"Alert all stationed guards and awaken the barracks!" Princess Celestia announced as Princess Luna and herself traveled from the throne room towards the royal gardens outside, "Inform them that citizen Sentinel had been ponynapped by changelings and his last true known whereabouts were in and around the royal gardens!"
"Furthermore," Princess Luna also announced as several high ranking guardponies were having to fast trot to keep up with the stride of their princesses, "We are hereby ordering complete lockdown of Canterlot." she continues on, "Have all guards given orders to be on the lookout for infiltrators and to triple the patrols for all points leading to or from the city." she then adds in, "Make sure to staple in that our subjects are to be safeguarded no matter the structural or monetary cost that must be made".
"Sent word to Cloudsdale's Wonderbolts." Celestia added in, "Tell them that we have a missing citizen that anypony will be hard pressed to miss and that we require their immediate assistance in aerial searches". she concludes just as they reach the gardens, as she cranes her neck to look back at the captains behind her. "Go, and please inform of anything that you find without delay."
"Yes my Princesses!" The guards all salute before rushing off to their designated areas.
As both princesses stand before the royal gardens, their eyes are under stress as they try and ascertain any and all potential clues as to what had happened.
"Blast this storm!" Luna yelled in frustration, "The rain and wind has covered any tracks potentially made."
"Which worries me, greatly." Celestia voiced her growing concerns.
"Please explain sister as we were already greatly concerned." Luna slightly bites at the comment out of frustration.
"Last time the changelings infiltrated our city in the hopes of enslaving every pony." Celestia recites recent history, "Such a scale required equally scaled efforts which we saw through their very queen impersonating Princess Cadance". she continues, "While we have nothing to say that she is or isn't directly involved in this what we do have is very elaborate tactics being used to ponynap just one citizen". she slightly narrows her eyes, "Too much effort."
"Princess Celestia! Princess Luna!" yelled a distant Twilight, surrounded in a galloping herd of her friends save for Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash who were gliding and Pinkie Pie who hopped.
As the group finally reached the princesses, they were almost all out of breath in one form of another, except Pinkie Pinkie
"H...how did you...get here so....f..fast!" an out of breath Twilight questioned Celestia and Luna.
"Teleport." Celestia somewhat muttered as she gave a deadpan stare towards Luna, who seemed too caught up internally to acknowledge let alone react. Celestia then lifted her brow at her sister before addressing the others once more.
"We've alerted all captains to inform all guards of what has transpired, and placed Canterlot on lock down until the new changeling threat has been dealt with." Celestia told the 8 before her, as she noticed Shining flinch at the mention of Captain, causing her a tiny bit of well needed amusement.
"Well what are we wasting time here for?" Rainbow questioned them all, "Lets go find him and kick some bug butt!" she says with a grin as her takeoff is quickly denied by the stomping of hooves on her tail by Applejack.
"Woah there." Applejack yelled to Rainbow, who was scowling in return, "We got no way to know where they even took him" she tried to explain as she started to give a scowl back, "What if you go in the wrong darn direction and we need you?"
Grumbling, "Fine!" Rainbow yelled out of frustrations, "But the moment we know where they went, I'm flying!"
"What we also need is a plan for those ruffians," Rarity said to everypony, "Thankfully they couldn't of gotten far in such a short time."
"Rarity is right." Twilight said gaining a nod from Rarity, "Its been only a few hours at most since he was last seen entering the gardens. That means on foot at best he would be somewhere between here, and ponyville."
"why?" asks Fluttershy.
"Because..." Twilight looks over towards the nearby cliff, "That's the only way cliff face that has a path down and there been reports if Sentinel was seen inside Canterlot."
"Hmmm..." Pinkie hums as she hops over to the cliff only to stop moving in place as she looks out into the valley, "Oh oh I know what way they went!" She yells in excitement causing the others to rush over.
"What?!" Twilight asked Pinkie, "How do you know which way they went after they got down from the cliff face?"
"Oh that's easy silly!" She says with a wide smile, "TinTin couldn't of gone that way," she says as she points her hoof to a small glowing hue in the south, "Cause thats Ponyville!" as she then swings her hoof towards the west, "So would have to be that way!"
