changelings had made excellent infiltrators, so much so that Elias hadn’t even noticed that Scarlet was physically different. The human mentally chastised himself for letting the pegasus’ strange behavior go unquestioned. He should have pressed harder, then maybe he would know what had happened to his friend. The acknowledgement that he was out of the loop so completely caused Elias to stumble momentarily, his foot tripping over a loose stone. Luna was quick to drag him back up, forcing the human to lean against her heavily as she pressed on. Though she said nothing, Elias caught the look of concern she gave him. He decided to ignore it, his thoughts becoming panicky as he wondered where Book Binder was, where Scalpel was, and especially what had happened to Scarlet. The infirmary had been cut off; was Scalpel dead? Captured? The same could be asked of Scarlet, who had started acting differently weeks ago. Was the pegasus being held somewhere? Or was he dead, unnoticed by anyone close to him until the last possible second? Elias shuddered as his mind tore at itself in a rage. Fortunately, the changelings provided an excellent distraction as more seemed to crawl from the woodwork. Three of them squared off against Elias as he pushed himself to his feet once more. They grinned as the human limped forward, Feather hanging limply in his grip. Elias looked between them, looking for signs of an attack. ‘Come on you bastards,' Elias thought, making his limp more dramatic as he closed another foot of distance. ‘Take the bait.’ The center changeling leaped forward, but in an instant its body hit the ground with a thud. As the head rolled away, bouncing along the ground with a green trail spilling goo in its wake, Elias gave a shout and let the motion of his strike follow through completely, its trajectory ending on the right changeling’s cheek. The bug leaned away, saving its face from being cut in two, but the tip of the blade still cut a long scar along its cheek, spilling thick drops of goo into the dirt. It glared at Elias as the left changeling attacked, its horn charged green as it sent a bolt of energy into Elias’ side. His shield was a second too slow, and the bolt drove the air from his lungs. His muscles clenched, tight and frozen as the energy raced through his body. Elias mentally thanked Anyon as his armor countered the magic’s effects within seconds, letting him dip back as the right changeling tried to gore him with its horn. Feather parried the sharp bone away as Elias retreated another step, trying to find balance on his broken leg. A bit of goo caused his sandal to slip, and for a moment, Elias hung to his balance by a thread. Luna called out to him, screaming his name in what sounded like panic. The left changeling’s eyes locked onto the noise, and as Elias planted his left foot and caught himself, it lurched around him, its horn pointed at the alicorn’s chest. Time slowed to a crawl as Elias made a decision. The changeling’s tail was close, and if he grabbed it, he could stop the creature with a brutal punch to the face using his shield hand. That plan, however, exposed his back to the right changeling, and he knew full well that if he went with that plan, he would get hurt; badly. The other option was to ignore the changeling and hope that Luna could kill it without his help. Given her recent track record, and the looks of terror the pony was giving the black-shelled creature, Elias knew that what he did next was going to hurt. His hand clamped down on the changeling’s tail, and he ripped it backward, drawing a yelp from the creature. Its neck snapped as his scutum slammed into its chin, and the body fell away as Elias tried to turn around to address the threat to his rear. Not fast enough. What felt like a blade made of pure fire tore through his left hip, scraping against the bone as a black horn poked through the front of his armor. A brief spot of rage at the injury led Elias’ elbow backward, shattering the horn from the changeling’s head. It wailed in agony as it fell back, clutching the base of its broken appendage. Elias was on the creature in a second, pummeling it with his scutum. He slipped the shield from his arm, gripping it with both hands as he slammed the edge down, over and over, into the changeling’s jaw. The head caved in after the third hit, and it was little more than a puddle after the fifth. Elias fell onto his rump after the seventh hit, his scutum sliding from his grip as he clutched at the horn piercing his side in wordless agony. Even the slightest of touches sent a bolt of agony through his ribs, shortening his breath to nothing as he held back the light stream of blood pouring onto the ground. Elias scrunched up his eyes and rocked as he tried to pull the horn free, but when the pain threatened to make him black out, Elias stopped, his breath coming in gasps as he prepared to cast about for his fallen sword and shield. Luna was waiting when his eyes opened, her face pressed against his as she said words that he couldn’t hear. Elias blinked dumbly at her as he found that his ears were ringing in a terrible racket, blocking his hearing quite effectively. Her eyes caught his, and her mouth seemed to move faster, but Elias could only shake his head, pointing to his ears in a sign that he was temporarily deaf. It took a few more seconds, but her voice broke through, first as a whisper, then in a low shout as his body kicked back into gear. “Elias, please, I need you to rise,” Luna pleaded. She looked over her shoulder, and Elias followed her eyes to find Night Flash fighting with no less than seven changelings. One of his wings hung limp at his side, and his helmet was missing as he dueled the bugs for dominance. The other pegasus was gone, while the unicorn lay twitching in his blood, a nasty hole burned through his throat. Only the maid was uninjured, and Elias suspected that she wouldn’t be much longer if the pair of changelings creeping from the bushes were any indication. Elias felt two things; first, he felt the hilt of Feather, pressed firmly into his hand by Luna’s hoof as she begged desperately for him to get up. The second was a deep rage. So far, he hadn’t lost anything. Nobody important to him had died, yet. That was going to change soon if he didn’t get up and fight. Whatever thoughts about Equestria being a land of peace fell to the wayside. This was no training exercise; it was no game. It was life or death, and there was never a time that he offered himself to death without a fight. Elias felt his left eye twitch as he felt rage tear into his soul, eating away the pain in his nerves. Elias