A Guard for The Princess

Chapters

Chapter 1: Proteus
Chapter 2: Basic Training. Basic Duties
Chapter 3: An Unexpected Turn
Chapter 4: Betrayals & Revelations
Chapter 5: The Queen of The Changelings
Chapter 6: A New Complication
Chapter 7: Captured
Chapter 8: A Different Kind of War
Chapter 9: The Long Goodbye
Chapter 10: The End (Of The Beginning)

Chapter 1: Proteus

His name is Proteus. He was the result of an unplanned, unanticipated union between Strong Heart; a former Royal Guard, who put aside duty, for the love of a Changeling, and Twilight Sparkle; who was his friend since she was a filly. They were under the control of a spell concocted by Princess Cadance, who was working with Shining Armor, to distract the former Lieutenant from his true love, Queen Chrysalis.

The ruler of the Changelings suffered much at the hooves of the Captain, losing the filly that was growing inside her mere days before she would give birth. When she awoke, she was so enraged that she commanded her army to take down all of Canterlot, and kill the ones responsible for her fall. In resulting war not only claimed the lives of Shining Armor and Cadance, but the lives of Strong Heart and Chrysalis, who chose to die, rather than live with what they had done.

The surviving members of the Changeling army were banished from Equestria, never to be seen again.

Since finding out about her pregnancy, Twilight fought with her thoughts; trying to decide whether to keep the unborn foal, or to get rid of it before it fully developed. She found unexpected council from one of her closest friends, Princess Luna, and through her words, Twilight decided to keep it. And so, Proteus was born 10 months, and 22 days after his mother’s fateful encounter with the Princess.

The colt was a Pegasus, unlike his unicorn mother and father, but the genetics of ponies will always be a mystery, even to their own kind. He had a dark grey coat, like his father, and dark purple eyes, like his mother. In the first few years of his life, Twilight found taking care of him to be more of a challenge than she initially thought. Her assistant, Spike, wasn’t much help, despite his best efforts, and it took most of her friends to try and calm this easily excitable colt. As the years went by, Proteus became more co-operative, compliant, behaving like a well behaved foal should. The Royal Guard blood within him began to take hold, and soon, he became loyal to his mother.

He didn’t say his first words until he was three, an unusual occurrence, but as the days flew by, he began to talk even more, forming complete sentences, though not at any sort of academic level. Usually, he asked for food, or wanted to go outside for playtime. When he was five, he started to ask about his father, and where he was. It was never that he didn’t enjoy his mother’s company, or her many friends, who would come by to see him every once in a while, but he was curious about the lack of a true father figure in his life. Twilight would smile, and tell him that his father went far away on an important duty, and the likelihood of his return was slim to none.

She couldn’t tell him the truth about Strong Heart, how could she? He was only five, and he wouldn’t understand the real story about his father. For the time being, she chose to keep it a secret.

During the night, Proteus would stare at the stars. On most nights, the stars shined brightly, but nothing fascinated him more than the moon. He found it to be a glorious sight, full of wonder and beauty. His mother told him of the legend of the Mare in the Moon, and how for the longest time, the image of the banished Nightmare Moon could be seen on the right side of the moon.

Even though Nightmare Moon was released from her captivity, and the image gone, Proteus would stare at the moon until he fell asleep. It was during that time, where he felt that something, or somepony was watching him; as much as he looked around, he saw nopony else, but every night, the feeling was always present.

As he approached the age of 10, Twilight felt it was time for him to make friends outside her own circle, and enrolled him into the Ponyville Schoolhouse, where Ms. Cheerilee continued to teach there. His first day was a shaky one; being in a new environment, he was timid, and more of a quiet type, afraid that his first impression would be a bad one. As the days moved on, he became more social, more active with the other students. While he wasn’t the most popular colt at the school, he did have his share of friends.

Not everyone was a fan of Proteus, and it wasn’t just regulated from the fillies and colts at school. Grown mares and stallions hated the sight of him, knowing who his father was, and the story of his conception. The sad tale of Strong Heart was well known in the Ponyville community, and Twilight received the brunt of the disdain and hatred, as they were moral enough not to harm a young colt. Her parents refused to talk to her the day she informed them of her decision to keep Proteus to term, finding him to be “unnatural” and “monstrous”. Every once in a while, Proteus would ask about her Parents, but like his father, would tell him a pretty white lie.

Proteus received his cutie mark at the age of 11. Though normally, the day that a pony finally gets his or her cutie mark would be a cause for celebration, the way he received it, was through less than ideal circumstances.

It happened one night, when the moon was full, and Proteus was with Twilight at the local restaurant. They took the back exit out, when they were greeted by four tough looking colts; drunk, and stupid, looking for a good time. They eyed up Twilight like she was fresh meat; she could only respond by holding Proteus to her side.

“Hey there, good looking.” The leader of the pack said, “Wanna have some fun?”

“No thanks.” Twilight tried to be polite, but she knew it was futile. “I’m just taking my son home.”

“Come on baby!” another said, “Ditch the little brat, and come with us!”

“Leave us alone!” Proteus shouted. Even at his young age, he was tough.

“Hey…”The leader recognizes Proteus. “I know you…you’re the son of the traitor! The stallion who left his whore, for another!”

“Don’t you dare talk about my father like that!” Proteus stood defiant.

“Let’s go sweetie.” said Twilight, trying her best to avoid a confrontation, “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

“But it’s true!” The Leader interjected, “The Stallion who betrayed the Royal Guard, fell in love with a Changeling, and impregnated this slut before he died!”

“Liar!” the young colt shouted, “My father is out on a mission!”

“So, that’s what you told him? How cute. I don’t like liars. Boys, let’s teach her about what we do to liars!”

The four stallions rushed them in an instant. Proteus was ripped from the grip of his mother, as she screamed his name. He was thrown to the ground, his wing fractured. The stallions brought Twilight down to the ground, ready to do the unthinkable.

Fire rose in Proteus’ eyes; any other pony would watch in horror, he had other plans.

The roar he let out stopped the stallions from their impending actions, and in a second, Proteus charged them with all he had. He was young, but he was strong…just like his father. He was smaller than the stallions, but he was also quicker, more agile, and even with his fractured wing, they couldn’t keep up with him. All the looks he received, all the bullying he was given at school, he took it all out on these now poor souls. Twilight could only look on in horror as her son violently beat these stallions down to ground like…a monster.

Proteus beat them all to an inch of their lives. They lay unconscious on the ground, bloodied, beaten, and missing more than a few teeth. The commotion caught the attention of passing citizens, and the local law enforcement. The saw the horrific sight; a colt sitting in the center of a bloodbath, growling in rage, covered in blood, and his Mother staring at him. A flash was seen on his flank, but he paid no mind to it.

Twilight saw it, it was the image of the full moon, and the silhouette of an armored Pegasus engraved on the surface. He was meant for this. He was meant to protect those he cared for. Not only that, he was meant to protect everypony from those who wished to harm them.

She slowly walked to him, placing a hoof on his back. He flinched, turning his attention to her, snapped from his anger. Tears flowed from her eyes, as he looked upon her in shock as the realization of his actions took hold.

“Mommy?” was all he could say. He collapsed into her forelegs, crying as she held him tight.

The Police couldn’t do anything with Proteus, he was only protecting his mother, even if the stallions in question were now in comas. After only a couple questions and bandages placed on his wing, he was sent home. For the next few days he did not talk, he barely ate, and he stayed in his room, refusing to go to school. He wouldn’t even acknowledge that he has his cutie mark now.

Finally, the time came to remove the bandage. Twilight did the honors for him, as he was still in a state of what the doctors to her was shock. She tried to put on a happy face for him, but she knew he was hurting on the inside.

“Good as new.” Twilight said, admiring his fixed wing.

Before she could leave, though, Proteus finally spoke.

“Is it true?” he said quietly, “Is it true what they said about my father?”

“Proteus…”

“Tell me! Is he really dead?”

Twilight paused for a long while, before replying, “…Yes.”

“Why?” he asked, tears welling, “Why did you lie to me?”

“I didn’t want you know the truth…yet.”

“What happened to him? How did he die?”

She sat down by him, and for hours, she told him the story of his father. How he was her friend, and the love she felt for him, before he became emotionally distant from her. How he fell in love with Queen Chrysalis, a being that was thought to be made of pure evil, and how she loved him back. How her own brother, and her foalsitter plotted to kill Chrysalis’ unborn filly, and succeeded. How Twilight was used as a distraction, resulting in Proteus’ conception, and finally, how Strong Heart died in the forearms of the one he truly loved.

When she was done, he said nothing. Everything she told him swirled about in his head, trying to make sense of it all. Without a word, he unfurled his wings, and took off into the skies.

“Proteus!” Twilight shouted in surprise.

The colt flew far, farther than he had before in his life. He flew all the way to the cemetery, outside of Canterlot. There, he searched high and low, until finally, he reached it; the grave of his Strong Heart & Queen Chrysalis.

Seeing the gravestone for the first time, he couldn’t help but admit the spectacular craftsmanship. Twilight told him how beautiful it was, but he didn’t think it would be like THIS. He walked to the foot of the grave stone, placing a hoof on the engraved plague, running it along the words on the stone. It was the closest he would ever be with his father.

“A little late to be out, don’t you think?” a mysterious, yet feminine voice said.

Proteus turned to see nothing. The voice echoed through the graveyard.

“What troubles you, young colt?” the voice asked.

“Who’s there?” he demanded, “Show yourself!”

Out of the darkness, in front of Proteus, emerged a dark blue, beautiful mare; tall, with a flowing, celestial mane and tail. An angel of the night, if there ever was one. Whatever fright he had was gone, and replaced with awe.

“Don’t be afraid.” she said, “Come here.” She motions him to come closer to her.

It took him a while to shake himself from his trance, and did what she asked of him.

“I’m not afraid.” he said, confident in his words. She chuckled at his bravery. “Who are you?” he asked.

“I am Princess Luna, I watch over Equestria when the sun falls, and the moon rises. It’s not often that I see younglings, such as you wander through graveyards.”

“I’m not a youngling, I’m 11 years old.” He stands tall and proud, as tall as he can. His height is no match to the tower that is Luna.

“My mistake, forgive me.” Luna humors him. “What is your name?”

“I am Proteus.” he said.

“Proteus?” she glances at the gravestone, “A fine name, for a handsome young stallion.”

Proteus blushes, stammering in his next few words. Luna smiles at the colt’s nervousness, finding it charming. She looks back at his flank to see his cutie mark.

“Impressive cutie mark.” she says, “It almost looks like mine.” She shows him hers; it’s a beautiful image of a crescent moon. “Do you like the moon, Proteus?”

“I love it. At night, I just feel…safer.”

“Not many ponies do.”

“I can’t imagine why.”

Inspecting him closer, Luna could see the similarities between Proteus, and Strong Heart. A small smile forms on her face.

“You look like him…your father. Except for the wings; and the eyes look like they belong to your mother.”

“You knew my father?” Proteus is surprised. A mare that looked as young as her couldn’t have possibly known.

“I did. He used to be my personal guard.”

“Your guard?” he is confused, “But…you were probably just a filly, back then.”

“No…” Luna giggles, “I am an alicorn. I can live for thousands of years. How you see me now, is how he saw me back then.”

“Wow.” he practically exhales the word, “How old are you, exactly?”

“Another time, perhaps.” Luna deflects the question, “Where is your mother, Twilight Sparkle? It could be very dangerous this time of night.”

“I left her at home.” his voice becomes serious, sad. “She told me everything about him.” He looks back at the grave. “What he did.”

“You are not mad, are you?”

“Well…no. I just…I wished she told me sooner. A lot of ponies in town don’t like me too much, and I never knew why. If she told me sooner, I would have prepared myself for it.”

“If you were any younger, would the shock of what you know now be lessened?”

“I…” he sees her point, “That’s true.”

“Your mother loves you very much, Proteus. All she wants is to see you happy, and to find what is best for you. Go back to her; I’m sure she’s worried sick.”

Proteus nods slowly. “Can I ask you something, Princess?”

“Anything.”

“How was he? My father…was he a good Royal Guard?”

Luna pauses. “The best.”

“Proteus!” Twilight’s voice is heard in the distance. “Proteus!” The voice is getting closer. He can definitely hear it loud and clear. Twilight runs to see both her son and Luna standing by each other. A look of relief falls on her face.

“Mom!” Proteus galloped to her, jumping into her forelegs. She latches onto him tight. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!”

“It’s okay. I got you.” she assures him. She looks back at Luna, and the two share a nod with one another, before the Princess takes off to the skies, leaving Twilight to embrace her son.

Twilight awoke the next morning to the sounds of grunting, coming from the backyard. Looking out the window, show could see Proteus, up and about, exercising all along the open space. What was once a fairly clear backyard, had now become an amateur training ground; with hoop jumping, weight lifting, and pads for wing push-ups. Twilight was both impressed, and understandably concerned.

She walked outside, just as Proteus was doing some wing push-ups. She could hear him counting the number he was doing, as she approached him. For somepony as young as he was, he could already do close to one hundred.

“What are you doing?” Twilight asked him. He was not aware of her presence; he yelped as he pushed himself off the ground, hitting the tree branch above him.

“Ow! You scared me, Mom!” he said, with a slight chuckle, rubbing what will soon be a bump on his head.

“I’m sorry, sweetie. I’m just surprised to see you up so early. What is all this?”

“It’s a training area. I could barely sleep last night, so I went outside, and made this.”

“Impressive, did Spike help you?”

“Nah, he’s still sleeping. Besides, he’s not much for heavy lifting.”

“You have a point, there. So…what are you training for? Is there a rodeo with Applejack I’m not aware of?”

“No, I’m training to be a Royal Guard!”

Royal Guard. The two words put shock and fear into Twilight. Though she knew his destiny would be to protect, she still was not prepared for this. Every fiber of her being wanted her to tell him to not do that, that she was afraid he would follow the same path as his father. She told him the story, but why did that not sway him away from that profession?

“That’s…great.” she said.

“What’s the matter?” he asked, catching the hesitation in her voice.

“Nothing. It’s fine, really.”

“Mom, I can tell when you’re lying.”

“It’s just…being a Guard is dangerous.”

“I know. But, I’m not planning on joining now. I’m only eleven. I just want to be ready when the time comes.” He gives her a light, reassuring hug. “It’ll be okay, Mom. I promise.”

She wanted to dissuade him, but she couldn’t. Instead, she chose to support him.

“Well, if you need anything, let me know, okay?”

“Sure thing.” he said, resuming his work out.

For the next few years, until he reached the age of eighteen, Proteus trained long and hard, until he grew strong; stronger than most stallions of his age, and even those older than him. He was athletic, well built, and powerful enough to buck every last apple from a tree. He was a big help for Applejack, one of Twilight’s friends, using his strength on the farm, whenever she and Big Macintosh needed help during Applebuck Season.

The story of how he saved Twilight from the gang of drunks became something of a legend among the folks in the town, but not as favorably as one expected. Despite the fact that he did what he did out of love for his mother, the one detail everypony was hung up on, was his methods; how, even at the age of eleven, he nearly murdered the four stallions that intended harm. The events made him even more of an outcast, in town, and at school. Whatever friends he made before the event, he lost.

Twilight’s friends, however, continued to welcome him with open hooves, ever so grateful for what he did. In their eyes, he was a hero.

After his eighteenth birthday, he was allowed to enroll in the Royal Equestrain Guard Academy. Within days, he was accepted, receiving a more than welcoming letter signed by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Proteus was happy, happier than he had ever been in his life thus far. Twilight learned to put her concerns away, and supported her son every step of the way.

Soon, the day arrived where he had to leave Ponyville. Twilight and Spike followed him all the way to the train station. It’s a busier day than most, with a lot of townsfolk at the station. Even a newspaper colt, yelling about strange sightings in the Everfree Forest, as he holds up a newspaper with his magic, is present.

Inside some of the train cars, are a few new recruits from different towns, waiting to get to Canterlot. Proteus wasn’t the only one in Ponyville who was joining the guard, a few colts from his school were saying goodbye to their parents, as well.

“Well, I guess this is it.” he says.

“Yes…it is.” Twilight nods, fighting back her tears.

“Don’t cry, Mom. I’ll write to you every day.”

“I know you will. But, what am I going to do during the year that you’re gone?”

“I don’t know. Just bother Spike more than usual.” he joked.

“Hey!” Spike harrumphed.

“I’m just kidding, Spike. You take care of Mom, okay?”

“Of course I will! I’ve been taking care of her before you even showed up!” He said. Proteus had to admit, Spike had gotten taller during the years. No longer was he that familiar baby dragon, but a proud, and even somewhat menacing looking creature. Still, his attitude never changed, even if his voice did.

“Alright” Proteus chuckled, “Oh, and sorry in advance, for all the letters you’ll probably be burping out.”

“Now that I know what’s coming, it won’t be as annoying. Thanks for that.”

Proteus gives Spike a friendly tap on the shoulder, before going back to Twilight.

“I’ll make you proud, Mom. I promise.”

Twilight gives him a tight hug, nearly choking the stallion out. As strong as he had gotten, the hugs that his mother gave him was even deadlier than Big Mac’s.

“Write me every day, you hear?” she sobs.

“I…I will…Mom….you’re choking me…”

She lets go. They both laugh. The moment is cut short by the train whistle. They say nothing to each other, only a knowing glance. He kisses his mother on the cheek as he boards the train. They look at one another as he gets inside the car, and looks out the window. Twilight can’t hold back, she cries as she watches him leave her sight. He smiles and waves, and she and Spike wave right back at him.

It’s going to be a long year.

It was his first time stepping onto Canterlot grounds. Though Twilight had been there dozens of times, he was never with her during those visits. Standing in Ponyville, viewing the castle from afar did no justice to the sheer enormity of the place. His mouth was agape the entire time, from when he stepped off the train, to where he entered the garden with the other new recruits.

They were lead into the throne room by already initiated members of the guard. It was a massive, and more than a little frightening place. The stain glass windows showing generations of Equestrian history adorned the walls. What caught Proteus’ eyes was that his mother was in two of the window’s pictures. Before he could have any sort of reaction, the blaring trumpets sang the familiar royal tune, and the doors behind the recruits swung open.

Princess Celestia, ageless and beautiful, walked into the room with her personal guards, looking at each and every one of the recruits, who were all kneeling down before her presence, Proteus included. She smiled, seemingly impressed by this year’s new potentials, before heading to her throne. She made her standard issue speech, talking about the importance of being in the Royal Equestrian Army, how they were not only going to be trained as guards, but as soldiers. Proteus didn’t hear most of the speech, as he was too eager to start training as soon as he could. It was only as she was reaching the end of her speech, that he started to pay attention.

“Now…” she said, “Those who want to work in the day; where, if you pass your training, will serve under me, go to the guard on your left. Those who want to work in the night; where you will serve under my sister, Princess Luna, go to the guard on your right.”

Many of the recruits go to the day side. Proteus loved the night, he could barely go to sleep when the sun went down. Plus, how could he resist serving under Princess Luna? It’s been so long since the night he first met her, he wondered if she would even recognize him at all. He was only one of the fifteen ponies who chose the night side, compared to the day’s thirty or so.

Proteus and the rest of the night recruits were led to their quarters, all the while telling them the rules of the castle grounds, and a bit of a history lesson. It was all very informative and interesting, but not as interesting as the castle grounds themselves. Their quarters were spacious, with bunk beds spread all over; many of them occupied by sleeping soldiers.

“Here’s the deal, recruits.” the Guard Pony said, “From now on, you will be adhering to a new sleeping schedule. You will sleep during the day, and awake during the night. Training will begin this evening, so hopefully, you’ll be used to the new arrangements by then. Dismissed.”

The recruits spread all over the quarters, looking for a free bunk to sleep in. Proteus can see most of the recruits are friends, which he doesn’t have the luxury of. He had to be careful with his choice. In the end, he settled for a bunk close to the center of the room; a big snoring Stallion occupying the top bunk. Laying down, he realized that though he is normally full of energy during the night, sleeping during the day is going to be a bit of a challenge, especially right now, as he is anxious about his first night of training.

He only got two hours worth of rest, before being woken up by the booming voice of a stallion.

“ALRIGHT FILLIES! GET YOUR WORTHLESS PLOTS OUT OF BED!”

Proteus jumped out of bed so hard, that his wings started flapping. His hooves were on the floor in milliseconds.

“GET YOUR TRAINING ARMOR, AND GET OUTSIDE! DOUBLE TIME, FILLIES!”

Proteus and the recruits grabbed their beat up, hand me down armor, putting them on as fast as they could. The unicorns galloped out of the door, while the Pegasus’s, finding doors overrated, came flying out the open windows.

In minutes, everypony, newcomers, and experienced soldiers, were standing in a less than perfect line, thanks to the inexperienced group.

The Stallion with the booming voice comes flying out the window, and lands on the ground with absolute grace. He was a big stallion, old, but tough. Proteus recognizes him at the Stallion sleeping over him in the top bunk. The regulars stood at attention to their Captain, while the newcomers were intimidated.

“I am Captain Stone Shield.” he said, “For the next few months, I will be the one training you sorry excuses for Royal Guards!” He stares at a Unicorn, who is giving him a confused look. “I know what you’re thinking; how can a Pegasus train Unicorns? I may not know magic, but I know discipline! If I see a half-assed spell being performed, I will know about it! Do you get me?!”

“SIR! YES SIR!” Everypony shouts.

“That’s what I like to hear! This isn’t the playground anymore, this is the real thing! Anypony falls out of line, and I will send your ass to the brig in pieces! I going to twist you, I’m going to flip you, train your bodies so hard that your bones will hurt! If you protest, I’m going to train you harder and harder! Do you understand?!”

“SIR! YES SIR!” Everypony shouts again.

“First off, get this piece of crap line straight, on the double!”

The line straightens up in seconds. Stone Shield looks at the line, pleased, but only on the inside; his face tells a different story. As he looks at the new recruits, his eyes fall on Proteus. A look of familiarity forms on his face.

“You. Do I know you?” he asks.

“Sir, no Sir.” Proteus says. Though he’s only been on the grounds for a couple hours, he’s got the posture down in no time. The studying he did back at home is paying off.

“There’s something familiar about you. What’s your name, Private?”

“Sir, Proteus, Sir.” he responds.

“Proteus?!” the name rings a bell, “So, you’re the son of Strong Heart…”

He steps away from Proteus, a smile plastered on his face.

“Well fillies, we got ourselves a celebrity here! That is the bastard son of Strong Heart! A traitor and killer of royal blood!” The recruits, and the other guards shoot a look of shock and anger at Proteus. “Tell me, how did the Princesses allow you in the academy?”

Proteus tries to keep his cool. “Sir, I sent a letter, Sir.” he says, as straight as possible.

“And what makes you think I will train a traitorous spawn, such as yourself?”

“Sir...” he pauses. The Captain isn’t exactly aware of Proteus’ temper. “My father isn’t a traitor, Sir.”

“He mated with a monster, assisted in the murders of two ponies of royalty, which includes the previous Captain of the Guard, and had you! A bastard!”

“He’s….not…” Proteus struggles to speak.

“Tell me something, bastard. Who did he mate with to spew you out? The town whore?"

Proteus twitches his eye.

"No, Sir. She's an esteemed colleague of Princess Celestia."

"I don't care what she is! A whore is a whore! I’m sure she was gagging for…”

There are many things Proteus can stand for. Insulting his mother is not one of them. He charges Stone Shield with rage and fury. The other recruits stood back in shock, while the other Guards tried to rip Proteus from their Captain. He wailed on Stone Shield with powerful strikes, drawing blood from the Captain's face. Before he could do more damage, he is thrown away from him.

What the other Guards didn’t expect, was that Proteus, when provoked, is more than a little difficult to stop. He took them on all at once, never faltering. He manages to knock out two seasoned guards in only a couple hits. Stone Shield, muzzle busted, looked at the fighting Proteus with both anger and…curiosity. Proteus screamed as he battled the increasing number of Guards, it was almost as if he wasn’t going to be stopped.

Almost. Stone Shield gets behind him and hits him hard across the back of his head. Proteus is out like a light.

“Put him in the dungeon.” he commands.

Proteus is dragged across the floor of the underground dungeon. As he is coming to, he sees the Guards bringing him to the last door at the end of the vast hallway of dungeon doors. Upon entering, they plop him down on the floor, chaining him up by his hooves and neck. The snaps of chains are enough to wake him up. As the guards walk away, he struggles to break free, but it’s of no use. He is stuck.

“You’ll be lucky if you are even let out of here, bastard!” One Guard says. Proteus charges him, but is stopped by the chains. The Guards laugh, as they close the door.

Proteus walks back to the center of the room. He cries, not only at his outburst, but out of fear that he failed his mother.

In hours, he was lying on the floor, waiting for the fate that was going to befall on him. He can hear the hoofsteps coming to the door, he stands up, proud, uncompromising, the door opens…

Princess Luna walks in. His eyes widen.

“Princess!” he says, bowing down.

“Not a day has passed since you got here, and already you stand before me in chains. A fine start, indeed.” she jests. “Please, stand.”

Proteus stands back up.

“I…apologize for my behavior, Princess. The Captain spoke ill of my mother.”

“I know. I was watching the training from my tower. I say, though what he said was less than…pleasing to the ears, I would have gone another way, other than humiliate him and his squad of trained guards.”

“That wasn’t my intention, your majesty. I was just so mad…”

“I don’t blame you. Stone Shields methods can be…questionable.”

“If he wants me gone, then I guess…”

“On the contrary, Private. Despite breaking his muzzle, he is adamant about still training you.”

“What?!” Proteus is surprised at the news. “But…I attacked him! I knocked out his men!”

“Believe me, I was shocked just as much as you are now.” She can see Proteus smiling. “There are a few rules to be put into place however.” Proteus stops smiling. “You cannot ever hit him again, no matter how angry he makes you. If you do it again, you will be dishonorably discharged, and thrown out of Canterlot by force. You understand?”

“Yes, I understand.” Proteus nods.

“Good. In the meantime, you stay here for the night…just to make it seem like you’re getting some kind of punishment. You’ll be released tomorrow night, where you will resume your training. In the meantime, I’ll have a little talk with Stone Shield about your name.”

As she turns to walk away…

“Princess!” Proteus calls to her. She looks back at him. “It’s good to see you again.”

“You too, Proteus.” she smiles, “And please…call me Luna.”

Chapter 2: Basic Training. Basic Duties

True to Princess Luna’s word, Proteus was released by a reluctant Guard the next night. Though he was in no way going to miss sleeping on that dank, dirty dungeon floor, wrapped in chains, he did appreciate that it was amazingly quiet. Now, he’s going to be sleeping under Stone Shield’s snoring face for the rest of his career, if the Captain didn’t request a move, that is.

Proteus was led onto the training course, where the other new Recruits, and Stone Shield, now brandishing a bandage over his muzzle, were waiting for him. The already well trained Guards were busy working out in their designated areas. The recruits stared at Proteus and Stone Shield, anticipating what was coming next. Slowly, the Captain walked over and stood right in front of Proteus. The tension could be cut with a knife.

“In my years of being Captain of the Royal Guard…” Stone Shield calmly said, “Nopony has ever had the guts to strike me. A few threats…but never any action.” Proteus doesn’t say a word, allowing him to continue with what he had to say. “If you were any other Recruit, and that was all that you did, I would have you sent home in the suitcase you came in with. However, you took down four of my most highly trained soldiers. It took nearly my entire platoon to bring you down. I have to say…I’m impressed.”

Proteus slowly smirks at Stone Shield’s comment. The Captain turns back to the Recruits, who were leaned in to the conversation.

“Alright, Recruits! Listen up. Last night, the Private…demonstrated his skills at fighting multiple opponents! He had power and speed on his side, but, there was one fatal flaw. Anypony take a guess at what that was?” Silence. “Nothing?” Still nopony speaks up. He looks back at Proteus. “Anger.”

The Recruits mumble amongst themselves, as Stone Shield walks next to Proteus.

“What the Private showed you, is that unchained anger can only lead to your downfall, no matter how strong you are. He was sloppy, uncoordinated, with no clear target in mind.”

Proteus took the flaws in his fight in stride. Stone Shield was absolutely right, and he made no protest about it.

“If you don’t take down your opponent quickly, and effectively, he’s just going to get back up and clock you on the head. When that happens, it’s lights out for good. Isn’t that right, Private?” he says, looking a Proteus with a smile.

“Yeah.” Proteus rubs the back of his head, feeling the bump where the Captain struck him.

“Part of the training requires that I teach you how to control your anger. Because, let’s face it, anger can be an ally in battle, but it can also be your greatest enemy. You must learn to keep it together, and to use it against your opponents effectively. I will teach you to down your opponents with grace, and efficiency, so that you won’t even have to raise a second hoof, or fire another blast of your magic, to bring him down.” he looks back at Proteus, “Get back in line, son.”

Proteus nods, doing what he is told.

“Fillies, welcome to the next few months of your lives.”

Training in the backyard was nothing, compared to training in Canterlot. Here, the courses were longer, tougher, and could cause injury; more than doesn’t inspire one to keep going. Every recruit, even Proteus, received their fair share of bumps and bruises through the various courses. It wasn’t all the same for everypony; the Unicorns has to vault over obstacles, practice shooting their magic at wooden targets, and test their agility through instances of dodging various objects.

The Pegasi were relegated to flying through hoops of different types. Sometimes, the hoops were on fire, to simulate a possible situation of flying through fiery chasms. The one thing that was mostly the same, was combat training. Everypony had to use their hooves at one point or another in a fight, and they were all subjected to fighting either dummy representations of their opponents, to sparring with the castles Minotaur, a being much bigger than any of the recruits. All had their troubles, but most prevailed….after about ten or so tries. Those who kept failing refused to give up, an admirable trait for a Guard.

Proteus struggled just like the rest of them; he didn’t receive special treatment, nor was any better than the Recruits he was training with. He may have been strong, but he was just as inexperienced.

