The Ballad of Xyclone

Chrysalis' castle, Equestria, mid-morning

Queen Chrysalis' palace was actually very nice. Mosaic windows and archaic wall patterns complimented the shiny marble floor. I wouldn't have minded living here myself. I came back to reality. Because of me, everypony had been caught. Bon-Bon was right; we were all gonna die. I looked down at the floor sadly. I felt like crying too. Right at that moment, I noticed something: the changelings were carrying Bon-Bon and I by our front legs. Not only that, we were only a couple of feet off the ground. I looked over at Bon-Bon, who seemed like she realized the exact same thing as me at the exact same time. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" I whispered to her.

She looked back over at me and we both smirked mischievously at each other. "If we are, then you might be smarter than I thought," she whispered to me.

We nodded in agreement and started counting. "On a count of three. One...two...THREE!" On three, Bon-Bon and I swung our hind legs as hard as we could up and over ourselves. We both hit our mark; the two changelings let us go as they lost focus from the kick. Bon-Bon flipped like some sort of karate master and landed perfectly on her hooves on the marble tiles. I face-planted hard on the floor.

Bon-Bon shook her head. "Idiot..." She said under her breath.

"Hey! I heard that!" I said, my voice muffled, as my face was still glued to the ground.

"Just get up, genius," she mocked again.

I finally dusted myself off just in time to see the two changelings starting to recollect what had just happened and start heading towards us.

Bon-Bon was attacked first. She suddenly became Bruce Lee reincarnated as she dodged and weaved past every punch the changeling threw at her.

In awe, I tried to copy her when the other changeling attacked me.

I couldn't dodge a single blow.

I was punched in the face, jabbed in the stomach...(And kneed in the crotch).

Bon-Bon saw what was happening to me and, surprisingly, attempted to help me (for once). "Xyclone, watch me!" She performed her demonstration on the changeling attacking her. "Step, duck, block, punch! Try that!"

I tried her advice and failed miserably; the changeling punched my face so hard I fell over on my back.

"No! You're doing it wrong! It's step, duck, block, PUNCH! Not, step, duck, block, kick!!"

"Ohh..." I groaned as I began to get back up. Before I could even do anything, however, the changeling punched me again and I was back on my flank.

"Arrgh!!" groaned Bon-Bon in frustration. "Holy Celestia, why are so stupid?!" Bon-Bon ignored her attacker and approached mine. She then used the powerful upper right hook that she used on me the other day on the changeling and sent it flying back to the two big entrance doors. Then, just as her attacking changeling was about to tackle her, she whipped back around, spun, and then performed an amazing roundhouse kick on the changeling. It, too, went flying over to the entrance. Both of the changelings were unable to move. Bon-Bon then approached me and offered her hoof to me. "Get up, wimp," she ordered me.

I was in complete awe of her. "How...How did you—"

"I told you; 3 years of Mixed Pony Arts."

"B-But why did you save me? I thought you hated me."

"Oh, I do; believe me, I still do. But as much as I hate to say it, I'll need your help to bust everypony out. Now, come on, let's go. I heard Sombra say he wanted to talk to Twilight in his room. We need to find her."

"Why are we saving her? She's tried to kill me several times on occasion—" Bon-Bon stopped me to give me the stinkeye. From the display I just saw, I didn't think it was a good decision to make her angry, so I complied. "O-Okay," I stammered nervously. "You're the boss."

Bon-Bon and I searched room after room trying to find Twilight, but to no avail. At one point, we were galloping down a long corridor. There was a section where it broke off into another long hallway. When we ran past it, I looked down it to see if there were any changelings around. What I saw made me freeze again: It was him. Once again, I saw the changeling that I felt so guilty about beating up a week ago. He was still being carried on a stretcher by a couple of other changelings.

Bon-Bon saw me not moving and tried to get me to go on. "Xyclone, what the hay are you doing?! We've got to go!!"

I didn't budge; my eyes were still fixed on the changeling. "My God..." I whimpered. "What have I done? That poor thing!"

"XYCLONE, LET'S GO!!" demanded Bon-Bon through gritted teeth, pushing me on my flank, trying to get me to move.

Blatantly ignoring her, I started trotting over to the changelings.

"XYCLONE!! YOU'RE GONNA GET US DETECTED!!!"

"I...I have to make this right...I feel so horrible." Right as I said that, the changelings finally noticed me. They hissed angrily, flying towards Bon-Bon and I. Two of them tackled me to the floor, banging my still-wounded head on the hard marble flooring. The third changeling flew off frantically with the injured changeling. "No..." I whimpered.

Just like that, we were in another scuffle with the changelings. Luckily, though, we were able to easily fend them off this time. Scared, the two of them flew off in the same direction the other two had gone. I watched them leave with a concerned look on my face.

When I turned back around, Bon-Bon greeted me with another hard slap to the face. "WHAT IS IT WITH YOU AND THAT CHANGELING?!" she roared. "WHAT, DO YOU HAVE A CRUSH ON HIM OR SOMETHING?!?!"

"I feel guilty, okay?!" I shot back suddenly. Bon-Bon reeled, a look of disgust on her crazed face. "The other day, when those changelings invaded the camp, I almost massacred that one they were carrying on a stretcher. I couldn't believe that I did that. I would never hurt anyone like that. I...I just want to make things right with him."

"Ugh, you are such a baby!" said Bon-Bon angrily. "Jeez, why'd I have to get stuck here with YOU, of all ponies?! Not even Pinkie Pie is this annoying! Why can't you—"

Bon-Bon's rant was interrupted by the sound of booming evil laughter.

"It's coming from over there!" I said, pointing down the long hallway we were stopped at. "Come on, let's go!"