Heresy

Heresy-Removing Impurities

Celestia shook the cold sweat from her body, the crease of her brow driving home her look of discomfort under the duress of controlling the sun in such a manner. It was midday, but the rays of light were beating down hard around her, a rainbow forming itself through the many panes of light flowing down from the heavens. The giant glass dome was of her own creation, built to her exact specifications. It took up a great portion of the mountaintop above Canterlot. Magnificent to see from the outside, and even more so from the inside, though only she and her sister, as well as the guards she posted, could enter. None though, could see its inner reaches, but herself. Here, where she drew power from the Sun.

The dome shook as the great body of power in the sky drew to its highest point. A blinding light pierced through the great shining dome, and filled up the center, like a gem, brimming with inner light. Celestia's sweat instantly evaporated and the heat of the sun filled her body, flowing from every portion of her crystalline figure as the power was drawn and stored within her nearly endless wells of energy.

In seconds though, it was over. The light had passed over, and now the mare in residing in the center of the chamber was lying on her knees, struggling to stand again. Nopony was around to assist her while she regained her composure, but that was how it had to be. Her eyes glowed with power, the visible light flowing out like a smoke...

Mac was awoken to the sound of mumbling voices and odd sounds. His eyes flickered open, and a blinding light tore across his retinas. As he shut them, keeping the light out as best he could, he attempted to move...and couldn't. He pulled at his legs, willing them to move, but he found his body unresponsive.

Slowly, the voices started to be less garbled, though his mind was still rather addled. He had no idea what was going on and was starting to hyperventilate. He couldn't really open his mouth, and it was terrifying him.

"...es my..." he heard. "The im....ight feedb...ill be sol...ody is rejec...minim..."

None of it was making sense. The words weren't clear. Where was he? He didn't want to open his eyes...but he couldn't move or do anything else.

Light ripped across his retinas again, and he found he couldn't keep his eyes open for long. The light seemed to have helped clear his head a little though. He was starting to focus, even in these conditions.

Why was he here? Where was here? The last thing he could remember was...well...

Rutting with a Queen. It had been...different from every encounter he'd ever had with mares before. She had come to him and ridden him with a fire he didn't know existed. In all honesty, it wasn't even like being with another living creature. It was like a force of nature had taken a hold of his body and proceeded to do whatever it wished with him. As some parts came back to him, he started to realize that most of it was a blur. It wasn't something he could really put together.

This all shot back out of his mind as he started to feel a great, deep, aching soreness. He became aware of his body, lying prone and absolutely in pain.

It flooded him. It quickly started to grow unbearable. He started to grunt and move, but found his body unresponsive. The pain was quickly reaching levels that were beyond uncomfortable. He was downright hurting and it felt like bones were broken across his great bulk.

"He's starti...es anoth...uble the dosa..."

No sooner had the mis-heard words been spoken, did he feel himself slipping into a black slumber again. He stopped trying to move. He couldn't have opened his eyes again if he had wanted to. Not that he wanted the light to blind him. Now...all that mattered was the deep sleep he so craved. The pain was now nothing more than a dull ache that was fading quickly. Before the world slipped away again though, he heard a voice, that wasn't his own.

Inside of his own head.

"You will be the strongest of them all, my Phoenix."

Specialist Argus galloped as fast as he could towards the main camp. He was absolutely terrified. Being a scout was a difficult job and many ponies, both colts and mares, failed the training multiple times before being accepted. Argus though, was a natural with camouflage, what with his body being a two toned shade of dark brown leading to a near black, and his mane similar in appearance. He'd even gone so far as to wear suits made of foliage from local surroundings, as well as anything from sand to mud.

Too bad it wasn't worth a damn when your partner wasn't half as effective as you. The thundering hooves behind him told that Corporal Shield was still there. He hoped. The dark blue mare wasn't exactly number one on his list of priorities. Though in the end it didn't matter to him really, because it also told of the nine Saddle-Arabian warriors that were still searching for him. He had been chased for a number of hours, but had been able to find a treeline to hide in.