pushed himself to his feet. He forsook his shield, instead choosing to draw the dagger he kept behind his back. A deep, never touched piece of his mind begged for release, and Elias took only a second to put a tight leash around the creature, making sure it knew who was friend and who was foe. Once the distinction was clear he set it loose with one job in mind; kill changelings. Elias let out a bloodthirsty howl as he sprinted forward, tackling the pair of changelings. Though they hissed and tried to shake him, he fought not just with sword and knife, but tooth and nail as well. Despite their hard shells, the ears of the changelings were like normal pony ears, and Elias had no issue tearing them away. His teeth sank in deep, the foul goo pouring into his mouth as he growled and writhed, shaking his head back and forth to cause as much damage as possible. He spat away the ear in his mouth and latched onto another as he plunged his dagger through the eye of one changeling, while Feather tore through the gut of the other one. The changelings struggles began to slow almost instantly. Knowing that the creatures were as good as dead, Elias was back on his feet in an instant, his eyes hungry with a feral desire to kill. That desire turned to bloody hatred as he heard Night Flash yelp in pain. A line of blood poured from the pony’s flank, and the sight of it sent Elias’ rage to new heights. Like a demon, Elias ignored the crunch of his leg bones as he sprinted forward. Feather decapitated two changelings with a single swing, the tightly packed bugs working to his advantage as he hit them blindly. Out of the corner of his eye, Elias was able to take in much of the remaining battlefield as he headbutted a changeling in the face, shattering its muzzle as his dagger bit into its skull. Night Flash had moved back, staring at Elias in horror as he dragged the maid to safety with Luna. Luna, who was also staring at Elias in horror as he tore through the changelings like water flowed through a riverbed. His gladius sang as blood and goo spattered the trees. Elias took many hits, but he simply didn’t care. He was immune to pain, immune to hurt as his body ignored it all, the rage fueling his domination of the changelings. Even when another pack of them dove into the fray, the fight remained one-sided. He cut through changeling after changeling, spilling more blood than he had seen in months. Feather cut through one changeling’s leg, severing the limb, and with the force behind the swing, the gladius followed through and bit into another changeling’s face. A part of him was horrified by the pride he felt as their bodies collapsed with shrieks of pain, but that part was ignored as he cornered the last bug. It stared at him in open-mouthed shock as he advanced on it, an ungodly, blood covered specter of death, towering over the tiny creature. It whimpered and covered its head with its hooves cowering at his feet, its back firmly pressed against the trunk of a tree. With the length of Elias’ wide swings, the bug had nowhere to go, and it would be simplicity itself to end it with a swing to the throat. Elias stopped, however. The creature at his feet was terrified of him, and it clearly wasn’t going to be fighting anymore. Elias felt his rage slip away as he looked around at the gore-soaked battlefield around him, most of it caused directly by him. Dozens of bodies covered the ground like a carpet. Elias didn’t look directly behind him; he already knew that the ponies were watching him for what he did next. He looked back to the changeling. It had peaked an eye out, likely wondering when the sword that would end its life would come. Feather dripped with gore, and a glance at his dagger found that the blade had shattered, the blade fallen away at some point in the fight. Elias snorted and discarded the useless hilt. Then his eyes fully settled on the changeling, and he made a split-second decision. Feather stabbed into the tree, right next to the changeling’s head. The creature shrieked in terror, cowering once more. When nothing else happened for a few precious moments, the small changeling peaked out with wide eyes up to Elias, who glared hatefully down at it. “If I have your word that you’ll leave, now, and never return, I’ll let you live,” Elias said with a growl. The changeling stared at him in pure shock. “Y-you will let me go?” it said, its voice sounding a bit garbled, but otherwise completely coherent. Elias leaned closer, trying to ignore the rising pains from his body. The changeling hid behind its hooves again. “Don’t think this is just an act of mercy; you have a job to do for me.” Elias grabbed the changeling’s chin, forcing it to look at the slain bodies that carpeted the ground. “See that?” Elias asked, pointing to a changeling body that had been cut in two. “That’s what waits for each and every one of you ugly freaks that decide to fuck with me.” Elias punched the changeling in the muzzle, and released his hold on the creature’s face. The bug rubbed his nose, then quivered when he saw Elias still towering over him. “You tell all of your little friends what’s going to happen to them if they come after us.” Elias jabbed his finger at the bodies. “Because that is just a warmup. Now get out of my sight before I cut your eyes out.” The changeling nodded furiously as it slipped away, fleeing silently into the bushes. Elias removed Feather from the bark of the tree, passing the sword to his left hand while his right clutched at the horn stabbed through his hip. Exhaustion and pain covered his body like a blanket, trying to coax him to sleep. He swayed for a moment as he closed his eyes, sightlessly staring into the leaves as he debated just giving in. Just a nice little snooze. A little calming darkness, then... He didn’t, choosing instead to limp very slowly back toward Luna and Night Flash. They both moved to aid him, but he waved them away. If he leaned on either, he wouldn’t get back up. His leg was on fire with pain, as was his hip. Though the pain paled in comparison to the agonizing pair of wounds, the dozen or so bites and cuts he had on his arms and neck still hurt. The berserker fit had fully fled his system, the monster thrown back into its cage. Elias could feel it as he struggled to walk. “W-…we need to move,” Elias said. Luna nodded solemnly as she passed him his scutum with her hooves. “Yes Guardsman, we do. Come, we are not far.” Elias motioned for Night Flash to take the lead while he brought up the slow, plodding rear. The maid was now wholly terrified of him, pressing tightly against Luna’s wing, casting frequent glances back at the human