//------------------------------//
// Dodge City//Chapter 5 
// Story: The Rise of the Guardians and the Fall of One Hero 
// by TrinityDragon 
//------------------------------//

	 “Hi, Artemis,” Phebe, dressed in some flowery gown, batted her hoof at the Changeling officer. He was decked in decorative armor.
With a grin as wide as Equestria itself, Artemis looked her once over and commented,“You look gorgeous.”
“Oh... thank you.” Her ears lowered, her eyes turned to the side, blush filled her face, and a dumb smile came over her. “You look good too. Where are we going?”
“Well, I thought we would go to the mountain where I found those black dahlias.” The scenery transformed. Now before them was the majestic summit where Canterlot rested. Promptly, Artemis swooped Phebe off her hooves. “Let's go,” he spoke grinning. With her in his grasps, he hovered to a terrace that stuck out from the mountain's side. To her surprise, a small army of black dahlias lay on the platform. Artemis placed in the center of them before landing himself.
Mouth agape, she spun around soaking in the sight. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. “This is amazing! I... I...” Joyous tears risked creeping over her eyelids. “Artemis, thank you.” After having gone in circle for several seconds, she stopped seeing Artemis kneeling in front of her. He lifted a ring towards her with one leg. Her eyes immediately grew big.
“Phebe Hoshana, will you marry me?”

Phebe jolted out of her sleep--heart pounding and soon head hurting.
“Aughhhh...” She groaned. Annoying aches and soreness riddled every section of her body. In the fight with the Guardians, she was thrown around a lot. Though, on this occasion, none of her basic functions were limited--unlike after every other encounter she had had with those creatures.
Smiling weakly, she commented about the victory, We've made some progress finally. She could have suffered a hundred times the pain, and she still would be satisfied. The Changelings were safe, and that was what mattered. That would likely change in the near future, but for a short while, she could rest in the fact that they were out of harm's way.
Having been fully awoken by her dream, she stood up. She, at this point, recalled that she had regrouped with the Changelings and returned to the tunnels. She remembered this because she was surrounded by sleeping Changelings. Nonetheless, she wanted to clear her head, so she carefully walked through the darkness carefully avoiding each one. Once she was sure she was far enough as not to disturb them, she flicked on her horn lamp and kept walking.
A particular set of words hung in her mind from that dream.“Phebe Hoshana, will you marry me?” Heh. The dream, though completely normal in terms of dreams, brought out an interesting fact. She wanted to be married. Granted, the dream itself was highly exaggerated, and it did not represent Phebe rightly. She didn't care for dresses, for instance; moreover, as much she enjoyed dahlias, she would not start crying over them. Despite these things, the last statement of Artemis rung in her head repeatedly. Up until this point of her life, the thought of matrimony had remained far from her. Contararily, upon recent days, that very thing began to tug on her heart, and in lieu of her dream, she found herself longing for it.
She sighed. It's not a good time. I need to be patient. Actually, she had been patient most her life, but previously, she hadn't anything to be patient for. Whether she would admit it or not, she could not completely rip marriage from her mind. She tried and failed. Therefore, she turned to her God. I AM, what do I do? I should wait, right? This is not a good time for sorting out wedding plans.
In the corner of her eye, she thought she saw something move. She panicked momentarily figuring that the Guardians had appeared again, but a peace replaced that panic quickly. Right... it's nothing. Without any explanation or reason, she just knew that she had imagined the movement.
Hm... Her mind transferred to Black Star briefly. He tended to appear and vanish a lot. What is with that? I wish I could talk with him again.
She wandered further from the others while her pondering wandered itself. I could use his advise. Like... what to do with Dark Shade. The Changeling never intended on betraying his people, but he did because of his weakness. Unfortunately, when he reunited with his friends yesterday, they shunned him. She didn't say anything about it at the time, but she knew this would be a recurring issue. Will they forgive him? And, can they trust him again? She did. That wasn't the question at hoof, though. Artemis was the decision-maker, not her. He listened to her advise, but he weighed out every option—even ones Phebe argued against. This was proven at the meeting where she corrected Kirk and Labil for their stupidity. Even though Phebe made some good points for her preference, Artemis took time to search them out. Likewise, he will do the same when considering Shade. Black Star, what would you do?