He couldn't feel anything but an ache. That didn't matter though. He had to move. It was that, or die.

The war that spanned across the deserts didn't matter to most anymore. The war itself had gone on for quite some time, though most ponies just didn't think much of it anymore. No more soldiers had been lost for years and not many resources had been put into it for some time, as far as the public knew. The war with the Griffon Kingdoms had become the new story for public knowledge. It was a difficult situation and was rather difficult to work out. Ambassadors had stopped passing between the kingdoms once the griffons had gone out of their way to send back the severed heads of the last two that had been sent to a middle ground for neutral territory based meetings.

At any rate, a normal level of scouting and perimeter defense was regular against these desert beasts. Sometimes nomads would cross borders and try to integrate into nearby communities, though sometimes, warriors would hide themselves within these bands with the intent of wreaking havoc as they poisoned or fed false information to minor strategic bases and forward operation lines.

In this case though, Argus had been sent out on a scouting mission with Shield to check up on a local watering hole that had been reported as potentially being poisoned. If it was, Shield was to use her power to straighten it out. She was a medical expert and quite the prodigy, but wasn't used to field operations. He'd been chosen as her escort, because he was rather small, being only just old enough to join the military, but a scout with a perfect track record. Originally there would have been another pair of guards with them, but he declined and insisted that they needed to be quick and quiet if the rumors were true.

'Too damn bad we didn't bring those bulky bastards with us,' he thought to himself as he reminisced on the meeting just two days before. They would have been a nice distraction.

The damned desert beasts had caught them trying to purify the oasis. He remembered the moment they arrived and started shouting. An entire squad of ten of their warrior caste, demanding that Shield surrender, as Argus himself hadn't been seen yet. Lying under a sand blanket nearby, he had watched as they started to advance on the unicorn when she attempted to hold her ground. They didn't have her surrounded, but as she started to focus her magic into a defensive spell, they started to spread out.

One nearly stepped on the then terrified Argus, who flicked his own poisoned needle into the flank of the invader, and broke cover, stunning them with his sudden appearance and movement. He sliced another warrior's side with the dagger in his mouth as he flitted past, giving Shield the break she needed to perform a short ranged teleportation spell.

From there, they'd been running across dunes back towards the promising edges of hospitable lands for hours. Shield had kept up with him for the most part, but she wasn't quite used to the physical exertions of a full gallop for hours on end. As a medicae, she spent much more time in field hospitals, as well as more civilian structures and houses of healing.

The Saddle-Arabians didn't have such issues though. They were taller and more sleek than their mainland Equestrian counterparts. Built for long treks across such sparse terrain, they hadn't kept pace with the pair for long, but they were never out of sight. A steady rate of travel was something they were born for, as warrior-caste.

He snapped back into focus as they made their way deeper into the trees. They had only been on the fringes of the desert, and the forests of Cervidas that bordered the endless Muudi Desert were thick and deep, as well as home to multiple Equestrian bases, all centered around the capital of Concordia. He flicked his head around and saw that Shield was still hard on his hooves, though was a little ways back. He slowed his pace and quickly started grabbing branches and running through different bits of foliage, pulling off leaves and letting them become caught in his netting and webbings.

Soon, he became a moving bush. Shield was close enough to see him as he did this, and started doing the same. He had made sure she was provided with some webbing and nets, and he quickly started to cover her in the soft soil that covered the now darkening woods.

"Open my pack and get the two yellow packages near the top of it. We need to get rid of this frakking sweaty smell," he whispered. They had no idea how far ahead of the sand beasts they were. Minutes at the most. Shield just looked at him and nodded. She was exhausted and in a bit of a shock from what he could tell. She must've seen terrible things as a medicae, but she'd never been exposed to combat, let alone something that wanted to gut her, or worse. Even so, she complied and took the two small packages. He took one from her and ripped it open, dusting her with the powder within, and then did the same for himself. It eliminated most smells and brought out the scents of many things around them, especially dirt. he wasn't sure why, but it was what he was trained to do.

