Chapter 2: Crystal Chaos

~~~Crystal Empire, Mid Afternoon~~~

The train slid to a stop with a hiss of steam as the doors slid open a glow of violet energy heralded the levitating of a series of bags out the door to a waiting cart as the group filed out Twilight sighed slightly as her horn kept glowing meaning to drag the cart with them herself as two hooves, one on each shoulder stopped her “Come on Twilight, lay off you’ve been making with the magic since we got that letter you keep this up you’ll burn yerself out.”

The violet mare sighed wings drooping “sorry…you’re right Applejack…I just…I’m worried…nopony noticed Cadance was missing the last time around and something awful nearly happened, I don’t want to waste time…what if something even worse has her this time?” she asked eyes tearing up slightly.

“We’ll find her Twilight, you can count on it, and when we find out who took her we’ll let you take lead in kicking their flank from there to Cloudsdale and back” Rainbow grinned making her friend grin slightly.

Glancing up she nodded “Thanks Rainbow Dash that means a lot…”

Soon enough Big McIntosh and Applejack were helping drag the cart with their luggage along, though the load was a bit weighty it was nothing to the two apple farmers who regularly lugged even heavier loads around alone through the hills and dips in Sweet Apple Acres. So the relatively straight level path towards the Castle was like a light workout for them.

Soon enough the doors were being pushed open as the group started inside only to have Twilight who was in the lead smack head long into a frantic Shining Armor. “What?!” he yelped picking himself up “Twilly? What are you all doing here so soon?” he asked confused

“What do you mean Soon? Cadence is in trouble of COURSE we would hurry, we’d have been here sooner if my magic could handle so many teleporting at once.” His Sister replied.

The Unicorn shook his head “But I just sent the letter a few hours ago, it shouldn’t have arrived this soon…specially not for you to get here by train from Ponyville.”

“Uh…problem we got the letter this morning!” Rainbow interjected.

“That’s impossible!” Shining replied glancing at the pegasi “Unless….”

“Unless what?” Spitfire asked tilting her head slightly.

Shining armor took a deep breath “Changelings…” he stated quietly

Twilight’s eyes widened as her eyes glowed faintly with a sudden surge of light as Rainbow gasped suddenly shooting forward at high speed tackling The older stallion to the side away from his shaking sister “DUCK AND COVER!!” The Pegasus shouted.

“THE CHANGELINGS HAVE CADENCE!?” Twilight roared as her horn sparked a moment with violet energy before a bolt of pure magical energy shot from the tip to slam into the ceiling blasting a hole through the crystalline material as the violet Alicorn shook violently wings rattling in her anger as the glow in her eyes and horn remained steady and bright as if she was a cannon about to go off any moment.

“W-what…just happened?” Shining Armor muttered picking himself up slowly shaking his head slightly as he glanced from the shuddering form of Twilight to the rest of her friends as he blinked watching Rarity and Applejack physically pushing the older apple farmer out the main doors, Pinkie was more or less herding Spitfire and Soarin’ out and Rainbow Dash was urging Shining Armor out. “W-wait why are you-“

“Trust me its for everyponies good, we’ll explain once we get Twilight calmed down” The blue pegasi replied as the doors slammed shut. “JUST START TELLING EVERYPONY OUT THERE WHAT HAPPENED SHINY!” she yelled through the thick doors.

Shining armor blinked and turned to look at the other three sitting outside with him “I don’t suppose you can tell me anything”

“Mmmmnope…” Big McIntosh replied simply
“of course not…alright…what happened…it all started this morning when we got a report of trouble on the northern border mountain range so I headed out to investiage….”

~~~Inside~~~

“come on Twilight, we’ll save cadence don’t worry…just calm down” Spike urged hands on his ‘sisters’ shoulders.

Slowly her shaking calmed down as the glow in her eyes and horn slowly, but surely faded and went out as she slumped to the ground wings spread out on either side of her “I…I didn’t hurt anypony did I?” she asked finally voice tired and scratchy.

“No…just a bit of patch work” Rainbow Dash chuckled patting her on the shoulder lightly with a hoof “We’re all fine, are you?”

“Just…tired…I’ve never made a bolt that big before…it drained me more than I thought…” She replied with a weak grin “I mean…I did miss lunch…” she sighed and just layed there in no mood to even try and get up.

“So…can we let the others back in? We didn’t want any accidents during one of your magic spikes…not to mean you’re not you during them” Fluttershy mumbled quietly.

