The Guardian

by InsaneBatPony

Consequences

Luna ran up and down the halls of the castle looking for Volos, panic written all over her face. Her mental state could be compared to a mother who had lost their child in a market. Guards were pulled into the search as she found them and were also frantically searching for the missing alien, hoping to avert some kind of disaster. Celestia had been missing since early that afternoon and had not returned. Luna ran every-which-way, hoping to find Volos before things got out of hoof for her and Canterlot as a whole.

She ran back to the throne room to see if the remaining five Elements had gathered there as she had asked. She threw open the large golden doors, wrapping them in the dark blue aura. The Elements had gathered in the throne room as she had requested, but they all held looks of anger or annoyance at the current situation.

"I'm glad you made it," she said, slowing her pace down a little bit.

"What's going on Princess?" Applejack asked in a tone of annoyance.

"Volos has escaped the castle," she said bluntly.

The six of them stared at Luna with blank faces. "WHAT!" they all screamed in unison, causing her to have to cover her ears.

"I need your help finding him, it's of the utmost importance that he not cause trouble," she pleaded.

Twilight stepped forward and looked at Luna. "Princess, we would love to help, but given his violent tendencies, I don't want to risk lives." Luna looked at Twilight with shock and then sorrow. "But you can use the locator spell to find him can't you?"

Luna's features brightened. "Of course!" she hollered, happily. Her horn began to glow and she closed her eyes. She had been getting better at finding Volos when she had to and her eyes opened shortly. She had a look of fright in her eyes.

"What did you see?" Rarity asked.

"I found him," she whispered. "He... He got out into the city." The others stiffened at the news. "He and Celestia fought in the streets."

"Who won Princess?" Applejack asked this time.

"Volos."

"What happened to Celestia?!" Twilight was bouncing nervously from one hoof to the other; worrying about the news she was going to receive.

"She's been beaten, and badly is putting it mildly," she stated. Twilight and the others were silent. "We need to get medics down there and get her back while I track down Volos in the city!" She turned to the guards who had followed her. "Assemble a medical team, and extra guards for crowd control," she ordered. The guard bowed and galloped out of the room. She turned her attention back to the Elements. "Stay here if you wish. I will not hold it against you," she said, running toward the doors.

The Elements remained still.

Volos was still running, the road breaking with every stomp of his boot. Ponies ran in every-which-way to avoid being hit by the fleeing monster. He rounded a corner, knocking over several stands in the process and almost lost his footing. He recovered quickly and continued running until he hit a large metal gate and smashed into a fountain, smashing it to pieces. Volos shook his head and slowly got to his feet. He looked at his surroundings and found that he was in what appeared to be a large public park. Ponies were holding onto children and had stopped in their tracks when he ran into the fountain.

Volos stepped out of the stone wreckage and tried to get his bearings. He looked at the many ponies that were in the park. He hadn't a single one, which was surprising, given the sheer amount of ponies that were there. He walked towards one of them and held out his hand. The pony flinched and recoiled slightly at the gesture. Volos pulled his hand away and took a step back. His auditory sensors picked up the rapid beating of wings in the distance and he turned towards the origin point of the noise.

Luna came slamming to the ground quickly and with great force. Her eyes were red and her cheeks stained by tear trails. She clenched her teeth and walked up to Volos, who stood un-intimidated.

"YOU HAVE A LOT TO ANSWER FOR THIS TIME!" she bellowed, using her Royal Canterlot Voice. "Get your big metal butt, BACK TO THE CASTLE!" she continued. Volos stood still and unmoving. Luna continued staring at him angrily. She clenched her teeth harder and began to shake with rage. Blue lines traced their way up her horn and through her eyes, emitting the small blue pulsating glow. "MOVE!"

Volos turned around and began walking along the path he had taken previously.

'Order Override'

Unable to Override Order... Clearance to all motor functions has been granted... Master Status Control Unit Detected...

He walked through the gates and back up the streets and alleyways in which he had used after he beat Celestia. The joints, pistons, and inner mechanisms of his body moving without his own consent. Luna remained to help clean up his mess while he walked back to the castle. Igniting her horn, she repaired the fountain back into working order and talked with the ponies present to ascertain what had happened before she had arrived.

