Friends until the bitter end: Reanimation

"ok ok best kill." Lamar said to Starnes as they sat in the park his fiance was getting back today and he wanted to meet her and her family when they arrived. he was now in an arranged marriage with the mare he was already going to propose before the arrangement was even finalized.

"I once shot a crane and the cable snapped making the pallet it was holding fall. It catapulted a piece of rebar and it impaled the fucker i was trying to kill." starnes said as he crushed his cig.

"Nice, I have got to go with when i kicked an IPLA in the face and knocked him into a sewer drain. then when he climbed back up he was run over by a tank." Lamar said in response as they both chuckled.

"You know Lamar i think we might be assholes."

'pff' "so."

"Good point" starnes responded as he and Lamar sat at the airship docks.

"You know what?" Lamar asked as he watched another airship leave.

"What?"

"you know for a fact i bet the dude who thought to attach a big ass blimp to a ship so it could fly is like a billionaire." the prince said as he yawned.

"Oh fuck ya, that's some some bullshsit." Starnes said.

"at least blackwatch doesn't use those fucking things."

"Ya right thank god for human technology and innovation." lamar said.

'ghasp!'

"Starnes look." lamar said.

"Hea we he've the wild scrub in its natural habitat." Lamar said as he pointed to a blackwatch trooper who was now walking by some ways away talking to some mares. doing his best David Attenborough impersonation.

"Yees this one seams to be very sociable in natura. possibly warning these females to back off of its hunting ground." starnes continued narrating the blackwatch troopers movements

"It semes to communicate with a series of grunts and hand gestures." they continued as a black airship pulled in. the ship itself was flat black and almost organic in design and a black balloon.

The gangway dropped and five different color changeling praetorians (the equivalent of a knight) exited a lining up in two rows before making a sharp 90* turn and facing each other. The mare that exited was a young changeling her silver platinum blond mane and transparent yellow insectoid wings that brought out the green cilia and pink irises. This mare was absolutely the envy of most of the mares at the docks her beauty only surpassed by the older changelings who exited after her and matched by her twin sister who walked exited last. This mare was Princess Nymph adopted daughter of Queen chrysalis queen of queens.

Princess Nymph stood on the dock looking around until she noticed a male alicorn and an earth pony crouched behind a bench pointing to a rather forgettable Blackwatch trooper and saying rather rude things.

"You know the fact they are still alive baffles me." Queen Miasma commented to her fellow queens who nodded in agreement. A changeling from Ambrosias hive buzzed forward with heavy wing beats, and approached the crouched landing mere steps away from the alicorn.

"Prince Raptor, i trust things have been well since our last operation together? I will be in charge of the changeling guards during your wedding?" the changeling asked

"Its a pleasure General. Allow me to introduce Lt colonel Raider my second in command." Lamar said quickly becoming professional and shaking the changelings hand before giving a salute.

"General Templar!" Starnes yelled giving a crisp salute.

"Looks like the delegate from Saddle Arabia have arrived." Raptor said as he neared the changeling queens. gesturing with his head to another airship that just pulled in. there was then the sound of heavy wing beats and they turned to see the Dragon king and queen arive.

"Shall we?" Nymph asked locking her arm with Lamars and receiving a nod from the prince.

"Right this way." Lamar said as they began walking back to the castle followed by the royals of the other countries.

As the royals look around at Canterlot now it was a far cry from the equestrian capital they had been used to seeing. Lunar and Celestial guard were on every corner and lining every roof were archers all ready for the slightest sign of attack. It was no secret that the arranged mirage between Prince Raptor and Princess Nymph was not popular with some of the population.

As they neared the castle they could see more Royal guard as well as Celestia, Lunar, and Crystal knights were more prevalent. But that paled in comparison to what they saw when they entered the courtyard leading to the Castle entrance granting them a full view. The castle resembled a fortress in the purest essence. Blackwatch troopers lined every palisade armed with everything from assault riffles, Vulcan Gatling guns resting on mounts, to Mk 19 grenade launchers replanting the balista's that had once been stood in there place. Javalen teams rested on some of the balcony's, while snipers surely were hidden in plain sight trailing there every move. The courtyard itself would be a killing ground should the time come. And what they had taken as new large bushes were in fact four M2 Rooks main battle tanks resting in fighting holes covered in camouflage nets, and blackwatch troopers ran about getting things ready for the wedding tomorrow night. They noticed that every blackwatch trooper they saw had on what the changeling queens remembered were called EXO's while others had what were called "Jackets".

As they neared the steps off to the side they saw five ponys and two griphons in white armor on there knees with a hole behind them, with five blackwatch troopers standing in front of them their cold glowing goggles boring into the five ponys equally cold eyes and the frightened eyes of the two griphions. The blackwatch troopers then to the watchers surprise and horror proceeded to execute there prisoners making there body's fall into the ditch before there CO a regular looking blackwatch trooper with a green blackwatch star instead of his subordinates red called out "Next, Prisoners!". turning from the sight they saw that in front of the castle door were three unicorn mages, four earth pony rangers magically enhanced crossbows in hand, two wonder bolts, and six celestial and lunar knights being three of each. And on ether side of the door where two Blackwatch AST's similar to the one the late Cooper Connor had.

Upon entering the castle The royals of the other countries were actually surprised to find it was the exact opposite of the outside. Royal knights and and blackwatch troopers conversed with one another in casual conversation. In the corner two blackwatch troopers were playing dice and they watched Starnes take his leave.

