//------------------------------// // Chapter 21 // Story: The Sun's Knight // by Lucky424 //------------------------------// Metamorphosis looked at the group of twenty ponies outside the cave system, the shackles on their legs fed through large iron rings deeply rooted into the ground, the glimmering light from a huge bonfire deepening the shadows around their sunken eyes and giving their scrawny faces an unliving visage. And this is why slaves should not be left to carry out jobs that require care without supervision, such as stabilizing tunnels. Each and every one of them had a medical dressing on them of some sort. Growling to himself, the changeling king stalked over to where an uninjured pony was packing some items into a box. “How long will it take them to heal?” The pony turned around to glare at him, but he just shrugged it off. After all, there wasn’t much a unicorn mare with a crack through her horn could do to him. Not letting her expression go away, the mare sighed and turned back to the supplies. “They’ll all be out of working conditions for months.” “I see. Go, tend to others that need you.” Whilst he didn’t care for those he was forcing to dig, Meta needed them in good-ish health. The ones present were in no condition to do anything though. Turning away with a huff, he eyed a few of the off duty diamond dog guards, who were gazing longingly at the ponies. “Yes, you need to keep your strength up. Take your fill.” The small pack let out a few howls, then charged forward, Meta looking over to where Dido stood with her own guards, a smug grin on her face as the blood curdling screams filled the night; she ignored the clear look of disgust upon the changeling’s face. Along with the screams came growling, the sounds of flesh being torn, and the last noises the dying ponies would ever make. As the slaughter was going on, one mare walked briskly through the deep mines, watching out for any signs of being discovered. She made it to where one of the abandoned side tunnels started, finding it empty with the exception of a single occupant. The noises from outside echoed down the tunnels, and tears came to her eyes as she used their pain for her own gain. Approaching the stallion that was chained to the tunnel wall, she picked up an abandoned pickaxe and began to hit the rock. It took her several minutes in her weakened state, but eventually she had one of his arms free. Once his other one was also able to move, he took the tool from her and struck at the shackles on his ankles. Thanks to the metal being old and rusty, they broke in no time at all. Slumping to his knees, the stallion pulled the mare down with him into a tight embrace. Now wasn’t the time for tearful reunions though, the mare helping him stand, and together they left the tunnel, taking the pickaxe with them.. The main shaft was clear, all the way to the cavern where most of the other ponies were kept in pens when not working was located, but they weren’t going that far. Ducking into another side tunnel just as a group of diamond dogs began to head their way, the mare led the stallion deeper, a strange sound getting louder and louder. They passed a sign informing them to turn back, but she ignored it and pulled a small wooden crate from behind it. Lifting the lid made the stallion give a low whistle, for across the top lay several of the explosives that the unicorns who were lucky enough to keep their horns had been forced to make. Cries of alarm came echoing down the cave, followed by a group of guards running up the main shaft. Turning around, the stallion saw that the mare had already grabbed some explosives and was heading back to the tunnel entrance. He did the same, placing the little glass vials into any and all cracks he could find. Once it was done, they retreated down the tunnel to the sign, where the mare picked up one last vial. She shook it well, then gasped when she looked up the tunnel, the stallion turning to see several diamond dogs staring at them, drool and blood dripping from their mouths. The glass vial the mare was holding flew past him, seemingly in slow motion, flipping end over end. Not bothering to wait and see what would happen, he turned and ran to the mare, grabbed her and the crate, then carried on down the tunnel to where it turned. A tremendous explosion followed a moment later and he dropped to the floor, using his body to cover the mare, gritting his teeth as hot shards of rock hit his back. Once the noise and heat died down, he got up and crept back to the corner. He panicked when he spotted the paw of a diamond dog on the floor, but as he rounded the edge he saw that it ended halfway up the forearm. Looking back up he found the tunnel entrance was now sealed, and their pursuers were crushed under the rubble. He turned and walked back to the mare, helping her stand and then looking around. “So… what now? We’re trapped in here.” “No, we’re not. There’s a way out down here, I think.” A small light flared in the darkness, the mare using a match from a box she had managed to take from the supplies to light a torch she had stashed beforehand. She went to pick up the crate, but the stallion lifted it instead, and together they moved deeper down