When she had completed her task, she took to the air and looked for Volos. She found his large form easily due to the large contrast between his black metal body and the marble white streets. He was walking normally and dodged anything in his path, instead of running them over. Luna's face hardened considerably and she kept a steely eye on him as he came up on the castle. Ponies throughout Canterlot had bolted their doors and evacuated the street in the wake of his destructive path.

Canterlot Castle came into view and Luna breathed a heavy sigh of relief. She flew down and landed next to Volos, who ignored her arrival. The guards opened the gate and let the two of them through with a nervous glance. Through her calm exterior, Luna's rage was obvious as her eyes betrayed her calm facade. The large doors to the main entrance opened and they went through, not expecting to see her there.

"Hello Luna. We have a lot to discuss," Celestia said sternly.

Fluttershy raised her head and looked around the hospital room. She laid her head back down after a bit due to the light pangs of pain in her neck. She groaned and heard the door open. A blue unicorn stallion with a white mane, tail, and white eyes walked into the room. He closed the door behind him and picked up the clip board with his magic.

"Ms. Fluttershy," he mumbled, unaware that she could hear him. "Several repaired ribs, several shattered bones, wings disjointed and avian bone structures torn to shreds, dislocated jaw. Quadriceps and hamstrings reattached to the bones properly, good, good. Healing is progressing steadily, that is good. Bones are mending properly and... What's this?" Fluttershy tensed, trying to keep her breathing under control. "Odd, healing is progressing faster than expected, almost three times. But how?" Fluttershy struggled to keep her breathing noise to an absolute minimum. "Something is very wrong. How can she be healing so quickly without magical intervention?" He placed the clip board back on the hook by the base of the bed. "Very troubling indeed," he whispered, opening the door again and leaving the room.

Fluttershy began to pant and sweat ran down her face. She twisted uncomfortably in her bed and sat herself up completely. She took in a long, deep breath, and let it out. Her face became one of surprise as she felt no pain in her chest. She tapped her leg with her free hoof and hit it harder in succession. Again she felt no searing pain, only the throbbing after she hit the bone. She panicked and reached over to the button box on the table next to her. She picked it up and started slamming the button down repeatedly.

A nurse came running into the room in a panic a few seconds later. "What is it Ms. Fluttershy? What's going on?" she asked quickly.

"What's happening to me?" Fluttershy asked back.

The nurse went over and picked up the clipboard. She skimmed it over and her eyes went wide and then narrowed just as quickly, multiple times. She put the clipboard back down and ran out of the room screaming. Fluttershy began to weep bitterly at the reaction of the nurse and sunk back down into her bed.

Celestia was covered almost from head to hoof in bandages, making her look like a mummy. The only parts uncovered were her nose, part of her mouth, one upper hoof and a wing. Luna's heart was stopped and she stared at her sister with a mix of dread and surprise. "S... S... Sister, we did not expect you to be out of bed so early," she stammered.

"Yes well, I'm good at that. But for right now, you are in a heap of trouble!" Luna flinched at the outburst. "Not only does he have a lot to answer for, but he was your responsibility! You've messed up for the last time Luna! I could forgive his many problems early on but this..." she pointed to herself as best she could, "is on an entirely different level." Celestia moved the large wheel chair with her magic and got closer to Luna. "I don't know how you're going to fix this one, but when MY subjects are in direct and absolute danger, I cannot back down. You're punishment will be most severe for this..." The doors to the main hall were thrown open and a blue unicorn stallion with a white mane, tail, and white eyes ran through, heralding the Princesses, interrupting Celestia. "This will, unfortunately have to be postponed at the moment," she seethed. She turned her chair to face him.

"Doctor Bone Marrow, this had better be of the utmost importance!"

Bone Marrow stopped in his tracks and looked at the Princess he had treated not six hours ago. "Yes it is. Ms. Fluttershy can be released from the hospital by the end of the week and begin physical therapy the next day if necessary."

Celestia did not speak. Her face went dark and became stern. "Explain," she demanded.

"It seems that her wounds are healing at an exponential rate. I don't' know how but they are. They're healing at almost three times the rate they should be."

