//------------------------------// // A meeting with royalty // Story: Life to Death Heaven to Hell Harmony to Disharmony. // by EZthebeast //------------------------------// A meeting with royalty “Is that him?” Asked a female voice. “No, it’s just the other alien.” Said a male voice sarcastically. “Silence both of you!” Said a third voice. “Master, this thing looks so small and weak…” “That’s what she said.” Said the male. “It may not look tough but it is a trained killer.” “Master I’m already there, I can just sneak up on him and strangle him with his own intestines, then I can use them for decorations for our victory party.” Said the male. “No. I can have one of my spies follow him and gather Intel. And if there is an opening kill him.” Said the female. “Very well, I want you to spy on him. But I don’t want him to know that we are watching him. Dismissed!” The group of six ponies and one dragon and human got off the train at the train station. It was large and crowded with ponies, which were Immediately frightened by Ezra. “Monster!” Screamed one, about half the ponies ran away, those that stayed were curious. Ezra ignored the looks from the Canterlot ponies, which was hard because they were following him while shouting random things from ‘Guards help monster!’ to ‘I say, that is some of ugliest clothes I’ve ever seen’. They walked through the Canterlot streets to the castle gates, by the time they reached it. Almost the whole city was following them. At the gates were two guards. They were identical white unicorns wearing golden armor and had spears. Though their faces were devoid of emotion he saw fear and distrust in their eyes. Twilight walked up to them. “Umm… hello I’ll like to see Princess Celestia she’s expecting me.” “Of course miss Sparkle.” Said the guard on the left. He then opened the gate and they walked though. He gave Ezra a look that said ‘make one wrong move and your dead.’ He then followed Twilight and the others into the castle. The castle was full of servants, all which gave him strange looks. The guards on the other hand (or hoof) gave him looks of distrust and resentment. He liked this, it reminded him of home. Special forces soldier tended to be more successful on missions than regular troops because of the advanced technology they were given. This made the regular troops resent Special Forces soldiers. Ironically if a regular soldier gets assigned to a Special Forces team he would have no objections. He stopped daydreaming and focused back on the real world. They were standing in front of two golden doors with strange symbols on them. The guards opened the doors while giving Ezra a ‘don’t try anything funny’ look. When the doors opened he saw a large room with a red carpet and fancy decorations. The windows were stained glass with images telling a story. He saw ponies that resembled Twilight and her friends. Then he saw himself on the glass holding the neck of a black bug that was shaped like a pony. He blinked and looked at the glass again and the image was gone. Ponyland is really doing a number on my sanity. But only a bit longer until I get home. “I’m guessing your Ezra.” Said a calm voice. He turned his head and saw at the end of a room there was a golden throne. In front of the throne was a large hybrid pony like Luna. But she was white and taller than him. She was wearing a crown and had a multicolored mane that seemed to be flowing like there was an invisible fan behind it. He looked around everypony was bowing expect him. Oh shit! “Yes I’m Ezra.” He said. Oh fuck I forgot to say your highness. Please don’t behead me. Please don’t behead me. “There is no reason to be afraid.” She said. How did… Oh yeah they can read minds. She then turned to the bowing ponies. “You may rise my little ponies.” (ha) They stopped bowing and she spoke again. “The letter I received from my student didn’t have a lot of information in it about you. I would like to know how an explosion sent you here, and I’m interested in your job.” Oh fuck she knows. She then looked at the ponies you must be tired after the train ride here, lunch is being served in the dining room. The chefs would make you anything you like.” And then he was left in the throne room with some guards and the ruler of a country. This wasn’t going to end well. “My sister told me all about you when she visited your nightmare. I have also casted a small memory spell on you so I have a basic idea of who you are.” “What do you know about me?” He asked. “That you kill others for a living but you do that protect those you care about, which is how I’m guessing you ended up here.” He nodded. “Tell me how you got here so I can figure out a way to send you home.” He sighed. “Do you want the short version or the long version?” “Long.” She answered. “I was sent on a mission to an old city where a bunch of ‘bad guys’ were blackmailing governments across the globe. I was supposed just to sneak in, gather Intel, plant a