A week after the events in the cave made me feel a bit better as we moved the Empresses to a location closer to the center of Equestria, away from that damn forest and closer to the port towns that had sprung up. I even began to smile a bit more as the attacks from the front had ceased and receded to focus more on the minotaurs and the Griffons. As much as I didn't want to push our problems onto them, it gave us some much-needed time to get away and secure the Empress... es. What is an empire without a ruler?

The pegusai watched from the air as a mixture of earth pony and unicorn soldiers trotted along the ground with us, it felt good to have more than a couple battle-brothers at my disposal, since I was only able to bring two Nephytes with me this time, it was experimental... but we had managed to get the entire process working on earth ponies.

I kept my head scanning our surroundings because the entire path along the base of the mountain seemed to just be far too quiet, I kept getting a shiver down my spine and I didn't like it.

I must've been scanning the surroundings a bit too much since all the guards around us seemed tense, Good, I needed them alert... guards that weren't watching for the enemy were usually the first to die.

My mind began to drift back to the night after I had brought Blueblood back...

-{DW}-

I laid on the bed in just a simple tunic and pants as Luna laid her head on my stomach, something about her using me like a pillow just made me feel... happy... even more happy than when I saw the fear in that changeling's eyes.

“Kris... You have... It looks like you are getting gray hairs...” Luna said with that beautiful voice that I absolutely adored.

I simply shrugged, “Among the race I used to be, balding and graying hair was not only caused by age, but by stress... And the past few months haven't exactly been stress free, so I bet I'm going to come out of the battle as a much grayer pony.” I chuckle.

She nuzzles into the hair of my stomach, sending a shiver of pleasure up my spine that makes me instinctively reach down to rub her ear. “You're so much more beautiful at night... in your element...” I whisper.

She smiles, but then quickly makes me sad by frowning, “...You shouldn't have spoken to my sister the way you did... We could have found out more information from that changeling...” It was true that I had been thinking about that the entire trip back to the palace, but I wasn't about to admit I was wrong...

...After all, that beast had been the enemy, and I was purging chaos from the world!

...Right?

-{DW}-

The rest of the memory seemed to blur just before a shout above me got my attention, I reached out just in time to catch a falling pegasus, his wing had been impaled by a crystal that was pulsing a dark purple.

I was just a little proud that the scout-marines had already formed up on the transport and were picking off enemies with extreme prejudice, even if I won't freely admit to pride.

The hiss of lasers sounded off as many changelings fell to the ground, even the masterwork steel armor that the guards were wearing was almost nothing compared to the crystals, which seemed to be coming from some sort of crossbow that the changelings were firing, aside from the unicorns who had cast protective 'magic' the battle just seemed to be a repeat of my last one as I drew my sword scanning for the tell-tale signs of an ogre.

...Did I tell you how much I hated being right?

Not one, not three... but TEN Empress-damned ogres began to charge from hideaways on the side of the mountain, I inwardly groaned and cursed at my horrible luck.

Even if bad luck is still luck, I'd rather have no luck at all than bad luck.

I brought my sword up, knowing that the ten ogres, even if they weren't strong enough to beat my armor, would only be able to throw a few at me before I was overwhelmed. I took a deep breath, and prepared myself to bring down as many as I could before they got by me.

What came next all seemed to be a bit of a blur, but I could tell one major thing... I heard Howling...

From the treeline on the other side of us came three large armored figures, much in shape like myself, fur covered many spots of their armor and their forelegs... well, I think they were actually hands but they all ran like animals so it was hard to tell... Their armor was equipped with a set of Lightning Claws. I know for sure the ogres weren't counting on it because they fell like trees to a sharp axe.

And I'm not talking a regular axe, I'm talking like an anime-axe that is able to drop the tree in one swing, It was beautiful... like watching an artist at work on a masterpiece... The slaughter, the blood, the howling of the wolves on the hunt. It was a haunting melody that would be absolutely beautiful for the night.

In what time it seemed to take to blink the battle was over, the changelings were fleeing with their ogre brethren and the wolves stood to their full height, finally revealing their nature as space marines.

They showed the sign of the aquila in respect as I approached.

“At ease brothers... You are indeed a welcome respite... Our forces are stretched thin and we are unable to produce new battle-brothers yet... we have many who require training, but not any full-fledged brothers...” I let a small exasperated sigh escape me before I straighten my posture a bit.

“Then we made it just in time to partake in battle... Just as we like it, I am Brother Ticondrius... Assault marine of the Space Wolves.” The first of the three says to me.

The other two introduce themselves as Brothers Hakkon and Balmung, getting me to smile even wider behind my helmet. “Finally, marines who specialize in close combat... We need more men like you, Come... We are off to put the Empresses in their new seats of power before rejoining our brothers on the front lines.”

They noded and we continued along our route, the rest of the trip seemed to pass in a blur as well and before we knew it we were at the city that should've been a complete structural impossibility... Canterlot!

Ponies bowed and cowered before us as we marched through the streets, many of the nobility had already been transferred here to reinforce the defenses and we had one simple air-transport for Blueblood ready to go when he was able to get up... or stopped flirting with that nurse he liked so much, whichever came second.

Once in the courtyard I finally took a seat, my armor actually seemed to feel heavy for once, and I watched as the Empresses were escorted out of the carriages. Luna watched me with a little concern before the Space wolf, Ticondrius, walked up to me and held out his hand to help me up.

I took his hand with a grateful nod and as soon as we stood at eye level he spoke clear enough so that everyone in the courtyard could hear...

“...I challenge you to the duel of the Lion and the Wolf...”

Author's Notes:

What's this!? New marines? Ambushes!

Will Blueblood ever stop being an obsessive flirt?

And What is this duel Ticondrius speaks of?

Find out in the next chapter! "The Duel of the Lion and the Wolf!"