the tunnel. They walked for a good ten minutes before she stopped where several planks had been nailed to the wall. “Come on, help me here.” After several solid hits the wood was out of the way, revealing where an earlier team had dug into an underground river. The water flow was fast and there was no way to tell what the rocks under it would look like, but now that there was no other way to go, they had no choice. The crate went first, then the stallion grabbed the mare and held her to his chest, keeping her tight against him for any extra protection he could offer her. “Take a deep breath, sis, because here we go.” With that he jumped into the river. Whether it would lead to their freedom or their deaths did not matter, either way, they’d now die free, not as prisoner. Back in the cave system, Metamorphosis turned from the now blocked tunnel and shrugged. It wouldn’t be long now for him to have his revenge… and he also gained a small appreciation for those who removed some of the dogs for him.          “So what does it say?” “No, go away.” Alec returned to the section of the wall he had been told to work, trying to ignore the strange pony that had been following him around for a few days. The creature moved around on all fours, as if it had forgotten how to walk properly. “Get back to work, or the guards will...” “We'll what?” The pegasus glanced over his shoulder, seeing several guards standing behind him, before turning around and setting his pickaxe on the floor. “Oh, continue, I'm curious as to what's going to happen.” “I merely meant...” He was silenced by the guard punching him on the muzzle, and he worked his jaw a few times, then spat out some blood. His eye flicked across the other three guards, who were all rolling their shoulders. They moved to surround him, but stopped as a mare shouted from behind them. “STAY THY HANDS!” The group parted to reveal Princess Luna and three of her guards. She stepped forward with a glare on her face. “Leave us, now.” The four prison guards quickly vacated the area. As soon as they were gone, her features softened as she jumped forward and wrapped her arms around the pegasus stallion's neck. “I've missed you.” To her surprise, he pushed her away, picking his tool back up and turning back to the grey rock. “What are you doing here?” “I... came to see you...” “Thanks, but you shouldn't be here.” She let her horn glow and took the pick from him, causing him to sigh and turn around once more. “It's only been a few weeks. You can't be missing me that much.” “Alec... it's been three months.” She stepped closer and wrapped her arms around him once more, the stallion slowly returning the embrace, the guards ensuring nopony would approach them. At length she pulled away, looking him over. “Alec, you look... terrible!” “What did you expect? I've been working for hours a day, hardly any sleep. You try this and remain as good looking.” His ear twitched as the sound of digging drifted down the tunnels, and he turned his head. “Hmm, thought they were finished down that end for now...” “Never mind that, what were those guards doing?” “Their job. It's just the way things work down here, and if they didn't treat me the same, it'd be worse. Which you have now made it just by visiting. I'm going to have to be alert for attacks from the other inmates now.” “We can helps you, if yous wishes it.” Luna looked to the side, seeing the strange pony in the corner. “What's this? Horn and wing, female, so not a king. It want to see my gem?” “Alec...” “Just ignore Sméagol in the corner.” “Who?” Luna asked in confusion, getting a chuckle from the stallion. He gave her a brief squeeze, then pulled away and kissed the tip of her muzzle, taking his pick axe back and stepping away. “Never mind, a human reference. Anyway, I need to get back to work.” She held his muzzle still and kissed his cheek, giving him a nod and stepping away. “I'll see you in three months.” Luna gave a heavy sigh, then turned and began to walk away, her guards following after giving the imprisoned guardspony a sympathetic glance. “She your mate, yes? We swap?” Alec just ignored his little shadow, striking the large vein of ore, the crystals inside being used for magic cores in spell guns. His ear twitched as the sounds of digging came down the tunnel once more, but the wrong direction. His grip tightened on the pick axe as he left his work station.         “We through now, Meta.” The changeling king smiled over to Dido, the female diamond dog standing proud in front of her gathered pack. Just over fifty of them stood ready to burst through the mines, and he turned to his last loyal subjects. All thirty of them. They each closed their eyes and lit their horns, the cavern glowing bright green. Metamorphosis let their magic flow into him, his power being greatly augmented, and he focused his onto the diamond dogs. After a few moments there was a bright flash. Thanks to being the ones to summon the spell, they could still see the diamond dogs, but... “METAMORPHOSIS!” The pegasus stallion that charged forward didn't see what struck him on the back of his head, knocking him to the ground and dazing him. Although the changeling king had anticipated the possibility