They entered the throne room to see both royal sister there to greet them flanked by two of there respective lunar and celestial knights. On the walls hung ornate equestrian banners, as well as the banners of the sisterhoods/brotherhoods of royal knights, Celestial guard, Lunar guard, the now renamed crystal guard, Earthpony rangers, Unicorn mages, wonderbolts, and Raptoral guard better known as Blackwatch. There among the banners of the Knights they saw a new addition a completely dark grey banner a sharp contrast to the pink gem encrusted banner of the crystal knights and the white and gold of the celestial knights that it hung between. This banner hung humbly between the two, its heavy fabric barely moving in the breeze aloud by an open window. there wresting in the center of the banner where all banner symbols are placed. Was a winged star stitched in gold fabric with a foren looking Skull resting in a circle at the center of the star stitched in red fabric. They wondered who that banner belonged to before the Lunar princess spoke.

"Welcome everypony. on behalf of equestria we are glad that thou wher't able to come." Luna greeted.

"Pleas make yourselves at home. but pleas take my advice and stay out of blackwatch's way for the time being..." Celestia started as she watched Raptor look at his wrist computer before stepping out of the room. For the first time the gem en her amulet audibly cracked causing the prince to stop in his place, listen for any signs of hostility...and being satisfied with hearing nothing took his leave.

'crack'

Lamar stood in the temporary command post he had set up. In front of him was a red Holographic map of the capitol displaying the layout of blackwatch troops in the city. The hologram then shifted to show a blackwatch Recon trooper in one of the captured CELL Nano-suits with a rather large sniper rifle in his hands.

"Ghost, What do you have for me?" Lamar asked crossing his arms.

"Sir i was on my way to scope out a CELL base when i ran into this city. From what i can tell this city was raised years ago and From what i have found there seem to be no survivors only a strange tan sludge. The few bodys i have found were killed recently and suffered from heavy energy scoring possibly made by magic, but the way the pot marks on the walls look seem to match the patterns made by Ceph pinch rifles on earth during the war back in 2045. However there is no way there could be a Ceph presence unless the princess Transported one here. And according to her she is the only one who knows the spell and you and your team were the last people she transported here from earth, and that was almost two years ago..." the Hologram said the trooper had a thick Russian acsent, Having originally been part of Spetsnaz in 2060 during the latter years of the Blacklight outbreak or WWZ before Blackwatch was deployed to New manhatten to contain it.

"Say whats on your mind then get it out of my face, Ghost."The prince ordered.

"There is something else sir. i found what looks like a ditch made after an escape pod crash but i cant seem to find anything, so i can only assume that whoever bugged out set it to vaporize. But what worries me is the body i found near by, it used to be a griphon that much is obvious this used to be a griphon city but it looks like it was burned from the inside out with magic. The suit dates time of death at Thursday 3200 hours one year and six months ago. And there is only one person we know who could do that with out causing any form of external damage. and only one that fits that time frame." the blackwatch trooper with the call-sign ghost responded.

"Dark sword... Alright keep me posted. Dismissed." Lamar said as the hologram flickerd out.

Later that night lamar sat in a chair in his chambers thinking about the report Ghost had given him. He slouched in his seat letting out a quiet sigh as he watched Nymph sleeping in his bed.

'not just my bed for much longer' he mused to himself with a slight chuckle.

He stood to his hooves and opened the door to the reinforced balcony. He wore only a pare of shorts so the cold are of Lunas night bit at his exposed coat. He waved to Luna who was standing on her tower as well. The lunar princess responded in kind before taking off into the night to do what ever it was she did leaving Lamar to himself, to his...thoughts.

Lamar leaned against the railing thinking about what Ghost had reported. He heard a sound behind him, a heavy series of thuds. spinning around instantly shifting his right arm into his Hammer Claw and left into his default blade ready to strike. Only to see the grey armored figure of one of his "Grey knights" the knight had his helmet clasped to his belt hook as he held his thermal halberd in one hand unmoving. He also noticed the slight glowing of magic amplification runes etched on his certain parts of his bulky armor. meaning only one thing this Knight one of the few Unicorn Orions left and one of the few who were adept enough with magic to atane this title the title of Librarian.

"my lord, are you well? You seem restless." the Orion whispered trying not to wake his lords soon to be first wife. Lamar instantly recognized the knight and shifted his arms back to normal.

Lamar turned around and stared back out at the capital city of equestria. The Knight at his side was his second Personal guard next to Valencio. He was Brother paladin Lachlan or Brother Librarian Lachlan, Lamar liked and greatly appreciated this particular knights company. Lachlan was in a broad way different from the other Grey knights, the Junior Paladin was young at only around 18 or 20 and was a very kind soul he deplored violence and hated killing. In fact had the prince more knights to spare he would have assigned the kind unicorn to be a scribe do to his want to learn. Lamar had asked the young Librarian why he had even become an Orion in the first place and was told that it was out of desperation to protect his mare friend Florenza when CELL had invaded there small town. And He was in fact the first of the few CELL Orions who Pledged there undying allegiance to the prince after showing them that CELL could in fact be stopped. The fact that he was formerly human greatly added to his survival of the Orion phase one process.

"I am not well Librarian." Lamar said finally taking a deep breath

"Is there anything i can do to cull your uneasiness my lord?" Lachlan asked with a kind smile.

"No there isnt. But tell me Lachlan how is Florenza?"

"She is well my lord. And pregnant with Child." Lachlan said

"But i thought Orions were sterile?"

"We are my lord. we used artificial insemination, and as with all artificial pregnancy it will be a filly. But our daughter will not know the suffering Florenza and my self knew to CELLs Vile hands I hope." the Librarian said

"So do i my friend." Lamar said as he looked back to Nymph who was still asleap. before looking back to the city.

"so do i."