New Friends and New Enemies

Forward.
I want to apologize to all the ponies out there for not updating this sooner. I have not abandoned this story. I have been swarmed with RL so badly, so badly I forgot about all my stories until recently. And then I get swarmed by so many ideas that I had to write them out before I forgot them. Last several months, looking for a new place to live, and now recently. I have a friend coming to visit me from out of country on sept 12th, 2014, and planning to move half way across country, in October.

Chapter 11
Dark Intents
Thanks to ADMKLINE for editing the story.

Standing in the old ruined castle's courtyard, Markus surveyed the area with Tech Vision. It would give away any changelings in the area, allowing him to see an energy field with the appearance of white lightning arcing over their bodies. It also gave sight into their physical form allowing him to see their skeletal structure.

Moving around in his overcoat Markus held the Blade of Forest in his grasp tightly, awaiting the arrival of the insect queen. He had chosen to leave his Gauss rifle and carbine in the castle. He did not want to risk them falling into Chrysalis' talons.

Despite Celestia's protests Markus had left with very few words to her, those being "Try and stop me." Now he could hear thunder in the distance as the white lenses of the mask scanned the area. It was still a couple of hours before dawn. Finally some white movement came to his attention as he held his blade at the ready.

In the distance he could see a number of changelings that hadn't even bothered altering their form as he zoomed in. He could also see non-changeling shapes. Zooming in and using his other vision modes he could see Applejack and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. The sight made his blood boil, seeing them wearing bits and brides with chains held between two changelings. They were covered in small cuts and bruises and had what appeared to be resin sticking in their coats given them an abused and filthy appearance.

The other sight was a larger changeling. Queen Chrysalis made the changelings spread out, separating the four ponies as he was approached. This instantly caused problems. He could not effectively formulate a way to free them all at once. He could free two, maybe three but that would result in the death of one of them. Chrysalis slowly approached, her teal eyes glaring with hatred.

Holding the blade at the ready as she approached him, the pair of them started circling each other slowly as if two dragons were preparing to cut loose all their power on each other.

Finally Markus spoke. "I'm here queen of maggots." His voice held serious disgust, evident even through his vocalizer.

With a hiss Chrysalis spoke. "You better address me properly, unless you want them to suffer." As if on cue two of the changelings twisted the chains attached to Scootaloo's bridle making her scream in pain.

With a yell Markus ordered "Stop it now!" The order held enough power and command that the changelings actually stop harming Scootaloo. Chrysalis snarled at Markus. "As long as you have them alive and unhurt." he said slowly removing his helmet, allowing her to see his face and his eyes which held nothing but unbridled hatred and rage. "You can force me to do what you want, but the moment you have killed one..."

With a sadistic smile she said, "You forget, I have spares."

"One or a hundred. You harm them again I'll take my chances on attacking to rescue them. I am not going to stand back and do nothing as I watch you torture or inflict pain on them. Now, you want something from me. What is it?" he demanded with venom dripping from his voice.

Weighing her options, her instinct told her that he wasn't bluffing. Now that she could see him face to face and eye to eye. she realized just how big of a mistake she had made. He was looking, even now, for a reason and a chance to turn the game around on her. She did not show any hint of fear as she said "Then you had best obey. My children are far stronger and faster than they appear. They will rip their pretty heads off in the blink of an eye. Now follow," she commanded turning to lead him away.

Gritting his teeth he said coldly "I should have killed you when I had the chance. A mistake I won't repeat." That made her turn around and hiss with murderous intent.

"Leave your helmet, you won't need it." she said as he put it on in defiance. "I said...!"

Her words were cut off as the blade in the blink of an eye was brought right to her throat. For a moment she thought she had just lost her head.

As he secured his helmet in place he said, "And let you replace the hostages around a corner when I am not looking? Over your dead body."

