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A Battle Heated3,304 words

Soldier

It was the next day; I could finally stand, but I still couldn't walk much. But my strength was returning, so I couldn't complain. Inferno had stood guard for the entire night and was beside me when I awoke. It's funny... He pledges his eternal loyalty to me...and he has yet to ask my name?

I decided to tell him...

"Chrysalis..."

He took little notice...

"My name... It's Chrysalis..."

Inferno simply nodded.

I was somewhat baffled by his attitude; I could tell he cared, yet his actions would say otherwise...

"So..." I continued, "Inferno... you said you were a veteran...?"

I caught his attention...

"Yes... I was a soldier in the Beast Wars..." He seemed somewhat resentful... I decided to prod further...

"The Beast Wars?"

"Yes... A great conflict in which my old Queen waged battle with the Maximals..."

Inferno's hive must have lost that conflict, considering the somber tone in his voice...

"Maximals?" I asked.

"A stubborn group of do-gooders who kept pestering the Royalty's plans... I believe they were victorious over the rest of the Predacons...."

Predacons? Was that the name of their hive...?

"Predacons?" I asked again.

"Our group, yes..."

Inferno began to describe to me their team of commando changelings at the end of the Beast Wars conflict. He refused, however, to describe his former Queen...

Inferno started with Quickstrike: a small freak of a changeling with scorpion claws and a snake tail. He apparently spoke with a 'hick' accent from what Inferno told me. He was also very unintelligent, often used by their Queen as fodder for disabling traps. Quickstrike was also with Inferno before he got blasted to this wasteland.

Inferno then went on to Waspinator; a little poor excuse for a changeling from what I got, being blown away several times, only to get back up for more punishment. He, Quickstrike, and Inferno had been assigned to find a new 'colony' which I can only assume is a lair, during their final bout. Waspinator apparently had some sort of psychotic breakdown, and was blasted to cease his rambling.

Inferno then told me of the most notorious traitor in the Predacons: Tarantulas. He was the only one who Inferno knew had for sure perished, though he didn't know how exactly. He described Tarantulas as a spider-like creature who had a disturbing diet. He had also defied their Queen on several occasions, though their Queen often used these to her advantage, as Inferno says.

Inferno then described to me a real horror; a monster of a changeling designed to never perish, and who claimed to feast on other changelings! Their Queen had named it Rampage, and used her magic to steal away some of the beast's life 'spark' to use against it.

Inferno then finished with on the replica their Queen had made of Dinobot, a Predacon who turned to the Maximal side at the very beginning of the conflict. She had used Rampage's life 'spark' to accomplish this. I could tell Inferno didn't care much for the clone, as it 'took his spot at the Queen's side' as he said.

He sighed...

"To think... After all I'd done... All my work...."

I saw it; a tear! A tear trickled down Inferno's face. He seemed surprised and rubbed his eyes furiously.

I smiled; the sight of such a stern warrior trying to rub the tears out of his eyes was impossible to not.

Inferno quickly regained his composure and reverted back to his silent guard self. He then bowed and took his leave, standing guard again, leaving me to imagine the strange hive he was once a part of... And his former Queen...

Two hours passed and I was bored; nothing to do other than sit and think. I decided to think about what to do next. Should I take revenge on Canterlot? No... I think not... Besides, they most likely increased security since my last attempt. No, Inferno's right... I need to rebuild... Sigh... Somehow...

"Royalty..." Inferno walked in, "I suggest we vacate...I'm sensing something... big..."

I got up and tried to walk, but Inferno stopped me.

"Let me, my Queen..." He again picked me up onto his back and proceeded to carry me out of the cave.

We made it out; the ground started to rumble and a skull-splitting screech burst around us.

"Royalty! Look!"

I turned, but I couldn't believe what I saw...

"The Marrowwock!!"

I had heard of the gruesome fate that awaited those who crossed its path. Standing ten meters tall, the Marrowwock was a skeletal horror of a nightmare. It was made entirely out of bones, not having a single piece of flesh on its gangling form. Its lanky limbs barely holding up its large talons, and a bony extension of a tail that ended with a terrifying scythe. Its wings spanned twenty meters and gave the Marrowwock an even more fiercer appearance. The beast's long neck that led to its most frightening feature: its skull. It had eyeless sockets that carved their way to the recesses of your mind, and its abnormal jaw that gave the Marrowwock a disturbingly wide mouth, filled with razors that bled marrow. This marrow was acidic and was used by the Marrowwock to dissolve the flesh and organs of those foolish enough to venture into the wastes. It would then take the bones that remained and add them to its already horrifying being.