Another issue that pressed her was that of the Element. She had learned how to activate it. In fact, for the sake of her own assurance, she caused it to light up right there. When the charm began glowing, she turned it off; she was satisfied. Nevertheless, another inquiry concerning the necklace bogged her mind. Why did it nullify the attacks of the Guardians? It would be really helpful if that could be mimicked by magic. Then the Changelings would have something with which to counteract their enemies.
Meh... she attempted at sorting out these details in her head. In only moments, she concluded that she could not and decided not to worry about them at all. They'll be handled when the time comes. Yawn. For now... I could use some more sleep. She returned to her sleeping place, lay down, and returned to the land of dreams.


	~~~~~



“Kick him out!”
“He's a traitor!”
“Don't trust him.”
“Why is this even a debate? Just get rid of him!”
“Hmph, the queen would have kicked him out already.”
“Augh, Artemis, listen!”
“Enough!!!”
Phebe jumped out of her sound sleep... again, and her head jolted left and right looking for the source of nose. What she saw was the Changelings. They were crowded near the meeting tent with Artemis standing atop a wooden crate at the center.
Thinking back, she remembered hearing voices in her sleep just before waking. “Traitor” and “kick him out” stuck in her brain. They're talking about Dark Shade, she assumed. After putting to her hooves, she carried herself up to the group.
While mumbles spread from mouth to mouth, Artemis continued, “This is my decision. Our queen set me as the officer of this operation even before her death. Unless you plan on deposing me.” Silence fell. “Thought so.” He looked to his side, noticed Phebe, and grinned. “You're awake. We need to talk. Go into the tent; I'll be right there.” She nodded before going inside, while Reform finished the discussion with the others, “I will sort this out as best I can. Please be patient.” From there, he hovered off the crate and followed Phebe in. Kirk was already inside. After landing, Artemis motioned to the both of them. “We need to talk about Dark Shade.”
“I figured,” Phebe replied.
Kirk Briar added, “It's important we do.” Shaking his head disapprovingly, he shook his head. “I have a lot to say, but I'll let you lead the meeting, Artemis.”
Phebe cocked her head at that statement. Besides simply being respectful in words, his tone was soft and courteous. The lost of Labil must have had a profound effect on him. I wonder how I would react if Artemis passed away. In that line of thought, she wondered about another thing. You know, had we run away, Labil might have survived. She gazed briefly at Kirk Briar, but she turned away soon after. No, she would have died regardless. Her dream foretold her end. Sorrowish annoyance tapped on the back of her head; she was still upset over the ordeal. But, why did Labil have to die?
Artemis interrupted her internal conversation. “We have to decide on whether to act upon Shade's betrayal. Whether he should be completely forgiven or banished or something in-between.”
Banishment? Isn't that a bit unfair? She imagined Dark Shade being tossed out and wandering away—head lowered and tears flowing. “May I speak?”
The leader of the meeting pointed to her. “Yes. I want to hear both of you regardless. Go on, Phebe.”
She inhaled deeply. “We should forgive him. It was definitely not his intention to betray us. Remember, he stumbled upon the Guardians—an accident.” A small frown developed, her tone darkened, and her ears lowered slightly. “Besides that, I know what it's like to be excommunicated from family. For a fact, you would destroy Dark Shade in the worst way possible by banishing him. Also remember, we are not many in number. It's not wise to whittle our numbers down further.” She paused for several seconds. “That's what I have to say.”
Artemis pointed to Kirk. “Your turn.”
“Yes...” Kirk gave a frown to Phebe. “I'm sorry, but I suggest that there be correction. I suppose Banishment may be harsh, but I worry that Dark Shade will turn on us again if there is even a threat of danger.”
“What do you mean by danger?” Phebe returned with a pointed tone.
Turning his head to Phebe, Artemis corrected, “This is his time to speak. Let him explain himself.” He looked back at Kirk listening intently, and she resigned.
“We are in danger.” Kirk nodded firmly. “I think we should keep Shade away for awhile. It would hopefully simmer down the complaints from the others, and he would get a taste of what could happen if he decides to turn his back on us again. He would understand. That's what I have to say.”