"Pinkie darling," Rarity tries to question as politely as she can, "That makes... no sense."
"Sure it does!" Pinkie lets her smile turn into a grin, "TinTin knows it wasn't us and TinTin wouldn't let some meanies get anywhere near Ponyville just like he left so nothing would happen here."
"Pinkie..." Twilight gently tries to reason.
Sighing as her muzzle tilts down, she then brings it back up to only give a rather serious and not so Pinkie Pie like expression, "Are you telling me that you saw what he painted down there and still think he wouldn't know if it was really us?" she turns the expression into a rather befuddled one as all the other bearers just return it with wide eyed ones.
"Very astute, Laughter." Princess Luna states with a smirk.
"What?" Pinkie keeps the befuddled look as she turns to Luna.
"We mean to compliment you" stated a deadpanned Luna.
"Hi!" Pinkie beams a huge goofy smile and high pitched tone to Luna.
"ahh..." Luna grumbles as she lifts a hoof to the base of her horn
"Guards!" Celestia shouts, causing several to swoop down in front of her, "Bring our royal chariots along with two more." She commands, "Also assemble an escort. We may have a lead on the whereabouts of the abducted citizen."
Perspective Shift : Sentinel vs Changelings
Sentinel's Internal monologue
"Maybe I bit off a bit too much to chew..." Sentinel thought to himself as he swung one pony sized changeling around like a baseball bat as two jumped on his back and dug in, "Or just assumed it would still taste the same" he continued his thought as he ignored the two on his back.
Barely jumping back to dodge a dive by one of the larger ones, he then steps forward to bring his elbow down onto it's back, only for one on his back to lunge forward to bite his bent arm to free the similar sized brethren. "But this is different, " he shoots his other hand over just in time to grab the foreleg of the lunging changeling, "maybe in the most dangerous of ways." as proceeds launch both changelings in hand at ones coming in from above, missing with one.
As Sentinel reaches with his right arm to his left shoulder where one changeling is still going to down on his exposed flesh, he fails to see another charging in to take send a headbutt into his ribcage, sending him into a dead standing timber. He rolls with the impact, imbedding wood fragments down the left side of his neck and peck, before coming to a stop facing another charging changeling. "This is no zerg." he reaches over and behind to the one on his back, yanking it forward along with some of his ripped shoulder as he uses it to cushion the ramming just as the incoming changeling diverts.
"They not only attack together," He raises the changeling up ready to slam it into the ground below as balls of green energy slam into him, "but defend each other with the same intensity." He dashes forward faster than any of the changelings could assume, tearing muscle in his already repairing legs once again. He is able to catch two smaller changelings in a clothesline from each arm right into some timber behind them just as one dive bombs him in the back of the head.
Bringing a leg straight up as he falls and pivots, "And here I am," striking the changeling underneath it's muzzle, he is barely able to hit the ground and roll over as another large one barely misses him as it barrels pass. "trying to prove to myself that I'm not too much of a weakling," He then flips up off the ground using his hands just as two opposing chargers slam head first into each other, "that I can't be me and still play by the rules here".
"Just as long as the me is still me, that is." Sentinel says aloud as more changelings come his way.
End Sentinel's Monologue
Perspective Shift : Changeling Hive Wavelength
"AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!" screamed a changeling being swung around like a sword.
"Hold on 347!!" two changelings yelled in unison as they latched onto the creature's back as 347 stopped screaming long enough to think about what the others said with a sneer forming.
"Keep it distracted 873 and 384, I'm coming!" said one of the soldier changelings diving into the fray only to miss.
"Damnit you two DO SOMETHING!!" screamed 347.
"We are!" 873 and 384 scream in unison, "It don't seem to care!"
"Oh shit it's about to hit soldier 634!" 873 yelled out to every changeling.
"Oh....it finally stopped....thank Queen Chrysalis..." 347 sighed in relief
"HISSSSS" 384 lets forth it's battle cry as it lunges towards the raised appendage about to strike soldier 634.
"Look out 384!" 873 emits on the wavelength as it watches the creature grab 384 with it's nimble bendy talons
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH"-HHHHHHHHHH" 384 and 347 both scream out, one longer than the other, as they get launched into the air.