Legend spoke of a wicked king that had used dark, forbidden magic to create the Marrowwock from the corpse of a once, great dragon, but had vanished into these wastes after his master was sealed away.

The only thing now is that it wasn't a legend, for there it was before us! The Marrowwock; standing there atop the rock formation where the cave had been a part of, looking down at us with its nonexistent eyes, marrow drooling from its teeth...

The Marrowwock continued to stare down at us from its perch atop the rock face, its 'eyes' hungry for us.

Inferno stood silent and motionless as my sweat dripped down onto the heated sands.

The Marrowwock let out another of its horrifying shrieks and began to climb down the side of the rocks. It appeared to be prideful, as it could have more easily flown at us...

"Royalty...." Inferno spoke up, "Can you fly yet?"

"I haven't tried..." I attempted to flap my wings; nothing...

The Marrowwock had reached the ground and began crawling towards us, its scythed tail swaying in anticipation...

"Royalty, you must fly!" Inferno was now clearly worried.

I tried again, but I still couldn't...

The Marrowwock now loomed over us with its disfigured jaw sporting what I could only assume was a horrific grin. It continued to stand there in some sort of thought, as if it couldn't decide on how to kill us.

It then reached for us with its skeletal claw...

"STAY BACK, CREATURE!!" Inferno shouted as he conjured a fireball and launched it at the talon.

The Marrowwock retracted the bony arm; it seemed somewhat surprised. I doubt many of its previous victims put up much of a fight...

"My Queen... I will defend you from this monster..."

"But-!"

"No! As a soldier I must protect the Royalty!" He set me down and approached the bony terror...

"BEAST! You shall fight ME! I will defend my Queen to the BITTER END!! ACCEPT MY CHALLENGE!!"

I... couldn't believe it; Inferno was willing to die for my... In spite of the unholy corpse that stood against him...... I felt my wings buzz....

The Marrowwock seemed impressed with Inferno's courage, but it didn't last as the undead horror lifted its scythe tail...

"NOOO!" I screamed.

CROOSH!!!

It slammed its tail into the sand where Inferno stood, but all that was there was sand...

I had zoomed in and grabbed Inferno before he was crushed.

"Royalty?! You...saved me?"

I couldn't reply; I was already heavily strained, flying and carrying him....

Another one of the Marrowwock's roars pierced the air, and caused me to fall. We both crashed into the sand and scurried to get back on our hooves.

"We're doomed..." I mumbled, "We will not escape..."

"Royalty..." Inferno began, "There is something I can do... It might shock and disturb you, but I'm sure it will turn our tide..."

Inferno stepped back and began to sweat and groan as he, once again, amazed me. His back hooves morphed into legs and feet, and his front ones transformed into arms and claws. His back cracked as he rose to a bipedal stature, and his chest formed a carapace similar to the chest of a minotaur. His tail opened up like a flower coming into spring bloom, and during all of this, he grew larger. Inferno panted as his transformation had completed, and he rose up in front of me; he was a few inches taller.

"This is what we Predacons truly were... We were instruments of destruction and were created for war."

I said nothing; I was too astonished at what I had just witnessed. Such an incredible transformation. I wondered if all 'Predacons' could transform this way. Another screech shook me out of my thought and sent fear in its place. I then saw the Marrowwock fly towards us!

"I will handle him...., my Queen!" A flame appeared in Inferno's opened tail, and he burst into the sky, the flame propelling him towards the Marrowwock.

"FIGHT ME!!" Inferno threw fireballs at the Marrowwock, created from his own hands.

The Marrowwock roared as the fireballs met its bony form. It then reached its marrow-dripping jaw at Inferno, who managed to dodge.

"I am much faster in this form!" Inferno laughed as he increased his speed and started flying circles around the Marrowwock. I watched him go faster and faster, and saw that the sand was kicking up. It swirled around the Marrowwock, its howls drowned out by the violent winds. The sandstorm grew so large that I could no longer see either the Marrowwock or Inferno...

Suddenly a bright flame burst to life and I had to turn away to shield my eyes. When I opened them, I saw the Marrowwock, frozen in place in a glass tomb. Next to it was Inferno, lying in the sand.

"Inferno!" I flew over to him as he reverted to his changeling form. I checked his vitals; he was still alive! I picked him up and hoisted him onto my back and flew into the air. I smiled, "Now it is my turn to carry you.... my Soldier...."

The glass around the Marrowwock's jaw began to melt away..........

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