He had her hide in some thick foliage as soon as he dusted himself with the odd powder, and cleared their tracks as quickly as he could, breaking sticks and other such things in another direction and then proceeding to leave subtle hints as towards where they were going. At least, where the sand beasts might think they were going. They may not have been complete idiots, but they were desert dwellers and had no experience with forest tracking.

So he hoped.

AAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

The absolute silence was broken as a cry of mixed pain, confusion, and fury ripped the illusion of peace apart.

His chest heaved and he sat up as quickly as he could. He was in a large, empty room that was evenly, yet dimly lit. Where was he? He started to hyperventilate and moved to get off of...whatever the frak it was he was on.

His legs didn't want to hold his weight as soon as he touched the floor, and he fell bodily against a cold tiled floor. He started to panic as he felt his legs hurting more and more, as well as his great barrel of a chest. He didn't know what to do as he attempted to stand. Despite his immense power, he was as weak as a kitten right now. He slowly gave in and laid on his side.

Slowly the lights grew brighter and he heard a click off somewhere near...but he couldn't muster the strength to even look around anymore. Yet again, the world grew dark around him.

McIntosh's last thoughts before the world went black again, was one of Applejack. He needed her. He needed his family. What were they doing to him here?

The flowing robes of the Saddle-Arabians were bright white and were rather conspicuous in the dark forest. The mild breeze and warm air permeated everything, as the great desert dwellers drifted through the trees, in search of their prey. Argus had been lucky to have stumbled right onto a clearing. His false pathway was rather obvious and curved off right from where they entered from the east.

The sand beasts may have been quiet, but they took to Argus's trail. At least, five of them did. Their apparent leader led four of his followers off to the north, while the two hiding ponies watched. The remaining four stayed and acted as sentries at this convergence point. Their exhaustion hardly showed, and for the most part they stayed vigilant.

An hour passed, with the sentries doing nothing much more than keeping up their watches, and sometimes taking turns, overseeing each other while they rested. Argus was just waiting for his chance. If he could get rid of at least one, they could slip away. It may have been a cowardly way to fight, but he only cared for survival. Let the Sun Guard take all of the glory.

A breeze flowed through the forest and ruffled the branches of the great trees around them, causing the night to be filled with rustling leaves. Argus took this time to slowly move forward. Move with the breeze. Let other sounds drown out your own. The Equestrian Guard doctrine took hold and seconds later he was burying his blade in the throat of the dark brown creature in front of him that had decided to relieve itself right next to his hiding place.

It bucked and tried to move, but he quickly wrestled it to the ground, dragging the blade that had been buried hilt deep into it's throat, across the span of his neck, severing vocal cords and major arteries. It was over in seconds. The smell of blood masked by the freshly crushed pine needles. Nary a sound had been made, and Argus quickly moved away from his fresh kill. Now there were three. One of them still on watch.

He took advantage of this single guard as well, the other two asleep and waiting to be awoken for a change in watch shifts. This one he caught unaware, as the first, but didn't do anything so dramatic as halfway decapitate him. He came close to the lithe colt, and barely jabbed him with the tip of his favored needle. The colt made an annoyed sound, but didn't even bother to turn, flicking his tail against his flank, hoping to discourage whatever bug had been pestering him.

Within about thirty seconds, the sand beast was on the ground, unable to struggle as blood poured from his eyes and mouth, his muscles freezing up and his blood unable to clot. It was plain that he would die within the next few minutes.

Argus considered his situation as he slipped back into the brush. He should neutralize the other two. There would be less to run from and he'd be striking a blow against his enemies. Yet at the same time, would that really increase his chances of survival? Orders be damned he only cared about getting his own flank back. If he became a hero in the meantime, then they'd just sign him up for more dangerous jobs in the future. So was the life of the skilled and cowardly.

As one of the sleeping sand beasts began to stir, his mind was made up. He slid his needle into its casing, re-coating it with poison, and slowly slipped towards the half asleep beast and his oblivious companion.