as they moved slowly along. It took them a few minutes to reach Luna’s destination, but they remained unopposed. The trees swayed lightly in a chill spring breeze, and the sweat that coated Elias’ brow made him shiver lightly as he limped into the small clearing behind Luna. It was a relatively simple area. Two benches sat on opposite sides of a white stone circle in the center, while the middle was occupied by a tall, marble statue of a pony on its hind legs, waving a flag in its teeth with Luna’s cutie mark on it. Luna walked up the statue, then braced against it as she attempted to push it aside. It didn’t so much as budge. The alicorn sighed, then motioned to the bottom of the statue. “The tunnel to the safe room is beneath this statue. Move it, and we can get in. Once inside, the door shall seal, permanently, from within and without, and we will be safe for the time being. Should we need to run further, there is another exit lower on the mountain.” Elias looked to Night Flash, and the pair limped up to the statue. On a three count, the two shoved with all their remaining strength, and slowly but surely, they moved the statue aside. A small sewer grate was hidden under the statue, and Elias breathlessly motioned for Flash to open it. As the pegasus did so, Elias motioned to Luna. “Princess, you’re first with the maid. Then Flash, then me.” Luna frowned and shook her head as Flash pushed the cover aside, keeping it close enough to the hole to drag it back easily. “Absolutely not Guardsman, you are horrifically injured, you shall go first so that we can assist you. Please, get inside.” Elias, not in the mood to argue, shook his head and took a lurching step forward. His hand clamped on her shoulder, and he roughly shoved Luna toward the sewer grate. She yelped in surprise, stumbling toward the hole. As she caught her balance, she spun on the human, fury in her eyes. “How dare you treat me like that Elias!” she snapped. “I am your princess!” “Who hasn’t done much today, has she?” Elias snapped in reply. “We’ve fought like dogs, and lost more than a few along the way, yet you can’t seem to be bothered to so much as swing a sword.” Elias shoved her again, grunting in pain as the motion pulled on the wound in his side. “So, since I’m the heavy lifter, I get the last say. Now get in the hole before I use what little life I have left to throw you in it.” Luna opened her mouth to protest, but Night Flash gently touched her other shoulder and guided her toward the hole. “He’s right Princess,” the pegasus said carefully. “I know you have a good reason for holding back your magic, but you can’t do any good up here, and quite frankly, it’s our job to hold the line while you escape. Red knows what he’s doing, and he’ll be right behind us.” He shot a look at Elias, and the human nodded. “The faster you’re inside, the faster we’re safe,” Elias said. Luna stared hard at him, but upon seeing that he wouldn't budge, she sighed, then nodded. “Fine, we shall follow your plan Guardsman Bright, but rest assured that this will have consequences.” Elias opened his palm to show off the black horn in his armor. “It already has Princess, now get in before we’re spotted.” Luna turned around, then stepped down with her back hooves. As her head disappeared into the hole, Night Flash pushed the maid in after her. Elias limped over to the sewer hole, his eyes up as Night Flash began the climb down. Elias nudged the grate closer to the hole with his foot, keeping all of his senses tuned outward. His left eye twitched as a loud buzzing reached his ears. Elias glanced down at Night Flash, and from the look on the pegasus’ face, he heard it too. A hoof came back up, touching the second to last rung as the pegasus began to rise. Elias couldn’t allow that. Night Flash cried out as Elias shoved the grate closed, planting his left foot firmly on the stone as over a dozen changelings touched down, with one familiar one thrown to the ground before the rest. The changeling whimpered as one in dark blue armor impacted the ground next to it, kicking the comparatively tiny creature. The armored changeling's horn charged and it grabbed the changeling by the throat, holding it up as it at Elias. Elias felt the desperate shouts of Night Flash beneath his foot, but he ignored them as he tried to ease what tension he could from his exhausted body. Apparently, the day had decided it was never going to end. Joy. “Is this the creature you said killed our brothers?” the armored changeling asked the small one. The small changeling squeaked as Elias glared at it, and it tried to shy away from him, which unfortunately brought it back to face the armored changeling. Said changeling sneered at the little bug. “I guess that’s a yes,” it cackled. Cruelly, the armored changeling threw the small one to the ground, towering over it like Elias had. “Trax, you have got to be the weakest, most worthless changeling I have ever met,” the armored one snarled. It kicked Trax again, and the small changeling whimpered as it curled into a ball. Elias watched it all with disinterest, even a slight touch of pity. If he was going to fight, he’d much rather deal without all of the posturing. It was dull to watch. Luckily for him, the armored changeling ignored Trax and turned to Elias, grinning widely. It stood silent, then a violent shiver passed through the creature. The blue eyes became green, and Elias felt the air crackle as power seemed to suddenly radiate from the creature. “I must say human, you have done well to intimidate my hive,” the changeling cackled in a decidedly female voice, taking a few steps toward Elias. “Already the echoes of your fighting are being felt throughout all of my subjects. Tell me, what is your secret? To go on, as disfigured as you are?” Elias shrugged, looking around the circle of changelings. His best count was twenty-three, but there could easily be dozens more in the trees. “Meat usually helps,” Elias replied. “That, and years of hardened combat against fighters that would make you wet your pants, but what can I say?” His eyes took on a dangerous glint as he glared daggers at the changeling. “They couldn’t be that tough. I killed them after all.” The changeling snorted and laughed. “Indeed human. Had I not already felt the frequent deaths of my subjects at your hands, I might well think that was pointless boasting.” The changeling glared at Trax. “Unfortunately for me, this one was very descriptive about your actions. A “violent, unstoppable, changeling eating monster,” he called you. I shall look very carefully through his memories to find the truth,” the changeling looked back