He wrote to his mother every day; talking about his training, the other recruits, and his experiences of staying up all night, as opposed to being out in the daylight. He was proud to be in Canterlot, and Twilight was proud of him. Proteus even managed to make friends with the Guards, and soon, they began to cheer him on, and he would return the favor by cheering them on. They were the definition of a rag-tag group of soldiers.

Though they all started training as imperfect, Stone Shield saw to it that they were going to pass through with flying colors. He was proud of the colts that he trained; even if he would still insult them every chance he got, the colts soon realized that he was only doing it to motivate them further.

One night, four months into training, as the Recruits prepared for another night of rigorous training, Stone Shield came walking in without his armor, looking as serious as he’s ever been.

“Soldiers. Tonight, there will be no training.” Everypony looks at him, confused. “Tonight…” he moves out of the way, revealing a massive table full of barrels of Sweet Apple Acres Special Cider. “There will be DRINKING!”

Everypony cheered in happiness; pleased that whatever bruises they sustained for the past few months can finally have a day to heal. They all got their cups, and spent the next couple of hours drinking, laughing, telling stories. Proteus looked upon his friends, happy that he had finally been accepted into a group. No longer was he looked at with disdain, now, they look at him with admiration and pride.

“Okay, okay!” Stone Shield said, on his eighth cup of cider, already showing signs of drunkenness, “I got one…your first loves!” All the experienced Guards groaned, while the Recruits laughed at their response.

“We heard this one already!” Lieutenant Emerald Blade said.

“The new ones haven’t yet! Leave me alone, or I’ll court marshall you!” he slurred, “Who wants to go first…ah, forget it! I’ll go first!”

“Here we go…”

“It was twenty years ago, and I went into Ponyville for the first time. When I got there, I was hungry, so I decided to go into a bakery. And there I saw her! The most beautiful mare I had ever seen! She had a blue coat, a wonderful mane, that I swear was made of cake frosting…”

“And a big fat RUMP!” Emerald interrupted. Everypony roared in laughter.

“Shaddup!” Stone Shield yelled, “It was a perfect size!”

“Yeah, if you wanted to use it at a pillow…maybe five pillows!” More laughter echoed along the barracks.

“Ah, forget you! Anyway, it turned out the mare was married, and I heard she had a couple fillies that are in college now.”

“Hey! Maybe you can get with one of them, right?!” a sergeant named Brawny Boulder yelled in the back.

Stone Shield got up to beat him up, but the other held him back. It was all in good fun though, nopony was in much danger.

“Alright fine! Anypony else wanna have a go?” Silence. “Anypony? Come on! I’m not the only one here with a first love story!” his eyes turn to Proteus, “Proteus! Surely you have something?”

Everypony turned their heads to Proteus, who laughed it off.

“Nah, not tonight guys. I’m not nearly drunk enough for that.” he says, as he takes a swig of his fifth cup.

“Come on!”

“I’m sure it’s a good one!”

“I can’t, it’s not that funny, anyway!”

“We’ll be the judges of that!”

“There’s got to be somepony that caught your eye!”

Proteus heavily sighed, as he finished the rest of his cup in one sitting, preparing himself for the story he’s about to tell.

“Okay, fine.” The colts chuckled in anticipation. “But, you promise not to…ah, hay with it; you can laugh if you want.” They laugh. Proteus clears his throat, trying to get the bubbles out of his throat, so he can speak clearly. “It happened when I was around eight years old.”

“What? Did you lose your virginity?” one said. The others around him playfully smacked him around for interrupting.

“No.” Proteus answered with a chuckle, “I was on my way home, from visiting one of my mother’s friends, when I saw this mare, a unicorn, couldn’t have been much older than I was, being bullied by some colts.”

“Why didn’t she just use her magic?”

“I thought that too, but I figured she was probably scared or something.”

“What did she look like?”

“She had a dark red coat, very dark, like blood red. Wavy silver hair, and gorgeous green eyes, it was incredible.”

“Sounds hot.” Emerald said.

“She was like eight years old!” Stone Shield said, “And you think I’m the weird one! Sorry Proteus, continue.”

“So anyway, I did what I always did. I stepped in, and told the colts to leave her alone. They were much older than I was, bigger too. I got beat up real bad that day, but somehow, I managed to fight them off; don’t ask how, even I don’t know. All I remember after the fight, was them running away, screaming how their muzzles were broken.”

“That’s Proteus! Always breaking some poor saps muzzle!”

“What about the mare?”

“She watched the whole thing. After it was over, she slowly walked up to me, smiling at me. A real pretty smile, too. She lifted my head up to hers and…she kissed me.”

The colts let out a collective “Woah.”

“And it wasn’t just a peck on the cheek; it was a REAL, full on kiss.”

“Including tongue?”

“Well, maybe not that full on.” The colts chuckled in unison. “But it was the first kiss I ever received.”

“What was her name?” asked Boulder.

“That’s the thing, I never found out. After she kissed me, she ran off. I looked for her for days, asking everypony in town if they’ve seen her. Nopony had even heard of her, like she didn’t exist. Either that, or they did, and they didn’t want to help somepony like me. But…I never forgot about her. In some way, I’ve kept looking for her ever since.”

The colts were silent, not knowing what to say.

“Well, that’s depressing!” Emerald Blade broke the silence, “Let’s keep drinking!”

Everypony, except for Proteus, cheered for that option. They resumed their drunken fun, singing songs about beautiful mares on the ocean seas. Proteus couldn’t bring himself to do such things. The thoughts of that mysterious mare came flooding back to him, and he couldn’t get her out of his head. He got up from his seat, and walked outside.

The stars were especially bright out tonight, and the moon was out in full. Proteus sat down, looking at the night sky, as he did back at home.

“Nice night, isn’t it?” Stone Shield said, taking Proteus by surprise. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.” he sits down next to Proteus; he can see the somber look in the Private’s eyes. “Ya know, I may be a drunken old stallion, but I know a sad look when I see one.”

“Is it that obvious?” Proteus asked, with a smirk.

“Like a one eyed unicorn.” he takes a swig of his drink, held tightly by his wing. “That was a hell of a story you told back there.”

“I never told anypony that story before. Not even my mother.”

“Then how did you explain the beating you took?”

“Oh, I told her about that part. She was so mad at those colts. Their mothers were practically cowering in fear.” Proteus chuckled; remembering the past like it was yesterday. “But, I never told her about the mare.”

“She must have been quite something, if you look the way you do now, just by thinking about her.”

“She never even said a word to me. Not one.”

“You need a drink. Scratch that, you need like ten drinks.”

“No thanks.” Proteus chuckled, “I like to have some sort of consciousness, and I’m currently running on five cups as it is.”

“Ah, you’re no fun.” Stone Shield gives Proteus a slap on the back, “Still, thanks for the story. Now, I know I’m not the only hopeless romantic around here.”

“Thanks for not kicking me out of the Academy. If you did, you would have never found out that you weren’t the only hopeless romantic around here. By the way, how's the muzzle?"

"Just fine." he says, rubbing the place where the bandage used to be. "I'm still finding a way to get you back, though."

"Make sure you let me know ahead of time, okay?"

The two share a laugh. As their laughter subsided, they could hear the sounds of approaching wings, coming from behind them.

They turn to see Princess Luna landing before them. They bow to her.

“At ease, Gentlecolts.” They stand. “I see you two are having a good time, I am glad.”

“Want some cider, your majesty?” Stone Shield asks holding the cup out.

“No…” she chuckles, “Maybe later. For now, I want to speak with the Private.”

“Yes, your highness.” Stone Shield gives Proteus an even harder slap on the back. “She’s all yours, kid.”

The two watch as Stone Shield stumbles back into the barracks. They could hear the cheering of those inside upon his arrival. Both Proteus and Luna snicker at the antics.

“I see you two are getting along quite nicely.”

“Yes, your majesty.”

“I told you that you can call me Luna.”

“Sorry, Luna.”

“Just…don’t mention it to anypony else. Okay?”

“Our little secret?”

“Exactly.” she winks.

Proteus smirks, but isn’t entirely sure whether to take what she said seriously or not.

“You mind taking a walk with me, Private?”

“N-no.” Proteus stutters nervously, “N-not at all.”

The two walk through the Canterlot garden. Its beauty in the day is only amplified at night. It’s calm, serene…romantic. While Luna walked with all the grace a Princess such as her had, Proteus was everything but graceful. Combined with the cider running through his system, and his heart beating miles a second in her presence, Proteus was sweating waterfalls. Luna takes notice quickly.

“Are you okay?” she asks.

“Yeah…no…I’m just a little…drunk.”

“I see. I thought I was making you nervous.”

“Nervous? Me? No, of course not. I don’t get nervous. Why? Who told you?”

“Calm down, Proteus.” she laughs, “This is just a walk, nothing more. Relax.” She liked this side of Proteus. She’s never seen it before. She did her best to hide that she is charmed by him. “Actually, I did want to talk to you about something.”

“What is it?”

“I’m not sure if you have heard about creatures from Mt Tartarus trying to escape their prison.”

“I’ve heard only rumors, but that was weeks ago.”

“Well, since the last attempt, they’ve been upping security exponentially. Being a Princess, it’s my duty to head over there every other week; to make sure that everything is running smoothly.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what does this have to do with me?”

“As you can see, somepony like me can’t be going around the kingdom at night, all alone; vulnerable to attack. So, I’m going to need protection. A personal Guard, if you will.”

“Understandable, but…” Before he could continue, he could see Luna staring at him intently. He figures out quickly what she’s asking. “What? Me?”

“I could think of nopony better. Stone Shield has spoken very highly of you.”

“But…I’ve only been here for a few months! Can’t you get somepony more experienced?”

“I need the more experienced Guards here, at the castle.”

“I…I don’t know. This is all kind of fast, isn’t it?”

“You want to get your chance as a Royal Guard? Here it is. What do you say?”

The decision, despite being a little drunk, was an easy one.

Moments later, Proteus returned to the barracks. The Colts were still having a good time, their cider almost completely gone, and they were all drunk. No doubt, they were in for some pretty nasty hangovers in the morning. Stone Shield noticed the look of shock on Proteus’ face. Everypony looked back at the Private, stopping their jolly tunes.

“What happened?” Stone Shield asked, “Did you make out with the Princess?”

“She…” Proteus replied, “She asked me to be her Royal Guard.”

“And?” They all leaned in to hear his response.

“I said yes. I start tomorrow night.”

Silence. Suddenly…

“YEAH!” Everypony screamed for joy, rushing to Proteus, holding him up to the ceiling. He was caught off guard by this, letting out a loud scream, as he is lifted it. They throw him up and down, chanting his name. He didn’t care that they were all wasted out of their minds. His shock turned into laughter, as they continued chanting…..until they stopped to go off and vomit.

Proteus woke up early next evening, his head was pounding, but not because of the drinks. No, that honor was going to the many soldiers still writhing in their beds, Stone Shield included. Further down in the castle, he visited a talented griffon named Blacksmith. That wasn’t his real name, but he insists on everypony calling him that. Anytime somepony asked him his real name, he would glare at them like he’s going to murder them. Proteus was fitted with typical guard armor. It was of a much stronger metal than what he wore in training, and a heck of a lot shiner too. The Blacksmith excelled at his craft, as the armor was ready within only an hour or so.

“You seem familiar.” the Blacksmith told him, “Have I fitted you before?”

“No.” Proteus told him with a grin, “I just have one of those faces, I guess.”

“Forgive me; I must be getting delirious for my age.” the Blacksmith shook his head, “But, I swear I’ve seen you around.”

“It’s okay.” Proteus assured him, “I get that sometimes.”

Proteus returned to the barracks, as he had about an hour before heading off to see Luna. He looked at himself in the mirror, still in awe that he is now in this position. His dream of becoming a Guard had come true, albeit in a much faster fashion than he ever imagined.

“You look like your father.” Stone Shield, awake, and with a bag of ice on his head, says behind Proteus. “Though, he didn’t have any wings.”

“I just can’t get over the fact that I’m here.” Proteus says, “It’s what I wanted.”

“You scared?”

“No, I’m just fine.” Proteus tries to laugh it off, but he’s not fooling Stone Shield.

“There’s no shame in being scared, but you have to get over it, and fast. You’re a Guard now, and it’s time to act like one.” His serious tone that’s present during training, makes his way to his tone of voice. “The first day is always the most stressful, but you’ll get used to it.”

“Thanks, Captain.”

“You’re welcome…Private.”

Proteus made his way to the outside of Luna’s chambers. This was it, his first official act as a Royal Guard…and it’s knocking on the door.

“Who is it?” Luna asks.

“It’s Proteus.”

“Come inside.”

Proteus slowly opens the door to walk inside. His eyes nearly bug out of his face, when he sees Luna’s chambers. It’s a room beautiful beyond words; his time down below has made him susceptible to being awed by the mere sight of beauty.

Luna emerged from the bathroom, wet, and wearing a bathrobe. Her mane wrapped in a towel. Proteus immediately stood at attention.

“There’s no need for that.” Luna says, “Be yourself.”

Proteus could only raise an eyebrow at her comment. After a few seconds of thinking about it, he loosens up a bit, standing how he would normally stand, as if he were in casual conversation.

“That’s better.” she says, removing the bathrobe and the towel.

He can see her hair was a mess, nothing like it normally would be. Without her royal garb, she was completely naked in front of him. He shouldn’t find this strange, as he lived in a community where most of the ponies he knew wouldn’t wear anything at all, but he does. His eyes slowly scan her body, but quickly look away as she turns back to him.

“Sit down.” she commands, “I need your assistance.”

He sits down right on the floor, as she disappears into her closet. Leaning forward to take a peak, he sees hundreds, maybe thousands of royal garments. The closet alone looks bigger than his room back at home. She emerges, holding up two chest pieces, one being her signature black, the other sparkling silver.

“Which one do you prefer?” she asks, moving the pieces to her neck back and forth.

Was this going to be his duty? Give her fashion advice? He felt he had no business telling a mare what clothes make her look attractive or not. It was awkward enough when his mother, and her friend Rarity, would ask him, when they would make trips to Canterlot. Still, he had to answer her.

“The black one.” he said.

“I thought so too.” she smiled, “Black it is.” She tosses the chest piece back into the closet. He watches her as she sits at the mirror; carefully brushing her mane. The once frizzled mane, is now becoming the beautiful, flowing sight that it always was.

“If you don’t mind me asking.” Proteus began to inquire, “Where are we going?”

“How rude of me, I apologize. We’re just making a trip down to the city. Canterlot gets very lively during the night, and I always like to go down there, and mingle.”

“Going to the city?” he thinks, “Sounds simple enough, but I’ll stay on my guard.”

Within minutes, Luna was all dressed, and ready to go. She stands in front of the Guard, posing for him.

“How do I look?” she asks.

He stares at her in surprise, and awe. In surprise, because she’s posing in front of him like some sort of model, and awe, because she’s as flawless as she has ever been.

“You look…nice.” he eeks out.

“Don’t be modest.” Luna giggles, “My guards must be completely honest with me, no matter the question.”

“Okay.” he says, “You look beautiful.” He blushes at his own statement.

“That’s what I wanted to hear.” she smiles, “Let’s go.”

The two walk into the streets of Canterlot. It has been a while since Proteus has seen the city outside the castle walls, so everything seems very much new to him. Luna was correct; the city is positively bustling during the night. Jazz music can be heard playing at the nearby clubs, the restaurants are filled with fancy looking ponies of different financial calibers, and the bars are producing loud noises of drunken ponies, having a fun time.

“A little different than you imagined, huh Proteus?” Luna looks at him, grinning.

“Very different.” he tells her.

As they walk along the streets, various ponies spot them, galloping to them in absolute giddiness. Proteus stands in front of her, to protect her from anypony that wants to harm her. She calmly nudges him back, letting him know that everything is okay. Still he looked at everypony standing in her presence, prepared to deal with any punks. Though she told him to be himself, he was being anything but.

A few journalist ponies, brandishing camera, quills and paper, get right in front of them.

“Princess Luna! Princess Luna! Who is this stallion with you?” one intrepid Reporter asks.

“He’s my Personal Guard.” Luna proudly states, grabbing Proteus, and bringing him against her coat. His eyes widen, and his cheeks are flushed with red. He’s never been this close to her before. “His name is Proteus, and he is protecting me from any dangers that I may encounter.”

Flashbulbs go off, as Proteus is blinded by the cameras. As they continue to ask away, Luna takes Proteus over to a nearby restaurant. The waiter sees them both, immediately giving them the nicest booth in the place. Proteus can only look around, as he admires the architecture, the band playing soft music, and the gathering crowd of citizens and reporters outside.

“So, how do you like Canterlot?” Luna asks, leaned in closer to Proteus.

“It’s a little…surprising.” he says.

“I’m sorry. I should have told you how ponies get around me.”

“Is it always like this?”

“Every time I come here.” she confirms.

The two order their meals. Everything about the situation he’s in seems both nice, and kind of…odd.

“What’s the matter, Proteus?” she wonders, “Do you like this place?”

“Yeah, it’s great, but…” he pauses, “Is this a date?”

Luna suddenly bursts out laughing, sending Proteus reeling back in surprise. The other ponies in the restaurant look back, but only briefly.

“I appreciate you thinking that…” she says, her laughter dying down, “But, this is just me welcoming you to my personal guard. I do this for everypony.”

“How many guards have you had?”

“Only a couple, including your father.”

“Did you bring him here?”

“Of course. It’s a nice place, and the food is delicious.”

Just as she says that, the food arrives. She wasn’t kidding, the food was amazing. Much better than the meals he would get back in the barracks.

As they ate, they talked about what he had been up to since he first met her, telling her how he always wanted to be a guard, and various events in his life leading up to him ending up in Canterlot. She listened intently at his stories, laughing at the appropriate times, and feeling sympathy for him when he got to a less than pleasant area of his tale. He told her how rigorous the training was, and how he had a tough time at first, but eventually fell into it. She just smiled at him, as he continued to talk. He was talking for so long, that he almost failed to realize that she had barely said a word to him since he started his stories.

“Oh my goodness.” he said, “I must be rambling.”

“No, I like it.” she tells him, “We’ve never really had a chance to talk, so I'm glad you’re like this.”

"But, I've been talking for so long, I never asked you about yourself."

"It's alright, Proteus. You're my Guard now. We'll have plenty of time to get to know each other in due time."

He smiles, a hint of blush adorn his cheeks. After paying, the two exit the restaurant, and head back to the Castle.

He escorts her back to her chambers. He watches her take off her crystal slippers, carefully placing them on her mantle. She then jumps onto her bed, stretching her hooves out in relaxation. Proteus clears his throat.

“I had fun tonight, Luna.” he says, “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome.” she smiles at him.

“Well, good night.” He says, as he heads for the door, ready for a good day's rest.

“Where are you going?” she asks.

“Back to the barracks.”

“No, you’re sleeping here from now on.”

He freezes in place. Sleeping with the Princess? He had to clarify.

“I’m sorry, but...I’m not sleeping in your bed, am I?”

“And what if you are?” she slyly asks.

Before he can respond, she starts to laugh the same way she did at the restaurant. “I’m just kidding!” she laughs, “You have your own chambers in the next room. Don’t worry about your things, I had the staff put them in there, when we were gone.”

Proteus walks to the door she was pointing at, opening it up quickly. The room looks very much like hers, only slightly smaller. His things are on top of his bed, ready for use. He cocks an eyebrow, still in disbelief.

“Oh…okay then.” he tells her, “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

“Wait!” she stops him from leaving. He looks back at her, wondering what her next move it. “I forgot to take off my crown. Can you take it, and put it on the mantle, next to my slippers?”

An odd request. She could do it with her magic. “Maybe she’s just tired.” He thinks to himself. He walks over to her, and uses his wings to carefully take her crown. Slowly, he goes to her mantle, placing it gently on the head of an alicorn pony-quin. Looking back at her, he can see her giving him a friendly smile. A bead of sweat falls down his cheek.

“Good night, Luna.” he says, going to his room. As he closes it, he can see her still looking at him…still smiling.

“Good night, Proteus.”

Chapter 3: An Unexpected Turn

The rest of the week, after his first eventful night as a Royal Guard, Proteus’ duties became more standard. He accompanied Luna to various charity events, inspections around the castle, and trips to Ponyville. He hadn’t written a letter to Twilight, since he got the job, so it was a perfect time to come and see her. He came to her doorstep with Luna late at night, knocking on the door. He wasn’t expecting her to be up, but the door immediately flung open, and Twilight embraced Proteus, like she hasn’t seen him in ages. Well, for most mothers, seeing their child after a few months away from them would constitute as an age.

“I have been worried sick!” Twilight shouted.

“Sorry, Mom. I’ve been a little busy.”

Twilight looks at Princess Luna, before using her magic to levitate a newspaper in front of Proteus, showing him pressed against Luna that night in Canterlot, with a look of shock.

“I’m proud that you became a Royal Guard, but did I really have to find out this way?”

“They could have picked a better picture.” Proteus said, inspecting the cover.

“Proteus!” she gets his attention.

“Okay, okay. It won’t happen again.”

“It better not.” she shakes her head, before going back to hugging him. “I missed you.”

“Me too.”

Twilight looks back at Luna.

“Are you making sure he doesn’t get hurt?”

“You know me, Twilight. I would never hurt your son.”

“Be sure that you don’t.” she gives Proteus a little tap on the armor. “Never underestimate a mother’s wrath.”

“I’d believe her, if I was you.” Proteus grins, “She can get pretty scary sometimes.”

“Only because I want to see you safe.”

Luna chuckles. “You have nothing to worry about, Twilight. I’m taking good care of your son.”

Seeing his Mother again, was the highlight of Proetus’ week, aside from becoming Luna’s personal guard, of course. He truly did miss her; the back of his mind filled with regret that he’s not at home with her. Before leaving, he told her that he would see her whenever he could. After another tearful hug, they exchanged goodbyes, and went off to their respective homes.

The next week, was when things really started to get interesting.

Proteus entered Luna’s chambers, fully armored, ready to go, when he saw the Princess looking out on the balcony. Confused, he walked to her side. He hadn’t seen her look so concerned.

“What is it, Luna?” he asked.

“We’re going to Mt. Tartarus, tonight.” she said, with a slight shake in her step. “I hate that place. So many monsters.”

He had never been to Tartarus before, but he had heard the legends whilst in school. A mountain of seething fire, made from the bowels of hell itself, packed to the brim with all kinds of mythological monster, that are made from the stuff of nightmares. It’s easy to see why Luna would be scared.

“It’s okay, Luna. I’ll protect you.” he says, confidently. “I’m your personal Guard, remember?”

She smiles at him, putting a hoof on his shoulder.

“I know you will.” she says.

The flight to Tartarus was a long one. The distance was well past the Badlands, towards dragon territory. They flew over a pack of Dragons, but they paid no mind to them. As fierce as they looked, even they wouldn’t want to cross paths with the Princess of the night. They flew onwards, until the middle of the night, when they finally reached it…Tartarus.

The mountain looked exactly how Proteus imagined it. Lava burst from the top of it, in a spectacular display. On the outside, he looked upon the mountain like it was nothing, like he had seen it all before. On the inside, however, he was scared out of his wits. He could only imagine how frightened Luna must be.

At the base of the mountain, was the entrance to Tartarus; a large stone door graced the wall, protected by two Royal Unicorn Guards, standing at attention like good soldiers would. They bowed to Luna, as she approached them, informing them of her business there. Proteus watched as the door is lifted up by the Unicorn’s magic. Inside, was something that surprised him; a lobby. From the looks of things, you wouldn’t think that you were inside a maximum security prison. It was nice, like a Doctor’s office nice. This thoroughly confused Proteus.

“Are we looking at prisoners, or are we getting a checkup?” he thought.

Just then, the Warden, old, and heavily armored, emerged from a swinging door.

“Princess Luna.” he said, bowing to her presence, “It’s an honor to see you again.”

“Likewise, Warden.” she turns to Proteus, “This is my personal Guard, Proteus. He will be accompanying me on this inspection.”

“Of course, Princess. Follow me.”

The three of them walked through the swinging doors to reveal the prison on the other side. Now, it was the place that Proteus thought it would be. Fire and brimstone, with hundreds of cells, powered by magic, housing the dangerous creatures in all of Equestrias. Manticores, Hydras, Cerberus’, Chimeras, any terrifying mythological creature one could imagine, are here. Seeing the prison in person was much more frightening than the illustrations in the books he read in school.

Proteus gulped in nervousness, and Luna heard it clearly. She motions him to stay at her side during the inspection, and he heeded her order.

“Stay with me. I don’t want you wandering off.” she whispers to him.

“You don’t have to worry about that, Princess. I don’t think this is a place to dilly dally in.” He whispers back to her.

Every cell has a Guard stationed there, watching the creatures like hawks, making sure that none of them would ever attempt escape from their captives. Everypony looked like they were doing their jobs to the best of their abilities. Luna looked upon the Guards as she passed by, happy at their work, and they would give her a slight nod, indicating that all was safe.

“As you can see, Princess, we have everything under control.” The Warden says.

“It seems like it. I am impressed at the amount of security here.”

“Well, Princess Celestia was adamant about putting a good amount of Guards stationed here, after the last escape attempt.”

“And how long has it been, since the last creature attempted to escape?”

“About three months ago. We have the most security placed on him.”

The three stop at a particular cell, surrounded by five guards. Inside, is a fully grown Manticore. The body of a lion, the tail of a scorpion, the wings of a dragon, complete with sharp claws, that could probably cut through steel; this was one creature nopony would ever want to encounter in the dark.

“Is this the one you speak of?” Luna asked.

“Yes. We try to keep him heavily sedated, so that he wouldn’t threaten any of the Guard’s safety.”

Proteus separates from Luna, to get a closer look at the creature. The Manticore’s eyes slowly open, glancing at Proteus’ curiosity. It growls in anger, before suddenly lunging at him! It hits the magic barrier with massive force, causing the creature to double back, and fall over. Proteus steps back, absolutely terrified.

“Seems to like you a lot.” The Warden chuckles.

“I think ‘like’ is a bit of a misnomer.” Proteus says. He hurriedly goes back to Luna’s side.

Aside from that event, the rest of the tour goes by smoothly, though Proteus was still obviously shaken by his encounter. After saying their goodbyes, and scheduling an appointment for next month, Luna and Proteus take off to the skies.

Luna watches Proteus, the look of shock on his face never leaving.

“Are you okay, Proteus?” she asks him.

“Yeah. I’m fine.” he replies, not much emotion in his voice.

“Come on, let’s take a walk.” she says, heading down to the Everfree Forest.

He follows her descent, until they reach the ground of the forest. His legs are shaking from fright. She holds him close to her, until his shaking begins to subside. He may have looked like a tough colt on the outside, but he was still a teen.

“It’s okay. Don’t be scared.”

“Apologies, Luna. I just…never seen a creature like that before.”

“Don’t worry about it. You’re still young. There are many things in this world you haven’t seen yet.”

“Look at me. I’d said that I would protect you, and now, here I am, cowering like a filly.”

“You’re not cowering. You’ll get used to it. I promise.”

Proteus slowly rubs the side of his face with her coat. It’s oddly relaxing for him.

“You’re really warm.” He said. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

“We did just come out of a fiery prison, you know.” They both chuckle.

The trees in the forest shuffle. They are not alone. The two separate from each other, as they look around to see where the noise is coming from. They hear the sounds of howling, barking, and growling. Proteus has no idea what creatures await them, but Luna is familiar with the sounds.

A large pack of Timberwolves, scary looking creatures with darkened wood as their flesh, circle around the two. The wolves number at around a dozen, more than enough to pose a threat. The wolves lick their chops, awaiting the meal that is sure to come, should Proteus and Luna not do anything to stop them.

A Timberwolf charges at the Princess!

“Look out!” Proteus yells. He gets in front of her, and uses his hind legs to deliver a powerful buck to the Timberwolf, breaking its wooden flesh.

The rest of the pack runs towards Proteus, seeing him as the immediate threat. They tackle him, as a couple of strays go for Luna.

“Proteus!” Luna, yells. She hits one with her magic, and tries to fly up, but the other wolf grabs her wing, shoving her back to the ground. She yells in pain.

Proteus hears her cries, kicking the pack off of him, sustaining a few scratches in the process. He runs to Luna’s aid, knocking back the Timberwolves back into their pack. The wolves fall back into formation.

“Luna, head back to the castle. I’ll hold them off.”

“No! I’ll help you.”

“Help?”

“I might be a Princess, but I’m not completely useless.”

“I didn’t say…”

He had no time to finish his sentence. The wolves rush them both. Luna uses powerful magic blasts to repel some of them, Proteus uses his fighting skills to take on the rest. They make a good team, much to his surprise. A wolf swipes at Proteus, giving him a large cut over his eye. He responds with another powerful kick. After seconds the wolves retreat in fear.

“Yeah! You better run!” Proteus yells. As the adrenaline wears off, he feels the cut above his eye. He looks to Luna, who is well, and mostly uninjured, aside from a slightly unkempt wing. She comes to him.

“Are you okay, Proteus?” she asks him, inspecting the cut.

“I’ll be fine.”

“No, this could get infected. I have some bandages in my quarters. Let’s get out of here before more Timberwolves show up.”

The two fly back.

Proteus sits on her bed, as he hears the sounds of rushing water coming from the bathroom. Luna comes back, holding a wet washcloth with her magic. She dabs at the cut, cleaning it, and ridding the dried blood that was attained during their flight. Proteus winces.

“I’m sorry. I should have never brought us down into the forest.” Luna laments, “I should have known how dangerous it gets at night.”

“You worry too much.” Proteus says, “Besides, you can handle yourself in a fight, that’s for sure.”

“It’s been a long time, since I used my magic for that purpose.”

“Almost looked like you didn’t miss a beat.” He says, causing her to blush. Proteus glances at her wing. The feathers at the tip are ruffled, and there’s a slight hint of blood.

“Your wing…” he points at it.

“It’s just a little disheveled. Nothing serious.”

“But it’s bleeding.’

“Now, you’re worrying too much.” Her horn glows, as a bandage wraps around the tip of her wing neatly. “There. All better, see?” She goes back to putting the finishing touches on the bandages. “There we go. All better. Well…mostly. Keep that on until tomorrow night, it’ll heal in no time.”

