Chapter XI
“...You of course understand that all that we have talked about this day is strictly confidential?” Celestia asked as she raise an eyebrow.
Carrot Top nodded once in understanding, her face thoughtful. “Can I at least talk about this with my husband? Even though he wasn't...”
“Of course you may, though I would advise discretion on some of the matters we've discussed,” Princess Luna said as she nodded her head in understanding.
“Of course, Princess Luna," Carrot Top said as she turned to leave.
A thoughtful silence seemed to fill the throne room after the mare's exit, and Luna found herself unwilling to be the one to break it.
Fortunately, though, she did not have to, as her sister turned to her with a grin on her face. “So, his name translates into Defender, I really could not have foreseen that,” Celestia said as she raised an eyebrow at her sister.
Luna just nodded at this, her face still a mask of concentration. “Yes, though I would still like to know his name properly, if only-” she said, but was interrupted as the door to the throne room burst open, allowing entrance for Captain Dark Seeker. His expression was one of worry as he galloped to the twin thrones, and Luna felt the bottom of her stomach drop when she heard what he had to say.
“Your Highnesses, I regret to inform you that the creature of the White Tail Woods has been grievously injured. Our doctors are seeing to him now, though they are unsure of his chances, seeing as how they know so little of his biology,” Captain Seeker said as he bowed respectfully to the Diarch of the Sun and Moon.
* * *
I was tired as I made my way back to my lair, more tired than I had been in a long time. Well, unless you counted the hypothermia fueled pity party I was having the other day, but I was trying to forget that that ever happened. In fact, despite the deep-seated weariness I was feeling, I still felt far lighter than I had in months.
It was as if a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders, and I knew that it was in no small part due to the fact that it wasn't 'me against the world' anymore. I now had people that I could turn to if things became too great for me to handle. I had people that I could go to if I was struggling to survive, or if I just wanted to talk. Believe me, if you've been out in the wild, lacking even the basic ability to talk to yourself, you'll start wishing that the trees around you would speak, if only to break the monotony. Honestly, I didn't want to end our Q&A session, but I didn't want them getting in trouble with the authorities for knowing too much. Sure, the royalty were okay with my presence, but that didn't mean that they wanted everything about me available to the public.
...Okay, maybe that's a little bit paranoid, but government is still government. Even such well-meaning organizations such as the Men In Black did their best to keep the local populace in the dark about everything that went on alien-wise on earth.
I admit it, I'm a bit of a cinephile, but that didn't make my worries any less valid. Best not to anger this 'Sun Goddess' and 'Moon Goddess' if I could.
At least, I thought that was their names. Star's translations, while effective, weren't perfect. After all, I really didn't think that the blue one's name was 'Multi-chromatic Speed Demon.'
As I climbed the ladder into my lair, I couldn't help but wonder what the future would hold. Would these 'Goddesses' ask me to come with them to their city? To some sort of research facility? What then? Would I spend the rest of my days as a lab rat? Or would I be allowed to live free?
Well, if they wanted to lock me away in a lab somewhere, they would have already done that. I thought to myself, trying to banish away the paranoid thoughts that plagued me.
I decided that what I really needed was a good soak, so I threw off my pants and made my way to the back of the cave where the hot springs were located. I didn't bother lighting a fire, seeing as how my eyes would automatically adjust to the darkness, allowing me to see into the infrared spectrum. This had the beautiful side effect of making my bathing area a brightly lit canvas of reds and oranges, allowing me to find the basin with ease despite the darkness that surrounded me.
I probably won't be allowed to live among them, but at the very least I can rest easy knowing that there won't be any hunting parties out looking for me, I thought as I sunk into the mineral water, letting out a groan of pleasure as the hot water eased away my tension and worries.
Maybe I could get a house somewhere? Or a job? I don't think they have computers here, but I could still teach them of my home and stuff... I thought lazily as I slowly drifted off.
* * *
I don't know how long I was asleep for, but I did not feel well rested when I awoke, so it couldn't have been too long. However, something was...off, and whatever it was was causing my heart to pound loudly in my ears as my breathing became erratic. Everything looked fine, but I had long since learned to trust my instincts over my senses, they having proved time and time again to get my sorry hide out of a number of tight spaces.