"Show me."

Bone Marrow trotted to the door with Celestia rolling behind him. The doors closed quickly and Luna was still standing in the main hall with Volos. She did not dare to move.

Fluttershy's door opened revealing Bone Marrow and Celestia in the doorway. The six Elements looked over and greeted them with smiling faces. Bone Marrow went into the room and Celestia came in next. Celestia stared at Fluttershy in awe. She was upright in her bed and was moving her wings and legs, which were supposed to be paralyzed with a Neuromuscular-blocking drug. Fluttershy smiled and was beaming with happiness.

"Fluttershy? How did this happen?" Celestia asked, bewildered.

"I don't' know. One minute I was feeling a bunch of pain and then a couple hours ago it started going away and now, I feel great," she exclaimed.

"Let me see her chart." Doctor Marrow levitated the clip board to her and Celestia took it into her own magic. She skimmed it over and quickly went to the names at the bottom of the page. "Get me Gene Splice, and Alpha Bone," she stated.

"Is something wrong?" Twilight asked, worried.

"Maybe," was all Celestia said. Bone Marrow left the room to retrieve them. Celestia looked at Fluttershy again and then turned her attention to the others. "Which one of you was in here first?"

"I was." Rainbow Dash stepped forward and stood in front of the Princess. “What time did you arrive?"

Rainbow Dash thought for a moment. "Around seven-thirty this morning."

"I see." She turned her attention back to Fluttershy. "When could you move without feeling pain?"

"At six, I could move some things without much trouble but it was around eight when I could move as much as I am."

Twilight walked up to Celestia, a look of determination on her face. "What's going on Princess? Why are you interrogating them?"

"You're about to find out," she said as the door opened to reveal Gene Splice and Alpha Bone. "There you are. Explain what has happened to Fluttershy if you please," she said sternly, without a hint of happiness or emotion on her face and in her voice.

Alpha Bone stepped aside. "Gene, do your thing."

"You see Princess; this is an anomaly to me as well. When I examined her yesterday everything was as it was before and when I brought her medicine earlier this morning something was different. I could see it by the way she was moving. The subtle movements of her wings and the precise control of her limbs, as limited as they were, were most surprising."

"Why was I not informed, or anypony else for that matter?" Celestia asked.

"Well, to be honest, you were in still in bad shape, and I had Bone Marrow check on her this time because I couldn't formulate the words to explain the drastic change. Then that nurse went in and came out screaming like a wild mare. I almost couldn't get her to calm down."

"Alpha Bone, you're the Biologist here. What happened?" Celestia asked impatiently.

"Well, her anatomy is still the same, but the structures are literally moving back into place on their own from what I can tell. It's extraordinary. Her bones, ligaments, tendons, and muscles are all reverting back to the way they were before hoof. I asked Gene to deliver everything to Fluttershy this morning and do her physical with me yesterday to see the differences for himself."

"Gene, do you at least have a theory?"

"I'm sorry Princess but I don't."

"I see."

The door to the room creaked open slightly and Luna walked in partially. "I... I might," she said quietly.

Celestia turned around and looked at her. "Let's hear it then."

"I saw Volos walking out of this room before he, uh, left," she said weakly.

"And?"

"I talked with Fluttershy, who told me that he stood over her and just looked at her for a few seconds then left."

Celestia raised an eyebrow and her features became dark and unreadable again. "Gene Splice, Alpha Bone, I leave this to you. Luna and I have a lot to discuss at the moment."

Celestia left and shut the door with her magic, releasing a loud bang. The others stood and sat in stunned silence, looking at each other nervously.

Celestia wheeled along with Luna trailing behind her. Celestia's face was still unreadable, only the clear sounds of her strong breaths had any indicator of her mood at the moment. Celestia stopped in front of Luna's room, opened the door, and wheeled herself inside. Luna walked in shortly after and closed the door as Celesta turned to face her again.

"Luna..." Luna looked up. "We have a great deal to discuss and I don't plan on being interrupted this time," she said gruffly. "Now, explain to me, if you can, what's been happening around here. First, Volos goes and visits Fluttershy, then escapes, beats me senseless almost killing me, and then Fluttershy is now recovering at a rate that is impossible."