“Thank you, Luna.” he tells her softly. “For everything.”

“It’s nothing, really. Just making sure my Guard is happy and healthy.”

They look at each other for what feels like a long time. Proteus is the first to break eye contact, clearing his throat out of nervousness.

“I…should be hitting the hay.” he says, “The sun will be rising soon.” He gets up off her bed, and heads for his door.

“Proteus?” Luna calls to him at the last second. He stops to look at her. “Can you stay for a few more minutes? I have to ask you something.”

“Yeah. Of course.” he said, welcoming another couple of moments with her, “What is it?”

“Do you like being my Guard?”

Proteus stares at her in disbelief. “Yeah, sure! I love it! Better than getting my plot kicked around in training.” he chuckles.

“And, no matter what I ask of you…you will do as I command, and answer truthfully?”

“You told me that I had to be honest with you. So yes, I would.”

Luna pauses with her next question. She lies down on the bed, fiddling with the blanket below her with her hoof.

“I was wondering….do you find me attractive?”

Proteus is frozen. Whatever smile he had on his face, is completely gone, and is replaced with wide eyed horror. He would open his mouth, but no words would exit, he would try to move, but he could not. Luna waited for his answer patiently.

“Is…” he starts to muster the words, “Is this some kind of test?”

She shakes her head slowly, as she smiles at him. “No, Proteus. This is not a test.”

He backs away from her, clumsily. On retrospect, the Manticore wasn’t anywhere near as scary as answering Luna’s question. Still, even so…he had to answer. He stood up straight, gulped, and replied…

“Yes. I find you…very attractive.” he finally says, looking down at the floor in embarrassment.

“And what do you find attractive about me?”

“There’s more to the question?” he thought. “Like…a list?” he asks her. She nods.

“Come closer.” she uses her hoof to guide him over, “I want to hear every word you say.” He walks over to her, slowly. He is close now, very close. “That’s better. Now, tell me.” There’s something different about the way she’s talking to him, and he knows it. The kind, loving Princess that he was conversing with not seconds ago, has been replaced by an enchanting seductress.

“I…” he stutters. He looks into her eyes, as she awaits his answers. “I like your…coat. N-not many know this, but I like mares with…darker coats.” He sees her smile. “I also like…your cutie mark. It’s really…nice.”

“Oh? So you enjoy looking at my flank?” she asks coyly. He looks away from her, his face flushed with red. He begins to stutter again, not even getting any words out. “It’s okay.” she calms him, “I don’t mind. I catch some of the Guards on the grounds looking at me every once in a while.”

He looks back at her; a small chuckle leaves his mouth.

“I like your eyes. I like your voice, and I…” he pauses. She looks at him closely. “I really like…your mane.”

“Do you now? How so?”

“I like how it moves, like…there’s wind everywhere you go. Outside, in here, it doesn’t matter. And…it reminds me when I was younger, and how I would look at the night sky, thinking about how beautiful it was. Thinking…about you.”

“About me?”

“Well…ever since we met…I was thinking about you, quite a bit. Especially at night, when…” he shuts his mouth quick. Luna says nothing. “Wait…that came out wrong. I mean…” he sighs, thinking he went too far with this. “I-I’m sorry. I…really have to go, this is…”

Without warning, Luna grabs his face and brings his lips directly into hers. His eyes widen, not expecting to be kissed by the Princess. Slowly, the kiss becomes something else entirely, as her tongue begins to creep into his mouth, caressing his tongue and palate. He never had a kiss like this before, having her practically invade his mouth, was an experience entirely new to him. As he moves his tongue to hers, he starts to get into the kiss. He becomes hungry for more, and so is she. She holds him, bringing him down on top of her, as their kisses become more and more powerful, more sensual.

Before anything else could happen, Proteus forcefully breaks away from the kiss, a strand of saliva connecting his mouth to hers. He notices, and breaks it apart. He looks at her; he can see the look in her eyes, begging him to continue.

“I…I can’t.” he says, “Good morning.”

She tries to stop him, but he quickly shuts the door, locking it to keep her from coming in.

He couldn’t get any sleep for most of the morning. The kiss swirled in his head as he lied in bed, looking up at the ceiling. Did she love him? Was it just a crush, or a fling even? Either way, he never expected her to feel that way about him. Did this happen to any of the other Guards she had? Did it happen to his father? With all the questions circling his brain, there was one thought that he couldn’t escape from; the fact that he liked it.

The feeling of her lips, the warmth of her tongue, her willingness to let him do whatever he wanted to do, drove him absolutely crazy. He couldn’t lie; he was attracted to her the moment he laid eyes on her in that cemetery. Every time he saw her, even when locked in chains, he could only think about how beautiful she was. She was perfect, in every sense of the word. Now, the moment where she actually wanted him, he backed away, and retreated into his room.

“Coward.” he thought to himself, "You had your chance, and you blew it."

Now, the real question was, how is the next night going to play out?

He managed to get only a little bit of sleep, before being woken up by the sounds of somepony knocking on his door. He didn’t need to bother asking who it was, as the door leads to only Luna’s room.

He opens the door, rubbing his eyes. The moon hasn’t risen yet, but Luna stands in front of him.

“What is it?” he asks her.

“Come with me. I want to show you something. Leave the armor, there’s no need for it tonight.”

He follows her out to the balcony. It has been a while since he had seen a sunset, now that he has been accustomed to waking up at night time, when the sun is already gone. He looks at Luna, whose eyes are closed. Her horn glows intensely, bright enough for Proteus to squint he eyes. He looks out to the valley before him, as he sees an amazing sight. The moon…rising from the corners of the Equestria, and the stars following suit. Both the moon and the stars are shining and magnificent glow, and Proteus can’t help but drop his jaw at the sight of it all.

Luna releases herself from the magic, panting for air, but soon breathes normally.

“Wow.” Proteus says.

“I wanted you to see this for yourself. Do you like it?”

“Are you kidding? That was amazing! You do that every night?”

“Every night.”

He looks back out at the sky, smiling. She could only continue to look at him.

“Come on.” she puts her hoof on his back, “Fly with me.”

“Where?”

“You’ll see.” she says, as she ascends. He follows her up into the stars.

The two fly around the clouds in a playful manner, much different than their usual flights. Luna does loops around him, and he responds back with the same. They fly down to the water, grazing the surface with the hooves. Proteus kicks of bit of water to Luna, who laughs it off, and launches an even bigger splash of water, soaking his mane. The displeased look on his wet face causes her to laugh even more. He rockets after her, chasing her all over the skies. As fast as he can be, she is faster.

She takes off high, and Proteus follows her all the way up. She stops…so does he. They are close to the moon now, so close that Proteus feels like he could touch it. Alas, it’s still far away.

Luna flies to him, circling around him, until finally, she stops right in front of him, close to his face. They both look at one another, smiling as they look into their eyes.

“I haven’t flown like that in years.” he says. Impressed, panting. “You’re just too fast for me.”

“I don’t know. With time, you can be just as good as me.” she says, with an amusing deal of smugness. He responds by rubbing his hoof on her mane, disheveling that one small area. “Hey!” she yells.

“Gotcha!” he chuckles. She playfully punches his shoulders. After the laughing as subsided, she looks intently at him, as he turns his attention towards the moon.

“What do you think?” she asks.

“It’s beautiful. I’ve never been so close to the moon before.” he responds. Luna moves her forelegs to his shoulders. He looks back at her.

“Listen…I’m sorry for what I did last night. I didn’t mean to scare you away.”

“I’ll admit, I was surprised. You didn’t scare me, I just…didn’t know you felt that way.”

“I do. The truth is…I like you, Proteus.” she moves a hoof to his chest, softly grazing his fur. “I really like you.”

“What do you like about me?” he asks, egging her on. She knows his game.

“I like your spirit, your sense of humor, your eyes…I like everything about you.” she says in a sultry tone, “Do you like me?”

“Of course I do. It’s just…”

“Just what?”

“Isn’t it…you know…illegal for someone like me to be…?”

Luna chuckles at him. “My Sister may seem prim and proper to you, but she has her indulgences with the day Guards, every chance she gets. Who’s to say I can’t have the same?” she leans in to kiss him.

“Oh.” he leans back away from her.

“What’s the matter?”

“I thought you wanted to be…serious.”

“Do you want to be serious?”

He pauses. “Yes.”

“Then, we can be serious.” she lightly kisses his lips. “I only have one more question for you.”

“What is it?” he asks, as he returns her kisses.

“Do you…want me?”

“…Yes.”

“Then…what are you waiting for?”

Proteus, not wasting any more time, brings his body close to her, as they kiss under the moonlight. His hooves traveling around her body, feeling every perfect curve, before grabbing on to her flank, causing her to wrap her back legs around his waist. Their breathing becomes heavier, as their kisses become more intense.

“Wait…wait…” she says, in between kisses, “Not here.”

Proteus stops, looking down to see the ground far away from them.

“Oh, right. I forgot about that.” he laughs.

They fly back to Luna’s room. Upon landing, they resume kissing one another, slowly walking back to her bed, anticipating the event to come. Once they lay on the bed, was an entirely different story.

This was the first time Proteus had made love. He thought his first time would be slow, gentle, but what ultimately happened was not either one of those in the slightest. Luna wanted this, and he had the feeling that she had been waiting for this moment for a long time. The way she behaved, was something he had never seen before. Like the way she spoke to him the night before, her personality on this night was completely different from her normal behavior. Tonight, she was all too eager to make him happy in every possible way.

However, despite not being at all what he imagined, he…liked what was happening, to say the very least. He followed her change in personality, giving in to his desire for her; much to her delight. As much as he enjoyed it, she enjoyed it even more. The act left them in a never-ending state of absolute bliss.

When it was all over, Proteus laid on top of her, exhausted, panting for air. What he just experienced will be something he will never forget. Luna caresses his cheek, delivering soft, gentle kisses on his lips. She rubs her nose with his playfully, snapping him out of his delirium, and into a state of amusement, chuckling at her actions. She smiles, caressing his shaking back.

"You're trembling." she says.

"I'll be alright." he tells her, "I just..." He continues to breath heavily. "Luna...there's something....I want...to tell you.'

"What is it, Proteus?"

“I…I love you.” he says, “I love you, Luna.”

He collapses to her side. Within moments, he is out. She turns to him, watching him sleep. Luna holds him tightly to her body, feeling his chest going in and out. She smiles.

“I love you too….Strong Heart.”

Chapter 4: Betrayals & Revelations

The sun is going down, and it’s almost time for the moon to rise. Princess Celestia walks through the halls of Canterlot Castle, on her way to her sister’s chambers. This was one of her favorite things to do during her rule, as it is the only time she can see her sister at all. However, Celestia has been worried about the Princess of The Night lately. Not because of any health related issues, but the fact of her recruiting Proteus to be her personal guard. Celestia was suspicious to see the young colt become Luna’s aid, as the nights went on, she became more and more wary of what Luna’s true intentions were. She knew that her sister was attached to Strong Heart, and was affected the most when he died; it almost seemed like she only wanted him, because she saw a little of his father within Proteus. Maybe she felt she was being worried over nothing, but even so, it couldn’t be helped.

She knocks on Luna’s door. Normally, she would hear her sister call for her, allowing her to enter. Instead, she hears the sound of hooves trotting rapidly on the floor.

“Just a minute.” Luna says, muffled from behind the door. After moments, the door opens, and Celestia is surprised to see Luna wrapped in a robe, with her hair still frazzled. “Celestia? It’s early.”

“Actually, I’m right on time. Did you have a rough morning’s rest?”

“You could say that.”

“Where is Proteus? Usually, he’s up around this time.”

“He’s...getting ready.”

Knowing her for this long, Celestia can tell when her Sister is lying, and right now, she’s lying big time.

“Luna…what’s going on?”

“Nothing. Nothing at all.”

Celestia listens close inside her Sister’s room. She cannot hear the sounds of Proteus putting on his armor, or walking around, Instead, she can hear movement in Luna’s bed. She gives Luna a look, letting her know that whatever secret she has is about to be uncovered, and brushes past her, into the room. Looking at Luna’s bed, she sees Proteus, lying in bed, fast asleep, moving to get a more comfortable position. Celestia’s suspicions were correct.

“Sister…” Luna says, “Let me explain…”

Celestia walks past Luna, out the door. She doesn’t walk away, just stands in the hall, waiting for her sister to follow. She does.

“What are you doing?”

“Close the door, Luna. Let him sleep.” she orders. Luna closes the door. “I should have seen this coming. I should have known you were going to do this.”

“Celestia, please…”

“Is this the reason why you made him your Guard? Why you pressured me into letting him into the Academy? So that you can treat him like you did Strong Heart”

“Just listen to me…”

“Did you do it? Did you mate with him?”

Luna doesn’t say it; she can only nod.

“Don’t be mad, sister…”

“Mad? I’m not mad, Luna. But I expected better from you. Does he know about you and his father?”

“Do you?”

“I’ve known you for a long time, sister. I can figure things out just by looking at you. Now, answer the question.”

“He knows that he used to be my guard.”

“Anything else?”

“No, and I plan to keep it that way.”

“He’s going to find out sooner or later, dear Sister. One way, or another.”

“Don’t tell him. Please!”

“I won’t tell him. But I hope it’ll be you that will.”

Celestia begins to walk away from Luna, but she turns back.

“Do you love him?” she asks. Luna is silent. She doesn’t say anything, or do anything. Celestia knows the answer. “I thought so.”

She leaves Luna in the hall, alone with her thoughts.

Luna walks back into her chambers, gently walking back to her bed, where Proetus still sleeps softly. He doesn’t snore, like most colts do, instead, he breathes like he would when awake. Luna caresses his cheek, and then his forehead, seeing the scratch he received the night before has fully vanished. Proteus lets out a slight groan, as he finally awakes, seeing Luna laying before him, with a hoof on him.

“Good evening.” he practically whispers to her, “How did you sleep?”

“Better than the day before.” she tells him.

“I’m glad I could help.” he chuckles, “So, what happens now?”

“Now, you watch me raise the moon. After that, we can do anything we want….anything.” She sees the sly look on Proteus’ face, as he guides his hoof down her waist, to her flank. It’s not hard to guess what he is thinking, but she pushes his hoof away. “Well, anything Guard related.”

“Okay.” he says, giving her his best pouty face.

“But…maybe as morning approaches…THEN we can do the thing you want to do.” she guides her hoof to his flank. He laughs at her touch.

The two stand on the balcony, as Proteus once again watches Luna raise the moon, and brightens the stars. It’s the start of a new night, and now, they are together.

Proteus was happy, and in love with Princess Luna. She was perfect, and he would periodically bite himself to make sure he wasn’t just having the best dream ever. He couldn’t imagine how lucky he felt, having her as his marefriend, and for the next couple of months, they were some of the happiest times he’s ever had.

Being her personal Guard, they were inseparable. They went everywhere together, and did everything together. They did their duties during the night, and made love as the sun rose from the sky. They still made their trips to Tartarus, and with each passing visit, Proteus became braver and braver, to the point where the creatures inside the prison no longer frightened him. He would look at each and every one of them with the same stone faced bravery that is required of all the Guards in Canterlot.

As for Princess Luna, she cared dearly for Proteus. She enjoyed his company, and was more than happy to please him whenever he wanted. He was gentle with her, and during their throes of passion, he would only be rough with her when she commanded. He always left her in a great deal of satisfaction. But…deep down, she wanted more…she wanted the stallion that Proteus isn’t.

She wanted Strong Heart.

Not many ponies, if any at all, are aware of the story between Luna and Strong Heart. He joined the academy the same time as the colt that would become his enemy, Shining Armor. Like his son, Strong Heart was a capable fighter, with unparalleled strength, but he was also reckless and more than a little irresponsible. When the Captain at the time was sick of Strong Heart’s behavior, he considered kicking him out, but Celestia saw potential in the colt. After some counseling, he decided to refine his attitude, and soon became a fantastic student.

In the time that followed, Strong Heart rose up, from being a private, to a corporal within a few years of joining the academy. During his stay, he felt an attachment to the mare who would be the mother of his child, Twilight Sparkle. Shining Armor never knew about the Corporal's love for his sister, and always thought he was just close friends with her. It was when Strong Heart received his first scar, that he became the emotionally distant Guard that everypony would come to know. One became many, and though he still loved Twilight, he backed away, and never saw her for the next five years.

One day, he gets word that Princess Luna, had returned from her banishment that lasted 1000 years on the moon. When she first arrived at the castle, she was small, appearing to him no bigger than the average mare, with a light blue sparkling mane. As the months went by, her age began to catch up with her. Before his eyes, she ceased to be a filly, but a tall, beautiful mare, who stopped his heart, every time she entered the room.

After a few months of being held inside the Castle, Princess Celestia assigned Strong Heart to be her personal Guard. Their first meeting went as well as expected, with him being nervous around her, and the way she talked at the time, using the Royal Canterlot dialect, took a while to get used to. Still, he did his job well, and Luna took a shine to him, finding his personality charming, and decided to become close friends with him. Rumors circulated the grounds that they were officially together, but they would deny it, saying that their relationship was strictly professional.

It was only after he saved her life from a Cerberus attack, which left him hospitalized for weeks, that Luna began to have romantic feelings for him. When seeing him at the hospital he told her that he also felt something for her. When he got better, they started to date, and soon, they consummated their love for one another in a night of passion. It was here, that she made a mistake, which she regretted ever since. Instead of telling him that she loved him, she told him that what happened between them was a fling, and nothing more.

This crushed Strong Heart, to the point where he no longer talked to her the same way he normally would. Instead, he treated her like she was only a job. Months later, he was let go from being her personal Guard, and back to basic duties. She talked to him later on, and while she wanted to tell him that she didn’t mean what she said, she could see that the love she saw in his eyes was completely gone. Instead, she chose to keep the love she had for him a secret, and asked him to just be her friend. He agreed to do so, and since then, up until his death, he was her best friend, and he never knew that she truly did love him.

Now, his son stands before her, with the same love in his eyes that his father once had for her. Though she knew what she was doing was wrong, she saw Proteus as a second chance to make up for her mistakes.

Little does she know, she’s making a lot of new ones.

In the month of November, fell Proteus’ birthday. Hitting the age of nineteen years old, Twilight chose to throw a party over at her house. Though initially, Proteus wanted to spend his birthday alone with Luna, he couldn’t pass up a chance to catch up with his old friends from Ponyville, namely, Twilight’s friends.

Everypony arrived at the house in the afternoon, except for Princess Luna, who told Proteus she would meet him in the evening. They were all there; Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash took the time out of their days to wish him a happy birthday.

The party was fantastic; Pinkie Pie, the Queen of the party animals, set up a ton of games for everypony to play, from pin the tail on the pony, to bobbing for apples, everypony was having a good time. Though some would think of this kind of party, especially one for a pony who is only a couple more years away from being considered a stallion, is for little fillies, nopony cared, they were having too much fun. Proteus was showered by gifts, and he adored every single one of them. Seeing his true friends once again, was a joy for him, and they all gathered together for a group photo as the sun began to go down.

As evening fell, the guests left, leaving Proteus, Twilight, and Spike alone to clean up the mess that they made.

“Well…” Twilight said, “Time to clean up.” she picks up a broom, and a dustpan to scoop up some trash. Proteus and Spike were all too happy to help out.

“Thank you for the party, Mom. It was nice to see everypony.”

“It was my pleasure. After all, they hadn’t seen you for months. When I told them I wanted to hold the party here, they couldn’t wait to see you again.”

“Yeah, they wouldn’t stop talking about you, since you left.” Spike said, annoyed.

“Come on, Spike. You missed me too.”

Spike grumbles something incoherent. Proteus leans in closer to hear.

“Hmmm, yeah. I guess so.” he admits.

Proteus smiles, as he throws away some garbage. Suddenly, he hears the clang of the broom and dustpan being dropped to the floor, as Twilight has a coughing fit. He rushes to her side.

“Mom! Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Just a bit of dust got into my throat. I just need some water.”

Proteus watched her go to the kitchen, getting a cup of water. Looking closely, he sees her put a small pill in the cup, before drinking it all down in one gulp.

“What was that?” he asked.

She looks back down at the cup, knowing that she wasn’t sneaky enough to hide the pill from him.

“It’s just some…cough medicine. That’s all.”

“Mom…” he gives her a stern look. “I know when you’re lying, remember?”

She can’t hide it; not from him.

“Okay, okay. I’ve been…a bit sick, that’s all.”

“That’s all? What is it?”

“It’s nothing. Just a bit of a cold. Doctor said it’s common with fall weather.”

“It can’t be nothing if you tried to hide it from me.”

“I just didn’t want to worry you on your birthday, that’s all.” she sees Proteus still giving her a suspicious look. “Don’t worry. I’m alright.”

There’s no time to continue, as they hear somepony knocking at the door.

“Who could that be?” Twilight wondered.

“It’s probably Luna.”

Proteus answers the door. His guess was right, it was Luna. She stands on the porch, holding up a big box with her magic.

“Happy Birthday, Proteus!”

His smile upon seeing her grows a mile long. He stands out of the way, letting her inside.

“I’m sorry I’m so late. It looks like I missed the whole party.”

“No worries, Princess.” Twilight says, “We understand that you have to sleep in the day. May I get you some cake?”

“I’ll get it.” Proteus says, “Sit down and rest.” He tells her. As he rushes to the kitchen, Twilight and Luna look back at one another.

“Don’t mind him.” says Twilight, “I told him I was a little sick, now he’s all worried.” She glances at the present, before looking back to her. “So, how has everything been going?”

“It’s been great.” Luna says, “Proteus has made a fine Guard.”

Twilight smiles and nods, as Proteus returns, giving Luna a slice of cake.

“So, Proteus. What’s it like sleeping with the Princess?”

Proteus nearly trips, when Twilight asks him that. Luna keeps her composure surprisingly well.

“Mom!” he says.

“You sleep in the next room from her, don’t you? All personal guards do.” she sees Proteus breathes a sigh of relief. She doesn’t know that he and Luna are together. “Oh, you thought I meant…” she laughs, “No! Wait…are you?”

“No, Mom.” Proteus chuckles, “Just the way you said it, made it sound like we were…”

“Oh my. Apologies, Princess.”

“It’s no problem. Just a simple misunderstanding, right Proteus?”

“Right. To answer your question…it’s great; keeps me from having to walk a mile to her quarters every night.”

“More time to do my duties, and less time waiting for him to get over there.” Luna laughs, “This cake is delicious, Twilight.”

“I didn’t make it. It’s all Pinkie Pie’s doing.” Twilight smiles, “Time for your present, Proteus.” She motions him to Luna’s present.

“That’s a big box.” he says, “You didn’t get me a puppy, did you?”

“Just open it up.” Luna smiles.

Like a filly, Proteus opened up his present with overly excited glee. He didn’t expect Luna to get him a present at all, so this was very much a surprise to time. By the time, the wrapping was shredded, what was under it was a big box. He took the lid off of it, and looked inside. His eyes widened, so did his smile.

Twilight watches his and he reaches inside, and pulls out a shining helmet, not unlike what royal Guards would wear. Luna then took out the rest of the pieces, placing them on Proteus. He looked at his new armor in awe, marveling at its unparalleled craftsmanship.

“What do you think?” Luna asked.

“I love it!” he says, “What do you think, Mom?”

Twilight nearly gasped at the sight of it. This was no ordinary armor. Not only was it finely crafted, given to only the most loyal Guards, but the style, the symbols…they were familiar to Twilight. She had seen this armor before, about twenty years ago.

This armor…belonged to Strong Heart.

“Mom? Are you okay?” he asks.

“Y-yeah. I’m fine.” she shakes herself from the shock, “It looks wonderful!”

“What do you think, Spike?”

Spike leans in at the armor, seeing his reflection inside of it.

“Ooooohhhh….” he says, “Looks awesome. Not a scratch on it.”

“I wonder how it looks at night. Come on, Spike.” Proteus says.

Spike follows Proteus to the backyard, where they check to see how the armor looks when reflected on the moonlight. As they talk amongst each other, Twilight looks back to Luna, who turns to her, confused.

“What is it, Twilight?” she asks. Twilight doesn’t look pleased. “Don’t you like the armor?”

“I may be many things, Luna, but an idiot isn’t one of them. Egghead maybe, but not an idiot.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You don’t expect me to believe you had that armor specially made for him, did you? I’ve seen that armor before. It belonged to Strong Heart.”

“How can it? The armor is made for a Pegasus, not a Unicorn.”

“Don’t think I can’t tell the difference between personally made armor, and modified. I can tell you had it changed. I read a lot about these things, don’t forget.”

Luna can’t hide the truth for much longer. There was no fooling Twilight. She is caught.

“I noted the look on his face when I asked about him sleeping with you. Are you sleeping with my son?”

“Twilight, I…”

“Answer the question!” she demands.

Luna nods in response. Twilight is about to raise a ruckus, but she gets into another coughing fit. She rushes back to her cup of water, drinking what is left of it.

“How…*cough*…dare you?” she seethes with anger, “You’re sleeping with my child, so you can make up for your past failures, aren’t you?” Luna doesn’t answer her, but Twilight can see it. “Now that’s not enough?! You…*cough*…have to make my son look like his father, too; like some kind of sick fantasy?!”

She coughs uncontrollably. Proteus and Spike rush into the room, hearing the coughing. He goes to his mother’s side.

“Mom! What’s the matter?”

Her coughing subsides. She glares at Luna, who is pleading with her eyes for her not to tell Proteus. Against everything, she doesn’t say a word about it.

“Nothing, sweetie. I just need some more water.”

Proteus takes her glass to the kitchen to get more water.

“Whatever you’re doing with him…” she whispers to Luna, “You stop it…or I will.”

Proteus returns with the glass. She drinks it up as he and Spike lead her to bed. After laying her down, they say their goodbyes, with him wishing her well, and telling Spike to keep close watch on her. He could always count on the dragon, even if he can be arrogant at times.

Proteus and Luna fly back to the castle.

It took a while for Luna to fall asleep during that morning. The truth begins to eat away at her, like a plague. However, she couldn’t tell Proteus, how could she? How does one tell somepony that she’s only with him because of his similarities to another? For now, it had to continue to be her little secret.

Afternoon came, and Proteus got up earlier than usual. He put on his armor, and took to the skies. He flew all the way to the cemetery, where he stops at Strong Heart and Chrysalis’ grave.

“Hey, Dad.” he says, “I know I haven’t been around much, I’m sorry about that. Chrysalis, it’s nice to see you too. Hope you’re taking good care of my Father.” he smiles, “It was my Birthday last night; I guess you can call it a ‘birth-night’ instead.” he chuckles, “I got some great presents, and this beautiful armor from Princess Luna. I’m sure you’d love it.” He puts a hoof on the gravestone. “There’s…something else I’d like to tell you. Promise you won’t get mad?” Silence, like he’s expecting an answer. “I’m in love with the Princess. Luna, in case you were wondering. She’s everything to me. I can’t imagine not spending the rest of my life with her. Maybe, I’ll ask her to marry me when I’m older. Who knows?” He’s silent again. “Well, I’d just though you two might want to know that.”

A nearby twig breaks. Proteus turns quickly to see Princess Celestia walking towards him.

“Oh!” she says in surprise, “Good afternoon, Proteus. I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

“Good afternoon, your Majesty. I was just visiting my father and Chrysalis. I hadn’t seen them in a while.”

“Understandable.”

“What are you doing here? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“Not at all. I like to travel around Canterlot. Can't just sit down on the throne all day now, can I?” she chuckles.

“I guess not.” he shares the laugh with her.

“I heard it was your Birthday yesterday. Happy Birthday.”

“Thank you.”

She sees his armor. She is impressed by the make of it, but like Twilight before her, she’s seen it before.

“I see you have a new suit or armor.” she says. Not telling Proteus of its origins. “It’s very nice.”

“Thank you, your highness. Princess Luna gave it to me.”

“She must think very highly of you as her Guard, to give you armor like that.”

“It’s nice to know I’m doing a good job, then.” he smiles. Looking at the sun, he sees it going down. “Sorry, Princess. I have to be heading back. It was nice talking to you.”

“Likewise, Private.” she watches him fly back to the castle. Her look of happiness turns into one of sadness. She heard every word he said to the grave, and she now prays he never finds out the truth of what is truly going on.

Proteus flies back to Luna’s chambers swiftly. He crawls back into bed, keeping his armor on, in a slight act of laziness. Slowly, he wraps his forelegs around behind Luna, embracing her tightly. She mumbles with pleasure, as she starts talking in her sleep.

“Hmmmmmm…I missed you.” she silently says. Proteus smiles at her words. “Ssss…Strong Heart….” His smile quickly disappears. “Don’t leave me ever again…I…love you….” His mouth opens wide, as he allows her to continue. “I love you…Strong Heart…”

He can’t hear any more. He quickly gets off the bed with such force, that Luna wakes up violently from her slumber. She quickly looks around, before seeing Proteus behind her.

“You’re up early.” she says, a smile creeping on her face.

“Strong Heart…” he silently says.

“What?”

“You just called me Strong Heart. I heard it in your sleep. Why did you call me that? Why are you even dreaming about him?”

Luna struggles to answer his question. Only stutters come out of her mouth.

“P-Proteus, I…”

“No!” he shouts, “Tell me right now!” He has learned to control his anger during training, but now, he’s starting to lose control. “Were you in love with him?”

“Why would you even ask tha----?”

“You told me that you loved me, thinking I was him!” he shouts, “Did you love him?!”

She flinches at his anger. There was no more hiding it. She slowly nods.

“Yes…I did.”

Proteus steps back from her; in shock, practically hyperventilating, trying not to burst out in rage.

“Do…you love me?” he asks.

She is silent. “I care about you, a lot.” she replies.

“That’s not what I asked. Do you love me?”

She can barely reply to the question, as tears flow from her eyes.

“N…n…no.” she responds.

He does his best not to scream at her. Instead, he continues to look at her. But she can see it, the anger, the fire in his eyes.