“Its fine…I appreciate it, I know how I get…” Twilight replied “I just have to get a handle on my own power…I wonder if there’s a book somewhere that can help me…” she mused trailing off as the doors opened the four ‘exile’s being let back in.

“Twilly!” Shining Armor cried running over to grab his younger sister in a tight hug “Are you okay? What happened?”

“S-shiny…can’t…breath” she gasped twitching faintly as she was put down “I’m…fine…or will be when my energy recovers”

“Twilight…What happened? Why’d you freak out like that?” he asked again forehooves on her shoulders

“I…ever since I was transformed, I’ve been having troubled with my powers…my magic is okay most of the time but if something spikes my anger quickly enough…I can let loose with a rather violent burst of magic with no warning…”

Soarin’ blinked “So THAT’S why you took so much time off Rainbow, you’re trying to help your friend out.”

Rainbow grinned “yup I mean who better than the best flyer in Equestria?” she chuckled “I help with flying and we all chip in with her magic practice.”

Soarin’ nodded “makes sense, that’s mighty fine of all of you to help your friend out like that.” He replied sounding impressed.

Rainbow blushed slightly “Thanks, just…looking out for em ya know? Nothing any other decent pony wouldn’t have done.”

Shining Armor nodded “Is there anything I can do to help?” he asked ignoring the pegasi nearby for the moment.

“Unless you can magically give me the training and experience of a five hundred year old Alicorn then no I’m sorry” Twilight replied weakly “now…lets forget my issues for now and focus on Cadence” she insisted shrugging her brother’s hooves off and standing up straight wings folded to her sides. “Now…what happened?”

“I was called out to check on an incident up by the north ridge of the mountain range, I headed out and itook a look around with no sign of anything that I could see but I took a good search just in case before I headed back to the castle. When I got back I went to check on Cadence and there was no sign of her anywhere…I finally had to admit she was missing and then one of the guards approached me stating that he’d seen her leaving with me an hour before I returned from the north ridge…”

Twilight cursed “Dammit they sent the false report probably then had one of the changelings slip in disguised as you and lead her away.”

Shining sighed “I don’t know what to do, I want to go after her but I can’t just run off and leave the Crystal Empire undefended” he replied.

“Shoot, don’t worry yer head none Shiny” Applejack cut in “We’ll find her no problem, we got a little score to settle with those Changelings anyway. Made us look like foolish little foals last time we clashed.”

“It was embarrassing, I’d love to get a good hit in on them this time around” Rarity added.

“Well then I suppose we just gotta find a few clues see if we can figure out which way they went.” Spitfire commented glancing around the room as she looked up “huh who redecorated?”

“Um….that was me” Twilight muttered getting up and starting to look around the room “Sorry…”

Spitfire blinked “Crystal this thick? How’d you do it? Hit it with a bolt of lightning or twelve?” she asked.

Twilight blushed her horn glowing a faint purple as she cast a small beam of light on the ground in her search “I am the Princess of Magic…it’d stand to reason I’d be quite powerful”

Spitfire nodded “that does make sense…well miss magical any leads?”

Twilight sighed “I don’t know…I’m detecting something…but what it might be…” she paused eyes widening in shock “IT’S THE ELEMENTS!!!” she yelled in surprise as she locked onto the signals a small tingle of violet magic washing through the room making each of the six wielders shudder.

“Where are they darling?” Rarity asked glancing at Twilight.

The alicorn shook her head “Far away from here…with our luck the Changelings have them…”

Rainbow Dash growled “Dang It!” she grunted “this sucks now what do we do?”

“Its obvious ain’t it?” Applejack stated

“We go and get them back and stop those meanie mean meaniepants once and for all” Pinkie declared.

Shining Armor grinned “I knew I could count on you girls” he commented glancing over the group “I hope your trip goes well” he muttered

“I promise, we’ll be back before you know it, WITH Cadence, and the Elements all together” Twilight declared as the group got ready for the next leg of the trip which would be on hoof, or wing for those who could fly.

Within the hour they were off five shapes soaring in the air and the other five trotting along the ground keeping pace with each other easily enough each member of the gropu had a well filled saddlebags on them as well.

Good Luck Twilly Shining Armor thought silently as he watched them depart.

Author's Note

Author’s Note:

Spark: Okay then they’re off, and trust me Twi’s little control issues will come up a lot in this story. Don’t want her too badass and overpowered off the bat right?

Twilight: And control issues can lead to some....very interesting situations *Grins*

Spark: *chuckles* SHHHH you’ll spoil the surprises!

Anyway, Read and Review everypony till next time!