"It's got me! It's got me!!" 873 screams, "ahhhhhhhh!!" then cries out as it hangs on for dear life when the creature is sent flying through some trees.
"Sorry!" yells the random soldier changeling.
"This is bullshit!" 873 rages on the wavelength just as it is ripped off and used as a shield.
"Will all of you shut the BUCK UP!
The new voice causes immediate and utter silence across the wavelength as it watches the battle continue, taking in just how undaunted the creature appears to be. The wounds, while harsher ones linger longer, seem to heal in just enough time to not allow the onslaught sent towards it to gain anymore ground. It also noted that some attacks so far that should of at least brought it down long enough to capture it, had not. It just kept getting back up.
"This creature is proving to be more of an hassle than I initially realized." The rather unique and seductive feminine voice said across the wavelength. "But as entertaining as this may be we need it alive if we are to cultivate from it."
"Behemoths," The voice says with an unsavory tone of glee, "you're up."
Perspective Shift : Ponies
With Princess Celestia and Princess Luna's chariots leading the charge, four more chariots filled with the the rest of the ponies had been flying and scanning anything that they could upon the ground to no avail. Rainbow Dash had taken to the skies and was zipping back and forth at impressive speeds trying to help locate a pony that they all considered a friend.
"Luna!" Celestia called over to her sister, who in turn had her escorts bring her closer to Celestia's chariot.
"We know." Luna replied back, giving a rather concerned expression as she knew what her sister needed to say.
"We've held back the transition of night and day by an hour already." Celestia said only loud enough as needed, "We...we cannot throw the entire world into disarray for just one." she said as her expression faltered into guilt.
"We shall continue to search in thy stead with our Lunar Guards," Luna said, trying to calm her sister's rising guilt, "Sentinel would never ask of us to do otherwise." so she steeled herself as well, "He willingly place this weight upon thine own."
Their conversation was interrupted when Rainbow Dash zipped right between them with a look of fright, "I found something!" she said with a frantic voice, "We gotta go now!" she then zipped ahead and did a 90 degree turn, barely followed by the chariots.
As soon as the chariots approached where Rainbow Dash had landed, they all galloped over towards the hill that Rainbow stood atop of, slowing to a trot as they got near to the crest.
"Rainbow!" Twilight called out, "Did you find Sentinel?"
"I don't know." Rainbow's said as her voice verged on cracking up, causing the others to once again speed up.
Once they all reached the crest, their mouths hung open at the sight of a what appeared to be an explosion between their hill and another. They all rushed over with the Princesses leading the way as everypony, even the guards, were starting to become uneasy.
Rainbow then rushed over into the ground where not even a single blade of grass remained, instead replaced by charred dirt. She appeared to bend down, grab something with her muzzle, and then flew back over towards the princesses, dropping it down in front of them.
"I...I found this.." Rainbow said, as she backed up, fighting back the wetness in her eyes.
"That's...!" Rarity yelled in surprise, "That's one of the cuff clips I made for Sentinel!" as soon as she realized what she was seeing along with the scorched earth before them, she immediately shrunk back much like Rainbow had.
"Well if that's here then where is Sentinel!" Applejack, raising her voice, was replacing panic with anger.
"TinTin..." Pinkie muttered as her mane straightened out.
"M...maybe hes still here somewhere, hurt!" Fluttershy said in an trembling voice as she took to the air to circle around looking for an injured Sentinel that would not be found.
"Rarity..." Shining Armor, having been silent through almost all of this, finally spoke up grabbing her attention, "What kind of material this clip made of?"
"I..um..white gold." Rarity having trouble concentrating, finally answered.
"What purity?" Shining asked once more.
"10 karat, why would..." Rarity answered once more until it hit her hard enough to cause tears. "Oh no..."
"Our friend is missing and you're talking jewelry!?" Rainbow yelled out in a rage, held back only by a rather angry Applejack who while riled up by the seeming nonsensical banter, was at least willing to hear it to full before letting them have it.
"Rainbow!" Applejack yelled, "Ah'm as angry as you and less they have a good reason for talking of such things I will be right with ya in giving it to them good!" she then continued, "But I also know that neither would be bringing this up less it was important, now settle down!" she finally got through to Rainbow, who somewhat stopped struggling but not entirely.