“What is this armor, then? If you don’t love me, why did you get me this armor?”

“It…was your father’s armor…”

Proteus’ eyes go wide. He couldn't believe it. The Princess, the one that not ten minutes ago, he wanted to marry, now stands before him, telling him that she never loved him at all. He can’t control himself now. He rushes to Luna, holding her forcefully by the head. She gasps in terror.

“Is this what this was?! You were using me?! You seduced me, slept with me, pretended to love me…all because you were in love with a GHOST?!” he throws her against the wall, and onto the floor. She whimpers in pain. The colt that was so gentle with her whenever they made love, had become a brute. “How dare you? HOW DARE YOU?!”

He raises a hoof to strike her. She screams in fright, covering herself from his blow. He stops himself instantly. He is frozen now, unable to do what he was about to do. Though he was angry with her, he wasn't going to hit her. Despite feeling betrayed, he would never strike her, and even felt bad for throwing her. He steps away from her, inching closer to the window behind him, tears flowing in his eyes. He looks down at his armor, and the rage comes back. He tears the armor from his body, slamming down to the floor, like it was garbage. He turns his attention back to Luna.

“I loved you…” he said, “I wanted to spend my life with you…”

In an instant, he unfurls his wings, and rockets out the window. She reaches for him, but it’s too late. He’s long gone.

He flies through the skies faster than he’s ever had in his life. Tears pour from him like a fountain, as his crying becomes uncontrollable. It begins to hamper his flying, but he can’t stop now. He doesn’t want anypony chasing him, especially not Luna.

Evening begins to fall, and Proteus is getting tired. He had been flying for a couple hours, and his speed has slowed considerably. Unable to continue, he descends down to the edge of the Everfree Forest, close to the Badlands. It’s a particularly foggy night, one where any pony who doesn’t know the area could easily get lost in. Proteus treads carefully through the fog, praying his next step doesn’t lead to a cliff, or face first into a rock.

The night has finally arrived, and Proteus still hasn’t found a place to rest. The forest echoes with the sounds of Celestia knows what in the distance. Proteus had to keep on his guard, as one moment of incompetence could lead to his downfall.

WOOSH! He hears the sound of somepony, or something dashing through the trees. He looks around. Nothing. As he continues on, the sound becomes louder, but instead of one sound, he hears many. He rapidly looks around the forest, but he sees nothing. The whooshing becomes buzzing, the buzzing of insect like wings. He had never seen one before, but he is all too familiar with them.

It’s the sound of Changelings.

Suddenly an army of Changelings descend forcefully onto the ground below. There are many of them, about forty of them, maybe even more. Their eyes glow with intense emerald green, as they lick their fangs, savoring the meal to come. Proteus looks around at the situation before him. Whatever sadness, or fright he was feeling, has been replaced by annoyance…and anger. He looks up at the sky to see more Changelings hovering above him. Flying is out. He has no choice…but to fight.

“Is this what you want?” he says, “Fine. What are you waiting for? I don’t have all damn night.”

The Changelings hiss at him.

“COME ON!” he shouts, no longer caring for his own safety.

All the Changelings charge at once. All of them.

Proteus uses his training to his full advantage. He is fast, powerful, he uses efficient, deadly strikes against is opponents. Changelings are going down left at right. But though he should be landing killing blows, these creatures are strong. They aren’t dying, but they are hurt. Soon, his anger begins to overwhelm him. In minutes, he becomes sloppy, unfocused, everything Stone Shield said he was during his second day of training. The Changelings have an opening now, many of them. They strike him, biting down into his flesh, sucking the blood from his wounds. He screams in pain, as he kicks them off. But for every two Changelings he kicks off, four more come to continue their work. He is getting weak now, he has no idea how much more pain he can take before blacking out. Is this how his life was going to end? Becoming Changeling food?

Suddenly, a loud, terrifying hiss echoes through the forest, stopping the Changelings from their feast. They back away from Proteus, who falls to the ground, barely able to stand, bleeding from his many wounds.

Slamming onto the ground is another Changeling, but this is no normal Changeling. From what he can see, that is not obscured by shadows, is a dark, feminine figure, with her most prominent and visible feature being her striking, glowing insect-like blue eyes. She looks straight at him, with both sadness, but also recognition.

“Proteus….” she says. Her voice sounds like two voices, both feminine, but in different pitches, going off at once.

“You know my name?” he asks, weakly.

She doesn’t answer him. She turns to the center Changeling, and delivers a powerful strike to his face, causing him to fall, bleeding on the ground.

“What did the words ‘alive and unharmed’ didn’t you understand?!” she demands of the Changeling, putting a hoof on his neck.

“Apologies my Queen! He gave us no choice!”

“All you had to do was keep him from leaving! How hard was that?!”

“Forgive me, my Queen!”

She takes a hoof off of him. She looks back at Proteus.

“I’m sorry, Proteus. They were never meant to hurt you.”

“Who are you?” he asks, “How do you know my name?”

“I know a lot about you, Royal Guard. As for me; I’m the Queen of The Changelings.”

“You can’t be. Queen Chrysalis is dead!”

“She is. There can be more than one Queen, you know.”

“Show yourself.” he says. “SHOW YOURSELF, CHANGELING!” he demands of her, loosing patience fast.

“Now, now. There’s no need to be rude. After all…”

She emerges from the shadows and fog, revealing herself to him. He nearly goes into shock when he sees her. She is no ordinary Changeling. She is a hybrid. Half Pony, half Changeling. She has a black coat, as opposed to the hard exoskeleton; holes in her hooves, but not in her wings, and a gorgeous blue mane. She grins at him, exposing her fangs.

“…we’re practically family.”

This is her. This is Chrysalis’ daughter.

Chapter 5: The Queen of The Changelings

In the story that his mother told him, the hybrid child of Strong Heart and Chrysalis died, when Shining Armor brutally attacked the Queen, while the child was still in her womb. The Doctors said they couldn’t do anything to save her. She should be in the grave, buried alongside her parents. But, here she is, standing in front of Proteus, alive and well. Twilight told him what Chrysalis would call the child if it was a girl, but he assumes that she had adopted a name for herself by now. However, her name is the last thing running around through his mind.

“I thought…you were…”

“Dead?” she finishes his question. She pauses, thinking of what to say next. “I was.”

“Then…how are you alive?”

She sighs. This story is going to take a while.

“I remember…darkness…silence…pain. Then suddenly…nothing. I was taken from this world, before I could even see it. But then, I heard something. The voice of a stallion…talking about me. Saying how perfect I was. It was my…our father, holding me in his foreleg. It was as if…his love for me…brought me back. But, I was weak. I couldn’t move. I could barely even breathe. That love was beginning to heal me, but the process was slow. By rights, I was still very much dead. When I came to, the first thing I saw were the bodies of my parents. I was buried in the same grave as they. I yelled, and I screamed, but nopony could hear me. I wanted to be anywhere but there, but then…poof. I was transported here, where you lay now. Before the Timberwolves could get me…I was saved.”

She looks at her army. She walks towards them, lovingly, with a great deal of affection.

“They took me in. They saw who I was; I was a Changeling, just like them. They raised me, fed me, loved me. Everpony thinks they are heartless creatures, but they are not.” she strokes the chin of one, smiling. The Changeling is happy from her touch. “When I came of age, they made me their Queen. And though they can be a little…disobedient...” she forcefully removes her hoof from the Changeling’s chin, giving him a scratch. “…they are my family.” she kisses the Changeling she scratches on his forehead. “And I love them dearly.”

She looks back at Proteus. She’s confused at the look that he is giving her. She had no idea what she was expecting, after telling that story, but the way he is looking at her is not of sadness or pity, but…nothing. She approaches him, looking closely into his eyes, but she cannot find a single emotion in them.

“Do you pity me?” she asks, trying to provoke a response.

“No…” he says, “I envy you.” The Queen raises an eyebrow. “Even though it was only for seconds, you knew our father longer than I.”

She is surprised by his response. A smirk forms at the corner of her mouth. Proteus winces, the wounds are starting to get to him.

“I...I don’t feel well.” he says. He grunts and grimaces, trying to stand, but he can’t. The battle has left him weary.

The Queen reaches out for him, placing a hoof on his back.

“Lay still…” she says, “We’ll help.”

“Why?” he asks her.

She doesn’t answer the question. She can only smile. Slowly, she leans down to him, wrapping her forelegs around him, forming an embrace. He looks at her, bewildered at the gentleness of her actions. She strokes the back of his mane; it’s an odd feeling, but it’s also unquestionably relaxing.

“It’s okay…” she says softly, “I’ll take care of you.”

This unexpected maternal attitude is confusing for Proteus. His eyes are getting heavy at each stroke of his mane. Her soothing voice and tender touch is too much for his body. Is it a spell? Some kind of magic? He had no time to question such things, as he closes his eyes, and falls to sleep. He becomes limp in a matter of moments. She sets his unconscious body down, looking upon it with a smile. She turns to her army.

“Pick him up.” she commands. They gather around Proteus, picking up his body with care, as they follow the Queen to her destination.

The Changelings carry him to a cave within the Badlands of Equestria. Inside, the place glows with fluorescent green light, seeping with a slimy secretion from the walls. This is where they live. At the far end, is a large shack, built hastily using wood from various establishments all across the land. Most likely, they were stolen, as Changelings can be a clever bunch; disguising themselves to get what they want.

Their Queen leads them inside, where there is a large bed laying against the wall. Gently, at her command, they put Proteus down. Upon hitting the comfortable mattress, Proteus’ pain wakes him up from his sleep.

“Put him on his stomach.” the Queen says. The Changelings do so, laying him on the one area that doesn’t have a cut or bite mark on it. Proteus’ look of pain fades away, but isn’t completely gone. Groggily, he opens his eyes, not all the way, but just enough to see his surroundings.

“Where am I?” he asks the Queen.

“You’re in my home. In a cave, inside the Badlands.”

“It looks nice, for a cave.”

“You’re actually in a shack inside the cave.” she chuckles. She looks at the Changelings still in the room. “Go get the medicine.” They nod, and file out.

Proteus tries to move, but she stops him.

“No, don’t move. You’re hurt pretty bad.”

He doesn’t relent, and does what she says. He feels the bed, impressed with its coziness.

“Where did you get this?”

“We….borrowed it.”

“You mean you stole it.” he lightly smirks, “It’s okay. I won’t hold it against you.”

The Changelings return with a bowl of what appears to be a green, goo-like substance, glowing with magical qualities. The Queen dips her hoof in the goop, until it is fully drenched in the stuff.

“This may sting a bit.” she warns. Soon after, she puts the first batch on one of his wounds. He flinches, gritting his teeth. She goes from wound to wound, putting the stuff onto every cut, every forming bruise. The pain is almost unbearable for Proteus.

“What is that?” he asks between finches.

“It’s a secretion, which comes from the walls of the cave. It can heal a deep cut in a matter of hours. You’re wounds aren’t that bad, so it won’t leave any scars, but the process will be painful.”

With each subsequent application of the ointment, Proteus no longer feels much pain. Either he’s become used to it, or the goop is beginning its healing process already. He starts to return to his relaxed state.

“Thank you.” he says with a weak smile, “I’m sorry…I was so…rude…” His eyes become heavy once again.

“I’m sorry my army attacked you.” she puts a hoof on his cheek, caressing it. “Rest now. You’ll feel better in the morning.”

“I…feel like….I know you….” he says, “Have…we met…bef…?” He doesn’t stay conscious for much longer, as his eyes completely shut, and he is sleeping calmly...peacefully. She smiles, as she watches him rest. After a few minutes, she goes outside.

Her army waits for her to emerge from the shack. Immediately, her look of kindness switches to a look of anger, searching the crowd for one specific Changeling; namely, the one she struck before. She finds him, and he looks at her, afraid of what she might do. She walks towards him in determined rage. He bows to her, in hopes of appealing to her better nature.

“Your Majesty! Forgive me!”

A blue glow surrounds him, as he is picked up by her magic. The glow forms into a ball; a ball that is shrinking slowly, threatening to crush him.

“I should kill you for disobeying my direct order!” she snarls.

“I’m sorry!” he screams, “There was nothing we could have done!”

“Your arrogance brought danger to my army, and you nearly killed him! Look at them!” She looks at her Changelings; some of them are badly beaten from the fight. “Most of them have not been properly trained in combat, yet you sought to look for a fight!”

“He wanted to fight us! He would have attacked, if we did nothing!”

“You don’t know that…”

“My Queen! Please! It won’t happen again! I promise!”

In an instant, she lets him free of her magical grip. He falls to the floor, into a slime puddle. She walks towards him, leaning down to face him up close.

“You disobey me again, that ball will close, and you will be a part of the puddle you’re laying in.” she says quietly. “Understand?” He nods rapidly. “Good. Get back on my good side, by helping the wounded.”

The Minion gets up and gathers the wounded to a secluded area of the cave. Another Changeling walks to the Queen.

“My Queen…” he says.

“What is it?” she turns to him.

“If you don’t mind me asking…why is the stallion so important?”

“I do mind you asking.” she says sternly, “What he is to me is none of your concern. Tell the others that he is not meant to be harmed in anyway, from hence forward.”

“Yes, your majesty. I will let them know.”

“Good. Tell them to all get some rest. I will retire now.”

The Changeling nods, as he goes to the others. The Queen goes back inside the shack, for some much needed rest.

Later that night, in Ponyville, two Royal Guards are at Twilight’s house, telling her and Spike some distressing news.

“Defected?” she says in shock, “Why?”

“I don’t know, Ma’am.” the Guard said, “Princess Luna only gave us minor details. He injured her, and he took off.”

“But, that seems so unlike him. Princess Luna was his…” she hesitates. She doesn’t think the Guards are aware of his affair. “…friend. He would never hurt his friends!”

“I know how hard this must be.” the Guard tries to sound sincere, but his gruff tone of voice clashes with his words. “If either of you see him, let us know. I’ll have a Guard stationed at your house, to make sure you’re safe.”

“That won’t be necessary. Spike will protect me.” she tells them.

“I’m sorry. Princess’ orders.”

Twilight couldn’t argue much more. It’s late, she’s tired, and now…she is scared of what has become of her son. She closes the door. The moment it is shut, she nearly collapses from her shaking legs.

“Twilight!” Spike says, as he catches her fall. He picks her up, cradling her in his scaly arms. “Are you all right?”

“No, Spike, I’m not. He wouldn’t just do that without good reason…” she says, “She must have done something to make him act like that.”

“What do you want to do?”

“I want to go to Luna, and demand an explanation.” she says, “Come on, we’re leaving now.”

“Oh no, Twilight.” he says, stroking her mane. “You’re in no condition to find out, tonight. We’ll go tomorrow evening, when it’s not so late. I’ll help you to your bed.”

He carries her upstairs, and places her down onto her bed, pulling the covers up to her shoulders.

“Thank you, Spike.” A tear goes down her cheek, as she turns over to the window. Spike watches her fall to sleep.

“Proteus…” she says quietly, “What have you done?”

It’s morning now. The sun is rising, the dragons nearby the cave roar as they awaken. They take off to the skies for their morning breakfast of whatever wildlife is out there.

Proteus slowly wakes up. He is still lying on his stomach. Something is different, though; he doesn’t feel like he’s in pain. Not even a little bit. He looks at places where wounds would be, but all that remains is dried slime on his fur. Nothing a good shower wouldn't clean off. His pleased as punch attitude is short lived, when he freezes in place to see the Queen, back turned, sleeping right next to him. He tries to be as quiet as possible, attempting to avoid waking her up.

Looking at her, he can finally get a good look at her appearance, as his vision was a bit blurry when he first saw her. She didn’t look much like a common Changeling, save for the wings, and the hooves. Apart from that, she looked almost normal. Her horn isn’t contorted in any way, her physique isn’t unnaturally slender, and she couldn’t have been much taller than he is. With a quick look, she just might be exactly as tall as he is.

His eyes drift back to her wings. Even folded, they look quite lovely, if perhaps frail, compared to his strong, feathered wings. He didn’t know why, but he felt compelled to touch them, if even for a moment. Carefully, he reaches out a hoof, and he gets to his destination. He was right; the wings did feel frail, so he was as gentle as possible, when it came to the wings of the Changeling Queen.

“You like my wings?” she said. He nearly falls out of the bed in surprise. She was awake the entire time. “If you wanted to touch them, you could have asked.”

“Apologies, your Majesty!” he quickly utters.

“There’s no need for apologies. You were curious.” She turns around, facing towards him. “Is this the first time you’ve seen a Changeling?”

“Yes, it is. I’ve only read about them in school.”

“Do I meet your expectations?”

“You’re not what I expected.”

“And what did you expect?”

“I expected something a little…scarier. Not that you’re not scary, it’s just that you’re also very…”

His eyes scan her body. However, whatever thoughts he has, are quickly shaken away by two things; one being Luna, and the other being that the Queen is technically his sister. She knows this too; so why the sly tone in her voice?

“Excuse me.” he says, clearing his throat.

He tries to get up, but she puts a hoof on his chest, bringing him back down. The situation is now making him uncomfortable.

“You still need to rest.” she says, getting up from the bed. “If you need anything, just ask.” She trots along the wooden floor, circling to his side of the bed.

“You didn’t answer my question, last night.” he says, “Why do this? Why are you helping me?”

She pauses, and then turns to him with a smile. “Why not?” she asks. He shakes his head at the cop-out of an answer.

“What if you’re just keeping me alive for some feast?” he asks in a half joking, half serious manner. Suddenly, she rushes to him, kneels down, and puts a hoof on his cheek.

“I would never hurt you!” she says, taking his words one hundred percent seriously. “Never!”

His eyes go wide at her words. She meant every single one of them. Perfectly genuine. What is it about him that’s so special? Sure, they’re practically siblings, but she is treating him like he’s a Prince of some kind. In an instant, as if she caught her odd moment of tenderness, she steps away from him, and goes back to her normal self.

“Enough of this question.” she says, in a tense tone, “I have a question of my own.”

“Go ahead.”

“What are you doing out here?”

His eyes become serious, as he looks down at the floor, breaking eye contact from her. She looks at him confused, but also concerned.

“I know that look.” she says, “I’ve seen it on many stallions before. Is it a mare?” She’s right on the bits. He nods, confirming her suspicions. “Who, if I may ask?”

“Prr…” he hesitates, “Princess Luna.”

“Ah.” she exhales, as if understanding, “The ruler of the night. She must have done something bad to get you into this state.”

“I…I was in love with her. For a few months, I thought she felt the same way. But…I found out that…she wasn’t.”

“Why is that?”

“Because, every time she looked at me, every moment we spent together, every time we…made love…all she could see was…our father.”

The Queen is genuinely surprised by this revelation.

“She used you?” she asked.

“Yeah. I should have seen it coming. I was just too stupid not to see the signs.” He fights any tears looking to break through the ducts in his eyes. “That’s why I was out here. I wanted to get away from her, before I did something I would have regretted.”

“That’s when you found my army.” she says, “They told me you wanted to fight them.”

“I did. I was just so angry, that I wanted to take it out on something. Even so, in some way…I wanted to lose.”

“Lose?” she was shocked, “You…wanted to die?”

He doesn’t answer, choosing instead to be silent. She calmly goes back to him, getting close to him, holding the sides of his head. He looks into her blue eyes, and sees a look of compassion, but also…something else; something that shouldn’t be there to begin with.

“I cannot imagine what you’re going through, right now.” she says softly, “The look in your eyes breaks my heart. I see pain, I see sadness, I see anger.”

As he stares longer into her, his heart rate begins to quicken. He shouldn’t be this nervous, but he is. She gets even closer to his face, to the point where her muzzle grazes his.

“Your lover has betrayed your trust. And now, here you are, with me.” she practically whispers into his ear at this point. “I can make it go away.”

She moves away from his ear, and goes back to staring at him. His mouth opens slightly, as if to invite her in. But, she doesn’t go for it…yet. Instead, she kisses parts of his face. His forehead, his cheeks, even his muzzle. All the while, talking to him in a seductive voice.

“All the pain…all the suffering…everything. I will make you forget, and replace it all…with love. All I ask…is that you’ll have me.”

She goes for it. She drives her mouth into his for a passionate kiss. For him, this is wrong on so many levels, but he cannot stop himself. He cannot decide if she’s using some kind of power to control him, or if there’s some deep seeded darkness inside of him that was begging for this. Her forked, lizard-like tongue slithers into his mouth, dancing around his palate, and wrapping itself around his tongue.

Her kiss wasn’t as forceful as his first kiss with Luna. She practically ripped his head off with that kiss. With the Queen, it was unusually tender. The moment goes on for so long, that Proteus cannot help…but enjoy it.

The kiss completes, neither of them pull themselves away from each other forcefully. They look back at each other, realizing what both of them have just done. The Queen leans in for another round, but the last sane part of Proteus’ mind finally gets him to push himself away from her. He looks away from her, ashamed at what he allowed to happen, while she looks upon him with a great deal of confusion.

“I...appreciate your…affections. But, I’m not looking for that, right now.” he says, after a long pause. “The last thing I want right now is another mare.”

“I don’t believe you, Proteus. I could tell you enjoyed it.”

“I shouldn’t have done it in the first place.” he said, “I shouldn’t have let you do that to me.”

“You think I used my power on you?” she chuckles at his accusation, “If I did, you would have felt it. I did nothing, Proteus.” she quietly says, “I saw your mouth invite me in. Just admit it, you wanted this as much as I.”

He shoots a look at her, and opens his mouth to speak, wanting desperately to prove her wrong. But, no words are coming out. The longer he pauses, the more he admits to her statement. She smiles coyly. Finally, he gets up from the bed, distancing himself from her.

“You shouldn’t have wanted it at all. You’re my sister for Celestia’s sake!”

“Half-sister.” she quickly states.

“It doesn’t matter!” he fires back, “It’s still wrong! What we just did was wrong!”

“We may have the same father, but we do not bleed the same blood.” She suddenly bites into her hoof, causing it to bleed green blood. “See? We are different!”

“Are you insane?!” his eyes widen, “Where’s that stuff?” He looks around the room, until he finds what he is looking for; that bowl of cave slime. He quickly drenches his fore hooves and massages her wound. He looks up at her, and sees her smiling at him.

“I didn’t think you’d care.” she says.

“I just…I don’t like seeing mares hurt; even one as crazy as you.”

“I’m going to take that as a compliment.” She notices that he’s massaging her wound for an awfully long time. “You can stop now.”

He stops, breaking away from her. The silence is uncomfortable. He has to do or say something quick to break it.

“I should get going. Thanks for the help.”

As he turns to walk away, he feels a hoof on his shoulder.

“Is that any way to say goodbye to me? Besides, where do you plan on going?” she asks.

“I don’t know yet.” he responds.

“They’ll be looking for you. You ran away from your duties. I don’t know much about Royal Guards, but I assume that will not be taken lightly by your superiors.” She’s right. “They will look everywhere for you. Your home is probably being watched as we speak. Nowhere is safe…nowhere but here.”

“Here?”

“Nopony would dare search the Badlands of Equestria. The dragons and I have an agreement. They live outside the hive, preventing any intruders for discovering us. Nopony is even aware we still exist. You would be safe here, and no harm would come to you.”

He looks back at her, unsure of her intentions.

“Where would I sleep?”

“With me, of course.” He almost walks out the door then and there, when she quickly states “You don’t prefer the slimy floor, do you?” He sees her point, but he is still noticeably suspicious. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll make you a deal. You follow my orders, and I won’t try anything with you. Your side of the bed will be all yours, and I won’t cross it.”

He considers her offer. “Whatever rules she has, can’t be that bad.” he thinks to himself. “Alright.” he tells her, “But, any funny stuff, and I’m gone. Okay?”

“Deal.” she says, getting closer to him. “I don’t want things to be awkward between us, Proteus. I know you’re still wary, but believe me when I say that I shall respect your wishes. However, since you’re not looking for a lover, can I still be your friend?”

“I never had a Queen as a friend before.” Proteus smirks.

“There’s a first time for everything.” she brushes past him to the door. “Well, I guess if you’re going to stick around, I figure I should give you the tour.”

She leads him outside the shack. He sees the cave in all its glory. The green glow and slime that adorn the walls would be creepy and unnatural to some, but to him, the way it reflects, it’s sort of twistedly beautiful. The Queen brings him down a small flight of rocky steps, to where her hive roams. The cave is vast, and could probably hold all of Canterlot inside of it. The Changeling Swarm gathers the secretions from the wall, making mounds of them, hardening them, so the Queen can use her magic to transform it into a cocoon, which will eventually develop into another member of her army.

Proteus can see many cocoons already hanging from the ceiling, or propped up on the stony ground.

“So, your army multiplies the same way?”

“Of course. Did you think it would be different?”

“Considering you’re half pony, I thought…”

“Oh, goodness no!” she is repulsed by the thought. “All these Changelings coming from here?” she points at her stomach, “I would quit being a queen after the first one!”

Proteus laughs at her comment.

“You know…” he says, “I never got your name.”

The Queen pauses. “My name?” she asks. “It’s Queen.”

“No. I mean your real name.”

“That is my real name. That’s what my army has been calling me all my life. That, or Majesty.”

“But, that’s a title. Not a name.”

“If you have a better one, I’ll be glad to hear it.” she continues walking. He follows her.

“I’ll let you know.”

Evening has fallen at Canterlot castle. Princess Luna sits in her chambers; sad and alone with her thoughts. She regrets that the truth had to come out the way that it did, but she wasn’t going to deny that she was never truly in love with Proteus. Sure, he was kind, strong, and gentle, but he wasn’t…HIM. She could and would never love him the same way she was in love with the Stallion that stole her heart all those years ago.

However, when he left, she had to get him back somehow. The Royal Guards, or more importantly, Princess Celestia, wouldn’t have given in to her order if she told them the truth. How she led him on into believing that she was in love with him, and when he found out about her deception, he left in rage. She had to lie to them; and fabricating the truth is something she is good at. She concocted a story about how Proteus attacked her; attempting to force himself upon her, and hit her when she refused. That only in her desperate moment, that she kicked him away, causing him to flee into the night. To make the story seem genuine, she inflicted injury on herself, bruising her body, and blackening her eye.

A Royal Guard knocks on her door.

“What is it?” she asks.

“Twilight Sparkle is here to see you.”

“Let her meet me in the throne room.”

Minutes later, Twilight and Spike, are led into the throne room by two Guards. Where Luna, decked in her royal garb, sits on the throne, awaiting their arrival. Twilight gasps to see the injuries Princess Luna has sustained. Nevertheless, she still bows to her when she arrives at the foot of the throne.

“Twilight Sparkle. It is good to see you again. I only wish it was under better circumstances.”

“As do I, Princess. Where has my son gone off too?”

“Our best guards are spread across Equestria to find him, and take him alive.”

“What will happen when they bring him back?”

“He will be properly punished for his crimes.”

“You’re not going to…execute him, are you?” Twilight can’t bear that thought of that happening. Her heart practically stops, waiting for the answer.

“I can assure you, that will not be the case.”

Twilight breathes a sigh of relief, but something seems off.

“Princess, may I ask what happened?”

Luna pauses. She looks at the Guards behind Twilight and Spike, nodding to them to go. They do as commanded. She waits until they are completely out of the room. Luna steps off her throne, and approaches the two.

“Twilight, I know you doubt my story. And I’m sure they Guards told it to you on the train.”

“They did. And I don’t believe a word of it.”

“You don’t?” Spike turns to Twilight. She looks at him, in disbelief that he would even consider what was told to them the truth.

“I’m sorry, Spike. But there’s something Princess Luna has been withholding from everypony in the castle.” she looks at Luna. “Tell him the truth.”

“Proteus and I…” Luna sighs, “…have been in a…’relationship’ for quite some time.”

“What? And you knew about this, Twilight?”

“I didn’t find out until his birthday, when Luna gave him Strong Heart’s armor.” she sees Spike’s eyes go wide at the admission. “I take it Proteus found out about the origins of his armor, didn’t he?”

“He did.” Luna says, “But, that was after I told him…” She is silent.

“Told him what?”

“That I…didn’t love him.”

Twilight gives Luna a much deserved grimace. Spike on the other hoof, is completely shocked.

“I knew it.” Twilight said, “And your injuries. Are they fake too?”

“No. They’re not. But they weren’t obtained in the way you were told.”

“You did that to yourself?” Spike asks. Luna nods. “Why?”

“Nopony can know the truth. They can never know.”

“Know what? That you used my son? Made him think that you loved him, cared for him?”

“I do care for your son!”

“But you still lied to him! He trusted you, Princess. He was in love with you the day he met you! He would always tell me that he wanted to be a Night Guard because of you! You were everything to him!”

“Be quiet…” Luna is getting angry at Twilight’s words. They are hurting her.

“You manipulated him, used his love for you against him, and made him think that everything he was experiencing with you was real!”

“Silence…” she growls.

“I don’t blame him for leaving; I wouldn’t even blame him if he really did strike you!”

“Twilight!” Spike yells, “That’s enough!”

“I’m not finished, Spike!” she looks back at Luna, “You ruined my son’s life, and now I’m going to tell Princess Celestia about everything you’ve done!”

“SHUT UP!” Luna swiftly strikes Twilight across the face with her hoof, sending her to the floor! Luna goes frozen, in shock at what she just did.

“Twilight!” Spike rushes to Twilight’s side.

Twilight’s eyes slowly open. She groans in pain. “Ah-wha? What just happened? Did I…did I fall?” She gets back up, struggling to stand straight. “I…I think I need to rest.”

“Are you okay, Twilight?”

“Yeah, Spike…I’m just…” she stops, something is pouring out of her nostrils. She touches the leaky substance, and takes a look at it. She’s bleeding, profusely. “That’s funny…it’s never done that…before…”

She falls back down hard on the floor. Suddenly, she goes into convulsions, frothing at the mouth. She wasn’t bleeding from the strike; she was bleeding from her illness.

“TWILIGHT!” Spike puts her on her back, holding on to her, trying desperately to stop her shakes. “Luna! Get the guards!” Luna is still frozen in place. She can’t move. “GUARDS! SOMEPONY HELP!”