of encountering the stallion, he was still shocked to actually see him. Meta’s first instinct was to kill the pegasus, but he quenched that idea as he stuck to the plan he had formed when he considered this opportunity presenting itself. Turning around with a smirk, he nodded to a single drone. The changeling knew what his king wanted, bathing itself in green flames, emerging a few moments later as a pegasus filly, her coat the same sandy brown as the stallion, with a long magenta mane. She walked forward to where Alec was slowly sitting up. “Daddy, I've missed you.” “Dawn? But... you're dead! This is a trick!” “But... it's really me, daddy.” Three diamond dogs approached, but did nothing as the 'filly' wrapped her arms around the stallion's neck, lifting his muzzle and whispering into his ear. “I know what you saw, but it was just a trick by Celestia. She wanted you to think we were dead.” She was on his left side, so he didn't see a horn on her head flash green, his eye doing the same a moment later. She pulled away as the dogs backed off a little, and he looked up from the floor at her. “Dawn? I... I've... missed you.” She was suddenly swept into his arms, the stallion beginning to sob as he held her tightly. Metamorphosis smiled wickedly, his horn glowing and surrounding him with green flame. When it dropped he was replaced by a pegasus mare with white fur and a mane the same shade as the filly. Alec looked up as 'she' walked over, his eye going wide. He then let go of the filly, pulling the mare close, his tears falling to her shoulder as he held her tightly. “Alec... we need to stop Celestia. Or everypony will be in trouble.” He pulled away and frowned at her. “It's her plans... train the Guards using those... hooman things, make them emotionless drones, and then she can be the tyrant she has always wanted to be.” “Well then... I guess it's up to us to stop them. You and me together, Sonata.” She stepped away and took a spell gun from one of the drones, passing it to the stallion. He then placed himself in front of her and aimed it at the drones. “First... we need to get out of here.” The mare walked in front of him and pushed the barrel towards the floor. “They're here to help. Them, and the dogs.” A green flash revealed the snarling bipedal canines, but only for a second. Then they disappeared once more, Alec ignoring the fact that the flashes had come from Sonata's head. She pushed closer and wrapped her arms around his head, pulling him into a passionate kiss, ignoring the growling from one of the dogs. 'Dawn' came over and pulled him away, leading him over to the other drones. Metamorphosis let his disguise drop, wiping his mouth on the back of his sleeve with a sputter, glaring at the few changelings that had started to chuckle at him. Dido came over and pulled him to the side, glaring at him. “What you playing at?” “With his help, we can take the castle with little incident. And the love you and your pack has given us... we will finally accomplished what my mother could not, and you will have what was promised; pony slaves to dig for you. Start your tunnelling to the surface, and we'll hide you when my number two gives us the signal you are almost through.” The diamond dog bitch nipped at his neck with a slight growl, then strutted back over to her pack with a smile and her tail swishing from side to side, beginning to issue out orders. “We're ready... mommy.” Metamorphosis looked behind him to see the changeling disguised as the pegasus filly smiling up at him innocently. He resisted the urge to strike the drone, instead re-applying his disguise as the pegasus stallion walked back over, taking Dawn's hand in his and holding on tightly. “Daddy's going to show us the castle!” “Really? And just how is daddy going to get us in?” Alec just smirked at 'her' comment, slipping the gun's sling over his shoulder and placing his arm around the mare's back, walking towards the main cavern of the mines. “You forget, I know all of the tunnels. We're heading straight for the throne room.” He kissed her cheek and then moved them off, the majority of the drones following. Because she was to his side, the pegasus stallion didn't notice the evil satisfied smirk upon her muzzle, her eyes flashing green every so often, Metamorphosis draining more of Alec's willpower as they walked.         “And this one?” “Recruit Platinum Dagger, your majesty. She's pretty good with her magic.” With a smile Celestia looked over the mare's uniform. She was stood to attention on one side of the carpet running through the throne room, in a line with fifteen of the recruits, the other sixteen stood opposite. Dean couldn't help but let a prideful smile cross his features as he continued. “She also has the highest scores on all of her academics... out of the entire intake.” “Really? In that case I think she will do well.” The man smirked over his shoulder at his glaring opposite, the Solar Diarch having already inspected Gray’s half of the recuits. Blueblood and Flash Sentry stood at the bottom of the dais as Celestia inspected the last few recruits, all of whom were graduating to the trainee phase, which meant they would no longer be under the humans’ command. Celestia