virus and leave.” “Virus? So you planned on sickening them?” She asked. “No different type of virus. Do you have technology here?” Celestia nodded. “Yes but not as advanced as your species have.” How did… you know what forget about it. “Ok this type of virus would tell us what ever they were doing while slowly deleting what they were using to blackmail with. Understand?” She nodded. “It was supposed to be simple and quick.” “Something happened didn’t it?” He nodded. “We entered the building…” “We?” She interrupted. She’s just like Twilight. “Yes me and my team. Gavin, Sal, Mina, and Aiden. The plan was for Sal to plant the virus while Aiden and me copy what was on their computers. Gavin and Mina were supposed to provide overwatch. As soon as I entered the building I overheard a conversation between a guard and Stephanie Dixen who was their leader. That conversation changed the whole mission.” He said. “What did you hear?” “Stephanie said something about Project Hellstorm, at that time I didn’t know what it was but it sounded like trouble. I sent Sal to the basement of the building to search around while Aiden and Mina took over his role and I had Aiden set a small fire to distract them. After I downloaded the Intel from the first room Sal contacted me and said he found something. I went to the second room and downloaded the Intel then I contacted Sal…” “Let me guess he didn’t answer.” Said Celestia, he nodded. “Yes I sent everyone else to the basement thinking Sal found something really big. Then I made my way there.” He hesitated. “There was a whole fucking army down there with tanks, jeeps, and nukes.” Celestia flinched slightly after he cursed. “There was also a huge machine that was shaped like a hoop. I found out that my whole team was captured and being interrogated by Dixen. She was asking them where I was, Sal was the first he refused to rat me out and was killed.” She and the guards flinched when he said this.” Next was Aiden, again he didn’t talk also… Then Mina. Then she walked up to Gavin and gave him ten seconds to talk. In that time I prepared to kill her, but I guard grabbed me. I killed him but it wasn’t quiet she and about everyone in the basement heard me.” “Then what happened?” Asked Celestia. “You know how in books and stories the bad guys always tell their evil plan right before they think their going to kill the main character?” She nodded. “That’s actually true. Dixen told me about Project Hellstorm and that the huge machine was a teleporter and that she planned to use it to lunch weapons into cities destroying them. And for the cities she didn’t want to be a smoking crater she would send troops through. She then killed Gavin.” He said in a sad voice. “He was your friend wasn’t he?” Asked Celestia. “He was like family to me, they all were. So you can guess my reaction wasn’t pretty.” He said. “I calmed down a bit after I killed Dixen.” And a shitload of guards. “I knew that I couldn’t take on a whole army nor could I let them win, so I blew up the building by setting off a nuke.” “S-so you died?” She asked. “I’m not sure, when I first woke up I thought this was the afterlife or a dream I’m having while in a coma. But now I’m sure this is real, which means I have to go back. If they had one teleporter they’re bound to have more, which means they would try the same thing again and I’m the only one who knows about it. That’s why I must get home.” One guard had tears in his eyes while the other one was devoid of emotion. Celestia had lost her poker face and instead looked sad and deep in thought. After a minute she spoke. “How are you still sane after going through that?” She asked with concern in her voice. “That is the kind of shit I go through on a weekly basis. Only that was the first time more then two of my teammates died on the same mission. As they say in the army you have to be insane to sign up.” “Don’t take this the wrong way but you seem undisciplined for a soldier.” “Compared to Gavin I’m a ballbusting drill instructor.” He said. “So any ideas on how to get me home.” She then looked panicked for a second then said. “I’m sorry.” “It’s not your fault my teams dead, if any it’s mine.” He said. “No I mean I’m sorry.” “For?” He asked but at his core he knew why. “Travel between universes was researched by many great unicorns even Starswirl the Bearded but a spell to travel between universes was never made.” “S-so what your s-saying…” He started. “Yes I lack the ability to send you home.” He inhaled. “You might want you cover you ears.” Meanwhile in Cloudsdale Spitfire was curled up with her special Somepony. “Hey Spitfire?” “Yeah Soarin’?” “I love you.” “I love you too.” “You knew when I first saw you I thought we were destined to …” “FFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCKKKKKKKKK!" Back in Canterlot ten minutes later Ezra had finally managed to calm down thanks to many different calming spells. Though he was still mad that there wasn’t a way