Two Guards burst into the throne room, magic at the ready. They see Spike holding on to the convulsing Twilight.

“What happened?” one Guard said.

“I don’t know, she…just started bleeding, and went into shock!”

“We’ll take her to the infirmary! Quickly!” the Guard looks at Luna. “Are you coming Princess?” Luna doesn’t answer. “Princess?!”

“She has no time!” Spike yells. The Guard nods, knowing that he’s right.

The Guards and Spike carry Twilight out of the room, leaving Luna alone. She can’t believe what has transpired.

“What have I done?” she whispers to herself.

Chapter 6: A New Complication

Three days have passed since Proteus decided to live with the newly appointed Queen of The Changelings. Three days have passed since Twilight suffered a terrible attack by her mysterious illness. Though he isn’t aware of his mother’s recent condition, he’s been thinking an awful lot about her for the past three days. Though most would take it as a sign that he misses his mother, which he most definitely does, he’s taking it as a sign that something has happened to her.

True to her word, the Queen has not attempted to charm Proteus into a more physical relationship. In fact, after the day they first kissed, she hasn’t brought up the issue since. She is treating him like a good friend she hadn’t seen in years. While he is understandably wary of her, he is slowly, but surely warming up to her presence. In terms of their sleeping arrangements, the Queen has stayed on her side of the bed during the night, though there were times where she would be tempted to move closer to him, but she had to fight to get him to stay, and she has no plans to get him to leave.

Their routines have been to travel around the cave, making sure morale between the Changelings is satisfactory. With the two of them working together, the process takes only half the time. They’ve only had to break up a few fights between the swarm, usually having to do with food rations more than anything else in the cave.

One day, the Queen has noticed Proteus becoming more and more distant from her. She was a first afraid that she did something to make him angry with her, but he would have told her if such a thing took place. She caught him standing by the cave’s exit, seemingly contemplating leaving.

She walks up to him to find out what is going on.

“Proteus?” The Queen says. He turns to her.

“Sorry…” he says with not much emotion in his voice, “It’s just…”

“Did I do something wrong?”

“No, it’s not you. It’s my mother. I’m worried about her.”

“Has something happened to her?”

“I don’t know. I have a bad feeling, that’s all.” He looks back at the open area outside. “Listen, I have to go…” He notices her stepping forward to stop him. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back. It should only be for a couple hours.”

“I’ll send a couple of my Changelings to follow you.”

“No.” he says sternly, “It’s fine, really. I just want to see if she’s okay. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

She pauses. She knew that she couldn’t stop him, even if she used force. But, she understood that he had to go. She nods to him the okay. He responds by patting her on the shoulder.

“Thanks. You’re the best.” he smiles, and takes off quickly before she could give anything resembling a response. He was practically supersonic, and out of her sight in seconds.

“Be safe…” she says quietly to herself.

Within the hour, he arrived into Ponyville. He could see a couple Guards waiting outside his house. The Queen was right; they were definitely waiting for him to arrive. He had to find another way inside. With a great deal of stealth that he learned in training, he sneaks to the back of the house. Luckily, there is no Royal Guards in the back. He slowly opens the back door, and walks inside. There’s nopony he can immediately see.

“Hello?” Nothing. “Mom?”

He hears the sound of somepony walking around upstairs. Was it a Guard hanging out inside? Before he could respond, he sees Spike running down the stairs, and into the kitchen, to make sure his ears weren’t deceiving him. Sure enough, he sees Proteus standing there. Spike is pleased to see him, but also scared about the news he is going to tell him.

“Proteus?” he whispers, “What…where have you been?”

“It’s a long story. Where’s Mom?”

Spike is quiet. He turns to the stairs, and Proteus follows him up. They get to the top into Twilight’s room, where he sees her…lying in bed with an I.V. in her foreleg. She is fast asleep. Proteus couldn’t believe what he was seeing; his worries were legitimate.

“Mom…”

He goes to her side, caressing her foreleg. He looks at Spike, a tear rolling down his cheek.

“What happened, Spike?”

“She was worried about you. The Guards said that you attacked Princess Luna.”

“Attacked?”

“Yeah. They said that you…tried to force yourself on her.”

Anger is building within Proteus. He is in disbelief at the lengths Luna is going to get the Guards after him.

“She wouldn’t fall for that.”

“She didn’t. Twilight didn’t believe a word of it, so we went to see Luna at the Castle. Sure enough, she was quick to see through Luna’s lies.”

Proteus looks upon his mother, proud that she still believed in him.

“That’s my mother. Always sticking up for me.”

“But then…Luna…hit her.”

Proteus’ eyes go wide at the thought of Luna hitting his mother. He is beyond mad at this point. He grits his teeth.

“What?” he growls, “Is that how…”

“No. She only had a mild bruise, but then she…started bleeding…and suffered a seizure. That’s what the Doctors called it.”

“A seizure?”

“The Doctors told me that Twilight had been sick for a while now. I didn’t find out until a couple days ago.”

Proteus gasps. He holds onto his mother tightly now.

“What does she have?”

“They don’t know. All they know is that if they don’t find out what it is quickly, then she will…”

“I’ve heard enough.” Proteus said, crying. Spike breathes a sigh of relief, happy that he didn’t have to complete that sentence. It still doesn’t stop tears from flowing out of his eyes.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were sick, Mom?” he asks her, as if expecting a response. Predictably, he gets none. “Can I have a moment, Spike?”

“Sure thing. You can stay as long as you want. The Guards aren’t allowed to come in.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s good to see you again, Proteus.”

“You too. Sorry about all the letters you had to burp up at night.”

“It’s quite alright.” Spike chuckles, “I got used to it, after a while.”

Spike walks back downstairs, allowing Proteus to stay with his mother. He watches over her for hours on end, hoping to see if her status will change for the better. She still sleeps quietly; from the way she looks, you couldn’t tell she was sick. The sun has gone down, and the moon has risen. Princess Luna may be on Proteus’ bad side right now, but he was impressed that she hadn't been shirking her duties.

Proteus rests his head on his mother’s chest, never leaving her side. He is awoken by a hoof caressing his face; Twilight’s hoof. He looks up to see her weakly smiling down on him.

“Mom!” he says, giving her a slight embrace. She returns the gesture.

“Oh my son…my beautiful son…I missed you.”

“I missed you too, Mom.”

“Where have you been? The Guards have looked everywhere for you.”

“Not everywhere.” he tells her, “I’ve been hiding out in the Badlands.”

“The Badlands?” she sounds worried, “There’s a nest of Dragons living there!”

“I know. It’s okay. I’ve been living in a cave with…” he hesitates, “…with the Changelings.”

Twilight gasps. The last she heard of the Changelings, was that they died out a few years after the death of Queen Chrysalis.

“Changelings? How…” she forgoes the question of asking about their return. What matters to her, is that Proteus is safe. “Have they tried to hurt you?”

“No. That’s the thing. Their Queen…” he pauses; he looks around to make sure he’s quiet enough. “Can you keep a secret?”

“Cross my heart…hope to fly…” she says with a smile.

“Their Queen is Chrysalis’ daughter.”

Twilight covers her mouth from gasping the loudest gasp she had ever uttered. Her eyes go wide, and her mouth is agape. The news is shocking, to say the least.

“But…she died.” Twilight says, still unbelieving of the news.

“It’s a long story, but it’s her. She’s been taking care of me, ever since I ran into her swarm.”

“She’s…nice?”

“Well, not all the time. She can be a little scary in front of her army. But…she’s nice to me.” He doesn’t tell her about the Queen’s advances towards him the first time they met. It would probably only worry her even further.

“She better be, or she’ll have to talk to me.” she chuckles weakly, transitioning into a cough. Proteus rests a hoof on her chest, comforting her. “At least I know you’re safe.”

“Don’t worry about me. Frankly, I’m more worried about you. Why didn’t you tell me you were sick?”

“I thought it was nothing, just a common cold. That’s what the Doctors said when I first had symptoms. Now…”

“How serious is it going to get?”

“I’m not sure. Neither are they.”

“I’m going to stay with you. As long as it takes to make you better.”

“No. You have to stay where you are now. You’re not safe here.”

“I can’t stand idly by, while you lay in bed!” A tear falls down his cheek, onto Twilight’s foreleg. She caresses him.

“I hate it when you cry. It makes me want to cry.” she says, as tears begin to well up in her eyes. She gives his cheek a soft kiss. “You have to go now, the Guards sometime patrol by the windows.”

Proteus hesitates. He doesn’t want to leave her, but he has to.

“I’ll see you again, as soon as I can, alright?” he returns the kiss with one of his own, before opening the window. “You hang in there.”

“Don’t worry about me, Proteus. Just be safe.”

“That’s the problem, Mom. I worry about you every day.”

On that note, he opens the window, taking off into the night.

“I know…” she whispers.

Proteus returns to the cave, upset and depressed. He hoped that his worries would have been unfounded, that he would find just a worried mother, who missed her son. Instead, he found her on what he has now perceived to be her death bed. There is hope within his mind that she will get better, but the feeling in his gut tells him that will not be the case. Looking around, he can see the Changelings sleeping on the floor of the cave in various areas, in various positions. He begins the long walk to the shack, where the Queen is undoubtedly waiting for his return.

He opens the door slowly, as he walks inside, he can see the Queen with her back turned to him, seemingly sleeping. He knows that she’s still awake; he’s fallen for this trick one too many times. As he shuts the door, she moves a little.

“You’re back.” she says quietly, as he gets into bed, “I was beginning to worry that you wouldn’t…”

Suddenly, she feels his forelegs wrap around her chest, pulling her in closer to him. He holds her tight against him, refusing to let her go. She should be shocked about this, but she instead finds it comfortable. Even so, she cannot help but feel that something is amiss.

“My mother’s sick…” he says, “Doctors…don’t know what it is.”

She listens to him intently. She feels sympathy for his situation.

“Do they know how long she has?”

She feels him shake his head “no”.

“I’m…so sorry, Proteus.” she caresses a hoof on his foreleg, “If there’s anything you need, anything at all…I’ll be here.”

“Thank you.” He holds her tightly. She had never been held by another before. Normally, she would have to do the holding on her own. But the fact that Proteus, who not a few days ago, refused to even touch her, is holding her tightly, like she was going to leave him, brings a small smile to her face. With her in his forelegs, she can finally sleep soundly that night.

The next morning, the Queen wakes up to find that Proteus is gone. She looks around the room, but he is not in sight. She questioned the legitimacy of what happened last night, but she is choosing to believe that what happened was very much real. She walks outside; her army is up and about, but something is different. Most of them are gathered in one specific area in the cave. The Queen takes a closer look, and sees Proteus with a sole Changeling, standing in front of a massive crowd. She gets even closer.

“Now…” Proteus says, “I want you to try and hit me.”

“Wha?” The Changeling says, “Seriously?”

“Yeah. I’m serious. Go ahead. I won’t attack you.”

The Changelings murmur amongst themselves, while others are egging the poor thing on. The lone Changeling shrugs his shoulders, and prepares for an attack. He lunges at Proteus, who steps to the side, avoiding the attack. The Changeling tries again and again, but it’s not use. The Changeling falls to the ground the last time, as the others laugh at him. Proteus helps him up, wiping off any goop from the cave.

“You okay?” he asks. The Changeling nods. “Good, go back to the group.” The Changeling does so. “Now, listen up. The point was not so you can point and laugh at him. You creatures can be combat efficient in a group, I would know this, because you almost killed me. But by yourselves, your skills are sorely lacking. I managed to beat some of you in that fight, and right now, I’m here to teach each and every one of you, to be able to take on an opponent solo.” The Changelings murmur some more. “I’m going to teach you to be faster, stronger, and nigh unbeatable. I learned from the best, so I’m going to teach you the best. It’s not going to be easy, but it’ll be worth it. Are you in?”

The Changelings happily chant; they are most definitely in. Proteus is happy to hear their enthusiasm. Looking amongst the crowd, he sees the Queen. He smiles, and approaches her.

“My Queen…” he says, bowing to her. She is caught off guard by his attitude.

“Um...rise.” He does so. “Take a walk with me, Proteus. I would like to talk to you alone.”

Proteus motions to the Changelings to walk away. He and the Queen take a stroll towards the front of the cave.

“I see you are making yourself useful.” she says.

“Yeah.” he chuckles, “I just felt like I wanted to do something around here, if I’m going to stay for a while.”

“So, you’re not planning on leaving?”

“Not in the immediate future. Why, do you want me to…”

“No!” she quickly says, “I’m just…surprised, that’s all.”

“Well, when you get past the goop, it’s kind of pretty in here.” They both share a chuckle. “Listen, about last night…”

“Don’t apologize.” she says. Happy on the inside that what happened wasn’t a dream. “I know you just wanted some…comfort, after what you found out.”

“I just didn’t want you to feel awkward or anything.”

“It didn’t feel awkward at all. It felt…kind of nice. What about you?”

She can see Proteus blush upon hearing her question. This pleases her.

“I…liked it too.” He looks at the ground, embarrassed that he admitted that.

“Well, carry on then.” The Queen says, giving him an halfhearted salute. “I want those troops combat ready in five minutes.”

“Oh, now you’re asking for too much.” he laughs. She shares it with him. “I’ll do my best, though.”

“Be sure that you do.” she says softly to him. He doesn’t think too much into her tone of voice, as he starts to walk back to the anticipated crowd of Changelings. But then, he turns back to her.

“I think I have a name for you.” he says. She looks at him, curiously.

“You do? Let’s hear it.”

“I mean, it’s not a name of my choosing, but I heard about it. Apparently, your mother wrote that if she was having a boy, she would name it Proteus, and if it was a girl, she would name it Selene.”

“Selene, huh?” she thinks about it, “Another name for Moon, just like you.”

“I realize that she came up with the names to honor Princess Luna, so if you don’t want me to call you that….”

“Actually…” she interrupts, “I kind of like it. Selene; Queen of the Changelings. Queen Selene. Kind of has a nice ring to it.”

“I have to admit, it does.” he smiles.

“One condition, though. Only you can call me that. No one here can call me that, but you. Understand?”

“Yes, your Magesty…I mean…Selene.”

“Good. Now, get back to work.” She jests. He goes back to his new-found duties as a trainer.

“Selene…” she says to herself, “I like it.”

For the next couple of weeks, Proteus began to train the Changelings everything that he learned from Stone Shield. Though he was still unfamiliar with Unicorn magic, he still tried his best to train them in that aspect. It was during aerial practice, and combat, where he most excelled at. Like his first few weeks at the Academy, the Changeling’s were unfocused, and more than a little sloppy, but he didn’t give up on them. Though there were a few bumps and bruises sustained during these sessions, so using the cave substance became more common than it was before. The Changelings did not care, they liked that they had something to do, rather than bicker about who gets the last piece of food.

Selene watched this all from her stone throne, pleased with their progress, but most of all, she was pleased that Proteus has continued to stay with her for this long. In the back of her mind, she has been preparing for the day where he would leave, and she would have to convince him not to; but now, she is convincing herself that he will stay…forever.

Proteus also took the time every other day, to visit his mother. She had finally begun to get out of bed, and walk around the house. It seemed like she was getting better, but her medicine dosages had been substantially increased. She did have a couple off days, but Proteus kept hope that she would be fine in the end.

More and more Proteus started to enjoy himself in the company of the Changelings. On first sight, he found them to be vile, disgusting creatures, but when he got to know them, and when he got to training them, he has gained the upmost respect for them. In some ways, they remind him of his friends back at the Academy. The one he respected most of all, however…is Selene.

Unlike the others, the first time he saw her, he didn’t think of her as a vile beast. Instead, he thought of her as beautiful, yet also dangerous. As the days went on, as she treated him with a great deal of affection, compared to the others, he saw past her dangerous visage, and saw something else; a mare looking for somepony.

After the night he embraced her, he found himself tempted by her. Though she has continued not to make advances towards him, he saw that she didn’t have to; thoughts of her began to spread throughout his mind. He shouldn’t be thinking of her like this, he knows that, but he continues to do so. He knows that should he pursue this, there would be no turning back. If word got out that he had started an intimate relationship with his half-sister, his career as a Royal Guard would be over, if it wasn’t already, his mother would once again be hounded like she was when he was a young colt, and he and Selene would be hunted forever.

But…what if they didn’t know? Not many ponies in Equestria were aware of Selene’s existence, and those that do, believe her to be dead. They could lie, and say that Selene is just a new Changeling Queen, but her half-pony appearance could draw suspicion. Maybe, if she lived with him in Ponyville, she could change into a different form, and then nopony would bother them. But, what if she doesn’t like that? What if she’s happy being herself? On some nights, he found himself getting closer to her in bed, wanting to embrace her like he did before, but also to do more than that. He would catch himself reaching out for her, and retreat back, afraid of himself.

What he did not know, was that Selene was aware of what he was doing.

More than a month has passed, since Proteus had moved into the cave of the Changelings, and he has now become fully comfortable living there. He is happy, happier than he initially was back when he left Princess Luna to parts unknown. He has a good thing going here, and he has no plans to ruin it.

One morning, Proteus woke up to the sound of intense rustling in bed. At first, he thought that Selene was just trying to find a more comfortable spot to sleep, but he can hear the faint sounds of moaning as well. He gets up, and sees Selene in a cold sweat, mouth open, and gasping for air. He has no idea what is wrong.

“Selene?” he asks. She quickly looks at him.

“Proteus? I’m sorry you have to see me like this.”

“What’s the matter?”

“I’m…” she suppresses a moan, “I’m not feeling well.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

“Ye---“ she pauses, hesitating to answer his question. “N-No. It’s fine. I just need to stay in bed for a while.”

“Okay. Well, if you need anything…” He places a hoof on her shoulder. Suddenly, she flinches violently, suppressing yet another moan, this one stronger than the last.

“N-No! Don’t….don’t touch me.”

He carefully gets out of bed. Understandably weirded out by her attitude. This is not the normal behavior of somepony that is sick. He doesn’t question it, thinking that Changeling illnesses are different from pony illness symptoms. He turns to walk out the door, when she speaks again.

“I’m sorry…” she said, “I just…need some time.”

He nods before walking out the door, leaving her alone for most of the day. Her actions had thoroughly confused Proteus. He didn’t understand what is happening to her. It felt like she had experienced this before, yet was too embarrassed to talk about it, considering her hesitance to talk about it. As evening approached, and she still hadn’t emerged from the shack, he felt compelled to figure out what is happening to her. To find some answers, he had to ask somepony, or in this case...some Changeling.

Proteus finds a Changeling alone, working on an upcoming cocoon. He approaches him slowly, as to not startle him.

“Excuse me?” he asks the Changeling.

The Changeling turns around, happy to see Proteus.

“My King!” The Changeling said, bowing to him. Proteus had never been called a king before today. He guesses he’s been there for so long, that the others now consider him another ruler of them.

“Stand.” he commands, “There’s no need for bowing in my presence.”

“Oh, my apologies.” The Changeling says, “Where is the Queen, today?”

“That’s what I want to ask you about, actually.”

“Why? Is she not with you?”

“She’s in the cabin, but…she’s feeling a little weird today. I was wondering if you could help me out a little bit. What do you experience when you’re sick?”

“Ummm…” The Changeling shrugs, “What you ponies normally experience; headaches, nausea, sneezing, snot. Is the Queen sick?”

“That’s what I want to find out. She’s not doing any of those things, but something is definitely wrong.”

The Changeling slowly understands what is going on.

“Is she sweating?” he asks.

“Yeah. A lot.”

“The shakes? A violent shiver?”

“Yes.”

“Highly sensitive to the touch?”

“How did you know?”

“She’s not sick.” The Changeling confirms, confident that what he says is true.

“She’s not?” Proteus wonders, “Then…what’s wrong with her?”

“Nothing is really wrong with her. It’s just that time of year.”

“And…what happens this time of year?”

The Changeling is surprised as Proteus’ question. This is something that ponyfolk go through as various times as well, especially females.

“She gets…urges.” He can see Proteus still doesn’t understand. “You know what I’m talking about; Urges that only a Stallion can fix.”

Proteus now understands. He lets out a long and drawn out 'Oooooooohhhhh….'

“So…she’s in heat?”

“I don’t know about that.” The Changeling says, “Last time I checked her temperature, she felt pretty cold.” Proteus almost burst out laughing when he said that. “Normally, she would order us to fetch her a stallion, for her to mate with. At least, that’s what I assume happens. I don’t watch; none of us do, she probably wouldn’t like that at all.”

Proteus chuckles, agreeing with him.

“Thanks for the help.” he says, “I’ll go check up on her.”

Proteus heads back to the cabin. He slowly opens the door, and she’s in the exact same place where he left her. Her shakes had not subsided, and she is still in a cold sweat. He kneels down at her side, watching her try to relax. She opens her eyes to see him looking back at her.

“Proteus…what’s wrong?”

“I know what’s happening to you.” he says.

“I see…” she sighs.

“When I was in Ponyville, I would hear reports of Stallions disappearing into the woods, and coming back with no recollection of what happened. I take it that was you?”

“Yes.” she nods, “When I came of age…I started having these…feelings. This…hunger for love.”

“What happens if you don’t get it?”

“I’m like this for a few days.”

“Is it painful?”

“Very.”

Proteus thinks for a while about this. His inner thoughts continue to be locked in conflict with one another. He knows he shouldn’t do what he is thinking, but he can’t bear to see her in such pain.

“How…how much do you need?” he asks her.

“As much as the subject can give me.”

He has made his decision. There was no turning back from this. Not anymore. Slowly, he places a hoof on her hip, causing her to elicit a loud surprised moan. She looks up at him, wondering about his actions.

“W-what are you doing?” she asks.

“I’m helping you.”

“B-But…”

She doesn’t get to complete her question, as he goes down for a kiss. The moment his lips touch hers, she is in heaven. His kiss is tender, his tongue grazing against hers, as she gets into the rhythm of it. Soon, the two tongues are entwined in a dance. All the pleasure she is feeling is now taking control of her body. She grabs Proteus by the shoulders, and rolls on top of him in a quick and forceful manner, continuing to kiss him. What started out as slow, soon became rough, yet passionate, as their lip lock becomes something much more primal. Suddenly, she stops herself, separating her mouth from his, as she stares at him, hungry for more.

Her horn glows a brilliant green, as Proteus sees the bed covered by a fantastic bubble.

“So they won’t hear us.” Selene says all too happily.

She quickly goes back down, and continues to furiously kiss him. What followed was a night of unchained passion. The build-up of weeks of unbridled tension between the two, all come to a head in this one night. They unleashed their wants and desires on one another, like it was their last night in Equestria. Despite her confidence, Proteus found that this was her first time making love, which surprised even him. At that moment, he didn’t care, he wasn’t going to stop, and even if he really wanted to, she wasn’t going to allow such a thing to pass.

When they were finished, they both lied there, panting heavily, catching their breath after such intense love making. Selene caresses his back, as he had the most energy spent from him. She loves the feeling of him on top of her. More importantly…she loves him. Slowly, his wings, which unfurled completely during their fornication, furl back up, and he gets enough energy to get up, and look at her, seeing the look of complete happiness on her face. That look soon changes, as she can see the look of nothing on him. She cannot tell what he is feeling. He rolls off of her, onto his back, as he looks up at the ceiling. She dissipates the bubble that encased their noises from the outside.

Selene moves up next to him, resting half her body onto his chest, hearing his heart beat slow down to its normal rate.

“Are you ashamed?” she asks him. It takes a while for him to respond.

“No.” he says. She breathes a sigh of relief. “I…I didn’t know that…this was your first time.”

“Oh…” she says, looking down in embarrassment. "That obvious, huh? It’s not very queenly of me, is it? That I’m…was a virgin.”

“I wasn’t thinking that.” he assures her, “It’s just…what happened with the other Stallions?”

“I had to use my power to get them into my chambers. However, I soon discovered that when their mind is mine to control, certain…functions are taken away.” she chuckles at the thought, “All they were good for at that point was a kiss, or a hug, and that barely got me by. Even if they did perform…I wouldn’t want them to.”

“Why?” he wonders.

“I…” She almost doesn’t say it, but she has no choice now. “I wanted it to be you. I wanted it to be you so much.”

“Me? Why me?”

She doesn’t answer. Her eyes had become heavy, exhausted from their…'activity'. She yawns, preparing to go to sleep.

“Hold me.” she whispers to him. He does so, putting his hooves around her waist. “I’ll tell you…another time, maybe. For now, I want to rest.”

He had to admit, he was tired too. Pretty soon, she was fast asleep. He kisses the top of her head, as he shuts his eyes, waiting to fall to sleep.

He cannot believe himself for what he just did…but he does not regret it in the slightest.

Chapter 7: Captured

It was now morning. The sun is shining, and the Changelings are waking up. Inside the shack, Proteus is the first one to awaken from the morning light. It had only taken a month’s time for him to get used to falling asleep at night again, rather than sleeping in the morning. He and Selene were still locked in a lover’s embrace, and he does nothing to separate himself from her. Looking down on the Queen, he could finally see what she looked like when asleep. When they slept apart, her back was always turned to him, now, her head is resting right on top of his chest. He smiled as he admired her; she was a beautiful sleeper, very peaceful and calm.

The noises coming from the awakening Changelings reached Selene’s ears, as she slowly woke up. She lifted her head up, almost poking Proteus’ eye out with her horn. He wasn’t angry, he simply laughed at the near disaster that could have been. She herself was embarrassed at the situation.

“Good morning.” Proteus said, still laughing.

“That could have been messy.” she said with a smile, “Are you okay?”

“Never been better.” He goes back to the loving look he was giving her seconds before. “How are you feeling today?”

Selene began to reminisce about the night they shared, as a grin creeps along her face. She buries the side of her face into his coat, reveling in its softness.

“Much better, thank you.”

“I suppose you’d want me to do this for you every year now, huh?” Proteus said, in his half joking, half serious tone of voice.

“Hmmm, I don’t know…” Selene climbs a bit to his face with a look of seduction. “Who says we have to wait a year?”

They chortle as their lips meet once again for a kiss. After last night, they both know what exactly stimulates the other when it comes to the art of lip locking. Proteus holds her, as she maneuvers herself all the way on top of him. But then…she stops. Removing her lips from Proteus, she stares down on him. He looks upon her, and notices that her expression that once displayed affection has been replaced by an expression of sadness. He caresses her cheek.

“What’s the matter?” he asks, “What’s wrong?”

She rests her forelegs on his chest, and lays down on his body. While the love is still in her eyes, she is also troubled.

“This was…everything I imagined…” she says, “But…I don’t expect this to last.”

“Why not?”

“Look at us, Proteus. You said it yourself, what this is…what we’ve done…is wrong.”

“But…you wanted this. You wanted us to be together, despite what we are.”

“I know, but now that I have it…I don’t know how much longer this can continue.” She rests her head on his shoulder. “What are you going to tell your mother?”

“Nothing.” he replies, “She can’t know what we did.”

“I’m sorry.” she says with sorrow in her voice, “I made you trade one secret for another.”

“You have nothing to apologize for, Selene. This was my choice.”

“Do you regret your decision?”

“Not even a little.”

He brings her face to his, and gives her a small peck. She smiles at the gesture.

“When this is all over…when everything goes back to normal…are you going to leave?”

This question gives Proteus pause. He hadn’t thought about things returning to a normal state. After what has transpired in practically his whole life, all the events surrounding, and involving him, have been everything but normal. But, what if he is accepted back in the guard? What if he is cleared of any charges, and is free to live without being hunted? Is he just going to get up and leave Selene? After what has happened, he doesn’t feel like he can leave her.

“I’m not sure.” he answers her.

“If you did, I wouldn’t blame you.”

“Why would you say something like that?”

“You deserve to be happy.”

“So do you.”

“But…not with me. I adore you, Proteus, and I am grateful for what we have now. But out there, they won’t be so forgiving. You deserve to be with somepony…normal. So, when you leave, I will not be mad, or upset, I won’t even protest. I will simply let you go.”

Proteus couldn’t believe what she is saying. She was the one that wanted this relationship to happen. She was the first to show any kind of affection for him, and he was the one saying that it would never be. Now here they are, after finally making love after weeks of hesitation and doubt, she is the one who is waiting for the day their relationship ceases to exist.

He holds her close to him, looking deeply into her beautiful blue eyes.

“If that day ever comes, I want to know that I did all I could, to make our time together memorable.”

A tear goes down Selene’s cheek; Proteus catches it with a hoof.

“It already is memorable.” she whispers.

He goes in for another passionate kiss. As he rolls on top of her, the magic green bubble from last night forms around them.

This is the fifth hospital visit Twilight has had in the past few months. Each one has been more uncomfortable than the last. Each one has been unfruitful; the Doctors have been doing blood test after blood test, and they still do not know what ails her. She’s never alone on these trips though, she’s had Spike help her brave the trip. She could always count on Spike to be at her side, especially now that Proteus has gone into hiding. She misses her son greatly, he has been visiting her every few days, and each visit has always been a blessing to her.

After some more blood work, and an X-Ray scan by the Unicorns, Twilight and Spike her finally called into the office of the Head Doctor. She’s never been in this area before, and somehow, despite the walls of encyclopedias, and awards this particular stallion has gotten, she feels more uncomfortable than ever.

“I’m afraid I have some bad news, Ms. Sparkle.” The Doctor says.

“What is it?” Twilight feels Spike put an arm around her, preparing for the news.

“The results have come in, and…it seems that you have some form of cancer.”

Twilight and Spike are frozen with fear. Cancer? Her? She couldn’t comprehend it. She had been so careful to avoid illness and diseases such as this. Did she get careless?

“H-How?” Spike demanded of the Doctor, “How did you miss something like that, until today?!”

“I don’t know. It was some kind of strain that we aren’t even aware of. We didn’t catch it until…” he pauses.

“Until what?” Twilight is on the verge of tears.

“Until it was too late.”

As tears pour from Twilight’s eyes, Spike is enraged. He approaches the Doctor with harmful intentions, but Twilight holds him back. He looks at her, as his angered state dissipates into one of sadness.

“How long?” Twilight asks.

