Crystal friendship

„I don´t like it in here. It´s dark, mosty and it smells terrible.“ whined Snaky, few seconds after hydra swallowed them and both ponies traveled through her neck right into the stomach.

„Why do you have to be so pesimistic?“ answered him Deeter, who was trying his best to not giggle at his friend. During their not long travels he realized that Snaky hates when his personal space is ruined or, when he has to go through something what he doesn´t like.

In some way, it was logical, since he definetely had power to act as he wanted.

„Well, I don´t know, it maybe has some connection with the fact that we are in stomach of a freaking hydra.“

„Just stop complaining and get to the work, so we can get out, if you hate it here so much.“ teased him white unicorn. „I will make sure, that hydra´s body fluids will not digest us.“

His horn shined and magic bubble formed around them, which also shined just enough for both ponies to see around them.

„Sweet Celestia. I didn´t need to see this.“ Discusted Snaky waded through fluids to half decayed body of a changeling.

„Poor guy propably wandered too far from others and got eaten.“

„At least he is not going to be a problem. Actually he si a proof that the map isn´t lying. We have to be getting near the prison.“ vice-captain also came closer, but his sight attracted something shiny in place where changeling used to have stomach.

„What is this?“ Deeter pulled out of the corpse small light blue crystal shard. „Do you know what is this used for?“ asked Snaky and handed him crystal. Grey unicorn immidietly started to study it.

„I can´t say for sure, but this seems to be some kind of magic transporter.“

„Magic transporter? Does it have anything in it?“

„No. The spell by which is this stone enhanced by, seems to be incomplete, but deliberately. It would contain magic, if it would be completed, but like this it appears to be sending everything it gets somewhere else.” Snaky gave it last look and returned it back to Deeter.

“You might want to keep it, it might be useful one day.”

White unicorn hide it under his armor and watched his friend cast spell. Their plan was let the hydra to eat them and then force it by an illusion to cross the swamp, so the changelings won´t see them.

Purple color mixed with red light from his shield and shortly after that, the hydra started to move, what caused both ponies to bounce from the walls of it´s stomach.

“Ok, I think that we should be on the other side by now. Use your magic to tease this beast a little.” said Snaky, after a while of incredibly uncomfortable journey.

After few magic strikes into hydra´s stomach and being puked out, the two ponies continued to the prison, marked on their map.

* * * * * * *

“Before we actually attempt to save whonever is in that prison, we should make a plan. In Ponyville we just got lucky.” suggested Deeter, not long, after they got out from hydra.

“Lucky? I hoped that we will use that cool spell of yours. The Marthyr.”

“There is one thing that I didn´t tell you about. In order to become marthyr you have to agree, or at least don´t disagree. We got lucky, that those two changelings didn´t notice that spell.”

“Hmm. And I still can´t trap all changlings into illusion.”

“We don´t need that. You mentioned Particular illusions and never explained them.

“Heh. Then now is the time to use this ticket.”

“What do you need for it?”

“Nothing.”

* * * * * * *

“What are you doing here?” asked changeling guarding entrance to a cave, which seemed to be higly used and modified by somepony for whatever use it was supposed to have. As all his brethern he had very creaky voice, like if he had dry throat.

One of two newcomer changelings stared him into eyes and handed him letter.

“Queen Chrysalis wants to see former users of Elements of Harmony personaly.” answered him with the same kind of voice like him.

“Follow me.”

Guard took them inside the cave and led them to a room, filled with documents, with just one table and a changeling with decorated helmet, sitting behind it.

“Sir, these two brought you a letter from Queen Chrysalis.”  inroduced them their guide and handed him the letter.

“Thank you sergant, go back to your work.”

Oficcer stared at them, slowly opened the letter and started reading it.

“So, in our prison are helded earth ponies Applejack and Pinkie Pie. Do you two think that you can escort them alone? If it´s necessary I am willing to borrow you few of my soldiers, just so the prisioners won´t escape.”