to get him home. “I’m sorry.” Was all that Celestia could say. “Tell that to them!” She then went up to him and slapped him in the face. “Listen, their not dead yet for all we know. I can have some of my best scholars research ways to send you home. In the meantime I have something I want you to do.” “Let me guess you want to hire me as an assassin or spy.” “Sort of.” He turned to look at her. “Have you ever heard of the Elements of Harmony?” She asked. “Yes, you have something about them in the letter you wrote.” She nodded. “The elements were created by the elder god Harmony.” Harmony I heard that name before. “Harmony took its six greatest traits and infused them into magical artifacts. These artifacts are extremely powerful, but only work if the bearers are using them.” “Bearers?” Asked Ezra still unsure where Celestia was going with this conversation. “Yes the elements each must have a bearer to work, the bearers represent each element the best.” “What are the elements?” He asked. “Kindness, honestly, loyalty, generosity, laughter and when all of them are present magic.” “Ok stop right there. I know what you doing. You want me to go on a quest to find the element bearers and my reward is that I can go home.” “No the bearers have already claimed the elements I believe you met them.” Twilight and her friends. “Correct.” “Let me guess I think I got this one. The elements can we used as powerful weapons and you use them to defend Equestria and you want me to protect them.” She looked angry for a second. “The elements are not weapons, they are objects of peace and happiness. Though the bearers saved Equestria many time before from dark forces. The first from Nightmare Moon a demon was trapped on the moon for 1000 years. After that was the Chaos God Discord, then they stopped an invasion of changelings during my niece’s wedding. You see changelings are shapeshifters…” One of her personal guards eyes widened at this, it was unnoticed by everypony except Ezra. “And most recently at the Crystal Kingdom they stopped a sprit of an evil unicorn.” “Impressive considering that they are civilians.” “That’s the problem. They don’t have any combat training and worst their adventures are well know to everypony and everything...” “So the next threat would target them and they wouldn’t be able to protect themselves.” She nodded. “You catch on quickly. Yes I have found out recently that a threat that is bigger then anything we seen is coming. It only wants destruction and chaos and the only thing that is standing in its way is the elements.” “So, you want me to protect them from this threat while you find a way to send me home.” “Correct. What do you say?” “My job is protecting all civilians and stopping threats that endanger them with my life.” “So you’ll do it?” He smiled under his mask. “Gladly. I would defend all civilians with my life, pony or human, But I would need weapons and information.” “It would take some time to make the spell to get you home, so you’ll need a place to live.” “I’m just make a camp in the forest.” He said which caused a shock reaction from her. “No the Everfree forest is one the of most dangerous places in Equestria, I would have some royal builders make you a home. In the meantime you can stay with one of the elements.” “That’s not a good idea. I don’t think they like me a lot. They think I’m a murder with no care for life or something.” “Yes Equestria hasn’t had a war in 1000s of years so that is the normal reaction, they think its murder. But in time they’ll see you are not a bloodthirsty murder but a kind protect of life.” “Their going to need some convincing then.” “Want did you tell them?” She asked nervous in her voice. “About my world and my species.” “What did you say exactly?” She demanded. “That my species favorite pastime is raging wars on each other, and that my world is a wasteland filled with mutants and bandits. And I said I ate meat before.” Celestia wasn’t as shocked as he thought she was going to be. She just looked disappointed. “I’m afraid I can’t let you eat my subjects…” “No no no its not like that. My species eats both plants and meat, but I’ll prefer a nice apple rather than meat any day.” “Well that’s better, we should see the elements and tell them that you will be their guardian. Come on.” She then led Ezra to the dining room with her two personal guards following, one of which kept looking at Ezra. The dining room like the rest of the castle was fancy the table was almost as large as the room with a gold trimmed tablecloth. The food on the table had everything (except meat) from apples to zucchini. Twilight, Spike, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie were sitting at the table eating. They noticed him enter and their eyes immediately went somewhere else. Well this is going to be awkward. He thought. Celestia sat down at the head of the table and Ezra sat next to her, which was also next to Twilight. Deciding to break the