Crystal friendship

“Did you find her?” shouted at him Rainbow question, right when Deeter left the destroyed cave with wounded Flutteshy on his back.

“Yea, I did, but she got hit into head pretty hard. But from looks of it, she should be alright and I can heal her in no time.”

“That´s good. Can I help you somehow?”

“Yes. Here you have my flask which Zecora gave me, go get some water, so she has something to drink.”

“I am on it boss!”

Blue pegasus flew away and Deeter began to heal Fluttershy. Her wound glowed with red magic and slowly started to dissapear.

“That´s what happens when you blast an mountain into oblivion.” spoke Snaky behind him with irritating voice and curiously watched vice-captain perform his spell.

„Snaky, I don´t have time for...“ suddenly he realized who was he talking with and so quickly, that he almost hit grey unicorn into head, he turned around.

His friend was really standing behind him and wasn´t alone, with him there was also purple alicorn and white unicorn.

„What the...wha...eh? How is this possible? You should be resting in the Everfree Forest!“

„Well, to be honest. That part didn´t really happen. I made you all think that I was wounded so I made you go alone. Together we wouldn´t save them on time.“

Few seconds they stared at each other without a word, but then Deeter hit Snaky on top of his head with hoof.

„You freaking idiot! You could just tell me, do you realize that we all were worriing about you? And how did you even get here?“

„Well, I realized that it had to be you, destroying mountains, so after I rescued Princess and her friend, she teleported us here.“

„Here Snaky Arcanum also told us about the situation in Crystal Empire. Of course we will go help them, I just hoped that Chrysalis will not ever return, but I guess that it was foolish to think.“ spoke Twilight with a sad voice, since she remembered what terrible things Chrysalis did to her brother and her future sister in law.

„Thank you Princess. Pinkie Pie and Applejack are with Zecora, we have to get there as fast as we can.“

„That shouldn´t be a problem!“ shouted Rainbow from the forest and loud noise coming with her sounded like something big pushing it´s way through branches.

„I found this hidden near the river, I remember that changlings brought us here on this thing.“

It was a air wheelbarrow, large for more then ten ponies. Besides this blue pegasus also brought Deeter´s flask filled with clean water, which she immediately gave to Fluttershy to drink from.

Since yellow pony was now awake, she still was too tired to drive the wheelbarrow, so that job was left on Twilight and Rainbow Dash.

“In this speed the way to Zecora will take us only hours.” annouced Deeter, while studiing the map.

* * * * * *

Two days later, on the way to the Crystal Empire. Night.

* * * * * *

Snaky couldn´t sleep. There was too many things happening, so he couldn´t simply rest. Besides, everytime he did fell asleep, nighmares woke him up, so that´s why he was standing in the wheelbarrow, watching Equestria under him go past them.

After they arrived to Zecora to pick up others, they decided to continue traveling in the air, so they didn´t waste any time. In case they met changlings Deeter and Snaky were supposed to take them down.

Right know, the only one who was pulling the wheelbarrow was Rainbow Dash, because in order to fly all night long, one of them had to rest at least a bit.

“When are you gonna tell him?” spoke somepony behind him quietly and Snaky saw sleepy Applejack. She wasn´t wearing her hat and he had to admit that with messy hair, moving in the air she looked kinda cute.

Unicorn shaked his head. There wasn´t time for such thoughts.

“What do you mean?” said eventually.

“You told us that Queen Chrysalis has by now greater power then magic of love. How do you plan on defeatin her? Deeter sure thinks that we are goin to rescue Princess Cadence and Shinin Armor and they will defeat her. But you know that it isn´t an option, if you are right.”

Sigh.

“Deeter is the kind of soldier who looks up to his superiors as if they were gods. He doesn´t take the possibility of them failing as realistic. I don´t want to hurt his feelings by telling him the truth, so when we arrive to the Crystal Empire I will send him somewhere and deal with Chrysalis myself.”

“That is just crazy!”

“Not nearly as much as you think. I will miss his help but no matter how much power did Chrysalis gained, there is nothing what could protect her from me.”

“Heh, you sure ain´t lackin confidence.”

“No I am not, but you are.”

Applejack gave him puzzled look.

“Did you notice that you said * we are going to save Princess Cadence and Shining Armor *? So you already guessed what happened to Crystal Empire while we were gone.”

Snaky happily saw that she realized the meaning of his words.

“We should go get some sleep.”

* * * * * *

“That´s not possible.” gasped Deeter, when he saw the view in front of him. The Crystal Empire was in flames. There was no sight of ponies, only changelings cruising the sky and patrolling on the land.

Snaky couldn´t do anything but watch his friend lose hope. He was expecting it, but since it wasn´t his home, he didn´t have the same feelings as vice-captain.

“Seems that crystal ponies were taken somewhere just like we were.” said Twilight, who had similar expression on her face as Deeter.