"The melting point of white gold at that purity is higher than what the calcium in our bones can withstand." Shining elaborated, "The clip is mostly melted." he points his hoof gently against the clip causing the others to go wide eyed.
"You telling me those stinkin bugs wore our muzzles, lured Sentinel out here, and then murdered him?!" Applejack screamed out while stomping her hooves, causing Rainbow to make a fight or flight on calming her down or getting out of the way.
"AJ calm down!" Rainbow did her best to grapple, no matter how stupid of a move she knew it was, AJ into not going on a rampage. "You'll get yourself hurt if you lose your temper and charge out into the freaken darkness!"
"I...I couldn't find anything..." Fluttershy said with utter defeat, her landing showing how hard she was rattled.
"We think we know..." Shining started to say, before being interrupted.
"That wouldn't of killed him," Twilight said without any expression on her face, gaining especially the gaze of the princesses along with all of her friends as while without emotion, it also lacked any doubt.
"Twilight the explosion was enough to melt white gold and...!" Shining said, not wanting Twilight to give the others false hope.
"It most likely sealed his fate..." Twilight said still with no emotion, but tears still started to form, "but it wouldn't of killed him outright."
"But how?!" Shining asked, and truly wishing he was not the one that was right in this sibling arguement.
"He has two known auras." Twilight began to elaborate, "You all know of the repairing one, but he also has one for reinforcement that includes protection against the major elements; Air, Water, Earth, and Fire." she continues with drying tears, "A changeling however uses an innate subset of poison along with fire, creating the green flames." she then points towards the cuff, "That means that while he was able to survive the fire, his repairing has to take the poison component."
"That's good though right?" Rainbow asked Twilight.
"If his auras didn't operate like they did then maybe, yes." Twilight explained, "But with how the entire picture is right now for Sentinel, this is very very bad." she then points to Rainbow, "Rainbow. What would happen if you tried run as fast as you can fly?"
"Uh...nothing. Cause I can't?" Rainbow replies back with a raised brow.
"But what if you had to" Twilight pushed further.
"Twilight I'm saying that I can't!" Rainbow said showing her frustrations, "And neither can anypony else for that matter. What you're asking would pretty much break....me..." her eyes widen along with others on the realization.
"Sentinel's auras are like your wings and legs Rainbow. One, the repair, is your legs and is a gradual with a set topping out." Twilight explains, "The other, your wings, fluctuates based on external factors that allows the wings to put forth so much more than your legs because of that." she then tries to staple it down, "When Sentinel got hit by whatever he was hit by it also forced his repair aura to go into overload because it had to run in tandem with his reinforcement aura."
But before anypony could react, "Yet in itself, that wouldn't of sealed his fate." Twilight said as she was having to push down all of her emotions in order to openly talk about something so horrible. Something, for another day, to have a heart to heart with her mentor about among many other things.
Everypony started to freak out when they saw Twilight breath erratically before she put up her hoof as she was trying to use a calming effect to get through the next part, even if she still hadn't in her nightmares.
"We all were there when Sentinel died." She looked up with steeled eyes and a flat tone, "What we saw was Sentinel putting his body into it's utmost pinnacle in terms of the reinforcement aura's topping out, which also sent his repairing to the same ceiling." she said, making sure everypony was following even if they didn't want to.
"What we didn't see was him purposely switching his auras from using the power source that they had been back in his own world to using his own life force instead, much like what they are forced to do now." She forced herself to reveal.
"What?!" yelled everypony, even the guards who had been intently listening along with the princesses.
"Now hold on there sugarcube." Applejack did her best to address without her anger flaring up, "This isn't the same as what you were telling all of us back in the dinner hall!" and she was faltering, "Now you making it sound like it ain't a matter of if but when!"
"If we had known how severe this was we'd never of let him out of our sights." Rarity said, also sounding rather put off.
"Twilight..." Fluttershy asked twilight, putting her on the verge, "why didn't you tell us?"
Rainbow and Pinkie just held rather neutral expressions awaiting the answer.