I strained my ears, hoping to pick up something other than the bubbling of the hot springs, hoping against hope that I was just scaring myself. There... I thought as I heard a faint humming sound behind me. I didn't know what to make of it, but it kind of reminded me of...
Oh crapbaskets... I thought as I pushed off against the basin of the hot spring, jumping straight up out of the water, barely dodging the blue beam of energy that had been aimed for my head. As soon as I had landed, I ducked and dodged, avoiding several more of those weird blasts before finally throwing myself behind a large outcropping of rock, my claws bursting from my fingers as my back hit the wall. I quickly risked a peek at my attackers, only to freeze in terror when I recognized the quadrupedal form and insectoid-like faces of the species that had kidnapped me and turned me into a monster.
My first thought was to run, to get as far away from here as possible and never look back. This thought was quickly squashed when I noticed that they had blocked my only exit from my lair. I was fast, that was true, but not nearly fast enough to weave and dodge through the incoming fire long enough to make a clean getaway. As they trained their weapons on my hiding place, I felt my shoulders sag in defeat. This is it... they've come back for their property...I'm not going to survive this one, am I?
However, as the aliens pulled the triggers on their weapons, a roaring sound started to echo in my ears, drowning out my previous despair, and replacing it with a far more primal emotion. Despite the fact that there were four of them, I still jumped out of my hiding place, lunging forward as I screamed in rage. They had taken my home, my very humanity, couldn't they just leave me alone?
The world seemed to slow down, and I could actually see the trajectory that the blasts would follow. Following this odd, but useful quirk in my eyesight, I quickly weaved back and forth, dodging each and every shot while simultaneously bringing myself closer to the alien in the front. I heard what sounded like swearing, but could see nothing but my own reflection in the alien's shiny black visor, its hideous mandibles clicking in what I could only assume was terror.
With an audible sigh, my claws found their mark, shearing through armor and chitin and bursting out the other side. The creature grunted something as it stiffened in my grip, but whatever it said was lost in my blind rage. The other three started screaming something as they fiddled with their weapons for a second, after which they let loose a much faster barrage of weapons fire, this time their blasts being a far angrier green color.
I assumed that they had not only switched to full auto, but had also switched the settings from 'stun' to 'kill', if Star Trek could be believed about that sort of thing. Again, time seemed to slow down as the energy bolts raced towards me, my augmented eyes easily picking out each bolt's trajectory. However, I knew that there were just too many this time, and that there was no possible way I could dodge the wall of death that was barreling towards me.
Fortunately, I had other options.
Snarling in anger, I whipped the still twitching form of the alien in my grasp up, using it to shield me from the fire that was directed my way. I then tucked my elbows in and crouched down, easily hiding my thin, emaciated frame behind the alien corpse's much bulkier one. I could feel each bolt as it struck home into the body on my claws, but I remained unscathed as the alien voices became more frantic. Thinking quickly, I started moving forward, throwing the corpse at the three as I did so. Their swearing intensified as the body bore each of them to the ground, and I quickly rushed them, kicking one in the head and slashing at another one's throat as I pushed past them into the cave beyond.
I was rewarded with a gurgling sound as my claw found its mark, but I didn't pause to inspect my handiwork. Instead, I pushed onward, knowing that if I could only reach the entrance, I would be home free. I'll lose them in the forest, pick them off one by one, make them rue the day that they ever came back to this- I thought as I leaped for the cave entrance, only to be cut off as a searing pain shot up my back, causing me to tumble several times before falling out of the cave, crushing the ladder on my way down.
My whole backside felt like it was on fire, and I knew that they had hit me with one of those green bolts of energy that had claimed the lives of so many of my countrymen. I howled in pain, my mind screaming in terror and anguish as I thrashed on the ground, desperate to put out my burning back. After a few seconds of this, I stilled, unable to move anymore because of the pain, but no longer on fire. I spotted an insect-like head pop out of the cave, its weapon pointed at me, and I closed my eyes, knowing what was to come.