to Elias. “but I have no doubt that you will be mildly impressive at least. Some minor entertainment after the conquering of Canterlot no doubt.” Elias rolled his eyes. “Why is it always the way with you wanna-be tyrants that you say you’ve won before you’ve actually done so?” He snorted. “As long as I breathe, you lose. Every time.” The changeling smiled widely, and a nasty chuckle spread amongst the black bugs. The armored one shook its head. “An interesting choice of words human, and given your valor in the face of annihilation, I shall grant your request. Death in battle it shall be.” The changeling snorted in distaste as its green eyes studied his bloodied body. “Unfortunately, it would appear that you have spent much of your fight on my lesser subjects, and therefore are not a real challenge for my captain. This will not do if I wish to test his new abilities.” Elias growled and twirled Feather in his hand. “I have more than enough fight left to kill all of you.” The changeling threw its head back and laughed. “Ha! Now there is the foolish bravado I am so used to hearing.” The changeling wiped a tear from its eye and shook its head. “No human, you do not have that strength. Perhaps a drone or three, but not this force, and certainly not my captain.” The changeling tapped its hoof against its chin. “But I am a merciful queen, and as such, I wish for all of my subjects to meet their needs in life, and that includes you human, short your servitude may be.” “Queen?” Elias asked. “I honestly expected more than…” he waved his sword at the armored changeling, “well, this.” The changeling frowned. “Uneducated whelp, I shall forgive that transgression only because you will die soon. You will never gaze upon the true visage of Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings. This vessel merely acts as a conduit for my consciousness while I take the Elements of Harmony hostage.” The changeling waved its hoof. “You are a minor plaything, nothing more. Celestia is in a pod, and Luna will follow. The conquest of Equestria is a foregone conclusion.” The changeling grinned at Elias. “So let us quit with the idle chatter and make with the fun. I wish to see a powerful pony defender die today, and so I will. Choose an injury, and I shall heal it. It shall make the fight more enjoyable.” Elias snorted. “Do you really think I’m that stupid?” he asked. “The second I let you close enough, I’m done. No contest.” Elias slammed his gladius against his scutum. “I think I’ll die like a man, thank you very much.” The changeling rolled its eyes. “Fine, be a prude like the ponies.” The creature’s horn lit up with a brilliant green aura, and Elias tensed, ready to spring into action; only for the changeling to begin speaking, rather than attacking. “I, Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings, pledge my word that I will heal a single wound with magic, and no other action against the human before me. So, it is bound.” The changeling’s horn pointed at Elias, then the creature frowned as its magic sputtered out. It tilted its head, confusion visible on its face. “You have no magical signature?” the changeling asked. “That is most odd.” Elias shrugged. “Comes with being a human. If you don’t mind my asking, what was that… thing you just did?” he asked, waving his fingers at the lingering green in the air. The changeling continued staring at him with eyes narrowed. “A simple truth geas, forcing the user to keep their word at the cost of death. It had nothing to lock onto within you however, most strange indeed.” The changeling stared at him for a moment longer, than shook with visible irritation. “Cease your distracting nature at once!” it shouted. “Choose the wound or die quickly like a common animal. Make you choice human!” Elias sighed, he had nothing else to lose. The voices shouting below his feet were gone, with Luna and Night Flash likely giving up and retreating to safety. He tapped his right leg. Might as well go out swinging. “It’s broken,” he said simply. “I won’t be able to fight with a limp.” “Very well,” the changeling replied. Elias tensed up as a green aura surrounded his leg, but the changeling did as promised. The bone snapped into place, drawing a grunt from Elias, but within seconds it was mended, with only a trace of pain left over in the fixed limb. Elias kicked out with the leg, straightening his balance. The horn in his side was agony, but now that he could walk, it was almost bearable. Elias watched as the armored changeling shuddered again, and the blue eyes returned. The creature grinned ferally at Elias, and it drew a pair of nasty looking blades from sheathes on its back. The first was a longsword, crackling with green energy that raced up and down its black blade. Elias couldn’t tell if it was the shape of the sword, but it looked serrated near the tip, which he found odd. The other weapon was a relatively small hand axe, but it too crackled with energy. A sickly black energy seemed to seep through the air around the jagged axe head, and Elias made a mental note to avoid that blade at all costs. The armored changeling cackled loudly, and he and Elias began circling one another. Elias tried to balance between staying relaxed and maintaining his combat stance. Instead of its usual place on top of his scutum, his gladius hung at his side, the blade twinkling in the sunlight. The changeling stopped momentarily over the sewer grate, tapping on it with its hind leg. It didn’t budge, and Elias had no doubt that it had sealed, just like Luna said it would. It brought a small grin to his face, and the changeling grunted softly as he moved on. The two circled back to their original positions before they stopped, squaring off against one another. The rest of the changelings seemed to close in, forming a loose circle around the combatants, save for one. Trax attempted to scurry away, only for two changelings to grab the little bug and turn him around, forcing him to stare Elias down. The armored changeling snorted in disgust as he glared at the smaller changeling. “Watch closely Trax, I will show you how a true changeling fights. This human creature will be dead in minutes.” The armored changeling grinned at Elias, and the human responded by falling fully into his combat position, wincing as the horn shifted in his hip. Elias took a deep breath, watching the changeling’s eyes closely. The bug stared arrogantly back, but for once, Elias wasn’t sure that the emotion was misplaced. The changeling had many advantages, some of which Elias didn't even know about. If nothing else, the fight was going to be a hard one. He squashed his