reached the end of the row and moved to the lowest step of the dais. “I am very impressed with all of you. Continue along this path, and you will make excellent additions to the Royal Guards. Please, enjoy your weekend once you are dismissed for the day.” There was a murmur of approval, quickly silenced by the glares the ponies received from the two humans. With a nod from Blueblood, the two rows turned left and right respectively, then began marching out of the throne room. He had a short conversation with Celestia before he and Flash left the room, motioning for the humans to follow, nodding to Luna as she entered. The younger alicorn gave them a weak smiled as she walked past them and up to Celestia, pulling her sister into a tight hug, who returned it with confusion. “Luna... where were you? You know we had a inspection of the recruits scheduled.” She pulled away, averting her gaze from her older sister with a sheepish smile. “Um... a royal visit to the mines was due anyway, right?” “Luna...” “I couldn't help it, I was missing him too much.” Celestia just shook her head with a giggle, understanding where Luna was coming from. “Oh, and sister?” Luna asked, causing Celestia to pull back from her a little. “I know they are the worst kinds of ponies in the mines, but they still deserve some dignity. We need to look at who we employ there. As it is, i have already dismissed several guards for gross misconduct.” She turned and walked up the steps, her younger sister following as they went for their evening meal. She spun around in shock as Luna screamed, seeing her fall to the floor with her back smoking. She looked over to one of the secret tunnel entrances and met the assailant's gaze. Celestia didn't have time to summon a shield as he fired once more, and she felt a dull impact to her chest, her vision growing darker as she fell to the floor. Three blurry figures made their way over, and she recognised the two others. To her horror, the mare that resembled Sonata was bathed in green flames, Alec ignoring the changeling as it bent down to Celestia’s eye level. The last thing she saw before the blackness won out was his one eye, full of hatred.         Gray struggled to hold in a chuckle, but managed it as he inspected the clearly nervous recruit’s bedspace. The young mare was the last of his squad to inspect, but they didn't know what his decision would be. Opposite the line of Phoenix squad was Barghest squad, Dean having gotten them to remove their left boots only and show him the underside. Standing from the foot locker he had been kneeling in front of, Gray walked to the entrance to the barracks, Dean following. The two men stepped out into the corridor without a word, leaving all thirty two recruits wondering what the decision would be. "How long do you think we should give them," Dean asked, checking his watch. "I'm not sure," Gray replied, entering the small office the two had requisitioned when they were on duty to be closer to their squads. Picking up a folder, Gray cracked it open and looked at the blank paper, giving a sigh. "Still nothing. You got anything, Dean?" "It's supposed to be unique," the other human said, pulling out another folder, this one stacked with report after report. "We've put them through every final exercise from the last twenty years in the past month. We need to make something up." As the pair sat in silence, their thoughts were interrupted by a klaxon going off. They stared at each other in confusion, for they had been taught all of the different alarm sounds, but this was one neither of them recognised. They got out of their chairs and went into the corridor. Looking around, Gray spotted a guardspony running down the corridor towards him. "Hey, what's going on?" “We’re under attack in the gardens! Get to your squad and get them outside.” Gray nodded to the guard, who continued to his duty, the humans sharing a look before running into the recruits' room. "Recruits, you will ndt be going home tonight!" Dean said, ignoring the chorus of groans. "There is an unknown enemy of unknown strength attacking right now! You know the drill!" The recruits didn't need to be told twice, quickly slipping into their armour and grabbing their spell guns; it was something the two men had been getting them to do several times a day every day, until they could do it blindfolded. Which Dean had made sure they could. Just as Gray was about to give the order to move out, the door opened, Blueblood and Flash Sentry entering. The unicorn looked around the room, meeting the gaze of every recruit, then gave a nod and slipped his helmet on. "Unicorns, gather magical energy for mass teleport," he ordered, all horns in the room glowing for several moments. Blueblood’s horn flared brighter, and in a flash the room’s occupants disappeared from it. As soon as the minor disorientation had passed, Gray looked up to see what the problem was. A force of around fifty large, bipedal creatures that resembled dogs were running amok over the castle grounds, trampling upon the bodies of the guards that had already been killed. "Phoenix and Barghest squad!" Blueblood's voice rose over the sounds of fighting, drawing thirty four sets of eyes to him