awkwardness he spoke. “Sup.” They all muttered a quiet hi except for Spike. “S-so did you find a way to get home?” Asked Twilight. “Well about that…” He started. “There is not currently a spell to send Ezra home so he will be staying in Ponyville until one is made.” His ears picked up seven gulps. “As you know Ezra and highly experienced in combat…” “And murder.” Muttered Spike. “So that is why I’m sending him to Ponyville… to protect you.” Finished Celestia. This was met with a bunch of whats and whys from them. “Princess Celestia why do we need protection? ” Asked Twilight. Ezra answered for her. “Each of you represents an Element of Harmony, and the elements are used to Defend Equestria. If something kills one of you Equestria would be defenseless. Right?” Princess Celestia nodded while the ponies had mixed expressions. “S-something i-is trying t-to kill us?” Asked Fluttershy. “No! What Ezra means is that you are important to Equestria’s safety and must be protected. You all have faced life threating situations on a monthly basis the most recent being those Timberwolfs.” Timberwolfs? “Equestria I admit is too dependent on the elements, if they never existed we wouldn’t be here.” “Ok so you’re saying we need protection?” Asked Rainbow Dash. “Yes, think about it. During the changeling invasion, Equestria was almost conquered just because you couldn’t reach the elements. If you had a guard escort you would have gotten the elements. Also during the dragon migration you almost got eaten. And lets not forget about that dragon that got to leave that mountain…” “But Princess Celestia that proves we can take care of ourselves.” “I hate to admit it but some of those times it was just pure luck, but what if next time you aren’t so lucky. I have actually planned to send a detachment of guards to Ponyville. But who better then a fully trained, combat experienced soldier.” “But how can we trust him, on the way here he admitted to being a killer…” “Do you know why I kill others?” He asked. “I explained this to Princess Luna already. I’m a soldier I am trained and ordered to protect all civilians with my life. I admit I don’t like you that much.” He said getting a glare from Celestia. “But all the New Union soldiers live by a creed. ‘I will protect all civilians until my dying breath, and if those I protect come under attack I would gladly lay down my life for them. Nothing will stand in my way of my duty. I will not die until my orders are fulfilled, and when I do, I will die with my fist down something’s throat’.” “So you would die to protect us even if you don’t know us that well?” Said Rarity. “Yes, that is why I saved those three fillies from the manticore. I looked into their eyes and saw the same things I would see in a young girl’s eyes. I knew I had to save them. And if the time comes I would save each and everyone of you.” He pointed to everything in the room including the guards. The ponies were speechless that he would happily give his life for them. Princess Celestia then stood up. “Mares and gentlecolts I introduce you to the new guardian of the Elements of Harmony.” She then stomped her hoofs in what he guessed was her way of clapping. The other ponies (including the guards) then starting to stomp until the only ones that weren’t were Spike and one of Celestia’s personal guard. “Now lets eat.” He started to remove his gas mask with everything in the room watching. Then he felt weird all of the sudden. “This creature will be coming to the castle soon to speak with Princess Celestia, spy on it and find out everything you can and report it. Do you understand?” Said a female voice. “Yes my queen.” Said a male’s voice that almost seemed to buzz. “Do not do anything to reveal yourself, but if giving the opportunity kill it…” “Are you ok Ezra?” asked Princess Celestia. “Umm… yeah I just dozed off for a second.” He answered. What the fuck was that? He looked around the room. His eye’s rested on one of Princess Celestia’s personal guards. He looked older and mature then the normal guards he seen, but he wasn’t acting like it. His eyes were focused on him and he was standing funny while one of his hoofs was near his sword. A personal guard is usually handpicked because of their elite status, but this one seems like a rookie right out of basic. He then remembered those voices he heard. Is he a spy? Fits the profile. A plan came to his mind to see if the guard was truly a spy. This is going to be very risky. He stood up and spoke. “I’ll like to say something.” All eyes in the room were on him. “Now you see me…” He cloaked. “Now you don’t.” The guards immediately went into panic and ran to protect Princess Celestia. The one guard that he was observing hesitated for a few seconds then ran to where he used to be. Bingo. He then uncloaked and tackled the guard while throwing his sword away. He then took out his combat knife and held it to his neck. The guards immediately started to circle him. “Princess