self-doubt, and with one more calming breath, he lunged forward. Feather screeched against the changeling’s sword; the blow intended to take the bugs head off parried away as the axe descended on Elias’ left side. The blade bit into the wood of Elias’ scutum, and the human was horrified to see the black magic leeching the color from his shield. Elias lashed out with his knee, clipping the changeling in the chin, forcing the bug to fall back. It swung wildly at Elias head, which he easily ducked under as the axe ripped free of his shield. Elias took a few quick steps back, waving his gladius to ward off any attacks. He then reset his stance, raising his shield in time to block a brutal swing from the changeling’s sword. Elias dipped to his left, grunting in pain as the axe parted the air next to his right shoulder. The wound in his hip was already giving him issues, and they had just started. Despite his hatred for the changeling queen, he sent her a brief word of thanks for the healing. The fight would have ended already if his leg was still broken. Feather glanced across the changeling’s armor, leaving little more than a scratch as the glowing black sword came down again, scarring the boss of his scutum. Elias tried to kick out again, but the axe came down on his leg, and he was forced to dart back. He hissed as fire ran up his thigh. It had been a glancing blow, but whatever magic the blade had, it left a nasty pain behind. It felt like the leg was broken anew, and Elias had to put great effort into not limping. The changeling grinned widely, its fangs shining at Elias as it cackled. “Do you feel that human? It is a lovely new magic our queen developed. It has so many wonderful effects.” Elias growled as he fell back, ready to drive the changeling away, but the creature merely stood still, watching him as it continued to laugh. Elias glanced down at the wound in his leg, scowling as he saw a black substance surrounding the wound. He wondered briefly if it would prevent it from healing. In the moment of distraction, the changeling pounced forward, its wings buzzing as both blades came down at Elias’ head. Elias suppressed a scream of agony as the sword bit into his shoulder. His scutum had blunted the blow, but the sword cut through his armor like it was made of paper, sending a fresh patter of blood to the ground as the changeling ripped it free. As close as they were, the motion was just slow enough to allow Elias to get his own stab in, and Feather found a temporary home in the changeling’s flank, stabbing deep as he found a chink in the thick blue armor. The changeling howled in pain, and the two headbutted one another, drawing back as they inspected their wounds, all while continuing to stare hatefully at each other. A light stream of blood dripped to the ground as Elias pressed down on his shoulder. It hurt, and the blade had cut deep, but he could still feel his sword hand, and the wound didn’t have the black magic lingering around it. He could still fight, he just needed to move faster. The changeling glared at Elias as it limped, its hind leg twitching occasionally as goo dripped to the dirt. “You will pay for that with blood human,” the changeling growled. “Promises, promises,” Elias responded flippantly. Then the two were at it again, blades clashing as their fighting began anew. ***** “Stupid, stupid, STUPID!” Luna bellowed as she raced through the tunnels. She had already dropped the maid off at the safe room, leaving her with a password that only she and Night Flash knew. Said pegasus was keeping pace behind her, hot on her tail as she led him through the maze of sewers that would lead them outside. Luna knew she should have forced Elias into the sewer first, but with her magic largely stored away, the human was physically stronger than she was. He had more than proven it by shoving her, and while the motion had hurt her pride, it had also hurt her heart. He had never raised his hand against her, but now things had become very serious, and another Elias had appeared. That fury she had seen on his face as he annihilated the changelings was vaguely reminiscent of the figure she had seen in his dreams, yet he had come out of it, showing mercy. Luna would thank Book Binder and Night Flash for that later, they were the source of that control after all. The effort to temper the human's fiery anger seemed successful, at least partially. Maybe Celestia’s plan would work. Maybe… Luna stumbled as she tried to rocket around a corner, and she was forced to stop to catch her breath. Her normal magical endurance was gone, and she had not run as a normal pony for years. She felt shame as Night Flash stopped beside her, the pegasus showing no sign of exertion. “How far are we Princess?” he asked, his voice low with barely concealed anger. Luna felt sympathy for the pegasus. She would have felt the same guilt if she had been a literal hoofstep away from helping Elias. The fact that that brave, strong, absolute moron of a human had sealed the entrance, right in Night Flash’s face made the pegasus both angry, and terrified. Despite the brave face he put on, they both knew that the human had suffered grievous wounds already, and after days of brutal guard shifts, Elias was likely already reaching his limits. An adrenaline rush would only take somebody so far, and the human had practically collapsed after the last fight. She could only worry at the thought of how he was faring now. “Not… far…” Luna answered between pants. “You will need to fly alone back to the gardens, assist Guardsman Bright, and hide him away. I shall remain outside the exit so that you may bring him back here.” Night Flash nodded. “I’ll drag him back unconscious if I have to,” he growled softly. She nodded breathlessly. She straightened, taking a big gulp of air, then she set off again. As they continued their run, Luna prayed desperately that things were going well for her human guard. ***** Things were not going well for Elias. He had only managed to land one more solid hit against the changeling, cutting off one of the changeling’s wings. He had paid for that with a cut across his abdomen, as well as a stab into his calf. His armor seemed to crumble away from the black magic of that axe, and with another black cut on his body, Elias was beginning to feel faint. His vision started blurring as his body screamed for rest. His reactions were slowing down and his chest heaved for more oxygen to keep his limbs swinging. Sweat pooled with the blood that dripped to the ground, and the air was rank with the smell of salt and iron. As Elias smacked the changeling’s axe out of line, he