The queen growled, baring her sharp teeth. With the murderous intent they both had, they both understood that when things came to blows no quarter would be given or asked for. It would be a fight to the death. Realizing that she could only push him so far before he snapped she said, "Fine."

Markus was forced to follow the queen into the forest as the other changelings kept Applejack and the Cutie Mark Crusaders in tow.

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Watching the display between Markus and Queen Chrysalis through the mirror enchanted with a drop of Markus' freely given blood made those assembled in the Palace shudder. Twilight shivered. The hatred, the sheer level of hatred had terrified her. How could someone who was so gentle one minute, turn so cold and heartless the next?

"It will be all right Twilight,” Celestia said to her faithful student. “We just need to wait to see where they are going before we can try to rescue Applejack and the fillies."

"What I don't understand is how he could be so gentle at the Gala, and now so...."

"Cold? Heartless? Hateful? Rage filled?" Gilda asked softly. "He's a predator, a hunter. Despite his apparent anger it's all an act. He is perfectly under control. When he swung the blade at Chrysalis he stopped it with perfect control. He's waiting and watching for the right point to attack. But as for his rage, he's being attacked in a way he can't defend, his friends having been attacked and hurt."

Gilda's father looked at the image in the mirror as he turned to approach Celestia. "In the interests of good relations, I am offering the assistance of my guard."

Turning to the gryphon Celestia nodded. "Thank you ambassador."

The mirror shifted its gaze allowing them to follow Markus as they magically teleported into a ruins complex. As the image expanded both Luna and Celestia recoiled.

"Heavens no! They are going after the Blade of Death!" Luna said in shock and horror. To Luna and Celestia the realization that Chrysalis was going after the map meant she intended to try and kill them.

The fright of the celestial mares was evident. "Princess?" Twilight asked.

Celestia explained. "Before ponies arrived in Equestria there was said to be a great war. The windigos and even Discord were involved. Sadly Discord being the force of Chaos could not be defeated much less controlled. The Elemental Blades were meant to confront, fight, and eventually slay Discord and other immortal beings but only if all five wielders worked in harmony."

Luna continued. "From what I understand Discord discovered the blades were being forged and was able to meddle enough in the Blade of Forest's creation that it could not deal a fatal injury to an immortal but could leave a lasting wound that could take centuries to recover from. If Celestia and I were killed by this blade, our physical forms would be destroyed."

"But with the coming of the dawn or dusk our physical forms would reform around our spirits," Celestia explained. "Discord corrupted the last human mage alive on our world and he forged a sixth blade. A dagger designed to truly kill an immortal and he succeeded. If Luna and I had been slain by this weapon we would be forever dead."

A shudder rippled through the entire room. Gilda and her father were uneasy. While there was tension between the Principality of Equestria and the Gryphon Kingdom the idea of what might happen if Celestia and Luna both died made them shudder.

"The Blade Wielders of Earth, Fire, Air, Water, and Forest fought against this human and managed to slay him. The dagger was then shattered into four pieces. Each piece was taken to a remote distance land, placed in ruins and sealed. A map was created for where these ruins were in case such a horrible weapon was needed again and the map was sealed by the Blade of Forest. That land would later become Equestria.”

"And when you found the Blade of Forest in the Everfree Forest, you built the Castle of the Pony Sisters around it!" Twilight chimed in.

"Exactly." Celestia finished.

"Then if you know where they are moving I suggest we leave now and ambush them before they get the map,” the Gryphon ambassador suggested.

Celestia nodded as Luna addressed her guard captain. "Captain Shadow-Mane, Commander Black-Mane! Gather the troops. Queen Chrysalis must not get her talons on the map at any cost. Oh and make sure our troops know not to get between Markus and Chrysalis. When those two fight I don't want any pony in the middle."

“Gilda, I want you to stay here."

"Father!" she exclaimed.

"No buts! This time stay here. For my sake Little Wing." he implored her as she all but harrumphed.

Turning to his guards he said "Arm up, we are taking the battle to the Insect Queen."