"Twilight," Celestia walked a little closer, "Why would you withhold such vital information?"
"I..." Twilight then started to cry, "I didn't... didn't want everypony to look and treat him like he was dying." she cried a little harder causing those that had yelled to be filled with regret, "Cau..cause if these stupid flaming bugs hadn't done this he wouldn't of been!" she stomped the ground with her hoof as her face was spliced with anger and tears. "Whatever they hit him with would of drained a massive amount of his life force! If we don't find him soon and and they drain too low then he hits the event horizon!"
"The event what?" Applejack asks, her anger being replaced by regret.
"No pony knows how much life force Sentinel has. We barely know a rough idea thanks to research by Starswirl the Bearded what a pony might have, but not what Sentinel does!" Twilight begins to rant, instead of explain, "It isn't so simple just to not drain all of one's life force, but also not to reach the point where the entire structure collapses!" she almost yells as she starts pacing causing other ponies to slow back away.
"Um Twilight deary?" Rarity says trying to calm her down, "C..calm down now we don't want to get overly excited.."
"Let alone that this attack alone would of brought him back several weeks of letting his life force regenerate. Let alone that when he was transmuted into a foal and almost killed by Blueblood that he still wouldn't of fully recovered yet." Twilight says as she continues her tirade.
"But what if they just captured him and not hurting him?" Fluttershy asks with a hint of hope in her voice before looking around at all of the deadpanned expressions, "anymore, anyway..."
"Just by grasping him with their magic to drag him to a cell his auras would react to the fire and poison..." Twilight elaborates in a rather somber tone, "They're killing him just by keeping him near."
When she looked back, expecting the expectation of more damning explanations, she saw none, nor many ponies. She was rather surprised to notice how they were all spread out looking for anything to lead them to Sentinel. Even if the atmosphere was so heavy with gloom, she couldn't help but smile, and then rush to join them.
Yet just as everypony was getting into full search mode, a Pegasus flew down in front of Princess Celestia and quickly knelt, "Princess we have new information on what may be related to citizen Sentinel.", causing everypony that heard to rush over and gather around hoping for something positive.
"Please," Princess Celestia calmly directed, "time is of the essence. Tell us everything that you've found."
"We..." the guard hesitated for a moment seeing the look of hope in his princess's eyes, along with many before him, causing said expressions to also falter, "We received and confirmed a report of what would appear to be linked to the changelings." the guard then explained, "A pony setting up for stargazing said she witnessed an object being shot from near where we stand into the sky, surrounded by bright green flames."
All of the ponies started muttering between themselves, mentioning Sentinel's name and trying to see how this new information could be linked to him. Not much came from it until somepony looked up and gasped when they noticed both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna clenching their muzzles shut and strained expressions upon their faces.
"Did the mare mentioned how large the object appeared to be?" Celestia almost growled out.
"I...uh..she said that she thought it looked a bit longer than herself..." The guard said as he noticed both princesses starting to relax, "If she was standing on her hind legs". before both princesses went wide eyed.
Moving forward quick enough to startle everypony nearby, especially the guard messenger, Celestia broke normal decorum and let her fears bleed through her voice, "Did she say what direction that it was heading?!"
"She said it look like it landed deep in the badlands..." The guard muttered out.
Celestia could only gasp as she backed up, requiring herself to instinctively unfurl her wings to keep balance while Luna was now the one to lose decorum, much to the disarray of the many innocent eardrums nearby.
"They bucking sent him directly to their hive?!" Luna yelled with her canterlot voice, just as Celestia once more unfurled her wings as she shot up into the sky with enough push to crack the ground beneath her hooves, causing many to gasp and cover their eyes and ears.
As she climbed into what should of been already the night sky, she rose to a height with a speed that made even Rainbow Dash look up in shock and awe. As her gaze was set towards the distant Badlands, she narrowed them.
"Luna! We need to transition to night immediately!" Celestia called down using her own canterlot voice.
As both royal Alicorns concentrated, the sun began to set as the thinnest sliver of a moon rose, casting darkness as far as the eye could see. Which was just what was needed to see if a far away candle still flickered. Just as Princess Luna also soared up to her sister's position in the night's sky, she also looked in the same direction.