The terrifying darkness that greeted McIntosh as he began to regain consciousness, was starting to slowly recede. He wasn't sure how much time had passed since he was last awoken, but he knew one thing for sure. He wasn't in the same body he remembered. He woke up periodically, and was unable to move at times, yet at other intervals he was able to at least move his forelegs.

What he saw, made him nervous. At least, when he could see clearly. His eyes always hurt when he was awake, and everything looked...different. Not just his own body, the way he saw. He could make out all of the smallest details in anything that he focused on, yet was still fully aware of what was around him. His range of vision was greater as well as the depth with which he could perceive.

Not long after this discovery was made though, was that he could make out millions of little sounds that he never heard before. His ears had become hyper-sensitive, or so it seemed that way. He wasn't sure what was going on anymore.

'Big surprise' he thought to himself. 'I can't move.' It was starting to become tedious. He was drafted. What right did they have to put him through this? His private training was weird enough, but now? This? What was going on that they had him strapped down to great slabs of steel? Why was he always so tired, aching, and slow to recover when he even awoke from these broken bits of his dreams?

He raged within his own head as his body started to awaken. He slowly started to become aware of the feeling in his legs, and could tell he was strapped down. Again. He felt a great fury build up within himself as he started to struggle against the chains holding him in place. What did they want from him?!

He started to growl, low and menacingly as he started to glean strength from his inner reserves of energy. His giant legs started to press against the chains and straps that kept him secured to whatever kind of slab he was being held upon. He opened his eyes, and saw that he was in a dimly lit, and rather small room. The slab he was on, took up most of it. None of this mattered though, as he started to push harder and harder, moving and shaking his body and his pent of rage started to flow out.

Where WAS he?! WHY did they have him CHAINED up like some kind of SICK ANIMAL?!

A cracking and tearing sound started to register in his mind as he thrashed about, his heart pounding in his chest. The room was bathed in a red light and an alarm sounded. He didn't care. The chains that were holding him down started to creak and shatter as he emptied his last wells of buried energy. He sat up from his prostrate position and bellowed, his fury finally becoming spent as he freed himself from the accursed chains.

He quickly got off of the slab and made his way to the door that wasn't far from where he was originally, and as he had observed, the only exit. As he came to the door, he noticed something at the back of his mind that was just out of reach. He just couldn't quite figure out what was bothering him internally, though that didn't really surprise him and he quickly forgot about it again. Considering that there was a siren blaring and a bloody red light bathing him, he had more pressing concerns. He found the door unlocked and as he made his way out of the room, he looked to his left and saw a long hallway. As he turned to his right, he heard a voice yell for him to halt.

He saw that in front of him, as he exited the room, that a soldier stood a few doors down, a weapon of some sort pointed at him. He noted that the young colt was shaking and obviously terrified of him.

McIntosh put his hooves up in surrender. "I ain't gonna hurtcha kid," he said to the colt. He meant it. His fury was gone and replaced by the ache of his body and the weary feeling of having just woken up from an extended sleep. "Now can ya' just tell me what in the name of the Queen is goin' on, 'afore ya' arrest me?"

The young soldier's eyes hardened, but he didn't say a word to the stallion. He started to lower his weapon and advance, when a great figure came from around a the corner just behind him, shoving him out of the way. It was a great, hulking figure covered in extremely decorated armor. McIntosh was stricken with fear as he looked towards the armored beast, unable to even see its eyes past the visored helmet that crested its brow.

The figure slowly lurched towards him, not wasting movements, nor moving very quickly. Suddenly, Mac felt incredibly tired and unafraid of the steel encased bulk of the figure coming towards him. He felt a hoof touch his side, and turned to see who it could be. He met eyes with a small white unicorn mare that wore a surgeons attire. She smiled gently at him and the cloven hooves of the armoured giant stopped. Mac made to speak, but found himself unable as she shook her head at him. She then prepared to speak to him, as though he were a foal.