Celestia wait, this guard is an imposter.” “What are you talking about that is Sliver Blade, one of my oldest and loyal guards!” He smiled under his gas mask. “Again this is an imposter. If he was one of your oldest guards why making rookie mistakes?” He replied with his knife still against the guard’s neck. “I demand to know what you are talking about!” She shouted. “This guard I have been observing since the throne room. He is acting differently from the other guards. For one when I was telling you how I came to Equestria. When I told you about how my friends where killed in front of me the other of your personal guards had a tear in his eye while this one was emotionless. Second was when you told me about changelings and that they were shapeshifters his eyes widened. Third his reaction when I cloaked. All the guards ran to protect you while he looked for me. Only a soldier would engage a threat, which is what he did. While your guards ran to protect you. I think this is a changeling.” Everything in the room was speechless. Until the ‘guard’ Ezra pinned spoke. “He’s crazy what are you waiting for kill him.” “When a spy is caught, their first reaction is to do anything they can to flee and report back to who sent them. He is demonstrating this poorly right now.” He then pressed him knife into the ‘guard’s’ neck so a bit of blood came out. “Twilight?” He said. Twilight was so focused on what was going on she almost didn’t’ hear him. “Umm… yes?” She said. “What color blood do ponies have?” Ezra asked with a smirk under his gas mask. “Well blue when it’s inside your body due to the fact…” She started. “Red.” Said Rainbow Dash while rolling her eyes. “Oh red?” He said with a fake shocked voice. “I must be color blind then because this guard’s blood is green.” He then removed his knife showing green blood on the blade. This got a gasp from everything in the room. He cleared his throat. “I… told…you… SO!” The ‘guard’ muttered something along the lines of a curse. Ezra then picked up the ‘guard’ by the neck tightly and shoved him into the wall. “You can drop the act now.” There was a flash of green light and instead of the ‘guard’ was a black insect pony like creature. It had insect like wings and a misshaped horn. It’s teeth were sharp and it was drooling green liquid. The strangest thing is that its legs had fucking holes in them. He almost yelled ‘mutant’ then he remembered there were no mutants in Equestria. There was a lot of things he could of said from ‘Whoa you like you tried to outsmart a bullet.’ to ‘Birth defect?’ But he when with a classic. “Boy… you… are… one… ugly… motherfucka.” He said which caused the changeling to give him a death stare. “Aw wits wrying wo we wean and wcary.” He said in a squeaky voice. “CHANGELING I DEMAND TO KNOW WHY YOU ARE IN MY KINGDOM!” Shouted Celestia. Ow ow ow ears ears. The changeling ignored Celestia completely (somehow) and kept giving Ezra a death stare. “When a woman asks you something you answer her.” He said while slamming its head against the wall. “I will never speak to the likes of her.” It spat out. “Ok… what about me?” he asked. The changeling remained silent. He turned to look at everypony Twilight, Spike, and Rarity were watching everything with interest. Rainbow Dash and Applejack both looked like they wanted to run up and punch the changeling in its face. Fluttershy was trying to hide underneath the table. While… Pinkie Pie was recording everything with a camera. Where the fuck did she get the camera from? He turned to Celestia. “Do you want to know why it’s in your castle and what it was planning? He asked. “Yes if there is a threat against Equestria I must know about it.” She replied. He smiled. “Good.” He then hit the changeling in the back of its neck knocking it out. He picked it up and then said “Follow me and you…” He pointed to several guards. “Come also.” “These are my guards you can’t just order them around. And I demand to know what you are planning.” “You’ll see, and you…” He pointed to the elements. “Stay here unless you want to have see something very unpleasant.” He then exited the room with Princess Celestia and several guards. “Ezra what are you planning to do?” She asked with concern. “Gather Intel.” He deadpanned. He then led them to the first room he could find. It was a small bedroom. He set the changeling against the wall. He then turned to look at the guards all were unicorns. Perfect. “Use your magic to hold it against the wall.” The guards understood what he was about to do and looked to their Princess. “Do it.” She said. The changeling was then surrounded with a glow and was raised to the wall. “I know what your thinking Ezra, there is a better way. It would talk if it doesn’t get its required nutrients.” “I don’t have time for it to starve. We both want to know why it was here. And I noticed it was paying the most attention to me. I think it knows something. If you don’t like it you don’t have to watch.” She