"There!" Luna called out bringing Celestia into focus, as a few very dim flashes of green lit up the horizon. As the royal sisters looked at each other, they then shot down so fast that the ponies below hunkered down and braced for an impact that never happened, even if the blast of grass and dust did scare the heck out of most the bearers.
"Sentinel is in the Badlands. He's been fighting, is still fighting, at this very moment." Celestia announces giving nopony time to, nor would they dare, to interrupt. "Princess Cadance I very much am in need of a proper Captain who can operate in my stead."
"I understand." Princess Cadance states, before looking at Prince Shining Armor, "Hon, you're fired."
"WHAT?!" Shining screams back.
"Shining Armor!" Celestia addressed an extremely confused ex-captain, "You're being conscripted back into the royal military for the rest of the night!"
"HUH?!" Shining screams again as his royal attire is removed and replaced with a Captain's, from Celestia knows where.
"I need only the best tonight, Shining." Celestia says as she softens her eyes.
Shining shifts his eyes, for a second, before giving one of the most rigid salutes seen since he left for the crystal empire, "Yes your majesty! What are your orders?"
"In order to reach the Badlands from this distance both myself and Luna will be required. No teleportation spell can ever hope to reach such a distance so instead we will need to use something else." Celestia explains to all near as some show signs of worry of their princesses going into danger.
"While we will not be able to go ourselves by doing what we plan to do, we will be leaving ourselves entirely defenseless to any personal assaults and will require our subjects to protects us." She says as she notes, with an internal smile, how many determined expressions suddenly appear.
"Furthermore we will potentially endanger our immediate vicinity as we will be opening a two way portal. Just as one can go through our end, something can come through into ours from the other." She explains, noting everypony seems to be following so far, "So we will have to do it right where we stand."
"What do you want us to do princess!" Rainbow Dash spoke up, both for herself and her friends who all bore determined expressions to help however they can both their princesses and their friend.
"I would be ever so grateful," Celestia gently spoke to the bearers, "If all six of you stood by Luna and myself." she then continued, "We need protection, and if need be, Sentinel might as well." she finished, hoping they would understand.
"Yes Princess Celestia!" all six said with equal passion and determination of their task.
"Shining," Princess Celestia walks up to him before giving him one of her most heart felt expressions of pain and sorrow for what she is about to ask, "I need you to go through the portal and attempt an rescue," she said as she stared into his eyes, "Your life will be put at great risk, as will the other ponies who will be joining you. But I have no pony else that I would entrust such a task with. Can you please, once more, humble the kingdom with your bravery?"
"Of course your majesty!" Shining states as he clicks his rear hooves together while saluting with one of his front. "Yet while I know every single pony here, citizen or enlisted, would bravely walk beside me into the badlands..." he says as he takes note around, "For the utmost success, I must insist that we await a battalion of more seasoned experience."
"Oh?" Princess Luna softly asks with a rather playful undertone just as she gently lifts her left fore leg and pings the royal hoof adornment against the other. It would take a few seconds before everypony who had been there to realize what happened, if they did at all. Where a few dozen ponies once were they now numbered in the sixties. Where golden plated ponies stood alone, several fold more with plate in the same hue as Luna's flowing mane now joined them.
"That...." Rainbow started to say, "was totally badflank." she cocked a impressed as hell grin as one of the solar guard privates let out a delayed shriek.
Captain Shining Armor, having been frightened just enough to remember why he deserved it for having forgotten the Lunar Guards, shook his head before addressing all of the assembled guardponies. After doing so, they all formed ranks into one impressive battalion of mixed Solar and Lunar guards and made proper formation before their princesses. "We're Ready." Shining stated.
"This spell creates initially a one way view of a destination. It may be a place, or to somepony specific. This means that the image of where or whom will appear before the actual portal completes." Celestia then takes a deep breath as to get the next part across as gently as possible, "This also means that for roughly five minutes, all of you will be able to witness Sentinel but not able to help him." She scans the guards to make sure she makes eye contact with as many as possible before continuing.