“Thank you for your offer sir, but Queen ordered us to do it alone, so the chance of somepony noticing us, is as low as possile.”

“Queen´s orders are absolute. Come with me, I will take you to the prison cells. We were originaly supposed to take care of one alicorn and one unicorn, both former users of Elements of Harmony, but plans were changed.

To be honest I am glad, because earth ponies aren´t as much of a trouble. Most of time.”

“Most of time?”

“Yea, one of them, Applejack, was kinda feisty one. We had to chain that pony, so she can´t escape.”

“Heh.”

“What is so funny?”

The changeling that chuckled quickly realized, what he did.

“I am sorry, sir. It just seems funny to me that mare can be so dangerous, that she had to be chained.”

The officer seemingly wasn´t sure if one of couriers meant is as a joke or as an insult.

“You will understand, when you will be forced to take care of her.”

Rest of the way they stayed silent. As they were walking through the cave, both couriers could notice that the prison has quite high security, made of changelings standing around the corners, or walking out of different corridors.

“Here they are.” spoke finally officer and pointed with his jagged hoof at the cells right next to each other.

Two couriers looked inside and saw two mares, each in a different cell. One of them had orange fur, with yellow mane and was chained to the ground with only small space for movement. The second one hadn´t this kind of security, but on the other hand didn´t seem to perceive the situation. This mare had pink colors, long straight hair, almost covering her eyes and seemed to be in depression.

“Open the doors.” commanded the officer to one of two changelings guarding the cells.

“Yes sir!”

The changeling took off key from his belt and opened both cells, so the couriers could enter.

“Let´s do this.” said the one who was earlier joking about mares being too much on local soldiers and alone entered the cell.

Applejack raised her head and looked him, at first with hatred, but shortly after with a great suprise. He turned to changelings and saw that they are also very suprised. Then he raised his hoof in front of his eyes and saw that it isn´t jagged and black, but grey and pony-like.

“Celestia damn it.” cursed Snaky, when he realized that his illusion isn´t working.

* * * * * *

With Snaky´s magic not working, the illusion of second courier dissapeard too and instead of him it was Deeter, standing with changelings.

Fortunately, thanks to his experience as a soldier he reacted quickly enough to blast every single changeling around him, before they could alarm others.

“What the heck happened?” asked Deeter, when he asured that nopony heard the fight.

“Anti-magic walls. That guy said that originaly there were supposed to be Princess Twilight and other unicorn. We´ll talk about that later, throw me the key!”

Snaky quickly opened the shackles on Applejack´s hooves and helped her stand up.

“Are you alright?” aked her and looked in those deep green eyes.

“You shouldn´t come here!” told him, like if she knew him already, which was for deeter kinda interesting. Could she be the mare who Snaky wanted to save?

“Ts! I owed it to you.” answered her with smile and walked outside of the cell, where Deeter took the key from him and went rescue Pinkie Pie. Once she saw her friend Applejack, her hair turned fluffy again and happily hugged her around the neck.

“We will have time for this, once we get out.” reminded them vice-captain.

“Go without me, I have to find something here.” protested Applejack.

“What?”

“They took my hat, I can´t leave it here, it means a lot to me.”

“Nonsense. I will go find it, you girls go with here Deeter Spirit.”

“I can´t let you-” Nopony knew what she tried to say, because from the hallway came dozen of changelings.

“Damn it! So somepony heard the noise of fight. Run!” shouted white unicorn and whole group runned through the corridor, from where they came from. Fortunately, no guard seemed to notice them.

* * * * * * *

Snaky was still standing at the entrance to the cells and watched his companions run from imaginary changelings.

“Every guard whom we met before, saw my eyes, so they should be safe” whispered to himself. His vision blured and pony almost fell on the ground.

With struggles forced his body to stay still.

“Damn it. I used too much of my magic.”

He looked around and slowly walked away the opposite way.

“If the changelings have some kind of basement here, it´s going to be deeper in the cave.”