//------------------------------// // Betrayal // Story: The Guardian // by InsaneBatPony //------------------------------// 1 Luna stirred and woke from her deep slumber. She rubbed the tiredness out of her dark blue eyes and pulled the sheet from her body. She got out of the bed of ice and stumbled slightly. She chuckled and gained her balance, walking to the observation deck, where Celestia was talking to Alpha Bone and the rest of his team. Luna stopped and listened to what they were saying. "I'm sorry Princess, we can't get near him. He keeps growling at us every time we get close." Alpha Bone apologized. Celestia sighed, "We need more information as to what Volos is exactly." She looked around the room while she thought until her gaze fell to Luna. "Luna. You're awake, wonderful. We need your help." "Uh, very well." she said, hesitating. "What can I do?" "We need more information about what Volos is, and he won't let Alpha bone get close to him. I have reason to believe that he would allow it if you were with him." "It might work." she thought for a minute. "Wait, when did he wake up?!" she asked with a raised voice. "Early this morning. Alpha Bone was studying him while he was still unconscious, but as soon as he woke up he practically threw him across the room, and shortly after he just stopped moving and is now standing opposite the bed." "I see." she thought for a time. "Alright I'll give it a shot." "Good." Celestia said, sighing in relief. "Princess? Shall we?" Alpha Bone asked while beginning to walk out, a little more confident. "Of course." Luna responded, following after him. They arrived at Volos' room a short time later and filed in. Volos stood like an intimidating statue at the opposite side of the room, staring down the Science team and the Princess. Luna stood off to the side and instructed Alpha Bone to approach Volos, so she could see his reaction for herself. Alpha bone reluctantly agreed and approached him slowly. as Alpha neared Volos emitted a light growl and got louder the closer he became. Alpha Bone stopped and backed up quickly. "See, he just growls at me. Princess Celestia has charged us with finding out what this creature is and we can't get close enough to figure it out!" he said, aggravated. "Relax, Alpha Bone, I will do what I can." Luna said, keeping her composure. She made her way toward Volos slowly until she was in, at least, speaking distance. "Do you remember me?" she asked. Volos made no indications. "It's me, Luna. The one you saved from Anubis." Volos still made no indication. Luna was quickly becoming distraught. "Do you even know who I am?" she asked, sadly. Volos still did not move or make a sound. Luna illuminated her horn and tried to read his thoughts. She could see something in her mind’s eye, but nothing definitive. Her head began to ache, a short time later. She stopped her spell and rubbed her temple with a hoof. She kept walking closer to Volos, eventually getting close enough to touch him with a hoof. She placed her horn on Volos' shin, casting a smaller spell. Luna focused her magic into his body, trying to sense his physical structure. Volos stood still and growled lightly. Luna ceased her spell channel and looked over to Alpha Bone and the rest. "Alpha Bone, Gene Splice, come with me please. The rest of you continue working on what we know, Field Dust, you're in charge." Field Dust looked at the three scientists that were now under her supervision. "Ready to work?" she asked, evilly. The others nodded nervously and followed her out of the room. Luna, Gene Splice and Alpha Bone walked back to where Celestia waited. 2 "What did you find out?" Celestia asked, as they approached. "I don't know what's happening but Volos is in some kind of stand-by." "How do you know?" Gene Splice asked. "Those strange blood cells are running amok in his system. I don't know what they're doing, but those little things are going crazy." "Strange." Gene Splice said, under his breath, thinking. "I wonder why." "I do too, but the behaviors of that cell are downright unknown to us. I want to know what their purpose is." Alpha Bone put in. "I too wish to know the purpose of these cells but until Volos comes out of this "stand-by", we can't do anything." Celestia said. "If I can manage to take a blood sample from him, nothing large, but enough to be able to study the blood cells while in whatever state they are currently in, I might be able to come up with something." "That's a start, but what about his growling? He didn't attack the Princess but that might not apply to the rest of us." Alpha Bone said, worried. "If you're that afraid, I guess I could try to take the sample." Luna said. "I couldn't ask that of you. I can try to take it while levitating the needle to him. I don't know how precise I will be, but I should be able to get something." "Alright, do it. Luna and I will back you up if anything goes wrong." Celestia said. Gene Splice, the Princesses and Alpha Bone went back down to where Volos stood. Gene Splice levitated a needle attached to a small cylinder and started to move it closer to Volos' body. Volos did not move, nor did he growl. Gene Splice had sweat dripping down his forehead as he tried to angle the needle properly to take the sample. He lowered the needle to Volos' large bicep region and plunged the needle into the muscle tissue. Volos' grunted but remained still. Gene Splice quickly finished taking the sample and brought the needle back to where they were all standing. Gene Splice sighed, "Got it." "Get it to your lab and start analyzing it, alert me should you find anything strange." Celestia said. "I'll send word if I find something." Gene Splice said, while moving to leave the group. "Mr. Splice?" Luna called before he could get any farther, catching his attention. "If it's not too much trouble I would like to join you." "Actually, as would I." Alpha Bone said. "Sure, I don't have a problem with it, and while we're on the subject. Would like to join us Princess?" "I'm sorry, I can't. I need to inform Shining Armour of the situation and send him home, I'm sure Cadance is worried, and besides they need some time together." Celestia said. Gene Splice bowed his head and went on his way, followed by Luna and Alpha Bone. 3 Gene Splice was looking intently at the blood sample that he had managed to gather from Volos. He held a quill in his magic, scribbling notes furiously as he continued to look through the microscope. Luna and Alpha Bone were yawning, waiting for Gene splice to say something. Gene Splice finally took his eye from the microscope, and turned to face the others. "I don't know what's