“A few months…maybe less.”

“There’s got to be something you can do! Some kind of cure?!” Spike shouts.

“I’m sorry son, but at this point, there’s nothing we can do, but wait.”

Spike picks up Twilight, staring at the Doctor with absolute resentment. He carries her out the door, and out of the Hospital.

“Those punks don’t know what they’re talking about.” Spike says, “You’ll get better, they’ll see...”

“Spike…” Twilight says softly.

“I’ll show them how wrong they are…”

“Spike.” She gets his attention this time. He looks at her, he is crying. The pony who has raised him since birth, one that he considers his mother, is dying. Only now, has the reality that he will last many years beyond her passing, has hit him like a ton of bricks. He falls to his knees, embracing her tightly, sobbing.

“It’s not fair…” Spike says, “It’s just not fair…”

“It never is.” she tells him, “Take me home, Spike. I need to rest.”

He gets back up, as he carries her through town. The eyes of many ponies fall on the sight of him holding her, as he walks to her house.

“What do we tell the others?” he asks.

“I’ll tell them tomorrow. Arrange them to come by here.”

“And your parents?”

She pauses at the thought. She hadn’t spoken to them in years. She knows that they reside in an old ponies home in Manehattan, away from her presence.

“I'll send a letter tonight.” she replies.

“And… Proteus?” he asks.

“I’ll tell him the next time he comes here.” Twilight notices Spike has stopped not a few feet away from the house. “What is it?” She looks in his direction and sees her; Princess Luna, standing before them.

“Hello, Twilight.” Luna says, trying to sound friendly. Spike steps forward in intimidating fashion. “Wait! I’m not here to fight. I just want to talk.”

“It’s okay, Spike.” she assures him, “We’ll talk inside.”

Spike sets her down in bed, and places a sheet over her body to keep her warm. He turns to see Luna, waiting for him to leave. He walks down the steps slowly, never failing to break eye contact with the one who struck his surrogate mother, and betrayed his best friend. As soon as he is out of sight, Luna turns her attention back to Twilight.

“What are you doing here, Luna?” Twilight demands of her, “Come to apologize for your lies?”

Luna ignores her question that is filled with seething hate. Chuckling it off like some kind of poorly told joke.

“I see you are feeling unwell. My apologies.”

“I don’t need your sympathy Princess, I just want my son back.”

“Yes. No doubt you have some arrangements to make.”

“You watch your tone, Luna.” Twilight says, with a glare in her eyes. “You insult me in my own home again, and I won’t hesitate to have Spike throw you out in the dirt!”

“Calm yourself, Twilight. I didn’t come here to fight you.”

“Then, what are you here for? It’s obviously not to feel sorry for me.”

“I came here to find out where Proteus is.”

“How should I know? I haven’t seen him since his birthday.”

On a good day, Twilight could lie her way out of any situation, but on this day, she is too weak to make her lies sound convincing. Luna can see right through her.

“Don’t lie to me. I don’t like it when others lie to me.”

“The feeling is mutual, Princess.” she says ‘Princess’ with a high amount of utter contempt.

“It still doesn’t change the fact that you know where Proteus is. I can see it within you. How long has he been coming down here, bypassing my guards, and visiting you in your home? Does he know of your illness?”

Twilight is silent, while Luna smiles.

“Wouldn’t you like to see him, before the end?”

As much as she should be mad at such an obviously condescending question, she had to admit that she is right.

“If I tell you, will you promise not to hurt him?”

“I have no intention of hurting your son, Twilight.”

“I’ve heard that before.”

“Now, answer my question. Where is your son?”

The Changeling army has significantly improved in their training. What was once an army of inexperienced and uncoordinated goons has finally become a formidable fighting force. Though they have not faced a real threat, Proteus is confident that when the time comes, they will be ready for anything. Afternoon is slowly approaching, and Proteus, pleased with the Changelings progress, has decided to call it an early day. Right now, he has an idea.

He approaches Selene at her throne, shooing away any stray Changelings so that they don’t hear what he has to say.

“Selene, I want to see my Mother today.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem.”

“The thing is…I want you to come with me.”

Selene pauses. Meeting Twilight Sparkle? The mother of Proteus? The fact that he is even asking her is both pleasing and also very worrisome.

“A-Are you sure?” she asks, “What about Guards?”

“They won’t be a problem. There’s an entrance in the back that we can use.”

“That may work for one, but for two…”

“You can disguise yourself. Transform into a Ponyville citizen, and tell the Guards that you want to visit her. I’ll sneak through the back, undetected.”

He seems to have the bases covered, she had to admit. Still, doubt lingers inside her mind. However, this seems to be as good as a time as any to finally meet her.

“Okay, fine.” she says, shaking her head in disbelief that she’s agreeing to this. “But, we can only stay for an hour; two at the most.”

“You won’t be sorry.” Proteus says, ecstatic that she’s agreed to come with him.

After saying goodbye to the Changelings for now, the two fly out of the cave, and into the afternoon skies. It’s a pretty warm day, but it’s also very nice. Proteus cannot wait to see his mother again, hoping that she’s feeling much better. Halfway through the trip, he turns to look at Selene, and sees her descending down into the Everfree Forest. Confused, he follows her down.

Upon landing, he sees the unmistakable look of nervousness on her face. A bead of swat drops down her brow. He’s never seen this before; she’s terrified.

“Hey, are you alright?” he asks her.

“I’m fine…” she says with hesitancy, “I’m just…nervous, that’s all.”

“What’s there to be nervous about?”

“She’s your mother. I bet she’s judgmental. What if she doesn’t like me?”

“Don’t think like that. She’s one of the most likable ponies in Ponyville. She’s going to love you.”

“Are you sure? What did she think of my mother?”

“They didn’t get off to the greatest of starts. She did try to take over Equestria, you know.”

“The Changelings told me about that.”

“But, after that, when she ended up with our father, she became much nicer. That’s what she told me. Mom saw her as a friend after that. Look, there’s no need to be worried about what she thinks. I’ve already told her about you, and I’m sure she’s just waiting to finally meet you.”

“You won’t tell her about…” she motions to herself and him, “This…right?”

“No.” he responds, “I don’t think she’ll understand. I’ve told you before, she can’t know.”

“Okay.”

“So, have you figured out a disguise yet?”

“I have one. I’ve used it before a few times, actually.”

“Really? Let me see.”

Selene nervously shuffles around a bit, as if she doesn’t want to show him her disguise. Before she could respond to his request, they hear a twig snapping in the forest. It was definitely the sound of something or somepony stepping on it.

“Did you hear that?” Selene asks.

“Yeah. I don’t think we’re alone.”

They hear rustling in the bushes, the flapping of wings, the galloping of hooves, but most noticeably, the clanking of armor. Proteus knows this noise all too well. He turns back to Selene.

“Run!” he yells.

Suddenly, Emerald Blade charges from the bushes at the two. They move out of the way of the rampaging Guard, but he ignores Selene, and repositions himself to charge Proteus. He slams into him, bringing him to the ground.

“Proteus!” Selene screams.

“Stone Shield! I got him!” Emerald Blade yells out.

His moment of triumph is interrupted by Selene knocking him off of Proteus’ body. Proteus gets up, and the two run for it.

“We have to fly out of here!” Selene says.

“No, they’re in the skies too! I can hear them!”

Suddenly, four more Guards, this time Pegasi, come flying down in front of them. They have no choice. Proteus and Selene charge them, and fight. Learning from Proteus' training, Selene has proven to be a match for the two Pegasi she’s fighting, bringing them down with calculated strikes. Proteus takes down his two Guards as well. He turns to see her attempt to deliver a killing blow.

“No!” he says, “Don’t kill them!”

She reluctantly follows his command, and they take off running again. It’s the same routine for miles, until they reach a rock face. They dive behind it, hiding from the Guards.

“There’s too many of them.” Proteus says, “We can’t fight them all.”

“What do we do?” she asks.

Proteus thinks for a bit, until the answer finally hits him. He looks at her, with a serious face.

“Go.” he tells her.

“What?”

“You can teleport. Go back to your hive.”

“I’m not going to leave you here!” she yells, “I can teleport us both back to the cave.”

“No!” he shouts, “They are going to keep on following us, and we’re going to end up leading them right to the cave. Do you want that?”

“They can fight!”

“I don’t want anypony getting hurt or dying because of me, especially you.”

“I’m not going!” She determined to stay. So much so, she holds Proteus tightly in her forelegs.

“You have to. It’s me they want, not you.”

“I don’t care.” she’s almost crying, “I don’t want to lose you. Not now!”

“You’re not going to lose me. I have to settle this. If I don’t, it’s going to be like this forever.” He looks into her eyes. “I’ll come back for you, okay? When this is all over, I’ll return.”

She can see the look on his face. He’s going out there, with or without her permission. She cannot do anything but accept his decision.

“You promise?”

“I promise.” he leans in, giving her one final kiss, before separating himself from her. “I love you.”

Selene’s eyes go wide in an instant. Those three words have just changed everything. She watches him leave her position, and head out for the open. She gets up to follow.

“Proteus!” she yells to him.

“Go!” he yells back to her.

“I have to tell you…”

“There’s no time!” he interrupts, “Go! You can tell me later!” She’s still not moving. “GO!”

She flinches at his massive shout. She slowly nods, understanding what she has to do. She shuts her eyes, and in an instant, she flashes out of sight. Proteus sighs in relief, happy that she is out of danger. Just then, more than a dozen Guards close in on his position, ready to attack. Proteus raises his forelegs up in surrender.

“I give up!” he says, “You win. I’m turning myself in.”

The Guards look at one another in confusion, suspicious that this is a trap. Stone Shield comes flying down; the last one to arrive. He approaches Proteus cautiously.

“Hey, Captain.” Proteus says with respect in his voice.

“Private.” he says back, with a little less respect in his tone.

“How are you?”

“Been looking for you for the past month. Otherwise, I’m good.” he says with a great deal of sarcasm. “Where’s the other one?”

“What other one?”

“The Changeling. The others said that they saw her. Where is she?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You damn well do!” Emerald Blade shoots back, “I saw her with my own eyes! Hell, she tackled me off of you!”

“What do you mean?” Proteus said. “I pushed you off. You must be getting sloppy.”

Emerald Blade is about to strike him. Stone Shield raises a hoof.

“Enough, Lieutenant.” Stone Shield says. Emerald Blade backs down, obeying his superior’s orders. “I guess we’re going to have to find out ourselves.”

Stone Shield looks at a few of the Guards. He motions them to take a quick look around, before looking back at Proteus. The two look at one another, almost as if they are in the mother of all staring contests, to see which one is the most intimidating. Finally, the Guards return.

“No sign of anypony else, sir.” The Guard says, “Empty as a barrel of drunken cider.”

“I told you. It’s just me.”

Stone Shield sighs; He motions to another pair of Guards to wingcuff Proteus. They do so without any hesitation.

“Proteus, by decree of Princess Luna, we are placing you under arrests for assault, and attempted rape.”

“You know me, Stone Shield. I would never do that.”

“Anything you say or do, can and will be used against you in the presence of your Royal Highness.”

“Please, you have to know something is up.”

“You will be held captive, until the Princesses have decided what your punishment shall be.”

“Come on, Stone Shield! Don’t believe Luna’s lies! She’s playing you!”

“Shut up!” Emerald Blade shouts. He delivers a powerful blow to the back of Proteus’ head, effectively knocking him out cold. “That’ll keep him quiet, till we get to Canterlot.” He looks at Stone Shield, and notes the look of deep thought on his face. “You alright, Captain?”

“Y-Yeah” Stone Shield snaps out of it, “Let’s get him back to Canterlot.”

The Guards carry Proteus all the way back to Canterlot Castle. The Recruits on the training ground, ones that considered Proteus their friend, see him now in chains, being carried unconsciously through to the dungeon below.

They carry him to the last dungeon chamber at the far end, the same one where he was taken to when he struck Stone Shield during training. More importantly, it’s the same chamber where this whole thing began, the same chamber where one Royal Guard fell for a Changeling Queen. They take the chains off him, and fasten him with whole new ones; attached to the floor, and a neck chain attached to the wall. As they fasten the last of the chains, he begins to drift back into consciousness. They put the last shackle on his neck, and bolt out of the room, like he was going to go into a homicidal rage.

Proteus fully awakes to find himself in the chamber. He doesn’t move much to realize that he is now chained to the floor. He sighs, not out of disappointment that he’s there in the first place, but that the Guards consider him dangerous enough to be locked up.

Luna is awoken from her afternoon sleep, by the sounds of knocking on her bedroom door. She opens it up to see Stone Shield.

“Your Majesty, we have captured Proteus.”

“Where is he now?”

“In the dungeon chamber.”

“Good.” She gets out of bed, putting on her royal garb. “I will go down and visit him myself.”

“With all due respect, princess, he tried to take advantage of you. By rights, he extremely dangerous.”

“Are you arguing with me, Captain?”

“No Ma’am, I’m just suggesting that you bring assistance with you.”

“Duly noted.” She is obviously disregarding his suggestion, as she pretties herself up for the prisoner downstairs. Stone Shield watches her, confused about her behavior. She looks back at him, eyebrow raised. “Is there anything else, Captain?”

“No.” Stone Shield says, “I’ll leave you to it, then.”

He exits her chambers. As he slowly walks through the hallway, the words that Proteus said to him echo through his mind. When he first got word of Proteus’ crimes, he didn’t believe it himself. He always thought of him as a fairly level headed pony, even if he did have a bit of a anger issue at first. He saw the damage that he allegedly did to Luna, and was nearly mortified that his friend, who not a month before, was a friendly colt, who dreamed while looking at the night sky, would do such a thing. Not to mention, he surrendered himself to the Guard.

Something was up. Luckily, there was more than one Princess still up and about.

Proteus was awaiting Princess Luna’s arrival. There was no way she would pass up the chance to see him again, after a month of being away from her. He counted the seconds until that door would open, revealing her lying face to him. Everything that he has wanted to say to her swirls in his head, wondering what he would say, and how it exactly would come out. He could yell and scream at her, or he could be calm, but condescending.

The door opens, he looks up, and he sees her; Luna, all smiles and love on her face, as she closes the door, locking it with her magic.

“Proteus!” she says happily, “It’s so good to see you again.” Proteus says nothing to her, only staring. “It’s been a long time, how have you been?” Still nothing. “It wasn’t easy finding you, you know. All that time, the Guards thought you simply disappeared off the face of Equestria.” She caresses a hoof on his chin. “But, I knew you were out there.” She gives licks to his cheek seductively, she has obviously missed his touch. “The Guards tell me you were with a Changeling; one that appeared to be a Queen. You want to tell me about her?” Proteus doesn’t. She chuckles. “Well, if you don’t...we’re going to find out anyway. We know where they reside. All it takes is one order, and my force will be raining down on that place like it was nothing.” She sees the worried look on his face. This surprises her. “Why so worried? There’s nopony you fancy living in that cave, is there?”

He continues to be silent. Inside, though, he’s glad that she doesn’t know who the Changeling Queen really is.

“By the way, you can thank your mother for revealing your location. It wasn’t easy.”

She sees Proteus having a look of shock on his face, thinking that she did the worst to his mother.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t hurt her. I can’t do any more damage than the cancer has already done.” Proteus goes wide eyed. He didn’t know. “You didn’t know? I’m sorry, but it’s true. Twilight is dying. The Doctors didn’t catch the cancer until it was in its advanced stage. They don’t know how much longer she can last.” She sees tears well up in her former lover’s eyes, trying not to break down in sobs and screams. “Do you want to see her again?” He looks up at her. “I can make it happen, but you have to do something for me.”

He listens in to what she wants. In an instant, she gets close to him, holding him, caressing him lovingly, and grazing her muzzle against his.

“I want you to be mine, once again. I know that I have hurt you, and I’m sorry for that. I’m also sorry for lying to the guards about you. I just want things to be normal, like they once were. I’m willing to try again; to love you for who you really are, not because of your heritage. I can change, and I’ll do it all for you. Oh Proteus, can you ever forgive me?”

She invades his mouth for a deep, long kiss. But, it’s not like how they’ve kissed before. She’s doing all the work, while Proteus does absolutely nothing. She tries harder to get a response from him, but nothing is working. Finally, she separates herself from him, as she looks into his eyes. No longer could she see love in them, like she did when he first laid eyes on her. Instead, all she can see is anger. He looks into her soul, as if he plans to set her aflame with his mind alone.

He responds. It’s not much of one; as it only contains one word. However, that one word causes her to freeze in place at its mere utterance.

“No.” he says, in an eerily calm tone of voice.

She’s in utter bewilderment at his response. She surely thought that would work, that he would be back in her bed, and that he would see Twilight again, before the inevitable would come. Why? Why didn’t he?

She could not respond back to his answer, she could say nothing. She turns away from him, and walks right out the door, slamming it shut.

The moment she is out of his sight, out of her range of hearing, Proteus collapses onto the floor, breaking down in tears. The thought of his mother dying shatters his heart into millions of metaphorical pieces.

“Mom…” he quietly says to himself, “Please, forgive me.”

Selene sits at her throne, pondering the events of the day. What should have been a pleasant visit to see Twilight, ended up with Proteus captured, and taken away from her. She could have taken them all on, but she would have done so with fatal consequences. But, one thing still lingers within her; he said that he loved her. She can’t decide if he really meant it, or if he only said to keep her from following him. He couldn’t really have meant it, how could he? After all, she’s his half-sister, and they started the day saying that what they had couldn’t last. But, what if he did mean it? What if he planned on staying with her, and living the rest of their days together away from judgmental eyes? She loved him more than anything in all of Equestria, be he doesn’t know that her love for him started long before their meeting in the forest.

“Your Majesty?” A lone Changeling asks at the foot of her throne. She does not answer him, still engulfed in her thoughts. “Your Highness?” There continues to be no response. “My Queen!” She suddenly snaps out of his, looking directly at the Changeling with a startled expression. “What are we going to do?”

He face transforms from a look of confusion, to one of determination, and also of rage. She rises from her throne, and walks down to the Changeling.

“Get all the Changelings here.” she commands, “Each and every one of them. I want them in lines of forty. Put the strongest in front, and the weakest in the back. If there’s a problem, report directly to me, and I will take care of it. We’re moving out in an hour.”

“My Queen? Where are we going?”

“We’re going to Canterlot.

“What for?”

“We’re going to get our King back.”

Chapter 8: A Different Kind of War

Proteus waited in his cell for hours, hoping that the nightmare he is in will end soon. He has wiped away the many tears he had shed for his mother, and awaits his eventual fate. He hoped that Luna hadn’t retaliated at his words; sending out her army to take on the Changeling horde, and Selene. He couldn’t bear to think about the Queen getting hurt in the fight; it’s not as if he felt that she couldn’t take care of herself, he was just worried as any normal coltfriend would.

Coltfriend. Should he even call himself that? After all, since they’re practically related, it’ll be awkward to be both a half-brother AND a coltfriend. Being in the cell has made his mind wander to such thoughts. He then wondered about how Chrysalis managed to stay sane in the four months she spent imprisoned, when he can barely last a few hours. It soon hit him after that; she was being watched over by his father, Strong Heart. That’s how she managed to last so long. Too bad he doesn’t have such luck. He could use the company right about now.

As he continued to reminisce, the door unlocks, startling him out of his mind. The door opens, and he is surprised to see Stone Shield and Princess Celestia on the other side. He gets up from his position on the floor, and bows down in Celestia’s presence.

“Princess…” Proteus says.

“It’s okay Proteus, there’s no need for that.”

Proteus stands back up, looking at both the Captain and the Princess in confusion.

“What are you two doing here?” he asked.

“The Captain here was concerned about you.”

“You were?” Proteus looks at Stone Shield.

“I knew something was wrong from the get go. I knew you couldn’t have done something like that to the Princess. Then, when we finally captured you, everything about how you acted told me that you wouldn’t do something like that.”

“But, I attacked your soldiers.”

“Look, I’m trying to say that I believe you, so do you want to get out of here, or what?”

“I suppose.” Proteus chuckled.

“When I told my concerns to Celestia, she brought me down here to see you.”

“So, do you believe me?” he asks Celestia.

“I know everything about what happened between you and my sister, Proteus.” Celestia says.

“You do?”

“Yes. I’ve known since it started. When you left, I didn’t believe her when she told me what you did, but she was adamant about finding you, and bringing you back here. So, I allowed her to do so, even if it was based on a lie.”

“Wait…what happened between Proteus and Luna?” Stone Shield is confused.

“Now, Luna has informed me that you were influenced by the Changelings, and she plans on taking an army to the cave where they reside.”

His nightmare had come true; she WAS going to attack the Changeling horde. He wasn’t going to let that happen, not in a million years. This was the last straw for him.

“No!” Proteus shouts, “Princess, they have nothing to do with this!”

“Hold on, I’m a little confused here…” Stone Shield continues bringing up his bewildered state. “What’s going on, now?”

“They took care of me! They didn’t control me! You have to stop the attack, I beg of you!”

“I’m sorry that I let things continue the way that they did….” Celestia says, “But now, I’m going to end it.” Her horn glows, and the chains unshackle from Proteus’ body. “I hereby set you free, and release you of all charges. I was going to do this when we got to a proper trial, but my sister’s actions forced my hoof.”

He looks at his chains, now resting on the floor rather than around his body. He couldn’t believe that Celestia had set him free.

“Princess…thank you.” he says, eternally grateful for her help.

“You don’t have to thank me.”

Their little happy moment is interrupted by a familiar sound; the sound of insect wings…Changeling wings. They are coming, and coming fast.

“What the hay is that?” Stone Shield asks.

“It’s the Changelings!” says Proteus, “They’re here!”

“Come on!” yells Celestia, “Let’s get out there!”

“Wait! What happened between You and Luna?”

Proteus looks at Stone Shield with a super serious expression. “We slept together.” Was all he said before following Celestia out of the dungeon, leaving Stone Shield in a state of shock.

“Well, I’ll be damned.” he finally says, following their lead out.

The Royal Guards outside back away in horror, as they see hundreds, maybe thousands, of Changelings swarm down upon them. They are ready for a war to take place, hissing in anticipation for the oncoming violence. The Royal Guards are as unprepared as they come, thinking that they were going to attack these creatures where they live, not the other way around.

Luna pushes through the crowd of frightened Guards to see the army up close. She isn’t afraid of them.

“Who is your Queen?!” Luna demands. There is no answer. “Show yourself, now!”

Immediately, Selene drops down from the swarm, landing forcefully on the ground, cracking the very earth underneath her. She looks up at Luna, fierce and ready for action.

“I am their Queen.” she licks her fangs.

Luna finds something odd about this Queen. She isn’t like any normal Changeling she had seen, especially not like Queen Chrysalis. She just can’t seem to put her hoof on it. There’s no time to question it now.

“How dare you land on royal ground?! You are banished from Equestria!”

“You have taken something from us! Or rather, somepony. We would like him back. Alive, and unharmed, if you do not mind.”

“I have no idea what you are talking about. We have taken nopony from you. So, you can just fly up, and leave this place.”

“LIAR!” Selene hisses, “You give him to me now, or we shall tear this castle apart, brick by brick, until we get him back!”

“And who do you think we have?”

“Selene!” Proteus shouts from the back of the Guards. She is snapped from her terrifying self, and in a blink of an eye, forms a loving expression across her face, as Proteus pushes through the crowd.

“What are you…you’re supposed to be in the dungeon!”

“That’s enough, Sister!” Celestia walks to her side, with Stone Shield following suit. “I have ignored your madness for far too long!”

Proteus run to Selene, throwing his forelegs over her shoulders in a tight embrace.

“You came for me!” he said, stroking her mane.

“Of course I did.” she says tearfully, “I told you, I was never going to leave you.”

“Selene?” Luna wonders. The name seems familiar to her. Almost as if she has heard it before. Then, she remembers, and it all comes back to her. She’s seen this mare before, when she was a mere filly…a dead filly. “You!” she shouts, “The child of Chrysalis!” The Guards murmur in interest. “You’re supposed to be dead!”

“I get that a lot.” Selene snarks back, looking at Proteus. “Did she hurt you, Proteus?”

“No, I’m alright.”

Luna watches the two interact with each other. She sees the love that is on their faces, in their eyes, their body language. As the rage builds inside her very being, she suddenly had an epiphany, causing her to smile.

“Guards!” she shouts, “Arrest them!” She points at Selene and Proteus.

“What are you doing?” Celestia says.

“Don’t you see what is wrong with this, dear Sister?!” She moves away from Celestia, walking between the two armies, all the while staring down Proteus and Selene with evil intent. “Look at them! Guard and Changeling! It’s very romantic; we’ve seen it all before. However, there is a bit of a problem with this little love story. He is the son of Twilight Sparkle, my sister’s most proud student, and she is the daughter of Queen Chrysalis, the once great ruler of the Changelings. They have one thing in common…they have the same father!”

The Guards gasp at the news. The Changelings are unsurprised. They knew this already.

“That’s right! Half siblings! And now here they are, in a lover’s embrace!”

“That’s quite enough, Luna!” Celestia shouts.

“Why?!” Luna shoots a looks of contempt at her sister. “Do you approve of this union?! According to our laws, if siblings have engaged in the act of incest, they are to be imprisoned, and then banished from Equestria for eternity!” She looks at Proteus, glaring at him. “Have you mated with this creature?”

Proteus looks at Selene, then back at Luna, Celestia, and the Guards. He has no other choice

“Yes. I have.”

Silence. Nopony speaks. The Guards have no idea what to think, looking upon their former ally like he had just turned his back on everything that is right with the world. Celestia has no reaction to it, she just stares at Proteus. She doesn’t look at him hatefully; she doesn’t have much of a reaction at all.

“Guards…” Luna says with authority, “I order you to arrest them.”

A few of the Guards walk forward to do their duty. Suddenly, a hoof is raised…Celestia’s hoof, effectively stopping them.

“You will do no such thing.” Celestia says sternly.

“Sister!” Luna shouts, confused. “You know the laws! They ought to be imprisoned and banished!”

“Why not just banish us?” Selene asks, “Why the imprisonment?”

“You watch your tongue, Changeling!” Luna glares at Selene.

“Do you plan on trying to seduce Proteus again, while we are separated from each other? To get him to believe that you’re in love with him? You had your chance, and you blew it!”

“Such nonsense! How dare you suggest that I would do such a thing?”

“But, that’s what you want, isn’t it?” Proteus interjects, “Hours ago, you told me that you would let me go, if I agreed to be with you.” The Guards murmur again, while Celestia throws an accusatory glance at Luna. “You just can’t accept that I found somepony else!”

“And that somepony else is your SISTER! You two deserve far worse than what I am offering!”

“Don’t play the innocent with them!” Proteus screams, “You lied to me; making believe that you loved me! You lied to the Guards, thinking that I tried to rape you! And when my own mother chose to fight your accusations, you struck her down!”

Everypony gasps at the last two parts. They cannot believe that Princess Luna is capable of such things. Celestia looks upon her sister in anger, but also disappointment at her actions. Luna does not deny it.

“I…I…”

“Face it, Princess…” Selene says with a great deal of satisfaction, “You’ve lost.”

Another fire rages in Luna’s eyes. She grits her teeth, and prepares to scream.

“NO! YOU STOLE HIM FROM ME!!!” Her horn glows a bright blue. “I’M TAKING HIM BACK!”

She fires a powerful shot of magic straight at Selene!

“Selene!” Proteus yells. He pushes Selene out of the way, and is struck directly in the chest by Luna’s magic, sending him flying back to the ground. Everypony goes wide eyed at the event. Luna is in total shock; she cannot move an inch.

“Proteus!” screams Selene, rushing to his damaged body. The Changelings prepare to charge Luna and the Guards. Selene looks at them.

“No! Don’t attack!” The Changelings obey her order, standing down…for now. “We wouldn’t be any better than her, anyway.”

She turns back to Proteus, who appears to be motionless. She gives his side a light prod, trying to find a sign of life. She does; the moment her hoof makes impact with his fur, he groans in pain. He’s alive, but hurt.

“Proteus, talk to me.”

“Ow…” he replies, in a half chuckle. “That hurt more than I thought it would.”

Selene smiles, giving him a light laugh, happy that he’s okay. She turns Proteus over on his back, revealing the black and red singe on his chest. She is concerned, once again.

“Medicine. I need medicine!” A Changeling with a bag full of cave slime pushes through the army. Selene dips her hooves into the substance, and rubs it on the wound. Proteus winces in pain, and she attempts to be gentler with her touch. His wincing subsides, as the magic within the goop takes effect on his wound.

“Are you feeling any better?”

“Yeah.” he nods, “Feels nice, actually. Better than the searing pain a few seconds ago, anyway.”

“Don’t joke like that.” She’s fighting back the tears. “I thought I lost you.” He caresses her cheek.

“It’ll take more than that to stop me.” He looks over at the Changeling medic. “You actually have a medic?”

“Yeah. You recommended it during training.” Selene says with a smirk, “I guess it paid off.”

Suddenly, their little quiet moment is interrupted by a loud explosion in the distance. Everypony is snapped from the events unfolding before them, and look in the direction of one place. There is absolute horror in their eyes, when the see the source of the explosion. It’s coming from the place where there shouldn’t be one, where everything was under control, and danger free. More importantly, it was the place where nearly every evil in Equestria was being held.

What has been destroyed…is Mt. Tartarus. Even from far away, they can see the giant volcanic explosion engulf the sky in flames. Something has happened, and none of the possibilities don’t even come close to being considered good.

“Oh my…” Celestia whispers, “Tartarus…”

Selene helps Proteus stand to get a better look at the explosion.

“That’s by my home…” Selene says, holding Proteus close to her.

The roaring of the mythological creatures from inside the former prison, echo throughout the land. They have escaped, and have set their sights on all of Equestria. Celestia is broken from her moment of terrified awe, and turns back to the Guards.

“Soldiers!” They stand at attention from the sound of her voice. “Tartarus has fallen! The creatures have escaped, and they are targeting all of us! If we do nothing, Equestria will burn! Do you want that?!”

