A Guard for The Princess

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.”