briefly. "Welcome to your final exercise! You are to defend this castle AT ALL COSTS! RECRUITS...ENGAGE!" As one, the thirty two recruits, two humans, and two guardspony officers raised their rifles, unleashing a torrent of magical fire upon their opponents. Nearly all of the beams of highly concentrated energy found their targets, but when the smoke cleared none had fallen. "RECRUITS!" Dean's voice, much louder than Blueblood's, got the recruits attention, all of them watching as he dropped his rifle and pulled a knife from his belt. "I'M NOT GONNA ORDER YOU TO FOLLOW ME!" Gray wondered if Dean had lost his mind, but he didn't get the chance to ask as the Marine charged forward. But what surprised Gray the most was that, without any hesitation, the recruits all copied Dean and sprinted forward as well. Gray looked to Blueblood and Flash, but the two stallions just shrugged and rushed to join the fray. I must be crazy... Not wanting to leave them all to it, Gray too dropped his rifle and charged in, pulling out his knife. Going by the descriptions from Dean and the information dug up, Gray assumed these creatures were 'diamond dogs', which meant that Metamorphosis had made his move. Unable to search for the changeling king right then, Gray focused on the immediate threat. For such large creatures, the diamond dogs stood no chance against the hand to hand skills Dean had taught the recruits, and they were aided when more guardsponies joined in the melee. The diamond dog numbers began to fall rapidly, until there was only one left, Gray noting it was female. The diamond dog looked around as she was surrounded and began to laugh. “Ha... Metamorphosis will save me, he wins," she said, giving a chuckle. "You all outsi...” She was cut off when a knife lodged itself right between her eyes, sinking in deep. Gray turned to find one of the recruits with her arm still outstretched, then he looked towards Dean as the man began to laugh. "Looks like we have our own 'deadeye'." Before anything else could be said, there were two bright flashes of light from the throne room windows, which could have only come from a spell gun. The two men and their squads retrieved their weapons, then ran inside, not stopping until they reached the main staircase. To their surprise, Celestia was stood waiting outside the throne room, wearing her own golden armour. She turned her attention away from the recruit squad as several dozen more ponies ran over.“About time you got here! What was all that ruckus? Captain?” The pony in question stepped forward and bowed. “Your majesty, it was a diamond dog attack. We lost about twen...” “I do not care for our losses! Has the attack been repelled? “Yes, your majesty. All enemies fell and we are invetis...” “Fetch me Flash Sentry! All these problems started when he arrived, so he must be part of this conspiracy! Go, now!” “Uh, your majesty... do you really mean that?” The mare's eyes glowed with the intensity of the sun, staring down at the captain. “YOU DARE DEFY ME?” The stallion's chest erupted with flame and he began to scream as it started to burn him, the ponies nearby jumping to his aid, patting the fire out. “Go get yourselves healed, and then return here for further orders!” The group managed to stand and walk away, the ones who helped holding their burned hands. Gray stepped up to Celestia, looking her in the eyes. “Celestia, what is this madness?” “THAT IS PRINCESS CELESTIA TO YOU, HOOMAN! GUARDS, THESE TWO ARE NO LONGER WELCOME HERE. WHEN I LEAVE, DO WHAT YOU MUST!” The mare turned and walked through the throne room doors, slamming them shut with her magic. Gray turned around to see the ponies gripping their guns tighter, Dean glancing around as their recruits watched one in confusion. The gaurdsponies walked up the steps and behind Gray, taking aim at the door. “Stand aside, this is going to be a bad idea.” He barely had any time to dive to one of the smaller staircases heading up to the balconies as the guards opened fire as one, the large, ornate golden doors exploding with defence wards. There was a loud rumble and a bright flash as the doors split open inwards. Gray stood back up and noted the ponies that had fired were sprawled over the floor. Movement below drew his gaze, where the rest of the guards and Dean charged, spell guns at the ready. He joined them as they entered, taking the room at a glance. They then opened fire on the shocked changelings inside, keeping up the blasts of magical energy until nothing moved. They all aimed to the side when something slipped around a pillar, but lowered their weapons when a pegasus filly stepped forward. “Thank you! Oh, thank you! Have you seen my dadd....” Her speech was cut off from a spell gun blast, Dean turning to the man next to him with horror. “What the fuck did you just do?” “That wasn't Dawn," Gray stated flatly. They all looked back as the pegasus filly lying prone on the floor was surrounded by green flames, which died down to reveal a changeling drone. They started to search around the room, where they found Celestia and Luna inside green, viscous fluid filled pods. “No! You will not win, not this time!” Dean and Gray looked over to the base of a stairwell, where