couldn’t help but glance at all of the changelings surrounding them. Though they were staring at him like he was a piece of meat on their dinner plate, they also seemed impressed that he was still standing. Elias punched the armored changeling in the muzzle, paying for it with a nick across his neck. Like any audience, the changelings began to cheer as the blades rang against each other, jeering at the armored changeling when he was forced back. More than once the changeling snarled at them, losing focus long enough for Elias to inflict one minor wound or another. Their dance ebbed and flowed, speeding up and slowing down as the fighters burned through their energy like a forest fire through a lumber mill. Time seemed to slow for Elias as he spotted an opening. The changeling was constantly rotating between his axe and sword, with each blade descending seconds after the other. If he could lock down one blade for long enough, he could get in a killing blow against the changeling’s throat. Hopefully that would startle the rest into fleeing, or at least stun them long enough for Elias to go to work. He set his feet, trying to avoid slipping in blood as he charged forward. What he didn’t take into account was changeling magic. The changeling grinned at Elias, and its horn flashed as a bolt of energy leaped out to meet the human’s charge. Elias was forced to catch the magic on his shield, and with the wound in his side, he had to twist awkwardly to parry the subsequent sword swing at his neck. As he twisted, his scutum lowered, just enough for the axe to cut up the side of his face. Elias screamed in pain as his left eye shut. His right eye soon followed as the changeling’s sword tore his helmet away, severing the strap as it cut from right to left across his face. Elias fell on his back as a bolt of energy ripped through his chest. As blood streamed down his face, Elias kept enough consciousness to raise his scutum to block an incoming attack. He felt the changeling’s axe stick in the wood, but with his focus shattered, the bug was easily able to rip the shield away, and with no protection other than the blind swinging of Feather, the changeling buried its sword into his thigh. As Elias howled in agony, he realized he could still see colors. He wasn’t fully blind, which was a positive, but his face had already swollen to the point where he was temporarily without sight. As if it mattered. The changeling cackled madly as it slowly twirled the sword in Elias’ leg, ripping holes in the flesh as it taunted him. “An admirable fight human,” it said. Elias could feel the heat from its breath as it leaned close, blocking what little light he could see. “I shall ask my queen to let me bear a few of the scars you have given me. If nothing else, you provided her with some measure of entertainment, and you have proven that nothing can stop the changelings. Die now, and know that your princesses will soon lick the hooves of Queen Chrysalis as docile broodmares.” Elias let Feather fall from his grip, and though the motion caused him immeasurable pain, he reached out, grabbing the changeling’s armor as he slammed his forehead into the creature’s muzzle. It yelped in pain, and in its panic, it tore the sword from his thigh. Elias cried out again as his hand dropped to the wound, clutching at it to stem the tide of blood flowing forth. The changeling snarled at him, then laughed loudly. “Well played human!” it called, its tone mocking. “Accepting death is for the weak, and you have proven that you deserve more. Let us make it last, together!” A hoof slammed into Elias’ cheek, and he flopped to his side, his tongue rolling in his mouth limply as he struggled to stay awake. Everything hurt so much… Elias felt a warm feeling in his leg, followed by another punch into his jaw as the changeling cackled. “Ah, ah, ah,” it mocked, “you aren’t allowed to bleed to death just yet human. I must show the hive how to take you apart should we ever encounter another of your kind.” Elias recoiled in disgust as he felt a slimy tongue on his right cheek. “Or perhaps I should convert you; your savagery would serve the hive well, and I think breaking your will would be most enjoyable. Perhaps I turn you into a mere drone, so that you can help the conquest of Equestria, or even better, turn you into a broodmare. How will that strength of yours last as you are used time and again to produce new warriors for the hive?” Elias weakly attempted to headbutt the changeling again, but the creature merely laughed as it pulled back. It then slammed its forehead into his own, jarring Elias as he struggled to maintain consciousness. “That’s right human, fight. Fight to survive, that instinct will serve us well.” Elias could feel the air crackle with energy, and the changeling released him to fall onto his back as it charged a spell. He heard a multitude of hoofsteps as the rest of the changeling’s closed in. “Come brothers, let us bring another into the hive. We shall welcome this human as one of our own, and he shall serve the queen well.” He didn’t know what that meant, but he wasn’t going to wait to find out. Elias felt the hilt of Feather under his fingertips. He counted to three, waiting until the energy felt like it had reached its zenith. Then, using the last wind he had left in his broken body, he lurched up, stabbing the blade through the changeling’s chest. The power dissipated over his head, and the other changeling’s shrieked in horror. Elias felt his hatred rise once more, and his left fist rose, pounding the changeling blindly in the jaw. “You thought… I would just lay down… and die?” Elias growled. He shouted with rage as he lurched up, using his weight to drag the changeling to the ground. It gasped wetly in his grasp, but he didn’t let it fight back. Instead, he let Feather go, using both fists to pound the changeling’s face, using the differences in colors to remain on target. The shrieks continued as a buzzing rose in the air. Fresh rage gave him new energy and his fists rose like hammers, pounding down on the anvil that was the changeling’s face. His knuckles split as he hit the changeling’s helmet. Elias roared in pain, ripping the armor free, before using it to continue bludgeoning the bug before him. He felt the strange material bend under the force of his blows, and though he felt a blade bite into his back, he ignored it as the changelings around him shrieked in alarm. A strange sensation passed over Elias, causing him to momentarily hesitate. The next punch quickly fell however, and Elias continued beating away at the changeling before him. Only when he felt his fist