"I wish I knew what was going on Celestia. I really do."

"You don't know then?" Luna shook her head. "Fine. I will accept that for the time being. But there is also the matter of your punishment for Volos' behavior." Luna became scared. "Luna, I made you responsible for him and I end up in a wheel chair." She leaned in closer to Luna. "How do you suppose that makes me feel?"

"Not good," she winced.

"Not good at all. You agreed that you would take responsibility for his actions and will you?"

"Yes," she mumbled.

"Yes what?"

"Yes I will take responsibility for them."

"Good. Your punishment, though it pains me, is this. You are to take Volos and leave the castle and live in the Everfree for one week. No servants, no maids or butlers and no modern conveniences."

"A camping trip? You're sending me on a camping trip?" Luna asked, surprised.

"It could be viewed that way I suppose. But you cannot return until the seven days are up and as for your Royal Duties, I will be taking over in your stead."

"But you're in no condition for that! How can you even think to do something like that?"

"I told you, I'm good at healing remember? I was trained primarily in healing and defensive spells while you trained primarily with combat spells. I know how to heal myself." Celestia rolled over to the door. "You will leave when this situation with Fluttershy has been sorted out. And you might just learn a little something about yourself along the way." Celestia rolled out of the door, leaving a dumbfounded Luna in her wake.

Celestia sat in the laboratory watching Gene Splice work his microscope and slides in the brightly lit room. It had been two hours since he had started looking through Fluttershy's blood samples that he had taken earlier in the day while Alpha Bone looked through the X-rays.

"Found anything yet?" Celestia asked.

Alpha Bone spoke up first. "Well it appears that after the surgeries on Fluttershy's bones they were healing at the normal rate for fractures as bad as hers, slow but correct. And after last night into earlier morning, they began to heal much faster but still correctly. From what I can tell from the X-rays here her entire skeleton has almost healed back to near perfection."

"Thank you. What about you Gene Splice? Have you discovered anything?" Gene Splice did not answer and continued using his microscope. He looked away for a moment and scribbled furiously onto a notepad and looked back through the eyepiece. Celestia cleared her throat, trying to gain his attention. He still did not answer. "Gene Splice!" she shouted.

"Hm? OH YES! What is it Princess?" he answered finally.

"Have you found anything?" she asked him again.

"Blood samples from the past couple days are normal. I was looking at her samples from this morning and I found the Third Cell in there."

Celestia's eyes widened. "What?!"

Gene Splice also looked up.

"Yep. They're in there all right, but they're dying off quickly. They're not surviving as long as the ones in Volos' blood or Luna's. It's really strange. They've been dying off rather quickly. I can't explain it."

"But when you tested the ones in Volos' blood, it ate that rat from the inside out."

"That's why this is such a mystery, they should have done the same to Fluttershy but they haven't."

"How did they get there in the first place?" Celestia asked. Alpha Bone was listening intently as well.

Gene Splice thought for a while before speaking again. "When I went to collect the samples, I checked her over again, just to be sure of what was happening when I noticed a bald spot on her neck. I looked at it closer and found a small scab. It was no bigger than a pin needle."

"They were injected!" Alpha shouted in realization.

Gene smirked, "So it would appear."

"But by whom..." Celestia's eyes went to slits again, "Volos. He did this. But why?" she thought aloud. "No matter. It would appear that this little mystery has been solved and Fluttershy is on the road to recovery. That is good. Now I must rest. You may take the day off today you two."

Celestia left the lab and rolled herself to Luna's room. The door was cracked open and a note was taped to the door. She levitated it off the door and looked at it. She tossed it away with a small chuckle. "Wanted to get a head start. Can't fault her for that one." She rolled up to the balcony and looked out over the city toward the Everfree Forest. "Good luck Luna. I wish there would have been a better way to tell you."

Celestia pulled out a small note worn with age and opened it; skimming over the note before closing it and teleporting it back to her room.

"Luna, you're still my sister. And I will always love you."

Celestia lingered on the balcony watching over the city in the cool air until it was time to raise the moon.