a pegasus mare was staring at them. Gray once more fired, but his blast was just absorbed by a green shield, and the mare ran up the stairs. They immediately gave chase, leaving the other guards to get the alicorns out. They emerged onto the large balcony above the throne room, where the pegasus mare was standing near a low wall. They slowly spread apart and stepped closer, their guns aimed at her as she watched them. “Give up, changeling. There's two of us and one of you.” “Wrong.” There was a flash and a scream from Gray's side, Dean falling to the floor with his armour smouldering. Gray turned around, his eyes going wide with shock as hand wrapped around his throat, raising him into the air. There was a flash of lightning followed by thunder rolling from the dark clouds overhead, rain starting to fall. Alec closed his eye with a deep breath as he began to squeeze tighter, Dean's body convulsing as pulses of electricity arced around it. Gray stopped his attempts at loosening the hand around his neck, bringing his arms above the pegasus stallion's arm. The man struggled for breath as Alec held him off the ground, hand around his throat. Gray punched him in the face three times, Alec's head simply turning each time. He was then dropped to the ground, the pegasus stallion walking across the balcony and easing his right wing out, covering the pegasus mare behind him. Dean stirred, pushing himself up with a growl. “What the fuck are you playing at?” “You're not taking Sonata from me. I know what Celestia is now, and what part you two played. You're not leaving this balcony... alive.” The two men looked at each other and nodded, bending down and picking up their spell guns, aiming them at the stallion. Gray gave him one last pleading look, noting the green sheen over his once blue eye. “That is a bad idea.” “Alec, Sonata is dead. That's not her!” “YOU LIE! I know who you are, what that mare is planning! You can either join me... or die here.” “Very well...and we're sorry.” The three opened fire at the same time, Alec's shot knocking Dean from his feet again, whilst theirs just hit a green shield in front of him. The pegasus shifted his aim and fired again, but Gray jumped to the left then dove forward, swiping his leg in an arc that knocked Alec's feet out from under him. The first thing Gray did was grab the spell gun and throw it away, but that left him unarmed as well, which Alec used as an advantage. A fist slammed into Gray's chest, winding him, as Alec stood back up. The man barely had time to dodge as a large knife slashed at where his neck was, rolling away to safety. Gray reached around to the back of his belt, drawing his own knife once more, Dean having come alongside him and doing the same, but the stallion just started to chuckle. “Can you feel it? Twilight lied to you, Gray. That storm… it’s your way home. I can feel it in my bones. All you have to do is leave and let the lightning strike near you, and you will return to where you belong.” “Bullshit.” Gray felt inclined to agree with Dean’s assessment of the situation, Alec glaring at them once more as he readied his knife. The Marine rushed forward first, he and Alec slashing and dodging with each other. Gray then charged into the fray, the pegasus forced on the defensive from the double attack. A flash of green from the pegasus mare made Alec's eye flash brightly, and his speed seemed to increase immensely. He snarled at the pair as he grabbed Gray's right wrist in his left hand, slashing down and sinking his knife into Dean's thigh, the man falling to the floor with a pained groan. Gray stabbed his own knife into the stallion's arm, but he just growled and swapped arms. There was a loud bang, the sound of a gunshot, and Alec stepped away, dropping Gray to the floor. He lifted a hand up and wiped it across his chest, raising it to his face and seeing blood. Alec looked past Gray, the man turning as well, mouth dropping open in shock. Stood in the doorway to the castle was Luna, Dean's M9 in her hands. There was a snarl from behind him and she pulled the trigger a few more times, the bullets flying true, Gray turning back to see multiple trails of blood coming from the right side of Alec's chest. The pegasus then fell to the floor, slumped in a heap. 'Sonata's' eyes flashed green, the pegasus stallion's chest doing the same for a few moments before the glow disappeared, but he remained on the floor. “NO!!! I may not have him, but I will still beat you all!” The pegasus mare was surrounded by green flames, which died down to reveal the changeling king. Metamorphosis’ hands started to glow with green energy, which he flung at Luna, knocking her back down the stairwell, the pistol falling towards the ground. Gray barely had time to dodge as another wave of green magic was sent his way. The man then found himself using the whole soaking wet balcony as a sort of assault course, jumping, rolling and anything else to avoid the attacks. He couldn't get anywhere near his gun, but he still had his knife, so all he had to do was get close enough. It was easier said than done, but there was a quiet grunt just as the last blast of magic passed dangerously close to Gray’s head. Gray quickly glanced