sighed and cast a spell on the door. “What did you do?” He asked. “Just a sound proof spell, I don’t want the papers saying that I torture ponies.” He nodded and walked over to the floating changeling. He turned back to Celestia. “I don’t take pleasure in this.” He then took out some smelling salt from his medical kit and put it near its nose. He opened the tip of it and watched the ammonia gas take effect. The changeling coughed trying to get the toxic gas out of its lungs. It looked around while groaning softly, its eyes saw Ezra and were suddenly filled with rage and fear. He could tell it was still groggy but the pain will wake it up. He walked up to it so they were face to face and he said in the most threatening, emotionless voice he could muster. “I have captured you and want information. I am going to torture you. If you stay silent I will hurt you. If I think you’re withholding information I’m going to hurt you. If I think your lying I’m going to hurt you. There is no escape I will get what I want. Nod if you understand.” It didn’t nod but it had a lot of fear in its eyes. He then made a fist and punched it in the stomach, which made a crackling noise. Interesting it has a exoskeleton. Must be more insect then pony. The changeling hid his pain poorly, he could tell from it biting its lips that it hurt a lot. I have to be careful not to kill it. He thought. “I repeat DO YOU UNDERSTAND!” The changeling slowly nodded. This is going to be easy. “Ok let’s start with something simple. What is your name?” He asked. It didn’t answer him. He smiled and punched him again but softer in the same spot. Blood dripped from the wound while it screamed in pain. Princess Celestia and the guards flinched at this but Ezra was unaffected. “I said what is your name?” “The hive calls this one Reflection.” It said softly. He almost burst out laughing. A shapeshifter called Reflection what are the odds. “See that wasn’t so hard. Now what did you do to the one you were impersonating?” It looked at him and spoke. “The hive is feeding off of him.” Ezra didn’t show it but was shocked. It was unknown to him that changelings feed off love. Fucking monsters they’re just like mutants if they could talk. I will enjoy breaking you. “Why the fuck were you impersonating a guard?” He asked. He didn’t hide his anger he knew it would just frighten it. Reflection didn’t answer. He then grabbed his right front leg and twisted it until he heard a crack followed by an ear-piercing scream. He then did this to the left front leg, but this time Reflection spoke. “T-the qu-een ordered it! S-ttoped AWWWWWWWWWWW” It silently sobbed. “And why did the queen make you do it.” He asked while reaching for his right wing. Reflection saw this and started to struggle against the guards’ spell. “Ezra he had enough! No living thing should be given this treatment.” Said Princess Celestia. Ezra then turned to face her. “Did they stop when I was captured?! No they fucking tortured me everyday for a whole fucking month! He yelled. “And besides admit or not this is the only way to get it to talk. If you don’t like it find something else to protect your elements.” The guards glared at him but took no action. Princess Celestia then sighed. “Continue.” She then turned around so she didn’t have to look at the bloody changeling. “I’ll ask again why did your queen order you to impersonate a guard?” Reflection didn’t talk instead sobbed knowing he will be in intense pain soon. Ezra then grabbed one of his wings and started to pull. It screamed, which again caused Princess Celestia and the guards to flinch. “You either talk now or your wings comes off!” He threatened. Reflection looked at the guards with a look saying ‘if you get me away from him, I’ll tell you everything’. This is what Ezra wanted. He reached for the wing again and started to pull. While pulling Reflection finally broke. “STOP! I-I’ll t-teell y-ou every-thing but- make i-it stop.” He smiled under his gas mask. “She had too, the queen w-was told to.” “What!?!” Said Celestia. Know this was the info he needed, he to make sure it was telling the truth. “A queen being ordered around huh? I don’t believe you…” He then took out his combat knife and started to move it towards Reflection’s damaged wing, while watching his reaction. “I-it’s a-ll ture. This one tells the truth. The q-ueen was being visited by…” It then fell down dead. Ezra knew that he didn’t do enough damage to kill it so someone or something had to. He drew his G-W21 and looked around the room for the cause of the Changeling’s death. The guards and Princess Celestia didn’t notice this they all were focused on the dead corpse. “YOU! YOU KILLED HIM!” Yelled Princess Celestia. Ezra was still looking around the room for its cause of death. “No. the damage I caused would had killed it in a few hours.” He said calmly. “And did you find it strange it died right about when it was about to tell us who was ordering a queen of an