"Do not be afraid my dear McIntosh. We only care for your protection and recovery. You have undergone many arduous tasks and we are here to make sure that you recover, and are unharmed in any way. Will you please come with me and stay quiet and close?" the small mare asked. Her voice sounded much older than she appeared. Her eyes as well, appeared to have endured centuries, yet her small frame led him to believe she was in the prime of her life. "Your Queen would be very pleased if you came to her soon," she finished.

At the mention of Celestia, Mac's ears perked up. He quickly made to follow her. His weariness was being washed away by thoughts of seeing the Queen. At first he thought he'd feel anger, considering she was the one who had to have done this to him, but instead his thoughts were of a burning loyalty to his Queen. As he awkwardly followed the small mare, he noticed how small she looked. As he looked down at his own legs, he noticed that he seemed to be higher off the ground. What...no. He'd find out from the Queen. She was all that he cared about right now.

The small white mare was easy enough to keep up with. She kept a rather quick pace, but he kept up without any real effort. He noticed now that he had inadvertently been taking in all of the small details about the hallways they moved through. The floors were white and tiled, all even and exact, with the hallways all very uniform and in a cubical layout. They took varying turns, but eventually ended up at another moving room, not dissimilar to the one that had led to his quarters at the Trottingham Academy.

As he moved to enter the boxy thing, his mind wandered back to his the Academy, and when he had been selected for service. This in turn, led to thoughts of his family. His heart dropped slightly. For the first time in...well, he didn't know how long it had been. He thought of his family. Applebloom was still too young to think he might not come back. Applejack and Granny both knew better. Granny herself probably didn't have too much left in her old bones, and Applejack needed him.

He silently renewed his vows to survive for his family. Maybe...the Queen would help provide for them. She was a loving Queen and all of her subjects received it. He was no exception to her love, in fact, he received a much more personal level of her attentions. His heart started to swell at the thought of expanding the family's farm and helping his family, as well as his beloved monarch.

He hardly noticed when the room stopped moving, and the small mare, who's name he still didn't know, beckoned for him to continue following. He made his way out of the mobile space and proceeded to tag along behind the slight figure. He had no idea where he was now, but he could see it was heavily decorated. He was inside of a great and regal building as far as he could tell. Stained glass and marble seemed to be the major elements, as well as plenty of gold filigree.

It seemed to be nearly mid-day, he observed, as he was led along a small hallway into a major room (or so he assumed, considering the height of the ceiling and the fact that it appeared to be a great entryway). The sun was flowing through a great glass dome in the ceiling, as well as a great many stained glass windows, as well as clear ones. The temperature was slowly rising and Mac started to feel much more alive, yet at the same time, he could feel realization starting to set in. It may not have been very long, but he had left for Trottingham at the end of the Winter months. He had even missed the Winter Wrap-Up. It was a Summer-like weather feel now. Had it been...months?

He wanted to reserve his questions for the Queen, but now he felt his curiosity rising, as well as a little bile. While at the private section of the Academy, he had only trained for maybe a month before...he wasn't quite sure. He fell asleep and was only awake a few times up until now, and none of those times were for more than minutes.

As he started to ponder these now erupting thoughts, he and the mare stopped before a great gate that was guarded by two armoured stallions. At least, he assumed they were stallions. He recognized their armour at any rate, as they looked identical to the one that had come to...arrest him? He wasn't sure what they were, but he wasn't exactly going to ask either.

The small mare smiled at the imposing figures, and they both nodded their heads, allowing for the gold wrought gate to be opened. As it slowly opened silently on its oiled hinges, the gate itself gave way to an even greater set of doors, set into a marble threshold. It was a grand sight, but the giant mahogany doors themselves were what stole his breath. It was a burnt carving of Celestia and Luna, circling around the planet, with the sun and moon crossing between them. It was a beautiful sight.

The enchantment was broken as the behemoth doors slid open of their own accord. The small mare smiled up at him and beckoned for him to proceed forward. He made his way through the portal and found himself standing in yet another grand hall, but this one was different. A great pair of thrones sat at the end of the room, though the room itself wasn't nearly as large as the greater hall before it.