Artemis turned around suddenly. “Hm... dismissed.”
Phebe and Kirk eyed each other in confusion. “Already?” The latter inquired.
The prior tacked on, “I have more to say. Would you listen?”
“I am interested in hearing her words too, Artemis.”
Really? Because he had taken an opposing position, she thought he would have hated anything she had to say. Apparently not.
“Yes, already,” the head of the meeting affirmed. “I may have heard enough already. We'll have another meeting soon, and I will fill you in. Dismissed.” Again the others gazed upon each other, but they accepted Artemis' words and left.


	~~~~~



The next day, Artemis reconvened the meeting. After Phebe and Kirk got settled in, he announced, “I have made my decision.”
Phebe cocked her head, and Kirk objected, “Isn't that a little fast?”
Artemis shook his noggin. “Absolutely not.” He moved to an open crate and began shuffling through the items in there. “Under our circumstances, we can't afford to wait any more. We need to take action; therefore, I have two more propositions I must discuss with you. We'll get to those soon enough.” He pulled out a scroll from the crate. After coming to a closed crate, he placed the scroll atop it and then unrolled the scroll with two hooves. “Look at this.” The other two strolled over and peeked over his shoulder. It was a map of Equestria. “Kirk, we are sending out Dark Shade.”
“What!?” Phebe exclaimed. “But-but-”
Artemis casually covered her mouth. “Hold on. This is in everyone's best interest, including Shade himself, but Kirk, you're not going to like it.”
“All... right...” The other Changeling scratched the side of his head nervously. “What do you mean?”
“You're going with Shade.” Briar's eyes shot wide. “Don't worry. This is a mission, not banishment. I might add,” the leader spoke in a reassuring but somber tone, “a very important mission.”
By this point, Phebe's curiosity had reached a high, and she was getting frustrated over the delay of explanation. She wanted him to tell the whole thing immediately instead of leading them the long way around his point. “Okay. What is the mission?” She was sharp in her address.
“Oh... right.” He got the hint. “We need a secondary base of operations. Without the one we had here in Dodge City, we would have lost everything at the battle in the Badlands.” He pointed on the map to Ponyville. “Yet, as of now, we don't have any where to go in case of emergency, and we already had an emergency. We nearly lost everything. So, I want a backup home, so to speak. Kirk, you and Dark are going to find this home.” Kirk sighed with relief. He seemed to be quite happy to have the responsibility given to him. “That said, you need to find one as close to Ponyville or Canterlot as possible.” The sigh signifying relief turned into a gasp.
“That's where the Princesses are! Are you insane?” He pounded the floor. “If they find us-!”
A retort returned. “They'll what? Steal your soul and possibly kill you in the most violent manner imaginable?” Kirk's head jolted backward. In the meantime, Phebe took in the information calmly; she was processing the practicality of the mission. “Besides, you'll be very near the other Elements of Harmony—the only known magical items that can defeat the Guardians. So, anyway, the mission is to find a home that is hidden from Ponies and Guardians alike yet capable of supporting our needs. Am I clear?”
“Absolutely.” He objected no more.
“Any questions?”
“One.”
“Go on.”
After heaving a full breath, Kirk inquired, “Can we leave immediately?”
Artemis laughed. “Excited are we? This is a pleasant change, Kirk. I appreciate your enthusiasm greatly. Though, I still need you for one more thing.” He strolled to his second-in-command. “Remember I mentioned some other propositions?”
“Yeah.”
Phebe also replied, “Uh-huh.” Related to this mission, she smiled. I... get it. He wants to give Dark Shade a chance to earn back the trust without shunning him at all. Plus, this gives Kirk an opportunity to prove his competency as a secondary leader. On every turn, Artemis impressed her the more. All while benefiting the rest of Changelings. He says he's not good with formulating ideas, but he's brilliant. Though she didn't fawn in any sense, she tossed another heaping helping of respect for the Changeling. This is someone I could follow.
Artemis snapped her from her train of thought. “For one of them, I could use your input, Kirk.”
“What is the proposition?” the pony asked.