"It will be absolutely imperative that nopony attempts to jump through the portal until it completes. No matter what you see, no matter what your instincts command you to do, you must steel yourself and your hearts." she attempts to reinforce once more, "If the creation is interrupted, then the process shall fail and even as powerful as we are, we can only attempt this once."
"Understood!/Yes Princess!" came unison acknowledgement from both citizen and guard.
"Finally to once more emphasize," Princess Luna adds in, "During creation both casters are entirely muted, blind, and deaf as concentration requires such sacrifice." she raises her head a little, "Once we begin, thou will be entirely on thy own." she finishes as she does her best to push back her own misgivings. No mistakes could be allowed, and with such loss of control to interact, she had her concerns.
"Shall we?" Celestia directs over to her sister as she begins to travel towards the area where Sentinel was taken.
"Indeed," Luna replies as she begins the same journey, "However poetic it is, however."
"That from where one was lost," Celestia says with a determined expression.
"Thou is now destined to be found." Luna says with the same expression.
Nopony says a word as they watch perhaps for the first time for many the two royal sisters perform a feat that has long since been lost to the ages. Something so simple yet so complicated for ones such as them whose very beings conflict like night and day.
"Together, we shall take back that which was stolen from us." The royal sisters said in unison as they flared their wings and set their horns aglow. The mixture of gold and dark blue creates a bright emerald like unison of their magical extension between them as it slowly begins to grow in size until it becomes a 10 by 15 foot rectangle like doorway.
All of the bearers along with Cadance gallop up and split between Celestia and Luna as to fulfill their roles as Shining leads the formation just before the emerald doorway, holding but ready. They all onto the words of encouragement from their princesses, and especially onto each other, as they were trying to brace themselves to see their friend and fellow citizen hurt and in need.
Many there had seen or heard of the creature called Sentinel and of his initial venture into Equestria. They knew while he was about as physically strong as a fit earth pony he was also a much bigger target. He couldn't fly nor could he use any form of magic to battle from afar.
So they prepared themselves for the worst that they could imagine, and ultimately failed as the first scream rang out, followed by more and more as the emerald doorway came into full illuminated focus.
Sentinel was using both arms outstretched against the inside the sideways mouth of the biggest changeling anypony had ever seen as several smaller ones has dug into him both talon and tooth. But it was his eyes that caused the screams, as for the life of the ponies, they couldn't see anymore color.
"What did you say?!" screamed a voice on the other side of the doorway that many ponies knew.
"Chrysalis!!" Hissed Cadance through tears and now burning with pure rage.
"I said...." Sentinel spoke, albeit with difficulty as he choked up more blood causing Twilight and Rarity to struggle with all of their might as Rainbow and Applejack tried to get to the portal, with Pinkie crying as Fluttershy was screaming for her to let her go, "I win..." Sentinel finally got out, causing all of the bearers to suddenly just stare in shock.
"Are you so far gone you pathetic creature that you actually think you won?" Chrysalis says with a chuckle.
"I could of..hid behind the ponies..." Sentinel chokes out, the behemoth's jaws giving another push as his arms seem to spurt blood from the pressure, "But you would of killed them to get to me..".
"I said let me go pinkie!" Fluttershy screams out again.
"That was the original plan of course." Chrysalis stated with an undertone of glee.
"I could of killed..to survive..." he spits some blood on one of the changelings biting into his chest making it bite down harder, "But I...made a promise... to myself..." he seems to almost pass out but shakes it off.
"You have to stop or we won't be able to save him!" Twilight pleads.
"Oh." Chrysalis swoons out, "Was it to waste my time?"
"You ugly bug eyed bitch!!" Cadance screams out.
"I promised myself...that I'd put to the test....me..." Sentinel grunts as a new changeling rushes up and bites into the side of his bloody abdomen, "..that I'd find out...find...out if I was forced to be me...cause of what..what my father did to me..." he chokes up some more blood, "or...if given the chance...to not be....me...I would still choose to be...".
"Pff. Hah!" Chrysalis laughs out, "That sounds like something those ponies would say!"
"I...know.." Sentinel then lifts his head, "but I am still me...and...and at least...leas..ngh...at least I know that I could...make a home here now..." he then chuckles, "...too bad I have to die...to finally be able...to accept...their offer heheh"
"Kill it"