As he took in the grandeur of the great hall, he heard the doors closing behind him. It must have been magic, he thought, and dismissed it. He was alert, but he wasn't in any danger. At least, he assumed as much. With the portal into the throne room closed...the very air before him began to sparkle.

He stepped back, unsure of what to expect as his eyes flitted about the room, searching for Celestia, or any other living being for that matter. The sparkling gave way to the smell of ozone and he felt his fur starting to stand on end. A crackle and a flash of blinding light later, Celestia stood before him.

McIntosh found himself dumbfounded as he feel to kneel before his Queen, though as always, she motioned for him to quickly rise, a smile pursing her lips.

"I still haven't quite gotten that down to a perfect art yet," she commented. "The teleportation, I mean."

He wasn't sure how to respond, though as she moved towards him, he smiled and nodded his head.

"Now, I know you have a great many questions. I hope you aren't too cross with me for all of the deception, but it had to be done," she continued. "Before you start to ask me questions though, I'd like to at least have us get a bit more comfortable."

She advanced on him, slowly wrapped a foreleg around his neck. He wasn't sure what she was going to do, but then he felt it. The sparks returned, and he quickly found himself enveloped in a force of power that he didn't know. He opened his mouth to ask her what was happening, but by then it was too late.

Teleportation wasn't what he expected it to be. Then again, he wasn't sure what he DID expect it to be. He felt his entire being start to heat up, and heard a strong whistling sound start to press his eardrums inwards. His teeth rattled and he felt like a ragdoll, but suddenly it was over. He opened his eyes, after realizing that he had tightly shut them right as the trip had started.

Celestia was still embracing him, and he could smell her sweet scent as she held him closer. Lavender permeated her, and the very smell of...life. Light. It was overpowering, and he found all other senses subdued by her presence. Slowly though, she parted from him. She then, giggled lightly, and met his eyes.

"Now...have you noticed anything different about yourself?"

The question hung in the air for some time as he pondered. She beckoned for him, and he followed, yet again, keeping stride just behind her. He saw now that they were in a rather large and ornate bedroom. It was mostly red and white, save for the dark brown shelves and dressers. Paintings of landscapes adorned the walls, and a great many golden sculptures were affixed to the wall. Most noticeable though, was the large poster bed. It was fit for well...a Queen.

She led him to a small niche that was covered in pillows near the bed. She sprawled herself across the soft little mound, and he sat down near her.

"Mah body feels different. It aches and I sometimes have a hard time thinkin'. Why is that?" His inquiry was a rather basic start, but it felt appropriate. At least, for now it made sense. He had noticed some things that were different as well, now that she asked him. He was as tall as she was. Before...he wasn't quite her size, even if she didn't have his sheer bulk or levels of raw muscle.

"Ahh, straight to the point then? I suppose I should tell you then, that...modifications have been made to your body. Now, before you go asking, I will tell you that many of them will not effect you right now. In fact, you'll be thankful for most of them. I'll inform you of the most apparent, at any rate," she continued in response. "Your bones, your musculature, your nervous system, all of it has been changed. Your body is now in a state of recovery and growth. It will be some time before you start to notice, but you will continue to become larger and stronger. You will also be more aware of the world around you, as all of your sense are now, and will continue to become more acute."

Her explanation left him nearly speechless. What kind of other modifications had they made to him, he wondered?

"You will be much more powerful, and you will need to learn many new things, most of all, control. Though, this will come with time, my dearest," she ended.

It was odd, hearing that she could so calmly explain this to him. That his body had been changed in such a great way, in so few words.

"As for your inability to think straight...that just pertains towards your surgeries and the need to keep you sedated for long periods of time. You'll think easier in a few days. Though, you weren't supposed to wake up for at least another week. You have an incredible level of resistance to just about anything foreign inside of your body. It took some time to properly implant you with your augmentations," she said somewhat proudly.

He was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable, but as his thoughts began to race, she moved a little closer to him and her scent became much more apparent, yet again.