“Well, we need as much insurance as we can get.” He returned to the open crate and yanked out by levitation two more maps. One was of the tunnel system underneath Dodge City. The other was for Dodge City itself, but he put that one a side from the time being. “I gathered these yesterday. I figured we would need them. Anyway,” he went on while unrolling the tunnel map, “we need something for the other Changelings to do. Sure, they're all working on the surface, but that's only for eight to ten hours five days a week. There is plenty of time for them to work on other projects.” His hoof slid across the map. “The Guardians already suspect we're at Dodge City—at least. We should expect some more in a few days. They may not find the tunnels at all, but in case they do, we can setup up some tricks and traps. They won't stop them, but we can delay them long enough for our people to get to the surface.”
“This sounds like a wonderful idea.” Phebe shrugged. “I don't know why you're asking us about this.”
Kirk agreed with her, but Artemis did not. He explained, “I know the basis is good, but I'm not sure what to do that would be practical. For instance, we could use a trick that would confuse and divert the enemy. We can use Changeling illusion magic. Great idea, right?” His eyes rolled. “Sure, but how to use the magic? That's why I need your input.”
“Ah...”
Kirk put a hoof under his chin. “Hm... so let's brainstorm then.”
In chagrin, Phebe replied, “I don't understand how your magic works, so my suggestions would be limited.” In light of our first meeting, I can't believe I'm going to say this. “Kirk, you know plenty, though. So, you start, and I'll add in whatever I can think of.”
Suddenly she flashed upon her original confrontation with the Changelings. These people took Pyre from me. She remembered how Shade and Shoe had imprisoned her too. Despite what's happened, I am now perfectly comfortable in their midst. In fact, I'm trusting them... and they're trusting me. I merely delivered a message. Is this then the power of I AM?
Kirk Briar stood silently for many moments. The only sign that he was active at all was that his forehead tensed occasionally. After nearly a minute, he piped up,“I've got it. We made a fake wall to hide our place down here, right?” Artemis nodded expectantly. “Well, we could place fake walls all over the place. Additionally, we could create fakes of ourselves...” He drifted off revealing that he was further formulating his idea. “Ah!” Phebe imagined a light bulb turning on above Kirk's head. “Assuming the Guardians did come down here, we would escape from them by going through the fake walls. In the meantime, our fakes would enter and disappear into real walls. At the least, the Guardians would split up trying to follow the real and fake versions of ourselves. At the most, they would be totally confused and stop following us all together.”
Shivers ran down her spine; that idea was surprisingly smart coming from Kirk of all people. Phebe grinned. “I like that idea. Correct me if I am wrong, but those walls could be made on the spot, correct? You made the illusions easy enough when we confronted the Guardians, Kirk.”
“Not everyone can do it that easily. It takes practice.”
“Then we'll start practicing,” Artemis began closing this section of the topic in order to move on. “I'll personally over see the training involved for this. We'll make it happen. Is there anything else we can do?”
“Traps.” This time, the imaginary light bulb flicked on over Phebe's head. The two stallions, if they could be called such, inspired her. Now her brain juices were going. “The Guardians can be stopped with water and solid objects. I've trapped them with water, and I've never seem them go through solid objects.” She paused pondering how to put her idea into practice. It took her awhile; nonetheless, finally, something came to her. “Yeah, this would work great with your idea, Kirk. What if we made some droppable walls to put behind the fake walls. Basically, when the Changelings are retreating from the Guardians, they can pass through the fake walls and drop this wall in the fake wall to make it appear real. Combined with having your illusions go through real walls, we could completely confuse the Guardians.” She turned specifically to Artemis. “Do we have anyone working in construction?”
“A couple, yeah. I'll have them look into making these walls. They'll know better than we do on how this can be done.” He cheered, “Good! All right. Kirk, you're free to begin preparations. Bring some food and water with you, and let Dark Shade know everything I told you about the mission. Trust him, please.”
“If you say to, I will.” Kirk took a bow and readied to exit.
“Wait.” Phebe held her hoof out towards him. “Can I talk with you before you leave? There is something I want to address.”
“...Sure?” He clamped shut an eye, raised an opposite eyebrow, scrunched his mouth to one side, and cocked his head. “I'll be getting ready. Talk to me once you're done here.” With that, he left.