going on with these things. They’re not bolstering immunity or doing anything that we had previously believed them to do." he said, disgruntled. "Gene, are you positive that there is nothing you can tell us?" Alpha Bone asked. "Well, if you'll come over here I'll show you what I've found thus far." Luna and Alpha Bone walked over to where Gene Splice's notes were. "If you'll look at my notes, it appears that they are waiting for something. A disease, a foreign object in the blood? I can't tell. Alpha, maybe you can help me with this?" "I'll give it a shot but I won't promise anything." he said, stepping up to the microscope. He looked at the blood sample. "Huh? What did you say they were doing, Gene?" "Flying all over the place in the blood, they weren't doing anything specific. Why?" "They're gravitating to one side of the slide now." "What?" he said, confused. Gene Splice looked into the microscope and saw that Alpha bone was telling the truth. He looked to the direction where the third cells were gravitating and traced their path. He tried to keep his face from telling too much and looked at Alpha Bone. "Alpha, go get Princess Celestia, I don't want to proceed further without her presence and express permission." Alpha Bone wore a confused look on his face and stared at his longtime friend and colleague. "Sure, I'll be back in a bit." he said, walking out of the lab room to go find Princess Celestia. A while later Alpha Bone returned with the Princess in tow. They walked into the lab room, where Gene Splice was again looking at the microscope and giving directions to Luna. "Gene Splice, what's going on?" Celestia asked. "If you would please move back Princess." he told Luna before looking up from his microscope and turning to Princess Celestia. "Princess, I asked Alpha to find you because I did not want to proceed without your presence and I have a rather important question to ask you." he said, matter-o-factually. "What is this question?" Celestia asked, eyeing the Scientist suspiciously. "Well, Princess, I was wondering if it would be alright if I took a sample of your blood and Princess Luna's." he asked, nervously. "What for?!" Celestia roared, making Gene Splice recoil. "I've come up with a theory but I require a small blood sample from the both of you for me to able to confirm or deny it." Celestia thought for a while before finally answering. "Luna, is that alright with you?" Luna thought as well, and nodded her agreement, if not hesitantly. "Very well Mr. Splice. We agree." "Thank you Princesses." Gene Splice said, wasting no time getting two clean needles. "This take but a moment." he said, pushing the needle into Celestia's upper leg. The needle filled to the half mark and Gene Splice pulled the needle out quickly. "There. Now Princess Luna." He levitated the second needle to the same area on Luna's leg and repeated what he had done to Celestia. He set them on the table and labeled them to their respective owners. Gene splice set up a new slide and placed Celestia's sample onto a spare microscope that lay but a couple feet away from the Volos sample. He placed his eye on the eye piece and looked at the sample. He studied it, jotting down notes of celesta's blood composition and moved to the Volos sample to make comparisons. "Well, Princess, my theory is not holding up currently." "Yes, but tell me why you needed a blood sample from the two of us." Celestia ordered. "I will address that shortly after I look at Luna's sample." he said while preparing the other slide with Luna's sample. He removed the slide containing Celestia's blood and replaced it with Luna's. He looked at the sample and a frown quickly appeared on his face. He dropped the quill from his magic and ran between the two microscopes mumbling to himself. "No, no, no, how is that possible?!" he asked himself, a little too loudly. Celestia, Luna, and Alpha Bone's ears perked up. "What's wrong Gene?" Alpha Bone asked, nervously. Gene Splice continued between the two microscopes, still mumbling to himself. "GENE!" Alpha shouted, making Gene Splice come out of his panic. "What's wrong?" "Their blood. That's what's wrong!" he shouted. "It shouldn't be possible but it's right here in front of me!" "What's not possible?" Celestia asked, sternly. "Look for yourself." he said, ushering the princess over to the microscopes, an angry and somewhat sad tone coming from his voice. Celestia walked over to the able and looked at Volos' sample first. She studied it for a short time before moving over to Luna's sample. She studied it very quickly and moved to Volos' sample faster than the last time. She continued this process for a while, to be sure of what she was seeing. Luna began to get nervous seeing both her elder sister and Gene Splice act this way. Celestia stopped and her face fell, and she fell to the floor, sitting on her rump. "By all things holy." she mumbled. "It can't be true." By this time Luna was getting impatient and her sense of nervousness had gone through the roof, so to speak. "What is going on?" she said walking up to the set of microscopes. She looked at Volos' blood, following the same pattern as Celestia. She looked at her own blood. Her heart nearly stopped. She backed away from the microscope, shock and disbelief written on her features. Alpha Bone had also had enough of the suspense and walked over to the lab table. He followed the Princesses' lead and backed away from the microscope. "How is that even feasible?" he asked Gene Splice. "I have no idea, Alpha." he turned to Princess Celestia. "Princess, what would you like us to do?" he asked, nervously. "Luna, I...I'm so, so sorry." Celestia cried, tears falling from her eyes and charging her horn. Luna was taken by surprise as a set of gold chains formed on her limbs and lifted her into the air. "Celestia, what are you doing?!" Luna cried, tears falling like rivers from her eyes. "You've been contaminated. I can't let you leave, until I know how to fix this." Celestia responded, still crying. "I'm not contaminated! Those samples don't prove anything!" Luna yelled. "THOSE THINGS ARE IN YOUR BLOOD, LUNA!" Celestia bellowed, making Luna cease her struggle to escape. "Luna, those cells are in your blood, I can't take any risks. I'm sorry." she said, regretting every word. "Those chains have cut off your ability to use magic, you can't escape no matter how hard you try. I'll take care of your responsibilities until further notice." Celestia's face was drenched with tears. Her horn glowing again. "CELESTIA WAIT...!" Luna cried, disappearing from the room. "I'm sorry, Luna." Celestia cried, letting her tears flow freely.