An Elite Guardian

A day. That is how long it took me to arrange a match with the best turned Ifrit duelist- a changeling named Green Mist. Mainly it was because I had to sneak into where my armor and weapons were. I don't care if my armor isn't what Ashen wore, it is my armor and my blades I will use, not loaned weapons.

As for Fleur, Rainbow, and Twilight, I had waited for them to wake up in my quarters. When they did, I asked them where their loyalties lay-using a truth potion Archivist had given me to ensure they were telling the truth- and they were willing to follow me, especially given a tidbit of information Ashen had to Fernis' location and host. An alicorn, and it seems these three thought the same thing I did, that it was Celestia, and she was awakened. Right now, the three of them were following tasks I set them about-learning how to fly the pseudo-Banshees and what made them up, various Ifrit spells for the two unicorns, and, for Rainbow, bat pony culture, seeing as how she could now turn into a Thestral whenever she wanted.

For me, after retrieving my armor and weapons, it was a day filled with practice inside my quarters, leading to a few objects being sliced and having burn marks, and part of another waiting for him to arrive outside where I bed. That was mainly so I could make an epic entrance. Hey, I may be a Sangheili now, but that doesn't mean I can't be dramatic sometimes.

It was half past noon when I heard the commotion outside, and looked out the window to see a black and green Ifrit-according to Archivist, Mist often preferred this look- wearing crystal armor of sorts and a single bladed sword in his grip, though it was not a pony sword entirely, and looked as if it had been modified for four fingered use. In the crowd, I saw my three allies putting bits of Archivist's remedy into drinks. One fortunate hing is that Ifrit culture includes watchers and participants of a duel to take a special drink to improve perception and senses, that watchers to allow them to catch the entire battle instead of jut blurs in some cases, and I had ensured this would bring all converts by making it mandatory for them to be here.

"I thought the first King was supposed to be fearless!" I heard Mist yell outside. "And yet, he cowers inside his quarters like a pony!"

And there's my cue. "Or, perhaps," I said loud enough to be heard outside before I opened the door. "I was simply wanting to ensure it was I who you remember, and not an old legend." My choice of attire got a few gasps of shock from the crowd, as did the visible lack of weapons, though I had the energy sword hilts in my hands and the energy daggers in the gauntlets of the armor to prove that otherwise. Mist, though, laughed.

"What, is the first King ashamed of the title now?" he asked.

"No, I have simply grown used to this armor in combat," I replied before igniting my blades. "And these weapons in battle." The blades igniting got a few more gasps, as well as hushed whispers.

"Why is he using those?"

"Inquisitor Laval said those were cursed blades."

"Those aren't the ancestral blades."

"The cursed plasma." For background, they see any and all contained plasma as cursed, and any weapons that somehow use it as cursed weapons. I guess it's because of their history or something, I haven't really read a lot of that yet.

"Yes, I use the cursed blades," I said, "but they allow me to easily kill the equines by burning their internal organs if the stab itself does not kill them, and can be used to cauterize wounds should one be wounded. Plus, I am your king. Who are you to judge my weapon choices?" This made them shut up. Well, all but Mist.

"Well, then, I can't wait to take those blades and use them as my own," he said. "After all, even Inquisitor Laval said I was on his level, and you, my liege, are, to be honest, rusty when compared to mine."

"Wow," I said. "You sure do love sucking your own dick." This, unintentionally, got a few chuckles from the crowd while making Mist angry. That second bit was a part of my plan.

He growled. "I don't care who you are, but I am Green Mist, the best duelist in this camp."

And so thus the fun begins. Time to act like a jack/smartass! "And I'm Carmen Sandiego," I said before quickly sprinting behind him. "Guess where I am!" With that, I delivered a roundhouse kick into his back, launching him into the metal wall of my quarters. As I turned around, i saw him getting back up, a snarl on his face.

"I'm going to enjoy this," he said before charging at me as i braced my self to dodge.

