Martin pulled me aside away from prying eyes and ears. He seemed worried. "How did you just filet that thing? Your blade has no edge."
"It is enchanted," My simple answer didn't seem so simple to him.
"Even though I believe in magic I believe that science has just as much a hand in this."
"Why do you wish to know?"
"Call me eccentric, but I like to know if my squad can keep up with my kill count,"
"How many lives have you taken?"
"My kill count is 999, at least the ones I remember." A warrior that has taken so many lives.
"It is an honor to meet a skilled warrior such as yourself,"
"My kill count is nothing compared to any of the X-od warriors. And you better be ready, these things are ruthless. They will not waste time, they will not face you on equal grounds, they will not hesitate to kill you using anything and everything in their arsenals. and that's only the soldiers. Among the Generals the Spy named Deceit is the most deadly."
"Deceit disappeared long ago."
"He's back I'm sure, I'd bet good money that The Nightmare gene is still active. I'll need that."
"What's the Nightmare Gene?"
"The Nightmare Gene is what Deceit did before leaving, it was what turned Luna into Nightmare. The thousand years on the moon was supposed to drown out the virus."
"What you didn't take into account that the X-od species thrive in low gravity environments. An attribute untested due to the rapid growth of the species."
"These creatures sound nigh indestructible."
"Human ingenuity at it's finest, It was designed to be indestructible but we were paranoid, we put several fail safes in place, such as it's weakness to itself in case our enemies were to steal some, even tested different forms of magic, only Equestrian magic, and Drakon magic are able to affect it. Creatures that have immigrated here thank god. I'd take yours if he was stronger."
"What do you mean stronger?"
"I mean if he was in control of his emotions, he'd have the strength of a full grown dragon and only be the size of me." His eyes darted to and fro. "You hear that?" He shifted side to side. "There!" He turned around and fired his crossbow. The beam of light struck something. Most likely an invisible creature of some sort.
"You're as good as they said you were Wildes." An armored man stepped out of the shadows his vital points were clad in black plating while the rest was covered in green fabric. "The legend." His breaths were labored. "The one man Army."
"You."
"Yes me, Or should I say you." The man removed his helmet revealing another Martin. "You tried to make it all better,"
"It's Deceit, he's just trying to fool us."
"And you, pretty little Luna, how was that little gift I gave you." I hefted my blade before the Princesses.
"Lower your blade Lucius, this is my fight."
"You want me back?"
"No," Martin lunged at the man, placing his hand directly over his face. "I want what she wants. The real Deceit, not a clone. You will never be half as good as him, Organic!" My blade grew hot under the green aura from before as did the Man's armor. "Give me back my armor!" The armor began floating and attaching itself to Martin. "I know where they are."
"What just happened."
"A clone, using DNA to make an exact copy of the subject, this Deceit was a clone of the original."
"Wait the warrior of legend, the one pony army? The only one to match the Great Commander Mustang Hurricane?" Lady Dash was awestruck.
"The Traitor," Martin spoke the title with mixed feelings. "The Bringer of Nightmares."
"The Lover." The Pink Allicorn stated. "There is a reason only few know this, is that the only archive old enough is in the Crystal Kingdom." With the whole room's attention she recited the legend. "It begins as the war escalates one man torn between two women, each on opposing sides, in the end he cannot choose one or the other, and chooses to stop the war himself so he would never see either die. It's a very touching story."
"That's so sweet." Rarity exclaimed. "Giving up his happiness so that they could have a chance to find new love."
"That also is why the Queen wanted me. Upon my marriage I inherited the Crystal Kingdom, in turn it would reappear."
"Her primary objective was to find the archives find any information on me."
"Why would she want you?"
"Put it together, he was second in command to the X-od Army, cloned from my DNA, I can't remember everything." He looked to Celestia who stayed quiet. "Les, you okay?"
"I can't believe it,"
"The entire species thrives, on assimilation, thankfully when I was cloned the had to clone my brain, keeping my memories and love for Celestia intact."
"We were engaged, and you disappeared. I was heartbroken. I was afraid you had died.
"I'm a warrior at heart, you knew that when you said yes. I can't tell you how sorry I am, because I can't remember what I did. I just want to find out together." He wrapped his arms around her as tears fell from her eyes.
"If you're lying to me, I'll execute you personally."
"I wouldn't have it any other way."