Pressing forward, Artemis spoke further, “There is one other proposition I have, but this does not involve Kirk whatsoever.”
Proposition... Her mind instantly traveled to her dream. “Will you marry me?” She imagined him saying those words—causing her heart to skip a beat. Don't be absurd. She highly doubted that Artemis was going to mention anything about marriage, despite having an uncontrollable expectancy that he might.
“You were part of the law enforcement here, and I had-”
“How did you know that?” The question thrust out hastily, and a sterner tone was its quality. “I never told you.”
He looked straight into her eyes, as he spoke peaceably, “I've been here for several days. It's not hard to find out who the best known sheriff of Dodge City is. Or should I say best ever sheriff?”
Phebe's demeanor sank. She hadn't many reasons to keep this information secret. She had excelled at her job so exceedingly that crime in Dodge City became non-existent. Without any wavering, the mayor promoted her to sheriff, and she led the whole of the police force. She was not much of a leader; nonetheless, she still held a good office and performed admirably in that position. Of course, she still captured crooks with exceptional skill. She only left because she was bored. Well, that was what she told Dark Shade, but there was another reason—a person, to be precise. One who she wished to avoid for the remainder of her lifetime. “Yes... you could say that. Why?” In terrible anxiousness, she anticipated the horror of an answer.
“Are you still on good terms?”
The anxiety grew. “Yes... very good.”
“Would you be able to enlist their aid for us?” That was exactly what she feared. He wanted her to go to the station, yet she never wanted to be there again. He continued, “I doubt they would help Changelings, but I was thinking you could warn them about the Guardians. In case they show up, we might be able to get the police on our side. What do you think?”
Her gut twisted. “I'll see what I can do.” Her internal anguish jumped several levels of intensity. I can't believe I just said that.
Ignorant of her condition, he nodded. “Terrific. I have to tell the others the news about Dark Shade and also start enlisting them to work on those traps. Time to get busy.” He started walking out of the tent, though he shirked to a halt at the edge. He came back to Phebe. “I'm in the 'zone,' so I apologize for being in a rush. I don't want to go without saying thank you. You've been through a lot, yet you haven't missed a beat.”
Hah, that's what you think. Back a couple days, she had attempted to commit suicide. Black Star stopped her, but if not for him, she would not be alive to help Artemis. “You're welcome. I love being here.” There was no lie in that statement. Go back some weeks, and she would have had to lie to say such a thing; nevertheless, her circumstance and her heart had a significant transformation. “I'm going to find Kirk now.”
“All right.” From there, the two went their different ways.


	~~~~~


Phebe found Kirk in another tent that contained the food and water; he was packing his supplies. Dark Shade was with him. “Hey you two,” she greeted.
“Phebe!” Shade shouted in glee such that he hopped and hovered briefly. “I get to go exploring!”
“Ah, yes...” In dangerous territory, but I won't mention that. She strolled up to Shade and looked him in the eye. “Be great and succeed. All right?”
Calming down instantly, he took the statement very seriously. “Yes. I will. I'll make up for my mistake, and I'll prove to everyone that I can be trusted.”
The pony only smiled in reply to that and changed the subject. “I need to talk with Kirk. Can you give us a moment?”
“Of course.” The Changeling left.
Kirk continued preparing his things. He tossed chunks of hay into a saddlebag and filled a couple water canteens. “What did you need to talk about?” He inquired.
She huffed out a complete breath and then inhaled. “Have you ever met a pony with a tan coat and blonde mane? He acts very strange and shows up at random times.” Ironically, she had no intention of bringing up Black Star in her discussion, but Black Star happened to be the best spring board for what she needed to hear. Plus, she was a bit curious. He knew all about Labil and Kirk, but did either of them know anything about him?
“Eh? No. You're the only pony I've ever 'known.'” Having a perplexed expression, the Changeling shrugged. “Why do you ask?”
No? The Unicorn came closer to him thereby lighting Kirk's face with her horn's magic. How can that be? I really want to talk with Black Star now. I'll ask him next time I see him. “It would be important if you did, but since you don't, don't worry about it. I wanted to hear about Labil from you.” His eyes widened immediately. “I know what was going on between the two of you.”
