Crystal friendship

Their traveling was quiet. How could it not be, when they both were worring about Crystal Empire and not just about it. What will happpen to Equestria?

It was questionable if Snaky Arcanum was also worried, since – at least to Deeter – he seemed to be daydreaming.

Suddenly, somepony knocked on the door, which woke him up.

“I will open.”

Grey unicorn walked out of their coupe and looked around.

“Weird, there is nopo...sweet Celestia!” creamed and quickly backed up. The hallway was filled with changelings. One of them almost jumped at Snaky, when he was out.

“Damn, how did they get here?” asked Deeter and tried to think of some plan.

Window!

He turned his back to changeligs, which maybe wasn´t the best idea and blasted with  magic hole into wall of their coupe.

“What are you doing?”

“Now I am in the lead.” answered him with smile and throw grey unicorn out of the train. Judging by the hissing, the changelings were just about to attack him, so he, without hesitating, followed Snaky out of train.

Vice-captain painfuly growled, when he fell on rocks, around the tracks. He looked around to see how Snaky survived the fall. Much better then expected. Maybe too well.

Grey unicorn with anger in eyes watched the train encircle the valley, where they were.

“Those damn creatures.” hissed. His entire body was glowing with dark purple magic as well as his eyes. Few seconds later he sended wave of energy to the train.

“Get out of the train.” whispered.

Deeter Spirit looked in it´s direction and saw swarm of changelings flying above the train. Then they without any visible reason flew in front of him and let themselves get hit by it.

“What did you...?” white unicorn wanted to ask, but then he saw that his new ally is on brink of unconsciousness. He hurried to him and put hoof on his shoulder.

“Snaky, are you alright?”

“Yea, I am just exhausted.” answered and with coughing he sat down.

“What did you do to them?”

“Heh, since we have to work together I might just tell you. It is also fair, since I let you fight changelings to see your abilities.”

Tired unicorn took a deep breath and continued.

“As you know I am illusionist. My magic can´t do anything real, but to trick minds. There are two basic types of illusion that I can do. Partial and Perfect. Partial is the easiest, it only allowes me to make you see one thing while the rest of the world is unchanged. The perfect on the other hand is more difficult and energy absorbing, but allowes me to fully change your perception of the world.

This one is the one what I used on changelings. Now, there are always three options how to get somepony into my illusion. Looking into my eyes, listening to melody enhanced by my magic or – and this one is the hardest – you will simply not have other choice.”

Deeter was looking at him with raised eyebrow.

“I know what you are thinking, but no, this doesn´t mean that I am powerful. What I did just now can be done roughly only once per week and it exhausts me completly.”

“So what you are saying is that they couldn´t see the real world?”

“Correct, in fact they thought that Queen Chrysalis was calling them to come to her. In the realm of illusion is anything possible and I made them not see, or hear the train.”

“Cool magic, I must say.”

Snaky smiled.

“Yea, but it costs me ability to do anything real with my magic.”

Grey unicorn carefuly stood up and looked around.

“We have tu hurry, the train is gone and we still have long way before reaching the Ponyville.”

“But are you alright? You seem pretty tired.”

“Don´t worry, this is not my first time fighting. I can menage.”

* * * * * *

Later that day.

* * * * * *

“This is as far as we can get today. We have to find a place to sleep.” decided Deeter, when he saw sun coming slowly down.

During the day the got just few miles far from Ponyville, but still too far to get there before twilight.

“Maybe we can find somepony in that forest over there, or maybe just a cave.”

“It´s something, I guess.”

So both ponies entered dark woods and looked around for anything, where they could sleep. Later they found small cave, hidden in a small valley.

“This is something. At least we will not be cold.”

“Yea, I just hope that no bear lives inside.”

Fortunately the cave was lifeless so both ponies moved in.

“I will get some wood, you stay here and prepare the fireplace.”

“We are not in Crystal Empire, vice-captain.” whispered quietly Snaky, kinda upset, that Deeter is acting like if the grey unicorn was one of his soldiers.

“What was that?”

“Nothing!”

“I though so.” said and left the cave.

“Bah, and ponies would think that I will have some respect by now. Whatever, fireplace can be done anytime, I want to explore this cave for a bit.”

So the pony went deeper inside the cave, where he once already was, when he and Deeter were checking if is it´s empty.

“I thought so, nothing.” as soon as he finished, his eye noticed a glance in the darkest corner.

“Hmmm, this looks like horn of manticore, but not as big and more red. Maybe some of them lived here before?”

Snaky carefuly picked it up and raised it in front of his eyes. The horn, or whatever it was, immediately dissolved into black smoke, right when he moved it.

“Could it be so old?” spoke once again to himself. “Whatever, I don´t really care anyway.”

* * * * * *

When Snaky walked away there was one more thing he didn´t notice in the cave. And that was the fact that the corner where he found the manticore´s horn wasn´t as dark anymore.

* * * * * *

“Before we get to the Ponyville, did you ever visited it before?” asked Snaky his companion.

“Never. You?”

“I did. Just shortly, when I was on my way to Canterlot. Nice town and nice ponies. Some of them more nice then others.” said and for a moment it seemed like if he was daydreaming again.

The trip went without a problems, the changelings that attacked the train were seemingly just small group that decided to hunt them down and those weren´t problem anymore.

“So this is it – Ponyville. Now we have to find Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends.” said Deeter and together they enetered the town.

While they were walking Snaky didn´t stop looking around, like if he was expecting something, which for some reason didn´t happened. And it didn´t make him happy.

Some pink pony just walked around them, seemingly she didn´t even noticed them. Mare had fluffy pink hair, slightly darker then her pink body.

When Snaky saw her, his eyes wide opened.

“I will tell you something, but promise to not freak out!” whispered to white unicorn.

“What is it?” asked also whispering, expecting some kind of joke, since when they had to spend night in the cave, Deeter discovered that Snaky is also kinda joker.

“We are in the Ponyville, surrounded by changelings. Nopony here is the one who he looks like.”