Just before he reached me, he brought his sword arm up, and swung downward early, allowing me to dodge out of the way before delivering a slice of my own to his arm, numbing it. "And here I thought you were impressive," I said. "But you fall quickly to anger, which clouds you judgment. Your insults to me? I have heard far worse before I even came to this planet. So, I think I may use you as a stress reliever and a practice dummy."

Mist glared at me as he switched his weapon to his left hand. "Oh, and what did they do?" he asked, and I knew he was going to try and make me angry at the memories.

"You want to know?" I replied. As I walked over to him. At one slice from him, which I deflected. "They called me gay when I was- at worst- asexual." Another slice from him, which was blocked. "They acted like morons every damned day, and trust me, where I come from, it is especially annoying." A kick from him, which I grabbed with my left hand after deactivating the blade and pushing it to the side, causing him to fall. "They all thought they were coll and important when in reality, they were not." I grabbed his head, and pulled him up before drawing my blade back. "You remind me of that last group, and i would enjoy gutting you," I growled before releasing him. "But that would simply make me worse than them." With that, I turned back to my quarters before hearing a roar of anger behind me, and seeing Mist charging me. He tried an overhead strike, but I blocked it with ease. "You do not get it, do you?"

"Get what?" he asked. "That just because you can keep your calm from my insults is proof of your victory?"

"No," I replied before deactivating my blade and grabbing his arm before lifting him over my head and slamming him into the ground behind me. "The fact I am more skilled than you," I told him. "Attack me again when you have so clearly lost, and you will not live to regret it."

He didn't reply, but a new voice did. "Ah, bravo, my liege, bravo," the voice said. I turned around, and saw the crowd parting for an Ifrit wearing regal armor that protected his knees, elbows, and torso-the torso being protected by folding plates- along with the ankles and wrists. If he head a helmet, it wasn't on his person.

"Ah, Inquisitor Laval," I said. "It is unexpected to see you here."

"Yes, well, when I heard the best converted duelist was facing my king, I just had to see the end results." He glanced at Mist, who was getting back up. "It went just as I expected."

"If he hadn't let his rage consume him, he may have won," I said.

"What?" Laval growled.

"Though our grapple was short, when our blades clashed, they were evenly matched," I said. "The only reason I won those is out of sheer luck and slight of hand. True, I am out of practice, but I remember the basics."

Laval looked again at Mist. "I will keep that in mind, my liege, and ensure all soldiers are aware of that." With that, he walked away as I turned to face Mist.

"I was not lying, Green Mist," I told him.  "For a former changeling, you have poor control over your emotions. Still, I am honored for this duel."

"Why?" he asked.

"Because it tells me what I wanted," I replied before igniting my blade. "Kneel." He looked at me in fear, but I insisted. "Kneel."

Nervously, he did so. "Green Mist, for your combat potential, I name you my direct student. You will follow only my orders, and study my blade techniques until I deem otherwise. Am I understood?"

He looked at me with surprise at first before looking to the ground. "Y-yes, my liege."

"Good," I said before hovering my blade over his two shoulders. "Then rise." He did so. "Now, then, your first order is to answer a question of mine," I said as I looked out the corner of my eye, and saw Rainbow Dash nod, indicating this batch of potion- which had been enhanced for speed and a little bit of unicorn magic to negate the knock-out portion of it- was done. "Do you know what Laval is planning?"

Laval perspective-3rd- thirty minutes later

Laval looked out over the filthy converts that had joined the Ifrit group to be cannon fodder over the past year, as well as the one who was supposed to be Ashen returned. He scoffed. Not that it mattered. He'd die by the Queen's hands soon enough. All he had to do at this point was inform her of the development that Ruso was not Ashen, and that the army marching on the Empire would be pure Ifrit. He smiled to himself. "Perfect," he muttered before incinerating a letter and sending it to somewhere. Somewhere which housed the enemy race of the Ifrit.

Upon it's arrival, a roar was heard across southern Equestria, and, if one lived there, they would see many dragons filling the air, and making their way towards the Everfree.