“Wha-what do you mean?” He returned to packing, though his pace increased dramatically.
“Did the others know?”
“I still have no idea what you're talking about.” He turned around. “What was going on between Labil and I, exactly?”
He is going to play hard to get, I see. Phebe chuckled within herself before becoming extremely somber. “You loved her, and I suppose this was the secret between the two of you. When you finally got away from Chrysalis, you thought you had a chance to make your relationship official, am I right?”
The Changeling, resuming his work at a calmer speed, replied, “Did Labil tell you?”
Trying to avoid lying and yet keeping secret how she acquired the information, she strayed passed the question. “So, it's true. You have been putting on a good mask; if not for previously finding out about Labil, I would never have guessed you two had that kind of relationship. That's what has been bugging me, though.” The caring pony realized the next statement could open up Pandora's box, but out of concern for Kirk, she trod on. “Since no one else knows, you've had to bottle everything up. Kirk, tell me about her.” She sat on her haunches and waited for the answer. A waiting period followed, for the soon-to-leave officer had to make sure nothing was forgotten before leaving. However, she knew that he had other reasons for the delay.
Once he set aside two filled saddlebags, he sat down in front of her. He glared at the floor shortly thereafter. “She was wonderful. We were about the same age, so we grew up together.” A smile formed. “Best of friends. We did have our squabbles, but everyone does.” Water glazed over his eyes, and a sorrowful expression replaced his smile. He tried multiple times to speak but choked at each occasion. “Sor...” A throat clearing took place. “Sorry. Labil was every... everything to me. We laughed and cried together. We shared in our duties and responsibilities, and we were promoted together. She had a strong will—stronger than I. She would never back away from a challenge. When we were invading Canterlot, she was one of the few to encounter the Elements. She attacked them head on. I admired that bravery, but...” His head lowered in addition to his voice level. “She had a kind side. A lot of Changelings only care about stealing love, and they would do anything to get on the queen's good side. I don't have any problem with that, but that's the norm. I loved Labil because she was distinct; in fact, she cared for our people similar to how our queen did, but she was personable, unlike our queen.” He paused and sighed. “I wanted to marry her. Believe it or not, Changelings used to have that option, but that was before Chrysalis' time.”
Huh? Really? Phebe breathed in a hunk of surprise. Now, she hadn't yet considered the Changelings' history. Particularly, she was interested in the fact that the Changelings used to have an identical rite as Ponies did. Everyday, Phebe learned further that they were real people—not some race of monsters, nor animals. Wow...
“To be honest, I have no idea what marriage even is, but the Canterlot attack opened my eyes to it.” He managed a small grin. His eyes were no longer watery, so it seemed he had handled his emotions. “I read up on it whenever I could which, by the way, was incredibly infrequent. I still know basically nothing, but I still know I wanted to marry her. It's silly, I guess” Breaking the talk, he threw on a saddlebag and carried the other on the base of his neck. “I should go. Thank you for listening. Even though we started on bad terms, I am glad I've had this time to meet you. You've been a good friend.”
“As have you.” She bowed lightly. “Take care of yourself.”
“Yup.” He exited.
Once he was gone, a stream of tears ran down her face. She hurt for him, and she hurt so thoroughly that, in the moment, she desired to change places with Labil. Why does he have to suffer, my Lord? Her crying kept silent, but she did lie on the floor and cover her face with her hooves. I don't understand. I deserve what he has to live through. How come I get to marry Artemis? What did I ever do to earn that? A voice replied in her head, though it was her own. You didn't. Pause. Huh? She had a moment of perplexity, before she actually considered what had been stated. I... didn't earn it? Hahahah. I get it. She recalled the words I AM had given to her. “Receive my Spirit. My love will begin to burn inside you.” It's not a work. I can't earn that... I just receive? I need to receive the fact that I marry Artemis and simply give thanks to I AM for the blessing. She was proud to figure out another detail of her relationship with this God. Thank you, my Lord. That said, I ask you fill to Dark Shade and Kirk Briar with your vast goodness while they are away. Protect them. Thank you. She stood up, wiped away the tears, and left. The next trial she had to face related to the police, and she wanted to get alone with her God before going up. Thus, she spent some time conversing with him.