Time seemed to stretch on for an eternity as I waited for the shot to come, terror and certainty filling my mind as I waited for death. Imagine my surprise when instead of searing pain followed by blackness, I heard a mighty crack of thunder, followed by a fleshy thump of a body hitting the ground next to me. My nose hole detected the scent of burning flesh, and I tentatively opened my eyes to see what had happened.
Lying next to me was the charred corpse of the alien who was about to end my life. My mind seemed to stop as I turned my head upwards, and I was dimly aware of something dark blue and covered in armor streak down to stand next to me. I recognized him as one of the bat-winged pegasus ponies from before, but I couldn't for the life of me understand what he was doing here. He looked at me with concern, and I heard him say something to me. His words were still gibberish to me, but his tone was something that I could easily identify; he was worried.
Instead of trying to let him know I was alright, though, I shouted in pain, pointing a shaking finger back at the cave, hoping that I could warn him in time of the impending danger. I watched in horror as the fourth alien raised its weapon, took aim, and let loose a stream of death on my furry savior.
The pegasus looked up in alarm, and I could only watch as bolt after bolt of white-hot death struck the poor pony, lancing into him, burning the air around him...
Leaving him completely intact.
I stared, my jaw hanging open as the until-now hidden runes on the pony's armor lit up, flashing a pure, white light with each bolt that struck. The plasma that struck the warrior seemed to become absorbed by the light, dissipating even those bolts that struck his exposed flesh and wings. I could only watch in awe as the monster lowered its weapon in shock...
Only to fall out of the cave as a second bat pony struck the beast from above. The beast tumbled uncontrollably head over heels until it finally smashed into the ground below.
The second pony approached me far more cautiously then his colleague had, asking his friend a question in a frightened tone of voice. The response was curt, almost as if he were annoyed at what had been said. The first pony, Lightning, I nicknamed him, after the way he had killed the first alien, gently started to nose my shoulder, making it clear he wanted me to roll over. I tried, but it was as if my muscles wouldn't respond to my commands, especially those muscles that were on my back.
He seemed to realize this, judging by the way he was using his hooves to gently roll me over. I heard a sharp intake of breath from Lightning once he saw my wound, followed closely by a shout that sounded like an order. I then heard something snap, then smelled something delightful as something was shoved into my face. It was a nice, soothing smell, and after a couple of seconds, the pain seemed to leave me as my body went numb.
Darkness took me soon after.
* * *
“...Many of his spines were melted off, and his back was severely burned, almost straight through the muscle and into the bones and organs beneath. The wounds look almost identical to Dragonfire, which is probably why the Dragonflame wards on Sergeant Weather's armor withstood the punishment that it did. Any longer, however, and Sergeant Weather would have been reduced to ash by the onslaught of the alien's weapon,” Captain Dark Seeker said as he rubbed his forehead in exhaustion. “The doctors are currently treating the wound as Dragonfire, though their lack of knowledge of the creature's biology isn't doing them any favors. Several of the scientists who were present at the autopsy of his kin are helping with the effort, though there are still several unknowns, seeing as how they've only been able to examine broken, lifeless bodies, not living breathing ones.”
Celestia and Luna looked at each other, an understanding quickly having been reached between the two of them. They then rose to their hooves in unison, their posture firm. “Thank you captain, Please inform the Guard that we are now on high alert. Double the guard that is posted at both the crash site as well as the labs where we are storing all the alien artifacts that we have recovered up to this point,” Luna said as she and her sister quickly swept passed the tired Night Sentinel.
“Do you think that wise Your Highness?” Captain Seeker asked nervously as he fell into line behind the swiftly moving Diarchs.
“Yes. As of now, we are harboring an alien fugitive, one that his tormentors seem bent on recapturing, despite his innocence. Send a missive to Captain Armor to inform him of the situation, as we may need his expertise in the months to come,” Celestia said as she reached the double doors of the throne room. “We will personally call a council later, to plan our next move as well as to inform our allies of the troubles that will follow. However, for now, a far more pressing matter is upon us. For now, just see to the protection of our ponies, as well as the protection of our injured friend.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” Captain Seeker said as the Lunar and Solar Princesses left the room.