"I have no doubt that you'll be content staying here, and training with your peers," she stated as she looked deep into his eyes. He found himself unable to look away from those light and playfully pink eyes, so deep with age and knowledge, yet young and understanding. "I hope you don't mind being here in Canterlot."

The realization of where his was, didn't really strike him very much, though it was surprising nonetheless.

"So...why did ya' need to bring me ta Canterlot?" He let the question hang in the air for a moment before she responded, with a somewhat devilish grin on her face.

"Why, so you could start your real training, and so that I might attend you whenever I felt so inclined, my young Prince. Now, is that not a title fitting for thee? Prince McIntosh of the Apple, Sun Guard of Queen Celestia?" The way in which she stated it...he liked it. Before all of this...he may not have wanted such a title, but when his beloved regent said it...

"What of mah' family?" He had felt that he needed to bring them up. "When will ah' be able t' see them again?"

Celestia's eyes narrowed at this a little. She didn't want to really tell him that he wouldn't see them for quite some time. Maybe...she'd allow them to write letters back and forth. She had to let him interact with them at least a little. Lest she lose at least some of the progress she had made.

"You will not see them for quite some time I'm afraid," she said with a trace of remorse. "Though you may write to them, and them, to you. Your training will be rigorous, and you will need to focus much of your attention on that. Your body is going to need time to grow and develop more, as well as your mind. You may also need some time to adjust to your new...size."

She ended that last part with a light tone, teasing him. It was odd, how blatant she was with him, though he supposed that even his Queen had needs, and he wasn't going to complain. It was odd, but she was beautiful...

She smirked at him. "You know...you aren't going to start your training for a few days. Would you care to entertain your Queen until then, my protector?" Her invitation was clear enough. Protector 'eh? He'd guard her with his life.

"Ah' think I just might be so inclined as to accompany you then, milady," he replied in the most regal voice he could muster. Whatever had been done to him had been done, and so far, he was happy with it. Personal time with Celestia, the promise of conversing with his family...even if he did miss AJ. Suddenly though, he smelled the light lavender in the air around him, and the Queen's flowing mane started to tickle his fur as she drew in close to embrace him, wrapping her forehooves around his broad neck and shoulders. He closed his eyes and did the same, now that he was her size it was easy to hug her as well. He was careful not to press her wings as he slid his hooves around her though.

His heart was warmed by such contact. He'd never been much of a talker, and had his few but fair share of mares and all, but simple hugs were only ever given by his sisters and grandmother. His Queen gave him special attention and he loved it. He'd do anything for his Queen.

He started to think of the bodily modifications that had been made. Maybe they wouldn't all be apparent, and they would be altering, but he was still himself. Just...more of himself, he supposed. He'd always been gentle, but many times he had been told that he would make a great warrior.

Now, he could be strong. Strong for his beloved monarch. He'd protect her when she needed him, and fight for her wherever she sent him.

Everything was going rather well with her newest addition to the Sun Guard. He was a beautiful stallion and she had already taken him, though, in a way that allowed for him to be changed. She was rather pleased with herself, considering that a stallion of his stature had never been operated on before. The same could be said for the surgeries that had been done, as he had some more modifications that had never been performed before.

He was young and strong. He would be perfect as her vassal and bodyguard, when she felt he needed to be around. She knew that his biggest strength though, would be leading charges from the front against her enemies. As invincible as Phoenix had been. Yes, that's what he would do. He would start in a few days. She might as well put him through his tests early, so while he developed, he could learn to lead. He would be...a junior officer. Command of a single squad at first. From there, it would be up to him. For now...she'd have some fun with her ambitious young soldier. He looked into her eyes deeply as she nuzzled up against him...

Argus was alone when he got back to the edges of the Eastern FOB. Shield had gone ahead, and he assumed she was safe. Once the sand beasts had been dealt with, (at least those in the glade that he and the medicae hid themselves in) he had made sure moved fast towards the most major encampment they could reach. He covered their tracks as she went on ahead. His thoughts also followed the process that if one of them was to be found, it would've been her. He was much more precise and slow with his movements. Many would view him as a hero, but all in all, he was still a coward.