enter the goo of the changeling’s brain did he stop. He sat back on his heels and stared blindly at the sky. He didn’t know what happened, but the rest of the changeling’s were gone, the air silent of their buzzing and chattering. Elias felt around, clasping Feather’s hilt as he dragged the blade across the wet stones to his side. Swallowing roughly, he then attempted to stand. The wound in his leg, while partially healed by the armored changeling, still wept blood, and Elias could feel it draining his energy as he limped around, trying to stumble into his scutum. Even if he had scared off the changelings nearby, more would come. He made too easy a target. Elias was ultimately fine with that. It meant they would be watching him, attacking him, rather than somepony else. He felt his sandaled toe kick his shield just as he realized that he had thought somepony instead of someone. If he could move his face, Elias imagined he would have laughed. As it was, his mouth was twisted shut by the swelling of his cheek. A low growl escaped, but that was all. Hooking his foot through the straps of his scutum, Elias limped in the direction he remembered the statue being. His sword arm swung blindly, and when Feather touched stone, he reached out with his left hand, eventually finding the statue. He dragged himself to rest on it, sighing as his body screamed a million different signals, most of them about the damage he had taken. Elias ignored all of them as he focused on breathing and listening. The only sound he could hear was the wind whispering through the trees, so he leaned back, his bare head touching the legs of the statue as he waited, Feather across his lap. ***** Luna cursed her current frailty, cursed the changelings, and most of all cursed Elias for being the brave idiot he was. She had misremembered the routes to the exit, and after two backtracking attempts, she and Night Flash were only just getting to the entrance. She made a note to leave markers in the tunnels that she, and she alone would understand. Perhaps hieroglyphs, that would suffice. Better than stumbling about blindly like some kind of buffoon. As she gulped in air, she pointed wordlessly to the door that led to the side of Canterlot mountain. Night Flash pushed past her, making ready to charge the door, when a pulse of magic passed over them in the form of a massive bubble spell. Luna blinked, looking in the direction of the castle. Had Celestia wasted their effort? Luna tasted the magic, then confirmed, no, no it originated from two ponies, not one. Luna scowled as she detected Cadence’s magic, but quickly identified that it didn’t originate from the alicorn’s personal magic stores, but rather her ambient ones. It was most strange, but Luna had no doubt that their efforts over the past few months were not for naught. Or so she hoped. Luna looked to Night Flash, who was frowning at her in confusion. “Go to the castle, see what has happened,” Luna said. “I shall find Guardsman Bright.” Night Flash hesitated. “But I’m faster Princess, what if Red is hurt? Or what if he needs help?” Luna walked to the door, putting in the simple combination to unlock it. “I suspect that the changelings have been evicted from Canterlot, and Guardsman Bright will need medical attention. You are faster, that is why you shall check on the situation in the castle, find a medical team, and bring them to the garden immediately, am I clear Guardspony Flash?” Night Flash nodded, and he took off like an arrow as soon as the door opened wide enough for him to squeeze through. Luna followed as best as her exhausted body was able, running up the narrow stairs that were cleverly hidden with invisibility runes placed centuries ago. They had originally been designed for smuggling wine into the castle by Celestia during a prohibitionary period, but Luna had easily repurposed them for her own devices, and with a few stone shifting spells, she was more than sure even her sister would have a difficult time in the sewers. As she cleared another flight of stairs, Luna’s only regret was not putting in an elevator. It took Luna far longer than she would have liked, and she felt very much not like a princess, but once she reached the top of the stairs, she sprinted toward the gardens, weaving between the trees as she raced for the sealed entrance. Throughout the run, she encountered nobody, pony or changeling. She hoped that was a good sign, rather than one of the potential multitudes of negative ones. If she didn’t have to conserve her magic, Luna would have been sending off a hundred letters a minute to find out the situation, to save lives, but for now, she would just have to do her best to save one. The clearing was devastated, and Luna couldn’t suppress a gasp as she looked upon it. Blood and changeling goo coated the ground. A body with a smashed in head twitched amongst a particularly nasty pool of gore. Luna did her best to ignore the corpse as she looked around for Elias. As still as he was, Luna missed the human the first time, but when she saw him, she could only stare in horror. The human was covered from head to toe in gore, and it was clear that a lot of it was his own. His face had been cut apart, and deep wounds seeped at key points in his body, including a nasty wound across his belly. The changeling horn still rested in his hip, and a fresh wound seeped from his previously broken leg. Elias sat on the pedestal of the statue, blindly staring forward, unmoving and pale as he waited with a chilling stillness. His sword sat in his blood-soaked hands, shining in spite of the gore that decorated it. Luna took a few cautious steps toward the human, trying to see if he was still breathing. As her hoofsteps clattered on the stones, Elias’ head shot in her direction, seeking her out through hearing alone. “Who’s there?” he asked with a grumbling croak. Luna noted a nasty gash on his throat, and as it seeped blood, she realized that she had no way to help him. His marred face twitched, and the timber of his voice raised as his torso turned in her direction. “I said, who’s there?” Elias asked loudly, his voice slurring as he spoke. Luna heard fear in that voice, though it was slight. She put on her best smile, even though she knew he couldn’t see it, and she spoke softly. “It is I Guardsman, it is Princess Luna.” Instead of comforting the human, her words seemed to agitate him. Elias’ grip on his gladius tightened and he tried to rise to his feet. Instead of putting up a staunch defense, Elias collapsed with a groan, revealing a large puddle of blood that stained the pedestal where he had been sitting. Luna rushed