“NO, YOUR MAJESTY!” They yell in unison.

“I need every colt, mare, anypony that can fight to take on this threat, and fight! You know your roles, you know what you can do, now get out there and fight!”

The Guards cheer at Celestia’s inspiring words, running, or taking to the skies to fight the oncoming threat. Proteus and Selene run to Celestia.

“Princess!” He catches her attention. “My mother, she’s sick. Can you get her and her friends out of Ponyville? I don’t want them to…”

“Relax, Proteus.” assures Celestia, “I’ll take care of them.”

“Celestia.” says Selene, “My home is close to Tartarus. I will join your fight. My army is more than capable of fighting the enemy.”

Celestia looks at her determined face, proud of her strong will.

“Then, you shall fight alongside us.”

Selene turns to her army.

“Changelings! Our home is in danger, we must fight to protect it! I need a small squad to go to the dragons nest, and convince them to fight!”

Five Changelings raise their holed hooves up, eager to join. Selene gathers them up.

“We may have been banished, but Equestria is still our home! Some may not survive, but if you’re with me, everypony is counting on us! Who’s in?!”

All the Changelings cheer.

“To WAR!” She shouts in a mighty voice. The Changelings fly into the air, to the battlegrounds. Selene looks to Proteus, her look of determination changed to one of love. “I have to go with them.” She puts a hoof on his chest. “If I don’t survive…”

“We’ll make it.” Proteus says, “We all will.” He leans in, giving her a gentle kiss on the lips. “This isn’t goodbye…this is good luck.”

“You too.” Selene moves away from Proteus, taking off to the skies, joining her Changeling swarm.

Proteus looks over at Celestia, who nods before teleporting away, leaving him and Luna alone. He walks over to her, slowly. She tries to regain her composure, but it’s a long process.

“Princess…” He watches as Luna looks at him, with regret and sorrow. “Are you with us?”

“Yeah…” she says after moments of silence. “Proteus…I’m so sorry. I…”

“Don’t worry about it.” he interrupts. Now is not the time for apologies. “We have a battle to go to, and we need all the help we can get. What has happened between us can wait. Everypony needs you…including me.”

A small smile forms on Luna’s face. “You…you don’t hate me?”

“We have no time.” he ignores her question, looking over at the ruined Tartarus, where creatures are pouring out of the top. “You say you can take care of yourself, now’s the time to prove it.”

“Is that an order, Private?” she asks.

“Not at all…Princess.” He unfurls his wings; taking off. Luna does the same.

The two fly at near supersonic speeds, joining the army of Pegasi on route to the battle. He flies past a few of the Soldiers, catching up to Stone Shield. The Captain looks over at him, happy to see him at his side in the battle to come.

“Nice of you to join us.” he said.

“I wasn’t going to miss this.” Proteus replied with a smirk, “The Changelings will be joining us in the battle, so we won’t be outnumbered…I hope.”

“You know, I’m almost glad you’re friends with them.”

“Almost?” he wondered.

“They still scare the feathers off me, though.”

“You’ll get used to it.” Proteus chuckled.

It was a nice moment between the two; a calm before the storm. They get closer to the wreckage that was once Mt. Tartarus. On the ground below, and in the skies above, are all sorts of creatures, way more than anticipated. They are raging, roaring beasts, and it’s going to take everything that everypony has to take them down.

“Sweet Celestia.” Stone Shield quietly says, “This looked easier from far away.”

“You and I have a very different point of view on the word easy.” Proteus responds.

Looking down, they see the Unicorns and Earth ponies begin their charge on the creatures on the ground.

“Okay, soldiers! Get ready!” Stone Shield shouts. The Soldiers put on their battle faces. The Captain looks at Proteus, seeing one particular detail about him that stands out. “You don’t have any armor on, Private. This could be dangerous.”

“I know.” he says.

“I’m not going to have to keep an eye on you, am I?”

“Nope.” Proteus replies with confidence, “You do what you do best, and I’ll do mine.”

Stone Shield smirks. The loud screech of a flying pack of Harpies, interrupts him. Everypony turns all their attention towards the creatures making the charge.

“Harpies!” Stone Shield yells, “Let’s show them what Equestrian Royal Guards can do!”

The Soldiers yell in triumph, as they fly in blinding speed towards the Harpies. The impact on both sides is great, and the battle for the skies has begun. The Soldiers take on these winged creatures with all they got, using their training to their fullest potential. These creatures have nearly no chance against this almost unstoppable force.

Luna is partaking in the fight, showing that even a Princess isn’t helpless when placed into a battle. She looks down to see the Soldiers down below in much bigger trouble. She looks to Proteus.

“The ones on the ground need help!”

“Go! We can take care of this!”

She nods, descending to the ground at a breakneck speed. She slams onto the ground, assisting the Soldiers in battling Manticores, Medusas, and other terrifying creatures.

Proteus is proving to be valuable asset in battle. Before today, his only form of combat was the Timberwolves, and the Changelings. They are nothing compared to what he faces now. His lack of armor is also an advantage for him. Without the extra weight, he is faster, able to take on multiple opponents at once, and not miss a beat. Using what he has learned from Stone Shield, plus a few techniques he’s come up with himself, he flies from Harpy to Harpy, taking them down with one or two well-placed strikes.

Just as the battle in the air seems to be in their favor, the Hydras appear, flying up to take on the Soldiers. They are massive, much bigger and stronger than the comparatively weak Harpies. They snap their mighty jaws; some Soldiers aren’t fast enough to dodge them, and are brutally eaten.

Stone Shield, refusing to be deterred by the losses, fights one of the monsters.

“Come on, you foul beast!” Stone Shield says defiantly.

He shows the creature he isn’t all talk, using his speed to confuse the Hydra into getting tangled in its own three heads. Taking the opportunity, he unsheathes his sword using his mouth, and flies straight towards the Hydra like a bullet. In an instant, he rams himself blade first into the monster’s chest, and drives himself through, exiting from the creature’s back, creating a nice bloody hole. The Hydra falls to the ground, making a nice crater in the dirt. Proteus mouth opens wide at the sheer awesome his Captain just displayed. Stone Shield has a look of complete satisfaction on his face, sheathing his sword.

No time for words of admiration though, as a couple more Hydras come flying straight at them! Suddenly, the two Hydras are run through by a hail of green magic. Proteus, Stone Shield, and any remaining Pegasi look up to see the Changelings charging into battle, with Selene leading them! The Changeling swarm battles any creature that is in the skies, using the training that Proteus had taught them in the fight. They are coordinated, well prepared, and practically indestructible. Stone Shield looks in awe at their fighting prowess.

Selene flies over to Proteus.

“You’re late.” Proteus jests, happy to see her regardless.

“Had a little trouble with the Dragons.”

“Did you get them?”

“I got more than that.”

The powerful roar of the Dragon army is heard all throughout the land, as the massive battalion of the scaly beasts come bursting from the forest and the skies, aiding the Royal Army and the Changelings. In the fray is somepony that Proteus didn’t expect to see…Spike! He’s doing his part to fight these mythological creatures…and he’s doing just fine.

“Spike?!” Proteus asks, “How did you…?”

“Questions later. Fighting now.” she interrupts. He can’t argue with that.

Selene and Proteus fight side by side against whatever is left of the Hydras, proving to be a powerful team.

Spike roars like the rest of his Dragon clan, and though he cannot fly, his claws more than make up for it. He charges a Medusa, dodging its deadly stone stare, and tackles get down, gouging the creature’s eyes out, so he can unleash his inner warrior, and tear the being apart. Once he’s done, he moves on to the next.

The Hydras are down, and the rest of the enemies in the skies are dwindling. The Changelings and their Dragon friends are destroying the opposition. Proteus, Selene, Stone Shield, and any other Pegasi, fly down to the ground, where the real action is taking place. There are a lot more creatures on the ground, than in the sky. The Soldiers have suffered many losses, as the creatures are much stronger than they appear to be.

What was a flat desert land, has now become an explosive battleground of fire, brimstone, and endless craters caused by the violence.

“We’ll have to split up, help those who need it!” Selene says, “We can cover more ground that way.”

“Good idea.” Proteus says. They look at one another longingly, wishing the other luck, without saying a word. “I’ll see you soon.”

“You better hope so.” Selene rockets towards a Cyclops, ramming its eye with a powerful strike.

“What a mare!” Stone Shield says.

“Yes she is.” Proteus responds back. The two the split off; doing what they are ordered. They battle the ground threats one at a time. To compensate for their strength, everypony doubles their efforts and strikes, using multiple hits, and multiple Soldiers to take them down. Proteus is all too happy to help his fellow Guard, and they are grateful for his help. For the battle’s duration, what had transpired before seemed like it was long forgotten. Now, everypony is focused on one thing…survival.

The numbers of the creatures are falling; some are retreating back to the ruins of Tartarus. Stone Shield is quick to notice this development.

“They’re falling back to Tartarus!” he yells, “Gather them up, and the Unicorns will make a barrier!”

The Dragons, the Changelings, and the Soldiers begin their massive attack, driving the creatures back to the ruins of the prison that they escaped. It’s not an easy push, as they suffer a few losses along the way, but their resolve never falters, continuing to be a strong as it has ever been, maybe even stronger. They use everything that they have to win, and as it stands, winning is more than a guarantee.

The Creatures are driven to the smoldering ruins of Tartarus. Using the opening, the Unicorns deliver a power burst of magic, creating a gigantic circle around the ruins, and a wall begins to form around the defeated army. They attempt to attack again, but the wall is too strong for the beasts, as they are sent back to the ground.

The Soldiers, Changelings, and Dragons cheer for their victory. It’s a good time to celebrate.

“Spike!” Proteus calls out to the dragon. Spike turns, and is surprised by Proteus’ sudden hug. “You made it!”

“Dragon scales are much stronger than fur.” he proudly states, “You look like you have a death wish, not wearing armor like that.”

“How did you get here?”

“Selene brought me here. When she told me everypony needed my help, I couldn’t turn away.”

“What about Mom? Is she alright?”

“She’s fine. Celestia came by, and teleported her to safety, along with the others.”

Proteus breathes a sigh of relief. As the wall slowly continues to form, Proteus turns and looks around the battlefield for Selene. He cannot find her anywhere. A terrible thought passes his head.

“What’s the matter?” Spike asks.

“I don’t see Selene.” Proteus runs off into the field. He runs all over, calling her name out. As his search becomes more desperate, he begins to panic, hyperventilate even. Tears well in his eyes, as he fears the absolute worst.

“Proteus!” A voice calls out to him. He turns to see Luna, alive and well, with only minor scratches from the fight. “What’s going on?”

“I can’t find Selene!”

“Calm down, she couldn’t have gone….”

Suddenly, something bursts from the ground behind Luna! It’s a Manticore! However, it’s not any Manticore, it’s the same exact one that tried to attack Proteus months ago. The beats raises his claws at Luna, preparing a deadly strike.

“LUNA!” Proteus yells. She turns to the creature, frozen is fear at its oncoming attack. There’s nothing she can do. As the Manticore swipes, Proteus dives in as quickly as he can, pushing Luna out of the way, but at a price. The Manticore’s claws rip through his back, damaging his wings. He screams in anguish, as he is brought to the ground.

“Proteus!” Luna screams. The Soldiers turn to see the Manticore approaching Proteus’ damaged body. He can barely stand, as he looks up at the vicious creature looming over him. It raises his claws once again.

Just then, Selene comes out of smoke of battle, tackling the Manticore to the dirt! The creature is angry, denied its kill. Selene stares the monster down, with all the hate in her eyes being focused on it. With a loud primal roar, she Charges the Manticore, and the two fight it out. She damages the monster with her magic, cutting it, making it bleed. She is winning. Proteus is still trying to get up, but he is bleed profusely from his back.

“Selene…” he weakly says.

Luna rushes to him. “She’s fine! You need medical attention!”

“I have to help her…”

Selene once again delivers a powerful hit to the Manticore, bringing it down. She turns to see Proteus trying to get on his hooves.

“Prot---“ The Manticore’s paw slams her to the ground, holding her tightly, preventing her from moving. She yelps in pain at the creature’s attack. She tries desperately to move, but it’s all for naught.

Proteus sees this; he watches as Selene looks over at him, staring into his eyes in absolute terror at what’s about to happen. Seeing her like that, brings about a feeling he hasn’t felt in ages, a feeling he had tried to suppress, ever since the night his mother was in peril by a bunch of thuggish stallions, the feeling…that somepony is about to get absolutely murdered.

Proteus screams the loudest scream he had ever yelled, stopping the Manticore from carrying out his fatal blow. Proteus fights through the pain, shooting towards the creature with all his might, tackling it hard enough to cause a crater in the ground at the moment of impact. The Manticore can do almost nothing, as Proteus delivers blow after powerful blow to its face. It swipes at him, and every swipe connects with Proteus’ face and body, cutting the right side of him something bad, and it’s still not enough to stop him. Maybe it’s the adrenaline, maybe it’s the fact that he just doesn’t care; he is going to destroy this beast that tried to kill Selene.

Seeing no other option, the Manticore raises its tail, about to sting him.

“PROTEUS!” Selene screams out.

It’s too late. The spike in the tale plunges through Proteus’ back, and out his chest. He stops for a few seconds, looking down at the wound. The Manticore is relieved that the pain is over, but that changes in an instant, when he sees the wound for himself. Those who are unaware of a Manticore’s tail, is that venom is secreted from the tip of it, and anypony stung by it, could be killed within seconds. The tip is protruding from Proteus’ chest, and the venom is dripping from it, onto the creature’s chest, with none of it going into the still in rage Guard Pony.

Proteus ceases to care for his injury, as he does a fast as lighting twist, tearing the stinger from the Manticore! The creature roars in pain, as Proteus, with the Stinger still inside him, continues to beat down the Manticore with uncontrollable fury. He slams his hooves down again, and again, and again, failing to notice that after a while, the roars from the creature has stopped. It's dead. It died about thirty seconds ago. He continues to strike at the bloody mess, when the adrenaline starts to wear off.

He stops, climbing off of the Manticore’s body, stumbling along the ground. Selene and Luna look on in horror at him, as he shuffles towards them. Half his face and body are a bloody mess, and he has been impaled. Somehow, he is still standing.

“Selene…” he says quietly, “Are….you….”

He falls to the ground, convulsing from the blood loss. Both Luna and Selene run to him, kneeling down at his sides, trying to keep him from shaking. The two share a look, though when they met, they were enemies, now, all they are focused on is helping him live.

“Hold him down.” Luna tells her, “I’m going to pull this thing out.”

Selene does what she asks without question. Luna uses her magic to grip the stinger, and swiftly rips it from his body, causing him to yell.

“It’s okay, Proteus!” Selene tries to calm him, “We’re going to help you!” She looks to her Changelings. “I need medicine, now!”

“That’s not going to do much here!” Luna tells her.

“Yes it can! All we have to do is…”

“Selene! Listen to me! He is badly wounded, and he needs to get to the hospital, right away! I know how you feel, but we must go quickly!”

Selene cannot fight her on this. Deep down, she is right. She won’t verbally admit it, though, choosing instead to nod.

“What do you want me to do?” Selene asks.

“Help me pick him up.” Luna backs away from him. Her horn glows, and a bubble surrounds Proteus’ body. “There has to be two for this spell to hold.”

Selene backs away, using her magic to make the bubble stronger. The two look at one another, as they take off to the skies, leaving everypony, including Stone Shield and Spike, to their own devices.

“Proteus…” Selene whispers, “Don’t you dare die on me.”

Chapter 9: The Long Goodbye

Princess Luna and Queen Selene; not a few hours ago, they were enemies, ready to kill each other without hesitation. But now, at this moment, they are sitting together in a hospital waiting room, awaiting the fate of the stallion that started this entire story. Both sat there in shock at what had happened, both sat there afraid that he wasn’t going to make it. His wounds were unimaginably bad; it was almost a miracle that he was standing for as long as he was before keeling over.

The waiting room was packed to the brim with other ponies, suffering from injuries sustained from the attack by the monsters of Tartarus. There were ponies groaning in pain, wailing even, some louder than the crying fillies who made off with just a scratch. It was hard to think about anything with such noise, but the Princess and the Queen sat there, like they couldn’t hear anything but their own thoughts.

Princess Luna hoped that the barrier made by the Unicorns will be able to hold, until Celestia arrived to place the finishing touches. Her mind then dwindled to Celestia, and what had happened between them outside of Canterlot. She was caught off guard by her sister’s actions to keep Proteus and Selene together, despite the fact that they were breaking a law that was written in stone many years ago. She didn’t understand why Celestia would do that, and go against her own moral code.

Selene, on the other hoof, couldn’t be bothered to think about such things. All she had on her mind was Proteus. When they brought his unconscious body into the hospital, the Doctors gasped in fright at both his condition, and the fact that she was a Changeling. Luckily for them, Proteus’ health came first, as he was immediately placed onto a gurney, and into the emergency room. After a couple questions, she withheld from telling them that she was his sister; Luna was nice enough not to blurt it out. The Princess was certain Selene was still very much angry with her, and doing something like that would only exacerbate things. Since then, Selene sat there, her hooves shaking like they were freezing cold, but the weather wasn’t the problem; it was that it had been hours, and no news about his condition had been disclosed.

The Queen had to think of something else, something to take her mind off her terrified state, but it couldn’t be helped. She would think about all the good times she shared with him, but it would only lead to the now. What she isn’t aware of, is the Princess looking right at her, wondering what to do next.

Luna looked at her for what seemed like minutes, she could see the dread surrounding the Queen of the Changelings. As her stare becomes increasingly longer, she starts to feel something for the mare that she thought she wouldn’t…concern. The very mare that she shot a blast of magic at, is now sitting before her, nearly in tears at the possible loss of her love. She shouldn’t be feeling this way for her; why would she? Selene stole Proteus away, and not only that, but they are sibling lovers. But, why does she feel this way?

Slowly, Luna reaches a hoof out, resting it on Selene’s shoulder. In a knee jerk reaction, Selene shrugs off the shoulder, broken from her thoughts, and glaring into the eyes of the Princess of the night.

“Don’t touch me.” she growls at Luna, “I won’t forget what you have done. To him…AND to me.”

“Selene.” she says softly, “I don’t want to fight you. Not anymore.”

“None of this would have happened, if you didn’t betray him.”

“If I didn’t, you wouldn’t have met him.”

Selene scoffs, refusing to see her point. “I’ve met him before all this. I was just…waiting for the perfect moment.”

“Really?” Luna was interested in this development. “He's never mentioned you, prior to a month ago.”

“That’s bec…” she stops, changing the subject. “Why are you even talking to me?” she scoffs.

“I'm curious." she says. "Am I not allowed to be interested in Chrysalis’ daughter?” she asks.

“You stopped being allowed when you tried to kill me in front of everypony in Canterlot."

“I wasn’t trying to kill you. Merely wound you.” she tries to chuckle it off, but Selene was having none of it. “Besides, Proteus…” Luna ceases that thought, thinking about the condition that he is in now. She clears her throat, and much like the Queen, tries to change the topic of discussion.

It’s quiet now between them. Neither of them knowing what to say to the other. Selene chortles.

“I guess it’s hard to talk about things, without bringing him up.”

“Yeah. It is.” Luna agrees. She looks around the waiting area, finally noticing how loud everything is. “Selene…” The Queen looks over at her. “In all seriousness, I really do want to talk to you.”

“Then let’s talk.”

“I prefer someplace quieter.”

The two walk around the hospital, finding a room that will suit their standards for ‘quiet’. After minutes of searching, they find a room. Selene notices Luna locking the door with her magic, preventing anypony from getting in.

“What's with the secrecy? Trying to actually kill me, this time?”

“No. I’m not.” she shakes head, along with rolling her eyes.

“Then, are you going to apologize?”

“In…” Luna pauses, “In a way…” She looks around the room. “You may want to sit down for this.”

“I prefer to stand, thank you.”

“Suit yourself.” Luna sighs, “I…want to tell you about…myself. Explain a few things, about what happened.”

“What is there to explain? I already know the story between you two.”

“It goes much deeper than that.” She sees Selene cock an eyebrow. “A long time ago, your father and I were…involved.” Selene immediately sits down on the floor. That caught her attention fast. “He was my personal guard for a year, then…one thing led to another, and we both realized that we were more than just Guard and Princess…we were in love. That’s when I made my first mistake.”

“What did you do?” The story is very interesting to Selene, she had no idea about any of this.

“I told him that I wasn’t in love with him. That what we had was nothing more than a fling…a midnight tryst if you will. The thing was…I lied.”

“Why?”

“I’m an Alicorn, Selene. I will live for thousands of years, while he would have grown old and died in front of my very eyes. The thought of that scared me, more than you realize. So, I lied…and that crushed him. Eventually, after months of silence, we agreed to be friends, but that love in his eyes, the love that I would see in him every day that we were together…was gone. Until his death, I was always still in love with him, but his heart belonged to another…your mother. I had no ill will towards her. From what I was told, when she was with him, she was a kind, merciful Changeling, and her death was as tragic as his.”

Selene hangs her head down. She never knew her mother, and the thought of that made her very upset. She looks back at Luna, and notices that it is becoming harder to tell the story as she progresses.

“For the next eleven years, I have tried falling in love a few times. There were many potential suitors, sure, but none could ever make me forget. Then, I met Proteus. I was always aware of his existence, but I never met him until that one night. The moment he looked at me, the moment he looked into my eyes, that same look, the one that Strong Heart would give me whenever he used to look at me, was there. For him, it was love at first sight. For me…I saw a second chance.”

“Let me guess…you traded one lie for another, am I right?” Selene asks cynically. Luna doesn’t argue with her. Her eyes begin to water.

“When he came of age, I pursued a relationship with him. I tried to love him, I really did. But…he just wasn’t…him. I had hoped that one day; I would fall in love with him. I was willing to spend however long it took, to find out if I could. But, I messed up. He found out, he got angry, and he left…and fell right into your hooves.”

Luna stared into Selene’s eyes. Both sadness and jealousy linger into her stare, but not hatred.

“When he was gone, I began to feel angry. Not only at myself, but also at him, and I wanted to get him back. I wanted him back into my forelegs, back into my bed, and I was willing to do whatever it took to make him mine once again.”

“You became obsessed…” Selene begins to figure her out.

“Yes; and in my obsession, I became somepony that I didn't want to be. I created a grand lie, one to make all of Canterlot turn against their former friend. And after a month, he came back to me. But then, when I saw him, there was no more love in his eyes. It was like his father all over again. The thing was, I would eventually see it, but not for me…for you. His own sister.” Luna’s tears pour out of her eyes, as she begins to break down crying. “I was so angry, that I wanted to hurt you, to take you away from him. I became the thing that I swore I would never become…a monster!” She falls to the ground in sobs. “I’m scum! I don’t deserve anypony! I’m a liar and a fraud that won’t let go of the past! It’s just….just…” She puts her head down on the floor. “I miss him so much!”

Selene could only look on at the once powerful Princess, sobbing on the hospital room floor. She doesn’t know what to do, or what to say. For once, she doesn’t feel any resentment towards her; instead, she feels…pity. The Queen gently picks Luna off the floor, facing her. She holds her close to her face, and gives her a form of comfort that the Princess of The Night did not expect…a gentle kiss on the lips. The kiss immediately stops her tears from flowing, and her eyes close at the warm feeling that Selene is giving her. The Queen could be using her powers to calm her down, she doesn’t know, but it’s a small comfort nonetheless.

After a short while, Selene breaks the kiss, and Luna looks at her in surprise.

“Do you pity me?” Luna asks.

The Queen slowly nods her head. “I also understand you. I too know what it’s like to be obsessed.” She embraces Luna, holding her tightly to her body. “One day, you will find somepony you will love, just as much as he loves you. You will cherish each and every moment you will share with him, and you will honor the memory of my father…by letting him go.”

Luna rests her head on Selene’s shoulders, sharing the embrace with one of her own. Selene can feel Luna nod her head in compliance to her request.

“But Proteus is off limits now. Understand?” she says half-jokingly, but also very serious. Luna laughs in response, and Selene feels another nod on her shoulder.

“Thank you.” Luna says, “I don’t care what you are, as long as he is happy.”

After a few more seconds of embracing, the two head out the door, back into the waiting room. As night falls, the head Doctor finally exits from the emergency room. Luna and Selene are almost the only ones left in the waiting room. They see him approaching, and they immediately stand up, waiting for the news.

“He’s stable.” he says. The two sigh in relief. “He was cut up pretty bad, anypony else would have died from the amount of blood he lost, but he has a strong heart.” Luna smirks at the comment. ‘He’s in recovery now, under a deep sleep. It’ll probably be until morning, before I can allow any visitors. Sorry, Princess.”

“It’s quite alright.” Luna replies, “We will visit him tomorrow.”

“One more thing Doctor.” Selene says, “Did Princess Celestia bring Twilight Sparkle here?”

“Of course. She was adamant about keeping her safe during the battle outside. Unfortunately, no visitors are allowed to see her at this time, apart from hospital staff, of course.”

Selene nods, in understanding. She and Luna walk out the door. Outside, it’s calm and serene, definitely not how it was a few hours ago. It seems that all is right with Equestria at the moment. The battle is won, and Proteus is alive.

“I have to go now.” Luna says, “Much to do at the castle, I’m sure.”

“I’ll go check on my army. See if they’re okay.”

“Alright. I’ll see you soon.” Luna takes off, leaving Selene behind. She looks back at the Hospital.

It’s the middle of the night in the recovery room. Proteus is fast asleep. Most of his right side is in bandages, and an IV is in his foreleg. Nurse Redheart walks into the room. She looks at the sleeping colt, making sure his bed in comfortable and his bandages are on tight.

The Doctor walks into the room, surprised to see Redheart there.

“Nurse Redheart? I thought you left.”

“No, I had to make sure this patient was okay.”

The Doctor smiles, understanding. “Ah, I see. Hard to believe he survived all of that. He must have some friends in very high places, if I do say so myself. The Princess and a Changeling brought him here personally.”

“Really? Well, I guess they care about him a lot.”

“It sure seemed like it. That Changeling, though. There was something familiar about her.”

“What do you mean?”

“The weirdest thing, over twenty years ago, I had to extract a dead Changeling foal from Queen Chrysalis. She looked very much like that filly. I must be imagining things.”

“That is strange.” Nurse Redheart admitted, “At least the patient is okay. By the way, where is Twilight Sparkle? Princess Celestia wanted me to make sure that she’s comfortable as well.”

“Forgot the room number, huh? I don’t blame you, since all the craziness that happened. It’s down the hall, in room E-3. When you’re done, go home and get some rest. You look tired.”

Redheart laughs as the Doctor walks off.

Moments later, Redheart walks inside room E-3, where she sees Twilight Sparkle asleep in her bed. There’s a heart monitor attached to her chest, and an IV in her foreleg. The side of her bed had dozens of cards, hoping for a speedy recovery, a small stack of books that look as if they had been open and read many times, and her left foreleg is clutching a raggedy looking doll made of wool, with buttons for eyes. Redheart approaches the sleeping Twilight carefully, attempting not to forcefully wake her up. She pats her pillow, making sure it’s nice and soft, and moves her blanket up her chest a little more, to keep her warm.

She then places a hoof along Twilight’s cheek, caressing it gently. Twilight exhales a breath in comfort at the touch.

“Twilight?” Redheart says softly.

The unicorn eventually awakens, seeing Redheart at her side.

“Nurse Redheart?” she says groggily, “What’s the matter? Is something wrong?”

“Twilight…” Redheart says again, “Don’t be afraid of what I’m about to show you.”

“What are you talking about/” she sees Redheart turn to the door, locking it with magic. “Wait…you’re not a unicorn. Who are you?”

Slowly, Redheart transforms into her true appearance…Selene. Twilight gasps at the sight of her, but doesn’t scream.

“Shhhhh…” Selene says, holding a hoof up to her lips, “Don’t be scared.”

“I’m…I’m not.” Twilight admits, “It’s you. You’re the Changeling Proteus had been talking about.”

“My name is Selene.” she says, “Proteus is in the room down the hall.”

“What?” Twilight says in a panic, her heart monitor spiking. “What happened to him?”

Selene puts her hoof on Twilight’s chest, giving her a small bit of relaxation.

“He’s alright. He got hurt in battle, but he’ll pull through. I need to you to calm down. I’m not supposed to be here.”

Twilight calms her heart down to a normal rate. She breathes a sigh of relief that her son if okay.

“Proteus told me you were sick. Is everything okay?”

“No.” Twilight shakes her head, “I have…cancer. He doesn’t know. I was going to tell him the next time he came to visit.”

Selene widens her eyes, and they start to water with tears.

“How long do you have?”

“Not long…” she replies, “The Doctors said that I could go at any time.”

“Is there anything I can do? Maybe I can…”

“No.” Twilight interrupts, “I just want to see my son again.”

“He should be awake soon. I’m sure he’ll want to see you when he does.” Selene tries to assure her. “Just hang in there.”

“I appreciate your kindness.” Twilight looks closer at Selene, noting her appearance. “You know, you’re really pretty.” Selene blushes, which brings a smile to Twilight. “Your mother was pretty too. I can see why he likes you.”

Selene is surprised at Twilight’s statement. Does she know that she and Proteus are involved?

“Twilight, I…”

“It’s okay.” she says, “I knew he was in love with you. The way he talked about you, it was all too obvious to me how he felt about you.

“I’m very sorr…”

“Do you love him?” Twilight asks, “Do you love my son?”

She can see it in Twilight’s eyes; she knows that Proteus and her are related, worry begins to set in her stomach, but she cannot lie to his mother. She sucks it up, and says…

“I do…” Selene responds, “I love him more than anything. I know I shouldn’t, but…”

“What do you mean?” Twilight wonders.

“Because of who I am! Because Strong Heart was my father, just as he was Proteus’! It’s forbidden. I know you probably don’t approve of it, but…”

Twilight places a hoof on Selene’s shoulder. The Queen looks at her, and sees a gentle smile grace her sickly, yet still beautiful face.

“Is he happy?” Twilight says.