As he came within view of the outer walls, he breathed a sigh of relief. His time spent in the field was more than long enough, and as he came out into the open, he kept his forelegs up as he called out a countersign. A pair of rather obvious sentries did their usual routine of yelling at him, demanding he lay on the ground until somepony could come out and proceed to drag him back into the compound.

It all went rather smoothly and he was only searched twice before his identification was verified by Shield.

It was around dawn when he had arrived, or so he was told. He was cleared to speak with the regimental commander, a certain Colonel Kasturn. He had apparently been running the operations across the more western regions and had just recently moved to a new post here. Respected by those underneath him, he apparently was in cohorts with the Queen herself. His personal guard were storm troopers of a different sort. They'd seen more combat together than any eight of the other soldiers around this camp combined.

The encampment itself wasn't anything really...remarkable. It was a rather permanent position. A fort made of rockcrete and great amounts of thick wood, presumably gathered form the flattened area of forest that surrounded them. It sat on a hill overlooking a large portion of the surrounding lands, and could see the edges of the great desert that was the Muudi. It had yet to fall under any major siege, but they had soaked up a fair brunt of attacks from the nomads of Camelu, as well as the Saddle-Arabians.

This information flowed through his brain as his tired eyes soaked up some of the words on the papers he had been given, but he assumed he'd forget it before long. Kasturn was in a meeting in his main command tent when he was introduced, so he hadn't yet been given an opportunity to give his report. Shield had presumably given them quite a lot of information, but he knew she was traumatized and that his testimony was going to be much more accurate. He'd also have to give an accurate layout of the oasis he had purified, along with the descriptions of the sand beasts he had killed in the field.

Just another mission, in the life of Forward-Recon Specialist Argus. He may not have been a hero, nor was he heartless, but his own hide was worth more to him than anypony else's.

"Now Specialist, do you mind filling in the gaps that the medicae more than likely left out?"

The question interrupted his train of thought and he looked up at the colonel, as well as the six other pairs of eyes that stared at him from around the meeting table. It was a bit disconcernting, but he gave his report as accurately as he remembered it. He didn't omit a single part, save for maybe his own reasons for waiting so long as the sand beasts that had been chosen to stay at the glade moved about in their patrols. He also made sure to compliment the Corporal for being so cool headed and doing exactly as he said, while also appearing to diminish his own feats.

The Colonel seemed impressed enough with him, as did the other eyes around him, albeit a bit more so in their cases. He had gotten better at playing himself off as nothing more than a humble soldier with an incredible track record and set of successful missions behind him. He himself was the only one that knew most of his ventures were completed through sheer luck and paranoia. No need to spread that around though.

"Well Specialist, you might be pleased to hear then, that I actually was stationed here to wait for your return," the Colonel continued, "Your actions throughout this region, as well as at the siege of Eternity's Crossing Bridge have earned you the attention of someone rather high up. You're going back to Canterlot for a skills evaluation in the next sixteen-hundred hours. That is, if you would like the chance to join the EGSF." Kasturn finished his sentence rather curtly, with a small grin.

"Well sir...how could I refuse such an offer?" He wasn't sure why he didn't refuse it. EGSF? They'd be sending him on missions even more dangerous than the others he'd managed to land his checkered plot into. Canterlot...Canterlot Academy was the single most brutal and effective school for those in their starting years of military service. If you survived the Canterlot "Meatgrinder" you were golden for major promotions...if you survived your posting. He hadn't heard of a single  graduate that hadn't gone on to be either a front line officer, or part of the ESOG groups that operated in hostile regions as saboteurs and assassins.

"Good then. I expect you to get some rest and food into you. We've got some transportation en route to retrieve you now that you're here. You'll be at the Golden Gates in no more than two days. I hope you go on to make a truly worthwhile career for yourself son. Dismissed."

Argus could only hope he'd survive. Though he assumed his chances were better out in the center of Gryphus, the Griffon's capitol city.