“This means that Queen Chrysalis has to be here, because there is no way that changlings could break through prince´s magic defenses.”

“I think so.” answered him Snaky and quickly grabbed him, before the white unicorn rushed to the palace.

“And you are not going to fight her. I can´t affort to have you there in your state. I need you to stay with girls and protect them. Also princess and prince are most likely still here, because I wouldn´t be suprised if Chrysalis wanted to kill time by mocking them, so somepony has to go to save them.”

“Don´t worry about us, we can find Cadence alone. You guys really should go fight with Chrysalis.” Twilight joined the conversation, before those two could start an argue.

“Fine! Let´s get this done.” finished grey unicorn and with his friend they headed for the main palace. With Snaky´s magic it wasn´t a problem to dodge patrols of changelings, but they both knew that with Chrysalis´s power, simple trick like that will not work.

“Hmm, the Crystal Heart is gone as suspected.” annouced Deeter when they were walking near the place, where the relic usually was.

“Deeter, you live here, is there a place in palace where you have good view on entire empire?”

“Let me think.” vice-captain scratched his chin. “I would say that the best place like this is royal bedroom. Princess Cadence enjoys watching her subjects live their lives from the balcony. Why?”

“Because I am pretty sure, that it´s where we will find our enemy.”

He wasn´t mistaken.

* * * * *

“Well, if you aren´t those brave, brave adventures who seeked out my prisons, killed my soldiers and rescued former Elements of Harmony.” greeted them echo voice, when they entered the royal bedroom.

As they expected, it was Chrysalis in her full glory and with Crystal Heart flying next to her.

“You knew about us?” asked Deeter, but watched her every move.

“Of course, you think that nopony reported you after you escaped from Ponyville? You guys were serious pain, but here your adventures ends.”

“I don´t think so!”

Deeter´s horn shined with red and a magic blast flew toward Chrysalis...just so it dissapeared few inches before hitting her.

“What...?”

It wasn´t that he would miss or that Chrysalis counterattacked it with her own magic, it just dissapeared, unable to hit her.

“So you didn´t know about it. What about you, pony with evil eyes, did you realized?”

Snaky shortly thinked about what she meant by “evil eyes” but now wasn´t the time to waste.

“That crystal. Crystals which were inside every single one of your changelings were sucking their magic and sending it to you. Do you mean that you posses Deeter´s magic as well?”

“Snaky? You didn´t mention about...”

“That´s right. At one time all the magic you had avaible was sended to me, thanks to this I know all your spells like The Marthyr for example. Also it gives me the ability to cancel your spells the same way you could do it to yourself.”

Chrysalis happily giggled at two ponies in front of her.

“There is no chance for you two.”

“You don´t take me as a thread so I suspect you can cancel my illusions too, because I also was wielding the crystal for a while.”

“Fufu, you are smart, no wonder that you were able to free the former Elements of Harmony, against you two, regular changelings couldn´t stand a chance, not even if they had their magic.”

“I see...” whispered Snaky, closed his eyes and slightly stumbled. Deeter looked in his direction and noticed that the air around his friend was sligly waving.

“I guess I will have to use all my magic to ensure, that you will not leave this place alive.” when grey unicorn opened his eyes, the room got illuminated by purple light. They were shining like two suns, and it weren´t just them. His whole body was glowing with the same color.

“You might know what I am capable of, but you can´t cancel my spell, if I will use more of my own magic, then you. Since you didn´t get a chance to steal all of it, then there is no chance for you to overpower me if I will use everything I´ve got!”

The purple light from his body instantly transformed into a wave of energy which flew through the room. It hadn´t effect on Deeter, because that wasn´t what Snaky wanted. The enemy was Chrysalis and it seemingly worked on her, judging by tears flowing out of her eyes and fear, which scared her face.

“Now...! Get rid...the Crystal Empire...of this threat...once and for all!” rasped illusionist and colapsed on the ground.

Vice-captain simply nodded. In front of his horn formed ball of condenset magic and fired at Chrysalis giant beam of light, which smited her, the wall and could´ve been seen from miles away, like a beacon.

After queen of changelings left just a shadow on the floor.

“We did it!” Deeter immediately rushed to his friend to help him stand up. “We defeated her! Together!”

“Cryssstal.” whispered Snaky in return.

“What?”

“Cryssstal...heart!” pony pierced his friend with like blood red eyes and Deeter just barely dodged black sharp crystal, which came out of ground and almost killed him.

With eyes wide opened he stared at grey unicorn as he got embraced by shadows and his horn turned into red and black blade.

“That´s not possible! Are you...”

The pony of shadows stood up on his hooves and widely smiled, revealing sharp teeth and stared at vice-captain with red eyes with purple and green smake coming out of them.

“...King Sombra?”

The only answer he got was crazy laught, but he knew he was right. But how did that happened?

“Nevermind. It doesn´t matter if you are really Sombra. I will defeat you and save my friend!”