entire species around. Where I’m from when spies are caught most of the time they kill themselves before they can be tortured. If unable to, those that sent them usually kill them so they can’t reveal information, that is what I believed just happened. Celestia thought about this for a movement then looked at him. “That is highly unlikely, Queen Chrysalis is the only one capable of killing him. She values her hives life more than her own and will do anything to protect her subjects. To kill one before he talks means that he must have been about to tell us something important. I wonder however who is ordering her around, it must be extremely powerful if she would kill one of her subjects over it.” He nodded. “Celestia this concerns me. I think we just discovered something very big.” Her eyes widened. “I know.” The guards’ eyes widen as their Princess said this. “You are experienced in this kind of thing correct?” He nodded. “If this was going on in your home what would you do?” “I don’t know.” He replied softly. “What do you mean you don’t know!?!” “I’m just a soldier I get send to end these situations not to figure out how to, that is commands job.” “Ezra I’m asking you what you will do. In the hundreds of years Queen Chrysalis has been alive she never killed another changeling even when we were interrogating them.” He thought for a moment. “Ok let’s see what we know. A Queen of a shapeshifting species killed one of her own, which has never happened. It told us that she was being ordered around by something. Having a legion of shapeshifters could come in very handy. Recently they tried an invasion which failed.” He paused. “We barely know anything about what they are planning. My guess is that they would be targeting what caused them to fail the last time which was the elements right?” “No. The elements didn’t stop the changelings it was the power of love.” Said Princess Celestia whiling remembering the wedding. That was too much for Ezra. He fell to the ground laughing like a madman. “HA HAHA HAH HAA HAH HA… Wait are you serious?” She nodded. “HAH HA HAH HA AH HA HA” He continued for about a minute. “Well it was more then love. Love powered a spell that banished all the changelings out of Equestria.” Spell got it. No way love came stop a whole invading force. If it could Gavin would be our best soldier. “But the spell was made by the captain of the royal guard who is currently in the Crystal Kingdom.” “Then what’s stopping them from invading again?” He asked. “Nothing. Before today I didn’t think they would try anything for a long time. But after today…” “I don’t think there going to invade.” He said. “Excuse me? A changeling spy was impersonating one of my personal guards. They go almost everywhere with me, and listen to all my conversations who knows what he found out.” He sighed. “You may question my metal health after this. Right before I cloaked and revealed the changeling I heard voices in my head. Before you say anything no they were talking to me. They were… talking to each other and one of voices sounded like Reflection.” Celestia’s eyes widened. “Stranger, it was like they were having a conversation. Reflection was being ordered to come here and spy… on me.” Celestia’s mouth was about to ask a question but he continued speaking. “Weirder a queen was ordering him to do this, and she knew about me and asked it to kill me if given the chance.” “How could the changelings know about you, their hive is on the border of Equestria? And why would Queen Chrysalis want to kill you?” “I don’t know. And like I said before something big is going on and we’re at the center of it. Do you still want my advice? She nodded. “I say I go and guard the elements like nothing every happened, they too are involved in this.” “I will send some guards and weapons to help you protect the elements and yourself.” She then looked at the changeling. “I want the guards to be undercover when they arrival and I want to meet them at the place of my choice. And for the weapons…” He gave her one of each mag of his ammo and one of each of his grenades. “Make more of these, perfect copies.” She nodded. She then sighed. “How are we going to explain this to them. They have never seen death, destruction, and war like us.” “Easy. We won’t tell them anything.” His stomach then growled. “When was the last time you eaten?” She asked with a smile. “Real food or artificial?” He asked. “Real?” She asked confused. “Then about a month ago.” He said then he exited the room and started to walk towards the dining room. Princess Celestia trotted up to him. “Wait your covered in Changeling blood.” She said. He looked at his armor. His arms and hands had green blood on it. He then wiped it off which was easy because it was more like a goo then a liquid. “Also where are you going to stay once you get to Ponyville.” “I’ll think I’ll stay with ___________. I’m sure she would be ok with it.” He then opened the doors to the dining room.