Selene smirks, as a singular tear rolls down her face. She nods, confirming Twilight’s question.

“That’s all that matters.”

“But…it not normal.”

“His life never was normal.” Twilight freely admits, “He was conceived in abnormal circumstances, he was raised in abnormal circumstances, and everypony saw him as abnormal all his life. I guess…somehow…you are the one thing that’s normal to him.” Twilight chuckles, “I want you to do something for me.”

“Anything.” Selene says.

“When I’m gone, I want you to take care of him. Things are about to be very difficult for him, and I want you to be there when it does.”

“I will.” Selene says, “Twilight…can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“You’re the only one I know that met my mother. How was she?”

“Truthfully?” she asks. Selene nods. “Our first meeting wasn’t exactly ideal, but when I finally got to know her…she was wonderful. And you remind me of her.”

“Thank you.” Selene smiles, “I’m sorry that I couldn’t have met you sooner.”

“I’m sorry he couldn’t have met you sooner.”

Proteus didn’t wake up for four days. He had his share of visitors, though. Twilight’s friends, Spike, Celestia, Selene, even Luna; they would come by to check on his condition. Though the doctors expected him to wake up much sooner, his recovery was faster than they anticipated.

Then, the day came when he finally woke up. The real Nurse Redheart was doing some inspections on his bandages, when he shifted from his position, groaning as he did it. Immediately, Redheart went straight for the Doctor, so he could be there when Proteus woke up. His eye opened slowly, the bright light from the day bleeding into the room, and into his eye.

“Good afternoon, Proteus.” The Doctor said cheerfully, “How are we feeling?”

Proteus noticed that he could only see out of one eye. He places a hoof onto the bandage wrapped around his head, covering his right eye.

“What…what happened?” he asked.

“You were injured. Princess Luna and a Changeling brought you here.”

“Both of them?” he queried.

“Yes. They were very worried about your condition.”

“And what is my condition, exactly?” He noted half his body still covered in the bandages.

“Your wounds were pretty bad. There will be some definite scarring when they fully heal. You may not be able to see much from your right eye. The only thing that was only partially damaged was your right wing, so you will still be able to fly.”

“Well, there’s that.” Proteus jokingly responds, “I guess…having scars won’t be so bad."

"You're very lucky, having friends like that. You even had quite a lot of visitors."

"Really?" He looks over at the table next to him. On it, are a variety of cards and roses, with balloons that have big 'Get Well Soon!' messages on them. He smiles at the items, glad that everypony still cares about him.

"How long was I out, Doc?”

“A few days.”

“A few days?!” Proteus practically yelled, “Where are my friends? Are they okay?”

“As far as I know. They came to visit you, while you were asleep.”

“And what about my Mother? Twilight Sparkle, is she here?”

The Doctor paused. He looked nervous about what he’s about to say. “Yeah…she’s here, but…”

“But what?”

“Her condition has gotten worse when you were out. It’s only a matter of time when…”

“Where is she?”

“She’s in room E-3, but….”

Proteus had no more time being stalled by the Doctor. He wasn’t going to let his injuries hold him back from leaving the room. He flings himself free of the straps, ripping the IV from his foreleg in the process. The Doctor and Redheart try to get to him, but he pushes them back. His struggle to get up was difficult; he was still in a lot of pain. He fought through it for each step, as he made his way out of the room.

Though the room that was holding his mother was only a few feet away, for him, it felt like miles. He trekked through the hall with great conviction. A couple of stitches on his side break, and he bleeds a little through his bandage.

“Proteus, I need you lay down!” Redheart shouts.

“I’ve been lying down for four days!” he shouts back, “You’re not going to stop me!”

He gets to her room, and bursts through the door. On the other side, are her friends. Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Spike. The all turn their heads from Twilight’s bed, to look at him, wide eyed in surprise.

“Hey guys.” Proteus said with a weak smile.

Redheart and the Doctor finally caught up to him.

“Proteus, we need to get you back in bed, now!”

“Let him stay!” Applejack said. The two stop at her words. They don’t move an inch to stop Proteus.

He walks over to the bed, past the others to look upon his mother. She is asleep, but her heart rate is weak.

“Can I…have a moment, you guys?”

“Sure thing, darling.” Rarity said, “Come on girls, and Spike.”

They form out of the room, each on offering their words of condolences to Proteus. All Spike could give him was a light pat on the back before following suit. The door shouts, leaving Proteus alone with his mother.

“Mom?” he whispers to her, “Mom, it’s me.”

Her eyes open gradually at the sound of his voice. She turns to him, and she smiles softly.

“Proteus? Is that you?”

“It’s me, Mom. I’m here.”

She looks at his bandages. Though Selene told her that he was injures, she still wasn’t expecting him to be in the state that he was in.

Oh, my son.” she puts a hoof on his cheek. “My little colt. What happened to you?”

"I'm alright, Mom. It'll only be for a couple more days. You'll see."

"No..." she says. "I won't."

His lip quivers in sadness, seeing her accepting of her fate. A tear rolls down his cheek, and onto Twilight’s hoof.

“Don’t cry.” she tries to calm him.

“I can’t help it.” he says. “It’s in my nature.” he chuckles, as more tears exit from his ducts.

“When you cry, it makes me want to cry.” she says, as a small tear forms in her eye.

“I know. I just….” He quickly puts his head on her chest. “I don’t want you to go!” he shouts, sobbing.

“Shhhh…it’s okay…” she strokes his mane, “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Yes you are…” he says, “You’re leaving me. I don’t want to be alone.”

“You won’t be alone, Proteus. You have your friends…you have Selene. It’ll be okay.”

“Did…did you meet her, when I was out?” he says, in between sniffles.

“I did. She was very nice.” she said. “And very pretty.”

“Yeah….” he smiles, “She is…”

“Proteus…”

“Yeah, Mom?”

“No matter what happens…you will never be alone. I’ll be right here…” She moves her hoof to his forehead. “And here…” She moves it to his chest. “You know that, right?”

He nods in understanding. “I wish I never joined the Guard. I could have stayed with you, we could have caught this early, and got rid of it before it got worse, I could have…”

“Don’t say such things. There was nothing you could have done. Some things just have to happen, even when you don’t want them to.”

“But…I should have been there. I should have been there to protect you, like I protected you from those colts! I wanted to be there for you, but I…”

“It’s all in the past now.”

“I…” he sniffles, “I’m going to miss you.”

“I know.” She says. “I made a lot of mistakes in my life, Proteus. Many ponies can attest to that. But…raising you…was the best decision I ever made.” Her words envelop his heart, and a lump forms on his throat. He can barely talk without bursting into tears. She continues to stroke his mane gently. “Now that you’re here…I am complete….”

“I…I love you, Mom.”

“I love you too…Proteus…..”

Her words trail off, as she closes her eyes. Her strokes of his mane become slower and slower, until coming to a complete stop. Her breathing slows, and finally, she lets out one last breath, exhaling for a short while, until stopping. Proteus hears her heartbeat go to a crawl, and like everything else, it stops.

“Mom?” he asks her. There is no response. “Mom?” He asks again, still nothing. Her hoof that was on his head, falls onto the bed. He raises his head up to look at her. She looks as if she’s in a deep, peaceful sleep. Only she is not sleeping at all. “Mom?” He continues to call out to her, but he is getting no response. It is only after moments of saying her name that the reality begins to set in.

Twilight Sparkle, his mother, and friend to all ponies…has died.

He says nothing, going completely silent. He doesn’t scream, or bawl, or even audibly cry. He unplugs the now flat-lined heart monitor, stopping it's nearly never ending beep. Tears still stream down his face, as he kisses her on the cheek, and raises the blanket up to cover her entire chest, leaving the head exposed. He tucks her in, like she was merely taking a nap, and patting her pillow to make sure it’s soft for her head. He looks down, noticing her doll had dropped on the floor. He picks it up, and places it at her side, where it belonged. Afterwards, he calmly exited her room, and into the hallway.

Her friends stand in the lobby, quietly awaiting Proteus’ return, if he should return at all. Fluttershy is the first to see Proteus emerge from the hallway, hanging his head down to the floor, as he makes his way over to them. Fluttershy taps Rainbow Dash, and subsequently, the rest look up to see him. They get up from their seats, and make their way over to him.

He stops when he sees out from the top of his eye sight, the hooves of Twilight’s friends. He looks up, and scans their faces. As he continues to look at them, the looks on their faces change, when they realize what has happened. The last face he looks upon, is Spike, who immediately starts to cry when finding out the truth.

Proteus suddenly collapses onto the floor, his attempt at keeping a straight face has failed, and he begins sobbing hard into his foreleg. The others kneel down beside him, also in tears, trying their best to comfort him, but it’s no use.

It was the saddest day in all of their lives.

Chapter 10: The End (Of The Beginning)

The week following the death of Twilight Sparkle had been the hardest Proteus ever experienced. Though he was begged to rest up, so that his wounds may heal, he relented, forging ahead on planning his mother’s funeral. He paid for everything, the service, the flowers, the coffin, even the gravestone, all on the wages he got for being Luna’s guard. Being part of the Royal Army does have its benefits, even if one was a member for only short period of time.

He shut almost everypony out during his planning, focusing on the task at hand. He didn’t even show up for the Royal Celebration, where Selene and her Changelings were abolished of their banishment, and free to roam Equestria however they pleased. Visits from Luna or Selene were greeted with unanswered doors and uncomfortable silence. The only one who ever even saw Proteus during the week was Spike, who helped him pick out the right flowers, and assisted in the creation of Twilight’s gravestone.

The day he was able to take off his bandages, was the day of the funeral. He put on his nicest suit, and looked into the mirror to see his scars. He felt as if he looked like a freak; his entire right side, and some of his left, was heavily damaged, and his eye is now a faded white, rather than the dark purple it once was. He couldn’t see much out of it, as it is now just a blur of an image. Spike walks into the room to see him. He pauses at his friend’s new appearance, no longer did he look like the happy colt he once was.

“You okay?” he asks Proteus.

“I can hardly recognize myself anymore.” he replies, “Do I look alright?”

“You look fine to me.” Spike says with a soft smile, “Don’t worry about it.”

Proteus looks back at the mirror, trying to fix up his tie. Having hooves, and not being a unicorn has its disadvantages.

“Mom would usually do this…” his eyes water.

Spike immediately goes to him, using his hands to fix up the tie. Within moments, it was a perfect knot.

“There we go.” Spike says, “Now you’re ready.”

“Thanks Spike.” Proteus smirks.

They arrived for the funeral in the early afternoon. Almost everypony in Ponyville arrived at the church. Twilight’s friends, the Cakes, the entire Apple family, Princess Celestia and Luna, almost everybody…but her parents. Proteus waited for a while, hoping that they would show, but they never did. They were either too old to come, or that their love for their daughter ceased when he was born, either way they were absent from the proceedings.

The church was beautiful, with Twilight’s coffin placed at the very end, where a picture of her in happier times was propped up beside it. Inside, was her body, sleeping eternally, holding her doll instead of flowers.

The service was long, with many ponies coming to the podium to offer their heartfelt tales of how Twilight was the greatest pony anypony could ask for, how sweet and kind she was, and how perfect of a friend she was.

Pinkie Pie had the most heartbreaking speech. Even for her age, she could have been as lively and energetic as a filly, but today she was all tears. Never once, did she smile, laugh, or bounce about, she could only sob, as she talked about the loss of her dear friend.

The last one up at the podium was Proteus.

“We have a few words from her son, Proteus.” The Priest said.

The second he got up, there were murmurs amongst the crowd at what he was going to say or do. He walked up to the front calmly and slowly, as he felt the eyes of everypony fall upon him. When get got to the podium, he looked up at the crowd; all the way in the back was Selene, who gave him a warm smile when they made eye contact. The moment was calming for him, as he looked back at everypony else.

“I…I’m not much for speeches.” he said, “I was so busy putting this together, that I didn’t write anything down. I guess I’m just going to have to speak from here...” he points to his heart, “...like I’m sure she would have wanted me to.” He breathes in and out at a gradual pace, preparing himself for the speech. “To be honest, I wasn’t expecting this many ponies to be here today. For most of my life, the only ones that I ever knew, were these five wonderful ponies here…” he points to Twilight’s true friends, “...and this Dragon,” he points to Spike, “who was the closest thing to a brother that I ever had.” He sees Spike smile. “I never even knew her parents; who couldn’t be bothered to come here today, to mourn the death of their only daughter.” His lip quivers with sadness, but also anger.

“So, I am surprised to see so many of you here. I look at most of you here, and I see the faces of those who looked upon my mother with anger and hatred, whenever they would so much as glance at her. Ever since I was born, she was seen as a pariah, and only now, when she is dead, you feel sympathy?! I remember each and EVERY one of you, who looked at her with contempt, and I will NEVER forgive you!”

As tears flow from his eyes, he can see some ponies get up to leave, hanging their heads down in shame. He silently chuckles at them, trying to hold back his emotions.

“I’m sorry. “ he said, “Maybe I should have written something down.”

The Priest puts a hoof on his back, trying to see if he was alright. Proteus looks at the old stallion, nodding that he’s okay to continue. He clears his throat.

“Not many of you knew the Twilight that I knew. She was gentle, loving…and a bit of an egghead.” he chuckles as the tears begin to form. “She would tuck me into bed every night, reading me stories of Starswirl the Bearded, and all the Daring Do books, from one to twenty five. She supported me when I made certain life choices, like joining the Royal Guard, and scolded me for others, like scaring Fluttershy’s chickens. I never heard the end of that.” There were some chuckles in the crowd. “But, most importantly of all…” he looks over at her coffin, “She was my mother, and I will miss her for every day, for the rest of my life.” he looks back at the crowd, “For those who loved her as much as I did, I thank you for coming. It means a lot to me, as I’m sure it means a lot to her.”

He steps down from the podium, as the Priest concludes the service.

Twilight was buried in the Canterlot Cemetery, placed right next to the gravesite of Strong Heart and Chrysalis. The Princesses, Spike and Twilight’s friends were the only ones present for the burial. Once the coffin was lowered into the ground, each one took turns in placing a small clump of dirt in the grave, before the gravediggers finished the job. They all stood until the last patch of dirt was placed upon the grave, and Twilight was completely buried.

Most then left, offering Proteus his condolences. The only one that stayed with him was Spike.

The two stared at the grave until evening feel; looking upon their mother, now lying at the bottom of six feet of dirt. Spike sniffles as he cries many tears. Proteus puts a hoof on the dragon’s tall scaly back.

“I wish there was something we’ve could have done.” Spike says, “She shouldn’t have died like this.”

“I know.” Proteus said, “At least she’s not in any more pain.” Proteus has no more tears to shed for his mother. Though he is still saddened by her passing, he has now accepted that she is truly gone. He looks up at the grave stone, engraved with an image of the Element of Magic, honoring her accomplishments in her past. “It’s beautiful.” he says, “Did you come up with the design?”

“Yeah.” Spike nods.

“She would have loved it.”

“You think so?”

Proteus nods with a smile, cheering up the dragon. After a while, Spike’s eyes dry up, and he begins to walk back home.

“Are you coming?” Spike asks.

“I think I’m going to stay here for a while.” Proteus says.

“Okay. You know, I noticed Selene wasn’t there. I thought she would show.”

“She did.” he assures him. He looks over to a hill off in the distance. Spike turns to see Selene standing on the hill, looking over at them.

“What’s she doing all the way over there?” he asks.

“You go on ahead, Spike. I’ll see you in the morning.” He dodges the question, but Spike understands. He simply nods, as he starts his trek back home. Proteus looks back at Selene, who unfurls her insect wings, and takes off to the skies. Proteus follows her.

She leads him back to the cave, where she is already inside waiting for him. He walks in, where the Changelings are fast asleep. He slowly walks into her cabin, and sees her in bed, back turned to him, feigning sleep. He lays down in the bed, moving his hooves to her, and pulling her back to his chest, like the night when he first embraced her. He nuzzles her neck, reveling in its warmness.

“I missed you.” she whispers.

“So did I.” he says, voice filled with regret. “I’m sorry that I’ve been avoiding you and the others. I was just…”

“There’s nothing more to say.” she tells him, “You’re here now.”

Selene turns her head to him, and he leans down, kissing her soft lips. They let the kiss continue for as long as they can, before he turns her around, facing him, and he rolls on top of her. Selene’s horn glows green, as his suit is taken off of him, and neatly folded on the floor. That familiar bubble forms over them, as he brings himself back down to her for another kiss. Her kiss becomes more passionate, and more rough, when he stops her, breaking the kiss, and looking into her eyes.

“Not tonight.” he said.

He leans back down, and kisses her in a much gentler fashion. She isn’t quite used to it, but she slowly but surely gets into it. He wasn’t looking for a rough night of intense lovemaking like the last time, but a peaceful, and pleasant session. In some ways, their night was even more intimate from this change, as they looked at one another during the act, not saying anything, but responding to kissing on various areas of their faces.

She rolls him over onto his back; now she’s on top. She looks carefully at his face and body, seeing the many scars that are now present. She caresses his scars, delivering compassionate pecks on them. She had to admit, they looked good on him, though she notices that he thinks the opposite of them.

When they were done, the bubble dissipates into a green mist that disappears within moments. Selene rests her entire body on top of him, embracing him tightly.

“You mind if I stay like this?” she asks.

“Not at all.” he replies, “I kind of like it, actually.” He sees her smirk, as she buries her head into his coat. “Thanks for coming to the funeral. I know that you two never met, but…”

“Actually…we did. When you were asleep, I went to visit her a few days before…you know.”

“What did you two talk about?”

“You.” she smiles, “She was very nice.”

“Yeah…she was.”

“So, are you going back to the Royal Guard?”

He pauses. He hadn’t thought about returning to the Equestrian Royal Guard; returning to the duty that started this whole thing for him. However, when she asked him that question, the answer came to his mind fairly easily.

“I don’t think so.” he responds, “Being a Guard…just isn’t for me.”

“Shame…I could’ve used a Guard like you.” she jests. “Will you be going back to Ponyville?”

“Yeah. I’m going to live at my mother’s house. She probably would have wanted that.” A thought then comes to him. “Do you want to live with me?”

“What?” she is bewildered at the question. “Live in Ponyville?”

“You and the Changelings are free now. You can live with me, and nopony would ever bother you. What do you say?”

“I…” She thinks long about this question. “I don’t know. It sounds great, but…I don’t think I’m ready yet. My army still needs me. Maybe, after that…”

“It’s okay.” he says, understandably disappointed, but not argumentative. “Just a thought.”

“You will still come here and visit, right?”

“Of course I will.” he kisses the top of her head, “I’ll visit whenever I can.”

She holds him even tighter now, with a loving smile on her face.

When the morning sun rose, it was time for Proteus to leave. He puts his suit back on haphazardly, obviously not caring whether it looks good on him or not. Selene follows him out of the cave, and into the morning light.

“Where are you going?” she wonders.

“To Canterlot. There’s a few things I have to take care of. After that, I’m going home.” He turns to her. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with me?”

“Not today.” she shakes her head.

“Alright.” he kisses her on the cheek. “I’ll see you later.” He unfurls his wings.

“Proteus, wait!” She stops him from leaving. He turns back to her, wondering what she’s about to say. “There’s something I have to tell you. I’ve wanted to tell you for a while now.” He walks back to her, giving his full undivided attention. “You wondered why I wanted you to be…my first. The truth is…our meeting in the forest…wasn’t the first time we met.”

“What do you mean? I think I would remember you, if we met before.”

“I was about nine, when I first saw you.” she continued, “It was my first time out of the cave, since the Changelings found me. I decided to go into Ponyville; my army told me it was a nice place to go, if I wanted to meet some nice ponies. I disguised myself, and went into town. They were right, it was a nice place. Until…these three colts started to bully me, call me names. I guess since I was new, they wanted to pick on me. I was so scared, that I froze up, and couldn't use my powers. But then…”

Proteus knows where this is going. He cannot believe what he is hearing.

“I showed up.” he says, in awe and disbelief. Sure enough, she transforms before him into the mare he saw when he was just a young colt, albeit a more grown up version, but she was almost exactly the same. He stepped back from her, not out of fear or anger, but out of surprise and happiness.

“You defended me, even when you didn’t know me. You got beat up pretty good, almost knocked you out too. Your actions gave me the courage to fight back. I broke those colts’ muzzles, and they ran away in fear.” she smiles, and lets out a small laugh. “When I saw you, lying there on the ground, I knew…I was in love with you.”

“And then you kissed me.” he says. She nods with a smirk. “But, why did you run away?”

“I was scared. I thought if you found out who I was, you would run away. So…I ran away first. But, in a way, I never left you. I watched you from afar, as you grew from a small colt, to the stallion you are now. I watched you look up at the night sky, dreaming Celestia knows what. It wasn’t until after you left for Canterlot, that I found out the truth about you; about how my father was also yours. Still…despite all that…my feelings for you never changed.”

She changes back into her normal form. He approaches her, with a grin on his face.

“All my life, I’ve been looking for this mare that kissed me. I had no idea that it would be you.”

“You’re not mad?”

“Why would I be mad?”

“Because I kept this from you.”

“Ponies have kept worse secrets from me. You would know.” The two share a chuckle. Suddenly, he wraps his forelegs around her, bringing her in for an embrace. “I’m glad it was you.” He removes himself from her, and unfurls his wings once again. “You take care now, okay? I’ll see you as soon as I can.”

She watches him take off to the skies. She was relieved that the truth that had been eating away from her for so long, was finally out in the open. Not only that, but he was genuinely happy to hear it. She walks back into the cave, only to be greeted by her army waiting for her. Most looked at her with serious faces, others with raised eyebrows.

“What is it?’ she asks.

“What are you doing?” The Changeling in the front of the group asks.

“What are you talking about?”

“Go with him!” he shouts, “It’s obvious you love him, now get going!”

“I can’t.” she says, “You guys come first.”

The Changelings chuckle in amusement. They appreciate her caring words, but…

“With all due respect, your Majesty…we’re free. We can roam around Equestria without being hunted by anypony, just as you can.”

“But, you need me. Who else can give you all power?”

“We always needed our Queen to give us love, because we didn’t have the freedom to find it ourselves. Now we do. We’re heroes now, who wouldn’t want some of this?” The Changelings laugh as he points to himself like he’s the most handsome thing ever. Selene gets a chuckle out of it. “We can take care of ourselves from now on.”

Selene looks upon her army, proud of them. A tear rolls down her cheek, and she wipes it away, sniffling as she does it.

“I’m grateful to you: to all of you. You found me, raised me like one of your own, made me your Queen. Though I may have abused my power too many times, I never stopped loving you all. Each and every one of you is the closest thing I ever had to a family, and I will always remember you.” She motions them all to her. They gather around her in a circle, as she looks upon all the hundreds of them. “As a thank you, I shall give you one final gift before I go.” Her horn begins to glow. “As much love as you need, until you can find your own.”

The entire cave glows a bright emerald, leaking outside into the open, making the eyes of the dragons hanging around squint out of blindness. The Changelings take in all of her power, as they can feel the love flow around inside them.

“Thank you, my Queen.” The Changeling says.

“I am no longer your Queen.” she says, “Call me…Selene.”

At Canterlot, Proteus is getting the things he left behind, preparing to bring them back home where they belong. Stone Shield watches him, upset that he is leaving.

“I guess I can’t convince you to stay, can I?” he asks.

“Sorry, Captain. I made up my mind.”

“I could promote you to First Lieutenant. How about that?”

“I appreciate the offer, but there are others more qualified than I am.”

“But, you helped save Equestria! You saved Princess Luna, and you united the Changelings with us, ending their decades of banishment! How are you not qualified? If I wasn’t so stubborn, you’d be Captain!”

“My place is in Ponyville. I want to make my own path…my own hoofsteps.”

“I understand.” he says, disappointed.

“You were a great teacher.” Proteus said, “Everything I learned from you, I taught the Changelings. In a way, they couldn’t have done it without you. That’s why you’re the Captain.”

“Thanks.” Stone Shield smiles.

“Hey, you can come by and visit anytime you’d like. Maybe I can get you to actually talk to Mrs. Cake.”

“Nah, she’s old news. I’ve moved on. I do have a question though…”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“Since you won’t be here anymore, and that you’re with the Changeling Queen…do you think Princess Luna would like somepony like me?”

Proteus chuckled as she shook his head. The thought of Stone Shield and Princess Luna together amused him more than he thought it would.

“That’s something you’ll have to ask her.”

“Okay, okay." he says, knowing Proteus is yanking his chain. "I get the picture. I’ll see you around, Proteus.”

“You too, Stone Shield.”

Proteus walked out of the training ground, as he exits the gate of the castle, he gets the feeling that somepony is watching him; somepony that he’s all too familiar with. Turning around, he sees Luna standing at the entrance of the gate, watching him leave. He puts down his duffel bag of stuff, and walks over to her.

“Hey.” he says, no more anger in his eyes.

“Were you going to leave, without saying goodbye?”

“I was thinking about it. Was probably going to send you and Celestia a letter, though.”

“I see.” she smirks “Going to live in Ponyville, at Twilight’s place?”

“Yeah. Figured I’d try something new for a change. Move away from being a Royal Guard.”

“Sounds nice. I wish you the best.”

“Thanks, Princess.”

Though he said it in a friendly manner, the fact that he called her ‘Princess’ rather than ‘Luna’, stung her. She winces at the word.

"I hope Celestia wasn't too hard on you, for what happened."

"She wasn't." She smirks. "I got a good talking to, and a week of the evil eyes, but nothing that bad. I actually thought you were hoping for something more serious."

"I'll admit, I was a little angry. But...I wouldn't call for any harm being done on you."

“Proteus…” she gets serious, “All kidding aside, I know what I did was wrong. I hurt you, I betrayed your trust, and I tried to take something you cared about away. You can probably never forgive me, and honestly, I don't blame you. But I hope that...maybe one day…we can be friends.”

Proteus looks at her, not in contempt, but with a smile.

“I would like that.” he responds, “If you ever want to talk, come by the house.” She nods in approval, happy that the seeds of a friendship have been planted. “Oh, and you didn’t hear this from me…but I think Stone Shield has a crush on you.”

“Does he now?” Luna laughs, “Well, I’m going to have to talk to him about that.”

He turns away from her, and starts his walk away from the castle. Remembering something, he turns back to Luna.

“You know, despite everything…I don’t hate you. I never did. I just want you to know that,”

Luna’s eyes water at his comment. She is more than appreciative of it.

“Thank you, Proteus. I’ll see you around.”

“You too…Luna” He takes off. She looks up at him, as he disappears from her sight. Feeling content, she walks back into the castle with a new-found sense of purpose.

He arrives back to Ponyville. The citizens there greet him as if he was any other resident, with all smiles and warm welcomes. He was no longer seen as some form of demon, but as a hero, one deserving of a little respect.

He goes to his new home, and sees a peculiar sight; Spike leaving the house with a few bags in tow.

“Spike?” he says, “What’s going on?”

“I’m moving out. Going to stay at Canterlot Castle.”

“Really?” he says in surprise.

“Yeah, Princess Celestia took me on as her personal assistant. I get to sort out letters, manage the library…”

“I got to tell you, I didn’t figure you for a library kind of dragon.” Proteus chuckles, “After seeing you on the battlefield, I figured you were going down there to be trained as a soldier.”

“Nah, that was a one-time only deal. Unless we get attacked by monsters again, then it would be two times.” The two laugh. “You think you’re going to be okay, living by yourself?”

“I…I think so.” he nods, “You’ll come see me, right?”

“If I have the time. Who knows how messy Celestia’s library is?”

“You have a point.”

Spike looks up, he sees a familiar somepony. He smiles as he looks back at Proteus.

“Looks like you won’t be alone after all.”

Proteus looks in Spike’s direction, his eyes widen in joy, as he sees Selene playing with a pack of fillies, begging her to change forms.

“Come on!” An Earth Filly says. “Do Celestia! Please?”

“Okay.” Selene relents, “But just this once, okay?” The fillies nod. In a flash, she changes into an exact duplicate of Princess Celestia. “Hello my faithful students!” She gets the tone down right. “I am Princess Celestia!” The fillies cheer her on, as she changes back to her normal form.

Spike pats Proteus on the back, as he leaves.

“I leave you two to talk.” he says, “I’ll see you around.”

Proteus nods, as he continues to watch Selene have fun with the fillies. His heart flutters as he sees her being accepted by the community, and no longer seen as a monster.

“Come on, you!” The fillies’ mother shouts out to them. “Leave the nice mare alone.”

The fillies run away from her, to go play. Selene spots Proteus looking at her with a smile. She walks to him.

“Hi.” she says.

“So, you changed your mind?”

“I had a little help. I got the feeling my army wanted me out of the cave.” she jokes, “Now I don’t have a place to stay. So I thought ‘Well, Proteus made an offer. Why not ask him?’” Proteus chuckles, she shares the emotion of amusement. “Now that you’re not a Royal Guard anymore, what are you going to be now?”

“I’m not sure.” he says, “I think I’ll try my hoof at baking.”

“Do you even know how to cook?”

“I…” he pauses, “No. But there’s a first time for everything, right?” She nods with a chortle. “Besides, now that you’re not a Queen anymore, what are you going to be?”

“I think I’ll just stick with being me for now. We’ll take it from there.” She looks at the house. “Beautiful place you have there.”

“Yeah. It’s large enough for the both of us. Maybe more…for parties, I mean.”

“Can I see your room?” she asks in a sly tone of voice.

“I don’t know. It’s probably still a mess in there, if nopony touched it when I was away.”

“Come on, you lived in a cave for a month. It can’t be that bad.”

“No, it’s worse, actually.”

The two laugh playfully, light pushing each other around. They stop, and get close to one another in a romantic embrace. He gently kisses her on the lips.

“Hey, you know I love you, right?” she asks him.

“Of course I do.” he assures her.

“And…you love me too, right?”

He paused, smiling at her, before giving her another loving kiss.

“Until my dying day.”

The two separate from their hug, as Proteus picks up his bag, and the two head into the house, to start their brand new life together. For most, the story is now over; for them…it’s just beginning.