forward, catching his head in her wings as he flopped to the ground. His sightless, swollen face stared at her. “C-can’t trust y-you,” he spat out. “C-could be one of them. Scarlet was.” He seemed to wither under that admission, but Luna couldn’t focus on that right now, she needed to keep him alive. Blood trickled down his chin, and Luna cast about desperately for even a simple bandage. She gently grabbed his hand, stopping it from gripping the gladius he was searching for. She guided his bloody fingers to her chest, and stroked his arm softly, taking care not to run her hoof over any of the bite marks that ran up and down the limb. “I am real Elias,” Luna said softly. “and I am here for you.” The human shivered in her grasp, and she quickly got over her disgust for the gore painting the human as she pressed herself against his chest, covering his body with her wings. She laid her head near his neck, pressing her ear against his skin to feel for a pulse. His heart was beating a mile a minute, strained for a million different reasons, but it was still going strong. Luna smiled at the sound. “Y-you used my name,” Elias said softly. The tension drained from his body. “Y-you’re real Princess. None of the changelings knew my name.” Luna nodded silently, continuing to stroke the human as she prayed for Night Flash to hurry. Any pony would suffice, so long as they had bandages. With the amount of red decorating the dirt, it was a miracle that Elias was awake, let alone coherent enough to be making rational justifications. More and more blood seeped forth, and Luna had no way to stop it. It nearly brought her to tears at the thought of letting the human die to preserve her magic stores, but she had to be a princess first, and he was a guard after all. He knew that death was a real possibility. Luna stifled her emotions as she continued to keep the human warm. “Princess?” a voice called through the trees, “Princess, where are you?” “Here!” she called in response. She ran a hoof through Elias’ hair, smiling at the human. “Elias, are you still awake?” she asked hopefully. He grunted in response, and his fingers curled slightly in her chest fur, causing Luna to giggle softly as Bloody Bandage and a fresh team of Royal Guards sprinted into the clearing, escorted by a wild looking Night Flash. He let out a yelp as he spotted Elias, and he attempted to run to the human’s side, only to be stopped by two of the Royal Guards. He growled at them, his wingblades flashing brilliantly as he prepared to force his way past, but he stopped when he saw a trio of healers shove even Luna out of the way as they set to work on the battered human. The alicorn blinked in a stupor as she rose to her feet, but she didn’t protest as the ponies quickly ripped away Elias’ armor. The pair of unicorn’s cast healing spell after healing spell on the human, while the pegasus set up a series of IV drips, stabbing needles into both of Elias’ arms to fill him with desperately needed fluids. As they lifted him onto a stretcher, Luna moved to Night Flash’s side, hugging him tightly with her wing. The pegasus watched the Royal Guards swarm over the stretcher, lifting it into the air as they carried the human toward the infirmary. “Is he going to be alright Princess?” Night Flash asked quietly. Luna nodded. “Of course he is Guardspony. That human has survived worse, and recovered without issue. This is just another day in the office for him.” Night Flash looked at the destroyed changeling. “It happened again Princess. He lost control because of me.” Luna sighed, feeling a deep tiredness. “Yes, he did Guardspony. I cannot help but think of it in a positive light however.” Night Flash looked to her with confusion in his eyes. “How so?” Luna smiled down at the pony and began to guide him away from the clearing, motioning subtly for the remaining Royal Guards to begin clearing the mess. “It just shows that he loves you very much Guardspony, he is willing to do anything to make sure you aren’t hurt.” She shivered as she began walking back toward the hidden staircase. They would retrieve the maid first, then see about getting Night Flash's injuries treated. “I shudder to think what would happen if Elias saw anypony hurt his dear mother.” Night Flash snorted. “Yeah, if we thought that was bad, I don’t think anypony wants to see what would happen if Bindey got hurt where Red could see. “ Though Luna could tell he was trying to make light of it, the thought clearly depressed the pony. He was likely worried sick about his mate, and the thought of Elias flying into a blistering rage again didn't help. Luna rubbed his withers softly, trying to be as comforting as possible. “Fear not Guardspony, I have no doubts that Guardspony Book Binder is fine.” She snorted. “If anything, she is probably singlehandedly responsible for stopping the invasion, preserving scrolls with one hoof while eradicating changelings with the other, all in the name of her “baby boy”.” That put a small smile on Night Flash’s face, and he chuckled as they walked. His smile quickly dissolved when he sighed loudly shaking his head. “Is this going to ruin everything Princess?” Night Flash asked. “Is Red going to still want us?” Luna stopped, turning the pony in her hooves quickly as she locked eyes with him. She put her most serious expression on as he held his gaze, making sure her every word was listened to carefully. “What he does or doesn’t want is irrelevant Guardspony,” Luna said plainly. “Elias will need you, and he will need you as soon as possible. He will be physically marred by this incident, and you, and Book Binder need to ignore it all. You must continue loving him as if nothing has happened. Nothing at all can change in your relationship, am I clear?” “Marred?” Night Flash echoed. “But healing magic doesn’t leave any scars, not big ones at least.” Luna shook him, trying to make him focus. “Guardspony, listen to my words; nothing can change. Elias will be scarred, and you must treat him the same, am I clear? This is the single most important task I will ever give you as a guard.” Night Flash blinked at her, but nodded. “Alright Princess, but I still don’t get it. What’s wrong with Red? What do you mean by marred?” Luna sighed, rubbing her forehead as she released the pegasus and resumed their march to retrieve the maid from her saferoom. It had been in passing, but she had felt more than seen black magic in the clearing. Touches of black had even touched Elias' wounds. Even if her most optimistic thoughts were justified, the human was going to be in dire straights. “Tell me Guardspony, what do you know about changeling magic?