over to see Dean flung against the castle wall, having crawled his way over and sunk his knife into the changeling's leg. That was his chance, and he took it. With a full on sprint, the man charged straight for Metamorphosis, plunging his knife as hard as possible into his chest. The changeling's eyes shot open from the pain, but the man's momentum hadn't stopped. Gray tried to regain his balance, but the pair toppled over the low wall, falling towards the thundering waterfall on that side of the castle. Metamorphosis flailed around in the air, trying to get his wings to work, gasping as he tried to pull the knife out. Gray, even though he had no parachute, spread his limbs into the spread eagle position, slowing his descent. He suddenly felt himself hauled backwards, his gaze meeting the steely blue eye of Alec as he dropped past. And then his momentum stopped, two pegasi guards having taken a hold of him. “No, go get him!” “He is doing what must be done.” Gray turned his gaze downwards, watching as Alec caught up to Metamorphosis, wrapping his arms around the changeling and forcing his wings closed. With one single flap of his good wing, he sent them closer to the cascading flow... and the copious amounts of jagged rocks hidden there. Their combined silhouette mixed with the water for a moment and then disappeared. The two pegasi guards flew back up to the balcony, where Celestia held Luna in a tight embrace, the blue alicorn sobbing loudly. Dean was propped up against the low wall as Joy bandaged his leg, his eyes rolling as the mare fussed over him. Gray's foot nudged something as he moved, and he bent down to pick up Alec's gun. He walked over to the alicorns, offering it to them with his head bowed. Luna took it from him with a whispered thanks, turning back into the castle. Gray turned back around and helped Dean to stand, supporting him as the pair followed Joy towards the infirmary.         “ANYTHING?” “NO, NOT YET! MOVE TO THE NEXT LEDGE.” Gray slipped down the rope, already prepared by some of the newly appointed guardspony trainees. The unicorns were using their magic to divert the water flow, leaving the jagged rocky outcroppings accessible. They had started roughly where Alec had entered, and moved down a good three hundred meters. The man's feet touched down on the next flat, and he signalled his squad to spread out. He caught the sound of grunting and looked over to the next outcropping, watching as Dean landed with a wince. Joy would go ballistic when she found out he had joined the search just a few days after he got a knife in his leg. Shaking his head, Gray turned back to survey his section. So far nothing caught his gaze, which drifted over to the cliff face... and settled on a patch of dark which contrasted sharply with the light rocks. He ran over, his squad following, where they all came to a stop upon finding the body. Gray unslung his rifle and took aim at the head, the ponies turning away. They didn't want to believe that Celestia gave this order, but it had to be done. There was a flash of light accompanied by a high pitched whine, and Gray walked over to the ledge with a grim look on his face. “Who was that?” Dean called over. “Metamorphosis. Keep looking.” Gray nodded to his squad, who started setting up the next stage of the descent, Dean continuing to search his area. After six hours of further searching, they finally returned to the castle. Joy was waiting at the castle entrance, slapping Dean and dragging him home. Gray just shook his head, trudging through the castle to the chambers he had been given. The first thing he did was strip out of his uniform and head for the shower. He stood with his head resting on his arm, which was pressed against the tiles as the heavy flow of hot water massaged his sore muscles. At length he stepped out, feeling somewhat refreshed. As he sat on the bed, the past couple of days caught up to him, undoing all of the shower's hard work. Lying down, Gray turned to the black uniform hanging behind his door, only adorned by sergeant stripes on the upper arms and a blazing phoenix on each shoulder. Tomorrow would be the official ceremony of his recruits being accepted into the Royal Guards, and he was looking forward to having a few days off. Maybe go back to Celestia's private lodge... and take her with him of course. Heaving a yawn, Gray lay his head upon the pillows, letting his eyes close. His journey into slumber was momentarily disturbed as another entered his room, sliding in behind him and wrapping their arms around his chest. Rolling over onto his back, Gray let the mare settle into his side, lifting his hand to run it through the multi coloured mane, which had lost its ethereal breeze just like any other time Celestia rested. Gray said nothing, knowing Celestia was just as if not more exhausted than him, having to deal with all of the politics and other things that went with restructuring a country, something that was desperately needed now that several other hives had come forward and asked to join as citizens of Equestria. Lowering his head, Gray kissed Celestia’s cheek, getting a sigh from the mare, then lay his head back once more, finally drifting off into slumber.